Global Agenda articles from April 2005

Global Agenda archives from April 2005

Profile: Kofi Annan; Profile; Kofi Annan.(Biography)
April 1, 2005... The United Nations' secretary-general has led the world body through one of the most turbulent periods of its 60-year history KOFI ANNAN was born in Kumasi, Ghana in 1938, into a family that was part of the country's elite (both of his...

After 300,000 deaths, a modicum of justice.
April 1, 2005... Human-rights groups have hailed as "historic" the UN Security Council's resolution to refer 51 people suspected of war crimes in Sudan's Darfur region to the International Criminal Court. But without a larger and more robust foreign...

The legacy of a pope who changed history.
April 2, 2005... John Paul II, spiritual leader to the world's one billion or so Catholics, has died. He will be remembered as a pope who resisted pressures to "modernise" the church's values--and a man who changed history by precipitating the fall of Soviet...

An opportunity in danger of being missed.
April 4, 2005... Two months after its election, Iraq's parliament has finally chosen a speaker. But unless it now moves quickly to agree on a government, an opportunity to quench the still-raging insurgency may be missed FOLLOWING the farcical scenes when...

Mostly peaceful, but hardly fair.
April 4, 2005... Robert Mugabe's ruling party, ZANU-PF, has won a two-thirds majority in Zimbabwe's parliamentary elections, allowing the president to fiddle with the constitution. With Mr Mugabe's lot tightening their grip on power, there is no end in sight to...

A titanic struggle between supply and demand.
April 4, 2005... Oil has hit another new high, and OPEC has promised to raise its production by another 500,000 barrels per day to help ease the pain. But with capacity tight and demand continuing to grow, high oil prices may be here to stay TALK about...

Dazzled by the rising sun.
April 5, 2005... Dwindling market share in the face of fierce competition from Japan has forced General Motors to shake up its management. Ford faces similar problems. DaimlerChrysler's American arm is taking advantage of their misfortune but may be held back...

Wall Street's titans knocked off their pedestals; Troubles for some of Wall Street's icons; Financial titans knocked off their pedestals.
April 5, 2005... Several of the biggest names in America's financial sector are in tumult. Their troubles are raising questions about regulatory failure and about whether the supposed synergies of multi-faceted financial conglomerates really exist IT MUST...

The legacy of a pope who changed history.(Pope John Paul II died )(Obituary)
April 6, 2005... John Paul II, spiritual leader to the world's one billion or so Catholics, has died. He will be remembered as a pope who resisted pressures to "modernise" the church's values--and a man who changed history by precipitating the fall of Soviet...

Is Berlusconi's luck running out? Italy's regional elections; A stunning defeat for Berlusconi.
April 6, 2005... Italy's prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, has suffered crushing defeats in regional elections, despite his tax cuts and a promise to bring the country's troops home from Iraq. There is now a strong chance that Mr Berlusconi's lot will lose a...

You need us and we need you; The world economy; The dangerous codependence of America and its foreign financiers.(global economy analysis)
April 6, 2005... America and foreign central banks are locked in a codependent relationship: America is addicted to spending, and the banks can't stop throwing money at it in order to keep their currencies down. This is unhealthy for both parties, say the IMF...

A titanic struggle between supply and demand.(petroleum)
April 7, 2005... Oil hit another new high this week and OPEC promised to raise its production by another 500,000 barrels per day to help ease the pain. But with capacity tight and demand continuing to grow, high oil prices may be here to stay TALK about...

In a world that is ever more divided; After John Paul II; How to find a pope for all Catholics in a divided world?
April 7, 2005... How to find a pope for all Catholics? A NEW global togetherness flashed into being, and immediately began to disintegrate. That is how future historians may record the funeral of John Paul II on Friday April 8th, which is expected to draw...

A long way to go.(Ibrahim Jaafari elected new prime minister of Iraq)
April 7, 2005... More than two months after its groundbreaking elections, Iraq has finally named a new prime minister, Ibrahim Jaafari. But though Iraq's fledgling democracy may be back on course, spreading democracy to other Arabs will not be easy THE...

Dazzled by the rising sun.
April 8, 2005... Dwindling market share in the face of fierce competition from Japan has forced General Motors to shake up its management. Ford faces similar problems. DaimlerChrysler's American arm is taking advantage of their misfortune but may be held back...

In a world that is ever more divided; After John Paul II; How to find a pope for all Catholics in a divided world?
April 8, 2005... How to find a pope for all Catholics? A NEW global togetherness flashed into being, and immediately began to disintegrate. That is how future historians may record the funeral of John Paul II on Friday April 8th, which was attended by...

History that still hurts.(international relations of China and South Korea)
April 8, 2005... China and South Korea have excoriated Japan over its approval of new school books which they say whitewash the atrocities committed during Japanese occupation. The lingering bitterness over Japan's past imperialism still threatens to mar...

Taxing times; Corporate-tax battles in Europe; Disharmony over harmonisation.(Marks and Spencer PLC and United Kingom's cross-border taxation case)
April 8, 2005... A court ruling is likely to favour Marks & Spencer, a retailer, in its case against the British government over cross-border taxation. This could cost European exchequers dear. But harmonisation across Europe remains a distant dream for those...

A long way to go; Arab democracy; On course in Iraq but spreading only slowly, if at all, elsewhere.
April 11, 2005... More than two months after its groundbreaking elections, Iraq has finally named a new prime minister, Ibrahim Jaafari. But though Iraq's fledgling democracy may be back on course, spreading democracy to other Arabs will not be easy THE...

History that still hurts.
April 11, 2005... China and South Korea have excoriated Japan over its approval of new school books which they say whitewash the atrocities committed during Japanese occupation, and anti-Japanese protests have been held in Chinese cities. The lingering...

History that still hurts.
April 12, 2005... China and South Korea have excoriated Japan over its approval of new school books which they say whitewash the atrocities committed during Japanese occupation, and anti-Japanese protests have been held in Chinese cities. The lingering...

Expanding settlements, eroding trust.
April 12, 2005... At a meeting in Texas, George Bush has told Ariel Sharon that Israel must stop expanding Jewish settlements in the West Bank while withdrawing from Gaza. The chiding comes at a time of high tensions between Israelis and Palestinians--and within...

An instructive tempest in a teapot; The Buttonwood column: British equities; Over for Rover but the economy chugs on.
April 12, 2005... The collapse of MG Rover, Britain's last independent volume carmaker, has prompted gloomy thoughts of post-imperial decline. They are misguided IT MAY seem strange to worry about a small British carmaker going out of business at a time...

History that still hurts.
April 13, 2005... China and South Korea have excoriated Japan over its approval of new school books which they say whitewash the atrocities committed during Japanese occupation, and anti-Japanese protests have been held in Chinese cities. The lingering...

Better in than out? The Balkans and the European Union; Green lights for Bulgaria and Romania, an encouraging amber for Serbia.
April 13, 2005... The European Parliament has voted in favour of Romania and Bulgaria joining the European Union in 2007 or 2008. The former Yugoslav countries to their west, Slovenia apart, are lagging far behind. But Serbia has been told that it too can start...

History that still hurts.
April 14, 2005... China and South Korea have excoriated Japan over its approval of new school books which they say whitewash the atrocities committed during Japanese occupation, and anti-Japanese protests have been held in Chinese cities. The lingering...

Morally bankrupt? Bankruptcy; A creditor-friendly bill that takes America closer to Europe.
April 15, 2005... America's Congress has passed a new, creditor-friendly bankruptcy bill. As consumer advocates and credit-card companies both try to stake out the moral high ground in the debate, there are some reasons to be concerned about the change ...

Can the constitution be saved? France's referendum on the European constitution; Chirac wades in to help a beleaguered treaty.
April 15, 2005... With French voters looking increasingly likely to reject Europe's new constitution in a referendum on May 29th, President Jacques Chirac has thrown his weight behind the yes campaign. Has he left it too late? And is the document dead if the...

Can the constitution be saved? France's referendum on the European constitution; Chirac wades in to help a beleaguered treaty.
April 18, 2005... With French voters looking increasingly likely to reject Europe's new constitution in a referendum on May 29th, President Jacques Chirac has thrown his weight behind the yes campaign. Has he left it too late? And is the document dead if the...

Unrest that riles Tokyo and worries Beijing; Japan and China; Unrest that upsets Tokyo--and worries Beijing.
April 18, 2005... Beijing has refused to apologise to Tokyo after a third weekend of anti-Japanese protests in cities across China. The Chinese authorities seem reluctant to quell the unrest, but they are also worried that the outpouring of nationalist feeling...

Seeking a cure for legal headaches.
April 18, 2005... The world's leading drugmakers face a growing threat from generic-drug manufacturers, a faltering pipeline of future blockbuster medications and a poor public image. Several court cases are highlighting their battles to stay healthy in the long...

Running out of puff?
April 18, 2005... At the World Bank/IMF spring meetings, held at the weekend, officials agreed that the size and growth of global imbalances--particularly America's twin deficits--are reason to worry. But so far, no agreement has emerged on a course of action...

Unrest that riles Tokyo and worries Beijing; Japan and China; Unrest that upsets Tokyo--and worries Beijing.
April 19, 2005... Beijing has refused to apologise to Tokyo after a third weekend of anti-Japanese protests in cities across China. The Chinese authorities seem reluctant to quell the unrest, but they are also worried that the outpouring of nationalist feeling...

A valuable alternative to empire-building.
April 19, 2005... Companies are buying back their own shares in record quantities. In many cases, their shareholders should thank them for it COMPANIES are reeling in their shares hand over fist these days. First-quarter corporate results have brought a new...

In John Paul's footsteps.
April 19, 2005... The choice of Joseph Ratzinger, an arch-conservative German, as pope is unsurprising. It will delight traditionalist Catholics but disappoint those hoping for more flexibility than John Paul II offered on controversial issues, such as birth...

Point of no return? India and Pakistan; Watching cricket, talking peace.
April 19, 2005... At a meeting in Delhi, the leaders of India and Pakistan have declared that their peace process is now "irreversible". Not so. But with the two nuclear-armed countries now prepared to compromise on previously entrenched positions, a settlement...

Unrest that riles Tokyo and worries Beijing; Japan and China; Unrest that upsets Tokyo--and worries Beijing.
April 20, 2005... Beijing and Tokyo remain at loggerheads after a third weekend of anti-Japanese protests in cities across China. The Chinese authorities seem reluctant to quell the unrest, but they are also worried that the outpouring of nationalist feeling...

A valuable alternative to empire-building.
April 20, 2005... Companies are buying back their own shares in record quantities. In many cases, their shareholders should thank them for it COMPANIES are reeling in their shares hand over fist these days. First-quarter corporate results have brought a new...

In John Paul's footsteps.(Joseph Ratzinger)
April 20, 2005... The choice of Joseph Ratzinger, an arch-conservative German, as pope is unsurprising. It will delight traditionalist Catholics but disappoint those hoping for more flexibility than John Paul II offered on controversial issues, such as birth...

Will the walls come falling down? House prices; Warning: danger of subsidence.
April 20, 2005... House prices have been growing at a breakneck pace in many developed countries. This has encouraged householders to keep spending even during the global slowdown. But now that housing markets are looking soft, consumers may be forced to...

A valuable alternative to empire-building.
April 21, 2005... Companies are buying back their own shares in record quantities. In many cases, their shareholders should thank them for it COMPANIES are reeling in their shares hand over fist these days. First-quarter corporate results have brought a new...

Point of no return? India and Pakistan; Watching cricket, talking peace.
April 21, 2005... At a meeting in Delhi, the leaders of India and Pakistan have declared that their peace process is now "irreversible". Not so. But with the two nuclear-armed countries now prepared to compromise on previously entrenched positions, a settlement...

A coup by Congress and the street.
April 21, 2005... Ecuador's leader, Lucio Gutierrez, has been booted out of power. It marks the third time in nine years that the Andean country's elected president has been ousted by Congress and street protests IT WAS intended as a bold statement of...

A heady cocktail; Pernod's purchase of Allied Domecq; Raising a glass to a new drinks giant.
April 21, 2005... Big international brands drive the spirits industry. Pernod Ricard's purchase of Allied Domecq gives it the range and reach to challenge Diageo, the world leader--and threatens to leave the competition near the bottom of the barrel. Might...

In John Paul's footsteps.
April 22, 2005... The choice of Joseph Ratzinger, an arch-conservative German, as pope is unsurprising. It will delight traditionalist Catholics but disappoint those hoping for more flexibility than John Paul II offered on controversial issues, such as birth...

A coup by Congress and the street.
April 22, 2005... Ecuador's leader, Lucio Gutierrez, has been booted out of power. It marks the third time in nine years that the Andean country's elected president has been ousted by Congress and street protests IT WAS intended as a bold statement of...

Putting up the barricades; China-bashing and trade; America puts up the barricades.
April 22, 2005... America's Congress is taking a harsher line on trade, particularly with China. The Bush administration is also getting into the act, with the treasury secretary and even the newly nominated trade representative talking tough. Is America turning...

A coup by Congress and the street.(Lucio Gutierrez)
April 25, 2005... Ecuador's leader, Lucio Gutierrez, has been booted out of power. It marks the third time in nine years that the Andean country's elected president has been ousted by Congress and street protests IT WAS intended as a bold statement of...

Will Canada blame Martin? Canadian political turmoil; Will Canada blame Paul Martin for his party's misdeeds in Quebec?
April 25, 2005... Canada's prime minister, Paul Martin, has apologised to voters on television over a corruption scandal in his party and agreed to bring forward the date of the next general election. But his appeals to let the full facts come to light first may...

Putting up the barricades; China-bashing and trade; America puts up the barricades.
April 25, 2005... America's Congress is taking a harsher line on trade, particularly with China. The Bush administration is also getting into the act, with the treasury secretary and even the newly nominated trade representative talking tough. Is America turning...

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em; Stock exchanges; A transformative deal for the New York Stock Exchange.
April 25, 2005... The New York Stock Exchange's proposed merger with Archipelago, an all-electronic market, could transform the venerable floor-based exchange beyond all recognition. But not everyone is happy with the deal IF JOHN THAIN, the chief executive...

A heady cocktail; Pernod's purchase of Allied Domecq; Raising a glass to a new drinks giant.
April 26, 2005... Big international brands drive the spirits industry. Pernod Ricard's purchase of Allied Domecq gives it the range and reach to challenge Diageo, the world leader--and threatens to leave the competition near the bottom of the barrel. Might...

The cyberbuttonwood era arrives; The Buttonwood column: electronic stock exchanges; Cyberbuttonwood.
April 26, 2005... America's fragmented stockmarkets are consolidating with a vengeance as electronic trading increases. This must be good news for investors--but for some more than others IT IS not widely appreciated--even by the willing but baffled Family...

A heady cocktail; Pernod's purchase of Allied Domecq; Raising a glass to a new drinks giant.
April 27, 2005... Big international brands drive the spirits industry. Pernod Ricard's purchase of Allied Domecq gives it the range and reach to challenge Diageo, the world leader--and threatens to leave the competition near the bottom of the barrel. Might...

Will Canada blame Martin? Canadian political turmoil; Will Canada blame Paul Martin for his party's misdeeds in Quebec?(Paul Martin)
April 27, 2005... Canada's prime minister, Paul Martin, has apologised to voters on television over a corruption scandal in his party and agreed to bring forward the date of the next general election. But his appeals to let the full facts come to light first may...

If not now, when? Germany's economy; Dark predictions, and no sign of light at the end of the tunnel.
April 27, 2005... In a new report, six think-tanks have slashed their forecast for German economic growth in 2005, citing high oil prices and an unfavourable exchange rate. If Germany's export-driven economy cannot recover when the world economy is racing along,...

At last, an Iraqi government. Now what? Iraq's new cabinet; At last, a government. Now what?
April 28, 2005... After excruciating delays, Iraq's parliament has approved a cabinet put forward by the new prime minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari--though a few key jobs are still unfilled. Will Iraq's ruling factions now pull together to overcome the country's...

If not now, when? Germany's economy; No sign of light at the end of the tunnel.
April 28, 2005... In a new report, six think-tanks have slashed their forecast for German economic growth in 2005, citing high oil prices and an unfavourable exchange rate. If Germany's export-driven economy cannot recover when the world economy is racing along,...

A crisis of compliance.
April 28, 2005... The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, aimed at averting a nuclear holocaust, is about to undergo a month-long review. America is worried about rising non-compliance, with Iran's and North Korea's atomic dabblings of particular concern. Other...

At last, an Iraqi government. Now what? Iraq's new cabinet; At last, a government. Now what?(Ibrahim al-Jaafari appoints ministers to the parliament)
April 29, 2005... After excruciating delays, Iraq's parliament has approved a cabinet put forward by the new prime minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari--though a few key jobs are still unfilled. Will Iraq's ruling factions now pull together to overcome the country's...

If not now, when? Germany's economy; No sign of light at the end of the tunnel.(economic conditions forecast)
April 29, 2005... In a new report, six think-tanks have slashed their forecast for German economic growth in 2005, citing high oil prices and an unfavourable exchange rate. If Germany's export-driven economy cannot recover when the world economy is racing along,...

A crisis of compliance.(nuclear nonproliferation )
April 29, 2005... The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, aimed at averting a nuclear holocaust, is about to undergo a month-long review. America is worried about rising non-compliance, with Iran's and North Korea's atomic dabblings of particular concern. Other...

China's old foes seek an end to conflict; China and Taiwan; Lien meets Hu as old foes seek an end to conflict.
April 29, 2005... An historic meeting between the two sides in China's 1926-49 civil war--the mainland's Communist Party and the Taiwan-based Kuomintang--has ended in a pledge to seek a definitive end to hostilities and pursue economic integration. The...

The global locomotive loses steam.(economic analysis)
April 29, 2005... For several years, America--and particularly the American consumer--has been powering global economic growth. Now, however, the locomotive seems to be losing momentum. Estimated GDP growth for the first quarter was a disappointing 3.1%, and...