As the dust settles over the failed WTO talks in Geneva of the last fortnight, a fact that has been under-highlighted has become more clear. That is the important and even crucial role that the African and other smaller economies played in the mini-Ministerial process. Much of the media publicity has focused on the role of the United States and European Union on one hand, and on India, China and Brazil on the other hand.

In a new report, "Left Behind!", the Black Aids Institute in Los Angeles documents the neglect of extent of the AIDS epidemic namong Black Americans. According to Phill Wilson, CEO of the Black AIDS Institute and one of the authors of the
report, "More Black Americans are infected with HIV than the total populations of people living with HIV in seven of the 15 countries served by PEPFAR [President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief."Wilson and a wide range of other experts involved in the report applaud the efforts to treat AIDS in Africa, but call for a comparably urgent response at home.

On July 16th, Changemakers launched the 'Banking on Social Change' competition, an exciting new initiative that seeks innovative, cutting edge methods that allow financial security to become a reality for everyone. Join Changemakers and Citi in the search for innovative and cutting-edge methods that allow financial security to become a reality for everyone. Enter and showcase your work to key decision-makers and investors.

A multi-billion dollar oil deal between China and the west African state of Niger has been denounced by unions and transparency campaigners. Civil rights groups in Niger are calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the $5bn (£2.5bn) contract and for scrutiny of how funds will be spent.

AMwA is announcing a Vacancy - Regional Coordinator, UK/Europe to be based at our UK/Europe Office in London, United Kingdom. Based in London, United Kingdom, AMwA’s Regional Coordinator, UK/Europe will work with the Executive Director to facilitate the identification, planning, development, implementation, leadership, achievement and spearheading of policy advocacy and programme initiatives relevant to African women, within the UK and Europe, in line with AMwA’s mission and objectives.

According to a new report by UNAIDS, significant gains in preventing new HIV infections are being seen in a number of countries most affected by the AIDS epidemic though it is not over in any part of the world.

In September 2008, ministers from over 100 countries, heads of bilateral and multilateral development agencies, donor organisations, and civil society organisations from around the world will gather in Accra for the Third High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (2-4 September). Their common objective is to help developing countries and marginalised people in their fight against poverty by making aid more transparent, accountable and results-oriented.

The regional energy regulatory association has called on southern African countries to adjust electricity tariffs bearing in mind the potential negative impact this may have on the more vulnerable members of society.

China is ramping up financing for power and transport projects in Africa, with the majority in four countries endowed with natural resources, according to a report by the World Bank on Thursday. The report, which looks at the growing role of the Chinese government as a financier of infrastructure projects in Africa, estimates China's funding for roads, railways and power projects peaked at $7-billion in 2006 from just $1-billion a year between 2001-03.

The Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), an international organization that advocates for gender equality and women’s human rights in global policy, is in a process of reorganization and change, and is seeking a candidate with the vision, leadership, and skills to oversee and manage the transition process with the active guidance and support of WEDO’s Board of Directors. Deadline for applications is August 31, 2008.

The Proteus Fund is seeking a strong program leader for the National Security Human Rights (NSHR) Collaborative Fund, our collaborative program supporting work to restore human rights and promote progressive national security policy. The Program Officer reports to the Proteus Fund Executive Director.

According to a report appearing in the South China Morning Post, Beijing authorities are secretly planning to ban black people and others it considers social undesirables from entering the city’s bars during the Olympic Games, a move that would contradict the official slogan, “One World, One Dream”. Bar owners near the Workers’ Stadium in central Beijing say they have been forced by Public Security Bureau officials to sign pledges agreeing not to let black people enter their premises.

Reproductive rights advocates issued a collective condemnation Tuesday of a draft proposal by the Bush administration to set new restrictions on domestic family planning programs. Under the draft proposal, federally funded hospitals and clinics that provide family planning services would be required to promise in writing that they will turn a blind eye to health care providers' views on abortion and certain kinds of birth control, such as emergency contraception.

Full scale work by the Chinese begins to rebuild 2,050 miles of roads in the Democratic Republic of Congo, left to rot in the rainforest after the Belgian colonialists pulled out 48 years ago and further shattered by seven years of war. The vast project, which will triple Congo's current paved road network, is part of China's largest investment in Africa, a £4.5 billion infrastructure-for-minerals deal signed in January.

There is potentially enormous mineral wealth in the DRC province of Katanga. In exchange, investors from all over the world, and especially China, are prepared to offer money and infrastructure to revive the DRC after 15 terrible years of war and invasion. The potential for ecological disaster, social exploitation and corruption is almost limitless.

People continue to be enslaved in northern Mali, according to Malian human rights organization Temedt, despite a widespread belief that slavery no longer exists in the country. "The government believes slavery ended with independence, when many of the people who had been living as slaves in the colonial period were freed," said Temedt president Mohammed Ag Akeratane, "but I would estimate there are still several thousand people living in slavery or slavery-like conditions in modern Mali."

The European Commission backed a plan on Friday to give 1 billion euros to farmers in Africa next year to help tackle high food prices and boost output, despite opposition by many EU states. The EU cash, largely the result of underspending and leeway in the bloc's massive agriculture budget, comprises 750 million euros earmarked for 2008 and the remainder for 2009. This year's amount could be given retrospectively from mid-June.

The 24th World Conference of the International Lesbian and Gay Association will be held in Vienna, November 3 to 6, 2008. It will be co-organised by local member group Hosi-Wien. Its theme will be “Organising locally to bring on global change”.

The government in Niger has signed an agreement for China to help improve the country's power supplies.China will transfer several electrical power units to Niger under the agreement, officials said. The deal comes as Niger's cities have been experiencing power outages, partly due to problems in supply from Nigeria.

Debt campaigners from around the world have called on G8 leaders to face up to their role in creating the food crisis and climate change, as they meet in Japan. They call on the G8 to cancel the debts of those countries most seriously affected by the food crisis, and not to run up new debts in trying to solve the problems of food price rises and climate change.