Global Agenda articles from September 2004

Global Agenda archives from September 2004

From father to son.(Lee Hsien Loong is the new prime minister of Singapore)
September 1, 2004... Lee Hsien Loong, the son of Singapore's elder statesman, Lee Kuan Yew, became the city-state's prime minister on Thursday. Singapore's economic success, based on an odd mixture of free markets and state meddling, looks set to continue. But will...

Make or break in Manhattan.
September 2, 2004... His surrogates have spent the week talking him up and bashing his opponent. Now, all eyes turn to George Bush himself, as he makes his case for re-election at the Republican convention in New York IT HAS something of the feel of a religious...

Growing pains.
September 2, 2004... Emerging economies' stockmarkets, especially those in Asia, look attractive OUR emotional responses to the world--how we react to other people and events--are largely shaped in early childhood. Changing these responses, however destructive...

The battle for mortgageville.
September 2, 2004... John Howard, Australia's prime minister, has called a federal election for October 9th. Fear of a rising tide of asylum-seekers carried Mr Howard to victory in the last election. Will fears of rising interest rates do the trick this time? ...

Putin points the finger in the wrong direction.(valdimir Putin)
September 2, 2004... Despite President Vladimir Putin's assertions to the contrary, Russia's latest wave of terror attacks has little, if anything, to do with al-Qaeda. But it has everything to do with Mr Putin's disastrous policy in the north Caucasus IN A...

I did it my way--and I'll do it again.
September 3, 2004... George Bush accepted the Republican nomination for the presidency on Thursday night. He defended his record, and promised much the same in his second term. John Kerry was quick to respond with a speech that suggests the campaign is about to get...

Another siege ends in bloodshed.
September 4, 2004... Russian forces have stormed a school where hundreds of children and adults were being held by rebels demanding Chechen independence. Over 300 hostages have reportedly been killed--more victims of a war without any end in sight AMID scenes...

Still talking; India and Pakistan; Moving, ever so slowly, towards a lasting peace.
September 6, 2004... The foreign ministers of India and Pakistan have finished two days of talks, struggling to show evidence of progress towards a lasting peace between their countries. Relations between the nuclear-armed neighbours remain poisoned by their...

Sharon's plans exploded?
September 7, 2004... Palestinian suicide bombers have struck in Israel for the first time in almost six months, just as Israel's prime minister, Ariel Sharon, announced a timetable for his controversial plan to pull out of the Gaza strip. Though Mr Sharon's...

Memory superhighway.
September 7, 2004... Intel's wobbles, frothy multiples and the (umpteenth) commoditisation of new technologies "THE shares are quoted considerably lower now, but even at current prices the return is much too low," opined The Economist. It could, of course,...

Another stab at the stability pact.
September 8, 2004... The European Commission has unveiled its proposed reforms of the stability pact. The reformed pact will be looser, more palatable and, possibly, more effective THE European Union's stability pact was an awkward hybrid of law, economics and...

Victims of a conflict without end.
September 8, 2004... More than 320 children and adults are now known to have died in the Beslan school siege. The tragedy has highlighted the incompetence of Russia's security forces and the failure of Vladimir Putin's policies on Chechnya WHILE dozens of...

A triumph for nation-building, if it succeeds.
September 8, 2004... Campaigning has begun in the first direct election for president in Afghanistan's history. The voting will be a test of America's nation-building efforts, which is why the Taliban militants have vowed to wreck it THREE years ago, in the...

Intelligence meets politics.
September 9, 2004... Congressmen have begun a drive to reform America's intelligence and counterterrorism efforts. But competing proposals--and the political points to be scored before November's presidential election--will make agreement difficult THINGS...

Targeting two elections?(pre election.)
September 9, 2004... A car bomb outside the Australian embassy in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, has killed at least eight people. The attack suggests the Jemaah Islamiah militant group remains a threat--and that it may be trying to influence either country's...

Targeting two elections?(political aspects.)
September 9, 2004... A car bomb outside the Australian embassy in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, has killed nine people. The attack suggests the Jemaah Islamiah militant group remains a threat--and that it may be trying to influence either country's forthcoming...

A triumph for nation-building, if it succeeds.(presidential electins.)
September 10, 2004... Campaigning has begun in the first direct election for president in Afghanistan's history. The voting will be a test of America's nation-building efforts, which is why the Taliban militants have vowed to wreck it THREE years ago, in the...

Beware Beijing's backlash; Hong Kong elections; An undemocratic referendum on democracy.(election forum.)
September 10, 2004... Elections for Hong Kong's pseudo-parliament, the Legislative Council, will be held this weekend. The authorities in mainland China are worried that the result may not go their way. But the bigger the vote for Hong Kong's democrats, the smaller...

A triumph for nation-building, if it succeeds.(nation builbingefforts.)
September 13, 2004... Campaigning has begun in the first direct election for president in Afghanistan's history. The voting will be a test of America's nation-building efforts, which is why the Taliban militants have vowed to wreck it THREE years ago, in the...

The worst of times; American airlines; US Airways flies into bankruptcy, again.(airways monetary reforms.)
September 13, 2004... US Airways has sought bankruptcy protection for the second time in two years, after failing to persuade its unions to sign up to $800m-worth of pay cuts. Other big airlines, such as Delta, may follow suit. The industry has never been in a worse...

A disappointing day for the democrats.(elections)
September 13, 2004... Elections for Hong Kong's pseudo-parliament, the Legislative Council, were held on Sunday. The Chinese authorities had been worried that the result would not go their way, but it was the territory's democrats who came away disappointed AS...

The worst of times; American airlines; US Airways flies into bankruptcy, again.
September 14, 2004... US Airways has sought bankruptcy protection for the second time in two years, after failing to persuade its unions to sign up to $800m-worth of pay cuts. Other big airlines, such as Delta, may follow suit. The industry has never been in a worse...

A disappointing day for the democrats.
September 14, 2004... Elections for Hong Kong's pseudo-parliament, the Legislative Council, were held on Sunday. The Chinese authorities had been worried that the result would not go their way, but it was the territory's democrats who came away disappointed AS...

An oasis, not a mirage.(Japan)
September 14, 2004... The prospects for Japan's economy and its stockmarket still look rosy IF THIS week's column is a little intemperate, it is because for the past week-and-a-half your columnist has been an ex-smoker. A better writer could describe the...

Hartz's second front; German wage talks; Volkswagen: the people's labour dispute.(Peter Hartz may have to lay off more than 30,000 employees)
September 14, 2004... Peter Hartz wants to put Germany back to work. But he may soon find himself firing thousands of his own employees at Volkswagen, where a crucial round of wage talks begins this week THE harder it is to fire workers, the more reluctant are...

The MGM story takes another turn.(consortium agrees to buy Metro Goldwyn Mayer)
September 14, 2004... A consortium led by Sony has agreed to buy Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Hollywood's last remaining independent movie studio of any size. What does this say about where the industry is headed? METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER (MGM) has made a fortune several...

Security first, sewers later.
September 15, 2004... As another round of bloodshed in Iraq leaves almost 70 dead, the Bush administration announces plans to shift billions of dollars of reconstruction funding towards improving security. But can the country be stabilised in time for January's...

Intelligence meets politics.
September 16, 2004... Congressmen have begun a drive to reform America's intelligence and counterterrorism efforts. But competing proposals--and the political points to be scored before November's presidential election--will make agreement difficult THINGS...

The worst of times; Aviation woes, contd; US Airways flies into bankruptcy again. Will Delta and others follow?
September 16, 2004... US Airways has sought bankruptcy protection for the second time in two years, after failing to persuade its unions to sign up to $800m-worth of pay cuts. Other big airlines, such as Delta, may follow suit. The industry has never been in a worse...

Hartz's second front; German wage talks; Volkswagen: the people's labour dispute.
September 16, 2004... Peter Hartz wants to put Germany back to work. But he may soon find himself firing thousands of his own employees at Volkswagen, where a crucial round of wage talks made no progress this week THE harder it is to fire workers, the more...

The Kremlin's control freak; Russia after Beslan; Putin's power grab.
September 16, 2004... In the wake of the Beslan bloodbath, President Vladimir Putin has announced a batch of measures that enhance his power and make life harder for his opponents. Is Russia inching back towards dictatorship? "WHAT country will we wake up in...

Security first, sewers later.
September 16, 2004... As another round of bloodshed in Iraq leaves almost 70 dead, the Bush administration announces plans to shift billions of dollars of reconstruction funding towards improving security. But can the country be stabilised in time for January's...

OPEC's liquidity trap; OPEC meeting; Why higher oil-production quotas won't make a difference.(Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)
September 16, 2004... At its meeting in Vienna, OPEC, the oil-exporters' cartel, has raised its production quotas by 1m barrels per day. But oil will flow no more freely than before ONLY the words of Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve, attract...

The worst of times; Aviation woes, contd; US Airways flies into bankruptcy again. Will Delta and others follow?(United States)
September 17, 2004... US Airways has sought bankruptcy protection for the second time in two years, after failing to persuade its unions to sign up to $800m-worth of pay cuts. Other big airlines, such as Delta, may follow suit. The industry has never been in a worse...

The Kremlin's control freak; Russian reforms after the Beslan tragedy; Vladimir Putin, control freak.
September 17, 2004... In the wake of the Beslan bloodbath, President Vladimir Putin has announced a batch of measures that enhance his power and make life harder for his opponents. Is Russia inching back towards dictatorship? "WHAT country will we wake up in...

Security first, sewers later.
September 17, 2004... As another round of bloodshed in Iraq leaves dozens dead, the Bush administration announces plans to shift billions of dollars of reconstruction funding towards improving security. But can the country be stabilised in time for January's...

OPEC's liquidity trap; OPEC meeting; Why higher oil-production quotas won't make a difference.(Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries)
September 17, 2004... At its meeting in Vienna, OPEC, the oil-exporters' cartel, has raised its production quotas by 1m barrels per day. But oil will flow no more freely than before ONLY the words of Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve, attract...

Annan calls for action.(Kofi Annan)
September 17, 2004... The UN's secretary-general, Kofi Annan, has pleaded with Security Council members to pass a resolution ordering Sudan to stop the violence in its Darfur region. While they bicker over its wording, thousands of Darfuris continue to die each...

An oasis, not a mirage.
September 20, 2004... The prospects for Japan's economy and its stockmarket still look rosy IF THIS week's column is a little intemperate, it is because for the past week-and-a-half your columnist has been an ex-smoker. A better writer could describe the...

The far right rears its ugly head.
September 20, 2004... Xenophobes and ex-communists have made a strong showing in regional elections in eastern Germany at the expense of more centrist, much larger parties. Voters have ventured far to the right and left in economic frustration THE Frauenkirche,...

The G-men and the cigarette "racketeers".(the federal government accuses Big Tobacco--Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds, Brown & Williamson, Lorillard and Liggett Group, plus a British arm of BAT--of conspiring to deceive Americans about health effects of smoking)
September 20, 2004... On Tuesday, America's federal government will go to court seeking $280 billion of Big Tobacco's allegedly ill-gotten gains. Though they have already settled with the states, the companies have reason to worry about the feds' chances of success...

The UN's hollow threat.(United Nations)
September 20, 2004... The United Nations Security Council has passed a resolution threatening sanctions against Sudan's oil industry unless its government stops the violence in Darfur, and calling for a probe into human-rights abuses there. Is it too little, too...

The G-men and the cigarette "racketeers"; America's federal government v Big Tobacco; The G-men take on the cigarette "racketeers".
September 20, 2004... America's federal government has gone to court seeking $280 billion of Big Tobacco's allegedly ill-gotten gains. Though they have already settled with the states, the companies have reason to worry about the feds' chances of success THE...

The G-men and the cigarette "racketeers"; America's federal government v Big Tobacco; The G-men take on the cigarette "racketeers".
September 21, 2004... On Tuesday, America's federal government will go to court seeking $280 billion of Big Tobacco's allegedly ill-gotten gains. Though they have already settled with the states, the companies have reason to worry about the feds' chances of success...

Susilo's moment.(presidential elections in Indonesia)
September 21, 2004... The world's most populous Muslim country has a new leader. Will Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono do a better job of tackling terrorism, separatism, corruption and unemployment than his predecessor, Megawati Sukarnoputri? THE votes are still being...

The bond markets speak; The Buttonwood column; The Fed and the markets.(interest rates-analysis)
September 21, 2004... Growth is slowing, inflationary dangers are subsiding and interest rates are near their peak. That, at least, is the message from bond markets around the world IN TRUTH, there should be few duller things in life than investing in...

Maestro or mechanic?(price rising-analysis)
September 21, 2004... The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point for the third time in three months. But monetary policy remains too loose for Alan Greenspan's comfort, forcing him to continue to tighten in a slowdown ...

Susilo's moment.(Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono)
September 22, 2004... The world's most populous Muslim country has a new leader. Will Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono do a better job of tackling terrorism, separatism, corruption and unemployment in Indonesia than his predecessor, Megawati Sukarnoputri? THE votes are...

The bond markets speak; The Buttonwood column; The Fed and the markets.(government bonds)
September 22, 2004... Growth is slowing, inflationary dangers are subsiding and interest rates are near their peak. That, at least, is the message from bond markets around the world IN TRUTH, there should be few duller things in life than investing in...

Iran, accused and defiant.
September 23, 2004... Iran insists its nuclear programmes are for civilian use only. But its behaviour is arousing suspicion--not only in America, but increasingly in friendlier European countries and at the International Atomic Energy Agency. A diplomatic solution...

Yudhoyono's moment.
September 23, 2004... The world's most populous Muslim country has a new leader. Will Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono do a better job of tackling terrorism, separatism, corruption and unemployment in Indonesia than his predecessor, Megawati Sukarnoputri? THE votes are...

Searching for an answer; America and Iraq; A week that changed the election campaign.
September 23, 2004... This week, Iraq produced some of its most traumatic recent news for America. It also changed the election campaign THROUGHOUT this year Americans have continued to die in Iraq. Yet in the election campaign back home, Iraq has been a...

Winning in Fallujah, losing elsewhere?
September 23, 2004... American and Iraqi forces are continuing to fight insurgents, street-by-street, for control of Fallujah. A sharp rise in violence elsewhere in Iraq suggests that even if they capture the city from the rebels, it may not quell the insurgency....

Desperate to blow the election off course.(Iraq)
September 23, 2004... 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...

Searching for an answer; America and Iraq; A week that changed the election campaign.
September 24, 2004... This week, Iraq produced some of its most traumatic recent news for America. It also changed the election campaign THROUGHOUT this year Americans have continued to die in Iraq. Yet in the election campaign back home, Iraq has been a...

This is not America; East Asian economies; Watching the Fed closely, but not necessarily following its lead.
September 24, 2004... As the Federal Reserve continues to tighten America's monetary policy, will central banks in East Asia follow suit? AMERICAN interest rates exert a gravitational pull over global capital, which emerging markets find hard to escape. When...

Will Turkey accept Europe? Turkey and the EU; Europe prepares to welcome Turkey, but will Turkey accept Europe?(political activity of Turkey)
September 27, 2004... A bad-tempered argument over values is apparently resolved, and the European Union's enlargement commissioner says he sees no reason why Turkey cannot start entry talks soon. But recent comments by Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan,...

Clipping Fannie Mae's wings; America's mortgage giants; Fannie Mae's turn to have its wings clipped.
September 28, 2004... Regulators have reined in the activities of Fannie Mae, America's biggest issuer of mortgages and securitised housing debt, a year after its twin, Freddie Mac, encountered similar problems. Expect more curbs to follow AMERICA'S legion of...

On top down under.(stockmarket of Australia)
September 28, 2004... Australia's stockmarket, unlike those of other rich countries, has been hitting new heights this year--a case of the Old Economy striking back. But it might yet be undone by Chinese wobbles or a house-price collapse CAST your mind back, if...

Pumping up the oil price.
September 28, 2004... The oil price has touched $50 per barrel for the first time, not because of terrorism in the Middle East but because of gangsterism in Nigeria. A combination of past under-investment and current political strife has left producers struggling to...

Pumping up the oil price.(petroleum prices)
September 29, 2004... The oil price has touched $50 per barrel for the first time, not because of terrorism in the Middle East but because of gangsterism in Nigeria. A combination of past under-investment and current political strife has left producers struggling to...

Pumping up the oil price; The price of oil; Hitting new heights, this time thanks to gangsters, not terrorists.
September 30, 2004... This week, the oil price touched $50 per barrel for the first time, not because of terrorism in the Middle East but because of gangsterism in Nigeria. A combination of past under-investment and current political strife has left producers...

Click to buy and fly; The travel industry's online revolution; New Orbitz.
September 30, 2004... Travel websites are fast catching on with customers and transforming the business of leisure travel. A revolution in business travel may not be far behind IN AN industry known for the fickleness of its customers, booking travel online is...

Kyoto a-go-go.(Kyoto protocol)
September 30, 2004... The Russian government has approved the Kyoto protocol. Once approved by the country's parliament too, the global climate-change treaty will come into effect. But what effect will it have? SOVIET Russia was famous for its smokestack...