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COMMENTARY -- WAR -- (the news is directly below):
You have gone back in time and are standing in the midst of a lush ancient forest. You hear and see some large vegetarian dinosaurs feeding on the moist soft leaves of brush and trees. You also see skulking about like a cat after a mouse, other smaller dinosaurs with a lighter build about them trying to catch and eat even smaller dinosaurs. You also see small dinosaurs feeding on the vegetation. Suddenly you hear a loud screech which terrifies every creature in this setting and sends them running for fear. The screech is coming from a large version of the lighter built and fast moving dinosaur with teeth designed to rip and tear other animal flesh. It quickly moves up on the large vegetarian. It lacks the weight of the vegetarian it is pursuing but has more speed and agility. It's massive and powerful jaws are set into motion as it lunges upon the vegetarian and immediately draws blood as it rips and tears away at a vital spot. The vegetarian tries to defend itself by using its heavy tail to whack the aggressor but it was too slow this time in defending itself and it quickly weakened because of pain and loss of blood. Dizzy and in weakness it dropped to the ground and took its last breath. The aggressor ruthlessly tore away at the most tasty spots and then left the carcass for scavengers.
In the natural world this story describes the "food chain" and the "predatory" character of those creatures at the top of the food chain. The predatory behavior is driven by hunger and the instinct of the predator to feed and care for it's young. Although all animals have some kind of reasoning capability their instincts most often prevail and their reasoning is subordinate to these instincts to make them more effective at surviving.
How does this story relate to war? Is war wrong? Is war necessary? What is accomplished by war?
Mankind is to be above the animals, that is he should be exercising his reasoning capabilities over his instincts. But mankind often does not do that. Tribal behavior is something like wolf pack behavior. There is a kind of civilized order within the pack but anything outside the pack is considered fair game. There is usually a pack leader. In many ways, the societies and cultures and communities of mankind are like the pack where the reasoning capabilities of the individuals in the pack and the consensus of the pack is directed at serving the primitive instincts of survival.
Although man is more technically capable as he sits atop the food chain, many of the nations, societies, cultures, and communities of man are more predatory in character with leaders that know how to control the pack and maintain their control over the pack. If allowed, these predatory packs of mankind will act just like the predatory dinosaur. No amount of talk or reasoning will prevent the attack because the overall social behavior is predatory and reason is used to make the predatory behavior more successful. The only defense against such predators is to be both prepared and more capable if attacked. But often a defensive posture will fail as it did with the vegetarian dinosaur which was no threat to the other dinosaurs. Many animal packs that are vegetarian adopt defensive and preventative postures as a pack to minimize any predatory attack on members within the vegetarian pack. Buffalo, cattle, and many other animals do this.
But only mankind has two things the animals don't have. Man is smart enough to anticipate a predatory attack and respond in a defensive manoeuvre of defense to disable or kill the predatory enemy before the "screech" of death is heard. Man has the means and abilities to develop sophisticated weaponry. Compare this weaponry to the teeth of the attacking dinosaur and the tail of the vegetarian dinosaur.
But if a society or community of man is not aware of such dangers by other predatory type societies and communities then it peacefully and obliviously eats, drinks, sleeps, reproduces, plays, and in other ways occupies itself. When the "screech" of impending death is heard it may be too late. This is especially true if the predatory society has technological superiority and readiness to use that technology in an aggressive manner. This susceptibility scenario is also true if a society or community of man has been deceived into thinking that the predators are their friends or that arbitration, deals, and discourse will stop the aggression. Nothing will stop the predatory nation or community from its behavior other than its own destruction. A predatory human or human society is far more committed to violent aggression than is a predatory animal seeking a prey for a source of food. A predator is ruthless and uncaring whether it be a dinosaur, a wolf, or man. The "whimper" (or dialog to prevent aggression) that precedes death is understood by the predator as victory and the prey can be savaged. There are those that feel that a kind of social remedial exercise involving discourse, and various other forms of reward and penalty administered against the predatory society, by some powerful majority, will cause such predatory communities to change. This is foolishness as long as the pack leader remains leader. The leaders drive the communities. This is true even in western democratic nations. Sometimes leaders reflect the views of the community that elected them and perhaps leaders exploit the community that elected them.
When leaders have control of the key social institutions they can use these institutions to brain wash the community as a whole. If leaders don't have control of the key social institutions then new potential pack leaders can use these institutions to brain wash the community and thereafter supplant the pack leader. For example, often the educational institutions are infiltrated with authority figures that have a profound influence on those they teach. So it is not unusual in just about every society to see social discontent first voiced by universities and institutions of higher learning. The so called media in the form of newspapers, magazines, radio and TV industry, the publishing industry, and the movie industry are powerful means of brainwashing a society and re-engineering the "average" social mentality. A third category is the religious institutions, seminaries, and related organizations. Whoever controls the content of these institutions inevitably controls the pack mentality. Laws and government are derived from this mentality. As the mentality changes so also do the laws and inclinations of government.
As long as the average human being allows himself or herself to be herded along in a pack type social environment there will be predatory societies that feed on the other societies. They will skulk about and wait for their moment. They will form unholy and wicked alliances with each other only to eventually turn on one another. War in this context simply realigns those at the top of the food chain. War is for the purpose of establishing different leaders, it rarely occurs for the purpose of true peace and prosperity directed from a global perspective. Although the word peace is used a lot today its meaning varies depending upon who uses it. Peace as used by world leaders means the establishment of their objectives at the cost of their opponents. World leaders shake each others hands in such deceptive gestures of peace. It is a paradox. It is a horrible dilemma. If any society disarms, adopts arbitration and dialog to effect change then they will be perceived as manipulatable through that dialog. They will also be perceived by the potential aggressor as weak because they rely too heavily on a so called diplomatic solution to disputes. Meanwhile the predatory society or societies will take whatever gain they can through the dialog and when their moment comes, lunge, and with their mighty jaws and sharp teeth rip and tear away at the vulnerabilities of their prey.
Therefore, God must manipulate the devil who influences man towards predatory behavior. The devil incarnate is Anti-Christ. The Anti-Christ or Satan is any human being that uses their reasoning capabilities to serve their primitive instincts. By so doing they have opened up and turned over their mental "real estate" to the spiritual forces of darkness that bring only death. The spiritual force of evil is only able to influence the human mind through the mechanism of our primitive instincts for survival. If we lust and are preoccupied with the things and values of a world driven by such instincts then we have been deceived into a form of mental slavery that brings only hatred and death in its wake.
Jesus Christ is the answer. He is both an example of what we must be like as humans and he is the facilitator/mediator/interface whereby we can all know and experience the love/caring of God.
If you have any comments, questions, or concerns you can email this ministry at thilts@help-for-you.com
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China says it is like
'lips and teeth' with Pyongyang
In the early 1950s, hundreds of thousands of Chinese soldiers died fighting on the Northern side in the Korean war. For decades China has described its relationship with Pyongyang as extremely close - like lips and teeth, according to Beijing. So where does China stand today, and what can it do to defuse this latest Korean crisis? Tied by history "Gallantly, we are crossing the Yalu river to defend peace and guard our country "let us unite to defeat the vicious American wolves" - the rousing words of China's best-known Korean war song sound a little out of date in today's China of mobile phones and American fast food restaurants.
Fifty years on, China has never admitted how many casualties it took defending North Korea. But it is thought that as many as 800,000 Chinese soldiers were killed in the three years from 1950 to 1953. According to Professor Han Zhenshe, one of China's foremost Korea experts, the terrible loses sustained by China have left it with an abiding horror of conflict on the Korean peninsula: "For us, the most important thing about the current nuclear standoff is that it must be resolved peacefully, through dialogue - we don't want to see a resort to force, to military action," he said. China's fear The wind blowing across the Yalu River today is every bit as cold as it was when the Chinese soldiers went south in 1950. But today, on the other side of the ice-locked river, starvation and economic collapse are pushing thousands to flee north into China. In a safe house close to the border, I am taken to meet with a group of North Korean refugees who fled their homes.
Each has a tale of terrible suffering. One man has escaped from a labour camp; others are fleeing starvation. At the moment, refugees like these are a trickle. But if the situation in North Korea gets worse, the trickle could soon turn to a flood. It is something David Finkelstein of the Centre for Strategic Studies in Washington said China is desperate to avoid. "A North Korea that collapses quickly is a nightmare scenario for Beijing, which is why Beijing provides what material support it does, to keep North Korea on an I.V., so to speak, to keep the patient alive so that it doesn't collapse economically, and the economic fallout of refugees spill over into China's ethnically Korean border provinces." No one in China is suggesting that America is to blame for this current nuclear standoff. 'Pyongyang scared' But there is a feeling here that America, with its hostile rhetoric of the axis of evil, is driving North Korea further and further into a corner. Professor Han Zhenshe said the North Koreans are scared:
"They're definitely scared... America has stopped supplying oil to North Korea, so they have virtually no electricity. The situation is getting desperate. The people are freezing. America uses words like axis of evil - that really makes the North Korean leadership fearful." Mr Han said North Korea's real aim in restarting its nuclear program is not to build a bomb, but to get the US to come to the negotiating table, and to promise that it will not attack North Korea. If that is so, then it is a dangerous game the North Koreans are playing, one that David Finkelstein warned could spiral out of control. Influence untested "The Chinese could give some very solid advice to the regime in North Korea - not to overplay the hand they have chosen to deal to the world; that there may be more constructive ways for Pyongyang to get the attention of those whom it is desiring to engage." That is maybe exactly what the Chinese are doing. But those who think China holds the key to solving this current crisis are likely to be disappointed. As North Korea's largest donor of food and fuel, China controls the levers that could force Pyongyang to back down. But China's fear of a North Korean collapse means those levers will never be used. . End of article 16.
Wang Bingzhang has
lived in North America since 1979 A US-based Chinese democracy activist went on trial in China on
Wednesday, charged with espionage and terrorism.
The US human rights group, Free China Movement (FCM), has accused Chinese agents of kidnapping Mr Wang and bringing him to China to lay "false charges". The trial ended after half a day without a verdict, his lawyer said. The veteran dissident, who is a permanent resident of the United States, had been expected to plead not guilty. The international director of FCM, Timothy Cooper, said Mr Wang was likely to be convicted, and to face a sentence of up to 20 years.
According to the official Chinese news agency, Xinhua, Mr Wang has engaged in "violent terrorist activities" and has been paid by Taiwan's espionage organisations to collect "state secrets". Xinhua said the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court in Guangdong province, where the trial was held, would give its verdict at a later date. The hearing was closed to the public because Mr Wang's trial related to state secrets, the agency said. Mysterious disappearance Mr Wang went missing, along with two other democracy activists, last summer. The three entered Vietnam with valid visas, and were planning to hold meetings with fellow activists there. Chinese dissidents in the United States said in July that they had received information that Mr Wang and his fellow activists were abducted by Chinese security forces along the border of China and Vietnam and were being held at a secret location in China.
But China's official news agency Xinhua said in December that police had found the trio bound and gagged in a temple in Fanchenggang city, southern Guangxi province, on 3 July. It said they had been kidnapped on 27 July in Tinh Quang Ninh in Vietnam, and were being blackmailed. After they were found, Mr Wang was transferred to neighbouring Guangdong province, where he was put under house surveillance before being formally arrested on 5 December, the agency said. The two other activists - Yue Wu and Zhang Qi - who were arrested with Mr Wang, are said to have been cleared of all charges and freed. Exiled Fang Yuan, a member of the China Democracy Party, which is outlawed inside China, has said the disappearance of the dissidents was "testament to the desperate lengths the government will go to stop the evolution of democracy in China". The three all have connections with exiled Chinese opposition groups. Wang Bingzhang was jailed twice in China during the Cultural Revolution. He moved to North America in 1979, founded the magazine China Spring, and organised the Chinese Alliance for Democracy in New York. He made headlines in 1998 for sneaking into China and getting expelled . End of article 17.
Mr Ba'asyir is known
for his fiery preaching Indonesian police have recommended that prosecutors charge Abu Bakar
Ba'asyir, the suspected spiritual leader of a regional militant group, with
treason and a series of bomb attacks.
National police spokesman Edward Aritonang said police gave the prosecutor's office evidence files on Mr Ba'asyir on Monday for consideration. Under Indonesian law, if prosecutors believe there is enough evidence to substantiate the charge, a trial date will be set. The recommended charges carry a maximum sentence of life for treason and 15 years in prison for attacks using explosives.
Mr Ba'asyir has not been formally accused of taking part in last year's terrorist attacks on Bali, in which nearly 190 people were killed. Militant network But he is believed to be one of the leaders of Jemaah Islamiah, an Islamic militant group which is suspected of involvement in the bombings. Several of the suspects arrested in connection with the Bali attacks are also said to have studied under Mr Ba'asyir. The elderly cleric was arrested on 20 October, amid angry protests from his supporters. He is accused of overseeing the delivery of bombs to 38 churches or priests across Indonesia on Christmas Eve 2000. Nineteen people were killed in the attacks. If his trial goes ahead, witnesses in Malaysia and Singapore will give evidence via a televised link, police said last week. Mr Ba'asyir has denied any involvement in terrorist acts and has also denied being a member of Jemaah Islamiah. . End of article 18. Commentary: The next article is
interesting because an American is not driving. Therefore, no riots! This
suggests that the riots and demonstrations that occured recently in South
Korea, after 2 Korean girls were hit and killed by a US army vehicle driven by
two Americans, were fomented by more than just irate parents.
When the buns are burning in the oven you can smell and see the smoke. The rise in anti-American feelings have been given many reasons by many people, but there is a "smell" and a "smoke" coming from the oven of politics. No one seems to be considering that a different kind of terrorist is secretly at work instigating a rise in anti-American feelings in a subversive way. It would also seem that European politicians are taking advantage of this situation to improve their political posturing with areas demonstrating these anti-American feelings. These areas offer a big opportunity as sources for oil and sales of European military and industrial equipment and supplies. Just what Europe needs with a faltering economy. In another recent news article (this month) we discover that Spain is getting serious static from leading EU nations over some of Spain's trade agreements with the USA. Europe and other countries like Russia and China see Iraq as a major buyer of military and industrial goods and therefore a good "buddy". The EU is rapidly moving from an economic union towards a political federal state consisting of a union of provinces. This political change is motivated by the passage of laws which will govern the trade relationships of all EU member states. France and Germany because of their populations and industry tend to dominate this evolution of the EU. Both of these countries (primarily the politicians) tend to lean to the left and suffer from some kind of resentment created over 50 years of playing second fiddle to the USA. There are several European corruption scandals that have reached the courts affecting both France and Italy. This causes one to wonder if the moral base of European politicians is degrading and what kind of a monster they might be creating out of the gigantic trade union called the EU. All of this as an increasing trend, tends to alienate Europe and thus the expanding EU, from the USA. The UN Security Council is where this collision of interests melts together and has the very real potential of causing the UN to disintegrate thus leaving the nations of the world to polarize according to local rather than global interests.
The US military
presence is dividing opinion A military truck belonging to the United States army in South Korea
has run over and killed a Korean woman, police said on Wednesday.
The vehicle, driven by a South Korean national, killed a 45-year-old woman near the city of Inchon.
The accident comes at a time of acute sensitivities over the presence of 37,000 US troops in South Korea, stationed there to counter the threat from the Stalinist North. Activists said the accident was unlikely to spark complaints. There have been regular protests against the laws governing their presence since a US court martial last year acquitted two US soldiers over another road accident. In that incident, two teenage South Korean girls were killed by a US armoured vehicle. The vehicle's driver and navigator were found not guilty of negligent homicide. Anger over the ruling sparked a wave of anti-US protests and calls for the Status of Forces Agreement which governs the US presence to be renegotiated. There have also been regular pro-US rallies. The demonstrations have coincided with mounting tension on the Korean peninsula over North Korea's nuclear threat. . End of article 19.
A member of the Politburo of the ruling Communist Party in Vietnam,
Truong Tan Sang, has become the most senior official yet to be formally
punished in connection with a crime scandal.
The official Nhan Dan newspaper said that Truong Tan Sang was officially reprimanded on Tuesday, by the Central Committee, for dereliction of duty when he led the party in Ho Chi Minh City from 1996-2000. The report said he failed to instruct enforcement agencies to investigate or prevent the activities of a criminal gang leader, Nam Cam, and committed mistakes in personnel affairs. Nam Cam was based in Ho Chi Minh City before being arrested in December 2001 by a special police task force brought in from outside. His long-delayed trial on murder and corruption charges is expected next month. His detention triggered a series of more than 150 arrests, including high-ranking police and party officials. From the newsroom of the BBC World Service . End of article 20.
Companies are learning
that business abroad is weird
Elephants may be mighty beasts, but they are rarely nimble. The titans of international business are the same: although second to none when it comes to steamrollering opposition, multinational companies also have a tendency to make crass errors. The past few weeks have seen a particularly glaring series of blunders from firms - Coca-Cola, Nestle, Cadbury Schweppes and others - that really should know better. At the same time, the easy money multinationals made from overseas expansion during the 1990s has vanished, and some firms are having second thoughts about the excitement of globalisation. As the gods of global business prepare to gather in Davos for the annual World Economic Forum, the mood could be better. Corporate cock-ups Recent weeks have seen red faces in some of the world's most illustrious boardrooms.
In India, soft-drinks makers Coca-Cola and Pepsico were forced to withdraw advertisements painted onto rocks in the ecologically protected Himalaya mountains. Even crasser was an inexplicable Indian advertisement for Cadbury's Temptations chocolate bar, equating the snack with the war-torn state of Kashmir, because both were "too good to share". And in Africa, Nestle - generally seen as the global operator par excellence - sparked a storm of protest by insisting that the Ethiopian Government pay it $6m (£3.7m) to make good a 1975 nationalisation. Could do better Is this more than merely embarrassing? After all, global firms like Coca-Cola, no strangers to even the most obscure of emerging markets, should know that graffiti on the Himalayas or satire about Kashmir are a marketing no-no.
 "These firms have been doing business so successfully in so many markets for so long that they get overconfident. "Complacency starts to creep in." It chimes with other indicators of underperformance in international business. Research published last September by Alan Rugman, a professor of international business at Indiana and Oxford universities, showed that the vast majority of multinationals were not pursuing any sort of global strategy - and that increasing numbers of them were losing money overseas. Going home Indeed, in the right mood, it is possible to become convinced that cross-border business on the traditional Nestle pattern has had its day.
By some measures, this is already happening. Worldwide inflows of foreign direct investment have fallen by almost two-thirds since 2000, after more than a decade of double growth. Wal-Mart, the world's biggest retailer, still happily reaps almost all its earnings from its home market, despite modest forays into the outside world. By contrast McDonald's, whose mushrooming restaurants are the face of globalisation for half the world, has run into trouble; it is now closing restaurants abroad, slowing expansion and rethinking the famously rigid way it presents itself. Trial and error But don't be too hard on the multinationals, argues Christos Pitelis, director of the Centre for International Business at Cambridge University's Judge Institute of Management. "They are making mistakes, but they are learning from their mistakes," says Dr Pitelis. "What were once rigidly centralised organisations now function far more flexibly."
 This decentralisation can lead to unplanned cock-ups like Cadbury's Kashmir fiasco. But what is lost in terms of head-office control is more than outweighed by the advantages of nimbleness and local savvy. Driving change If this sort of flexibility is such a winner, though, does that not mean that multinationals will always lose out to local competition? Not necessarily, argues Dr Pitelis.
First, multinationals co-ordinate product standards across borders, thereby promoting innovations that localised firms may have preferred to ignore. Second, by using their considerable bargaining power, corporate behemoths can help create the sort of regulatory and legal conditions in which all business can thrive. They were instrumental in achieving this - so far with mixed results - across Eastern Europe, and are now hoping to tackle China, which may become the world's top investment destination this year. Survival of the fittest Above all, the ecosystem of the multinational firm is in a constant state of renewal.
Last year, Cemex, a Mexican firm, became the first company from the developing world to make the list of the 100 biggest global firms. Now, as China becomes the consuming interest of international investors, that ecosystem is ready for another shake-up. Individual elephants may come and go, but it seems the herd goes charging on. . End of article 21.
The new agreement could
come in next year Tax evaders should find it harder to escape the authorities thanks to
a new European agreement.
The new system could bring in billions of extra pounds in tax. After years of wrangling 12 EU members, including the UK, have agreed to take part in a new system of banking co-operation where they will exchange information in order to uncover hidden savings. City of London wins For the UK, the stumbling block had been the suggestion of a Europe-wide 'withholding tax' on savings.
Chancellor Gordon Brown said in a statement: "Today's important agreement secures the principle of exchange of information on tax matters - not a one-size-fits-all tax harmonisation. "After five years of detailed negotiation, today's deal finally ensures that there will be no withholding tax imposed on the City of London." Switzerland's role But for three EU member states the tax was the best option. So, under the agreement, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg will not pass on sensitive bank details but will instead levy a 35% tax on the interest on savings. They were persuaded to do this after Switzerland, which is not an EU member, agreed to levy a 35% tax on foreign investments and pass it on to the relevant countries. There were fears that Switzerland would have had an advantage if had remained outside the tax agreement. Tax havens to take part EU Commissioner Frits Bolkestein welcomed the deal, saying: "This system ensures that EU citizens do pay their taxes on interest derived from savings held in other countries." Switzerland, which is not an EU member, has also agreed to levy a 35% tax on foreign investments. The British tax havens of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, along with the Caribbean overseas territories, will also take part. Mr Bolkestein said there were still technical details to be settled with Switzerland, but the scheme could be launched at the beginning of next year. . End of article 22.
Indian growth is being
driven by multinationals India will boast the fastest growing technology sector in the world
this year, according to research group Gartner.
The research shows the Indian domestic market will grow by between 25% and 30% during 2003. While China will remain number one in overall market size, India's growth will outstrip China's. China has been the top spot for foreign direct investment since it joined the World Trade Organisation at the end of 2001. The sustained economic slowdown has worked in India's favour, making it hard for US enterprises to ignore the cost benefits of setting up offices in India. Security concerns "Investments in captive units of large multinational corporations will continue to be the key driver in the industry," Gartner said in a statement. But the report warned that increased security concerns would result in increasing competition for India as US and British firms look for opportunities closer to home. Gartner is not expecting a pronounced global recovery of the technology sector until 2004. But when that recovery comes, the report said, the Asia-Pacific region will lead the way. . End of article 23.
Iran is home to some of
the world's largest untapped oil fields A consortium of Japanese oil companies has bought a 20% stake in Royal
Dutch/Shell's deal to develop oil fields in Iran.
The consortium, led by Japanese Petroleum Exploration (Japex), was set up with the specific aim of taking part in the project to develop the Soroosh and Nowrooz oil fields. Shell said it had agreed the $800m (£500m) development three years ago and was continuing to look for other opportunities in the area. Members of the consortium described the venture as a 'buy back' project, whereby companies are paid in oil in return for their investment. Key figures Japex is the major shareholder in the Japanese consortium, with a holding of almost 42%. It is followed by Japanese National Oil (JNOC), the state-run group with a 33% holding and INPEX with a 25% stake. JNOC said it was investing $13.8m in the deal and that an Iranian oil firm - Oil Industry Engineering and Construction - had also bought into the project although it would not reveal the size of its investment. The Soroosh and Nowrooz fields have estimated reserves of over 1bn barrels and are being developed by Shell under an agreement with the National Iranian Oil Company. But Shell denied the involvement of foreign partners was the start of its exit policy from Iran. "The farm-out is purely a commercial arrangement set in motion three years ago," said Robert Weener, chief executive of Shell in Iran. Tapping further Japan Petroleum and INPEX are also leading a separate consortium looking to develop Iran's Azadegan oil field, believed to be one of the largest in the world. In 2000, Teheran gave Japanese firms exclusive negotiating rights for Azadegan. Azadegan, along with the Kashagan oil field in Kazhakhstan, is one of the few untapped oil fields left in the world. Gaining a foothold in Iran's oil production would be a major boost for Japan, which currently imports about 85% of its oil from the Middle East. . End of article 24.
Calls to other networks
will be cheaper Mobile phone companies have been told they must cut the price of calls
to their networks.
The regulator Oftel announced the cuts following a year-long investigation by the Competition Commission.
But already some of the UK's leading mobile operators, have protested against the decision. Vodafone said the decision was "fundamentally flawed" and that it would be seeking a judicial review into the commission's proposals. Irony The investigation by the Competition Commission was prompted by the mobile phone operators' refusal to accept cost reductions proposed by Oftel in 2001.
They referred the case to the commission themselves after objecting to Oftel's call for a reduction of inflation minus 12% over four years. But the findings are thought to go beyond those earlier recommendations. Oftel said operators are currently overcharging customers by up to 40% on so-called 'termination rates' - or calls to different mobile networks.
"Callers to mobile phones have no choice but to pay the termination charge set by the mobile operator, which means there is little incentive for the operators to reduce their charges towards their actual costs," Oftel said in a statement. The regulator said operators will face an immediate one-off cut of up to 15% on prices charged to connect calls to mobile networks, which will start from 25 July 2003. Reverse effect? Similar reductions are expected to follow in the subsequent three years until 2005-6. But Gavin Darby, chief executive of Vodafone UK, said: "The primary beneficiaries of the report will be the five million households in the UK who do not own a mobile phone, at the expense of the 49 million mobile phone customers." The mobile phone operator said it would now seek a judicial review in order "to protect the interests of our customers". Rival network operator Orange, controlled by France Telecom, said it was also considering requesting a judicial review. Oftel argued that consumers would see immediate benefits from the changes. David Edmonds, Oftel's director general of Telecommunications, said: "For example, the price of a two minute peak rate call from BT to a Vodafone customer could come down from 40p to 35p by the end of July. "BT have indicated that they will pass on the savings in call termination charges to their customers." Mr Edmonds said he did not believe the cuts would jeopardise the mobile operators' business plans. 'Job cuts' But suggestions of the price cuts had already caused jitters in the stock market last week amid suggestions that tough price controls would force operators to axe jobs and reign back their investment in 3G networks. News of the investigation's findings frightened investors and shares in Britain's major mobile phone operators slipped. Mm02, the former mobile arm of BT Group, is considered to be the most vulnerable as it generates two-thirds of its calls in the UK. Analysts suggested any fall in revenue would hamper plans to invest in new multimedia technology and gain the edge on rivals. . End of article 25.
American Airlines needs
to save another $2bn AMR Corporation, the parent of American Airlines, has described
conditions for its company as "treacherous", as a slow world economy, terrorist
threats and the possibility of a war with Iraq threaten its business.
The group pledged to make savings of $4bn (£2.6bn) in a bid to survive the bleak conditions, but said its performance to date continued to be unacceptable. The news came as AMR reported losses of $529m for the three months to December, and $3.5bn for the whole of 2002 - the largest yearly loss in aviation history. "Clearly, results such as the ones we reported today are unsustainable," said Don Carty, AMR's chairman and chief executive. More cuts The company said it had already identified savings of $2bn but that this was not enough to cope with the falling demand.
"The future of the company cannot be assured until ways are found to lower significantly its labour costs and other costs," said AMR in a statement. Last week, American Airlines asked its employees to help the airline survive by forgoing pay rises. Airline worker unions are currently considering a request to freeze wages and trying to establish a new contract. American Airlines is not alone in trying to reduce its wage bill. Rival United Airlines is also looking to cut its employee wages significantly as it struggles to emerge from bankruptcy protection. But American Airlines claims it has more favourable terms for paying debts and therefore lower costs. Not enough Mr Carty praised staff for their "tremendous strides" so far in cutting costs. The measures include automatic ticket check-ins, cutting down on its domestic schedule and holding off any further purchases. But Mr Carty said: "While there are many factors that impacted our results during 2002, including a sluggish economy, high fuel prices, lingering concerns over terrorism and the possibility of a war in the Middle East, the core issue for our company remains our cost structure that is out of step with the revenue environment facing domestic airlines." He added that the changes to the airline industry now required permanent steps to reduce costs. "We believe that a permanent shift has occurred in the airline revenue environment." . End of article 26.
Firms are operating in
a hostile environment Venezuela's will close its currency markets for five days in an
attempt to stem capital flight.
The country's currency, the bolivar, has lost almost a quarter of its value since the start of the year, while the economy has been crippled by a seven-week opposition strike against President Hugo Chavez. And as the political and financial turmoil increases, more multinational firms are fleeing Venezuela. Microsoft is the latest firm to close its two Venezuelan offices, while Ford Motors has told its employees to leave next week. Breathing space "Trade in foreign currency in the country is suspended for five banking days," Finance Minister Tobias Nobrega and central bank president Diego Luis Castellanos said in a statement.
In the official decree, the Finance Ministry and the central bank are authorised "to establish... temporary measures setting limits and restrictions on the convertibility of the national currency and the transfer of funds abroad". However, it is unclear yet what these measures would be. The government is likely to hope that the suspension will give enough breathing space to either break the strike or come up with measures that stop domestic and foreign investors to move their money abroad. The strikes have focused on Venezuela's oil industry, the country's main earner of hard currency. Bankruptcy fears A general strike against President Hugo Chavez has now paralysed the country for more than 50 days. One person died and more than 20 were injured during street protests on Monday. The stoppage has crippled oil production in the country - the world's fifth largest oil exporter before the strike. There are also growing fuel and food shortages. "A large number of companies are teetering on the brink of bankruptcy and are desperate to find someway to limit the ongoing damage," said Erick Ekvan, a corporate consultant in Caracas. Divided opinion Banks are shut for most of the day, there are long queues to pay utility bills and the shopping malls are empty, Mr Ekvan told the BBC's World Business Report. Public opinion has polarised between those who feel the strike has gone on too long and those who are determined to oust President Chavez at whatever cost. Opposition leaders called the work stoppage to force President Chavez to call early elections, accusing him of concentrating power and plunging the country into recession. . End of article 27.
Nigeria is sub-Sahara
Africa's second largest economy West Africa is determined to press ahead with the launch of its single
currency despite a warning that it could do more harm than good.
"I don't think anybody can convince us that a single African currency is not a good idea," the West African Monetary Institute's David Asante told BBC News Online.
Last week, a report written by staff at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that monetary union would leave most participating countries worse-off than if they had retained their own currencies, because their economies are not properly aligned. Problematic Nigeria? Eight French-speaking countries in West Africa already use a common money, the CFA Franc, as members of the Communaute Financiere Africaine.
These countries are proposing to form a single monetary union with several English speaking countries in West Africa, including Ghana, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. The report raised a red flag over the inclusion of Nigeria, which has a troubled history of economic management and is likely to dominate such a union. The corruption in Nigeria, together with the country's tendency to engage in uncontrolled government spending, would make it an unsuitable partner, the IMF researchers said. Nigeria's dependence on oil - an unstable source of revenues due to volatile prices - was also highlighted as a cause for concern. A matter of opinion "Nigeria will dominate the region's economies with or without a single currency," Mr Asante said. "We take note of the report and move on," he said. The West African Monetary Institute is still having regular consultations with the IMF over the single currency. A spokeswoman from the IMF stressed the report expressed the view of the authors, but did not necessarily constitute the view of the Fund. The next meeting with the IMF about monetary union will take place in Washington in March, with July 2005 set as the target date for monetary union. In the meantime, Mr Asante said member countries were pressing ahead with goals for economic convergence and sensitising the people to the changes. Consolidation trend Several areas of the world have been considering the formation of a single currency following the successful launch of the euro across 12 European countries. Supporters say a single currency can boost intra-regional trade by minimising transaction costs, and is likely to be more stable than individual currencies. But it would also leave the countries' economies ruled by one central bank, making them vulnerable should emergency action - such as devaluation - be required. Most of West Africa's economies are highly volatile, and can be pushed up and down by price movements in the commodity markets. . End of article 28.
Experts say floating
voters are key to this election Dutch voters are going to the polls for the second general election in
less than a year with the result expected to be a cliff-hanger.
The anti-immigration Pim Fortuyn List (LPF), which rocketed into second place in last year's poll after the assassination of its founder, now appears set for virtual political oblivion.
The first indication of the results is expected shortly after 21:00 (20:00 GMT) when polling stations close.
Most polls have showed Labour running neck-and-neck with the Christian Democrats - their traditional rivals before the LPF broke the mould in last year's poll. The Christian Democrats went into coalition with the LPF and free-market VVD (Liberals) following that election. "We are back to what we have always voted," one elderly couple, who had previously voted for Fortuyn's party, told the Dutch news agency ANP. "If they had not killed that poor man everything would have gone differently." Labour boost One eve-of-polls survey predicted an actual Labour victory - virtually doubling their share of seats from 23 to 42 in the 150-seat parliament. The poll, conducted by Interview/NSS, gave the Christian Democrats 40 - down three from their current total and slightly below other recent polls.
Fresh elections were called by Christian Democrat Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende after squabbling within the LPF made the coalition unworkable.
The coalition finally collapsed in October, only five months after the election. A Labour victory would mean Amsterdam Mayor Job Cohen becoming the country's first Jewish Prime Minister. Labour's new-found popularity at the polls has sparked speculation of a possible coalition with the Christian Democrats. Polls suggest the LPF will hold only six or seven of its 26 seats. Its spectacular fall in support is being blamed on several factors. Its original support may have been boosted by a wave of sympathy after the murder of Mr Fortuyn nine days before the poll and voters are thought to have been put off by its bitter internal feuding. Labour's front man A former academic, Job Cohen is attacked by critics as being too soft on immigration. He is a strong supporter of Dutch liberal traditions, and during his time as Mayor he presided over Amsterdam's first legal homosexual marriage. If he becomes prime minister, Mr Cohen would be making history, the country's Jewish Council said. Mr Cohen's parents survived the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands by going into hiding, but his grandparents died in the concentration camp where Anne Frank also perished. The country's Jewish population was devastated by the Holocaust. Of a pre-war population of 140,000, around 120,000 died in Nazi camps. . End of article 29.
After you: The two
leaders shared cabinet meeting France and Germany have begun celebrating 40 years of formal post-war
reconciliation by staging a series of gala events and unveiling major joint
political initiatives.
Two days of celebrations were launched in Paris on Wednesday by French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. The events mark the 1963 Elysee Treaty, signed by France's Charles de Gaulle and Germany's Konrad Adenauer to cement the two countries' post-war ties. In Wednesday's celebrations, the two countries' cabinets came together for a joint meeting. And later the two leaders made spoke at the opening of a historic joint session of the two countries' parliaments at Versailles, outside Paris. Mr Schroeder said the treaty between Berlin and Paris went beyond mere friendship and was a unifying bond between the two societies and peoples on either side of the Rhine. Mr Chirac then said that the two countries would continue to operate "hand-in-hand". 'Shared destiny' Earlier, Mr Chirac and Mr Schroeder emerged from their joint cabinet meeting to declare the significance of the two countries' relationship.
"The German-French shared destiny must be a driving force at the service of Europe. " They also declared their unity on the importance of avoiding war in Iraq. "Germany and France have the same judgment on this crisis," Mr Chirac said.
"We agree completely to harmonise our positions as closely as possible to find a peaceful solution to the Iraq crisis," Mr Schroeder said. BBC News Online's Angus Roxburgh in Brussels says the potential import of the initiatives to be announced is enormous, not just for France and Germany, but for the whole of the European Union.
On the face of it, he says, it is nothing less than an attempt to establish a new core at the heart of European politics - something which may well worry other members of the EU, particularly Britain. Radical moves The overhaul of the Franco-German ties comes against a background of recent dispute on several key policies, including the future shape of the European Union itself. But last week, Paris and Berlin appeared to have solved their differences after reaching a compromise proposal to reform the EU by giving it a dual presidency. "When Berlin and Paris come to agreement, Europe can move ahead. If there is divergence, Europe treads water," Mr Chirac said.
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The terrible
loses sustained by China have left it with an abiding horror of conflict on the
Korean peninsula
China fears a mass
influx of starving North Koreans
Anti-US sentiment is
running high in Seoul
Emerging China: As if business weren't complicated
enough 
Coke: A standardised product in a diverse world
Will the little guy always win in the end?
A surprisingly durable business model
Job Cohen could become
first Jewish PM
The late Pim Fortuyn's party is facing virtual wipe-out
Adenauer and de
Gaulle signed the Elysees Treaty 40 years ago