Germany and Italy named by OECD among countries which have missed G8 targets – with Africa suffering most from shortfall Rich western countries have failed to meet aid pledges to the world’s poorest countries made at the G8 summit in Gleneagles in Scotland six years ago, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said on Wednesday. In its annual review of development assistance , the Paris-based OECD said donors had increased aid by $30bn (£18.5bn) since 2005 but had fallen $19bn short of the promises made in 2005. Under pressure from Tony Blair when he was British prime minister, the G8 also agreed at Gleneagles to increase aid to Africa by $25bn by 2010, but the OECD said only $11bn had been delivered. The OECD, a club of rich developed countries, said the financial constraints imposed by the global recession were only marginally to blame for the broken pledges. “Only a little over $1bn of the shortfall can be attributed to lower than expected gross national income levels due to the economic crisis. The remaining gap of $18bn was due to donors that did not meet their Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) commitments,” the review says. Britain’s aid rose to 0.56% of gross national income (GNI) after increasing by almost 20% between 2009 and 2010, according to the report, but many other European countries – including Germany and Italy – fell well short of the Gleneagles commitment to raise aid spending to 0.51% of GNI by 2010. The OECD warned that a comprehensive survey of donors’ future spending plans pointed to slower aid growth ahead. Development assistance is planned to grow by an inflation-adjusted 2% per year between 2011 and 2013 compared with 8% on average over the last three years. In 2010, total aid reached a record $128.7bn, an increase of 6.5% when adjusted for inflation. Bilateral aid to Africa rose by 3.6% overall, but fell by 0.1% when debt relief grants were excluded from the calculations. The OECD said the failure to meet the $25bn target for African aid had been caused by the “poor performance” of several donors who provide a large chunk of their financial help to the world’s poorest continent. “When countries make aid pledges, they must do the political, budgetary and planning work needed to sustain them,” said Brian Atwood, who chairs of the OECD’s development assistance committee. “Too often, donors commit without the backing that will enable these promises to be kept. We are promoting a new code of good pledging practice to ensure that promises are backed by plans. “The volume of aid is a crucial factor, but there are other forms of assistance that are not classified as ODA, such as some loans and guarantees, that provide critical support to low income countries. And the contribution of new donors is important as well. We are building broader and deeper global partnerships – sharing collective know-how to alleviate poverty and meet the Millennium Development Goals.” Aid G8 Economics Poverty Economic policy Larry Elliott guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Germany and Italy named by OECD among countries which have missed G8 targets – with Africa suffering most from shortfall Rich western countries have failed to meet aid pledges to the world’s poorest countries made at the G8 summit in Gleneagles in Scotland six years ago, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said on Wednesday. In its annual review of development assistance , the Paris-based OECD said donors had increased aid by $30bn (£18.5bn) since 2005 but had fallen $19bn short of the promises made in 2005. Under pressure from Tony Blair when he was British prime minister, the G8 also agreed at Gleneagles to increase aid to Africa by $25bn by 2010, but the OECD said only $11bn had been delivered. The OECD, a club of rich developed countries, said the financial constraints imposed by the global recession were only marginally to blame for the broken pledges. “Only a little over $1bn of the shortfall can be attributed to lower than expected gross national income levels due to the economic crisis. The remaining gap of $18bn was due to donors that did not meet their Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) commitments,” the review says. Britain’s aid rose to 0.56% of gross national income (GNI) after increasing by almost 20% between 2009 and 2010, according to the report, but many other European countries – including Germany and Italy – fell well short of the Gleneagles commitment to raise aid spending to 0.51% of GNI by 2010. The OECD warned that a comprehensive survey of donors’ future spending plans pointed to slower aid growth ahead. Development assistance is planned to grow by an inflation-adjusted 2% per year between 2011 and 2013 compared with 8% on average over the last three years. In 2010, total aid reached a record $128.7bn, an increase of 6.5% when adjusted for inflation. Bilateral aid to Africa rose by 3.6% overall, but fell by 0.1% when debt relief grants were excluded from the calculations. The OECD said the failure to meet the $25bn target for African aid had been caused by the “poor performance” of several donors who provide a large chunk of their financial help to the world’s poorest continent. “When countries make aid pledges, they must do the political, budgetary and planning work needed to sustain them,” said Brian Atwood, who chairs of the OECD’s development assistance committee. “Too often, donors commit without the backing that will enable these promises to be kept. We are promoting a new code of good pledging practice to ensure that promises are backed by plans. “The volume of aid is a crucial factor, but there are other forms of assistance that are not classified as ODA, such as some loans and guarantees, that provide critical support to low income countries. And the contribution of new donors is important as well. We are building broader and deeper global partnerships – sharing collective know-how to alleviate poverty and meet the Millennium Development Goals.” Aid G8 Economics Poverty Economic policy Larry Elliott guardian.co.uk
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Former deputy prime minister speaks out in House of Lords after arrest of two senior News of the World journalists Lord Prescott, the former deputy prime minister, has called for News Corporation’s takeover of BSkyB to be delayed until the police inquiry into phone-hacking allegations at the News of the World is complete. Prescott was speaking in the Lords on Wednesday, the day after two senior News of the World journalists, chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck and former assistant editor (news) Ian Edmondson, were released on police bail after being arrested on suspicion of conspiring to intercept mobile phone messages . The former Labour MP and cabinet minister, who has been named as a potential victim of phone hacking by the News of the World, accused the paper’s owner, News Corp, of being “actively involved at all levels in criminal acts”. Prescott also said Rebekah Brooks, chief executive of News Corp’s UK newspaper publisher News International, had admitted a “criminal act” – that police were paid for information. “Is the government aware, in giving this decision on BSkyB, that it would be totally unacceptable for a company like this that is actively involved at all levels in criminal acts to be given control of BSkyB?” he asked. “Will they now delay the decision until all these investigations are completed?” Prescott also asked Lord Wallace, a government spokesman in the Lords: “Are you aware of the decision yesterday following the imprisonments of two employees of Murdoch press [Clive Goodman and Glenn Mulcaire] that the new inquiry has now arrested two senior employees of the Murdoch press? “And we’ve learned yesterday that in the parliamentary committee of the [Commons] there was conflicting evidence given by the director of public prosecutions [Keir Starmer QC] and Mr Yates [acting Metropolitan police deputy commissioner John Yates], who was in charge of the original inquiry.” Wallace said he was aware of the “very strong feelings” on the issue. He told Prescott: “You raised the issue of payments to the police, which clearly would have been illegal, and I know some of these have now been admitted. “It’s necessary, of course, for the police to have a close relationship to the media because the media can help in solving crime but payments for information received are clearly illegal.” Prescott’s comments came in Lords question time after former Conservative cabinet minister Lord Fowler asked the government what assessment it had made of the evidence of phone hacking by newspapers. Wallace said this was a matter for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service and it would be “inappropriate to comment or speculate on any particular aspects of that active investigation pending its outcome”. Fowler added: “Leaving aside the two arrests yesterday, isn’t it already clear that there has been a total abuse of power involving some parts of the press in this area? “Have we not also seen a five-year delay in the investigation, a public dispute now taking place between the DPP and the Metropolitan police, and the utter failure of any system to prevent such wrongdoing? “Will you give an assurance that once criminal proceedings are complete, there will be an independent inquiry into what has happened and how scandals of this kind can be prevented?” Wallace said he had raised broad issues about the relationship between the press and politics. “I think it’s fair to say that we will need to return to those questions once current investigations are complete,” he added. “The relationship between the press and the government rests upon the idea that a free press in a democracy is free but should be responsible – just as bankers in a free market ask for light regulation with the expectation that they will also behave responsibly. Newspapers, like bankers, have not always been as responsible in relationship to their obligation as they might have been in recent years.” In March the culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, recommended regulatory approval for News Corps acquisition of the 61% of Sky it does not already own, after the company gave an undertaking to spin off Sky News into a separate listed company. Following a period of consulation, Hunt is due to deliver a final verdict on the proposed takeover towards the end of April , after parliament returns from its Easter break. •
Continue reading …Former deputy prime minister speaks out in House of Lords after arrest of two senior News of the World journalists Lord Prescott, the former deputy prime minister, has called for News Corporation’s takeover of BSkyB to be delayed until the police inquiry into phone-hacking allegations at the News of the World is complete. Prescott was speaking in the Lords on Wednesday, the day after two senior News of the World journalists, chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck and former assistant editor (news) Ian Edmondson, were released on police bail after being arrested on suspicion of conspiring to intercept mobile phone messages . The former Labour MP and cabinet minister, who has been named as a potential victim of phone hacking by the News of the World, accused the paper’s owner, News Corp, of being “actively involved at all levels in criminal acts”. Prescott also said Rebekah Brooks, chief executive of News Corp’s UK newspaper publisher News International, had admitted a “criminal act” – that police were paid for information. “Is the government aware, in giving this decision on BSkyB, that it would be totally unacceptable for a company like this that is actively involved at all levels in criminal acts to be given control of BSkyB?” he asked. “Will they now delay the decision until all these investigations are completed?” Prescott also asked Lord Wallace, a government spokesman in the Lords: “Are you aware of the decision yesterday following the imprisonments of two employees of Murdoch press [Clive Goodman and Glenn Mulcaire] that the new inquiry has now arrested two senior employees of the Murdoch press? “And we’ve learned yesterday that in the parliamentary committee of the [Commons] there was conflicting evidence given by the director of public prosecutions [Keir Starmer QC] and Mr Yates [acting Metropolitan police deputy commissioner John Yates], who was in charge of the original inquiry.” Wallace said he was aware of the “very strong feelings” on the issue. He told Prescott: “You raised the issue of payments to the police, which clearly would have been illegal, and I know some of these have now been admitted. “It’s necessary, of course, for the police to have a close relationship to the media because the media can help in solving crime but payments for information received are clearly illegal.” Prescott’s comments came in Lords question time after former Conservative cabinet minister Lord Fowler asked the government what assessment it had made of the evidence of phone hacking by newspapers. Wallace said this was a matter for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service and it would be “inappropriate to comment or speculate on any particular aspects of that active investigation pending its outcome”. Fowler added: “Leaving aside the two arrests yesterday, isn’t it already clear that there has been a total abuse of power involving some parts of the press in this area? “Have we not also seen a five-year delay in the investigation, a public dispute now taking place between the DPP and the Metropolitan police, and the utter failure of any system to prevent such wrongdoing? “Will you give an assurance that once criminal proceedings are complete, there will be an independent inquiry into what has happened and how scandals of this kind can be prevented?” Wallace said he had raised broad issues about the relationship between the press and politics. “I think it’s fair to say that we will need to return to those questions once current investigations are complete,” he added. “The relationship between the press and the government rests upon the idea that a free press in a democracy is free but should be responsible – just as bankers in a free market ask for light regulation with the expectation that they will also behave responsibly. Newspapers, like bankers, have not always been as responsible in relationship to their obligation as they might have been in recent years.” In March the culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, recommended regulatory approval for News Corps acquisition of the 61% of Sky it does not already own, after the company gave an undertaking to spin off Sky News into a separate listed company. Following a period of consulation, Hunt is due to deliver a final verdict on the proposed takeover towards the end of April , after parliament returns from its Easter break. •
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Forces opposed to Ivory Coast leader Laurent Gbagbo have launched a final assault on the presidential residence where he is holed up, reports say. Mr Gbagbo has been in negotiations with the UN over the terms of his departure, after being besieged by troops loyal to his rival Alassane…
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Remember when we just about passed out from exhaustion following a rather short demo of Ubisoft’s nouveau laser tag setup? Well, judging from its appearance over at the FCC, it looks like the RFID-packing Battle Tag is ready to play. Unlike some of our more fruitful dives into the commission’s archives, this one doesn’t uncover a whole lot about the product that we didn’t already know. Internal photos show an RFID reader, used to communicate with amo packs for reloading, and a thorough examination of the game’s user manual revealed the accompanying software is compatible with Windows only. So, no, we won’t be exposing any big secrets here, but for laser tag aficionados, whoever they may be, today is a good day. A Battle Tag setup for two is now available via Ubisoft for $130. Ubisoft’s Battle Tag lands at the FCC, we’re already out of breath originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 06:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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High demand for places means universities are not under any competitive pressure to keep their student fees down Of the universities that have shown their hand, two-thirds have gone for the highest possible tuition fee. The reason for this appears to be simple enough – there is no competitive pressure on universities. Demand outstrips supply – last year one in three candidates failed to win a place while applications for entry this autumn have hit another record high. Because numbers are controlled by the government, institutions are unable to expand to attract candidates deterred by high fees elsewhere, so there is little incentive to charge lower rates. The result is not just a political embarrassment for ministers but a financial headache. Average fees now look much higher than their predicted £7,500, meaning the proportion of student loans that graduates will never pay back is higher than they bargained for. Graduates start to repay the loan when they earn above £21,000 but only higher earners will repay the full amount. Analysis by the consultancy London Economics suggests that the additional cost to the exchequer of an average £8,000 fee is £181.2m in 2010 prices. At £8,500 it is £360m. Dr Gavan Conlon, a partner at the company, said: “If you’re going to introduce a market-based system, there’s got to be some threat of competition, [otherwise] you’re allowing institutions to raise fees without losing students. [If] student numbers are fixed, institutions down the road can’t take these students. Moving from £8,000 to £8,500, the government is going to lose about 69% of that additional loan, a huge cost as fees go up and up and up.” The Office for Fair Access , a government watchdog, has to approve universities’ bids to charge fees above £6,000. Its regulatory powers are based on widening access. However, many newer universities already do well on attracting students from poorer backgrounds. Ministers are considering a “selective relaxation” of controls on numbers. This could mean that more competitive or more popular institutions would be allowed to expand. They are also likely to cut numbers at universities which take a bet on charging higher fees only to find that students stay away. But there is little expectation that students will be deterred by cost. Conlon said: “[Universities] are still very unresponsive to change in price. If you had a Ford Focus and it is £10,000, and all of a sudden they said it’s £25,000, and every other car doubled or trebled in price, people just wouldn’t buy cars. It’s different with universities – it’s an investment; if you buy a car it depreciates.” Conlon predicts that the University of Central Lancashire, which announced a £9,000 fee on Tuesday, may lose up to 20% of students. Some of these will drop out of higher education altogether. But while the Treasury loses out from higher fees, and some students are put off, the government’s reforms may well leave universities better off. Conlon said: “The advantage for UCLan is that they’re getting three times the revenue for the students they’re getting, about 80% of students [as at present]. Their total revenue is probably going to go up – it will more than compensate for the loss of [government]teaching funds.” Tuition fees University funding Higher education Students Economic policy Student finance Borrowing & debt Jeevan Vasagar guardian.co.uk
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Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy is a world first, with technology that hopes to revive an ailing industry. But it is unlikely to be seen in full in the mainland It is being billed as the world’s first 3D porn film, a movie so salacious that Chinese audiences are reportedly flocking from the mainland to more permissive Hong Kong for the chance to see an uncut version. Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy will open in the former British protectorate and Taiwan next week. The £2m Cantonese language film is an ornate fantasy with high production values, set at the kinky court of Ming dynasty ancient China. It is ostensibly based on the classic Chinese erotic text, The Carnal Prayer Mat, and follows a young man as he befriends a duke and enters a world of royal orgies and other sexual peccadilloes. The film is also a reworking of an earlier Chinese movie, 1991′s Sex and Zen. Writer and producer Stephen Shiu told local media the film would feature some ” very graphic sex scenes “. He added: “It will leave audiences feeling like they are sitting right there at the edge of the bed.” Sex and Zen’s content means it is unlikely to be screened uncut in mainland China, though there are reports of tour groups planning trips to Hong Kong and Taiwan so that people may see it. Such a development mimics events in 2007, when mainlanders travelled to the island to watch an uncut version of Ang Lee’s Lust, Caution, the Chinese cut having excised key scenes which left audiences confused and disappointed. Last year during the shoot for Sex and Zen, Shiu told Reuters ” It’s because it’s forbidden in China , (that there) is so much enthusiasm in China for this film.” He added: “Somehow when you’re doing a 3D movie you always want to make an impressive image because the viewers … are going to buy tickets with double or even triple the ticket price to get into a world they’ve never seen before. It’s not just erotica, they want some ‘wow factor’!” Sex and Zen stars one Hong Kong and two Japanese actors in the main roles and is directed by Christopher Sun. Some are predicting it could be the first of a wave of softcore 3D films, helping the industry to emerge from a period in which it has been hit heavily by free internet porn. However, the costs of shooting in the format have so far proved prohibitive. Nevertheless, Italian director Tinto Brass is said to be planning a 3D version of his notorious 1979 erotic film Caligula, and there are rumours of a 3D porn spoof of Avatar titled This Ain’t Avatar XX. Pornography China 3D Ben Child guardian.co.uk
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