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The situation in Kenya is "a crisis that needs to end soon," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says following talks with Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki, political opposition leader Raila Odinga and other concerned parties. Violence following the flawed December 2007 presidential election has killed hundreds and displaced thousands.

Calling the suffering caused by malaria "needless," and "every death caused by malaria ... unacceptable," President Bush says a new initiative that will distribute 5.2 million free bed nets in Tanzania will be enough to protect every child in the country between the ages of 1 and 5.  Bush also discusses other steps to prevent malaria.

The United States formally recognizes Kosovo as a sovereign and independent state February 18. “In light of the conflicts of the 1990s, independence is the only viable option to promote stability in the region," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says. Kosovo has been a U.N. protectorate since 1999 policed by 16,000 NATO-led forces.

The United States welcomes the Kosovo government's commitment to implement the far-reaching provisions of a U.N. plan that includes supervised independence and protection for ethnic and religious communities, a senior U.S. official says.  The Kosovo parliament formally declared its independence February 17 in Pristina.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact with Tanzania will provide nearly $700 million in five years to improve the country's transportation network, secure reliable supplies of energy and expand access to clean and safe water, President Bush says.  Bush and Tanzanian leader Jakaya Kikwete also discuss fighting HIV/AIDS and malaria.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is going to Kenya to bolster former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan's mediation initiative and to deliver President Bush's message directly to Kenyan leaders.  The United States is trying to help end civil strife in Kenya that followed the December 27 elections, says a senior U.S. diplomat.

President Bush's arrival in Cotonou, Benin -- the first stop on his historic five-nation Africa tour -- symbolizes the U.S. commitment to improving peoples’ lives all across the continent. In remarks with President Thomas Yayi Boni of Benin, Bush highlights initiatives to fight disease, improve education and encourage good governance.

Establishing a functioning national legal system based on the rule of law is a critical element for the Iraqi government. U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey acknowledges that building such a system is a serious challenge. America.gov looks at several U.S. initiatives under way in Iraq to boost the justice system.

The United States has doubled assistance to Africa during the Bush administration -- the largest expansion of foreign aid since the Marshall Plan for recovery in Europe after World War II. And President Bush says that the region’s success lies in helping promote democracy and peace, which spur economic development and entrepreneurship.

As ongoing strife grips Kenya since its disputed December 27, 2008, presidential election, President Bush announces he is sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer to Nairobi February 18 to urge an immediate end to violence and a restoration of democracy.

Bad weather does not discourage voters during three primary elections, dubbed the “Potomac Primaries” after the river that runs through Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. The February 12 primaries put presidential contender Democrat Barack Obama ahead of Hillary Clinton in delegates. John McCain wins most Republican votes.

American students as young as age 5 are helping Afghanistan recover from war as they raise funds to build schools and playgrounds to benefit their peers on the other side of the globe. America.gov talks with Roots of Peace founder Heidi Kuhn about the Roots of Peace Penny Campaign that is aiding school and football field construction.

Bill Gates, co-founder and chairman of Microsoft Inc., will give up day-to-day leadership of the company in July and turn his attention to piloting the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to address the problems of the world's poor.

Representative Tom Lantos, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a champion of human rights, died February 11. The California congressman’s commitment to human rights was forged when, as a young man in Hungary, he lost nearly his entire family to the Nazis. He is the only Holocaust survivor ever to serve in the U.S. Congress.

The United States, shouldering its "special responsibility" toward Iraqi refugees, is preparing to deliver millions of dollars in aid to refugees marooned in neighboring countries and resettle 12,000 refugees by September 30, according to the State Department's coordinator for Iraqi refugees, James Foley.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation has selected Malawi and Mauritania as the latest African countries eligible to receive funding from its innovative program to reduce poverty through economic growth, the Millennium Challenge Account. Currently, nine African countries have received five-year grants, or compacts, under the program.

Despite early predictions that the parties’ presidential nominees would be clear after February 5, no candidate has enough delegates to ensure majorities at the national conventions. While Arizona Senator John McCain takes a strong lead in the Republican race, Super Tuesday leaves the Democratic contest between New York Senator Hillary Clinton and Illinois Senator Barack Obama extremely close.

President Bush’s upcoming trip to five African nations is going to be "very historic and significant" because it will "solidify one of the strongest components" of his legacy: Africa, says former Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa Rosa Whitaker. Bush will visit Benin, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana and Liberia February 15-21.

John Fleming, head of black history study group, tells America.gov Black History Month should focus on positive and negative aspects of the black experience.  “We were not slaves prior to being captured in Africa, and while slavery was part of our experience, …  we have a 100-and-some years in freedom that we also need to deal with."

A U.S. priority in Afghanistan in 2008 will be to help its leaders deliver needed services, security and economic opportunity to citizens, says a State Department official. From 2001 to 2007, the United States has contributed more than $23 billion as part of a long-term pledge to help Afghanistan emerge from decades of war and oppression.