Global Agenda articles from May 2003

Global Agenda archives from May 2003

On the road to peace.(continued violence threatens peace between Israel and Palestine)
May 1, 2003... As Israel and Palestine consider a "road map" to peace in the Middle East, the Palestinians' new prime minister promises to rein in militants. But continued violence threatens to wreck the plan THE latest international effort to bring peace...

Greenspan's gloom; America's economy; Greenspan strikes a gloomy note.(Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan expressses concerns about deflation)
May 1, 2003... America's economic prospects remain in doubt, Alan Greenspan tells Congress. The Federal Reserve chairman drew attention to lingering business caution and hinted that he is worried about the dangers of deflation WITH the war in Iraq over,...

On the road to peace.(violence continues, as Israel and Palestine try to work for peace)
May 2, 2003... As Israel and Palestine consider a "road map" to peace in the Middle East, the Palestinians' new prime minister promises to rein in militants. But continued violence threatens to wreck the plan THE latest international effort to bring peace...

Countdown to 2004.(American presidential election)
May 5, 2003... With the presidential election 18 months away, the political focus in America has shifted from the war in Iraq to the home front. President George Bush wants more tax cuts and his Democratic Party opponents are trying to obstruct him "THE...

The hard road to peace.(new Palestinian prime minister Mahmoud Abbas wants peace, but continued violence could threaten it)
May 6, 2003... The Palestinians' new prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, may meet Israeli leaders as efforts intensify to get both sides to accept a "road map" to peace in the Middle East. But continued violence threatens to wreck the plan THE latest...

Time for action; Israelis and Palestinians; Mapping peace.(continued violence is still concern for resolving the issues between Israel and Palestine)
May 6, 2003... As America prepares to give Israelis and Palestinians a strong diplomatic push towards embarking on the latest peace plan, the threat of continued violence remains the most vulnerable part ISRAELIS, Palestinians and Americans are busy...

A dotcom revival? Online commerce; A second boom for the survivors.
May 7, 2003... Barry Diller, a Hollywood media mogul, has acquired LendingTree, an online financial-services provider. Mr Diller's shift to e-commerce comes amid a revival of interest in online businesses. A few surviving internet stocks are even enjoying a...

Struggling to get the balance right; America's economy; Greenspan strikes a gloomy note.(Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve)
May 7, 2003... After its latest review of interest rates, the Federal Reserve has decided to leave them unchanged. But concerns about the economic outlook may be growing BE WORRIED but don't panic. That seems to be the message that Alan Greenspan and his...

Actions speak louder than words; Europe's single market; Tied up in red tape.
May 7, 2003... Ten years after the European Union's single market began, member countries are still flouting its rules and dragging their feet over implementing it fully. Brussels now plans a crackdown on the red tape that is tying up trade in many services...

Time for action; Israelis and Palestinians; Mapping peace.
May 7, 2003... As America prepares to give Israelis and Palestinians a strong diplomatic push towards embarking on the latest peace plan, a row over refugees and the threat of continued violence could quickly wreck it ISRAELIS, Palestinians and Americans...

The shadow of change.(expected governmental changes in Middle East after Iraq War )
May 7, 2003... As President Bush declares that combat operations are over, Iraq's neighbours are starting to face up to the war's consequences FROM the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln, steaming home from the Gulf, President George Bush has...

Trying for peace.(mediation of United States in Israel-Palestine conflict)(situation of refugees and continued violence )
May 9, 2003... As America gives Israelis and Palestinians a strong diplomatic push towards embarking on the latest peace plan, a row over refugees and the threat of continued violence could quickly wreck it ISRAEL'S leader, Ariel Sharon, has been busy...

Stalemate; The world economy; What, no cuts?(refusal of European Central Bank to reduce interest rates )
May 9, 2003... The European Central Bank has again decided against cutting interest rates, in spite of Europe's deteriorating economic outlook. Why are the world's central banks so reluctant to ease monetary policy? PERHAPS it is something in the...

Don't just sit there.(World Health Organization's campaign to discourage inactivity, obesity )
May 9, 2003... Or you might become one of the 2m people who die of inactivity each year. The human race is getting ever fatter and more slothful and the World Health Organisation is urging us all to get off the couch and do something SLOTH really is a...

China steps up the fight; SARS; Stepping up the fight.
May 12, 2003... Although some countries seem to be containing the spread of SARS, China is having to increase its efforts to combat the disease THE fight against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), the fatal, flu-like disease that has caused worries...

Bouncing around; Currency fluctuations; Stomach-churning for policymakers.(volatility of worldwide currency exchange market )
May 13, 2003... The world's currency markets are unusually volatile, reflecting the contrasting economic circumstances of the big industrial countries and concern about the global outlook. Gyrating currencies make economic policymaking even more difficult than...

Peace and broken promises.(mediation of United States in Israel-Palestine conflict )
May 13, 2003... No sooner has Colin Powell urged Israelis and Palestinians to follow a new "road map" towards peace than promises begin to unravel IT WAS an "historic moment", said Colin Powell during his visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian...

Befriending the Great Satan.(support in Iran to renewed diplomatic relations with United States )
May 13, 2003... Though the power struggle between Iran's reformers and its conservative theocrats is heating up, both sides seem agreed on improving relations with America BOTH Iran and America are denying reports that the two countries are preparing to...

Raffarin's test; France; Grinding to a halt.(Jean-Pierre Raffarin, French Prime Minister)(opposition to planned pension reform )
May 13, 2003... On Tuesday, French planes, trains and buses ground to a halt, schools were closed and demonstrations took place across the country as public-sector workers stayed at home to protest against planned pension reforms. It is the biggest test yet of...

Terrorism strikes home.(political effects of suicidal bombings in Saudi Arabia )
May 13, 2003... A series of suicide attacks in Saudi Arabia has turned the war on terrorism into an issue that could unseat the oil-rich kingdom's ruling dynasty JUST before America's secretary of state, Colin Powell, arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday...

Invasion of the transgenics; Genetically modified crops; Frankenfood fight.
May 14, 2003... The American government and other supporters of genetically modified crops are winning their battles against the opponents of so-called "Frankenfoods" UNDER pressure from Congress, farmers and business leaders to launch an attack on...

Peace and broken promises.(Colin Powell tries to work to help bring peace between Israelis and the Palestinians)
May 15, 2003... No sooner has Colin Powell urged Israelis and Palestinians to follow a new "road map" towards peace than promises begin to unravel IT WAS an "historic moment", said Colin Powell during his visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian...

Terrorism strikes home.(a discussion of the suicide attacks in Saudi Arabia)
May 15, 2003... The suicide attacks in Saudi Arabia have undermined the oil-rich kingdom's ruling dynasty. Other governments should be worried too: intelligence reports suggest terrorists are planning further attacks in the Middle East, Africa and South-East...

Teutonic plague; The German economy; How much worse can it get?
May 15, 2003... Confirmation that the German economy is in recession will increase pressure on the government to press ahead with its long-overdue reform programme. It will also reinforce criticism of the euro area's monetary policy HOW the mighty are...

Questions in the aftermath.(of the war in Iraq)
May 16, 2003... Can Iraq's American-led interim government restore order and guide the country towards democracy, and how will the UN be involved? How many more mass graves are waiting to be discovered? And what happened to those weapons of mass destruction?...

Fleeing from a bloodbath.(Civil war includes slaughter in Congo's Ituri province)
May 16, 2003... As the UN attacks the world's big powers for ignoring the bloodbath in Congo and hundreds of thousands flee the slaughter in Ituri province, another unpromising ceasefire is signed JUST as America is said to be pushing for him to be chosen...

Kirchner hunts for allies; Argentina's election; Kirchner seeks allies.(Editorial)
May 16, 2003... Ex-president Carlos Menem abandons his comeback bid, handing the presidency to a hitherto obscure provincial governor, Nestor Kirchner. But can he build a governing coalition from the bankrupt country's shattered political system? IF THE...

Al-Qaeda's new war; Al-Qaeda; Changed but still deadly.(analysis of terror group)
May 19, 2003... More terror alerts have followed the bombings in Riyadh and Casablanca. Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network is fighting on, but in a new form OFFICIALS around the world have issued a fresh wave of warnings about terrorist cells following a...

A fragile canvas; The art market; Not a pretty picture.(United States )(Industry Overview)
May 19, 2003... The purchase of two Impressionist paintings for a combined $40m has reassured art dealers. But many lots are proving hard to shift, leading to fears of a sharp downturn ART dealers like to claim that the art market is different. Art,...

Hitting hopes for peace.(suicide bombings; Israelis and Palestinians, hopes for peace)
May 19, 2003... A wave of suicide bombings threatens to wreck the latest plan to bring peace to Israelis and Palestinians HOPES for peace in the Middle East, tenuous at best, have been sharply set back with a spate of Palestinian suicide attacks, which in...

Co-operation or confrontation? The world economy; Would more co-operation help?(global growth, currency exchange; US dollar)
May 19, 2003... Finance ministers from the world's biggest economies have promised to co-operate and help contribute to global growth. Fine words--but is it empty rhetoric? FOREIGN-EXCHANGE dealers could hardly contain themselves. As soon as trading began...

War on the separatists.(Indonesia, war against Aceh separatists)
May 19, 2003... After the breakdown of peace talks between the government and separatist rebels from Aceh province, Indonesia's army launches a "shock and awe" attack FIGHTER planes fired missiles at rebel positions while Hercules transporters dropped...

Going round in circles?(Middle East roadmap for peace; US, Israel, Palestinian Authority)
May 20, 2003... President George Bush has reminded the world that he is serious about ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Now for the hard part TAKING a brief time out from Iraq, on April 8th President George Bush reaffirmed his commitment to...

Hitting hopes for peace.(suicide bombings delay Middle Easts peace process)
May 20, 2003... A wave of suicide bombings threatens to wreck the latest plan to bring peace to Israelis and Palestinians HOPES for peace in the Middle East, tenuous at best, have been sharply set back with a spate of Palestinian suicide attacks, which in...

Co-operation or confrontation? The world economy; Would more co-operation help?
May 20, 2003... Finance ministers from the world's biggest economies have promised to co-operate and help contribute to global growth. Fine words--but is it empty rhetoric? FOREIGN-EXCHANGE dealers could hardly contain themselves. As soon as trading began...

Fat cats cornered; Executive pay; Glaxo gets a bloody nose.(shareholders vote to reject pay policies for senior management, including golden parachute package for Jean-Pierre Garnier)
May 20, 2003... The rejection by shareholders of GlaxoSmithKline's proposed $30m-plus payoff to its chief executive in the event of his dismissal marks a turning point in the battle against corporate excess INSTITUTIONAL shareholders in Britain are...

War on the separatists.(Indonesian army attacks Aceh province separatists)
May 21, 2003... After the breakdown of peace talks between the government and separatist rebels from Aceh province, Indonesia's army launches a "shock and awe" attack FIGHTER planes fired missiles at rebel positions while Hercules transporters dropped...

Parma 1, Lisbon 0; European trade rulings; Parma harm.(European Court rules on protecting geographical significance of ham product)
May 21, 2003... The European Court of Justice has decided that it is illegal for the world-famous Parma ham to be sliced and packaged outside the region. Is the court's judgment more than another illustration of European eccentricity? "HAM-FISTED". That...

Squaring the circle; America's economy; Squeezed from all sides.(analysis of tax cut effects on US economy)
May 21, 2003... President George Bush has made significant concessions in the battle with Congress over his tax-cut plan. The news coincided with figures showing lower-than-expected tax receipts for the American government and cautious words from Alan...

Al-Qaeda's new war; Al-Qaeda; Changed but still deadly.
May 22, 2003... More terror alerts have followed the bombings in Riyadh and Casablanca. Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network is fighting on, but in a new form OFFICIALS around the world have issued a fresh wave of warnings about terrorist cells following a...

Diverging again; The Bronfmans and Vivendi; Goodbye convergence.(Vivendi entertainment businesses up for sale)
May 22, 2003... The Bronfman family is assembling a bid for the media assets that it sold to Vivendi three years ago. The French group's planned disposal of these businesses is another nail in the coffin of "convergence"--bolting together media content and...

Ups and downs for Big Tobacco.(World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control )
May 22, 2003... Though the world's governments have signed a pledge to try to stub out smoking, there has been more good news than bad in recent days for the tobacco industry TOBACCO bosses were cheerful on Wednesday May 21st, even though the 192 member...

Al-Qaeda's new war; Al-Qaeda; Changed but still deadly.
May 23, 2003... More terror alerts have followed the bombings in Riyadh and Casablanca. Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network is fighting on, but in a new form OFFICIALS around the world have issued a fresh wave of warnings about terrorist cells following a...

Will $350 billion do? American tax cuts; Bush settles for a compromise.
May 23, 2003... President George Bush has backed a compromise tax-cut deal negotiated in Congress. It gives him less than half of what he wanted WHAT a difference a deadline can make. For months now, President George Bush and both houses of Congress have...

Kirchner hunts for allies; Argentina's election; Kirchner seeks allies.(Editorial)
May 23, 2003... Ex-president Carlos Menem abandons his comeback bid, handing the presidency to a hitherto obscure provincial governor, Nestor Kirchner. But can he build a governing coalition from the bankrupt country's shattered political system? IF THE...

A new start; Emerging markets; A new start for Argentina--and the IMF?
May 26, 2003... Nestor Kirchner, Argentina's new president, has taken office at a time of continuing concern about the country's economic policy. Will his new government forge a new relationship with the International Monetary Fund and the world economy...

Ballots and bombs; Spain's elections; Aznar's strong showing.(Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar)
May 27, 2003... The Spanish prime minister, Jos? Mar?a Aznar, has received an unexpected boost in the country's local elections. The vote was seen as the Spanish people's judgment on the prime minister's backing for America's global war on Islamic terrorism...

Serious about peace.(Israel and Palestine prepare for US-led peace talks)
May 27, 2003... Israel's leader, Ariel Sharon, has signalled he is determined to make peace with the Palestinians as a summit with President George Bush approaches MIDDLE EAST diplomacy is suddenly surging ahead as America seeks to capitalise on the...

Discord over Giscard's Euro vision; The EU's constitution; Giscard's discord.
May 27, 2003... The disharmony over a proposed constitution for the European Union is growing louder--and Britain's fury at coming last in the Eurovision Song Contest will only make things worse ONE night each year, hundreds of millions of Europeans endure...

Serious about peace.(Israel and Palestine to meet in US-led peace summit)
May 28, 2003... Israel's leader, Ariel Sharon, has signalled he is determined to make peace with the Palestinians as a summit with President George Bush approaches MIDDLE EAST diplomacy is suddenly surging ahead as America seeks to capitalise on the...

Discord over Giscard's Euro vision; The EU's constitution; Giscard's discord.
May 30, 2003... The disharmony over a proposed constitution for the European Union is growing louder ONE night each year, hundreds of millions of Europeans endure the excruciating ritual of the Eurovision Song Contest, a marathon television broadcast...

The generation game.(financial results at mobile telephone companies affected by 3G licensing fees)(Industry Overview)
May 30, 2003... Mobile companies are making money, but not out of 3G AFTER the battering that the share prices of mobile-phone companies have received, their latest financial results have been more encouraging. Vodafone, a British-headquartered company...

Hopes for peace.(President Bush leads Israel-Palestine talks)
May 30, 2003... Israel's leader, Ariel Sharon, and the Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, have set an optimistic note ahead of their meeting with President Bush to discuss the latest peace plan THE prospects for peace between Israelis and...