Britain, Malawi’s main bilateral donor, has cut aid to the southern African nation this year after Malawi bought a $13.26 million presidential jet last year, a senior British diplomat has said. Malawi’s finance minister told parliament recently that the government had made some payments towards the purchase of the 2 billion Malawi kwacha ($13.26 million, Sh1 billion) jet.

In this week's emerging powers news roundup, East Africa is the new frontier for oil exploration, China Eximbank to continue to invest in Africa, India- Africa project partnership conclave to discuss $9 billion worth of projects, and Tata Communications increases investment in Africa.

Anti-C-300' pamphlets, buttons and large signs are everywhere at this year's the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada's (PDAC's) annual convention, as Canadian mining industry groups turn the heat up in efforts to block the controversial legislation. Bill C-300, if approved, would allow Canada's government to investigate complaints about Canadian resources firms operating in foreign countries and withhold taxpayer-funded financing, such as from Export Development Canada, from transgressors.

The on-line dialogue Documenting Violations: Choosing the Right Approach, organised by New Tactics, took place from 27 January to 2 February 2010. The dialogue featured practitioners that have developed database systems to document human rights violations, organisations on the ground documenting violations, and those that are training practitioners on how to choose the right approach and system for their documentation. We looked at options for ways to collect, store and share your human rights data safely and effectively.

Following the convening of a tripartite meeting between Africa, China and the US in Monrovia, Liberia, Adams Bodomo writes of his scepticism around the value of meetings premised on the notion that others should speak for Africa. It is grossly misplaced, Bodomo maintains, to expect 'investment technocrats' from two competing global powers to operate altruistically with Africa's social and economic development foremost in their minds.

The Africa Initiative of Syracuse University, recognizes the need for the debate on Africa-China relations to transcend the emerging Sino-phobic scholarship and analyses that conceptualize Africa-China relations only through the limited lens of exploitation, new imperialism and anti-democracy. Towards this end, the Africa Initiative will host a select group of distinguished scholars to assess and deliberate on the nature and future of Sino-African relations and cooperation. This special symposium will be held from 8th-10th April 2010 in the main campus of Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York.

Each year between 50 000 to 100 000 women worldwide are affected by obstetric fistula, a hole in the birth canal. The development of obstetric fistula is directly linked to one of the major causes of maternal mortality: obstructed labour.

The government of Sierra Leone has announced that from Independence Day (27 April) it will abolish user fees for pregnant women, lactating mothers and children under five, but will this, on its own, improve their lot?

In the context of its ongoing work on new trade and development partners in Africa, the Development Centre hosted a presentation and debate of Asia/Africa expert Deborah Brautigam’s new book The Dragon’s Gift: The Real Story of China in Africa. Professor Brautigam began by explaining away the greatest myths surrounding China’s engagement in Africa and ended with a summary of the different approaches to development held by China and traditional donors to the region.

In this week's emerging powers news roundup, Asian tree provides low-cost water purification method for developing world, China strengthening Africa’s infrastructure base, Diamond regains its glitter thanks to Chinese demand, and Indian tourists to South Africa expected to double by 2012.

During 2009 there was an upsurge in Chinese academic and journalistic writings concerning the question of a "Chinese model". Since last year Chinese intellectuals have been heatedly debating whether there is such a distinct Chinese model for development - and, if so, what are its contents and is it transferable for other countries?

Getting the most out of PTAs and economic agreements – There is a question of both the quantity and the quality of human resources needed in economic ministries to meet the challenges of the PTA agenda. Multilateralism is in India’s interest. While there is a case for the PTAs, they should not undermine competency in using the WTO

Every day, around the world, people are working hard to make a difference in cardiovascular health. The most effective work is often not by big organizations or government agencies, but by local individuals working in community programs. The Louise Lown Heart Hero Award was created to recognize individuals and programs for their innovative, preventive approaches to promoting cardiovascular health in low-resource settings.

Comparative African Perspectives on China and other emerging powers in Africa is a research project initiated by FAHAMU, the network for social justice issues. China’s deepening engagement with Africa is receiving increased attention from the global media, public- and private sectors as well as academic research. This should however not overshadow the activities of other emerging powers in Africa, including India, Russia, Brazil and South Africa. This call therefore seeks to develop an African perspective by strengthening the civil society voice in the discourse surrounding the engagement between Africa and these emerging powers.

Building on last year’s successful launch of PLURAL+, a youth video festival on migration, diversity and social inclusion, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) again invite the worlds youth to submit dynamic and forward-thinking videos focusing on these issues.

Hayley Herman reviews a blog entitled 'China in Africa: The Real Story', by Professor Deborah Bräutigam, author of the highly acclaimed book, 'The Dragon’s Gift'. This blog deals with the myths and realities of Chinese aid and economic engagement in Africa.

Less than a year after the formal establishment of BRIC, South Africa has started to flex its muscle in its bid for inclusion in this group of global emerging powers, writes Hayley Herman.

Vicensia Shule reviews Issa G. Shivji's 'Where is Uhuru? Reflections on the Struggle for Democracy in Africa', a book in which the author 'eloquently expresses his thoughts on the evils of imperialism and neoliberalism'.

In this week's emerging powers news roundup, Africa-based Mi-Fone mobile devices makes entry into Indian market, China looks set to abandon Zimbabwe, India offers fellowships to African researchers, and Indian farmers to explore Africa for agriculture prospects

The rich have got a lot richer in China during the financial crisis. This has fueled strong resentment among ordinary Chinese, who feel official nepotism and corruption is making some people extremely rich. These are the outcome of recent studies by five different organizations, two of which are connected to the government. The resentment factor has been mapped by studies done by the People's Daily, the organ of the Communist Party of China and the State-run Zhejiang Academy of Social Sciences.