ASIA-PACIFIC | Japan's Koizumi Repeats Vows to Speed Bad Loan Write-Offs as S...

ASIA-PACIFIC

Japan's Koizumi Repeats Vows to Speed Bad Loan Write-Offs as Stocks Plunge Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi responded to plunging share prices by vowing to hasten the disposal of dud loans at banks -- the very thing that pushed the Nikkei 225 Stock Average to a 19-year low. More...

NEW ZEALAND: CEO of Meat New Zealand to step down 7 October 2002CEO of Meat New Zealand Neil Taylor has announced his decision to step down in April 2003.

FSA worried about stock plunge's effect on financial system TOKYO, Oct. 8 Kyodo - Financial regulators are concerned about adverse effects of tumbling stock prices on Japan's financial system, Shokichi Takagi, commissioner of the Financial Services Agency (FSA), said Monday. (00 :02)

AMERICAS

Mexican ports accept cargo aimed at U.S. in wake of California work stoppages Mexico's Pacific coast ports are lowering docking rates, expanding storage room and speeding up land deliveries to handle a dramatic increase in ship traffic due to a port shutdown on the U.S. West Coast.

USA

Bush Takes Step Toward Intervening in Week-Old Strike at West Coast Ports President George W. Bush took the first step toward intervening to open U.S. West Coast ports after contract talks between shipping companies and locked- out dockworkers broke off. More...

President Bush Creates 'Board of Inquiry' to Study Port Shutdown 10/7/2002 President Bush has signed an executive order that creates a board of inquiry that will study the shutdown of ports along the U.S. West Coast, a potential first step toward ordering dock workers back to their jobs, two administration officials said.

Port Closure Continues to Crimp Exports - 10/07/2002  With talks stalled this morning, farmers can only hope for outside intervention.

Longshoremen Strike Puts Export Gains in Jeopardy - 10/03/2002  NCBA and USMEF express concerns to governmental officials.

Bush Intervenes in West Coast Port Lockout (Reuters, Oct. 7, 2002; 10:24 AM) Citing concerns about the U.S. economy, President Bush intervened on Monday in the West Coast port lockout by appointing a fact-finding board of inquiry, taking the first step toward ordering union workers back to the docks.