Global Agenda articles from October 2007

Global Agenda archives from October 2007

The week ahead; What may make the headlines; What may be in the news this week.(Calendar)
October 1, 2007... What may make the headlines * THE privatisation of Japan's postal system begins on Monday October 1st. The ten-year process will see the giant state-owned firm split into four parts--savings, insurance, mail and post-office...

On the bubble; Market.view; Which sector will surge after the rate cut?
October 1, 2007... Which sector will surge after the rate cut? THE theme song of West Ham, a moderately successful east London football club, is "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles". Some people accuse the Federal Reserve, America's central bank, of singing the...

Still together; Belgium diary; Breaking up is hard to do.
October 1, 2007... Breaking up is hard to do Monday "CAN'T stop, now my lot have asked me to do the break-up of Belgium story," sighed the American television journalist, hurrying through the lobby of the press centre where The Economist has its...

Inside men; Art.view; Early maps of the human body.
October 1, 2007... Early maps of the human body TOM Lecky is an engaging chap in his mid-thirties who loves books. He liked the feel of them when he was a child. When he grew up, he started collecting modern American poetry and mountaineering adventures. He...

Hazardous wildlife; Green.view; Bears and moose on the loose.
October 1, 2007... Bears and moose on the loose MOOSE are to be pitied at this time of year. In America, hunting season is in full swing. Such is the demand for killing moose that several states--including Maine, New Hampshire and Minnesota--hold lotteries...

A second bite of the orange; Ukraine's parliamentary election; A victory for Yulia Tymoshenko's block looks likely.
October 1, 2007... Yulia Tymoshenko's block looks set to win ONE consistent feature of Ukraine's fluid politics is its ability to defy predictions. The biggest surprise of the parliamentary elections on Sunday September 30th was the strong support for Yulia...

By-election in Hong Kong; A by-election in Hong Kong; Two contenders vie for the seat, one backed by pro-Beijing parties, the other by pro-democracy parties.
October 1, 2007... A mini-referendum on democratic reform Regina Ip, Hong Kong's tough-talking former secretary for security, on September 27th formally announced her decision to run for a seat in the Legislative Council (Hong Kong's legislature) in a...

Feeling the pinch; Investment banks and the credit crunch; UBS and Citigroup may be the first of a slew of banks to feel the pain.
October 1, 2007... Investment banks are suffering from the effects of the credit crunch HOPES that the worst of the credit crunch is over took a battering on Monday October 1st. UBS, a Swiss investment bank, announced that it had sustained a third-quarter...

Museum pieces; Belgium diary; What memorials tell you about a country.
October 2, 2007... What memorials tell you about a country Monday | Tuesday Tuesday MONUMENTS and museums are an underrated way of learning about a country. Avoid, however, monuments designed to impress tourists; the more focused they are on...

A second bite of the orange; Ukraine's parliamentary election; A victory for Yulia Tymoshenko's block looks likely.
October 2, 2007... A tight election ONE consistent feature of Ukraine's fluid politics is its ability to defy predictions. The biggest surprise of the parliamentary elections on Sunday September 30th was the strong support for Yulia Tymoshenko, a firebrand...

Feeling the pinch; Investment banks and the credit crunch; UBS and Citigroup may be the first of a slew of banks to feel the pain.
October 2, 2007... The pain of the credit crunch spreads HOPES that the worst of the credit crunch is over took a battering on Monday October 1st. UBS, a Swiss investment bank, announced that it had sustained a third-quarter loss and Citigroup, an American...

In praise of corporate democracy; Business.view; More shareholder power would be good for business.
October 2, 2007... More shareholder power would be good for business "CORPORATIONS shouldn't be democracies," argues Lynn Stout, a professor of corporate law at UCLA, in a recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal. Ms Stout writes at a critical time: shortly...

Putin flexes his muscles; How Vladimir Putin intends to keep power in Russia; Russia will be run by Vladimir Putin for many years yet.
October 2, 2007... Vladimir Putin will run Russia for a long time yet, whether he is president or prime minister VLADIMIR PUTIN will stay the most powerful man in Russia, whoever is elected in the presidential election due in March next year. The details of...

Rebounding Cote d'Ivoire? Hope for Cote d'Ivoire's economy; Cote d'Ivoire dares to hope for economic recovery.
October 2, 2007... If politics allow, the economy should see a modest recovery Political developments will continue to determine Cote d'Ivoire's economic growth path. A partial recovery may be in prospect, however. After eight years during which political...

Annegarn's paradise; Belgium diary; Beer-soaked and moronic, but home.
October 3, 2007... Beer-soaked and moronic, but it's home Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday Wednesday THERE are many bits of the world whose identity is shaped, at least in part, by not being a bigger neighbour. Canada is not America; Portugal is the...

Putin flexes his muscles; How Vladimir Putin intends to keep power in Russia; Russia will be run by Vladimir Putin for many years yet.
October 3, 2007... Vladimir Putin in charge for a long time yet VLADIMIR PUTIN will stay the most powerful man in Russia, whoever is elected in the presidential election due in March next year. The details of how he intends to manage it are still unclear, but...

Credibility deficit; Asia.view; How the Philippines shoots itself in the foot.
October 3, 2007... How the Philippines shoots itself in the foot THINGS have been going pretty well for the Philippines recently. For the first time since the 1970s its economy has grown by at least 5% in each of the past three years. This year it may grow...

Dashing hopes in Myanmar; Myanmar's hope for democracy is fading; Protests and hopes for democracy are declining in Myanmar.
October 3, 2007... The protesters are crushed IBRAHIM GAMBARI, the United Nations' special envoy to Myanmar, kept everyone guessing after his four-day visit to seek an end to its military regime's harsh crackdown on protesters. On Tuesday October 2nd, he...

Go slow on Kosovo? Kosovo's independence may yet be delayed; Kosovo may not be independent for some time yet.
October 3, 2007... The path to independence looks longer than it did before Most observers have for some time assumed that Kosovo is moving inexorably and inevitably towards independence. At first, most believed that this would be sanctioned by the UN and...

It'll cost you; A rare meeting of the two Koreas; Will anything substantial come of the meeting of the two Koreas?
October 3, 2007... A breakthrough, or just one more set of promises to be broken by North Korea? ACCOMPANIED by 300 business, political and cultural figures--but excluding the international media--President Roh Moo-hyun of South Korea drove to Pyongyang on...

Tongue twister; Belgium diary; Waar is the pen de ma tante?(Diary entry)
October 4, 2007... Waar is the pen de ma tante? Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday Thursday LANGUAGES cause such fuss in Belgium that I have interviewed serious linguists who think the only solution is for everyone to learn Esperanto. While I...

It'll cost you; A rare meeting of the two Koreas; Will anything substantial come of the meeting of the two Koreas?
October 4, 2007... Familiar claims of a breakthrough BRiNGING his own food, and accompanied by 300 business, political and cultural figures--but excluding the international press--President Roh Moo-hyun of South Korea drove to Pyongyang on October 2nd to call...

A silent voice; Europe.view; Anna Politkovskaya one year later.
October 4, 2007... Anna Politkovskaya one year later HOW she would have relished the farcical investigation into her own murder. Anna Politkovskaya's speciality was exposing the brutality and blunders of Russian officialdom, and the crude and greedy...

Children in the balance; Why did George Bush veto a health-care bill for children? A row over health-care insurance for America's young.
October 4, 2007... Why did George Bush veto a popular health-care bill? GEORGE BUSH has some fight left in him and he has chosen a thankless battle. On Wednesday October 3rd the president vetoed legislation that would have reauthorised and expanded the State...

Postal shake-up; Japan creates the world's biggest bank; A postal shake-up in Japan creates the world's biggest bank.
October 4, 2007... The break-up of Japan Post creates the world's largest bank Japan's financial services industry has entered a new era with the reorganisation of Japan Post on October 1st. The move has created the world's largest bank, Japan Post Bank. This...

A silent voice; Anna Politkovskaya one year later.
October 4, 2007... Anna Politkovskaya one year later HOW she would have relished the farcical investigation into her own murder. Anna Politkovskaya's speciality was exposing the brutality and blunders of Russian officialdom, and the crude and greedy...

Keep it together; Belgium diary; Beer, raw beef, chips: is that enough?
October 5, 2007... Beer, raw beef, chips: is that enough? Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday Friday AS NOTED earlier, Yves Leterme, the politician who is the overwhelming choice of Flemish voters to be Belgium's next prime minister...

Children in the balance; Why did George Bush veto a health-care bill for children? A row over health-care insurance for America's young.
October 5, 2007... Why veto a popular health-care bill? GEORGE BUSH has some fight left in him and he has chosen a thankless battle. On Wednesday October 3rd the president vetoed legislation that would have reauthorised and expanded the State Children's...

A shadow over Musharraf; Tension grows in Pakistan ahead of its presidential election; Waiting for Pakistan's presidential election.
October 5, 2007... Pakistan's Supreme Court confronts General Pervez Musharraf on the eve of the country's presidential election PAKISTAN'S Supreme Court has thrown a last-minute spanner in the works, calling into doubt the eligibility of General Pervez...

Ultra-thin is in; Tech.view; The writing is on the wall for flat-panel TVs.
October 5, 2007... The writing is on the wall for flat-panel TVs ONE of the fun things about big-box stores is that you can compare different types of flat-panel television sets, often side by side. Invariably, most will have their brightness and contrast...

The vault is open; Microsoft moves into health care; The software giant introduces a new service for storing medical records online.
October 5, 2007... Microsoft moves into health care BACK in 2000, Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's chief executive, described a grand vision for the future of health care. One day, he said, everyone would have a secure and private website on the internet on which...

Inflating; Inflation rises in Chile; Chile suffers rising inflation.
October 5, 2007... Food, especially, pushes up inflation in Chile Chile is experiencing its sharpest inflationary surge in years, with price increases in recent months coming in well above expectations. Although the spike may be transient, monetary officials...

A shadow over Musharraf; Tension grows in Pakistan ahead of its presidential election; Waiting for Pakistan's presidential election.
October 6, 2007... A troubled presidential election PAKISTAN'S Supreme Court has thrown a last-minute spanner in the works, calling into doubt the eligibility of General Pervez Musharraf to run for president on the eve of an election on Saturday October 6th....

Fall forward; Art.view; Market slowdown or not, contemporary art sells.
October 6, 2007... Market slowdown or not, contemporary art sells THE last big bust in the art market was during the 1990 recession. It was due, at least in part, to Japanese billionaires, who had developed a taste for expensive French Impressionists,...

Green has the blues; Market.view; What to do about the falling dollar?
October 7, 2007... What to do about the falling dollar? ON OCTOBER 20th, the finance ministers of the G7 will meet in Washington as part of the annual International Monetary Fund get-together. It is already clear that foreign exchange markets will be a key...

The week ahead; What may make the headlines; What may be in the news.(Calendar)
October 8, 2007... What may make the news * GORDON BROWN, Britian's prime minister, will not have a happy week. He has allowed speculation to mount that would call a snap general election, but after opinion polls showed the opposition Conservatives doing...

Musharraf's messy victory; Musharraf is re-elected in Pakistan; Pakistan's unpredictable election.
October 8, 2007... A win, unless judges say otherwise WHAT do you call an election when there are such doubts over the legality of the winning candidate that no official results can be announced? A Pakistani one, is the answer: on Saturday October 6th--...

Toil and trouble; Newfoundland diary; Will offshore oil turn the province around?
October 8, 2007... Will offshore oil turn the province around? Monday LOOK closely at a time-zone map of the western hemisphere. You will see a small area carved out of the Atlantic zone off the east coast of Canada. There sits Newfoundland, which has...

Chipping in; Green.view; Better course management can make golf green.
October 8, 2007... Better course management can make golf green LAST summer the big three American automakers, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, who have all watched their market shares diminish under the pressure of foreign competition, suffered yet another...

A fishy affair? Who knew what at EADS? An investigation of insider trading at the European defence and aviation giant.
October 8, 2007... France is in a lather about potentially shady share dealings at EADS WILL French investigators get to the bottom of the story of potential insider trading at EADS, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space company? Executives at CDC, a...

Stabbing himself in the back; An awkward week for Britain's Gordon Brown; Gordon Brown's mistake has boosted Britain's opposition.
October 8, 2007... Gordon Brown's mistakes EVEN the climbdown was cack-handed. On Saturday October 6th, Gordon Brown, Britain's prime minister, gave an interview to the BBC in which he announced that he would not, after all, be calling a general election...

Giving peace another try; Israelis and Palestinians are dusting off old blueprints for peace; Israeli and Palestinian negotiatiors prepare for a November peace conference.
October 8, 2007... Talks about talks for Israeli and Palestinian negotiators Palestinian and Israeli negotiators are dusting off blueprints for peace that last saw the light of the day during the abortive effort of Bill Clinton to round off his presidency at...

Let them eat lobster; Newfoundland diary; Attracting funds, from the 1940s to today.
October 9, 2007... Attracting funds, from the 1940s to today Monday | Tuesday Tuesday At the Botanical Garden on a hill above St John's, two areas showcase native species: the rock garden and the peat garden. That pretty much sums up Newfoundland,...

A fishy affair? Who knew what at EADS? An investigation of insider trading at the European defence and aviation giant.
October 9, 2007... In a lather about share dealings WILL French investigators get to the bottom of the story of potential insider trading at EADS, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space company? Executives at CDC, a state-owned bank, will appear before...

Stabbing himself in the back; An awkward week for Britain's Gordon Brown; Gordon Brown's mistake has boosted Britain's opposition.
October 9, 2007... Gordon Brown's mistakes EVEN the climbdown was cack-handed. On Saturday October 6th, Gordon Brown, Britain's prime minister, gave an interview to the BBC in which he announced that he would not, after all, be calling a general election...

Goodbye and good luck; British forces will be gone from Iraq by the end of 2008; British soldiers will soon be gone from Iraq.
October 9, 2007... British forces are leaving BRITISH forces may have gone into Iraq shoulder-to-shoulder with American soldiers, but Gordon Brown's plan to withdraw half the remaining troops in Iraq by next spring suggests that Britain is now turning its...

Out of options; Business.view; Why executive stock options are bad for business.
October 9, 2007... Why executive stock options are bad for business ONLY yesterday stock options seemed to be a sort of corporate wonder-drug, doing to business what steroids do to weight-lifters: dose up your executives, and watch your profits grow. Now,...

Europe's hold-out; Poland may yet scupper a new EU reform treaty; Poland's government, with one eye on its re-election chances, refuse compromise and block a new EU treaty.
October 9, 2007... Will Poland's government block a new EU treaty? Ten days ahead of the EU summit, Poland has emerged as the main threat to the successful conclusion of a new reform treaty. Polish demands have been softened, and the major question of voting...

Seeing double; Getting together in the brewing industry; Two big beermakers get together in America.
October 9, 2007... More consolidation in America's beer market as drinkers fall out of love with the amber nectar THE boss of SABMiller, Graham Mackay, recently suggested that the big rush of consolidation in the brewing industry was over. Like the bar talk...

Tour bust; Newfoundland diary; What makes a successful tourist industry?
October 10, 2007... What makes a successful tourist industry? Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday Wednesday I LEAVE the hotel before sunrise to catch the 6am flight to Deer Lake, on the far side of the island. The airport is teeming with happy people:...

Come together; Asia.view; How to avoid a twisted Diet.
October 10, 2007... How to avoid a twisted Diet A GREAT deal of wailing from the commenting class has accompanied Japan's political ructions of late. Recall that in the summer the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which heads the ruling coalition, lost its...

Seeing double; Getting together in the brewing industry; Two big beermakers get together in America.
October 10, 2007... More consolidation in the beer market THE boss of SABMiller, Graham Mackay, recently suggested that the big rush of consolidation in the brewing industry was over. Like the bar talk encouraged by his company's products the pronouncement was...

Georgia's murky politics; Dramatic claims of murder and corruption in Georgia; The saga in Georgia of an ex-minister who accused the president of mafia acts.
October 10, 2007... An ex-minister changes his tune Georgia's former defence minister, who was arrested on suspicion of numerous offences after coming out in opposition to President Mikhail Saakashvili, has in a televised interview recanted his accusations...

A Himalayan challenge; India's economy is booming, but needs more flexible labour; Rapid growth in India requires more flexible labour laws.
October 10, 2007... In need of more flexible labour laws THE Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has long lectured its rich member countries about pursuing free trade, privatisation, and flexible labour and product markets. It has now...

Dying races; Newfoundland diary; Fewer cod and fewer people.
October 11, 2007... Fewer cod and fewer people Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday Thursday FISH in Newfoundland means only one thing: cod. Daily life revolved around it for more than four centuries. The 1992 collapse of the cod stocks after...

The end of "democracy"; Europe.view; New language for a new age.
October 11, 2007... New language for a new age LIKE old clothes, the language of the old Cold War is comfortable, but not presentable. The "West" is not western. "Eastern" Europe is no longer eastern; central Europe is no longer central. The definitions...

The worsening violence in Darfur; Darfur's dismal prospects; More violence in Darfur, as the UN prepares a peacekeeping force.
October 11, 2007... Attacks on peacekeepers, and more JUST after the evening meal to break the Ramadan fast on September 29th, around 30 vehicles loaded with several hundred Sudanese rebels ripped through the perimeter of an African Union (AU) peacekeepers'...

Judging genocide; Strained relations between Turkey and America as Congress debates genocide; Congress debates genocide, straining relations between America and Turkey.
October 11, 2007... Relations between America and Turkey may be badly strained by Congress's wish to make a ruling on history "THE Mohammedans in their fanaticism seemed determined not only to exterminate the Christian population but to remove all traces of...

Terror in Algeria; Foreign investors worry about terrorism in Algeria; Investors fear terror in Algeria.
October 11, 2007... Investors are worried about terrorism The decision of France's Michelin to repatriate the families of French staff working for its Algerian affiliate reflects the growing concern of foreign governments and businesses about the risks of...

A far country; Newfoundland diary; Nationalist sentiment without a state.
October 12, 2007... Nationalist sentiment without a state Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday Friday "DO YOU see that flag over there?" asks Mark Dobbin, a venture capitalist, pointing out his office window at a rocky hilltop at least a...

Judging genocide; Strained relations between Turkey and America as Congress debates genocide; Congress debates genocide, straining relations between America and Turkey.
October 12, 2007... Strained relations between Turkey and America "THE Mohammedans in their fanaticism seemed determined not only to exterminate the Christian population but to remove all traces of their religion and...civilisation." So wrote an American...

Squawk boxes; Fox's new business channel; News Corporation launches a rival to CNBC.
October 12, 2007... A new channel is about to be born TAKING on CNBC, the market leader in business television, Roger Ailes told the Wall Street Journal this week, will be like "our guys" versus the Germans on D-day, or like the American civil war, where...

Birds of a featherie; Tech.view; Are golf balls getting too good for the game?
October 12, 2007... Are golf balls getting too good for the game? GOLF is unquestionably one of the world's great games, possibly the greatest. It's held sway over rich and poor alike for almost 600 years. It attracts tens of millions of weekend players, who...

Ailing Celtic tiger? Ireland's economic boom may be ending; Ireland's economy may hurt as the property boom ends.
October 12, 2007... Ireland's economy may suffer from a property slump Ireland's property market is already showing signs of a correction. Estate agents report prices down in some areas by around 10% this year, and shares in companies with property market...

Peace man; Al Gore wins the Nobel Peace Prize; Al Gore and the IPCC win the Nobel Peace Prize.
October 12, 2007... Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change win the Nobel Peace Prize IF THE Nobel Peace Prize were awarded for making the world a more peaceful place, then this year's winners--Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on...

Peace man; Al Gore wins the Nobel Peace Prize; Al Gore and the IPCC win the Nobel Peace Prize.
October 13, 2007... Al Gore and the IPPC win it IF THE Nobel Peace Prize were awarded for making the world a more peaceful place, then this year's winners--Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)--would be a bizarre choice. But two...

A modern saint and sinner; Che Guevara's legacy.
October 13, 2007... Why the Che myth is bad for the left THE bearded face--eyes staring defiantly to infinity, the long wavy hair beneath the beret stirred by the Caribbean breeze--has become one of the world's most familiar images. Alberto Korda's photograph...

Profit mirages; Market.view; Why rising corporate profits could portend trouble.
October 14, 2007... Why rising corporate profits could portend trouble IF THERE is a $64,000 (or rather $64 billion) question facing stockmarkets, it is what will happen to corporate profits. A key component of the bullish case is that valuations (in terms of...

The week ahead; What may make the headlines; What may be in the news this week.(Calendar)
October 15, 2007... What may make the headlines * THE five-yearly congress of China's ruling Communist Party gets underway on Monday October 15th. Hu Jintao, the president, will oversee a gathering of 2,217 delegates, most of them officials chosen in rigged...

There are no living here; West Bank diary; Nablus finds itself squeezed on all sides.
October 15, 2007... Nablus finds itself squeezed on all sides "RAMADAN kareem" is the traditional greeting during the Muslim holy month. "Ramadan k..." begins my Palestinian fixer when I pick her up this morning, but what follows is a choice Arabic curse that...

China's enigmatic leader; China's leader offers little sense of how his country will develop; China's Hu Jintao offers few ideas for tackling his country's social and economic problems.
October 15, 2007... Hu Jintao says he wants to "transform" China, but he offers a lacklustre vision of how to do so CHINA'S president and Communist Party chief, Hu Jintao, is almost as much of an enigma as he was when he took power five years ago. He shuns...

Carbon footprince; Green.view; A lesson in greening from an unlikely corner.(Prince Albert II)
October 15, 2007... A lesson in greening from an unlikely corner THE words "Monaco" and "sustainable development" are not often found in the same sentence. The tiny principality, as any James Bond fan knows, is synonymous with fast cars, high rollers, and...

North-south divide; Sudan's north-south divide; A peace deal between the two halves of the country is under threat.
October 15, 2007... A peace deal in Sudan is starting to fray With international attention already focused on Darfur, the dormant north-south conflict is now threatening to erupt again, following the decision of main southern political party, the Sudan...

Profit mirages; Market.view; Why rising corporate profits could portend trouble.
October 16, 2007... Why rising corporate profits could portend trouble IF THERE is a $64,000 (or rather $64 billion) question facing stockmarkets, it is what will happen to corporate profits. A key component of the bullish case is that valuations (in terms of...

Worlds collide; West Bank diary; From economic stagnation to flamenco in one day.
October 16, 2007... From economic stagnation to flamenco in one day Monday | Tuesday Tuesday AFTER three years here, I still don't understand the West Bank security regime. Israelis are forbidden from visiting the main Palestinian cities, and at...

China's enigmatic leader; China's leader offers little sense of how his country will develop; China's Hu Jintao offers few ideas for tackling his country's social and economic problems.
October 16, 2007... Hu Jintao wants to "transform" China CHINA'S president and Communist Party chief, Hu Jintao, is almost as much of an enigma as he was when he took power five years ago. He shuns the media and rarely makes public speeches. But on Monday...

Carbon footprince; Green.view; A lesson in greening from an unlikely corner.(Albert, Prince of Monaco)
October 16, 2007... A lesson in greening from an unlikely corner THE words "Monaco" and "sustainable development" are not often found in the same sentence. The tiny principality, as any James Bond fan knows, is synonymous with fast cars, high rollers, and...

Naked business television; Business.view; Fox's innovative new business channel.
October 16, 2007... Fox's innovative new business channel "I NEVER thought I'd interview a naked man, and I've done it live in Times Square on the first morning of Fox Business Network," says the pretty hostess of "Money for Breakfast". "Take that as a...

Banker, heal thyself; Three big banks launch a fund to bring life back to debt markets; Can banks deal with the credit crunch?
October 16, 2007... Banks seek life in the debt markets CAN a group of banks succeed where the monetary authorities have failed? Despite the best efforts of central banks to deal with the credit crunch that took hold over the summer, some debt markets remain...

Australia is ready to vote; An election in Australia; Australia's prime minister, John Howard, has called a general election.
October 16, 2007... A federal election has been called for November 24th Australia's prime minister, John Howard, has called a federal election for November 24th. Unfortunately for Mr Howard, the election campaign is likely to be his last hurrah after 11...

Revival; West Bank diary; Signs of life--and death--in Jenin.
October 17, 2007... Signs of life--and death--in Jenin Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday Wednesday JENIN is jinxed. During the intifada it was known as the suicide bombers' capital. Israeli tanks flattened part of the refugee camp in a bloody (for both...

How friendly is Russia to Iran? Vladimir Putin appears to support Iran's nuclear programme; Warm relations between Russia and Iran.
October 17, 2007... Russia's president pays a visit WHAT did Iran's leaders see when they looked into Vladimir Putin's eyes? Apparently somebody to do business with. As outsiders watched carefully for signs of Russia's intentions regarding Iran's nuclear...

Naked business television; Business.view; Fox's innovative new business channel.
October 17, 2007... Fox's innovative new business channel "I NEVER thought I'd interview a naked man, and I've done it live in Times Square on the first morning of Fox Business Network," says the pretty hostess of "Money for Breakfast". "Take that as a...

Bad neighbour; Asia.view; Why ASEAN should be worried about Myanmar.(Association of Southeast Asian Nations)
October 17, 2007... Why ASEAN should be worried about Myanmar THE diplomatic pressure on Myanmar's military regime has been growing. Late last week the United Nations Security Council, after much cogitation, issued a statement "strongly deploring" the...