U.S. First Lady Laura Bush will travel to Africa after the Group of Eight (G-8) summit in Scotland next month, the White House announced yesterday. "This trip is the opportunity for Mrs. Bush to talk about the importance of education, to highlight the progress being made on the president's HIV/AIDS initiative, and to discuss women's rights," spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters, adding that the details and itinerary of the trip have not been finalized. Mrs. Bush will begin her trip after the leaders of the world's seven richest nations-the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Canada, and Italy-plus Russia meet for talks in Gleneagles, Scotland from July 6 to July 8. President George W. Bush visited Botswana, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Uganda in mid-2003.
