The America's Intelligence Wire articles from January 2003

The America's Intelligence Wire archives from January 2003

BRAZILIAN RETAIL SALES LIKELY TO DISAPPOINT IN 2003.
January 1, 2003... (From Market - Latin America) Brazilian retail sales showed gains during the third quarter of 2002, but it looks as though growth will be muted during 2003. Several factors weigh against healthy retail expansion over the upcoming year....

MEXICAN CAPITAL SPENDING ON THE RISE.
January 1, 2003... (From Market - Latin America) Mexico will outpace most other nations of Latin America in capital expenditure during 2003. Not only is internal investment in the industrial sector on the rise, but Mexico is better positioned than other...

VENEZUELANS CUT SPENDING EVEN FURTHER.
January 1, 2003... (From Market - Latin America) The precipitous drop in consumer spending experienced early in 2002 has abated a bit, yet there is still no sign that the spending levels have hit bottom. At the outset of the fourth quarter of 2002, auto sales...

ECUADORIAN RAW MATERIALS ORDERS REBOUND.
January 1, 2003... (From Market - Latin America) Recent growth in raw materials orders has raised hopes that Ecuador's long-depressed industrial sector will recover during the first half of 2003. By the fourth quarter of 2002, the value of raw materials...

COLOMBIA GETS BACK ON TRACK.
January 1, 2003... (From Market - Latin America) Recently-elected Colombian President Alvaro Uribe quickly took steps to boost private and public sector spending. In addition, he is raising hopes that the nation's economy can get back on track for growth in...

PERUVIAN MANUFACTURERS ARE SPENDING AGAIN.
January 1, 2003... (From Market - Latin America) Investment in Peru's industrial sector is on the rise thanks to a generalized increase in economic momentum during the second half of 2002. Rising internal and external demand for Peruvian goods will boost...

CRUISE INDUSTRY BOOSTS PANAMANIAN SALES.
January 1, 2003... (From Market - Latin America) The combined cruise ship and tourism industries account for an increasingly important segment of Panama's top-end sales. Panama is aggressively pursuing cruise ship arrivals in spite of strong competition from...

MULTIPLE FACTORS "CONTAMINATE" THE LATIN CONSUMER CLIMATE.
January 1, 2003... (From Market - Latin America) Expansion of demand for goods and services will be limited during 2003 by at least three negative factors that will "contaminate" demand for the region's goods and services. Latin consumer market contamination...

CHILEANS RELUCTANT TO LOOSEN THE PURSE STRINGS.
January 1, 2003... (From Market - Latin America) For suppliers of Chile's goods and services, 2002 was the fifth straight year of slack internal demand. There is still no sustained upward momentum in consumer confidence, but several signs of a gradual...

UPDATE 1-Moody's turns gloomier on ad sector.
January 1, 2003... (From CBS Marketwatch (Stories)) CHICAGO (CBS.MW) -- Ah, nothing like a nice gloomy analysis to kick off the New Year. Ad-wise, 2002 seemed to end with a bit of a bang. A relatively healthy (compared to 2001 at least) upfront season,...

Airport deadline puts all eyes on InVision.
January 1, 2003... (From CBS Marketwatch (Stories)) NEWARK, Calif. (CBS.MW) -- Wednesday's launch of baggage screening at U.S. airports worries travelers and airlines, but one company is very happy -- and very busy. Federal law now requires airports to...

UPDATE 1-Fidelity fund manager Tillinghast scores again.
January 1, 2003... (From CBS Marketwatch (Stories)) BOSTON (CBS.MW) -- Down for the year but hardly down for the count, the Fidelity Low Priced Stock Fund proved its mettle once again in a very tough year in 2002. While down 6.7 percent for the year...

Moody's turns gloomier on ad sector.
January 1, 2003... (From CBS Marketwatch (Stories)) In contrast to the relatively cheery ad-spending forecasts for 2003 that have been coming out of Wall Street, ad agency groups, media companies and various other prognosticators, a senior analyst at Moody's...

Bush Sees Resolution On N. Korea.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence CRAWFORD, Tex., Dec. 31 -- President Bush said today that the nuclear standoff with North Korea can be resolved without bloodshed, but he repeatedly expressed doubts about avoiding war...

New Pollution Standards Prompt Suit.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence Nine northeastern states ranging from Maine to Maryland filed suit yesterday challenging the Bush administration's decision to relax national industrial pollution restrictions for the...

First Democratic Race Is for Cash.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.), who for the past six years used his Senate reelection committee to lay the groundwork for a presidential bid, has taken an early lead in the fundraising contest...

Rehnquist Calls on Lawmakers To Address 'Crisis' in Courts.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence Federal judges are overworked and underpaid, and the "crisis" in the courts will get worse unless Congress and the president take immediate action, Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist...

Getting the Votes -- And the Kudos.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence When the history of the Republican Party's midterm election victories of 2002 is written, President Bush will get the headline and much of the credit, but a large footnote will go to a...

U.S. Keeps Close Tabs on Muslim Cleric.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence Seven weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Islamic cleric Mohammad Asi made a speech at the National Press Club, calling them "a grand strike against New York and Washington"...

U.S. Reports Clash With Pakistani Border Unit.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, Dec. 31 -- U.S. military authorities announced today that a brief shootout erupted between U.S. and Pakistani troops along the Afghan border Sunday, prompting...

In Hungry Zimbabwe, Food Used as Political Weapon.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence MAKONDE, Zimbabwe -- "This is not about politics. This is just about food!" Goodwill Murinwe was making a fiery speech, and hundreds of villagers were listening to every word. That's...

Baghdad Bustles With Few Signs of Worry Over War.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence BAGHDAD, Iraq, Dec. 31 -- Downstairs in the student union at Al Mustansiriya University, the music blared as young men and women jammed around tables sipping sodas meant to resemble 7-Up...

Beatings Draw Palestinian Ire.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence HEBRON, West Bank, Dec. 31 -- An 18-year-old Palestinian high school student who had just finished nightly prayers at a Hebron mosque was detained Monday night by Israeli border police in...

Russian Officer Ruled Insane in Chechen Killing.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence MOSCOW, Dec. 31 -- The only Russian officer charged with a serious crime against a civilian in Chechnya was cleared of criminal responsibility in the case today, with a military court...

N. Korea Threatens to Abandon Treaty.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence SEOUL, Dec. 31 -- North Korea threatened today to withdraw from the 1970 Non-Proliferation Treaty, the international accord that is the foundation of efforts to prevent the spread of...

GE Braces For Strike As It Lifts Co-Pays.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence General Electric Co. plans to increase the share of medical costs paid by its workers starting today -- setting the stage for the first strike against the industrial giant in three...

Fliers Wonder How It Can Be Worse in 2003.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence For business travelers, 2002 was memorable -- and most of the memories aren't happy ones. That was to be expected when you combine enormous upheaval in the airport security system, the...

Drones at Home: Big Market, Big Concerns.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence Federal regulators have begun considering rules that would allow drones, the pilotless planes being used in the war in Afghanistan, to fly in U.S. airspace. Supporters envision the use of...

A Dismal 2002 Ends Quietly on Wall Street.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence Stock trading on the last day of the year was much as it was for all of 2002: hesitant and dreary. The markets were largely flat, closing with small improvements or losses on a day that...

Be No More: May Must Dump Clothing Brand.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence To Be or to Bebe? To Bebe, federal courts have ruled. And so today, May Department Stores, parent company of Hecht's, must drop the name of its newest line of women's sportswear -- Be --...

All Checked Luggage Now to Be Screened.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence The federal government today will begin screening all checked luggage of airline passengers for explosives, a process that officials warned will probably increase waiting times at airports...

Va. to Begin Taking DNA After Arrests For Felonies.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence Virginia is to begin collecting DNA samples today from anyone charged with a violent felony, launching the most aggressive effort in the country to catalogue genetic samples of people not...

A Night to Party or Pray.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence First they begged her. Then they dragged her. Amy Kinder wanted nothing to do with the "Spider Web," the game she came across while strolling through Halsey Field House with her husband...

Winter Storms Delay Region's Leaf Collections.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence The double whammy of snow and ice during early December's two storms set leaf-pickup operations back several weeks, particularly in Northwest Washington and Montgomery County, and some...

Pr. George's Man Is Fatally Shot Outside Home.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence A Hyattsville area man who for years portrayed himself as a retired D.C. police officer was fatally shot as he warmed up his Chevrolet pickup shortly after dawn yesterday, Prince George's...

Patrons of Closed Bethesda Library Circle the Wagons.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence The drooping banner posted outside the Bethesda public library says, "Scheduled to Reopen Spring 2003." Cheri Flynt is planning another one next to it that says, "NOT!" Flynt and other...

Skit by U-Va. 'Scramble Band' Jeered.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence Compared with some of the antics from its bad old days, the stunt that the University of Virginia pep band perpetrated during its bowl game halftime show Saturday may have seemed...

Fairfax City Begins Purchasing Parkland To Save Open Space.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence Fairfax, a city of 6.2 densely packed square miles in the middle of a densely packed county, is embarking on an ambitious program of buying land to preserve its disappearing open space....

D.C. Police Faulted on Response to Break-Ins.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence A months-long string of daylight burglaries has set a prosperous Northwest Washington neighborhood on edge and left residents angry over what they say has been an inadequate response by...

At Children's ER, Skates, Snakes, Anything.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence It's a tradition during our annual fundraising campaign on behalf of Children's Hospital: spending a Saturday night near Christmas in the emergency room. My assistant, Samantha Ganey,...

End-of-the-Year Blowout.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence ATLANTA, Dec. 31 -- The Maryland Terrapins capped one of the finest seasons in school history with one of their biggest victories in years. Seeking what second-year coach Ralph Friedgen...

Redskins' Snyder: 'We Are Close'.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder said yesterday that he does not intend to hire a general manager or make any other significant changes to his front office as the team prepares to...

Burk Ponders Strategy.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence Martha Burk, chairwoman of the National Council of Women's Organizations, will meet with her board early next week to begin plotting final strategy in its attempt to persuade Augusta...

Clarett Accuses OSU Of Lying.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence TEMPE, Ariz., Dec. 31 -- Ohio State freshman tailback Maurice Clarett today accused university officials of lying in an effort to make the school look good and him look "stupid" in...

Wizards Pick Up Defense, Down Spurs.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence It took the Washington Wizards nearly two months to figure it out, but last night they put all the elements of their game together for four quarters to defeat the San Antonio Spurs,...

Capitals Mend A Broken Heart.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence Happy new year. It's that time of the hockey season when the Capitals usually are found climbing the standings ladder, out of the NHL's netherworld. And that's just what's happening now....

The List.
January 1, 2003... (From washingtonpost.com) Byline: Bruce Spence Two thousand two has "traded spaces" with 2003: Open your eyes, everyone, and look at what Hildi did to your room! (Is it safe now to declare zero-tolerance on any new redecorating shows?)...

Senate pushing for budgetary freedom, NATION.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) The Senate has decided to push for the amendment of parliamentary administrative directives to give it budgetary autonomy, Senate Whip Chairman Niphon Wisityuthasart said yesterday. "If we are free to set...

UPDATE 2-Resolutions for tech's top 10.
January 1, 2003... (From CBS Marketwatch (Stories)) Byline: Nicholas Johnston SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) - What are the top New Year's resolutions for tech executives, other than finding new accounting loopholes and garnering bigger bonuses? Since few...

UPDATE 2-Dr. Don's personal finance tips for 2003.
January 1, 2003... (From CBS Marketwatch (Stories)) NORTH PALM BEACH, Fla. (Bankrate.comc) -- Dr. Don's top 10 tips for the new year: Identity theft Take some simple steps to protect yourself against identity theft. There are no guarantees, but...

Top Shanghai yards on track to lift tonnage, HONG KONG IMAIL.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) Shanghai shipyards under China State Shipbuilding Corp (CSSC) are expanding and modernising with the aim of increasing their combined annual building capacity to three million gross tonnes (GT) next year and...

Toll road operator turns to buy stake, HONG KONG IMAIL.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) Mainland highway developer Shenzhen Expressway plans to take a 40 per cent stake in Shuiguan expressway operator Shenzhen Fountain for HK$37.37 million. Shenzhen Expressway, in a deal signed on December...

Shenzhen may slash land supply, HONG KONG IMAIL.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) Shenzhen is considering a series of measures, including slashing this year's land supply by 40 per cent to 200 hectares, in an effort to prevent an oversupply in the property market. The Real Estate Office...

Deals raise Lo's stake in debt-ridden firms, HONG KONG IMAIL.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) Debt-ridden Paliburg Holdings and parent Century City International Holdings say they have completed earlier acquisition and share swap agreements, which may tighten the grip of chairman Lo Yuk-sui over the...

Betty lets rip at litterbugs, HONG KONG IMAIL.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) Byline: Christina Dyrness The government yesterday promised to review its crowd control measures and first lady Betty Tung made an emotional outburst against litterbugs after New Year celebrations that saw...

Projects to boost business, jobs, HONG KONG IMAIL.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) Byline: Christina Dyrness The government yesterday announced 10 projects to boost business in local communities and create over 1,000 jobs. Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa said similar measures...

Property sales at 12-year low, HONG KONG IMAIL.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) Byline: Christina Dyrness Property transactions slumped to a 12-year low in Hong Kong last year. Figures released by the Land Registry and Midland Realty showed sales plunged to 85,577 from 88,190 in...

Buying spree, NEW STRAITS TIMES-MANAGEMENT TIMES.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) THERE'S something about the holiday season that makes people spend more than they usually would. Here, two Thai women are looking at dolls being sold at a streetside stall in Bangkok. According to a Thai...

Here's to optimism, NEW STRAITS TIMES-MANAGEMENT TIMES.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) A NEW year brings with it both hopes and fears. Malaysians should consider themselves lucky that they are enjoying peace and a comfortable life. In 2003, we hope things will get even better. However, we...

Locked out of a legitimate right, NEW STRAITS TIMES-MANAGEMENT TIMES.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) THE idea of a system of open courts is that justice must be seen to be done. Public adjudications display due process at work and demonstrate that judgments are not arbitrary. Law-breakers do not only answer...

(Wearing sunglasses may cause ... ), NEW STRAITS TIMES-MANAGEMENT.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) WEARING sunglasses may cause you to burn. Why? When your body senses light through your eyes, a type of hormone is produced by your pituitary gland. This pea-sized gland is located in the centre of your...

A time to stand together, NEW STRAITS TIMES-MANAGEMENT TIMES.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) WHAT a good New Year we had. Last year will go down in history for Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad's numbing resignation and curative withdrawal. But it is also memorable for the campaigns for greater use...

Call to remove provisions restricting workers' rights, NEW STRAITS.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) KUALA LUMPUR, Tues. - The Malaysian Trades Union Congress has called on the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) to press for amendments to the Trade Union Act 1959 to remove provisions which restrict...

Man with love problems threatens to jump from complex, NEW STRAITS.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) JOHOR BARU, Tues. - Traffic came to a standstill along Jalan Skudai as motorists stopped to watch a 22-year-old man threatening to jump from Plaza Angsana here last night. Officials from the Larkin Fire...

Mardi aims to recruit 650 scientists by 2005, NEW STRAITS TIMES-.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) SERDANG, Tues. - The Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) wants to woo 650 scientists to its ranks by 2005 under a new recruitment drive. Mardi director-general Datuk Dr....

Movie offerings for 2003, NEW STRAITS TIMES-MANAGEMENT TIMES.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) UNITED International Pictures has released a tentative list of its offerings for next year. The movies are: * The Ring (Jan 9): A remake of one of Japan's biggest box-office hits ever, Ring is a horror...

Dreamy, romantic melange, NEW STRAITS TIMES-MANAGEMENT TIMES.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) MARY LORSON & SAINT LOW - Tricks For Dawn (Cooking Vinyl/49:09) 1/2: Having honed her songwriting and singing skills with Madder Rose, the New York indie rock band she led in the `90s, Mary Lorson has evolved...

Broga folk want details on incinerator project, NEW STRAITS TIMES-.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) THE Federal and Selangor Governments have been urged to explain to the public, especially residents of Broga in Semenyih, Selangor on how the proposed incinerator project in Broga will not affect the...

More public toilets for KL, NEW STRAITS TIMES-MANAGEMENT TIMES.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) KUALA Lumpur City Hall will build more public toilets in the city, especially at tourist spots. Datuk Bandar Datuk Mohmad Shaid Mohd Taufek said the first of the five toilets would be built early next year...

And promises to keep..., NEW STRAITS TIMES-MANAGEMENT TIMES.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) AS I mentioned earlier, it can be really difficult keeping these promises you make to yourself. Here are some tips to help you on the way. One step at a time Take things slow. There is no need to make a...

Getting intimate with nature, NEW STRAITS TIMES-MANAGEMENT TIMES.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) IN their quest for some rest and recreation, a group of 10 urbanites took flight from Kuala Lumpur recently to seek solace at Tasik Kenyir in Terengganu. Mesmerized by the green waters of the lake, the...

Who was Sinbad the Sailor?, NEW STRAITS TIMES-MANAGEMENT TIMES.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) SINBAD the Sailor we know from childhood as the swashbuckling figure in turban and sash, curved scimitar at his side, who rode out of a valley of diamonds lashed to the claws of a powerful roc... The tale of...

Raya revelry at Plaza Mont' Kiara, NEW STRAITS TIMES-MANAGEMENT TIMES.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) PLAZA Mont'Kiara's Arts, Bric-a-brac and Craft Market was recently filled with the sounds of traditional Malay and contemporary music courtesy of the Balle Balle band from Kuala Selangor. The Irama...

Quest for a life worth the telling, NEW STRAITS TIMES-MANAGEMENT TIMES.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) "A long December, and there's reason to believe, maybe this year will be better than the last." - Counting Crows, Long December. YES, it's been a long December; unfortunately there is little reason to...

Why the exception?, NEW STRAITS TIMES-MANAGEMENT TIMES.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) I READ with a sense of shock that Syariah High Court Judge Abu Bakar Ahmad barred the media from reporting the details of the charges of the khalwat case involving Heryati, second wife of Tun Ghafar Baba,...

DBP director incorrect about book, NEW STRAITS TIMES-MANAGEMENT TIMES.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) I REFER to the report (NST, Dec 27) quoting Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka director Datuk Abdul Aziz Deraman as saying during the launch of the book The Council of Rulers: Their Status and Function in the Malaysian...

No free parking even on Sundays, NEW STRAITS TIMES-MANAGEMENT TIMES.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) IF you are driving to Malacca, do not assume that you do not have to pay parking meter fees on Sundays and public holidays. You will get a ticket for failing to slot coins into the meter! I have seen many...

Digi not honouring its birthday bonus promotion, NEW STRAITS TIMES-.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) I REGISTERED (in October) my Digi prepaid handphone line in "Your Digi" for the 50 per cent birthday bonus. I did a top-up on Dec 15. To date the bonus has not been credited. L.S.M. Kuala Lumpur...

Act fast to ease traffic flow, NEW STRAITS TIMES-MANAGEMENT TIMES.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) MUCH ought to be done to restore the dignity of Muar. The town is congested and the decision by the Muar Municipal Council to turn many roads into one-way streets isn't helping much. In certain areas,...

Should old acquaintance be forgot... Happy New Year!, NEW STRAITS.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) GOOD morning and Happy New Year. Today, as you may have noticed, is the first of 2003. This column feels almost as much significance in that as in being a year old this week (i.e., not a lot). For, if I...

MAS does exceed certain expectations, NEW STRAITS TIMES-MANAGEMENT.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) I REFER to the "MAS needs to buck up" (NST, Dec 20), and would like to add that there are some areas where MAS does exceed expectations. In November, I booked a package to Rome through MAS Golden Holidays...

MTUC can't afford yet another division in ranks, NEW STRAITS TIMES-.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) I REFER to Pahit Manis by Datuk Ahmad Talib in New Sunday Times (Dec 29), in which he talked about the current crisis in the Malaysia Trades Union Congress. The views expressed by him should not be taken...

Over-confidence can lead to downfall, NEW STRAITS TIMES-MANAGEMENT.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) I READ with admiration the statement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad that we are not going to war on the issue of overlapping claims of islands and territory and that we will be very...

A matter of honour, NEW STRAITS TIMES-MANAGEMENT TIMES.
January 1, 2003... (From Worldsources (English)) I REFER to the on-going fight over the president's post in the MTUC. If the Prime Minister can announce that he is handing the baton over to his deputy in October 2003, and will not change his mind even...