Los Angeles Times: American Aid to Africa
The LA Times reports that critics say Barack Obama’s speech in Ghana was nothing new – the same message about good governance Africans had heard from presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. However in an editorial today it says that the current President is building on a solid foundation of increased aid to Africa created by Bush, and that most foreign-aid groups give the government high marks on its expansion of programs that fight poverty and disease overseas. It cites the Millenium Challenge Corporation as one such “smart aid” program.

Financial Times: Survival Lessons for Developing Nations
Yesterday’s Financial Times editorial says that in the boom years, development finance was chiefly about foreign investment and foreign aid, but that source of money is now drying up. It argues that now that “foreign investment is in free-fall,” the stability of remittances is key for developing countries. It says that remittances’ impact in developing economies has begun to be recognized: While earlier G8 meetings underlined the risk of remittances being used as cover for terrorist financing, the L’Aquila summit reiterated the aim of making them easier and cheaper.

LA Times: US, China Try to Reach Accord on Reducing Greenhouse Gas
The US Energy Secretary and Commerce Secretary are in Beijing this week to talk about climate change with Chinese leaders. The Obama administration hopes to open China’s market to American clean technology products while persuading China to commit to hard targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The issue is pitting industrial countries against the developing world over what role each should play in slowing potentially devastating global warming. The LA Times reports that the administration is cautiously optimistic about the talks, but the mood is more combative on Capitol Hill, particularly among Republicans, many of whom insist that China must act aggressively on emissions before the U.S. does.

New York Times: Taylor Calls War Crimes Charges “Lies”
Liberia’s former president Charles Taylor appeared yesterday as the first defense witness in his war crimes trial. A panel of four international judges, based in The Hague, is trying him on charges including murder, conscripting child soldiers, terrorizing and mutilating civilians, and other crimes by rebels under his control in neighboring Sierra Leone during that country’s civil war. Taylor called all the charges lies. His testimony comes as the International Criminal Court in The Hague has been frustrated by its efforts to arrest President Omar Hassan al-Bashir of Sudan on similar charges, including war crimes and crimes against humanity. African leaders have so far stood behind Sudan’s president and have said they will not arrest him.

-Grace Lamb-Atkinson