月給アップを呼び掛け 朝青龍が力士会で発言

月給アップを呼び掛け　朝青龍が力士会で発言

　大相撲の横綱朝青龍が１日、愛知県体育館で行われた力士会で月給を上げることを呼び掛けた。自身が会長を務める同会で発言し、他の力士からも賛同を得たという。朝青龍は「（個人としてではなく）みんなの考えだよ。地方では交通費が掛かる人もいるしね」と説明した。

　現在、横綱の月給は282万円と定められている。大関が234万7000円、三役は169万3000円、幕内は130万9000円。十両が103万6000円となっている。

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朝青龍「力士の給与アップ、求めよう」　力士会で提案

2008年7月1日22時44分

　大相撲の幕内、十両力士が集まる力士会で１日、会長を務める横綱朝青龍が「力士給与を上げるよう（相撲協会に）求めよう」と提案した。力士会は愛知県体育館で非公開で開催。原油価格をはじめ物価が上昇する中、力士給与が７年連続で据え置かれていることが理由という。関係者によると、賛同する拍手は起こったものの、正式な決を採ったわけではなく、相撲協会側に対してどう求めるかなどは決まっていない。

　朝青龍は会の後、「みんなの考えでもあると思う。地方場所は交通費もかかるし」と語った。給与は例年、前年１１月の九州場所の際に理事会で決める。月給は幕内で約１３０万円、大関が約２３５万円、横綱が２８２万円。北の湖理事長（元横綱）は「聞いていないから何も言えない」と話した。

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ああ悲しきサラリーマン「年金納付ミス」支払いに応じた企業はわずか１割
2008.7.1 23:42

　厚生年金保険料を給与天引きで支払ったにもかかわらず、勤務先企業が事務ミスなどで国に納付しなかったため未納扱いとなり、年金を満額受給できない人について、総務省の年金記録確認第三者委員会は特例法に基づき、３月末までに３１１件の訂正を認めたが、企業側が未納分の支払いに応じた事例が１割強の４０件にとどまっていることが１日、社会保険庁の調べで分かった。回収できた未納保険料も、未納総額の１割強だった。

　企業の中には「きちんと納めたはずだ」として納付ミス自体を認めないケースもあり、社保庁は半年間の期限内に納付せず、未納が明らかな場合、法律に基づき企業名を公表する。

　３１１件のうち、２０２件は勤務先企業が国への保険料納付を怠っていたケース。１１５件は、会社が倒産するなどして国へ保険料を納付していたかどうか確認できなかったが、本人は給与天引きされていたため救済が認められた。複数の企業に勤務していたため、両ケースに重複した事例も６件あった。

　３１１件の保険料未納総額は２１９０万９５０６円。未納保険料は社保庁が特例法に基づき、企業に納付時効（２年）が過ぎても任意納付を求める。企業が倒産している場合は元役員に対し同様の措置を取る。

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Fears grow for Venezuelan banks

By Benedict Mander

Published: July 1 2008 18:55 | Last updated: July 1 2008 18:55

Fears are mounting in Venezuela that regulations designed to prevent currency speculation and capitalise the banking system could trigger the collapse of several banks and hit sovereign debt prices.

Banks are being forced to sell around $5.6bn in complex financial instruments known as ”structured notes” – payable in dollars but denominated in local currency – that in some cases are now worth as little as half what they paid for them, due to the rapid appreciation this year of the local currency, the Bolivar.

Huge opportunities for currency speculation – due to a widening gap, until recently, between the fixed official exchange rate and the unregulated, parallel exchange rate – have allowed banks paradoxically to be one of the sectors that has most benefited President Hugo Chavez’s self-styled socialist revolution.

But measures taken by the finance ministry this year that have succeeded in causing the parallel value of the Bolivar to strengthen by around 40 per cent has now left a number of banks in trouble.

Many banks used the structured notes to exceed dollar limits on their balance sheets, as they are denominated in Bolivars.

In the most extreme cases, a handful of banks speculated so heavily that they have been left holding notes whose total value exceeds their capital by four to five times.

”There are four or five banks which I am certain will not last for another year,” said Cesar Aristimuño, a local analyst, adding that if just a handful of banks are seriously affected, this could end up damaging the entire system.

”The banks are worried,” he said.

Victor Vargas, the head of the local banking association, played down the effect that the regulations could have on the banks in declarations to local media.

However, he said that the widespread sale of the structured notes, over a third of which are backed by Venezuelan sovereign debt, could have a negative effect on bond prices.

The new regulations have sparked fears that the government may even be planning a wholesale nationalisation of the banking sector, although many analysts cast doubt on such a move.

”The spirit of the new resolution is to stop currency speculation. The government wants to force banks to capitalise and improve their solvency,” said an adviser to the former finance minister, Rafael Isea, who introduced the regulations.

”The government has no intention of damaging any banks, it just wants to straighten things out,” he said.

Banks have enjoyed extremely lax supervision, enabling them to channel a dangerous level of deposits into currency speculation while lending very little to businesses, said the adviser.

Officially, banks have 90 days as of May 19 to sell all their structured notes, although many expect the government to be more flexible.

”The damage to the banking sector will be far greater if the regulations are rigourously applied,” said Gianfranco Bertozzi, an economist at Lehman Brothers in New York.

Although in extreme cases some banks may be forced to sell, merge or even be taken over by the state, Mr Bertozzi says the government has no intention of ending its symbiotic relationship with banks.

”The government needs a healthy and profitable banking sector to survive, as banks indirectly help to fund its spending binge,” he said.

Analysts also note that it is not in the government’s interest to provoke a banking crisis, which may have an unwanted wider impact on the population in the run-up to important regional elections in November.

Nevertheless, Mr Aristimuño sees lean times ahead for Venezuela’s banks. He estimates that, for the next year and a half, banks will be unable to pay dividends, instead obliged to devote all available resources to capitalising their balance sheets.

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Arrests in Turkish coup probe

By Vincent Boland in Ankara

Published: July 1 2008 13:41 | Last updated: July 1 2008 18:58

Two retired Turkish army generals were among 24 people arrested on Tuesday in an investigation into an alleged plot to overthrow the government, adding to tensions that have paralysed political life in Ankara and undermined the financial markets.

The arrests came just hours before Turkey’s chief prosecutor went to the ­constitutional court to set out his case that the ruling ­Justice and Development party (AKP), which has its roots in political Islam, should be shut down because it is trying to impose sharia law.

The party denies the charge and will present its defence on Thursday.

The AKP case and the coup investigation have spooked investors. Turkish stocks closed 6 per cent lower on Tuesday as local investors continued to sell and foreign buyers stayed on the sidelines. The lira – which some analysts say is overvalued by up to 25 per cent – was also weaker against the euro.

The main reason for the sell-off was weaker European markets but the clash between the government and the secular establishment is undermining confidence in Turkish assets. Foreign investors own about 70 per cent of the Istanbul stock market. Analysts say they are refusing to bid for Turkish stocks because they have too many other worries – such as the credit squeeze and soaring oil prices.

Guldem Atabay, chief economist at Ekspres Invest in Istanbul, said the closure of the AKP had already been priced in to Turkish markets but longer-term worries were also weighing on investor sentiment. “Turkey’s political stability is over,” Ms Atabay said. “It will not be restored in the short or medium term.”

Cyprus hopes

Alexander Downer, the former Australian foreign minister, confirmed on Tuesday that he would become United Nations special envoy to the Cyprus peace process, quitting domestic politics this week, Reuters reports from Canberra.

“It’s not going to be a cakewalk,” Mr Downer said. “We played our part in Iraq and Afghanistan. Why not try to fix up Cyprus as well?”

A frequent critic of the UN, Mr Downer was Australia’s longest-serving foreign minister before the conservative government of John Howard lost in elections last November.

The Cyprus position is to be part-time.

The alleged plot to overthrow the government is tied to militant nationalists and “Kemalists” – ardent die-hard followers of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey. He was an arch-secularist who banished Islam from Turkish public life. His most ardent followers claim the AKP is trying to reverse that achievement.

Several retired armed forces personnel have been detained in the investigation, which was launched in June last year after explosives were found in the Istanbul home of a retired general. Generals Hursit Tolon and Sener Eruygur, arrested on Tuesday, are high-profile figures, considerably raising the stakes in the investigation. Other prominent figures held in the ­early-morning swoop were Mustafa Balbay, the Ankara bureau chief of Cumhuriyet, a daily newspaper that is the bible of militant secularism, and Sinan Aygun, chairman of the Ankara Chamber of Commerce.

They are among up to 50 people so far implicated in a group called Ergenekon, the ancient name of the part of central Asia from which the Turks originated.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s prime minister, said “darkness would soon be illuminated” surrounding the alleged plot.

Wolfango Piccoli, an analyst at Eurasia Group in London, said in a note to ­clients that secularists ­suspected the probe was an attempt to harm the reputation of the military. “A reaction by the military by means of a strong statement is likely,” he said, a move that could further inflame the situation.

Turkey’s military has ousted four governments from power since 1960. It failed last year to prevent the appointment of Abdullah Gul, a senior AKP leader, as president. But its intervention sparked a political crisis and a general election that the party won last July in a landslide.

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Exxon attacks Kazakh oilfield delays

By Carola Hoyos in Madrid

Published: July 1 2008 17:22 | Last updated: July 1 2008 17:22

ExxonMobil, the world’s biggest listed integrated energy group, on Tuesday blamed the government of Kazakhstan for delaying the development of the world’s biggest new oilfield, significantly raising the level of acrimony surrounding the troubled project.

Rex Tillerson, Exxon’s chief executive, barely contained his anger as he warned the Kazakh government to stop delaying the development of the field, into which he said a consortium of the world’s biggest energy companies had already invested $17bn (€10.8bn, £8.5bn) but which has yet to produce a barrel of oil or a dollar of revenue.

He said: “It is time for the government of Kazakhstan to stop delaying the project, [to] be supportive of the consortium and see the project through to a successful start-up.”

Christophe de Margerie, chief executive of Total – which is also in the consortium with Eni, Royal Dutch Shell and ConocoPhillips among others – said that he agreed with Mr Tillerson and that Exxon and Total had long believed that earlier start-up dates had been far too optimistic.

However, the usually blunt Mr de Margerie sounded uncharacteristically diplomatic in comparison with his US counterpart.

Previous tensions surrounding the Kashagan project have stayed behind closed doors as oil executives are generally loathe to antagonise governments on whom they depend for access to oil reserves.

Kashagan, which at its peak is expected to pump 1.5m barrels of oil a day, so becoming one of the world’s three largest fields, is now expected to start operations in 2013, two years later than previous forecasts and eight years later than the initial target of 2005.

The field, which lies in the shallow waters of the Caspian Sea, is a huge technical challenge because of floating ice, high reservoir pressure, lethal levels of hydrogen sulphide gas and the environmental sensitivities surrounding native sturgeon and other species.

How an industry can develop the field when its costs are escalating and supplies of labour and equipment are tight has been a large issue of contention among both the partners in the project and between the oil companies and the Kazakh government.

But the relationship became even more strained when Kazakhstan began to demand a bigger slice of the partnership, insisting that Kazmunaigas, its national oil company, joined the group and then raised its share by forcing the other companies to take a smaller stake. Meanwhile, following the trend of oil-rich states demanding a greater share of the profits that come with $140-a-barrel oil prices, the government has also toughened its contract terms.

Last year relations between the two sides hit a nadir when the government stripped Eni of its operating licence for the second phase of the project, which will begin with the start of production. And earlier this week Sauat Mynbayev, Kazakhstan’s energy minister, announced strict new sanctions if deadlines slipped further.

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New Qatar cabinet names woman, adds environment ministry

By Reuters

Reuters - Qatar’s ruler reshaped the cabinet to name a woman as top health official and create an environment ministry in the gas-exporting nation but kept key positions including energy, foreign affairs and finance unchanged.

The Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani expanded the cabinet headed by Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani to include 20 ministers compared with 14 in the previous government, a decree published by the official Qatari News Agency showed.

The reshuffle introduced seven new portfolios, replaced one minister and changed the portfolio of another.

One of the newcomers is a woman, a member of the ruling family, who was appointed as health minister. Her appointment increases the number of women ministers to two.

Qatar is a conservative Gulf Arab state, where tribal and Islamic traditions limit the role of women.

Energy Minister Abdullah al-Attiyah kept his position at the helm of the OPEC exporter’s large oil and gas industry. Qatar, which relies heavily on energy revenue, is the largest exporter of liquefied natural gas.

Youssef Kamal kept the portfolios of finance and economy in the Gulf nation struggling with near record inflation, but the commerce ministry which he oversaw in the previous cabinet was given to a member of the ruling family.

The new ministries introduced in the decree include a ministry for environment, another for culture and a third for international cooperation.

Qatar, which hosts hundreds of thousands of guest workers, said on Thursday its population had almost doubled since 2004 to more than 1.4 million.

Qatar, like fellow Gulf Arab nations, relies heavily on foreign labourers to power a construction boom and energy industry expansions.

The economy of Qatar, like in other Gulf oil exporting nations, is booming on an almost seven-fold increase in crude oil prices since 2002. In April Qatar produced 830,000 barrels per day in April according to a Reuters survey.

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Israel divides but does not define Jewish vote

By Harvey Morris in New York

Published: July 1 2008 19:51 | Last updated: July 1 2008 19:51

Nathan Diament used to play basketball with Barack Obama at Harvard Law School and remembers his college contemporary as a soothing voice of compromise in the student politics of the day.

Almost 20 years later, Senator Obama is an election away from being the first African-American president of the US, while Mr Diament is public affairs director of the Orthodox Union, the most influential umbrella group of the country’s conservative orthodox Jewish communities.

Mr Diament is still an admirer but, when it comes to Middle East policy, he has concerns about people in Mr Obama’s camp whom he believes would pressure Israel too much. “You clearly have people who support Obama who are of that mindset,” he told the Financial Times. “People like former ambassador Kurtzer.”

Daniel Kurtzer is a fellow orthodox Jew who served as US ambassador to Israel until 2005 and now acts as adviser on the Middle East to the Democratic candidate.

A frequent target of criticism in Israel – and even outright abuse from some right-wing politicians, who accuse him of being insufficiently supportive of the host country during his five-year ambassadorship – Mr Kurtzer recently told a ­liberal Jewish forum in New York that administration policy during most of the George W. Bush presidency was “frankly, out to lunch”.

The political differences between Mr Diament and Mr Kurtzer underscore a fierce debate among US Jews about policy towards Israel, one that has been sharpened by recent years of Palestinian violence and Israel’s tactics in suppressing it.

As Mr Obama and John McCain, his Republican rival, pursue a variety of ethnic and religious constituencies in their campaigns for the White House, the lesson of previous elections is that, if it ever existed, there is no longer a “Jewish vote” that responds automatically to unswerving and uncritical support for Israel.

Established and influential right-wing lobbies, such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, now have to compete with smaller newcomers such as JStreet, a dovish pro-peace group that favours more robust US diplomacy to bring Israel and the Palestinians to a peace agreement.

Mr Kurtzer wants a new US president to engage more deeply in the search for peace and has co-written what he calls a “mini­manual” for the next administration that includes advice on how to help both sides make the necessary concessions to achieve it.

From his conservative standpoint, Mr Diament is spokesman for an Orthodox Union campaign that insists such concessions should not include a division of Jerusalem, even if an Israeli government supported it.

That standpoint appeared to receive a boost from Mr Obama this month, when he won a standing ovation ­during a speech to Aipac with his declaration that: “Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided.”

The Democratic candidate’s hawkish statement might have reflected, in part, his desire to deflect a persistent e-mail campaign targeting the Jewish community with claims that he is both anti-Israel and a secret ­Muslim.

However, Obama aides later backtracked on the Jerusalem commitment after it was denounced by Arab leaders such as Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president. They claimed the senator had merely meant the city should not be divided – as it was until 1967 – by physical barriers.

The clarification proved unconvincing and gave an opportunity for Republicans to accuse Mr Obama of flip-flopping on the issue.

Such policy acrobatics are unlikely to have too much impact on election day.

Most US Jews are not ­single issue-voters and they have historically voted overwhelmingly for the Democrats, as Mr Diament acknowledges. “Jews are more liberal on a whole range of issues that Americans care about.”

In the small but increasingly politically-engaged orthodox community, however, the electoral statistics are reversed.

About 70 per cent of orthodox Jews voted for Mr Bush in 2004, a reflection of his tough pro-Israeli stance and social conservatism on issues of concern to both conservative Jews and to the pro-Israeli Christian right.

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Call to follow US on tax rules

By Vanessa Houlder

Published: July 2 2008 03:50 | Last updated: July 2 2008 03:50

Pressure on tax dodgers could be stepped up by adopting a US-style reporting regime for financial institutions, MPs were told on Tuesday.

John Cullinane, a partner at Deloitte, the professional services business, told the Commons Treasury committee that a move to a US-style system was “certainly worth exploring”. The US introduced its rules in 2001 in an attempt to catch US citizens trying to dodge taxes by anonymously investing through foreign institutions.

Under the “qualifying intermediaries” system, the US offers foreign banks exemptions from US withholding taxes on dividends and interest for their non-US clients if they agree to comply with extensive regulations, including disclosing the identity of their US customers. They are not granted this status in jurisdictions that the US considers to be too secretive.

In evidence to the committee’s first session of hearings on offshore financial centres, Deloitte compared the success of the US system, which was “generally credited with an increase in the US tax take in respect of such securities”, with the European Union Savings Directive, which requires banks to exchange data – or even withhold tax – on interest paid to private investors.

Deloitte said: “There has been some criticism that the EUSD is too narrowly focused on interest payments, allowing other forms of investment returns to go unreported.”

The company said there was “increasing willingness” on the part of capital markets to accept and respond to the use of information and reporting powers.

However, Chris Meares, chief executive of HSBC group private banking, said the US had firmly put the compliance burden of its qualifying intermediaries reporting regime on to the industry, but he was sceptical whether the approach would work elsewhere. “It is hard to see every country having the clout to do it.”

He cited statistics from Cap Gemini and Merrill Lynch suggesting that the proportion of investment into offshore jurisdictions had declined from 33 per cent in 1996 to 20 per cent in 2005. This was explained by changes in legislation and increased sophistication of the wealth management industry in onshore jurisdictions, along with greater regulations in offshore centres.

Deloitte said the secrecy and low taxes that originally underpinned many offshore financial centres were playing a diminishing role in their success. “Weak regulation is increasingly viewed as a competitive disadvantage,” it said.

It added that the growing sophistication of onshore tax rules meant there was sometimes little tax benefit to moving offshore. Furthermore, offshore financial centres were not the only jurisdictions with traditional banking secrecy laws.

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Germany sits alone in G8 on nuclear power

By Bertrand Benoit in Berlin

Published: July 2 2008 03:00 | Last updated: July 2 2008 03:00

Germany will be the last of the world's eight leading industrial nations to oppose the use of nuclear power as a clean and durable alternative to coal and gas when G8 leaders meet in Hokkaido, Japan, next Thursday.

With Italy having joined the pro-nuclear camp since the election of Silvio Berlusconi, Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, will now face seven opponents in her effort to water-down a final communiqué that is set to name nuclear power as a prime weapon in the fight against climate change.

This year, however, the confrontation will have particular piquancy as it coincides with the launch by the Christian Democratic Union, Ms Merkel's party, of its biggest public relations offensive in favour of reversing Germany's scheduled phasing-out of nuclear plants.

Ronald Pofalla, secretary-general of the CDU, has said the party will make a renewed push to scrap the phase-out deal ahead of the general election of September 2009. "We are experiencing a renaissance of nuclear energy," Mr Pofalla said, pointing to the UK, Finland and Switzerland as examples of countries that were planning to build power plants.

The CDU thinks Germany, one of the biggest supporters of a tough post-Kyoto agreement on climate, will fail in its pledge to cut emissions unless it allows power companies to extend the lifetime of their plants beyond the 2020 deadline.

Mr Pofalla said the government should forge a deal with power generators to replace the phase-out agreement of 2000, which was negotiated by a coalition of Social Democrats and Greens. This new contract would suspend the phase-out while forcing generators to channel some of their extra profits into lower electricity prices and funding for res-earch into renewable energy.

During Germany's presidency of the G8, Ms Merkel fought for the world's biggest polluters to set themselves binding CO 2 emissions targets and although she did not achieve this goal, she persuaded the US to work towards a successor to the Kyoto protocol when it expires in 2012.

Yet her domestic situation prevented her from joining the chorus of world leaders who see nuclear power as a cheap and safe way to reduce drastically CO 2 emissions until renewable energy is technologically ready for large-scale deployment.

The coalition agreement she signed with her Social Democratic partners in 2005 includes a pledge not to renegotiate the nuclear phase-out during the lifetime of the government.

Ms Merkel's advisers and Bernd Pfaffenbach, her G8 sherpa and fellow CDU member, think departing from this line at next week's summit could cause the SPD to leave the coalition.

Germany alone cannot prevent the climate section of the final communiqué from mentioning growing international support for nuclear energy, but it can block suggestions there is a G8 consensus on the issue.

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株券電子化で緊急要請　金融庁、準備迅速化求める

　金融庁は週内にも、来年1月5日に予定する株券の電子化に向けた対応作業を急ぐよう証券会社に緊急要請する。電子データを管理する証券保管振替機構（ほふり）、日本証券業協会と連携し、システム対応が遅れている証券会社を見つけたら、立ち入り検査など監視を強めることも検討する。電子化後に上場株券を取り扱えない証券会社が出るなど、投資家にも影響する混乱を防ぐ狙いだ。

　株券電子化は約4000社の上場企業の約3800億株分の株券を電子データに置き換え、現在発行されている紙の株券の効力をなくす作業。証券業界は来年初の移行を前提に対応を進めている。ただ「準備状況に温度差があり、非常に危機感を持っている」（日証協の安東俊夫会長）などと、一部の証券会社について取り組みの遅れを指摘する声が出始めている。

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ほふり、証券会社の株券持ち込み件数を制限へ　10月から

　証券保管振替機構（ほふり）は来年1月に予定されている株券の電子化のため、証券会社が株券をほふりに持ち込む件数を10月から制限する。全証券会社からの持ち込み件数が原則として1日あたり1万5000件を超えないよう、証券会社に個別に持ち込み可能件数を割り振る。

　現在のほふりの1日あたり処理実績は5000件程度。来年1月の電子化に向けて駆け込み需要が膨らめば、持ち込みに伴う名義書き換えの事務作業が追いつかなくなる恐れがあるため。

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生保契約者の目厳しく　６社総代会、質問数は大幅に増加

　日本生命保険など相互会社の生保6社が1日、一般企業などの株主総会に相当する総代会を開いた。第一生命保険が株式会社化を表明したのを受け、各社で関連する質問が相次いだほか、業績不振の打開策を問う声も出た。質問数は大幅に増加。総代会はかねて監視機能の形骸化が指摘されてきたが不払い問題などを踏まえ経営に厳しい視線を向ける契約者も増えているようだ。

　契約者を代表する総代から出た質問数は6社計で142。株式会社化の関連などを中心に質問が増加、前年の118を大幅に上回った。第一、明治安田生命保険、住友生命保険の質問数は過去最多となった。

　第一では株式会社化について説明した斎藤勝利社長に対し、「契約者配当と株主配当の配分については慎重な対応を」などといった要望が出た。37の質問のうち、20問が株式会社化に関する内容だった。

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不払い問題、生保10社に改善命令へ　金融庁が週内にも

　金融庁は日本、第一、明治安田、住友など生命保険10社に対し、保険金の不払い問題で業務改善命令を週内にも発動する方向で最終調整に入った。会社側の調査内容や再発防止策を精査した結果、顧客対応がなお不十分と判断した。10社には継続的な監視の下で業務改善を求めるほか、不払いを巡る情報開示の拡充を促し、顧客保護の徹底を図る。

　業務改善命令を出すのは大手4社のほか、大同、富国、三井、朝日の国内計8社と、アメリカンファミリー、アリコジャパンの外資系生保2社。10社を一斉に処分する異例の措置となる。今回の処分は2005年2月の明治安田の業務停止命令から3年半にわたる生保の保険金不払い問題に一定の区切りを付ける意味合いもある。

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日銀、景気見通しを下方修正へ　展望リポート中間点検

　日銀は14、15日の金融政策決定会合で、4月末に公表した「経済・物価情勢の展望（展望リポート）」について中間点検を実施する。短観などの結果を踏まえ、2008年度の景気見通しについて「下振れ」との表現を盛り込み下方修正する方向だ。物価は「上振れ」のリスクを強調する見通しだ。景気減速と物価上昇が同時に進むなかで、日銀の金融政策運営は一段と難しくなりそうだ。

　今回の短観について、日銀内では「景況感や企業収益は厳しくなっているものの、売上高や設備投資の計画などはそこそこ」との見方が多い。現在の経済・物価環境から考えて、ある程度厳しい内容になることは覚悟していたとみられ、大きな驚きはないようだ。

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太陽光パネル、昭和シェルが最大級工場　投資1000億円

　昭和シェル石油は2011年に1000億円強を投じて世界最大級の太陽光発電パネル工場を建設する。年間に生産するパネルの総発電量は原子力発電所1基分に当たる1000メガ（メガは100万）ワット規模。従来型より製造コストが安い新世代型を量産し、シャープなどに次ぐ世界大手に浮上する。住宅向け太陽光パネルは政府が補助金創設の方針を打ち出し、市場拡大が見込まれる。ガソリン販売が減少する中、昭シェルは太陽光パネル事業を新たな収益の柱に育てる。

　昭シェルは銅やインジウムなどの金属化合物を使う新世代太陽光パネル製造の独自技術を持つ。現在主流の従来型はシリコンを大量に使うが、シリコンは需給逼迫（ひっぱく）で価格が高騰している。シリコンを使わない金属化合物型のコスト競争力が高まったため大型投資に踏み切る。

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バイオエタノール、ブラジルから調達　石油元売り各社

　【サンパウロ＝檀上誠】新日本石油など日本の石油元売り各社はブラジルから、サトウキビから作るバイオエタノールの長期調達を始める。「バイオガソリン」の原料として2010年をめどに年間20万キロリットルを輸入する。国内事業者がバイオエタノールを長期調達するのは初めて。本格普及を前に、安定調達先を確保する。

　元売り各社で構成する「バイオマス燃料供給有限責任事業組合」と、ブラジルの製糖・エタノール会社のコペルスカールが2日、ブラジリアで覚書を結ぶ。調達にあたり、自然環境に悪影響を与えていない方法で栽培されたサトウキビの使用を条件に加える。

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日清オイリオ、チョコ原料を新興国に供給

　日清オイリオグループは2009年度にも、チョコレート原料の油脂をロシア、ブラジルなど新興国市場に供給し始める。生産拠点であるマレーシア工場の生産能力を09年度初めに約10万トンへ倍増させ、供給先を現在の欧州から一気に広げる。投資額は約50億円。チョコレートについてはロッテグループもベルギー企業の買収を決めており、新興国の需要増加を受けた食品各社の動きが活発になってきた。

　増産するチョコ原料油脂は「パーム油」。チョコ原料油脂は本来カカオ豆から抽出する脂肪分（カカオバター）を原料とするが、カカオ豆産地がアフリカなどに偏在。世界的に需給がきつくなっており、量的に安定調達しやすいパーム油を代替品として使う企業が増えている。

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住商、サウジで発電・造水事業　総事業費6000億円

　住友商事はサウジアラビアで発電・造水事業に乗り出す。総事業費は約6000億円で日本企業による海外発電事業としては過去最大。経済発展と人口増が続く中東産油国では電力・水不足の深刻化が懸念されている。住商は日本にとって最大の原油輸入相手国であるサウジのインフラ整備に協力することで、日本のエネルギー安定調達につなげる。日本政府も公的融資などで事業を支援する。

　サウジの東部湾岸のラスアズズールに石油火力発電所と海水淡水化設備を組み合わせた大型プラントを建設する。発電能力は100万キロワットと日本の通常の原子力発電1基分に相当する。造水能力は世界最大の日量100万トンで、日本の家庭なら300万人強の生活用水を賄える。サウジ全体の給水能力を3割押し上げる効果があるという。来年2月に着工し、2012年の運転開始を目指す。

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埼玉県内の路線価6.3％上昇、16年ぶり下落地点なし

　関東信越国税局が1日発表した埼玉県内の2008年分の路線価（1月1日時点）は住宅、商業、工業地を含む標準宅地平均（1平方メートルあたり）は11 万9000円と6.3％上がった。上昇は2年連続。上げ幅は前年（1.8％）を大きく上回った。税務署ごとの最高路線価をみると、1992年以来16年ぶりに下落地点が姿を消した。

　県内15税務署の最高路線価では上昇地点が12地点に上った。前年まで下落していた熊谷や横ばいだった上尾などが上昇に転じ、前年の8カ所から1.5倍に増えた。横ばいは3カ所。前年に2カ所あった下落地点はなくなった。

　最高路線価の上昇率トップはＪＲ川口駅東口駅前ロータリー。29.1％上昇し、164万円だった。4年前に比べて約2倍になった。続いて川口駅東口の駅前産業道路が29.0％と続き、川口駅前の上昇が際だつ。駅周辺ではここ数年、キュポ・ラなど大型商業施設の開業が相次いだことが地価上昇をけん引している。

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エビ養殖詐欺、黒岩会長を逮捕　総額650億円集金か

　投資会社「ワールドオーシャンファーム」（東京、破産手続き中）がエビ養殖事業への投資名目で多額の資金を集めた事件で、警視庁生活経済課などは2日、組織犯罪処罰法違反（組織的詐欺）の疑いで、同社会長の黒岩勇容疑者（59）を逮捕した。同社幹部十数人の逮捕状も取り、同日中に逮捕する方針。黒岩容疑者らは全国約4万人から総額約650億円を集めたとされる。同課などは事業の活動実態がないことから、当初から出資金をだまし取る目的だったとみている。

　調べによると、黒岩容疑者らは2005―07年、「フィリピンに東京ドームの約450倍のエビ養殖場がある。投資すれば1年で2倍になる」とうそをつき、個人投資家ら30人から出資金約1億1900万円をだまし取った疑い。

　エビ養殖事業の投資先とされたフィリピン・ルセナ市の現地法人のエビ養殖場は、整備されていない「ため池」のようなもので、事業の活動実態はなかった。

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エビ養殖のワールドオーシャンファーム、黒岩会長を逮捕　警視庁など
2008.7.2 13:03

警視庁に入る「ワールドオーシャンファーム」会長の黒岩勇容疑者＝２日午後０時２４分警視庁に入る「ワールドオーシャンファーム」会長の黒岩勇容疑者＝２日午後０時２４分

　エビ養殖事業に投資すれば高配当を得られるとして、多額の資金を集めた投資会社「ワールドオーシャンファーム」（東京都台東区）による詐欺事件で、警視庁と兵庫県警などの合同捜査本部は２日、組織犯罪処罰法違反（組織的詐欺）の疑いで同社会長、黒岩勇容疑者（５９）を逮捕した。他に同社幹部ら１７人の逮捕状も取っており、順次逮捕する方針。

　調べによると、黒岩容疑者はエビ養殖事業への投資を持ちかけ、出資者約３０人から約１億２０００万円をだまし取った疑い。黒岩容疑者は「だますつもりはなかった」と容疑を否認している。

　同社は平成１３年７月に設立。「フィリピンにエビを育てる東京ドーム４５０個分の養殖場がある」「１０日ごとに出資額の約０・０５％を分配し、１年後には倍になって戻る」などと、１口１０万円で出資金を募り、全国４万人から６５０億円に達するとみられている。

　同社は、昨年１月に事実上配当を停止し、５月には「台風が養殖場を直撃した」などとして支払いの延期を通知するなど破綻（はたん）状態に陥っていた。警視庁では７月に全国２８カ所を詐欺容疑で家宅捜索し、今年２月には捜査員をフィリピンに派遣していた。

　捜査本部は、現地には整備されていない溜池しかなく、養殖事業の実態はなかったと判断した。

　黒岩容疑者は、知人名義のパスポートでフィリピンに出国したとして、旅券法違反と入管難民法違反で逮捕・起訴され、今年５月に懲役３年、執行猶予５年（求刑懲役３年６月）の有罪判決を受けていた。

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エビ養殖投資詐欺で会長を逮捕、４万人から６５０億円集める

　フィリピンでのエビの養殖事業に投資すれば高配当が得られるとして、約４万人から約６５０億円を集めたとされる東京都の投資会社「ワールドオーシャンファーム」（破産）による巨額詐欺事件で、警視庁などの合同捜査本部は２日、同社会長の黒岩勇容疑者（５９）を組織犯罪処罰法違反（組織的詐欺）と詐欺容疑で逮捕した。

　捜査本部は、このほか同社幹部ら１７人の逮捕状を取っており、同日中にも逮捕する。

　黒岩容疑者らは、集めた資金のうち約４８億円を米国に送金、昨年４月に米連邦捜査局（ＦＢＩ）に「犯罪に関与した資金の疑いがある」として口座を凍結されたほか、国内に少なくとも約７億円を隠していたことも分かっており、同庁などは、マネーロンダリング（資金洗浄）容疑でも追及する。

　同庁幹部によると、黒岩容疑者らは昨年１～５月ごろ、会員約３０人に「１０日ごとに配当が入り、１年で元本の２倍になる」と偽って、匿名組合を受け皿にした１口１０万円の投資話を持ち掛け、計約１億２０００万円をだまし取った疑い。

　同社は２００５年ごろから全国で会員を募集。配当は昨年１月ごろから滞り、同５月末には「民事再生法の適用手続きをしたい」と、事実上の経営破たんを会員に通知した。

　警視庁は昨年７月、同社など二十数か所を捜索するとともに、フィリピンに捜査員を派遣、養殖場はため池程度の広さしかなく、運営する現地法人もほとんど活動していなかったことを確認した。当初支払っていた配当も集めた資金から充当していたとみられる。

　同月には本社が閉鎖。黒岩容疑者も行方不明になったが、同１２月下旬に偽造旅券でフィリピンから帰国したところを旅券法違反容疑などで警視庁に逮捕され、今年５月３０日、懲役３年、執行猶予５年の有罪判決を受けていた。

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番頭はん、あんたクビや…ノーリツ鋼機人事“舞台裏”

　東証１部上場のミニラボ（写真現像・焼き付け機）トップメーカー、ノーリツ鋼機（和歌山市）の株主総会で、社長に内定していた喜田孝幸副社長（５７）らを取締役に選任する会社側提案が覆され、創業家側が提案した新経営陣が選ばれた。新社長にはセイコーインスツルメンツ社長を務めた茶山幸彦氏（６０）が就任、改めて「創業家強し」を印象づけた。激突のウラにあるものは－。

　アデランスホールディングスでは、社長らの取締役再任案が外資系投資ファンドの反対で否決されたが、ノーリツ鋼機の場合は創業家側の反対で５人の取締役のクビが飛んだ。

　創業家を代表するのが土屋佳代氏。創業者の西本貫一氏（故人）の長女で、西本家の資産管理会社、西本興産の社長だ。西本興産はノーリツ鋼機の発行済み株式の４１．４％を所有している筆頭株主。土屋佳代氏個人は４．９％の２位株主。土屋氏の母親の西本美代子氏も１．６％を保有し、創業家で４７．９％の株式を保有している。

　創業者の西本貫一氏は立志伝中の人物だ。「日中戦争従軍中に左腕を負傷したため、家業の農業を継ぐことを断念。１９４３年に郷里の和歌山市で写真館を開業したのが、写真にかかわるきっかけになった」（地元関係者）という。

　左腕が不自由なため、自動化を考えざるを得なくなり、水車の原理を応用した印画紙の自動水洗機を開発した。これを機に５６年、前身のノーリツ光機製作所を設立した。

　大飛躍するのは７６年。カラー写真の現像からプリントまで４５分でできるミニラボを開発した。スーパーに設置されたＤＰＥコーナーでフィルムを渡すと、買い物を済ませたころに写真を受け取ることができるというスグレモノだった。

　ミニラボの改良型が米国をはじめ世界で大ヒットして、世界シェアの５０％強を占めるまでになった。２００８年３月期の売上高は６２６億円で、経常利益４８億円。海外での売上高が８５．８％を占め、国内よりも世界で名が通る。

　西本貫一氏は０５年８月に９０歳で他界したが、亡くなるまで社長を務め、代表権を１人で持ち続けた。社長歴４９年は上場企業の社長在任の最長記録。「入院中も稟議書に目を通し、陣頭指揮を執った」（関係者）

　西本氏の死去後、経営陣が手がけたのは、西本路線の軌道修正だった。写真はデジカメ時代へと大きく転換し、ミニラボ市場が縮小したためだ。

　「ノーリツ鋼機はデジタルミニラボで富士フイルムやセイコーエプソンとの提携を打ち出した。国内でＤＰＥ市場が急速に縮小していくことに対する生き残り策だ。これに創業家が不満だった。ノーリツ鋼機はＤＰＥ店向け、富士フイルムとセイコーエプソンは写真館向けという違いはあったがミニラボでは同業者。かつてのライバル企業と手を組むことが許せなかった。提携戦略を中心となって進めてきたのが技術畑出身の喜田副社長。その喜田氏が新社長候補になり、創業家の怒りが爆発した」（写真業界関係者）

　使用人とみなされていた経営陣が、創業家をないがしろにする動きを見せたため、“番頭”の喜田氏をクビにしたというのが今回の人事の実情だ。

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ブログ：世界一は日本語　言語別発信、英語上回る　総務省

　インターネットで公開されている国内のブログは０８年１月末現在で約１６９０万あり、国内のネット利用者（約８８１１万人）の約２割が利用し、記事総数は約１３億５０００万本と、単行本約２７００万冊の情報量に匹敵することが２日、総務省情報通信政策研究所の調査報告書でわかった。０４年以降に急増したブログの本格的な実態調査は国内初めて。

　報告書は、同時に米国の会社による調査結果（削除済み分を含む）を紹介。ブログは世界に約７０００万あり、使用言語別では日本語が約３７％と、２位の英語約３６％、３位の中国語約８％を抑えてトップとなり、日本人のブログ好きが浮かび上がった。

　調査は今年２月、ネット上の情報を自動収集するシステムと、全国の１５歳以上のブログ開設経験者に対するアンケートなどを用いて行った。ブログ開設の動機は、日々の出来事を日記風に書くことでストレス解消に役立てる「自己表現型」が全体の３０．９％で最も多く、開設者は１０～２０歳代の割合が約４割と高い。自分の関心のあるテーマで知り合いを求める「コミュニティー形成型」が２５．７％、自分の趣味について情報を整理・公開する「アーカイブ型」が２５．０％と続き、若者だけでなく、３０～４０歳代を含む幅広い年齢層に利用されている。

　国内のブログのうち、１カ月以内に１回以上、記事を更新するブログは全体の２割弱の約３００万。新たに開設されるブログは毎月４０万～５０万程度あり、ブログの閲覧者が意見や感想を書き込むコメントは１記事当たり１．５本前後あるなど、活発な情報交換が行われていることもわかった。

　また、約３００万のうち約１２％が「スパム（迷惑）ブログ」に該当。内訳は、販売誘導が３８．３％で最も多く、広告収入目的が１７．１％、アダルト・出会い系サイトへの誘導が７．０％と続いた。

　ブログは主要なブログサイトが登場した０４年ごろから世界で普及した。

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公益法人：廃止方針１０未満に　経費削減総額明示見送り

　政府が行政と密接な関係にある３５０の公益法人を対象に実施した集中点検を受けた改革案の概要が１日、明らかになった。廃止方針を打ち出すのは、経済産業省所管の貿易保険機構、厚生労働省所管の厚生労働問題研究会など１０法人未満にとどまり、経費削減総額の明示も見送る。４日に正式発表する。

　「骨太の方針０８」は（１）無駄な支出の根絶（２）随意契約の実質的な全廃（３）役員報酬の抑制－－などによって公益法人の「大幅な削減」を実現すると打ち出したが、各府省が集中点検に十分な時間を取れず、踏み込んだ内容にならなかった。

　改革案によると、国や独立行政法人との随意契約は一般競争入札に切り替えさせ、国の補助金による不要な事業も見直す。こうした取り組みを通じて、必要性の乏しい公益法人に「自主廃業」を促す方針だ。

　０６年度実績では約２０００の公益法人が国や独法から財政支出を受けており、総額は約９０００億円に上る。しかし、改革による経費節減効果は「現時点で推定できない」（政府筋）として、０９年度予算編成に向けて引き続き精査する。

　公益法人のあり方は、国土交通省による道路特定財源の不適切な支出を契機に問題化。今回の点検とは別に国交省は関連５０法人を１６法人に削減する方針を決めている。

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コレステロール：「悪玉」成分　東北大教授らが解明

　「悪玉」と呼ばれるＬＤＬコレステロールのうち、動脈硬化を促進するのは成分の一つの「酸化ＬＤＬ」であることを、東北大の片桐秀樹教授（代謝学）らがマウスの実験で確かめた。１日付の米医学誌「サーキュレーション」に掲載された。

　酸化ＬＤＬはＬＤＬコレステロールが酸化したもので、ＬＤＬコレステロール全体の中のごくわずかな成分。

　片桐教授らは、高ＬＤＬコレステロール血症のマウスの肝臓に酸化ＬＤＬを蓄積させる遺伝子を導入。血液中のＬＤＬコレステロール全体の量はほとんど減らさずに、酸化ＬＤＬだけを３分の１程度に下げた状態を作り出した。

　４週間後、普通の高ＬＤＬコレステロール血症マウスは全身の動脈硬化の病変部分が実験前より約４割増加。一方、酸化ＬＤＬだけを減らしたマウスは動脈硬化がまったく悪化しなかった。また動脈硬化促進物質の過酸化脂質などの血中濃度も減少した。

　ＬＤＬコレステロールは細胞膜の材料などになる物質もあり、薬でＬＤＬコレステロール全体を下げ過ぎることを懸念する専門家もいる。片桐教授は「酸化ＬＤＬだけを減少させる治療法が開発できれば、安全に動脈硬化の進行を抑制し、心筋梗塞（こうそく）の発症予防ができるようになる可能性がある」と話している。

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W Bank in 'grave' water crisis
Palestinian villages fill communal water storage

Israeli human rights group B'Tselem says the West Bank is facing grave water shortages largely because Israel's "discriminatory" policies.

The group criticises the distribution of joint water resources and limits placed by Israel on the Palestinian Authority's ability to drill new wells.

"It will have serious repercussions on the economy and health," B'Tselem said.

West Bank per capita water use is about 66 litres a day - just two-thirds of the recommended international minimum.

The accumulated effects of a series of dry years would make matters worse in the months to come, the group added.

"The shortage will have serious repercussions on the economy and the health of tens of thousands of Palestinians"
B'Tselem

Obstacles to peace: Water

Per capita water consumption by Israeli settlers in the West Bank is 3.5 times that of Palestinians, B'Tselem says.

Water consumption per head of the population is calculated by including the consumption of livestock.

In some parts of the northern West Bank, a largely agricultural area, consumption is far below the overall average, B'Tselem says.

"The chronic water shortage results in large part from Israel's discriminatory policy in distributing the joint water resources in the West Bank and the limits it places on the Palestinian Authority's ability to drill new wells," its statement says.

A recent United Nations report highlighted water shortages in the Gaza Strip, and said a lack of spare parts and fuel meant sewage plants could not function properly.

The Israeli military administration in the West Bank had no immediate comment about the B'Tselem report.

A spokesman for Israel's water supplier told Jerusalem Post that it provided 500 million cubic meters per year, which is 30% more than required under peace accords signed in the mid-1990s.

He said Israel was facing water cutbacks and severe shortage itself but continued to increase supply to Palestinians in the West Bank.

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UAE sheikh guilty of hotel attack
Silvano Orsi

The brother of the UAE president has been found guilty in a Swiss court of beating a US citizen with a belt at a hotel bar in Geneva in 2003.

The tribunal fined Sheikh Falah al-Nahyan 10,000 Swiss francs (£4,930, $9,820). In addition he received a suspended penalty of 540,000 francs.

The judgement said that the sheikh repeatedly hit Silvano Orsi with a steel-buckled belt.

Sheikh Nahyan, who maintains his innocence, is expected to appeal.

The court said the sheikh inflicted "bodily harm with the use of a dangerous object" on Mr Orsi, a resident of Rochester, New York, after Mr Orsi declined an offer of a bottle of champagne from the sheikh.

The sheikh also has to pay costs for the lawyers and the proceedings amounting to 2,879 Swiss francs (US $2,829), the court ruled.

Mr Orsi, who had sought damages for injuries, said he was happy with the judgement.

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Mediterranean diet 'cuts cancer'
Mediterranean diet

Adopting just a couple of elements of the Mediterranean diet could cut the risk of cancer by 12%, say scientists.

A study of 26,000 Greek people found just using more olive oil alone cut the risk by 9%.

The diet, reports the British Journal of Cancer, also includes higher amounts of fruits, vegetables, cereals, and less red meat.

A separate study found adding broccoli to meals might help men vulnerable to prostate cancer cut their risk.

"It shows there are a number of things you can do, and there is no one 'superfood' that can stop you developing the disease"
Sara Hiom
Cancer Research UK

The Mediterranean diet came under scrutiny after researchers noticed lower rates of illnesses such as heart disease in countries such as Spain and Greece.

They noticed that people living there generally ate more vegetables and fish, less red meat, cooked in olive oil and drank moderate amounts of alcohol.

The latest study is one of the largest yet to look at the potential impact on cancer of the various parts of this diet.

'No superfood'

Researchers from Harvard University persuaded thousands of Greek people of various ages to record their food intake over an eight-year-period.

Broccoli

Their adherence to the Mediterranean diet was ranked using a scoring system, and the group with the worst score compared with those who followed a couple of aspects of the diet, and those who followed it the most closely.

The biggest effect they found - a 9% reduction in risk - was achieved simply by eating more "unsaturated" fats such as olive oil.

But just two changes - eating less red meat, and more peas, beans and lentils, cut the risk of cancer by 12%.

Dr Dimitrios Trichopoulos, who led the study, said: "Adjusting one's overall dietary habits towards the traditional Mediterranean pattern had an important effect."

Sara Hiom, from Cancer Research UK, said the research highlighted the importance of a healthy balanced diet.

"It shows there are a number of things you can do, and there is no one 'superfood' that can stop you developing the disease."

Broccoli benefit

The other study suggesting that food had the power to prevent cancer came from the Institute of Food Research in Norwich.

Scientists compared the effects of adding 400 grams of broccoli or peas a week to the diet of men at high risk of prostate cancer - and in the case of broccoli found differences in the activity of genes in the prostate which other studies have linked to cancer.

Their findings raised the possibility that broccoli, or other "cruciferous" vegetables, such as cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, could help prevent or slow down the disease, particularly if the man had a particular gene variant - GSTM1.

Professor Richard Mithen, who led the research, published in the Public Library of Science journal, said: "Eating two or three portions of cruciferous vegetables per week, and maybe a few more if you lack the GSTM1 gene - should be encouraged."

Professor Karol Sikora, medical director of CancerPartnersUK, said the study was the first time in a properly controlled clinical trial that broccoli had been shown to change the expression of specific genes in the prostate gland.

"Although the observation period was too short and the numbers too small to show that the incidence of cancer actually fell, it is the first clear demonstration that broccoli and presumably other cruciferous vegetables may well reduce cancer risk."

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Dutch smoking ban goes into force
Amsterdam cafe - file photo

A tobacco smoking ban has come into effect in cafes, bars and restaurants in the Netherlands.

The country is following a growing trend across Europe and the world of bans on smoking in public places.

Pro-smoking lobbyists say the ban will lead to a drop in business, but others say any losses will be made up by non-smokers going out more.

Patrons of cannabis cafes will still be allowed to smoke marijuana as long as it is not mixed with tobacco.

Possession of cannabis is illegal in the Netherlands, but holders of small amounts are not prosecuted. Smoking cannabis is permitted in licensed cafes.

A Rotterdam cinema handed out free cigarettes on Monday night, hours before the ban came into force on Tuesday.

Dutch coffee shops weed out tobacco

Vaporiser

One hospitality industry forecast said there has been an increase in the number of businesses up for sale ahead of the ban, as owners anticipated slower business because of smokers staying away from restaurants, cafes and bars.

But other studies suggested that their numbers would be replaced by non-smokers going out more to enjoy a night out in a cleaner environment.

Any businesses caught allowing customers to smoke would be warned and repeat offenders would face escalating fines, Chris Krikken, a spokesman for the Food and Wares Authority charged with enforcing the ban, told the Associated Press.

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Doubt over date for Brit invasion
Roman soldiers (AP)

Julius Caesar's invasion of Britain in 55BC could not have occurred on the dates stated in most history books, a team of astronomers have claimed.

The traditional view is that Caesar landed in Britain on 26-27 August, but researchers from Texas State University say this cannot be right.

Dr Donald Olson, an expert on tides, says that the English Channel was flowing the wrong way on this date.

They instead favour an invasion of the south coast at Deal on August 22-23.

The claims appear in the latest issue of Sky & Telescope magazine.

Caesar came to Britain with 100 warships and two legions comprising 10,000 men. But as he approached Dover's white cliffs, spear-wielding Celtic warriors lined up along the ridge, prompting the Roman leader to look for a better landing spot.

He ordered his fleet to move along the coast, and after travelling about seven miles they came to "an open and flat shore".

What has been a matter of some debate is whether Caesar sailed left or right and when exactly his armada landed.

Astronomical solution

Caesar mentioned strong tides, a full Moon and an ocean current. The astronomers Edmund Halley and George Airy previously used this information to try to solve the problem. But they disagreed with each other's conclusions.

Dr Olson identified August 2007 as a rare opportunity to investigate the question of when Caesar landed.

White cliffs of Dover (BBC) During this month, complex tidal factors involving the Moon and Sun would unfold in a near-perfect replay of those in August of 55 BC. So the researchers conducted an expedition to the south coast of England in order to investigate their idea.

On the day which corresponded closely to the traditional date for the invasion, Dr Olson carried out a basic experiment - dropping an apple into the sea off Deal pier at roughly the time of afternoon when Caesar described the fleet moving.

The apple floated south-west towards Dover, suggesting that the Roman fleet could not have travelled up to Deal from Dover on that day.

"The English Channel was flowing the wrong way," said Dr Olson.

Caesar's account led the researchers to focus on a possible invasion date a few days earlier.

On the day corresponding to the revised date of 22-23 August, the team chartered a sightseeing boat and took GPS readings to determine how the boat was drifting.

They found the boat was floating north-east towards Deal.

The Texas team's revised date gives Caesar the ocean current he needed to manoeuvre right, proceed seven miles, and land with a falling tide near present-day Deal.

This is the beach preferred by most historians but rejected by tide experts in the past. A modified reading of Caesar's reference to the "night of a full Moon" also leads to the August 22-23 date, Dr Olson claimed.

"The scientists were right about the tidal streams and so were the historians about the landing site," he explained.

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派遣会社の手数料開示　自民、公明が労働者派遣法改正で基本方針
2008.7.2 13:05

　自民、公明両党の「新雇用対策に関するプロジェクトチーム」（座長・川崎二郎元厚労相）は２日、低賃金や違法労働などが指摘される派遣労働の問題改善に向け（１）派遣会社が得る手数料（マージン）の開示義務付け（２）日雇い雇用の原則禁止－を柱とする労働者派遣法改正の基本方針を固めた。

　与党で近く案をまとめ、これを基に厚労省は８月下旬にも召集される臨時国会に労働者派遣法改正案を提出する方針だ。

　関係議員によると、派遣会社の過大な手数料取得に歯止めをかけるため、これまで非公開だった手数料の情報開示を義務付ける。雇用形態が極めて不安定な日雇い雇用は、通訳など専門性が高い特定業種に限り例外的に認める。

　舛添要一厚生労働相は日雇い派遣の原則禁止を検討する考えを既に表明。具体的内容は、労使の代表者らが参加する厚労省の労働政策審議会で議論される見通しだ。

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ＥＵの不法移民対策、南米首脳が非難
2008.7.2 16:48

　南米アルゼンチンからの報道によると、南米の関税同盟、南部共同市場（メルコスル）首脳会議が１日、アルゼンチンのトゥクマン州で開かれ、欧州連合（ＥＵ）の欧州議会が不法移民対策を強化するため共通法制案を承認したことに対し「受け入れられない」と非難する宣言文書を採択した。

　各首脳は、共通法制が帰国を拒否する不法滞在者に対し、国外退去だけでなく１８カ月未満の身柄拘束などの措置を命じることができるとしている点に懸念を表明。「ひと昔前の外国人嫌悪の時代に逆行するもの」（アルゼンチンのクリスティナ・フェルナンデス大統領）、「野蛮人のやること」（ベネズエラのチャベス大統領）などの声が上がった。

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税未納データ勝手に変更し、わいろ１０００万円　国税徴収官ら逮捕
2008.7.2 18:47

　相続税徴収に関して便宜を図った見返りに現金を受け取ったとして、横浜地検は２日、加重収賄容疑で、東京国税局厚木税務署の元上席国税徴収官、林英一容疑者（４５）を、贈賄容疑で厚木市の不動産賃貸業、八田幸一容疑者（３８）を逮捕した。いずれも容疑を大筋で認めている。

　調べでは、林容疑者は昨年９月中旬～１０月上旬、八田容疑者の相続税の未納分約５０００万円について、署内の電算システムを不正に操作して未納分がないように見せかけ、相続税徴収のために設定された抵当権を抹消する手続きを行い、その見返りとして八田容疑者から現金計１０００万円を受け取った疑い。

　国税当局の内部調査で発覚、情報提供を受けた同地検が捜査を進めていた。

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ＦＸ業者の６割、法令違反　監視委が初の特別検査

2008年7月2日18時49分

印刷

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　証券取引等監視委員会は２日、外国為替証拠金取引（ＦＸ）業者に対する初めての特別検査の結果を発表した。検査が終了した６３社の６割にあたる３９社で、顧客資産の管理や財務の健全性などにからむ法令違反が見つかった。サブプライムローン問題に伴う為替相場の混乱でＦＸ業者の破産も相次ぎ、監視委は慎重な業者選びを呼びかけている。

　業者の破産では、顧客が取引の担保として預けた証拠金が戻ってこないケースも複数発生。事態を重く見た監視委は昨年１１月以降、全国の財務局と協力してＦＸ業者の重点立ち入り検査を進めてきた。

　その結果、顧客から預かった資金を業者の資金と区分していない事例が１８社で見つかり、顧客資金を従業員の給料や社長への貸し付けに流用していた事例もあった。財務面でも、健全性の目安となる自己資本規制比率が正しく計算されていないなどの事例が１７社。純財産額が最低基準の５千万円に満たない業者も４社見つかった。悪質な７社については、金融庁に行政処分を行うよう勧告した。

　０５年の規制強化で問題となった飛び込み勧誘による被害は減ったものの、監視委は「ＦＸ業界の法令順守態勢はなお不十分」とみており、今後も監視を強めていく。