Washington Times—House OKs war-funding bill with $5 billion IMF proviso
House Democrats narrowly pushed through a compromise $106 billion war-funding bill yesterday afternoon, which included $5 billion for the International Monetary Fund. Several weeks ago, more than 100 House Republicans voted for the war funds when the chamber first approved the bill, but yesterday virtually all of the Republicans withdrew their support after congressional Democrats – at the urging of President Obama – inserted spending for the IMF into the final version of the bill, deriding the money as a “global bailout.”

AP—UN chief warns against cutting AIDS funding
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned governments yesterday against using the economic crisis as an excuse to cut funding for fighting AIDS at a time when there are nearly five new HIV infections for every two people put on treatment. He called for “bold action” not only to increase funding but also to break down social barriers to achieve the goal set by world leaders in 2006 of universal access to comprehensive HIV prevention services, treatment, care and support by 2010.

Ghana News—Use Obama’s visit to reclaim leadership role in Africa
A university student from Ghana studying in America writes about the impending visit of President Obama to Ghana in July, and the opportunity it presents for his home country. He writes, “Our most pressing challenge remains under-development and poverty…What Africa needs from the West is honesty and reciprocity (and to) correct the imbalances in world trade. Make world trade fair. Don’t tell Africa to eliminate subsidies for agriculture; and then turn around and give generous subsidies to your farmers.”

Reuters—WTO chief hopes to conclude Doha round in 2010
The head of the World Trade Organisation, Pascal Lamy, is hopeful the long-running Doha trade talks can be wrapped up next year. Trade ministers came close to reaching a deal on the Doha round of talks in July 2008, but they collapsed because of a dispute between Washington and emerging economies, spearheaded by India, over proposals to help farmers in poor nations.

The Guardian—Put cash in the hands of the poor
A columnist writing in The Guardian writes that cash transfer is an idea whose time has come to fight global poverty. Essentially, cash transfers provides financial and other forms of assistance to people at times in their life when they need additional help and assisting those in need who cannot help themselves—through things like child benefits, old-age pensions, unemployment or incapacity benefits. While these types of benefits are commonplace in advanced economies, in many of the world’s poorest countries they are the exception, not the rule, the author writes.

IRIN—AFRICA: French aid strategy “better late than never”
French NGOs welcomed the French government’s recent decision to launch a strategy to aid developing countries, but say the government needs to go much further if it is to live up to its pledge of making aid more transparent and predictable. Under the new strategy, 14 countries in sub-Saharan Africa – most former French colonies – will receive 60 percent of France’s total development aid focusing on five sectors: health, education, climate change, agriculture and economic growth.

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-Steve Wilson