LATimes: Mo Farah spreads thrill of Olympic victory to Mogadishu – Mo Farah, 29, became the first-ever Mogadishu-born athlete to tale Olympic gold when he won the 10,000-meter final in London. Although Farah won for the British team, his triumph over the weekend, “at a time when Somalia is struggling to move out of more than two decades of war and chaos, symbolizes enormous hope for a people yearning for a normal, peaceful land.” (Robyn Dixon)
Devex: Ryan VP pick could yield clues on Romney’s foreign aid plans – Until this past weekend, Mitt Romney has given little indication of his foreign aid budget plans, yet by selecting Paul Ryan as his running mate, many believe Romney “inevitably adopts his divisive budget proposal.” The Ryan budget would slash international affairs spending by 10 percent below the 2012 level of $43 billion, compared to the Obama administration’s request of $56 billion. Ryan would also eliminate Feed the Future, President Obama’s global hunger and food security initiative. Romney is still the “man at the top of the ticket,” however, and his advisers emphasize that he will put forward his own spending plans if elected. (Pete Troilo)
VOA: AIDS High on Clinton Africa Agenda – Secretary of State Clinton finished her 11-day tour of Africa this weekend, “much of which was spent highlighting efforts to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS.” Clinton asked countries to remember prevention programs, even as they make progress in treatment and lowering infection rates. Clinton expressed concern that “the focus on prevention has faded and new infections are on the rise again,” as Uganda is the only country in sub-Saharan Africa where the HIV rate is going up instead of down. Clinton pledged an additional $25 million in funding for HIV/AIDS work in Uganda, for programs dedicated to eliminating mother-to-child transmission of the disease. (Anne Look)
Huffington Post: The Olympic Hunger Summit Puts Focus on Food Security – U.K Prime Minister David Cameron used the last day of the Olympic Games to “shift our collective attention and rare international unity toward combatting hunger with the Hunger Summit.” Worldwide food production must double in the next twenty years to meet demand and prevent food crises. By helping smallholder farmers in countries like Kenya increase production, we can create food security and reduce poverty. (Anja Tranovich)
