East African (Nairobi)-Secrecy in handling mining contracts and lack of disclosure on oil and mining revenues are crippling Africa's mineral potential, denying the continent billions of dollars as commodity prices rise.

East African (Nairobi)-Sudan and South Sudan are in for a serious political and security moment in 2012, an outlook that has seen increased interventions by global powers keen to cushion the fragile countries -- the latest being Japan which dispatched hundreds of engineers to help rebuild South Sudan.

FAO (Rome)-Two days after taking over, FAO's new Director-General José Graziano da Silva told his inaugural press conference that the total elimination of hunger and undernourishment from the world will be his top priority.

RFI (Paris)-Trouble ahead for South Africa's green paper on land reform, opposition parties in Uganda complain of government intimidation and the knock-on effect of the eurozone crisis on Rwanda's economy are grabbing the headlines in Africa's newpapers.

Daily Observer (Banjul)-As the AU Commission chairperson, Jean Ping recently observed after holding talks with the Gambian leader, 2011 is obviously one of the worst years for the African continent. From uprisings against regimes in North Africa to post-election conflicts, 2011 would leave its mark on the continent as a year that intensified Africans' struggle for survival and the need to critically reassess the future of the African continent.

HRInfo (Cairo)-Cairo Center for Development held the seventh and eighth training workshops on political education for members of political parties in the governorate of North Sinai in December 28-31, 2011 in the following cities (Arish - Be'r Al Abd - Al Sheikh Zowaid). By these training workshops CCD had finished the series of training workshop for providing political education for youth before the parliamentarian elections.

FAO (Rome)-José Graziano da Silva has formally taken the helm of the Food and Agriculture Organization.

African Arguments (London)-I haven't yet seen the film The Iron Lady, but it prompts me to recollect my two encounters with Mrs T. The first was in December 1978, five months before she became Prime Minister. I recorded a long interview with her but it has always pained me to listen to it. Not because of anything she said, it was what she told everyone - individualism must triumph, the state must be shrunk, the southern African liberation movements were terrorists... etc.

New Times (Kigali)-The Africa Digital Multimedia Academy, which is supported by Pixel Corps, a US-based digital media firm, will next month open its doors, according to a top official at the Workforce Development Authority (WDA).

African Union (Addis Ababa)-The Chief of Defense Staff and Ministers of Defense of the AMISOM Troops of contributing countries (TCCS) as well as other councils, will tomorrow, Wednesday 4 th January 2012, meet at the African Union (AU) headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to actively pursue and complete the consultation process towards the finalization of the strategic concepts of the new phase in the implementation of the AMISOM mandate.

RNW Africa (Hilversum)-Happy New Year to all our readers from RNW Africa. It's been a great year for journalism in Africa and thanks to our correspondents across the continent we've brought you powerful stories about everyday people that we hope will contribute to a better-informed world.

CAF (Giza)-Each Africa Cup of Nations adidas and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) presented a newly designed official match ball - this time it is the Adidas 'Comoequa', the Official Match Ball for the 2012 Orange African Cup of Nations.

IFJ (Brussels)-The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today urged the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to take drastic action against governments of the most dangerous countries for media after it published its annual list of 106 journalists and media personnel killed in 2011.

Commonwealth (London)-"2012 must show in word and deed our enduring Commonwealth concern and determination to provide opportunity and a future for all irrespective of gender" - Kamalesh Sharma

Citizen (Juba)-A Member of Parliament representing Abyei Constituency in the National Legislative Assembly Arop Madut Arop said that the African Union mediators have "let South Sudan down" on Implementation of the Abyei protocol as stipulated in the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). The people of Abyei area were to vote in January 2011 referendum simultaneously with South Sudan to decide their destiny but the two parties NCP and SPLM which signed the peace deal failed to reach an agreement on who was eligible to

CAF (Giza)-Nigerian striker Ayegbeni Yakubu bagged a brace at the weekend as struggling Blackburn Rovers stunned English Premier League title challengers Manchester United 3-2 at Old Trafford.

RNW Africa (Hilversum)-Nigerian striker Ayegbeni Yakubu bagged a brace at the weekend as struggling Blackburn Rovers stunned English Premier League title challengers Manchester United 3-2 at Old Trafford.

Business Daily (Nairobi)-Freight costs and insurance premiums are expected to drop later this year if the decreasing risk of pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden is sustained.