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To: Les H who wrote (799)	9/30/2001 3:49:33 PM
From: Don Green	Respond to of 49008

Govt To Crack Down On Internet Copyright/Privacy Violations Monday, October 1, 2001 TOKYO (Nikkei)--The Telecommunications Ministry has drawn up a bill to punish those who violate copyrights and an individual's privacy on the Internet, The Nihon Keizai Shimbun learned Sunday. The bill gives victims of such Net abuse the right to call on Internet service providers to disclose the identities of the perpetrators. It also enables the ministry to order ISPs to remove information if ISPs ignore a complainant's request, and to fine providers up to 500,000 yen if they fail to follow the orders. The ministry will submit the bill, aimed at stemming an increase in the infringement of copyrights and privacy on the Net, to the ongoing extraordinary Diet session. However, the legislation could trigger controversy over reconciling the freedom of expression with violating an individual's rights, analysts said. The ministry hopes the legislation will ensure the sound development of the Net community by ensuring relief for victims and that individuals' rights are not violated. The bill covers companies and organizations running Web sites, operators of online bulletin boards and ISPs. Under the bill, ISPs and other entities that receive requests from complainants to eliminate problematic messages will have to ask the authors of the messages whether they can remove them. When the authors approve of the removal or ISPs do not get a reply from them within seven days, the ISPs can eliminate the messages. Should writers decide not to remove their messages, the ISPs will inform the complainants of that decision. In that case, the complainants will have to start a criminal case or launch a civil suit if they insist on the removal of the messages/information. With the specifics remaining unclear, it is left to the telecommunications minister's discretion whether to issue an order or impose penalties in each case. Some analysts warn that this may lead to something close to censorship. (The Nihon Keizai Shimbun Monday morning edition)

To: Les H who wrote (799)	10/1/2001 5:51:14 PM
From: Don Green	Respond to of 49008

World Bank Calls on the Richest Nations To Coordinate Their Economic Policies By DAMIAN MILVERTON Dow Jones Newswires WASHINGTON -- Predicting that the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks could indirectly plunge 10 million people around the world into poverty, officials at the World Bank Monday called for better policy coordination among the richest nations. In a new economic assessment of the attacks on New York and Washington, the World Bank said growth in the developing world will be severely curtailed by the gloomier outlook for the wealthiest economies, particularly the U.S. Finance ministers and central bankers from the group of seven leading industrialized nations are scheduled to meet in Washington Saturday for a meeting that was postponed a week because of the attacks. Nicholas Stern, the World Bank's chief economist, urged this group to continue to show the kind of cooperation that was evident in the wake of Sept. 11, as many of the major central banks dropped interest rates in an effort to minimize economic ripples from the attacks in the U.S. "The major industrial countries are likely to have a greater positive impact if their policies move in the same direction as they did immediately after the attacks," Mr. Stern said. "Building additional coordination into the conduct of economic policy, particularly monetary policy, could help counteract large shocks in the global financial system," he said. The World Bank economist added that fiscal policy "may have to be better-targeted in the coming months," particularly given the need to protect the most vulnerable from the effects of slowing growth. According to revised estimates from the World Bank, advanced economies are seen growing at just 0.9% this year and at between 1% and 1.5% in 2002, compared with 3.4% last year. Before the Sept. 11 attacks, the World Bank was forecasting growth in high-income nations at 1.1% and 2.2% for 2001 and 2002, respectively. Developing countries, particularly Africa, will also be hard-hit by this downturn in the advanced economies, the World Bank said, with capital flows being diverted by investors to only those emerging markets seen to have sound economic and political policies. The developing world is seen growing at 2.8% in 2001 and between 3.5% and 3.8% in 2002, compared with pre-attack predictions of 2.9% and 4.3% growth, respectively. Developing countries grew at a combined rate of 5.5% in 2000, the Bank reported. 1IMF and World Bank Cancel This Year's Annual Meetings (Sept. 17) James Wolfensohn, the World Bank's president, said that the impact of the attacks on the developing world will be measured in millions of people forced into poverty and in the deaths of thousands of children. "We estimate that tens of thousands more children will die world-wide, and some 10 million more people are likely to be living below the poverty line of $1 a day because of the terrorist attacks," Mr. Wolfensohn said. "This is simply from loss of income. Many, many more people will be thrown into poverty if development strategies are disrupted," he said.

To: Les H who wrote (799)	10/3/2001 1:09:08 AM
From: Don Green	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 49008

CHRONICLES: Japanese Baseball Needs To Learn Fair Play Wednesday, October 3, 2001 TOKYO (Nikkei)--Shortly after Yomiuri Giants manager Shigeo Nagashima, "Old No. 3," announced his retirement and Ichiro broke Major League Baseball's 90-year old rookie hits record, the Japanese Professional Baseball commissioner issued a somewhat surprising statement that it was "unfair" that the Daiei Hawks pitched around Kintetsu Buffalo slugger Tuffy Rhodes to prevent him from breaking the single-season home run record. The only player other than Rhodes to hit 55 home runs in a season is Sadaharu Oh, who just happens to be the manager of the Daiei club. If, as has been reported, the free passes given to Rhodes were based on instructions from Daiei pitching coaches "out of respect for their manager," it could be seen as respect for their superiors. Even so, it is a far cry from a fighting spirit based on fair play. Could it be that this type of baseball, the main objective of which is to keep records from being broken, is a symbol of Japanese professional baseball, which is under pressure as its biggest stars jump to the major leagues? Of course, intentional walks, bunts and base stealing are all spelled out in the rule book. But even Ichiro and Tsuyoshi Shinjo have at times been befuddled during their breakout seasons this year by the unwritten rules of Major League Baseball. For instance, it is considered taboo for a base runner to steal a base when his team is winning by a large margin, or for a batter to pump his fists and taunt the pitcher after hitting a home run. Such unwritten rules reflect the spirit of America's pioneer era. Once upon a time, Japan also had an unwritten code of ethics governing battles and competitions known as "bushido," or the way of the warrior. In his book "Bushido," Inazo Nitobe explains that, "If battles had been conducted only under the rules of engagement and had not been supported by a higher code of ethics, the samurai ideal would have collapsed into something far short of 'bushido.'" Ironically, this spirit of fair play, which Nitobe introduced to the world 100 years ago, is now being taught to the Japanese by American baseball. (The Nihon Keizai Shimbun Wednesday morning edition)