A campaigner wearing a dress made of spinach has paraded through Nairobi urging Kenyans to give up meat.

Dubbed "the Lettuce Lady", Michelle Odhiambo from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, admitted her campaign was provocative on two fronts.

Firstly because of her dress and secondly by trying to convince Kenyans to give up popular dishes such as roast meat, known as "nyama choma".

The organisers of the event said meat-eating contributed to hunger in Africa.

Ms Odhiambo, who became a vegetarian eight years ago, said this was because the amount of food consumed by animals reared for slaughter could be used to feed more people.

Andris Piebalgs endorses Kamalesh Sharma’s call for a deepening of the relationship between the Secretariat and the European Commission

Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma today welcomed European Development Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, to the Commonwealth Secretariat on an historic occasion. This was the first visit by a Development Commissioner to Marlborough House, the Secretariat’s headquarters, though European Commission President Jos? Manuel Barroso has met the Secretary-General both in London and in Brussels over the last few years.

The Commissioner endorsed the Secretary-General’s call for a deepening of the relationship between the two institutions. On a number of important policy areas there is common interest and both the European Union (EU) and the Commonwealth share the basic values of freedom and democracy.

Now is an important time in Sri Lanka’s economic developmentand the UK is already playing a role, through the companies represented by theCouncil for Business with Britain (CBB), but we can do more, stated ActingBritish High Commissioner, Mark Gooding at the 10th Annual General Meeting ofthe CBB.

This will further help develop the strong existing economic and cultural linksbetween our two countries at this exciting time for Sri Lanka,” he said.

Head of the Commonwealth says association offers its ‘whole-hearted support’ to UN peace and stability efforts

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, Head of the Commonwealth, has warned of the threat of climate change to “smaller, more vulnerable” Commonwealth nations in a historic speech to the UN General Assembly this week.

Speaking at the organisation’s headquarters in New York on 6 July 2010 for only the second time in 53 years, the Queen congratulated the United Nations on its “remarkable” achievements in tackling humanitarian emergencies, reducing conflict and helping to alleviate poverty.

Media invited to visit project which has successfully taught young people in schools how to manage their money

The Commonwealth Secretariat supports the call made by CARICOM leaders for greater international attention to be given to small states of the Caribbean, many of whom are highly indebted, Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Ransford Smith has said.

“The international community must step up and give more support to small states, some of which are struggling to cope with the many challenges - whether environmental or economic - which they face,” he said.

Deputy Secretary-General to Caricom: the Commonwealth is a trusted partner of the Caribbean

Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Ransford Smith will visit Jamaica 4-7 July 2010 to attend a summit of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) in Montego Bay.

He will brief leaders on progress in the implementation of mandates from 2009 Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, including the launch of the Network of Electoral Management Bodies, a review of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) and the convening of the Eminent Persons Group. Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago are current members of CMAG.

Focus of workshop is on making it easier for citizens to go to court and for their cases to be heard

Judges in Malawi have undergone training in court administration in a bid to improve access to justice for Malawi’s people.

A Commonwealth Secretariat funded workshop held earlier this month exposed judicial officers to modern management skills to help them with the day to day running of the courts and to strengthen the capacity of High Court Registries - the administrative units of the courts.

Legal advisor in the Secretariat’s Justice Section, Mark Guthrie, said: “The training was about upholding the rights of citizens of Malawi to access justice by making it easier for them to go to court and for their cases to be heard.