(February 17, 2004) Canadian officials at international summits are fond of lecturing their counterparts from poorer countries on the debilitating effects of corruption. Now opposition politicians say Canada has produced a corruption scandal to call its own.
A link between reparations, forgiving African debt
(February 16, 2004) What do The Washington Times and the AfricaFocus Bulletin have in common? In editorial policy, they are miles apart. Yet, both published articles during this Black History Month likely to kindle heated discussion about a controversial but curious link between reparations for American descendants of African slaves and cancellation of African debt.
US should not decide apartheid lawsuit: Switzerland
(February 13, 2004) The Swiss government has spoken out against an American court deciding a class action lawsuit seeking reparations for apartheid from dozens of international companies.
Ernst & Young returns to Iraq
(February 13, 2004) The new Baghdad office will be part of a grander strategy to increase Ernst & Young’s Middle East presence in a big way.
Sponsorship report leaves reader feeling numb
(February 12, 2004) If the stale Liberal party can emerge from this mess with a fresh majority mandate this spring, Canada is indeed a nation with too many cheques and not enough balances.
Descendants of slaves revive lawsuit
(February 12, 2004) The descendants of African American slaves are pressing on with what is being called an historic class-action lawsuit claiming 19 corporations profited from the forced labour of their ancestors.
Iraq establishes commission on public integrity
(February 12, 2004) The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Iraq has established a Commission on Public Integrity, which will enforce anticorruption laws and set public-service standards.
Algeria launches Iraq oil corruption probe
(February 11, 2004) Algeria is investigating alleged corruption linked to Iraq’s oil-for-food programme, state radio said, adding weight to Iraqi efforts to get to the bottom of crude dealing during Saddam Hussein’s rule.
Swiss govt against apartheid reparations case
(February 10, 2004) An American court should not decide a class action law suit seeking reparations for apartheid from international companies, the Swiss government said on Tuesday.
Iraq restructures largest bank for possible sale
(February 9, 2004) Iraq’s largest bank, state-owned Al-Rafideen, plans to lay off a third of its staff and overhaul a debt-laden balance sheet to prepare for privatisation, possibly next year, the bank’s chairman said.
Government mulls African debt write-off
(February 9, 2004) The government is considering writing off the debt owed to it by several African countries, said Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
Reducing Iraq’s foreign debt
(February 6, 2004) How and when Argentina’s debt mess gets cleared up will have much more of an impact on the international financial system than how and when Iraq’s debt mess gets fixed. So why is the G-7 giving more attention to Iraq?
China to write-off Iraq’s debt, reopen embassy
(February 5, 2004) China on Thursday said it will write-off an undetermined amount of the debt owed by Iraq and reopen its embassy in Baghdad soon which would also help protect its interests in the multi-billion dollar reconstruction projects in the war-torn nation.
Russia hints at considerable debt reduction for Iraq
(February 5, 2004) Russia is ready to settle Iraq’s debt problem in accordance with the Paris Club rules, which may lead to a "considerable" reduction of debt for the war-ravaged country, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov.
Africa’s debt: who owes whom?
(February 5, 2004) Africa is center stage in the struggle for human and economic rights. It is home to the world’s gravest health crises – including the HIV/AIDS pandemic and chronic famine. Even though Africa has only 5 percent of the developing world’s income, it carries about two thirds of the debt – over $300 billion.
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