POLITICS: Iraq Veers Back Into Washington’s Crosshairs

With the Taliban on the run and U.S. allies advancing on all fronts in Afghanistan, Phase II of President George W. Bush's ''war on terrorism'' - specifically, the merits of a major military ouster of Iraq's Saddam Hussein - have re-emerged as Washington's favoured topic of speculation.

POLITICS: Iraq Veers Back Into Washington’s Crosshairs

With the Taliban on the run and U.S. allies advancing on all fronts in Afghanistan, Phase II of President George W. Bush's ''war on terrorism'' - specifically, the merits of a major military ouster of Iraq's Saddam Hussein - have re-emerged as Washington's favoured topic of speculation.

POLITICS-JAMAICA: Intrigues Bedevil Search for Accountability

Edward Seaga, leader of the opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), pushed hard and loud for an official enquiry into July shoot-outs between police and gunmen that killed 27 people in one three-day period. Now that questions are being asked, he appears to be ducking them.

POLITICS: Pakistan, U.S. Need to Unravel Afghanistan’s Myths

As Afghanistan's second international war in a decade enters a new phase, interesting similarities are emerging between the manner of the Red Army's exit from Kabul in 1989 and the Northern Alliance's entry into the capital earlier this month.

POLITICS-AFGHANISTAN: Change in Venue Signals Difficult Outlook for Talks

United Nations-sponsored talks on the future of Afghanistan beginning next Monday were switched from the capital Berlin to the "quieter" western German city of Bonn, in a move that diplomats say is a clear indication that the talks should not be held in "an atmosphere of high expectations."

POLITICS: Cold War ‘Intellectuals’ Re-enlist for War on Iraq, Arabs

A determined band of self-styled Cold War ''intellectuals'', heedless of U.S. allies and officials, continues to push President George W. Bush to extend his ''war'' against terrorism at least until he deposes Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

POLITICS: UN Faces Big Test in Afghanistan

Going by history, political decisions have always been reactions to events on the ground. And so it is with Afghanistan.

HEALTH: Thailand Has Capacity to Test WTO Deal on Generic Drugs

Thailand is in a strong position to test the veracity of a deal struck this week by the world's trade negotiators that enables developing nations to produce or buy cheaper generic drugs to cope with pandemics devastating a country, like AIDS.

/CORRECTED REPEAT/POLITICS: Multi-national Effort Needed to Reshape Afghanistan’s Future

The Taliban's retreat from Kabul and the capture of Afghanistan's capital by the Northern Alliance on Nov. 13 is the most significant development in the region since 1979. Then, the Islamic Revolution in Iran ousted the American influence from its closest regional ally and Moscow's invasion of Afghanistan pitched the Red Army against the Afghans in a decade-long conflict.

POLITICS: Multi-national Effort Needed to Reshape Afghan’s Future

The Taliban's retreat from Kabul and the capture of Afghanistan's capital by the Northern Alliance on November 13 is the most significant development in the region since 1979. Then, the Islamic Revolution in Iran ousted the American influence from its closest regional ally and Moscow's invasion of Afghanistan pitched the Red Army against the Afghans in a decade-long conflict.

POLITICS-PAKISTAN: Afghan Policy in Disarray with Taliban Retreat

Pakistan's dream of gaining dividends from its support for the Taliban, which captured the Afghan capital in September 1996, has been shattered by its dramatic withdrawal from Kabul this week.

//CORRECTED REPEAT//TRADE: Gender-blind Doha Criticised

A key characteristic of the Doha meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) was the effort to close a series of gaps in world trade between the industrialised and developing countries.

TRADE: Gender-blind Doha Criticised

A key characteristic of the Doha meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) was the effort to close a series of gaps in world trade between the industrialised and developing countries.

ECONOMY-PAKISTAN: Little Applause for Rewards to Frontline State

Pakistan is asking itself the tough question of whether the U.S.-led western generosity in rewarding it for being a frontline state in the 'war on terrorism' could end its economic woes.

ECONOMY-PAKISTAN: Little Applause for Rewards to Frontline State

Pakistan is asking itself the tough question of whether the U.S.-led western generosity in rewarding it for being a frontline state in the 'war on terrorism' could end its economic woes.

POLITICS-BURUNDI: New Govt to Maintain the Trust of Soldiers

A new transitional government installed in Burundi last week, which has been charged with ending eight years of civil war, must maintain the trust of Burundi's coup- prone soldiers if it is to survive.

POLITICS: Cold War ‘Intellectuals’ Re-enlist for War on Iraq, Arabs

A determined band of self-styled Cold War ''intellectuals'', heedless of U.S. allies and officials, continues to push President George W. Bush to extend his ''war'' against terrorism at least until he deposes Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

POLITICS: China Sets New Diplomatic Path, Security Fears Fester

China's glaring success at chairing the annual summit of the Asia-Pacific leaders this month has added momentum to talk of a new era in Beijing's foreign policy -- one that rewrites China's strategic priorities by emphasising cooperation with the West in the new 'war' against terror.

POLITICS: China Sets New Diplomatic Path, Security Fears Fester

China's glaring success at chairing the annual summit of the Asia-Pacific leaders this month has added momentum to talk of a new era in Beijing's foreign policy -- one that rewrites China's strategic priorities by emphasising cooperation with the West in the new 'war' against terror. By taking a leading role at a conference where political and economic heavyweights such as the United States, Japan and Russia were present, China indicated it was a significant player on the global stage and its views should take an additional weight. "Cooperation with the outside world is no longer just an empty propaganda phrasing," says one foreign diplomat in Beijing. "There is depth and substance to it. It points to how China will take a higher international profile in the future." "China is now part of the international community alongside America," asserts Pang Zhongying, a professor at Qinghua University's International Relations Institute. "China and the United States share common interests in attacking terrorism, so this might bring about a new relationship between China and the United States." China appears to have transcended the former division between the rival ideologies of capitalism and communism and joined the club of free- trade aspiring nations, united in their anti-terrorist fight. "This war might come to be known as the Second Cold War," reflects Professor Pang.. "During the last Cold War, China and America joined together to confront the former Soviet Union. In this war, our countries are together again, this time fighting against terrorism." Pang and other Chinese analysts however, warn against too rosy predictions for the aftermath of the Afghan war and say the impact of the new Beijing-Washington coalition would not alter the long-standing contradictions between United States and China. When U.S. President George W Bush met with President Jiang Zemin at the Shanghai summit of the Asia-Pacific Cooperation Forum (APEC) this month, they emphasised shared goals and concerns in Central Asia.

POLITICS-U.S.: Whispers of Vietnam Haunt Anti-Terror ‘War’

President George W. Bush's six-week-old "war" against terrorism, launched hurriedly after the Sep. 11 attacks on New York and the Pentagon, appears to be foundering on multiple fronts.

POLITICS: US Contra Backers Now Target China

Ten years after their coalition began falling apart over the Gulf War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, various strands of the right-wing alliance behind the Nicaraguan Contras in the 1980s are coming back together to mobilise public opinion against a new enemy: China.