The United Nations has warned that the global fin ancial turmoil has sparked a crisis in the global trading arena, whose impact would affect the growth of African economies which have for a long time depended on export-led growth. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) announced Thursday in its World Economic Prospects 2009 that African economies would feel the severe effects of the sliding global trade prospects and the falling cost of oil prices.

The Togolese government has increased assistance to the private press to 350 million CFA francs this year from 75 million CFA francs in 2008. The government said on Thursday the assistance would help the press improve performance through several components, namely training and equipment.

Royal Bank of Scotland has warned it may become the fourth big investor in just a few days to pull billions of dollars out of the Chinese banking system, fuelling fears that China’s faltering economy could be hit by massive capital outflows in coming months. Reports indicate the British bank, now controlled by the U.K. government, has been in talks with Chinese regulators for the past few days to sell down its 4.3% stake in Bank of China worth $3.7-billion.

The Sino-Indian 'Hand-in-Hand 2008' military exercise that concluded recently at Belgaum in Karnataka may have hit headlines, but is no revelation to those who have observed India's military diplomacy in recent times. China apart, India has engaged many countries this year alone, under the rubric of military diplomacy. While the Navy led the show, with many bilateral and multilateral exercises, the Air Force and the Army too engaged themselves in significant joint exercises.

The commitment by China last year of US$9 billion for investment in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has made Beijing one of the most influential players in the Congolese economy almost overnight.

The world's eyes are on the Middle East, but due south, in the Horn of Africa, Somalia is flaring up once again. The good news is that Somali pirates, who had given the world's navies a lesson in intransigence after brazenly attacking 111 merchant vessels in 2008, have released a Japanese-operated South Korean-owned bulk carrier, as well as a three other ships this week.

The first weeks of 2009 find China consumed by the same anxiety as the rest of the world. No one in Beijing's top leadership wants a repeat of 2008's high-wire ride (the Beijing Olympics) and lows (the Tibet protests, the Sichuan earthquake, the contaminated milk-powder scandal). But the year of quiet development and consolidation that it might hoped for is not in prospect, for China shares with other leading players such as the United States and the European Union the predicament of a global economy in deep crisis.

Indian engineering firm Angelique International will build two hydro power plants in Cameroon as part of a 125 billion CFA francs ($251.5 million) aid deal, the central African country said late on Tuesday. State-owned Export-Import Bank of India will loan the money to Cameroon, the second such deal signed between the Gulf of Guinea nation and Angelique in the past two months.

Young researchers, doctoral students, education specialists, administrators living in one of the ERNWACA member countries are invited to participate in the ERNWACA Grants Programme for interdisciplinary Education Research

In the usual start to its New Year diplomatic calendar, Chinese foreign minister, Yang Jeichi, has embarked on a four nation African tour. Landing in Rwanda, as the first stop of his visit, the foreign minister was invited to the Rwandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, which was funded by the Chinese government to the value of US$8.9 million. As a goodwill gesture the Chinese Embassy in Rwanda

Today’s resource boom in Africa, driven by Asian economic growth, offers new opportunities for resource-rich African countries. Contrary to the experience of previous booms, however, most mining profits now accrue to foreign companies, leaving little room for governments to use revenues for pro-poor investments or to mitigate adverse distributional impacts.

Significant new investments in the fight against the AIDS pandemic could have positive impacts on broader health systems in Africa if governments handle them right. A study of six countries -- Argentina, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Uganda -- by the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC), titled "Missing the Target 6 - The HIV/AIDS Response and Health Systems" indicates that new investment in AIDS services has exposed existing fragilities in health systems.

Amplify Your Voice is currently hiring a team of front page bloggers for our site, and are down to one position left. We are hoping to find a talented young woman from Africa who might be interested in this position, as sexual and reproductive health is such an issue for young women on the continent.

The new year was an occasion for the world’s pundits to review the global economic shock and its impact, including its implications for China and Africa. Former Chief Economic Advisor to the IMF Professor Nouriel Roubini was one who did not mince his words.

‘‘The global financial system in 2008 experienced its worst crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. ...Unfortunately, . The entire global economy will contract in a severe and protracted U-shaped global recession that started a year ago. The U.S. will certainly experience its worst recession in decades, a deep and protracted contraction lasting at least through the end of 2009. Even in 2010 the economic recovery may be so weak -- 1 percent growth or so -- that it will feel terrible even if the recession is technically over.

JASS (Just Associates), a fast-growing global organization dedicated to strengthening the voice, visibility and collective organizing power of women, is looking for an experienced African women’s rights activist with at least 7 years of experience working on HIV/AIDs in Southern Africa and beyond. Application deadline: January 26, 2009.

JASS (Just Associates), a fast-growing global organization dedicated to strengthening the voice, visibility and collective organizing power of women, is looking for an experienced Senior Manager of Finance & Operations (SMF&O) with at least 10 years of experience, including at least 4 years working with an international organization with multiple offices and partners. Deadline for application submission: January 26, 2009.

Two days before Christmas, Myanmar's mission to the UN got a gift with no strings attached. In the dimly-lit Indonesia Lounge next to the General Assembly chamber, Nigeria's Permanent Representative Joy Ogwu handed her counterpart from Myanmar Kyaw Tint Swe a check for $500,000. This was Nigeria's response to the UN's plea for funds to continue to respond to Cyclone Nargis, which hit in May.

Public buildings in England and Wales are pumping out 11m tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, more than Kenya's entire carbon footprint, the Guardian can reveal. Unpublished findings of an energy efficiency audit of 18,000 buildings including ministerial offices, police stations, museums and art galleries reveal that the 9,000 buildings audited so far produce 5.6m tonnes of CO2, with one in six receiving the lowest possible energy efficiency rating.

Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) has emerged as a pre-eminent tool for states emerging from intra-state conflict. Much research on the subject has focused on the specifics of ‘DDR design’ and its applicability as part of wider ‘political’ processes - the authors of this paper claim there is little recognition of their potential value as implementers of the process. Surely NGOs, as representatives of civil society, are ideally placed to play a vital role in post-conflict society rebuilding?

The UN refugee agency on Tuesday condemned an attack on a vehicle carrying staff of an Italian aid agency that left one person dead and another injured in the strife-torn Congolese province of North Kivu. "UNHCR deplores the cold-blooded murder of a staff member of the Italian NGO, Voluntary Association for International Service (AVSI)," a spokesperson said, adding that armed men had on Monday ambushed the vehicle near Rutshuru town, which is located some 70 kilometres north of the provincial capital, Goma.