FINANCE-ASIA: U.S., IMF Pressure Sank Bailout Fund //CORRECTED REPEAT//

Pressure from Washington and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) won out in the collapse this week of a 100 billion U.S. dollar 'Asia Fund', which was proposed to bail out economies hit by currency speculation.

FINANCE-ASIA: U.S., IMF Pressure Sank Bailout Fund

Pressure from Washington and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) won out in the collapse this week of a 100 billion U.S. dollar 'Asia Fund', which was proposed to bail out economies hit by currency speculation.

TRADE-APEC: Pacific Century Could be a Swamp

Just one year ago, U.S. President Bill Clinton was touting what he called "a simple, loud and clear message:

IRAQ-UNITED STATES: Russia’s Chance To Break The Impasse /REPEAT/

Playing the game like seasoned poker players, the U.S. and Iraqi presidents, Bill Clinton and Saddam Hussein, have been raising the stakes in the Iraq-U.S. standoff.

IRAQ: Russia’s Prospective Part In Ending The Iraq-U.S. Standoff

Playing the game like seasoned poker players, the U.S. and Iraqi presidents, Bill Clinton and Saddam Hussein, have been raising the stakes in the Iraq-U.S. standoff.

PAKISTAN-UNITED STATES: Albright’s Visit Reflects Differences

U.S Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is arriving in the Pakistan capital Monday evening to reaffirm Washington's commitment to an old friend, but analysts here have already dismissed the visit as of little consequence.

BRAZIL-FINANCE: Nations Converted into Bank-States

The global instability triggered by financial crises like the Hong Kong crash indicate that today's process of globalisation is reducing nation states to simple banking entities.

INDIA: Political Crisis Strengthens Democracy

India, which has long had a problem in balancing powers between the central (federal) government and the country's 25 states, made some progress this week towards greater federalism through a wrenching political crisis in Uttar P radesh, India's largest -- and the world's sixth most populous -- state.

ASIA-ECONOMY: The Tiger Massacre (rptng)

This is the city where it all began in July with the collapse of the Thai baht. It has taken four months for the panic to spread to Hong Kong where the region's pivotal stock market lost a record 23 percent of its value last week, sending tidal waves across the world's exchanges.

ASIA: The Tiger Massacre

This is the city where it all began in July with the collapse of the Thai baht. It has taken four months for the panic to spread to Hong Kong where the region's pivotal stock market lost a record 23 percent of its value last week, sending tidal waves across the world's exchanges.

CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE: UN’s Push for Help Too Late – Again

Reports that President Pascal Lissouba has been ousted from power in the Congo Republic provide another example of the problems the United Nations faces in deploying its forces to prevent conflict in Africa.

PAKISTAN-UNITED STATES: Left Only With Legal Option on F-16 Deal

Five years after the United States cancelled a deal on fighter planes for which Pakistan had paid nearly half a billion dollar advance, the government is still trying to recover the money.

ASIA: Mahathir’s Call to Tame Speculators Gets Second Look

After drawing an avalanche of harsh criticism, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's campaign against unscrupulous currency speculators is spurring a second, more serious, look in the region.

AFGHANISTAN: Pakistan Learns Some Hard Lessons

Six months ago, when the Taleban swept into Mazar-e-Sharif, the northern stronghold of its opponents, Pakistan was euphoric.

US-IRAN: French Oil Deal a Blow to US Policy

The two-billion-dollar oil deal announced this week between a major French oil company and Iran has dealt a major blow to U.S. efforts both to isolate Teheran, and to reduce tension over Washington's sanctions against foreign companies operating abroad.

US-IRAN: French Oil Deal a Blow to US Policy

The two-billion-dollar oil deal announced this week between a major French oil company and Iran has dealt a major blow to U.S. efforts both to isolate Teheran, and to reduce tension over Washington's sanctions against foreign companies operating abroad.

INDIA: Big Business Funds Militancy in the Northeast

India's largest-and best-known business house finds itself in the dock as disclosures are made about its involvement in assisting secessionist and militant guerrilla groups in northeastern India.

TRADE-US: Clinton Can’t Get Fast Track-tion

President Bill Clinton, struggling to win Congressional approval for "fast track" authority to negotiate free-trade agreements with Chile and other countries, is finding the going is getting tough.

INDIA-PAKISTAN: Old Foes Meet but Mostly Disagree

The meeting this week between Prime Ministers Inder Kumar Gujral of India and Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan was remarkable for its relatively friendly tone and offer of a non- aggression pact - but did little to further peace between the two countries.

US-JAPAN: Trans-Pacific Allies Step Up Defence Cooperation

In what both countries hailed as "an extremely important milestone," the United States and Japan Tuesday issued joint guidelines on defence cooperation designed to bolster their 37-year-old security alliance.

ASIA-FINANCE: Currency Woes May Backfire on Financiers, Too

At first, bankers wandering down the gleaming halls of Hong Kong's convention hall, where the annual IMF-WB meeting is taking place, merely shrugged their shoulders as Latin American and Asian politicians criticised stock market speculation as the new scourge facing developing countries.