{{ The head of U.S. air forces in the Pacific said on Monday that Russia’s intervention in Ukraine had been accompanied by a significant increase in Russian air activity in the Asia-Pacific region in a show of strength and to gather intelligence.
General Herbert “Hawk” Carlisle said the activity had included Russian flights to the coast of California, and around the U.S. Pacific island of Guam.
Carlisle said the number of long-range Russian patrols around the Japanese islands and Korea had increased “drastically.” He said there had also been “a lot more ship activity as well.”}}
Speaking at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, Carlisle showed a slide of a U.S. F-15 fighter jet intercepting a Russian “Bear” aircraft over Guam. He used the Cold War NATO name for Russia’s Tupolov Tu-95 strategic bomber.
“Certainly what’s going on in Ukraine and Crimea is a challenge for us and it’s a challenge for us in Asia Pacific as well as Europe,” Carlisle said.
He said there had been “a significant” increase in Russian activity in the Asia Pacific “and we relate a lot of that to what’s going on in the Ukraine.”
“They’ve come with their long-range aviation out to the coast of California, they’ve circumnavigated Guam,” he said.
“That’s to demonstrate their capability to do it, it’s to gather intel,” Carlisle said, adding that the surveillance had included observation of military exercises involving U.S. forces in South Korea and Japan.
{{U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon flew into South Sudan on Tuesday to urge government troops and rebels to end more than four months of fighting – the second peace mission there by a major global figure in less than a week.}}
Ban was expected to meet South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, part of a mounting international push to stop the increasingly ethnic violence that Washington and regional powers fear could descend into genocide.
U.S. and other diplomatic sources told Reuters on Monday Washington would back up the diplomacy with sanctions on figures from both sides of the conflict in coming days.
Showing the message had hit home, a South Sudanese official said there was no need to sanctions on the government side, as the president had already responded to international pressure and agreed to hold talks with the main rebel leader.
“(The government is) doing precisely what has been asked,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Mawien Makol Arik told Reuters.
Thousands of civilians have been killed and more than a million have fled since fighting started in mid December between troops loyal to Kiir and fighters backing his sacked deputy Riek Machar.
Fighting quickly spread, often along ethnic lines, pitting Kiir’s Dinka people against Machar’s Nuer.
Government and rebel negotiators in Ethiopia agreed on Monday to consider a “month of tranquility”, but as they did, rebel fighters and the army battled for control of a northern oil town.
Aid workers in Bentiu reported no fighting on Tuesday. Both sides claimed control of the town, capital of oil producing Unity state and scene of an ethnic massacre last month that fuelled fears of a genocide.
Kiir agreed to hold face-to-face talks with Machar after meeting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in the South Sudanese capital Juba on Friday.
On May 3rd 2014, Africa Innovation Prize (AIP) held its award ceremony for the business idea challenge it carried out in March.
Nine winners emerged from University of Rwanda across all its colleges and the event was hosted by the University of Rwanda, College of Business and Economics.
“The competition was opened to all students in University of Rwanda where students were expected to write their viable business ideas in 250 words,” said Herve Kubwimana, the Country Director for AIP in Rwanda as he opened the ceremony.
“We received more than 300 applications from which our judges worked tirelessly to sift through and select the 9 winners for the phase one of the competition.
The participation across colleges shows College of Business and Economics (CBE) leading with 34% followed by College of Science and Technology (CST) with 24% and College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine (CAVM) with 17%.
Agriculture and Food processing was a leading industry in the business ideas presented followed by ICT and Manufacturing.
“It is the mission of AIP to inspire and support university entrepreneurship and through this competition it holds every year, more students are given the opportunity to be self-employed,” said Mr. Apollo Munanura, Head of the Human Capital & Institutional Development department at Rwanda Development Board.
“We at RDB support initiatives inclined to youth employment, entrepreneurship as is this case and youth skill development.”
The guest of honour, Dr. Marie Christine Gasingirwa, Director of Science and Technology at the Ministry of Education, applauded the students who applied and won the challenge noting an increase in interest in business ideas in projects around Agriculture, ICT and healthcare.
“If we can have students drawing ideas in their skills and combining across colleges as is the vision of University of Rwanda, students will not only be able to suffice their livelihoods but uplift those around them and foster in building Rwanda’s economy.”
“Students should take up these opportunities that give them real life experience on what they are learning in business courses we provide and I would like to congratulate the winners of the first round of the competition,” said Dr. Papias Malimba, Principal of the College of Business and Economics.
The winners of the competition are: Eric Mutabazi, Vestine Dukeshimana, Mariam Muganga, Rogers Kimuli, Theodomir Sebazungu, Fabrice Niyibizi, Dioscore Shikama, Carine Ndacyayisenga, and Aimable Nzabakurana and each got an award of Rwf 200,000 for their business idea in a bid to further them in developing their business idea to a business plan and enter the next phase of the competition.
The ceremony ended up with a networking event where students interacted with the guests as well as their entrepreneurial peers.
The African Innovation Prize’s work and programme in Rwanda are sponsored by DeLaRue and the Segal Family Foundation.
{Winners of the Business idea challenge with the guests}
{From left to right, Dr. Christine Gasingirwa, Vestine (one of the winners) and Dr. Papias}
{{Participants of the award ceremony}}
{{ {The African Innovation Prize’s work and programme in Rwanda are sponsored by DeLaRue and the Segal Family Foundation.} }}
{{The UN Department of peacekeeping operations(UNDPKO) Military Advisor Lt Gen Maqsood Ahmed visited Rwandan Contingent serving in United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) at Tomping Base camps and UN House .}}
He was accompanied by the UNMISS Force Commander Maj Gen Delali Johnson Saky, the Deputy Force Commander Brig Gen Ramesh Pun and the Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of operations Col Tom Byabagamba among dignitaries.
Gen Maqsood was briefed by the Rwanda Contingent (Rwanbatt3) commander Col Mutara Nkangura on the security situation in the Area of Responsibility.
Lt Gen Maqsood Ahmed thanked Rwanbatt3 Forces for commitment and hard work in a challenging environment.
He requested Rwanbatt to cope with the challenges of IDPs settled in inappropriate location as UNMISS looks to relocate them.
On 29th April Lt Gen Maqsood Ahmed also visited UN peacekeepers in Darfur(UNAMID). Accompanied by UNAMID Military officials, Force commander Lt Gen Paul Ignace Mella and Deputy Force Commander Maj Gen Balla Keita, he visited the Rwanda Battalion (Rwanbatt41) at El- Fasher Super Camp.
Gen Maqsood Ahmed commended the RDF peacekeepers “you are the best peacekeepers worldwide and you should uphold this rank’’, he said. He was received by Contingent Commander Col Sam Baguma.
{{Top administrators of higher education institutions in East Africa, academic researchers and education policy makers convene here from today to discuss how the quality of higher education in the region can be improved.}}
The six-day meeting has been organised by the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), an institution under the East African Community (EAC) under the theme; “Creating a Quality Assurance Culture in the East African Higher Education Area.’
“The conference will provide a unique opportunity for quality assurance practitioners of higher education institutions, executive members of national accreditation bodies, higher education researchers and policy makers to share ideas on quality assurance issues, systems, practices and challenges, including prospects of higher education in the region,” said a statement issued by IUCEA from its headquarters in Kampala.
The event would give academicians and practitioners in quality assurance the opportunity to strengthen collaboration and networking as well as discuss policies concerning quality assurance in the EA higher education systems.
Best practices in quality assurance in education in and outside the region will also be discussed.
The role of Quality Assurance Networks in enhancing quality culture in the education sector in the region.
Besides IUCEA, other organizations which have collaborated to organize the conference at the Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge outside Arusha are the East African Quality Assurance Network (EAQAN), German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Aga Khan University.
EAQAN was formally established in 2012 following the adoption of its Constitution. It is mandated to oversee quality assurance issues, systems, practices, challenges and prospects in the East African Higher Education Area.
{{South Sudanese government forces said Sunday they had overrun a key rebel base and that heavy fighting was raging for control of the northern oil hub of Bentiu following a major offensive.}}
“Our forces captured Nasir this morning. After we launched an assault yesterday with heavy bombardments, the town is ours,” South Sudan army spokesman Philip Aguer told reporters, adding that rebel leader Riek Machar had fled towards the Ethiopian border.
“The rebels including Riek Machar are fleeing towards the Ethiopian border, we are still advancing,” the spokesman said.
“In Bentiu we launched a major assault at the same time, our forces are there and have been fighting. We are awaiting confirmation of its capture, but we are hopeful of good news.”
The attack comes just days after the country’s president, Salva Kiir, agreed during a visit by US Secretary of State John Kerry to hold direct talks with Machar on ending the brutal four-month-old conflict.
Independent aid sources, who asked not to be identified, confirmed there was fierce fighting in and around Bentiu, capital of the oil-rich Unity State, as well as around Nasir, situated close to the border with Ethiopia and one of the main bases of Machar and his rebel army.
{{A leader of a protest march for 276 missing schoolgirls says Nigeria’s First Lady abused them, expressed doubts there was any kidnapping and accused them of belonging to the terrorist network blamed for the abductions. }}
Then she ordered two of them arrested.
Saratu Angus Ndirpaya of Chibok town said State Security Service agents drove her and protest leader Naomi Mutah Nyadar to a police station Monday after an all-night meeting at the presidential villa in Abuja, the capital. She said Nyadar remains in detention. Police could not be reached for comment.
Ndirpaya says First Lady Patience Jonathan accused them of fabricating the abductions to give Nigeria’s government and her husband “a bad name.”
Police say more than 300 were abducted April 15 from Chibok school and 276 remain in captivity.
{{ The Uganda National Police has created a special road traffic unit that will be working with the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) to ensure that trucks traversing Ugandan roads adhere to the axle load rules.}}
While addressing journalists at East African Community (EAC) non-tariffs barriers communication strategy meeting on Tuesday, Dr Steven Kasiima, the director traffic and road safety at Uganda National Police said, overloaded trucks are the major causes of accidents on highways because they breakdown around black spots.
{{Damaging roads}}
He added that the abnormal loads especially cement, also damage the roads, weigh bridges and bridges yet it is hard to tow them away because of the load.
He explained that during a joint EAC consultative meeting on Non-tariff barriers held in Mombasa recently, it was identified that road traffic blocks are some of the non-tariff barriers impeding the smooth flow of goods across the region and the Uganda police has removed all of them in Uganda.
“Imagine in a roadblock, a truck spends five minutes being checked and we had 30 of them from Malaba to Mutukula, that meant two and half hours wasted on roadblocks.
Given the state of the roads, if the goods being transported were perishable, then it meant the traders were making losses,” he explained to journalists.
He said as a control measure, Police has started escorting fuel tankers from one border point to another and also increased motorised patrols on all the highways instead of the roadblocks because they are proving more effective.
{Over 50 Youth from different institutions and backgrounds gathered in Kigali on 3rd May 2014 to discuss and assess the engagement of Rwandan youth in the country’s legislation processes.}
The forum was graced by MP Theobald Mporanyi, and Mr. Dave Peterson- Senior Director of the Africa Program of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) among other dignitaries.
While addressing participants, Dr. Joseph Nkurunziza, the co-founder and chair of Never Again Rwanda emphasized the importance of engagement between youth and legislators as a means of promoting effective policy formulation in the country.
“One of the ways to get the youth involved in policy making and implementation is to create a strong platform in which they can be actively engaged with the parliamentarians and discuss on cross-cutting issues” Nkurunziza said
The Executive Director of Never Again Rwanda, Mr. Eric Mahoro, explained that the discussion aimed at empowering Rwandan youth with skills that would enable them to participate in democratic processes of the country.
“These discussions are signs of a democratic country, Never Again Rwanda organizes such discussion forums to empower youth with skills and ability to become participative citizens,” he said.
After the keynote addresses, the youth got a chance to give suggestions and debate on the matters of legislation and policy formulation processes in Rwanda. The very active youthful audience showed a great interest in understanding the various legislation processes in the country and affirmed their commitment to participate in the processes through the available mechanisms and avenues that were lucidly explained by the flamboyant Member of Parliament and other facilitators, who elucidated the needfulness of youth participation in the legislation processes and how it servers to safeguard democracy and flourish development.
The youth raised concerns that while youth account for 61% of the Rwandan Population there were only two seats for youth representation. But fronting a different perspective, Floriane Niyungeko a student in Huye and Burundian national, disagreed with the Rwandan participants stating categorically that focus should be put on the availability of mechanisms through which the youth can contribute in the legislation agenda and not necessarily representation in parliament. “You are lucky that you even have that representation. I don’t think we have it in Burundi. Youth ideas are not only transmitted by youth, what is important is to look the best way you can share your views instead of spending all your time in social media”, she said with an assuring smile, to justify her line of argument.
Speaking to the press, Richard Manzi, one of the 50 participants who participated in the discussion, said that his decision to take part in the forum was informed by his belief that the youth should play a key role in the development of the country as they constitute a large percentage of the population of the country. “What can happen if we sit behind and let our views die with us? I thank Never Again Rwanda for having given us this platform. This is the beginning of our integration in the formulation of our policy”, he said.
Hon. Mporanyi Theobald in his closing remarks thanked Never Again Rwanda for having organized such an important event and further suggested that many more of these forums should be organized across the country to ensure that the views of all youth are put into consideration in all legislative procedures.
Furthermore Mr. David Peterson (NED) and Dr.Joseph Nkurunzina emphasized the importance of discussions at different levels stating that open discussions and meaningful dialogue between leaders and the people they represent are essential for governance and democracy. The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) supports the Youth Discussion Forum and has funded Never Again Rwanda since 2007.
{{The Vatican has told the United Nations that the Holy See’s powers to prosecute abusive priests do not extend beyond the tiny Vatican City state.}}
“The Holy See has no jurisdiction over every member of the Catholic Church,” Archbishop Silvano Tomasi said.
The archbishop, who is the papal envoy to the UN, was speaking in Geneva to the UN Committee against Torture.
Victims of clerical sex abuse argue that the Catholic Church has failed to protect children and shielded abusers.
They also argue that rape and molestation of children come under the terms of the UN Convention against Torture.
It is the second time this year that the Vatican is being scrutinised by the United Nations over its record in dealing with child sex abuse by priests.
Archbishop Tomasi said the Vatican could only apply the UN convention – which it signed in 2002 – inside Vatican City, which has a resident population of less than 1,000.
UN experts challenged that position, alleging it was an attempt to deflect criticism by using excessively legalistic arguments, media reports from Rome.
