SOUTH PACIFIC: ‘Fear of Domination Sparked Anti-Chinese Riots’

This week's looting and burning down of businesses in the Chinatown area of Honiara, capital of the Solomon Islands, reflects local fears of Asian economic domination of the poverty-ridden South Pacific islands.

MALAYSIA: Aussie Consultant in Health Plan Spooks Civil Society

Civil society groups here are eager to meet the newly- appointed Australian consultant who has been tasked with drawing up a blueprint for a new national health-financing scheme.

FINANCE: IMF, World Bank and Critics Gear Up for Meetings

The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will hold their joint twice-a-year meetings over the weekend, with stability of the global economy, IMF reforms and energy investments among the top issues on the agenda.

CORRUPTION: Wolfowitz’s Latest War

When Paul Wolfowitz's name was first floated for the World Bank presidency in early 2005, his nomination was met with scepticism from wary Bank staff and incredulity from development campaigners, a start that threatened to put him on a rocky path during his tenure.

SOUTH PACIFIC: Chinese Relief From Domineering Australia

Seeking greater independence in their economic policy-making from an overbearing Australia, Pacific Island Countries (PICs) have lately been rolling out the red carpet for visiting Chinese leaders, officials and businessmen.

RIGHTS-MALAYSIA: Police Reject Ombudsman as Lockup Deaths Rise

The most dangerous place in Malaysia may well be the inside of a police lockup, going by the deep concern expressed by lawyers, human rights activists and even senior judges about the number of people who die in police custody..

GUYANA: Anti-Drug Crusade Tainted by Whiff of Corruption

Sitting on a wooden restaurant stool while police and soldiers rummaged through a nearby building looking for guns, cocaine and other illegal items late last month, Roy Nelson breathed a sigh of relief that law enforcement agencies had finally mustered the gumption to tackle Guyana's growing drug trade.

ECONOMY-INDIA: On Slippery Slope to Currency Convertibility

After decades of running a closed economy, India is now gingerly taking steps towards freeing the rupee from all official controls - a move analysts say is fraught with dangers such as capital flight, that other Asia Pacific countries are only too familiar with.

CORRUPTION: EU Urged To Act Against Bribery

Transparency International has urged the European Commission to rigorously enforce a provision for blacklisting companies found guilty of corruption.

LATIN AMERICA: Transparency Key to Competitiveness, Says World Economic Forum

Improving transparency by overcoming problems like corruption, the wounded credibility of governments, and fiscal weaknesses could be a decisive factor in bolstering Latin America's competitiveness on the global market.

THAILAND: Thaksin Down, Not Out

As Thais write another chapter to their unfolding political drama, one fact remains increasingly obvious: the main protagonist, Thaksin Shinawatra, is not about to leave the stage.

ENVIRONMENT-INDIA: Hell or High Water, Land Sharks Rule

Urban planners and environmental activists are aghast that less than nine months after this port city was inundated by floods caused by runaway construction activity, a court ruling has thrown open 600 acres of disputed mill land for unbridled building.

THAILAND: Thaksin Swamped by ‘No Vote’ Ballots

A young Thai woman and a retired medical doctor were among a legion of Bangkok's voters who closed ranks to amplify the defining feature of Sunday's snap parliamentary polls - the power of the 'no vote'.

POLITICS-KENYA: Anti-corruption War Stalls

More than a month has passed since authorities in Kenya pledged a fresh drive against high-level graft in the corruption-riddled East African country, but no assets have been seized, as promised.

THAILAND: Elections to Test Elections

When Thais go to the polls on Sunday, they will be doing more than endorse candidates in a snap parliamentary election. Their ballots will attest how much faith this country has in a key pillar of its young democracy - the electoral exercise itself.

LIBERIA: Before UN Sanctions Are Lifted, a Timber Industry Clean-Up

Liberia's newly-elected but cash-strapped government has begun to find ways that the U.N. sanctions can be lifted to allow the country to exploit its immense timber resources for the benefit of its war-ravaged people.

WORLD SOCIAL FORUM: Not Enough for Regime Change

As the polycentric sixth World Social Forum (WSF) drew to a close in Pakistan's principal port city, on Wednesday, participants were left wondering what kind of impact it would have on the military dictatorship that hosted the five-day event

UAE: After Iraq, Arabs Wary of ‘Western’ Democracy

In the evolving debate on reforms, Arab intellectuals and common people continue to emphasise the need for culture and region-specific democratic reforms in the Middle East, and strongly oppose the imposition of Western models.

DEVELOPMENT: Iraq Left to Rebuild Itself

Last week's announcement that Iraq will now have to pay for its own reconstruction has left some observers wondering whether the yet-to-be-formed government there will be up to the task.

INDIA: Mammoth Social Security Scheme Flounders

Nearly two months after India launched 'the world's biggest social security scheme', doubts are creeping up on the workability of a programme to provide work for 25 million unemployed rural people.

ECONOMY-THAILAND: Court Ruling Hits Privatisation Plans

Fresh from a landmark court victory that stopped the privatisation of the country's state-owned power utility, Saree Ongsamwong is setting her sights on stalling privatisation of other state enterprises that the government wants traded on the Thai stock exchange.