New report highlights benefits of transparency, challenges of translating it into accountability and the scope of EITI

Diarmid O'Sullivan, Open Society Foundation research fellow and ex-Global Witness campaigner has released a report today on how transparency helps identify problems in the governance of natural resources, as well as the challenges in ensuring that this transparency leads to accountibility.  The report discusses the role the EITI should play in enabling citizens to use data about payments made by companies to governments to 'follow the money'. 

Daily Telegraph - 'Land grab' as families are uprooted to make way for luxury resort that will host EU ministers

At least 500 people have been uprooted from their homes to make way for luxury villas where European Union foreign ministers, including William Hague, will stay during a summit in Laos on Monday, writes David Blair in the Daily Telegraph. 

Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in Peru: A Blessing or a Curse?

A report by Peru Support Group.

The Economist: Shell companies - Launderers Anonymous

Shell companies

Launderers Anonymous

A study highlights how easy it is to set up untraceable companies

Sep 22nd 2012 | NEW YORK | from The Economist

Tokyo Sexwale and the DRC's Mr Grab

"A $150-million investment ties Tokyo Sexwale to a controversial Israeli businessman as he pulled off the "heist" of a prize mining asset in the DRC" - Mail & Guardian. Click here to read the article.

Reuters Africa: South Sudan assertive on oil sales

South Sudan will market its crude through its oil ministry, an oil official said on Thursday casting further doubt on the role trading major Glencore's venture will have in selling the nation's oil. Alexander Dziadosz reporting from Juba. 

Publish What You Fund: 2011 Pilot Aid Transparency Index

Some donors do well, all donors can do better, writes Publish What You Fund.

Guardian: UK urged to prevent vulture funds preying on world's poorest countries

Britain is being urged to help close down a legal loophole that lets financiers known as "vulture funds" use courts in Jersey to claim hundreds of millions of pounds from the world's poorest countries, write Greg Palast, Maggie O'Kane and Chavala Madlena of the Guardian.

BBC: Call for greater aid transparency

A UK-based lobby group is calling for more transparency in the spending of global development aid, estimated to be worth about $150bn (£93bn), writes BBC's Mark Doyle.

Reuters - Oldest Swiss private bank to offer US client names

Clariden Leu AG, with roots that make it Switzerland's oldest private bank, has begun telling certain U.S. customers suspected of offshore tax evasion that it will disclose their names to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, with the help of Swiss authorities, writes Lynnley Browning for Reuters.