1 Woes of Gen Debt (The Guardian) Next week the Office for National Statistics is expected to confirm the economy shrank in the last three months of 2011. It will issue its last review of survey evidence for the period and what it says about the state of retailing, manufacturing, construction and the rest. Most of the benefits of housing have been hoarded by older households, and bigger mortgages have been taken on by young families. Young families are the lifeblood of the economy and they remain up to their necks in debt. The budget did nothing to help young families. The Institute for Fiscal Studies said it did the opposite and punished them more than any other group. With tax credit and housing benefit cuts to come this year and next, families are likely to carry on delaying big ticket purchases and spending will remain subdued.
2 Empty shops in UK highest in four years (The Guardian) Britain's high streets have more empty shops than at any time in four years after retailers suffered a bout of post-Christmas closures, according to a survey. The Local Data Company reported its monthly barometer of shop vacancies had jumped to 14.6% in February after steadying last year at 14.3%. The figures paint a gloomy picture of high streets hit hard by shop closures and combine with official figures that show a fall in retail sales last month. A report by Deloitte this week added to the sense of unease, concluding that the longer-term outlook for Britain's high streets remains uncertain and warning that four out of 10 shops will have to shut in the next five years as consumers turn their backs on traditional stores in favour of online shopping. The Office for National Statistics said retail sales volumes fell twice as fast as expected last month.
3 India boycotts EU carbon charge (BBC) Indian airlines will not comply with the European Union's carbon charging scheme, according to civil aviation minister Ajit Singh. The EU has directed Indian carriers to submit the emissions details of their aircraft by 31 March. But Mr Singh told parliament that "no Indian carrier is submitting them in view of the position of the government". Last month, China said its airlines would not pay the EU charge. Many other countries, including Russia and the US, have also objected to the scheme, under which airlines that exceed tight emission limits must buy carbon credits.
They see this as a tax on CO2 emissions from aircraft flying to or from destinations outside Europe and say it fails to comply with international law. In December 2011, the European Court of Justice ruled that the EU charge was legal. The charge, which the EU says could make long-haul flights up to $16 more expensive, was introduced in January, though airlines will not have to start paying it until next year.
4 Young and ‘lazy’ in UAE (Khaleej Times) Residents of the UAE, especially youngsters, are continuing to eat more and move less despite the calls by policy-makers to adopt healthy lifestyles. Besides increasing tobacco consumption, watching TV and playing video games for more than three hours daily have emerged as a worrying trend among the youth, according to the 2010-2011 report issued by the health ministry. Obesity has also increased by up to four per cent in the past five years due to poor food choices and an inactive lifestyle.
A survey among school students in the UAE showed that in 2005, 38% of males and females between 13 and 15 years spent three hours or more watching TV or playing games. The numbers increased to 45% among males and 56% among females in 2010. The World Health Organisation and US Disease Control Centre recommend that TV must not be watched for more than two hours daily. According to the World Health Organisation estimates, the obesity rate will reach 44.6% among women by 2015.
5 Water victory in Phnom Penh (Khaleej Times) How many people in the world’s towns and cities can drink the water in their tap without risking their health? The 2012 update of the World Health Organisation’s report Progress on Drinking Water and Sanitation estimates that at least 96% of urban dwellers in emerging economies like China, India, Thailand, and Mexico have access to “improved” sources of water. And yet a study carried out by the Asian Institute of Technology found that less than three per cent of Bangkok’s residents drink water directly from the tap, because they do not trust its quality.
It doesn’t have to be like this. When Ek Sonn Chan became Director-General of the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority in Cambodia nearly 20 years ago, the city had a dismal water supply, with nearly 83% lost to leakages and unauthorised connections. With a low-key but firm management style, Chan began to turn things around. Fifteen years after he took over, annual water production had increased by more than 400%, the water distribution network had grown by more than 450%, and the customer base had increased by more than 650%.
Today, the Authority says that there are no unauthorised connections in Phnom Penh. Losses from the water system are just over five per cent, similar to what one would find in Singapore or Tokyo, two of the best water-supply systems in the world. Thames Water, a utility in Britain, reported losses in 2010 that were five times that rate. By most performance indicators, Phnom Penh now has a better water-supply system than London or Washington, DC.
6 Kerala co apologises for using slain US girl’s pic (The Wall Street Journal) A common Indian practice of using material without thinking about copyright or privacy rights recently had dramatic consequences for an Indian company. Jubeerich Consultancy, a company in the southern Indian state of Kerala, was reportedly using the picture of a dead American woman on billboards advertising its study-abroad consulting services. The News & Observer newspaper of Raleigh, North Carolina, said the picture was of Eve Carson, a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who was abducted, robbed and killed four years ago.
The story quoted a staffer at the University saying that Jubeerich’s use of Ms. Carson’s image doesn’t honour her memory and her family would want the company to stop it. On Friday, Jubeerich said it has taken steps to do so. “I’ve already given the directions to take off those billboards,” Justy Mathews, a director of the company said. Mr. Mathews said the billboards had been prepared by a contractor and that he was not aware of how the contractor got the picture. He said he had no idea where the contractor was now. Mr. Mathew has published an apology to Ms. Carson’s family and other people on his website. Still, the incident underscores the pervasive lack of awareness of copyright laws within India.
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