Asia Africa Intelligence Wire articles from January 2004

Asia Africa Intelligence Wire archives from January 2004

ARAB CONSUMERS MORE NUMEROUS- LESS PROSPEROUS.
January 1, 2004... (From Market - Africa/Mid-East) Arab nations comprise one of the fastest growing consumer bases in the world, yet rising unemployment and an inability to attract private investment will undermine private sector consumption for the...

HEALTHY GROWTH FOR UAE IMPORTS.
January 1, 2004... (From Market - Africa/Mid-East) In spite of its diminutive size, the UAE has the second largest gross domestic product in the Arab World and average annual economic growth from 2000 through 2004 should be well above the regional average....

JORDAN'S COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY RISES.
January 1, 2004... (From Market - Africa/Mid-East) Over the past 12 months, commercial activity in Jordan has risen in excess of 10 percent. Much of the upsurge is attributable to the nation's new role as a supplier and transit point for goods designed for...

NIGERIA FACES A COMMERCIAL QUAGMIRE.
January 1, 2004... (From Market - Africa/Mid-East) It appears that Nigeria possesses all of the natural and human resources to be Africa's most dynamic consumer market, yet real household income has deteriorated in recent years. Labor unrest has proven to be...

ETHIOPIA'S CHRONIC UNDERPERFORMANCE.
January 1, 2004... (From Market - Africa/Mid-East) Ethiopia has more than sufficient natural and human resources to be one of Africa's most dynamic consumption hubs, but weak internal demand and a lack of industrial competitiveness will severely limit...

TARGETING SOUTH AFRICA'S YOUTH MARKET.
January 1, 2004... (From Market - Africa/Mid-East) Over 45 percent of South Africa's population is below the age of 20 and that group plays an increasingly important role in household consumption decisions. As a result of gradual strengthening of economic...

POPULATION GROWTH BOOSTS SAUDI DEMAND.
January 1, 2004... (From Market - Africa/Mid-East) Demographic factors will put strong upward pressure on both private and public expenditure in Saudi Arabia over the next several decades. According to PRB statistics, Saudi Arabia's population will grow 208...

MOBILE CARRIERS EXPECT AFRICAN GROWTH.
January 1, 2004... (From Market - Africa/Mid-East) With the exception of South Africa, the great majority of African nations have a weak fixed-line telephone infrastructure. Governments are beginning to invest in mobile technology in hopes of catching up with...

OMAN BREAKS FROM THE OLD MOLD.
January 1, 2004... (From Market - Africa/Mid-East) With a population of 2.6 million, Oman has one of the smallest consumer bases in the Middle East, but rapid demographic expansion coupled with sound macroeconomic performance should contribute to healthy...

NEW ZEALANDERS OPEN TO NEW PRODUCT CONCEPTS.
January 1, 2004... (From Market - Asia Pacific) Real household income in New Zealand is on the rise and consumers are becoming increasingly receptive to innovative domestic and imported products New Zealand is a moderately price-sensitive consumer...

A MODEST UPSWING IN JAPANESE SALES.
January 1, 2004... (From Market - Asia Pacific) There are signs that the macroeconomic panorama for private sector Japanese consumption is brightening, yet an increasing industrial trend toward moving production and administrative functions offshore will...

AUSTRALIAN CONFIDENCE UNSCATHED.
January 1, 2004... (From Market - Asia Pacific) Australian consumer confidence hit a nine-year high in October of 2003 and is likely to remain strong through the first half of this year. Over the past 12 months, real household income got a double boost from...

INDONESIA RECOVERS AT A SNAIL'S PACE.
January 1, 2004... (From Market - Asia Pacific) Indonesian consumers have suffered a number of setbacks in recent years and the slow pace of the current economic recovery will make it impossible to improve household well-being this year High unemployment...

SINGAPORE'S GROWING OPTIMISM.
January 1, 2004... (From Market - Asia Pacific) Growing optimism at both the household and industrial level portends moderate growth in private sector spending throughout this year, with capital spending leading the way in gains Considering that...

VIETNAM'S CAPITAL SPENDING GAINS.
January 1, 2004... (From Market - Asia Pacific) Overall private sector expenditure is poised for growth this year, but the upswing in capital spending will easily outpace that of households. Vietnam's membership in ASEAN and pending WTO membership will...

THAI CONSUMPTION PANORAMA BRIGHTENS.
January 1, 2004... (From Market - Asia Pacific) Industrial orders for goods and services have driven up private sector expenditure in recent months and the upward trend should continue through the first half of this year. Orders for imported capital...

BREAKING CHINESE BUYING HABITS.
January 1, 2004... (From Market - Asia Pacific) China is quickly emerging as a major force in global consumption but deeply ingrained buying habits of the average citizen are slow to change Only about 10 percent of China's 40 million households have a...

MALAYSIA PROJECTS HEALTHY SALES GAINS.
January 1, 2004... (From Market - Asia Pacific) Malaysia's new prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, takes over an economy that succeeded in sidestepping the recent global economic slowdown An upsurge in oil and gas prices coupled with an improved...

My Theory of Architecture.
January 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Hasegawa Itsuko When I took a trip to Europe right after finishing university, I began to strongly question the modern architectural style, which has developed based on the...

Deflation-Indexed Debts and the Reform of the 1940 System.
January 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: NOGUCHI, Yukio It is widely claimed that the fundamental cause of the long lasting stagnation of the Japanese economy since the 1990s is deflation. Based on this belief,...

Deflation and Japan's Economy.
January 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Itoh Motoshige Deflation, an Economic Malady Since the end of the 1990s, Japan's economy has been mired in severe deflation. No other industrialized country has undergone a...

How to Escape Deflation.
January 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Mizuno Kazuo Deflation as a Result of Market Integration Japan's consumer prices have fallen for five consecutive years since fiscal 1999. Deflation hit one year earlier in...

Deflation: Some Considerations.
January 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Kobayashi Keiichiro Erroneous Assumptions in Research on Deflation Deflation has persisted in Japan for almost a decade. The consumer price index has fallen for five...

Does Identity Matter in Helping or Hindering Regional Cooperation in East Asia?
January 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Inoguchi Takashi Some recent book titles, Who Are We? (Huntington, 2003) and At Home Abroad (Nau, 1997), clearly show that identity is a focus in the global discussion on...

Japan's Aging Population, Declining Birthrate and the Economic Outlook.
January 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Tani Sadafumi In late October last year, the Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy, Takenaka Heizo, submitted to the Cabinet the Annual Report on the Japanese...

East-West Cultural Exchange in Art.
January 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Takashina Erika Summer 1883, Saint-Enogat, France On the coast of Bretagne in northwest France, the small town of Dinard sits at the base of a peninsula jutting out into the...

A New Year's Banquet.
January 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Patricia Massy New Year's Day for a provincial lord during the Tokugawa Period (1603-1867) was not a time to spend restfully with his family. On this day he was expected to...

China's Economic Development and its Contribution to the World.
January 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Nishimuro Taizo This article was written on the basis of the keynote speech delivered at the International Symposium entitled "Chinese Economic Development: Implications for...

Living with Deflation.
January 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Hatakeyama Noboru According to the statistics published last October, the retail price index of Japan has been falling for 49 months in a row. In light of this, some...

The Global Economic Outlook.
January 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: David Hale There are increasing signs that the world economy is posed for a broad based recovery after nearly three years of sluggish growth or recession in the leading...

Japanese Civilization (Part 12).
January 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Kawakatsu Heita Doesn't Historical Periodization Ever Change? To get a bird's-eye view of where contemporary Japan is situated within the context of world history, one must...

Can a Revaluation of the Chinese Yuan Solve U.S. Economic Woes?
January 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Fred Hu The Chinese yuan has become a lighting rod of late in U.S. domestic politics. Critics, ranging from the U.S. Manufacturers' Association to members of the Congress...

Crimes Committed by Foreigners Worsening.
January 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) The National Police Agency has released an annual report for 2003 portraying the increasing cruelty of non-Japanese crime groups and their growing involvement with organized crime as...

Age of a Two-Party System Dawning in Japan.
January 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Japan has taken a major step toward creating a two-party political system as a result of the November 9 general election, in which the No.1 opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) made...

Japanese Firms Post Record Earnings in First Half.
January 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Major Japanese companies posted record-high earnings for the six months to Sept. 30, 2003, surpassing those marked in the same half-year period of 2000, when the Japanese economy was...

Why is the Income Gap a Problem?
January 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Inoki Takenori There has been much talk in recent years about the widening income gap in Japan. "A widening income gap" poses a tremendous impact on society, because it...

The General Election and Trends in Japanese Politics.
January 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Sasaki Takeshi The general election of Nov. 9, 2003, gave the ruling parties a majority of seats in the House of Representatives and sustained the Koizumi Cabinet. The number...

The Rise of the Middle Classes in East Asia and the Formation of an "Asian" Identity.
January 1, 2004... (From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI)) Byline: Shiraishi Takashi Over the past 15 to 20 years, middle class societies have developed in the East Asian region. This is evident in urban shopping centers in Bangkok, Kuala...

Abalos turns eye on Congress slot.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) MANDALUYONG CITY Mayor Benjamin Abalos Jr. kept his end of the gentlemen's agreement he made with City Rep. Neptali "Boyet" Gonzales II by seeking a congressional seat. Abalos filed his certificate of...

'Abducted boy cried a lot in captivity'.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) CALAMBA CITY-Residents of a middle-class subdivision here never imagined that the boy they called "Beinte kuwatro oras junior." (24 hours jr.) was actually a kidnap victim. The owner of a sari-sari...

Bayani declines seat in Lakas Senate slate; Ping camp wants him.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Margaux Ortiz and Christine O. Avendano NO, this particular chair doesn't aspire to a seat in the Senate. Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chair Bayani Fernando yesterday said he...

Archbishop: 2004 will be crucial for RP.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Blanche S. Rivera MANILA Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales yesterday asked Filipinos to pray hard for the country this year, saying that 2004 "promises to be a crucial one" because of the...

Gloria says Dagupan City to become 'bangus' capital.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) DAGUPAN CITY-From this city will come the fish that will feed the country, President Macapagal-Arroyo said here on Friday. The President said this city's status as the country's "bangus (milkfish)...

Happiness.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Al S. Mendoza EVERYTHING new is supposed to be good. A new car. A new dwelling. A new child. And yes, a new year. Today being the first day of the year should make us upbeat. It's because...

'Bayanihan' spirit builds retreat center.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Donna S. Virola IT'S like magic," recounted engineer Cesar Yambao as he narrated how an international retreat center of the Brahma Kumaris (BK) was built "first with God's help, then with...

VP race takes center stage.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Belinda Olivares-Cunanan SAN FRANCISCO-A Blessed New Year to all. May the new year bring us better times and even though we face an election year, our fondest hope is that it will be peaceful...

2003: Bombshells, boy bands, breakouts, breakups.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Jocelyn Valle THAT was the year that was. Like Philippine show business itself, it was full of stunners and intrigues and laughter and sadness. The king of Philippine movies himself,...

Binay leads Makati united opposition.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Margaux Ortiz "THERE is unity in diversity." Thus said Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay as he led the city's "United Opposition" in filing certificates of candidacy at the local Commission on...

Woman clutching her umbrella.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Ma. Ceres P. Doyo SHE is the year-end image that continues to stay on my mind. She was on the national screen shortly before Christmas day. An elderly woman in a squatting position, looking...

Boy from Mindoro celebrates first holiday without sickness.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Mei Magsino THE LONG wait was over. For the first time, the holidays were a joyful one for the Ruga family, which lost a daughter in a suicide bombing in Haifa, Israel 16 months ago. ...

He said, she said in 2003.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Dolly Ann Carvajal AS WE welcome the new year, allow me to cite a flashback of some of the quotable quotes that Dollywood gathered in 2003. I would like to thank all the stars for trusting...

Comelec fails to resolve LDP split over top bet.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Martin P. Marfil THE COMMISSION on Elections yesterday failed to resolve the split in the opposition's ranks, saying that Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino bets would have to file their...

The same but different.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) AGAIN to begin from the beginning-a yearly ceremony that cannot but be awash in hope. To start on a clean slate, or as close to it as can be possible; to rise to the occasion equipped with a perspective...

Firecracker injuries breach 200 mark.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Blanche S. Rivera CONCERNED about the increase in injuries during the New Year's Eve celebration, the Department of Health could only hope that the cases this year would not surpass those of...

Freddie Roach quits as Pacquiao's trainer.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Salven L. Lagumbay THE MAN widely credited for Manny Pacquiao's newfound success and who lobbied so hard so the Filipino fighter won't be deceived financially will no longer be in his corner....

s that touched Filipinos in US in 2003.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Percy D. Della SACRAMENTO, California-Filipinos in the United States rode an emotional roller coaster in 2003. They laughed, they cried, they celebrated. And the news struck closer to home last...

Iraq joining boxing elims.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Dennis U. Eroa IN AN unprecedented move, Iraq, a country in the process of rebuilding following a devastating war, confirmed its attendance in the 22nd Asian Boxing First Olympic qualifying...

Lakas fortifying local poll slates.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) BAGUIO CITY-The administration party Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats has started fortifying its provincial, city and municipal slates after discovering that the confusion over the opposition...

Landslide survivors get help from trauma experts.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) MAASIN CITY-They have been given food and shelter. Now, they will start getting food for the soul. Even as relief goods continue to pour in for the survivors of the Southern Leyte landslides, trauma...

Loren is FPJ's leading lady.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Michael Lim Ubac THE ACTOR, finally, has chosen his leading lady. Presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr., speaking through Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III, told the Inquirer...

15 killed in Lucena City fire caused by 'crackers.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) LUCENA CITY-The dangers imposed by firecrackers were borne out in Lucena City yesterday after a noon fire killed 15 people, their bodies charred beyond recognition, caused 22 others to go missing and...

Mangyan folk still flock to towns on Xmas season.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Madonna T. Virola MANGYAN folk continue to flock to the towns and city of Mindoro this Christmas season. Yawin-ay Giayan, a leader of the Kapulungan para sa Lupaing Ninuno, a province-wide...

Faith, hope ablaze for fire victims.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Edson Tandoc Jr., Leila Salaverria and Luige del Puerto A DEADLY fire ate up almost everything they had as 2003 came to a close. In spite of this, fire victims in Caloocan City are going into...

GMA: Time to nurture dreams.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Gil C. Cabacungan Jr. PRESIDENT MACAPAGAL-Arroyo yesterday shared the optimism of most Filipinos who said they would welcome the New Year with hope rather than fear. In her New Year...

Mang Dencio's annual report.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Michael L. Tan SOME readers might remember Mang Dencio, who was my father's driver for many years until one day in 1998, a stroke sent him into early retirement. He was only 58 then. I wrote...

Who will the Lopezes support for VP?
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Neal H. Cruz HAPPY New Year to everybody. I hope all your fingers are still intact. If not, I'm sure your top New Year's resolution is never to go near a firecracker again. If you have been bad...

Noli authored 2 bills in 30 months.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Norman Bordadora WHO says Kabayan has not done anything as a senator? According to his supporters, the President's running mate has been authoring bills in the Senate at the frantic pace of,...

8 PMA cadets win case to stop probe of cheating.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) BAGUIO CITY-Eight graduating cadets of the Philippine Military Academy won a 20-day injunction on Monday against a series of PMA investigations that they claimed had "violated their civil rights." ...

Staying put.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Conrado de Quiros OVER THE LAST couple of weeks, I've heard some startling stories about people leaving the country. What has made it startling is that the people who were doing so were not the...

Reds predict GMA defeat in May polls.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Norman Bordadora THE COMMUNIST Party of the Philippines expects President Macapagal-Arroyo to be trounced by her opponents in the May 2004 elections and widespread protests to arise if she is...

Nothing to cry about.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Rina Jimenez-David ON THE SURFACE, "Crying Ladies" tells the stories of three women who earn a living crying for the dead, forcing tears from their eyes and sobs from their chests for a stranger...

Roco asked: Who he? Why him?
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Dona Pazzibugan and Carlito Pablo WHO he? Why him? These questions continue to swirl round and round the choice of the running mate of presidential contender Raul Roco: Herminio "Hermie"...

Comeback kid: Orly in Lakas ticket.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Carlito Pablo HOPING that the ghosts of Edsa II have been laid to rest, former Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado will make another comeback bid for a Senate seat in May, this time on the ticket...

President Manuel Roxas' 112th birthday marked today.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Armin Adina THE COUNTRY celebrates today the 112th birth anniversary of President Manuel A. Roxas. Roxas holds the distinction of being the only president who led two Philippine...

Storm displaces 5,000 families.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY-Tropical storm "zigzag" displaced at least 5,000 families in Misamis Oriental, particularly in the towns of El Salvador and Opol. Romy Remate, operations officer of the regional...

Statesmanlike gesture.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Ramon Tulfo IT WAS statesmanlike of anti-kidnap czar Angelo Reyes to give up his plan to run for senator so he could concentrate in eliminating the kidnap gangs in the country. Reyes would...

'Bridal Shower' biggest, most welcome surprise in film fest.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Nestor U. Torre WE viewed all of the nine entries in the ongoing Metro Manila Film Festival before the film fest opened last Dec. 25. However, since we were a festival juror, we have refrained...

Wind Blown is No. 1 galloper for 3rd time.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) A CHAMPION galloper well loved by the bayang karerista and the association overseeing the multibillion horse racing industry join the honor roll of sports achievers to be cited by the Philippine...

WPD keeps alert up vs explosives.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Leila B. Salaverria THE FIREWORKS may be over, but the Western Police District would continue to be on alert for explosives, although of the more dangerous kind. WPD director Chief Supt....

Payumo, Gordon conflict turns into 'streamer war' in Olongapo, Subic.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) OLONGAPO CITY-The rift between Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Chair Felicito Payumo and Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon over the proposed Subic port development project continues to heat up as supporters...

'Lord of the Rings': Not just fantasy.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Antonio C. Briza THE EPIC trilogy "The Lord of the Rings" will draw to a close with the showing of its last segment, "The Return of the King." The past two installments have left the viewers...

Data services to give PLDT a big boost.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Abigail L. Ho DATA-RELATED services are expected to give renewed strength to dominant carrier Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.'s struggling landline business, particularly with the...

Gov't autos on a new 'diet' to soup up emissions.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Tessa R. Salazar MAKE them "eat" vegetable and waste oil along with their regular "diet" of fossil fuels. This way, they will run more efficiently and emit less pollutants. That's exactly...

Filipino investments in RP dollar bonds hit $6.4B.
January 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Clarissa S. Batino INVESTMENTS of Filipinos in Philippine dollar-denominated debt papers reached $6.4 billion in September, up $600 million from $5.8 billion a year ago. The local...