Finance : Global OTC derivatives market falls to $544 trillion (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Geneva)
The global market for over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives declined from end-June to end-December 2018, with the notional amounts of OTC derivatives falling from $595 trillion to $544 trillion, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has reported.

Africa : Benin's agriculture has a good season, but it wasn't easy (PRIV)
(IPS, Cotonou)
Theophile Houssou, a m aize farmer from Cotonou, has spent sleepless nights lying awake worrying about the various disasters that could befall any farmer, often wondering, "What if i t rains heavily and all my crops are washed away?" or "What if the armyworms invade my farm and eat up all the crops and I'm left with nothing?"

Sierra Leone : Journalists demand justice for "murdered" colleague (PRIV)
(IPS, London)
Ibrahim Samura, erstwhile editor a nd publisher of New Age, an independent Freetown newspaper, was beaten up with "heavy-duty metal chains and sticks" during Sierra Leone's presidential run -off election in March 2018 - in front of the police and army.

Opinion : Trump's arms control gambit - serious or a poison pill? (PRIV)
(IPS, Washington DC)
Smart US leadership is an essential part of the nuclear risk reduction equation.

Opinion : Women, peace and security - let's turn words into action (PRIV)
(IPS, Bukavu)
To be able to tackle a problem we must first recognize that it exists.