(January 17, 2005) Riggs Bank directors did not question the nature of the bank’s relationship with the former Chilean dictator Gen. Pinochet; no internal procedures were changed and the board took no action, say sources.
UN urges rapid action on poverty
(January 17, 2005) A major UN report on world poverty has urged a vast increase in development aid to the world’s poorest countries.
New chance for African debt relief
(January 17, 2005) Recent agreements by the Paris Club of donor nations surrounding sovereign debt relief for Iraq as well as tsunami-hit countries represent an opportunity for progress in debt relief on the African continent as well: finance minister.
Grinding them down: Argentina’s debt
(January 17, 2005) The terms of Argentina’s debt swap are harsh. Even so, most bondholders will probably accept them.
It takes two
(January 14, 2005) Countries sending funds to Indonesia are right to be concerned about the exploitation of relief, but Indonesians are not the only ones who might be tempted.
Locals on board for Argentina debt swap
(January 14, 2005) Argentina on Friday launched its historic offer to restructure $102.6 billion in defaulted debt, scoring an early but expected victory as local pension funds holding 17 percent of the bad debt signed up for the exchange.
The dictatorship of debt: The World Bank and Haiti
(January 14, 2005) The World Bank has announced it would release $73 million in cash to the government of Haiti. For Haiti to get that cash it had to pay $52 million in outstanding arrears.
Annan accountable for oil-for-food programme: US
(January 13, 2005) The Bush administration, which earlier backed Secretary-General Kofi Annan in the UN oil-for-food scandal, on Tuesday demanded he be held accountable for mismanagement in the programme.
UN oil-for-food audits find laxity, no fraud
(January 11, 2005) Audit reports released by a U.N.-sanctioned commission into the multibillion-dollar oil-for-food program in Iraq showed lax oversight, understaffing and widespread inefficiencies throughout the system, but no evidence of fraud or corruption.
Gulf War victims overpaid by $5 billion‚ UN auditors
(January 9, 2005) The United Nations may have overpaid up to $5 billion to individuals, companies and Gulf states for losses in Iraq’s 1990 invasion and occupation of Kuwait, auditors’ documents showed on Sunday.
World Bank president’s ‘mixed legacy’
(January 7, 2005) World Bank President James Wolfensohn’s recent announcement that he was unlikely to stay in his post as head of one of the world’s most powerful financial institutions, cast his decade-long legacy into the spotlight this week.
Pinochet ruled fit for trial
(January 5, 2005) Chilean top court contradicts its 2002 decision that the former dictator could not be tried due to dementia.
Saddam ‘spills the beans’ on hidden millions
(December 30, 2004) The US-appointed council believes the former president accumulated as much as $40bn (£22.5bn) during his years in power, which he hid in accounts in Switzerland, Japan, Germany and other countries.
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.
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.
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