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Critics See Hypocrisy in China's Support for Baghdad Elections

January 28, 2005
China contributed US$1 million to help ensure the success of Iraq's upcoming election this Sunday. But at home, democracy is still something to which leaders have a serious aversion. Chinese officials argue that their country's history provides a tenuous foundation for democracy and...

In EU, Hope Dims for Iraqi Refugees

April 24, 2008
The US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq and the subsequent insurgency have produced an estimated 4.7 million refugees. One Swedish town alone, Södertälje near Stockholm, has accepted about 6,000 asylum seekers in the last five years – more than the entire United States. In all, Sweden – which had no role...

EU Seeks Sanctions Against US

January 15, 2004
Just days after US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick called on other countries to renew global trade negotiations, the US is under fire for failing to comply with the trade rules it helped establish. Last year, the World Trade Organization (WTO) declared that the 'Byrd Amendment' put...

Two Fed Officials Offer Different but Upbeat Views on Debt

March 11, 2005
The soaring US deficit, estimated at over US$600 billion last year, has been a source of debate among economic analysts. According to The New York Times, the nation's total foreign debt equals more than one-fifth of the total economy. And while many observers fear the increasing indebtedness...

Smuggler’s Plot Highlights Fear Over Uranium

January 26, 2007
Officials in Georgia, a former Soviet republic, have arrested people carrying around uranium samples in garbage bags – and involved US officials in their investigations. Defying security measures imposed on such nuclear material, the sellers seek interested buyers. Terrorist groups and even some...

With Assurances, Iran Might Accept a Nuclear Deal

January 11, 2006
While the US prepares to propose UN Security Council sanctions against Iran for its nuclear enrichment program, other Western powers seek a less harsh approach to the issue. On December 21, Britain, France and Germany met a high-level Iranian team to discuss options for defusing international...

Moment of Truth as UN Chief Confronts Fiercest Rival

December 16, 2004
The past month has been difficult, at best, for the United Nations and its Secretary-General Kofi Annan. As Annan prepares to announce a reform package for the organization, this is a crucial moment for both the organization and its leader. In what may be a true test of grit, Annan will fight...

Obama Will Give Free Trade a Rough Ride

July 1, 2008
Columnist Tony Parkinson argues that Barack Obama’s hostility towards free trade signals a loss of confidence in US trading partners that threatens, in turn, to cause those partners to lose confidence in the United States. The international community is eager to see an end to George Bush’s...
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