In The News

RI No Longer Needs IMF Loans, Development Planning Minister Says

October 10, 2002
Indonesian State Minister of National Development Planning, Kwik Kian Gie, says that loans from the International Monetary Fund have helped little in his country's efforts to rebuild its economy. Out of the $43 billion promised to Indonesia, only $9 billion has arrived. And, according to the terms of the loan agreements, that money cannot be touched until the country has exhausted its own...

European Union Set for Historic Expansion

Judy Dempsey October 9, 2002
The European Commission approved an expansion of the European Union that will take the regional bloc from 15 to 25 member countries by 2004. Several former Soviet states are joining the group, but Turkey's accession is still under negotiation. The expansion brings millions of new people into the EU's common market and also compels their national governments to enact EU-required...

The Big Idea: A Doctrine Passes

Jane Mayer October 7, 2002
President George W. Bush's doctrine of preemptive self-defence has got a big thumbs down from an iconic figure of American diplomacy. Commenting on the Bush doctrine in an interview with the New Yorker magazine, George Kennan , the author of the policy of containment and doctrine of deterrence, said "I could see justification only if the absence of it would involve a major and imminent...

War on Iraq Could Be Disastrous for Philippines

Al Labita October 7, 2002
If conflict breaks out in Iraq, a million Filipino workers living in the Middle East may have problems trying to send money back home. Foreign exchange remittances from overseas workers bring almost US$10 billion into the Philippines each year, and the country's economy might be devastated if that flow is suddenly halted. The Philippine government must also prepare to call in favors from...

The Big Idea: A Doctrine Passes

Jane Mayer October 7, 2002
President George W. Bush's doctrine of preemptive self-defence has got a big thumbs down from an iconic figure of American diplomacy. Commenting on the Bush doctrine in an interview with the New Yorker magazine, George Kennan , the author of the policy of containment and doctrine of deterrence, said "I could see justification only if the absence of it would involve a major and imminent...

Music Industry in Global Fight on Web Copies

Amy Harmon October 7, 2002
For a while, Napster was the darling of music-swapping college students and the bane of American entertainment industry officials. Litigation in US courts effectively bankrupted the company a year ago, but now a new multi-national file exchange service may be taking Napster's place - in popularity, and in US courtrooms. Already counting millions of users around the globe, KaZaA:geography...

Unilateral Action Would Make for a Very Difficult World - Kofi Annan

October 4, 2002
In a wide-sweeping question and answer session following a speech at Yale University, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan emphasized that peace and security in the international order were the responsibility of all nations, not only the US. The UN Security Council was charged with this duty, he said, and any nation that ignored that would undermine stability in the world. - YaleGlobal