(December 26, 2004) International groups spent millions of dollars to plant trees in Haiti but failed to slow the deforestation that leads to floods like the one that killed 3,000 people in Gonaives, writes Susannah A. Nesmith in the Miami Herald.
Other News Sources
Dangerous life for Equatorial Guinea opposition
(December 24, 2004) Foreign critics say corruption has stopped the flow of petrodollars from trickling down to the whole population, but the government says it is investing the newfound wealth in social services and infrastructure.
Africa Social Forum
December 23, 2004 -At the opening plenary of the Africa Social Forum in Lusaka, Zambia (10-14 December, 2004), delegates from across the continent gave varied testimonies that coalesced around a single truth: recolonisation is worse than slavery.
Russia writes off over 92% of Iraqi debt
(December 23, 2004) Russia has written off 92%-93% of Iraq’s debt even though Iraq is not an economically underdeveloped country, President Vladimir Putin said at a news conference in the Kremlin.
Hidden riches, coming trial help deflate Pinochet myth
(December 21, 2004) A ruling that Chile’s former dictator is fit to stand trial means that justice delayed need not always be justice denied.
Annan reiterates he won’t resign
(December 21, 2004) Secretary-General Kofi Annan reiterated Tuesday he has no intention of resigning over allegations of corruption in the U.N. oil-for-food program and plans to move ahead with sweeping changes at the United Nations.
Pinochet expected to appeal indictment
(December 20, 2004) Lawyers representing Augusto Pinochet were expected to turn to Chile’s highest legal authority after the country’s Appeals Court on upheld an indictment of the former dictator.
Case against Pinochet can proceed
(December 20, 2004) Murder charges against former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet in a major human rights case can proceed, an appeals court has said in an unprecedented ruling immediately appealed to the Supreme Court.
Poverty has changed my view of politics, says Brown
(December 20, 2004) Gordon Brown: ‘We must rise to the challenge of tackling world poverty.’
Russia links Iraq debt relief, companies
(December 19, 2003) The fate of Russian companies and economic interests in Iraq will affect Moscow’s position in talks on relieving Baghdad’s massive international debt burden, a top diplomat said Friday.
US forgives Iraq debt to clear way for IMF reforms
(December 19, 2004) While Washington pats itself on the back for forgiving Iraqi debt owed since the 1980s, critics say the relief comes with dangerous strings attached and argue that the debt should have been null and void.
The US cancels Iraqi debts
(December 18, 2004) Lifting the crushing burden of the old regime’s debt is one of the most important contributions we can make to Iraq’s new beginning," said US secretary of state Colin Powell.
Dealings in Africa examined
(December 18, 2004) Business ties between Obiang and seven U.S. oil companies are the subject of a probe by the Securities and Exchange Commission, according to the companies and lawyers familiar with the investigation.
US urges others to reduce Iraq’s debt
(December 17, 2004) The United States will try to convince more of Iraq’s creditors to forgive the country’s debt, Treasury Secretary John Snow said on Friday.
US to write off US$4.1 billion in Iraqi debts
(December 17, 2004) In fact the United States will go beyond the 80 percent reduction agreed at the Paris Club and forgive 100 percent of the 4.1 billion dollars Iraq owes the United States from the Saddam era.


