Global Agenda articles from January 2005

Global Agenda archives from January 2005

Relief, at last, for the tsunami survivors.
January 3, 2005... As the death toll from the Indian Ocean tsunamis soars above 140,000, the biggest relief operation in history is starting to reach some of the most isolated areas affected. But aid efforts still lack co-ordination and many thousands more may...

At last, President Yushchenko.(Victor Yushchenko)
January 5, 2005... With the victory of Ukraine's opposition leader, Victor Yushchenko, in the re-run presidential election, the country's political crisis is almost over. Now for the hard part WAS it a revolution? For some hard-to-impress observers, Victor...

Struggling to bring relief to the survivors.(disaster relief)
January 5, 2005... As the death toll from the Indian Ocean tsunamis climbs to 150,000, the biggest relief operation in history is starting to reach some of the most isolated areas affected. But aid efforts still lack co-ordination and many thousands more may die...

Desperate to blow the election off course.(elections in Iraq)
January 5, 2005... Continuing a bloody campaign to disrupt Iraq's upcoming parliamentary election, insurgents have assassinated the governor of Baghdad. The withdrawal of the largest Sunni Muslim party from the election on security grounds has led to more calls...

Quality over quantity; Emergency aid; Cash aplenty for Asia's ravaged regions, but will it be spent wisely?
January 5, 2005... In the wake of the tsunami disaster, aid, in a variety of forms, is being pledged more quickly than it can be spent. Have those who give and distribute it learned from past mistakes? "STINGY" it is not. On December 27th, the day after the...

From the circus ring to the tightrope.(Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian presidential election)
January 5, 2005... For peace talks with Israel to have a chance, Mahmoud Abbas needs not only to win the Palestinian presidential election, but to win it convincingly HOISTED on the shoulders of gunmen one day, denouncing Israel as "the Zionist enemy"...

Now spend it sensibly; Emergency aid; Cash aplenty for Asia's ravaged regions, but will it be spent wisely?
January 6, 2005... As world leaders meet in Jakarta for talks on assisting the countries hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami, aid, in a variety of forms, is being pledged more quickly than it can be spent. But have those who deliver it really learned from past...

Rising hopes for African peace; Peacemaking in Africa; How to help wars end.
January 6, 2005... Is peace breaking out across Africa? It is too early to be sure but the year has begun on a hopeful note TRUCES are common in Africa, and often signal no more than that the rainy season has made the roads impassable, or that both sides need...

Now spend it sensibly; Emergency aid; Cash aplenty for Asia's ravaged regions, but will it be spent wisely?
January 7, 2005... At an emergency summit in Jakarta, world leaders have offered billions of dollars in cash aid, soft loans and debt relief to countries hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami. Will they keep their promises? And have those who deliver aid learned from...

Trading places; World trade; Big shoes to fill in a big year for trade.
January 7, 2005... This is a big year for world trade. But first, the World Trade Organisation must find a new boss, and America must pick a new trade chief PASCAL LAMY, the European Union's outgoing trade commissioner, has an ascetic, almost monkish...

Trading places; World trade; Big shoes to fill in a big year for trade.
January 10, 2005... This is a big year for world trade. But first, the World Trade Organisation must find a new boss, and America must pick a new trade chief PASCAL LAMY, the European Union's outgoing trade commissioner, has an ascetic, almost monkish...

Rising hopes for African peace; Peacemaking in Africa; How to help wars end.
January 10, 2005... Is peace breaking out across Africa? It is too early to be sure but the year has begun on a hopeful note TRUCES are common in Africa, and often signal no more than that the rainy season has made the roads impassable, or that both sides need...

Abbas wins a popular mandate.(Mahmoud Abbas, elections)
January 10, 2005... Palestinian voters have given Mahmoud Abbas a clear mandate to govern--and to negotiate with Israel and America. But will he use it well? And will Israel give him a chance? IT WAS a rare sight to behold: Arabs queuing at polling booths in a...

Big Blue becomes bountiful; Intellectual property; Patently generous IBM.(International Business Machines Corp. decides to forgo royalties)
January 11, 2005... IBM is forgoing royalties on 500 of its software patents. In doing so, it hopes to make the computer industry more innovative and, in the long run, to make more money from collaborating with other programmers IT IS no coincidence that, on...

Abbas wins a popular mandate.(Mahmoud Abbas)
January 11, 2005... Palestinian voters have given Mahmoud Abbas a clear mandate to govern--and to negotiate with Israel and America. But will he use it well? And will Israel give him a chance? IT WAS a rare sight to behold: Arabs queuing at polling booths in a...

A cautious offer, cautiously received.(Paris Club, tsunami aid)
January 12, 2005... The Paris Club of creditor nations has offered to freeze debt repayments immediately for those countries hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami. Perhaps surprisingly, not all the affected countries are keen on the idea BETWEEN them, the 19 member...

The halo effect; Apple Computer; Returning to contest the mass market.(introducing new iPod MP3 players)
January 12, 2005... Using the phenomenal success of the iPod, Steve Jobs is having another go at the mass market for computers EVERY January, Steve Jobs, the chief executive of Apple Computer, manages to look like the hippest boss in the entire computer and...

A cautious offer, cautiously received.(tsunami relief)
January 13, 2005... The Paris Club of creditor nations has offered to freeze debt repayments immediately for those countries hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami. Perhaps surprisingly, not all the affected countries are keen on the idea BETWEEN them, the 19 member...

A hulking beast joins the dogfight; Airbus v Boeing; The super-jumbo era arrives.(Airbus S.A.S. to introduce Airbus A380 aircraft to compete with Boeing)
January 13, 2005... Airbus is about to unveil its new A380 super-jumbo (pictured). Will the 555-seat monster leave Boeing trailing in its wake? AS DISTINCTIVE Routemaster double-decker buses disappear from the streets of London, Airbus is set to unveil a...

The halo effect; Apple Computer; Returning to contest the mass market.(Apple iPod)
January 13, 2005... Using the phenomenal success of the iPod, Steve Jobs is having another go at the mass market for computers EVERY January, Steve Jobs, the chief executive of Apple Computer, manages to look like the hippest boss in the entire computer and...

Trials and errors; American corporate trials; Another batch of former bosses in the dock.(cases)
January 14, 2005... Bernie Ebbers, Dennis Kozlowski and other former bosses of scandal-hit American companies are about to have their day in court--in Mr Kozlowski's case, for the second time. They face lengthy jail terms if convicted. But do they deserve them?...

Abbas wins a popular mandate.(Mahmoud Abbas)
January 14, 2005... Palestinian voters have given Mahmoud Abbas a clear mandate to govern--and to negotiate with Israel and America. But will he use it well? And will either Israel or the Palestinian militants give him a chance? IT WAS a rare sight to behold:...

A hulking beast joins the dogfight; Airbus v Boeing; The super-jumbo era arrives.(Airbus S.A.S. introduces Airbus A380 )
January 18, 2005... Airbus has unveiled its new A380 super-jumbo (pictured). Will the 555-seat monster leave Boeing trailing in its wake? AS DISTINCTIVE Routemaster double-decker buses disappear from the streets of London, Airbus has unveiled a double-decker...

Thrift is a foreign concept.(America's trade deficit)
January 18, 2005... The falling dollar has failed to narrow America's trade deficit, which set another record in November. But foreign investors are still eager to plug the gap TRADE deficits are as American as apple pie. But foreigners still seem to have the...

Whatever it takes; Report on global poverty; Sachs's solutions.(Jeffrey Sachs)
January 18, 2005... A report sponsored by the United Nations, and overseen by Jeffrey Sachs, urges rich countries to spend more on cutting hunger and poverty in the developing world. But there are still plenty of cynics THOUGH hunger is of course impossible to...

Watch your back; British politics; The men who would bring down Tony Blair.(elections)
January 18, 2005... Britain's main opposition leaders have launched the campaign platforms from which they hope to bring down Tony Blair, in an election expected in May. But the prime minister's main challenge comes from an internal rival: his brooding and...

More sticks, and the odd carrot.(Condoleezza Rice to be appointed as secretary of state)
January 18, 2005... As Condoleezza Rice attends hearings that should lead to her being confirmed as America's new secretary of state, a report suggests America may be preparing to attack Iran. What will be the dominant theme of George Bush's second-term foreign...

The man who came too late.(Zhao Ziyang, leader of Chinese Communist Party)
January 20, 2005... Zhao Ziyang, who was toppled as leader of China's Communist Party for opposing the crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989, has died aged 85. Had he not been deposed, China might be a very different place from what it is today ...

The shock of the old; Russia's protests; A grey revolt over welfare reform.(influence of Vladimir Putin's economic policy )
January 20, 2005... Vladimir Putin is facing the most widespread protests of his presidency. What will they mean for the rest of it? THE protests were most energetic in St Petersburg, the home town of Vladimir Putin, Russia's president. But they spanned the...

Seeking freedom, at home and abroad.(George W.Bush's economic policy)
January 20, 2005... George Bush began his second term with a speech calling for freedom around the world. But for the conservative, radical president, "freedom" also means big changes to domestic programmes. Can Mr Bush realise his vision of an "ownership...

More sticks, and the odd carrot.
January 21, 2005... As Condoleezza Rice prepares to take over as secretary of state, a report suggests America may be preparing to attack Iran, and Vice-President Dick Cheney says the Islamic republic tops America's list of possible trouble-spots. Will George...

Goodbye, good times? Corporate profits; Are they on the wane?
January 21, 2005... Most American companies have enjoyed several years of bumper profits. But, as the results season gets under way, some big firms are reporting that times are getting tougher. Are many more set to follow? BY MOST measures American companies...

Abbas sends in his men; The new Palestinian leader takes action; Abbas sends in his men to stop the militants.
January 21, 2005... The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, has sent his security forces to police the Gaza strip, in the hope of curbing militant groups' attacks on Israeli targets. If successful--a big if--this could pave the way for a broader ceasefire and a...

A fragile Palestinian truce takes shape; Israel and the Palestinians; A fragile truce takes shape.(international relations)
January 24, 2005... The Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, is reportedly close to getting militant groups to call a ceasefire, which could pave the way for the resumption of peace talks with the Israelis. But any truce would be fragile--and even an interim peace...

The end of the affair? The Buttonwood column; Emerging markets: the end of the affair?(Column)
January 25, 2005... Emerging-market debt has been a sweetheart deal over the past three years. It is almost time to move on BUTTONWOOD having sensibly decided to go off and earn some real money, the search for his successor was long and arduous. The gene pool...

A reheated economy.(China)
January 25, 2005... China's economy re-accelerated in the last quarter of 2004, despite official efforts to curb rampant investment. Is it growing too fast to keep its balance? ON TUESDAY January 25th, the Chinese authorities sheepishly confessed that the...

The calm before the storm.(elections in Iraq)
January 25, 2005... Militants in Iraq have declared "bitter war" against democracy and are feared to be saving their resources for massive attacks during this weekend's elections. The insurgency, which shows no signs of abating, is only one of several serious...

A fragile Palestinian truce takes shape; Israel and the Palestinians; A fragile truce takes shape.
January 26, 2005... The Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, has sent his police to calm the Gaza strip and is close to persuading militant groups to declare a ceasefire. As a result, preparations are being made for the first summit between Palestinian and Israeli...

A reheated economy.(China)
January 26, 2005... China's economy re-accelerated in the last quarter of 2004, despite official efforts to curb rampant investment. Is it growing too fast to keep its balance? ON TUESDAY January 25th, the Chinese authorities sheepishly confessed that the...

The war on tort; Tort reform in America; Bush takes on the trial lawyers.(George W.Bush)
January 26, 2005... President George Bush has placed tort reform at the centre of his second-term legislative programme. Ranged against him are the massed ranks of America's trial lawyers. Who will come out on top? PITY America's trial lawyers. George Bush has...

Foundation; Global health; Can Bill Gates rid the world of infectious diseases?
January 26, 2005... The world's richest charity confronts the health of the world's poorest people THREE-QUARTERS of a billion dollars is a lot of almost anybody's money. Almost anybody, that is, except Bill Gates. Even for him it is scarcely small change....

A reheated economy; China's economy.
January 28, 2005... China's economy re-accelerated in the last quarter of 2004, despite official efforts to curb rampant investment. Is it growing too fast to keep its balance? ON TUESDAY January 25th, the Chinese authorities sheepishly confessed that the...

Foundation; global health; Bill Gates seeks to rid the world of infectious diseases.(Gates foundation's donation to Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization )
January 28, 2005... The world's richest charity confronts the health of the world's poorest people THREE-QUARTERS of a billion dollars is a lot of almost anybody's money. Almost anybody, that is, except Bill Gates. Even for him it is scarcely small change....

Can the private-equity bonanza last? The private-equity bonanza; too good to continue.(private equity funds)
January 28, 2005... Though investors are still queueing to throw money at private-equity funds and the best funds are making tasty returns, in some ways the business is getting ever tougher WHILE investors in shares fret about a further rise in the price of...

A turning-point for Iraq, for better or worse; Iraq's election.
January 28, 2005... The ballots cast by Iraqis on Sunday may mark the start of a long and arduous journey towards stability and freedom for Iraqis. Or the beginning of a descent into anarchy, civil war and the break-up of the country IRAQIS danced in the...

A marriage made in heaven--and in the bathroom.(Procter & Gamble Co. teams with Gillette Co.)
January 31, 2005... Two of America's biggest consumer-goods firms have agreed to team up. Can anything stand in the way of their success? And what lies in store for the competition? SUCCESSFUL marriages depend on many factors. Procter & Gamble and Gillette...

Defying the bombers to cast their votes.(in Iraq)
January 31, 2005... Iraq's Shia Muslims and Kurds have turned out in force for the country's first elections since the toppling of Saddam Hussein. The insurgents have failed in their bid to wreck the elections, though they are unlikely to go away soon THE...

The last call of an American legend; SBC buys AT&T; For whom the Bell tolls.(SBC Communications Inc., American Telephone and Telegraph Co.)
January 31, 2005... SBC's acquisition of the company that spawned it will create America's biggest telecommunications company and perhaps spark a wave of consolidation in the business. But none of the firms competing to supply phone communications through a...