MALAYSIA-POLITICS: For Mahathir, Winning is Part of a Day’s Work

Entrenched as he is as leader of Malaysia's ruling multi-party coalition, two recent events on the domestic political scene would have made Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad feel even more secure about his political future.

SOUTH KOREA-ECONOMY: Downturn Benefits the Big, Sinks the Small

An expected downturn in the South Korean economy has all but snuffed out any immediate prospects of a previous government commitment to break the 30-year stranglehold that giant conglomerates have on the East Asian nation.

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After triumphantly hoisting the Chinese flag on the disputed Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea, Hong Kong activists are beginning to discover that patriotism, in the East Asian context, is more complex than raising flags on a rock.

CHINA-POLITICS: Jiang Strikes a Moral Note in Market Driven China

Jiang Zemin has held the reins of power for the past seven years of China's economic transformation, but he would be aware that once modern history is written, references to the reform programme would invariably focus on another leader.

PHILIPPINES-MEDIA: Now Showing: The ‘Tabloidisation’ Of Media

With woes ranging from pot-holed streets to crooked cops, Filipinos are bringing their gripes to what may well be their surrogate government of sorts: the media.

HONG KONG: Beijing Wary Anti-Japan Protests May Snowball

Chinese leaders are worried that protests in Hong Kong against Japan's claim to the disputed Diaoyu Islands could undermine its delicate diplomatic ties with Tokyo, and play into the hands of military hawks in Beijing who favour a strong display of nationalist sentiment.

AFGHANISTAN: The Rise and Rise of the Taleban

The rise of Afghanistan's Taleban militia and its capture of Kabul last week has sent tremors across the region, even among the group's backers in neighbouring Pakistan.

ASIA-PACIFIC: Free Trade and Growth? Yes, But with a Human Face

Free trade and growth, the mantra of the Asia-Pacific economic miracle, needs to have a human face.

SOUTH ASIA-WATER: India-Bangladesh Ties Turn on River Dispute

India's relations with its little neighbours, Bangladesh and Nepal are governed by water-sharing which is a touchy political issue in all three countries.

AFGHANISTAN-ASIA: What’s in Store for Region After Taleban Win?

The unexpectedly swift victory of the radical fundamentalist Taleban militia in the Afghan capital Kabul over the regime of President Borhan al Din Rabbani will lead to a major realignment of forces in the region.

KOREA: North Woos Investors, but Needs Crash Course in Capitalism

North Korea is desperately trying to jump- start its moribund economy by attracting foreign investors, but its leaders may first need a crash course in capitalism from their southern cousins.

HONG KONG: Economic Hub Turning into Hub for Arms Trade

The British Colony of Hong Kong has never had military ties of its own with other countries, but its status as a free-port and Asia's financial centre has turned it into a growing hub for legal and illegal arms shipments.

CHINA-TAIWAN: Diplomatic Chinese Checkers Enters New Phase

The diplomatic cat-and-mouse game between China and Taiwan has intensified, and with the handover of Hong Kong to the mainland barely nine months away there are signs Beijing wants Taiwan next to be assimilated with the mainland.

DISARMAMENT-INDIA: CTBT Rejection a Setback for Avowed Goal

India's rejection of the nuclear test ban treaty this month is a set-back for a cause which the South Asian nation itself ardently campaigned for over the last four decades.

HONG KONG: Islands Dispute May Bring Beijing Closer To Democrats

For months now, Hong Kong's Democratic Party -- branded as subversive by China's leaders -- have been seeking a dialogue with Beijing to discuss what lies in store for the British colony after it is returned to the Mainland in 1997.

COLOMBIA-POLITICS: Crisis Deepens with VP’s Resignation

The resignation of Vice President Humberto De la Calle, aimed at forcing President Ernesto Samper to stand down, has deepened the crisis in Colombia's political leadership - clearly separated from the national reality.

ARGENTINA-POLITICS: Black September for Menem

These are dark days for Argentina's President Carlos Menem - beset by high unemployment and rising industrial unrest together with a 36 hour general strike planned for Sep. 26.

JAPAN-POLITICS: Hashimoto Moves To Cash In On Okinawa Issue

For Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, the 50 million dollars pledged from the government for economic development in Okinawa is a wise investment, considering the political fall-out he seems to have avoided.

HONG KONG: Islands Dispute May Bring Beijing Closer To Democrats

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ETHIOPIA-COMMUNICATION: Internet — A Statist Model

Many African states are coming to terms with the need to open up telecommunications so as to facilitate the development of an African information superhighway.

JAPAN: Ball is in Hashimoto’s Court as Okinawans Snub U.S. Bases

As expected, an overwhelming majority of Okinawan residents have voted for a cut in U.S. military bases on the southern Japanese island. What remains to be seen is what, if anything, Tokyo will do about it.