"Debt Relief and Aid: Who profits?"

G-8 and African leaders divided on Zimbabwe
"I am really irritated by this kgokgo approach," said Bheki Khumalo, a spokesman for President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, using a Sotho word that implies scaring a small child into submission. "South Africa refuses to accept the notion that because suddenly we're going to a G-8 summit, we must be reminded that we must look good and appease the G-8 leaders. We will do things because we believe they are correct and right."

Time for G8 to stop pulling strings on aid

In search of a better Africa - 'Historic' debt relief: Who profits?
MUCH CHEST-THUMPING will accompany this week's announcement by the world's wealthy (G8) nations of a new deal for African debt relief. According to British Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown the $40 billion deal will mean 100% write-offs for fourteen African countries, covering their debts to the World Bank, African Development Bank, and International Monetary Fund.

Like most acts of charity, however, the deal instead looked set to reinforce the symbolism of noble giver and pitiable recipient, and the racist suppositions on which the rich world's dealings with the world's poor have long rested. The question was who stood to profit the most by it.

Why Indians love America so much

Black is blemish in India
Colour prejudice against people with dark skin in a country such as India defies common sense. If black still connotes blemish rather than beauty in India, the reasons, say experts, are historical and political.

Hunter-gatherers face extinction on Andaman island

The G8 Summit: A fraud and a circus
Tony Blair's "vision for Africa" is about as patronising and exploitative as a stage full of white pop stars (with black tokens now added).

Bush rejects Kyoto-style G8 deal

"'Pressuring' G8 Nations?"
The idea that Bob Geldof, Bono, and company are ‘pressuring’ G8 countries to address African poverty is pure fiction. Those following the news over the past months know that the ‘debt-relief’ proposals for Africa originate from Tony Blair and Gordon Brown at 10 Downing St. in anticipation of Britain’s term as head of the G8 countries. This ‘Make Poverty History’ business is not some spontaneous populist uprising. You have to look to places like Venezuela and Bolivia for that. No, this is nothing more than a monstrous propaganda stunt designed to rubber-stamp the new scramble for Africa, for her oil and gas and minerals, all in the name of humanitarian mercy, pity, and charity. Well as old William Blake wrote 200 years ago, “Mercy would be no more/ If we did not make somebody poor.”

Coffee: from Africa to the world

Rich spend 25 times more on defence than aid
Rich western countries spend up to 25 times as much on defence as they do on overseas aid and have increased their assistance to the poorest African countries by just $3 (£1.70) a head since 1990, according to United Nations figures.

African leaders ask for two UN Security Council seats

Barclays' Move On Absa Hits a Hitch Over Reparations
BARCLAYS' bid for Absa failed to win high court sanction as expected yesterday, as Judge Mahomed Jajbhay granted an interdict following pleadings from pressure groups which argue the UK bank must face lawsuits for supporting apartheid governments.

Black leaders arrested
Three African-American activists upset about the Mexican government's issuance of a postage stamp they consider racist were arrested Tuesday while blocking the sidewalk in front of the Mexican Consulate.

Black communities fear ID cards will discriminate