DEVELOPMENT: Global Watch on Results of Malaysia’s Experiment

The results of Malaysia's experiment in capital controls will not be known for some time yet, but the gamble has prompted a global watch over which economic formulas will see Asia through its recession.

MALAYSIA: Political Feud Could Mean Reform — or Crackdown

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and the deputy he sacked, Anwar Ibrahim, are locked in a grim standoff that could trigger either the birth of reforms or a renewed crackdown on political dissent in the country.

FINANCE: New Global Turmoil Raises Same Old Questions

Those who are wringing their hands at the sight of Russia teetering on the brink of economic mayhem can be forgiven for their pessimism.

POLITICS-INDIA: India To Face The Music in Durban

India, a founder of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is certain to be a major target at the group's 15th summit, which opened Saturday at Durban, as is Pakistan, for their rivaling nuclear tests in May.

POLITICS-U.S.: Raids Followed Concern Over Foreign-Policy Image

Thursday's cruise-missile attacks against targets in Afghanistan and Sudan followed growing concern here that the credibility of U.S. power overseas has been badly eroded by months of retreat or inaction on key foreign-policy fronts.

POLITICS-MIDEAST – Decade of Peace Between Iran Iraq

Wednesday marks the 10th anniversary of the United Nations-brokered permanent ceasefire between Iran and Iraq after an eight-year war - the longest conventional armed conflict of the century, often called the First Gulf War.

POLITICS-SENEGAL: Drowning in A Sea of Troubles

In May, Senegal held what observers called its fairest elections ever. Since then, however, things have never been so bad.

POLITICS-YUGOSLAVIA: UN Efforts on Kosovo Stalled

In a week in which U.N. Secretary- General Kofi Annan denounced the Yugoslav government for a "scorched-earth policy" in Kosovo, the world body's low level of action in the region showed up the divisions between Western powers as the crisis worsened.

POLITICS-IRAQ: Latest Crisis Brings Sense of Deja Vu

UN reaction to clear indications that Iraq intends to oppose the work of weapons inspectors there was demonstrated best by the UN team's chief, Richard Butler, as he evaded reporters' questions about a new crisis with the quip, "What's that? Can't hear you!"

ECONOMY-LABOUR: Car Workers End Strike Against General Motors

Workers at two auto parts plants in Flint, Michigan ratified an agreement Wednesday to end their 54 day strike which cost General Motors (GM), the world's largest automaker, more than 2 billion dollars.

POLITICS-BURMA: Tensions Rise Over Standoff with Suu Kyi //UPDATE//

For the first time since Burma was admitted into the Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) last year, a fellow member has strongly condemned the military regime by urging the Burmese to rise up against it the way Filipinos did against Ferdinand Marcos.

POLITICS-BURMA: Tensions Rise Over Standoff with Suu Kyi

For the first time since Burma was admitted into the Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) last year, a fellow member has strongly condemned the military regime by urging the Burmese to rise up against it the way Filipinos did against Ferdinand Marcos.

RIGHTS-ICC: Preparing for a Victor’s Court

With negotiaions on establishing an International Criminal Court (ICC) grinding to a close this week, it's worth remembering that the reason 173 governments came together in Rome was to create a system of justice that would be more than just another 'victor's court' - like Nuremberg or the recent UN tribunal for Rwanda.

VIETNAM: A Year Later, Asian Flu Claims Another Victim

Symptoms of infection were becoming already apparent a few months ago, but now it's finally official: Vietnam has caught the Asian financial flu.

POLITICS: Beye Walked A Hard Road Towards Peace in Angola

Alioune Blondin Beye arrived in Angola in June 1993 with Angola in the middle of what had been described as "the world's worst war".

POLITICS-MERCOSUR: Leftist Coalitions Gather Strength

Leftist political parties have a good chance of taking over the governments in three of the four member nations of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) within the next two years.

POLITICS-NIGERIA: Discord on Future

All political groupings in Nigeria are united in their opposition to continued military rule but they remain divided over which path to follow to return the country to democratic rule.

POLITICS-SOUTH AFRICA: New Party May Become A Viable Opposition

South Africa's youngest political party, the United Democratic Movement (UDM), is set to hold its first national conference and unveil its official policies this weekend.

TRADE: EU-Latin American Summit to Seek Trade Balance

The 1999 Summit for Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union (EU), to be held in Rio de Janeiro, could achieve political agreement more easily than economic objectives, say regional analysts.

POLITICS-US: Clinton’s ‘Strategic Partnership’ with China

Nine years after China cracked down on its "pro-democracy" movement, U.S. President Bill Clinton will arrived in the fabled "Middle Kingdom" this week to try to further his "strategic partnership" with Beijing.

POLITICS-US: New US Ambassador to UN Faces Increasing Isolation //REPEATING, AND CORRECTING GARBLED COPY//

Bill Richardson's last speech as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations before the announcement of his new posting as Energy Secretary typified Washington's dilemma: He stood alone, defending U.S. interests in words few diplomats wanted to hear.