Kuwait official reportedly sees oil staying above $100

Kuwait official reportedly sees oil staying above $100
Reuters
Reuters - Sunday, August 3 08:52 am

KUWAIT (Reuters) - Oil was unlikely to fall below $100 per barrel as strong demand from emerging economies such as China and India put a floor under prices, a member of Kuwait's top oil council said in remarks published on Sunday.
(Advertisement)

Concerns about the economy of the United States and falling oil demand in developed countries have knocked crude from a July record of $147 a barrel to $125 on Friday.

"I don't think that prices will return to the record level, nor will they fall below $100 per barrel," Khaled Boodai told al-Seyassah newspaper.

"I think that the price ... will stabilise," said Boodai, a member of the Gulf Arab state's Supreme Petroleum Council.

The official reiterated that Kuwait's proven oil reserves stood at 100 billion barrels.

The size of Kuwait's reserves has been the topic of public debate since industry newsletter Petroleum Intelligence Weekly (PIW) reported in 2006 that reserves were just 48 billion barrels -- about half what was officially stated.

"What some media reported that Kuwait's oil reserves are less than that is wrong and not based on scientific record, on the contrary, there are new discoveries," Boodai said.

In June, four Kuwaiti parliament members proposed a bill requiring a detailed update on reserves and linking future output to actual reserves.

If the reserves were lower that officially stated, then the bill could force the OPEC exporter to cut oil output. The bill could only be enacted after approval from parliament and the ruler.

Boodai also reiterated Kuwait aimed to increase output to 4 million bpd by 2020.

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Rio Tinto says Guinea goes back on iron ore concession
AFP
AFP - Sunday, August 3 07:32 am

SYDNEY (AFP) - Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto said Sunday a concession which potentially could open a massive new iron ore field in west Africa appeared to have been rescinded.
(Advertisement)

In a statement issued on Friday, Rio Tinto said it received correspondence from Guinea President Lansana Conte "purporting to rescind the Simandou Mining Concession".

A company spokeswoman said the situation had not changed since then.

Located in the west African country of Guinea, Simandou is said by analysts to have potential to become one of the world's major iron ore resources.

Rio Tinto said it believed it had conformed with Guinean law and would be considering the situation.

"In conjunction with its partner in the project, International Finance Corporation, Rio Tinto is currently studying the issues raised in the correspondence," the company statement said.

"Rio Tinto remains confident that its arrangements are in all respects in conformity with Guinean laws and that it has complied with its obligations.

"Rio Tinto negotiated and executed the Simandou mining concession in full transparency with the Guinean government and is currently in discussion with relevant ministers with a view to resolving any issues."

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Liechtenstein bank allegedly stung in 13 mln dlr blackmail bid
AFP
AFP - Sunday, August 3 12:05 am

BERLIN (AFP) - A bank in the tiny Alpine principality of Liechtenstein, which has been rocked since February by a major tax evasion scandal, was allegedly blackmailed into paying over 13 million dollars, a report said Saturday.
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Four people are on trial at Rostock in northern Germany accused of obtaining nine million euros (13.9 million dollars) by threatening to reveal the names of 2,300 account holders of the Liechtensteinischen Landesbank (LLB), said the report in the Frankfurter Rundschau daily.

On Friday the court, which has been hearing the case since April, had documents relating to some 1,850 accounts held by one of the accused placed before it.

"Sums of several millions appear in these accounts," said Leonore Gottschalck-Solger, lawyer for the accused in question, who is believed to have presented the documents in the hope of leniency for his client.

The four defendants, who have not been named, are accused of obtaining the money in exchange for bank documents. The principality is known for its banking secrecy.

The court has said that it will study the documents before passing them to the German tax authorities which will carry out its own investigations.

A major Liechtenstein tax scandal erupted in February when Germany launched a massive probe using documents allegedly stolen from the principality's LGT bank by a former employee.

Germany then shared the information with other countries, which began investigating their own citizens.

The United States, Britain, Australia, Italy, France, Sweden, Canada, New Zealand, Greece and Spain have all said they are hunting for taxpayers hiding their money in Liechtenstein.

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Greek phone group seeks Siemens slush fund secrets: report
AFP
AFP - Saturday, August 2 11:45 pm

BERLIN (AFP) - Greek telephone company OTE wants a German court to force engineering giant Siemens to reveal whether it paid bribes to OTE employees to secure a one billion dollar contract, a report said Saturday.
(Advertisement)

The daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung said that OTE had gone to the Munich court in the first legal action taken by a foreign company against Siemens over a slush fund the German firm has admitted operating.

OTE wants the court to order Siemens to reveal details of an internal inquiry into its activities in Greece, with a view to eventually suing for damages.

Greek prosecutors are investigating the 1997 contract, which Siemens is suspected of securing by paying 75 million dollars to OTE executives. Greek politicians are also alleged to have benefited from the German company's largesse.

The Siemens scandal erupted in late 2006 and has shaken the group to its core.

The sprawling conglomerate has acknowledged that 1.3 billion euros (two billion dollars) were funneled into various funds used to obtain foreign contracts, and that the practice was widespread across its numerous divisions.

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One of Austria's last privately owned lakes, Mondsee, is up for sale
AFP
By Gabrielle Grenz AFP - Saturday, August 2 03:00 am

VIENNA (AFP) - Hidden in a sea of greenery and tucked away between the mountains of the Salzkammergut region near Salzburg, one of Austria's last privately-owned lakes, the Mondsee or Moon Lake in German, is up for sale.
(Advertisement)

No official notice went up for this little jewel, which is just 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mile) wide and 11 kilometres long with a depth of 65 metres, but its owner Nicolette Waechter announced she wanted to sell the property, which has belonged to her family since the 18th century.

"It has been in the family since around 1760 and it belonged to a Benedictine convent before that," she told AFP.

Waechter inherited the lake and its banks after her brother's death in 1977 and has since managed the lot, taking in rent from each piece of land, bankside or pier.

"The figure of 16 million euros has been mentioned but I don't want to comment about that," she said following media speculation about the price of the estate.

In any case, prospective buyers have already been queuing up.

"I have had so many, mostly estate agents from Austria, neighbouring Bavaria and Germany," said Waechter.

The picturesque lake gave its name to an early civilisation that lived in the late Neolithic period, between 3600 and 3300 BC, after ancient pillars were found in the 19th century in the town of Mondsee.

But Waechter, who is now in her 60s, decided earlier this year to look for a buyer when she grew tired of the problems associated with managing such a piece of land.

Several trials to ban motorboats on the lake, which she all lost, cost her a million schillings at the time, the equivalent of 74,000 euros (115,050 dollars) today.

Only five of the hundred or so Austrian lakes over five hectares (0.05 square kilometres) in size -- the Mondsee has a surface of 14 square kilometres -- are still under private ownership.

These include the Neusiedlersee, south of Vienna, which has been classified a UNESCO World Heritage Site and belongs to the Esterhazy family; the Irrsee near Mondsee, which belongs to a local fishing club; the Achensee in Tyrol, which is owned by the city of Innsbruck; and the Austrian section of Lake Constance, which borders Switzerland and Germany and belongs to the town of Bregenz.

Local tabloids have speculated that the boss of energy drink producer Red Bull, Dietrich Mateschitz, could buy the Mondsee but Waechter has rejected these rumours.

Instead, she contacted the Austrian Federal Forestry Service, which owns about a hundred lakes around the country.

"We manage most of the Austrian lakes, so by principle we're interested in taking over the Mondsee," said spokesman Bernhard Schragl.

Managing this particular lake would mean handling about a thousand contracts for rental or use of the land, which is a lot of work for just one person, Schragl told AFP.

"We recently made an alternative offer to Mrs Waechter: we'll manage the lake for her for free for two years, during which she will continue to receive revenues from it. And then we'll make an offer to buy," he said.

Waechter said she "immediately refused" when she heard this, adding "this offer is unacceptable."

The forestry service has said it does not want to put her under pressure and for now, Nicolette Waechter says she would rather "wait and think" about her various offers.

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Britain's RBS facing record banking loss: report
AFP
AFP - 2 hours 14 minutes ago

LONDON (AFP) - The Royal Bank of Scotland will this week unveil the biggest loss in the history of British banking due to a multi-billion-pound hit from the global credit crunch, The Sunday Times reported.
(Advertisement)

RBS, which announces interim earnings on Friday, was predicted to reveal a pre-tax loss of at least 1.0 billion pounds (1.27 billion euros, 1.97 billion dollars) for the first six months of the year.

Analysts also warned that Britain's second largest bank could face a loss of as much as 1.7 billion pounds, the weekly newspaper added without citing its sources.

Strains from the global squeeze on credit would cost RBS almost 6.0 billion pounds, it added.

Earlier this year, RBS clinched a record-breaking rights issue totalling 12.0 billion pounds to shore up its finances after huge subprime-related writedowns and the mammoth takeover of Dutch giant ABN Amro.

Meanwhile, Britain's biggest bank HSBC will post first-half numbers on Monday, followed by peers Barclays and Standard Chartered.

Investors are on edge about the cost of write-downs caused by the US subprime or high-risk housing crisis and the subsequent tightening of global lending conditions.

Last week, British banks Alliance & Leicester, HBOS and Lloyds TSB said that their interim profits plunged dramatically as they felt the chill from the credit crunch.

---------------------------
California hints at bottom to housing slump

By Jim Christie Fri Aug 1, 7:31 PM ET

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California's battered homes market may be hitting bottom, suggesting a national housing recovery may follow, veteran banking analyst Charles Peabody said on Friday, citing a rebound in home sales as renters become owners.
ADVERTISEMENT

In many parts of California, buying a house, especially at auction, makes more financial sense than paying rent so home sales have been on the rise recently.

"The key is to try to get some stability in the price of homes, which appears to be happening in California," Peabody, of the independent research firm Portales Partners, told Reuters by phone on Friday.

As goes California, the most populous state, so goes the rest of the United States, according to Peabody, who warned early on about the pending credit and mortgage market slumps and put "sell" ratings on many banks.

Peabody sees the tumble in California home prices nearing its end and suspects prices elsewhere also will stabilize.

"Since California constitutes 25 percent of the housing stock in the U.S., any stabilization can have a profound impact on national averages," Peabody said in a recent report.

Home ownership in California is growing affordable again thanks to reasonably low mortgage rates and the fall in home prices, fueled by the firesale of foreclosed homes. As a result, home sales are picking up, foreshadowing a stabilization in home prices before year end, Peabody said.

"By extension, a stabilization in home prices is required before any sustainable rally in financials can be expected," he said. "It is our belief that we are moving in that direction."

Peabody said he was uncertain whether stable home prices will stick. For now he sees "a bottom, but not the bottom" for housing and financials, adding that, "We think a temporary bottom in housing is at hand."

Reasons to believe California home prices will firm may be found in data from the California Association of Realtors, Peabody said.

Notably, buyers are responding to sharply lower home prices. The realtors' group reports the state's June home sales rose 17.5 percent from a year earlier while its median home price plunged 37.7 percent. June also marked the third consecutive month of increases in home sales from year-earlier levels in the state.

California's backlog of homes for sale shrank to 7.7 months of supply in June from 16.8 months in January. The days a home for sale stayed on the market fell to 49.1 in June from 71.6 in January.

June's supply of homes for sale is well below the national average and approaching the six-month's supply level of a balanced market, Peabody said.

He noted Lompoc, California home prices are "depressed," with the local median price down 39.7 percent in June from a year ago. A buyer may find a house in Lompoc that would have cost $500,000 in the hey-dey of the housing boom earlier in the decade now selling at auction for $250,000.

The annual "carrying costs," or monthly mortgage payments and property taxes, for a home in Lompoc now equates to about 25 percent of the $80,000 gross income of a two-income earning blue-collar household. More important, that $20,000 in annual carrying costs now are in line with rents in Lompoc, where monthly rents run $1,500 to $2,000, Peabody said.

"At last, the carrying cost of purchasing a home equals rental rates, a condition that should lead to more stable home pricing going forward," he said.

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2008-08-03 02:35:32
外務省官僚の宿泊代1538万円不払い事件
テーマ：ブログ

ホテル・プリンセス・ガーデンの片岡都美様へ

なんとすごい騒ぎなのでしょう。
各紙朝刊から、各局テレビ朝から晩まで。　びっくりいたしました。

片岡都美さん、私はあなたが大好きです。
私達は、武士道について、また日本の未来について、
日本の教育の低下や道徳の無さ、腑抜けな政治家たちをなげき、
日本の未来を思って憂国の念を分かち合い、
一緒に戦う同志のような気持ちでおりました。
故に、今度のことは遺憾です。

最初、新聞記事を見たときは、
どのホテルのことか判りませんでした。
テレビを見てあなたとわかり、非常に残念になり悲しくなりました。
ホテルの名前や、あなたの名前も顔も隠されていましたが、
知っている人はすぐ判った筈です。

外務省の居酒屋タクシー問題など、
官僚をたたく風潮があるためか、
各新聞が大々的に取りあげテレビでは評論家と称する方々や
国際弁護士の面々がこぞって色々な意見を吐いておりました。


週刊新潮が『フジモリ元大統領と美人社長』というタイトルで、
あなたと元ペルー大統領のフジモリ氏について

どっこいしょ記事を３～４回、
グラビアページなどでも大々的に扱ってきましたが、
今回あなたの知人の方のコメントには、
何をか言わんやぐるになっている感があって、

恥ずかしかったです。

何故、このような騒ぎをおこすのですか？
西洋の諺で「実に恐ろしきは、裏切られた女」、
日本の諺にも「可愛さ余って憎さ百倍」というのがありますが、
まさにこの事件にぴったりの言葉と言えるでしょう。

あなたはこの外務省官僚の方に、
一生に一度の恋をなさっていたのではなかったのですか？
今から６～７年前ということは
彼が３３歳のころからのお付き合いですよね。
フジモリ元大統領とかぶっているのが気になりますが、
これ以上はプライベートですので伏せておきましょう。

フジモリ元大統領が外務省に冷たくされ、
日本の受け入れ側の日本船舶振興会にも

段々と手をひかれていた状態の時、
義侠心の強いあなたがフジモリ元大統領に手を差し伸べ

“隠し財産”が目的と陰口を言われても頑張っていた
あなたを評価していました。

貧しい移民の子が、何百年も続いた白人社会の、
差別、格差社会と戦い、民衆の圧倒的な支持を受けて
その国の大統領になるということは奇跡に近い偉業です。

片岡さん、あなたは私が本人不在のフジモリ元大統領の

参議院選挙応援をあなたに依頼されしていた昨年の初夏、
車で私を送る途中でこの官僚の方を生涯ただ一人の人、
心から愛しているとおっしゃっていましたね。


これまでに常々、彼のことは聞かされていましたが、
そこまでとは知りませんでした。
あなたは私に彼に会って、奥さんと別れて、
あなたと結婚するように説得してくれないかといいました。


その時、私の目の前にいらしたのは、
一人の男性を心から愛し、

悩み苦しみぬいて涙を浮かべている一人の女性でした。

そんなあなたを、私はとても愛おしく思いました。
でも、赤の他人で第三者の私がそんなことを彼に話すこと自体
普通ではないと思われ、不思議でした。


今から考えれば彼は４月にホテル・プリンセス・ガーデンを出ている。
それは、つまり、離婚してあなたと結婚する気持ちはないこと、
あなたとの関係を清算したいから、出て行かれたのですよね。
つまり、彼にとっては終わったこと。
プライドの高いあなたは認めたくはなかったのでしょう。


その後、あなたは何度か彼を取り戻そうとして電話をかけられましたが、
彼は電話には出ず、居留守も使った。　それほど彼の決意は固く、
又、あなたを恐れたのだと思います。
もしかしたら、彼は逃げる以外、すべはなかったのではないでしょうか。

あなたが彼を追い詰めたのか、
彼がそういう不誠実な人だったのか、それは知りません。
彼が出て行ってから、約１年数ヶ月、
その間あなたは連絡の取れない彼に

ついにブチ切れこの男許せぬとばかり、
彼を侮辱し、社会から抹殺せんばかりに企み、
用意周到に彼を貶め、世間の笑いものにしたのでしょう。
あなたの周りにはそういうことを可能にするブレーンが沢山いらっしゃいますね。
おまけに今は官僚をたたく風潮の中、
あなたの恨みをかった彼などひとたまりもありません。

しかし、日本のマスコミも何という騒ぎようでしょう。
最低です。
この人達は常識というものを持っていないのでしょうか。
普通ホテルでは、長期滞在の場合、
宿泊客には週単位で請求書を出します。
そうあれば、不払いとか未払いという事件は起こっていない筈。
今回の不払いの件について、彼は突如今年７月、

１５３８万円の請求書をもらうまで、

周知の愛人関係にあったため、逢瀬の場と思っていたから、

支払い義務が生じるとは

思っていなかったのではないでしょうか？

今回、ショックを受けた彼は、すぐさま
誠実に手書きの手紙をあなたに送っています。
それを又あなたがテレビで発表する。
額の大きさに驚き、けれど支払う意思のあること、しかし、部屋の料金を

一般客室料金で支払いをさせてもらえないかという内容です。
これは、始めて請求書を見た証拠です。

そもそも、ホテル・プリンセス・ガーデンは
小中高学生の修学旅行生が団体宿泊するホテルです。
あのセミスイートは１日５万円もしないと思います。

もしあなたの主張が事実ならホテル名も
あなたの名前も出してもよかったのではないでしょうか？
マスコミの中には不思議に思っている所もあって、
記事が出た後からこれは男女間のもつれ、
痴話喧嘩の結果、などと、と気づかれたようですが、
一度書いた記事を軌道修正するということは大変、
つまり、この外務省官僚の方は袋叩きにあって終わり！という訳です。


東大卒元ワシントン在住の優秀な男性の未来も

これで終わりになってしまうのでしょうか？

なぜ、一度は必死になって愛を貫こうとした相手の方を、
ここまで社会的に抹殺したあなたの復讐心は

これで今、満足でしょうか？　


この、優秀な外務省官僚の方も、
『恨みをかわないですむ女性との別れ方』という
恋の手管をもう少し勉強する必要がありますね。

しかし、ホテル・プリンセス・ガーデンはミステリアスなところですね。
ホテルの大株主のあなたのスポンサーであったX氏は
部屋に血痕を残して未だに行方不明、
そしてその後、某アウトローの親分の愛人になったあなたが社長に就任。
某ゴルフ場の５億円の脱税をフジモリ氏の日本滞在のためと表明。
またさらにあなたのオペラ歌手の友人の方が殺害され、
そしてあなたのボディガード件運転手が逮捕服役中。


私は、あなたの気風（きっぷ）に惚れていたのに。
この男性に対する仕打ちをみると、女の風上にも置けない。


あなたはどうかなさったのですか？

１５３８万円くらい、熨斗をつけて譲ったらどうですか？

それでこそ、私の好きな片岡さんです。
http://ameblo.jp/dewisukarno/entry-10122972981.html

-----------------------------
政府、９月にも経済対策検討　原油高、中小企業など支援

　政府は2日、原油高騰に伴う物価の上昇や減速している景気の浮揚につなげるため、総合的な経済対策の検討に入った。原油高に直面している中小企業や農林水産業への経営支援策、エネルギー対策などが盛り込まれる見通し。補正予算の計上による財源確保も検討する。与謝野馨経済財政担当相を中心に週明けから本格的に調整し、早ければ9月にまとめる方向だ。

　与謝野経財相は同日の閣議後の記者会見で「ばらまき的な対策はありえないが、有効な手段を講じるという姿勢で各省庁と相談する。予算や税制の政策手段を動員しなければならない」と述べた。福田康夫首相の意向も踏まえて、具体案作りを急ぐ方針だ。

　これに関連して、伊吹文明財務相は必要な財源の確保については、補正予算の編成や予備費の活用で前向きに対応する構えを示した。二階俊博経済産業相や茂木敏充金融担当相も、経営難に陥っている中小企業などへの対策が必要との認識を示した。

-----------------------------
４０１ｋ投信残高、株安下でも８％増　６月末

　運用成績に応じて給付額が変わる確定拠出年金（日本版４０１ｋ）向け投資信託の残高が、運用環境の悪化にもかかわらず増えている。大和ファンド・コンサルティングによると残高は6月末に1兆3100億円と前年同期に比べて8％増えた。この間、公募投信全体が株安に伴う資産の目減りなどで11％減ったのとは対照的だ。

　４０１ｋ向け投信は現在400本程度あり、残高は過去最高水準で推移している。４０１ｋ投信は同年金の加入者が掛け金を毎月一定額ずつ払う「積み立て払い」形式になっている。このため「通常の投信とは異なり、資金流入が安定している」（三菱ＵＦＪ投信）。導入企業が1万社、加入者数が300万人を超えるなど制度が普及するに従って、安定的に資金が流入するようになっている。

------------------------------
コメ備蓄、ルール整備　太田農相

　太田誠一農相は政府のコメの備蓄制度について「備蓄のルールを決めていかないといけない」と述べ、見直す方針を明らかにした。政府は昨秋に主食用米の余剰を背景に、備蓄米を買い増してコメの価格を維持した。太田農相は「去年も途中から急に買い上げたが、これから起こることも考えないといけない。にわかな対応にならないよう準備する必要がある」と語った。

　備蓄米は昨秋のようにコメが市場に出回って余剰感が出てから、入札で買い取っている。生産調整に協力しないコメ農家にも恩恵が及ぶとの不満が生産者から出ていた。

　オーストラリアなどと交渉中の経済連携協定（ＥＰＡ）に関しては「世界貿易機関（ＷＴＯ）がああいう（交渉決裂の）結果になったからＥＰＡで結果を急いで出さないといけないわけではない」と指摘。まだ交渉入りしていない米国や欧州連合（ＥＵ）とのＥＰＡについては「相当先の話だろう」と語った。

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富士通、障害対策の専門組織　東証トラブル受け発足

　富士通は東京証券取引所の富士通製システムで障害が発生したことを受け、システム障害対策を担当する専門組織を発足させた。経験豊富な技術者を約20人集め、東証をはじめ大規模な社会インフラシステムの障害防止や復旧支援を手掛ける。大規模障害は主力のシステム事業への信頼を損ないかねないため体制づくりを急ぐ。

　新組織「特定社会システム監視本部」は他の本部より格上とし、社長直轄にした。経営執行役を新たに常務に昇格させ、専任本部長に据えた。

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上場企業15％減益、価格転嫁遅れる　４―６月・日経集計

　上場企業の業績悪化が鮮明になってきた。日本経済新聞社が2008年4―6月期決算を集計したところ、連結経常利益は前年同期に比べて15％減少した。米国景気の減速や円高・ドル安、原燃料高が企業収益の重しになっている。四半期決算ベースの減益は1―3月期に続いて2期連続で、2009年3月期通期が 7期ぶりの減益になる公算が一段と大きくなった。

　1日までに決算発表を終えた685社（金融・新興3市場除く）を対象に集計した。最終的な集計対象の約4割に当たるが、利益規模では6割を超えるとみられる。米国会計基準採用企業は税引き前利益を経常利益とみなした。

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日産、異業種に技術供与　車体位置確認やセンサー

　日産自動車は自動車技術を異業種に供与する。車の位置を確認する安全技術で鹿島などと交渉を進め、センサー技術では計測機メーカーのチノーと契約を結んだ。自動車メーカーが異業種に技術を販売するのは珍しい。米国での販売不振で収益にブレーキがかかるなか、蓄積した技術を活用して知的財産権ビジネスを本格化して収益源を多様化する。

　まず3つの技術を供与する考え。第1が駐車補助システムとしてミニバンなどに搭載している「アラウンドビューモニター」。車体の前後と左右ミラーに小型カメラを搭載、撮影画像を基に車を上空から眺めた動画を合成。運転者はカーナビ画面で画像を確認しながら運転する。

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日米、勝者なき逆転劇　７月米新車販売

　米国自動車市場で日本メーカー8社の7月の新車販売シェアが初めて米自動車ビッグスリーを単月で上回った。ガソリン高で需要が落ち込む中、日本勢は低燃費車で攻勢をかけ、現地生産開始から四半世紀をへて日米逆転を果たした。低燃費車シフトと、強まる新興国の重要性――。停滞する世界最大市場「米国」で起きた逆転劇は、自動車産業が歴史的な転換点に立っていることを象徴している。

　米調査会社オートデータによると、7月の日本8社合計の販売は前年同月比4.9％減の48万8226台でシェアは43.0％。対して、大型車の不振が目立つビッグスリーは22.9％減の48万5289台でシェアは42.7％。日本は台数で約3000台、シェアで0.3ポイント差で上回った。

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北京―上海高速鉄道「独社系を採用」　人民日報報道

　【成都（中国四川省）＝多部田俊輔】中国共産党機関紙の人民日報は2日、北京と上海を結ぶ高速鉄道の車両について、鉄道省幹部が独電機大手シーメンスの技術を使った車両を主に採用すると述べたと報じた。同車両は独シーメンス系と川崎重工業系が受注を競っている。鉄道省は来年までに正式発注する見込みで、駆け引きの一環の可能性もある。

　北京―上海間の高速鉄道は2013年に開通の予定で、工事が始まっている。時速380キロで走る。中国側は独自技術で開発するとしているが、実際は日独のいずれかの技術がベースになるとみられる。

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自由が丘産能短期大学、卒業生に仕事の無料相談

　自由が丘産能短期大学（東京・世田谷）は１年間限定で卒業生に仕事に関連した無料相談サービスを始めた。人間関係やキャリア形成など仕事の悩みなら何でも受け付けるのが特徴で、若手社員の早期離職防止に役立てる。

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インド洋給油延長に慎重　笹川氏「昨年と状況違う」

　自民党の笹川尭総務会長は3日、フジテレビの番組で、海上自衛隊によるインド洋での給油活動の根拠で来年1月に期限が切れる新テロ対策特別措置法の延長について「アラブ諸国から来る油の安全を図るのは民主党も反対しておらず、それを自衛艦が守るのは必要だが、給油活動とは若干ずれるかもしれない」と述べ、慎重な姿勢を示した。

　笹川氏は「昨年と今の国内の状況が全く違っている」と述べ、原油が高騰する中で給油活動を続けることに国民の理解は得にくいとの考えを強調した。

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元ボクサーの俳優、飲食店主殴り逮捕　警視庁

　飲食店店主の男性（41）に包丁を突きつけ頭突きや殴打を繰り返したとして、警視庁碑文谷署は3日までに、殺人未遂と銃刀法違反の現行犯で元プロボクサーで俳優の大和武士（本名・江口義光）容疑者（42）＝東京都目黒区目黒本町4＝を逮捕した。「酔っていてよく覚えていない」と一部否認しているという。

　調べによると、大和容疑者は2日午後8時半ごろ、目黒区内のすし店で一緒にいた女性と口論になり、仲裁に入った男性に立腹。調理台の包丁を奪って男性に突きつけ、「殺してやる」などと怒鳴りながら、顔面に頭突きをしたほか、殴りつけるなどし、約1週間程度の傷を負わせた疑い。

　大和容疑者は元日本ミドル級チャンピオンで、現役引退後は俳優としてテレビ番組などに出演している。

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タイ：トヨタの工場で植樹

　【バンコク藤田悟】バンコク郊外にあるトヨタ自動車の現地法人タイトヨタの工場で３日、１０万本の苗木を植樹するイベントが開かれた。約１万５０００人のタイ人らが参加した。宮脇昭・横浜国立大名誉教授が指導し、タイ王室の協力で育てられた在来種３４種の苗木を植えた。

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フィンランド航空：欧州へのルート案内サイト開設

　フィンランド航空は、同社便でアジアと欧州を飛行機で移動する際のルートを案内する英文インターネットサイト「Ｖｉａ　Ｈｅｌｓｉｎｋｉ」（ｈｔｔｐ：／／ｖｉａｈｅｌｓｉｎｋｉ．ｃｏｍ）を開設した。効率的な移動ルートや飛行時間を提示するほか、環境対策への意識の高まりを踏まえ乗客１人当たりの燃料消費量や二酸化炭素（ＣＯ２）排出量も案内する。サイト上から同社便の予約もできる。

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船井電機：ブラウン管テレビから撤退　薄型普及で市場急減

　船井電機がブラウン管テレビの生産・販売を年度内にも終了することが２日、分かった。薄型テレビの普及で世界的に市場が急減したため。既に昨年度で製品開発は中止しており、既存製品の生産・販売も順次縮小する。

　船井は、０７年にプラズマテレビからも撤退している。今後はオランダの電機大手フィリップスと提携している液晶テレビに経営資源を集中する。

　船井は低価格のテレビが得意で、北米や日本でブラウン管テレビを販売してきた。しかし、０６年度に８０８億円あったブラウン管テレビの売上高は市場縮小で０７年度は７割減の２５６億円に激減。０８年３月期連結決算で赤字転落する要因となった。

　ブラウン管テレビは、ソニーやシャープが撤退したが、新興国や米国などで需要があり、三洋電機や松下電器産業は生産を続けている。

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橋下知事：大阪府庁を三セクビルに移転検討

　大阪府の橋下徹知事が、府庁本館の建て替え問題の対策として、府庁機能を大阪市の第三セクター「大阪ワールドトレードセンタービルディング」（ＷＴＣ、大阪市住之江区）に移すことを検討していることが分かった。新庁舎建設や耐震補強を含めた選択肢の一つとして浮上した。府は財政再建中で、費用節減が狙いとみられる。空室が目立ち、経営危機に陥っているＷＴＣへの移転が実現すれば市の抜本処理の行方に影響するため、橋下知事は週明けにも平松邦夫市長とこの問題で会談し、具体的な協議を始めたい方針だ。

　橋下知事は取材に対し、「庁舎整備問題は、議会での議論や平松市長との話し合いが必要で、移転案はあくまで選択肢の一つ」と答えた。

　府庁本館は、大阪市中央区にあり、１９２６年築造。老朽化が問題化しているうえ、０６年１月に震度６強以上で崩壊する恐れがあることが判明した。府は昨年５月、耐震補強で引き続き使用する方針を発表。耐震補強以外の案も含めた全体構想の策定を今夏をめどに目指していた。

　府によると、本館の耐震改修は、改修工事７７億円を含め、今後３０年間で１８０億円程度かかるという。中長期的に、府は新庁舎建設も想定しているが、建設費は５０８億～６４９億円と見込まれ、土地売却益を活用しても、巨額の財政負担が発生する。

　このため、橋下知事が、行政部門の知事部局などのＷＴＣ移転を検討。賃料は、市などと交渉して低額に抑え、本館に隣接する府公館など庁舎周辺の土地を売却し、捻出する考えとみられる。

　ＷＴＣは、９５年に完成した５５階建ての超高層テナントビル。オフィス需要が伸び悩み、０４年には金融機関が１３７億円の債権を放棄し、市が残債を損失補償する内容で特定調停が成立した。市の部局・関連団体などが入居するが、今年９月には入居率が７７％に下がる見通しで、２次破綻が懸念されている。

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New passenger port opens in St. Petersburg

03.08.2008, 01.57

ST. PETERSBURG, August 3 (Itar-Tass) - A new passenger port opened on Vasilyevsky Island in St. Petersburg on Saturday. It will receive cruise liners and ferry ships of any class and tonnage.

The first ship is expected to arrive in the new port on September 10 this year, St. Petersburg’s Vice-Governor Yuri Molchanov told a news conference on Saturday. It was devoted to the arrival of the Julia ferry flying the Finnish flag in Russia’s northern capital. The ferry’s arrival marks the resumption of ferry traffic between St. Petersburg and Helsinki. The Julia belonging to the Stella Lines Company used to cruise between Norway and Denmark.

Andrei Mushkarev, the deputy general director of the “Inflot Worldwide SPb” company, says that the Julia will cruise all year round and will make three voyages a week to the ports of St. Petersburg and Helsinki. The ferry can take 400 cars and 1,500 passengers onboard.

Yuri Molchanov, the vice-governor of the St. Petersburg, said that the new terminal would begin operation to its full capacity in 2010-2011. However, the new port is expecting 80 ships in 2009. The expansion of the terminal’s space and the development of infrastructure of the future harbour will increase the number of ship calls. Besides, plans to cancel visas for ferry passengers allowing them to stay in St. Petersburg without visas for 72 hours may increase the number of foreign tourists to 500,000 a year – this is twice as many as it is today. A relevant law on visas is to be adopted in September.

In the early 1990s, the Baltic Shipping Company controlled the ferry business. Its ferries – “The Anna Karenina”, “The Ilyich” and “The Konstantin Simonov” – made regular voyages between St. Petersburg and Baltic capitals. But soon the voyages stopped.

In 2004-2005, Estonian and Finnish companies launched regular ferry lines but later abandoned their projects. In summer season, those companies carried up to 150,000 passengers.

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Ferry traffic resumes between St. Petersburg and Helsinki

02.08.2008, 08.12

ST. PETERSBURG, August 2 (Itar-Tass) -- A regular ferry line will begin operation between St. Petersburg and Baltic capitals on Saturday. The Julia ferry belonging to the Stella Lines Company will make its first voyage from St. Petersburg to Finland. The ferry used to cruise between Norway and Denmark under the name of “Christian 4”.

Andrei Mushkarev, the deputy general director of the “Inflot Worldwide SPb” company, said that the Julia would cruise three times a week. The ferry will operate all year round. It can take 400 cars and 1,500 passengers onboard.

Mushkarev believes that all the participants in the ferry business are optimistic about plans to allow ferry passengers to go down on shore in St. Petersburg without visas for 72 hours. The absence of a relevant law has been depriving St. Petersburg of ferry traffic with foreign countries for three years. Such a law may be adopted in September.

In the early 1990s, the Baltic Shipping Company controlled the ferry business. Its ferries – “The Anna Karenina”, “The Ilyich” and “The Konstantin Simonov” – made regular voyages between St. Petersburg and Baltic capitals. But soon the voyages stopped.

In 2004-2005, Estonian and Finnish companies launched regular ferry lines but later abandoned their projects. In summer season, those companies carried up to 150,000 passengers.

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Russian nuclear-powered submarine successfully test-launches intercontinental ballistic missile

01.08.2008, 17.08
MOSCOW, August 1 (Itar-Tass) -- The Ryazan nuclear-powered submarine of the Russian North Fleet has successfully test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile, Navy spokesman Capt. 1st Class Igor Dygalo told Itar-Tass.

“The submarine fired the missile from a submerged position in the Barents Sea,” he said. “The warhead successfully hit a target on the Kamchatka Kura training range in due time.”

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Russia launches another ballistic missile, prepares to create sea-based carrier systems
01.08.2008 Source: Pravda.Ru URL: http://english.pravda.ru/russia/politics/105970-ballistic_missile-0

Russia successfully launched sea-based intercontinental ballistic missile on August 1, 2008. The launch was performed from nuclear submarine Ryazan in the Barents Sea, Interfax reports with reference to senior official of the Russian Naval Command, Igor Dygalo.

“The launch was performed from the underwater position in the Barents Sea . The warhead of the missile successfully hit the target on Kura test ground in Kamchatka, the official said. “The regular check-up of the nation’s naval strategic nuclear forces has been conducted successfully, the official added.

Nuclear-powered submarine Ryazan was built in Russia’s Severodvinsk in 1982. This is a Kalmar class, 667 BDR project (NATO - Delta-3) nuclear cruiser. The length of the submarine is 155 meters; it is equipped with 16 intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Admiral Vyacheslav Popov, the former commander of Russia’s Northern Fleet said Monday that the Northern and Pacific Fleets would soon have maritime carrier systems which will include nuclear aircraft carriers.

The new systems will act in close contact with air force and missile defense for the interest of state security.

“Depending on goals set, aircraft carriers can closely cooperate with submarines providing combat stability to each other,” Popov said.

The official recalled the war in Iraq when US carriers afforded protection of nuclear submarines from which cruise missile were launched.

Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, said that Russia would create five or six aircraft carrier groups in its Northern and Pacific Fleets. The naval command decided to build not only aircraft carriers, but maritime carrier systems.

“The construction of such systems will start after 2012. They will be closely linked with space groups,” the official said.

Russia is also going to launch Project 955 Borei nuclear cruiser equipped with new ballistic missiles. “The new Boreis will become the center of sea-based strategic nuclear forces of Russia before 2040,” Vysotsky added.

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Beijing Olympics to become worst Games in history because of Russian total solar eclipse
01.08.2008 Source: Pravda.Ru URL: http://english.pravda.ru/society/anomal/105969-solar_eclipse-0

The disappearance of the solar disc during the daytime has been considered an omen of tragedies and catastrophes from times immemorial. Nowadays, many people still believe that unusual natural phenomena many govern human life.

The so-called Russian total solar eclipse was seen best in Russia’s Siberia on August 1. Muscovites could only observe a partial eclipse.

Astrologist Sergei Popov believes that the solar eclipse will lead to negative consequences only. The astrologist said that the phenomenon would affect outstanding, charismatic personas and leaders first and foremost. Popov is certain that solar special effects will result in serious changes for the Russian Orthodox Church. “These will be negative and even tragic changes,” the astrologist said.

According to Sergei Popov, the total solar eclipse will affect the forthcoming Beijing Olympics. The games will start on August 8, between two eclipses (the lunar eclipse will take place on August 17).

“It will be the most intense, unpredictable and complicated sports event in the history of the Olympic movement. We have many scandals in store for us, but one should not expect any outstanding achievements from Russian athletes, the specialist said.

“The moon’s shadow on the sun will trigger political changes and high-profile criminal cases in Russia,” the astrologist said.

Another astrologist, Svetlana Anenskaya, believes that the total solar eclipse marks the end of the era of tyranny. “The eclipse will contribute to the removal of living and dead monsters of old ideology that enslaved people’s minds,” she said.

Astrofuturologist Nikolai Pantelemonov believes that the people, who come into the world on the eclipse day, may become very good leaders in the future.

Total solar eclipses are rare events. Although they occur somewhere on Earth every 18 months on average, it has been estimated that they recur at any given place only once every 370 years, on average. The total eclipse only lasts for a few minutes at that location, as the Moon's umbra moves eastward at over 1700 km/h. Totality can never last more than 7 min 31 s, and is usually much shorter: during each millennium there are typically fewer than 10 total solar eclipses exceeding 7 minutes.

The last time this happened was June 30, 1973 (7 min 3 sec). Observers aboard a Concorde aircraft were able to stretch totality to about 74 minutes by flying along the path of the Moon's umbra. The next eclipse exceeding seven minutes in duration will not occur until June 25, 2150. The longest total solar eclipse during the 8,000-year period from 3000 BC to 5000 AD will occur on July 16, 2186, when totality will last 7 min 29 s. For comparison, the longest eclipse of the 21st century will occur on July 22, 2009 and last 6 min 39 sec.

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Rosatom, Areva make bids to build nuclear reactor in Belarus

16:29 | 01/ 08/ 2008

MINSK, August 1 (RIA Novosti) - The Belarusian government has received applications from the Russian state nuclear power corporation Rosatom and the French-German firm Areva to participate in a nuclear power plant construction project in the republic.

Friday is the closing date for foreign companies to make applications.

"We have received an affirmative response from Rosatom and Areva," said Vladimir Semashko, the ex-Soviet republic's first deputy prime minister.

He said the Belarusian government would decide within 10 days what kind of agreement would be signed.

"It will be either an intergovernmental or a tender agreement," he said.

Belarus plans to build a nuclear power plant with a capacity of 2,000 MW, with the first unit to come online in 2016 and the second in 2018. The plant is expected to have Generation III water-moderated reactors.

Belarus has sent invitations to Rosatom, Areva and the U.S.-Japanese company Westinghouse-Toshiba, the three main producers of the equipment, to participate in the tender.

The ministry previously said it had not received an official response from Westinghouse.

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Russian Reserve Fund drops to $129.8 bln as of August 1

15:33 | 01/ 08/ 2008

MOSCOW, August 1 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Reserve Fund was 3.04 trillion rubles ($129.8 billion) and its National Prosperity Fund was 766.48 billion rubles ($32.73 billion) as of August 1, the Finance Ministry said Friday.

On July 1, the Reserve Fund was 3.057 trillion rubles ($130.53 billion), while the National Prosperity Fund was 770.56 billion rubles ($32.9 billion).

Russia's Finance Ministry divided the former Stabilization Fund into the Reserve Fund, designed to cushion the federal budget in the event of an oil price plunge, and the National Prosperity Fund, designed to help Russia carry out pension reforms, on February 1 this year.

The Reserve Fund totaled 3.058 trillion rubles ($125.19 billion) when it was established on February 1, 2008, while the National Prosperity Fund stood at 783.3 billion rubles ($32 billion).

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Gazprom's oil arm posts 74% net profit increase in 1H08

14:20 | 01/ 08/ 2008

MOSCOW, August 1 (RIA Novosti) - Gazprom Neft, the oil arm of Russian energy giant Gazprom, reported Friday a 73.8% increase in its net profit calculated to Russian Accounting Standards year-on-year in the first half of 2008.

The company's net profit totaled 61.9 billion rubles ($2.6 billion) in January-June 2008, up from 35.6 billion rubles ($1.5 billion) in the same period last year.

Gazprom Neft, known as Sibneft before it was taken over by Gazprom in September 2005, stabilized crude output at 32.7 million metric tons (240 million barrels) in 2007 - the same production level as in 2006. The company plans to boost annual crude output to 90-100 million tons (660-730 million barrels) by 2020.

Gazprom owns a 75% stake in the company, and another 20% belongs to a consortium of Italy's ENI and Enel.

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Goldman Sachs buys $300 mln gated community in Moscow - paper

10:28 | 01/ 08/ 2008

MOSCOW, July 1 (RIA Novosti) -- Goldman Sachs, a leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm, has bought a $300 million gated community in northwest Moscow, a Russian business daily said Friday.

The deal, carried out through Whitehall Street Real Estate Funds, a Goldman Sachs Group affiliate, is probably the group's first real estate acquisition in Russia, Kommersant reported.

Goldman Sachs bought Pokrovsky Hills, a 260-unit townhouse community, from another U.S. firm, AIG Global Real Estate.

The community is situated in a hilly and wooded area adjacent to the Anglo-American School in the northwest outskirts of the Russian capital.

Major tenants include several embassies, as well as Nestle, Maersk Sealand, Shell, Conoco, Procter & Gamble, DHL, Caterpillar, Philips, Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers, IKEA, Tetrapak, Novartis, British American Tobacco, Benckiser, and Samsung.

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Iran: between the anvil of sanctions and the hammer of war
19:59 | 01/ 08/ 2008

MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Pyotr Goncharov) - Tehran has once again been offered a choice between accepting the terms of the "Iranian six" or suffering inevitable sanctions with the possibility of a "small" war, proposed by Israel and the United States.

The six powers involved are the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany.

The Western powers gave Iran two weeks from July 19 to respond to their offer to hold off more UN sanctions on Iran if Tehran freezes expansion of its nuclear program.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said during a two-day visit to the U.S. earlier this week that his country does not rule out the possibility of delivering a military strike against Iran.

After discussing the Iranian problem in the State Department and the Pentagon, Barak said tough sanctions should be used to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons but added that no options should be excluded.

Following his visit to Jerusalem, Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama told a Democratic caucus this week, "Nobody said this to me directly, but I get the feeling from my talks that if the sanctions don't work, Israel is going to strike Iran."

The timing of Barak Obama's remarks is alarming, especially since they come after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said there could be no "artificial deadlines" or "drawing out" of the process in the search for a compromise between the six nations and Iran.

Lavrov was apparently referring to the two weeks given to Iran by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to reconsider its decision.

Speaking on Monday after the meeting between EU High Commissioner for Foreign and Defense Policy Javier Solana and Iran's nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili in Geneva on July 26, Rice dismissed Iran's response to a proposed solution on Tehran's nuclear program as "small talk" meant to buy time.

"It's time for the Iranians to give a serious answer," she said. "They can't go and stall and make small talk about culture, they have to make a decision. ... We will see what Iran does in two weeks."

The deadline is therefore August 2.

Rice apparently exceeded her authority when making a statement none of the six nations has empowered her to make.

On the other hand, the story of Iran's nuclear dossier and the UN Security Council's binding resolutions has become a boring soap opera. Over the past two years, the Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Iran, three of them with sanctions.

But the more concessions the six nations make, the more capricious Tehran becomes. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has actually made Iran's nuclear program a hostage of his campaign for the 2009 presidential elections.

This time the United States and Israel have gone further than ever before. The U.S. Congress has instructed the Pentagon to immediately start talks with the Israeli government on the placement of a missile defense radar in Israel "to defend against threats from Iran and Syria."

Congressmen sent a letter to President George W. Bush strongly urging him to deploy the early-warning AN/TPY-2 radar to Israel as soon as possible and reminding him that Iran has tested "nine long- and medium-range missiles, including an upgraded Shabab-3 capable of reaching Israel." The radar will ensure the destruction of Iranian Shabab missiles by Israeli interceptors.

Israel intends to buy the Vulcan Phalanx missile defense system from the United States, which can down short-range missiles such as the Qassam, which Hamas and Hizbollah have used to shell Israel.

Tehran will most likely ignore this new "freeze-for-freeze" proposal under which Iran would not increase its enrichment efforts and the Iran Six would freeze the movement towards tougher sanctions against Iran.

Ali Khamenei, the spiritual leader of Iran, said on July 30 that Tehran would continue to develop its nuclear program, whose peaceful nature the International Atomic Energy Agency and the UN Security Council are questioning.

What will happen next?

Unless Iran decides to suspend uranium enrichment, it can expect more and harsher sanctions to be imposed by the United States and the European Union as early as late August or September, Rice said.

There is still time for Israel and the Pentagon to deploy missile defense radars and systems in Israel, and for Iran to carefully weigh the pros and cons of its continued confrontation with the rest of the world.

But time is running out fast, because Israel and the United States have never before seemed so serious.

The opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.

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Turning Qaddafi into a good guy
22:14 | 01/ 08/ 2008

MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Andrei Fedyashin) - It was a surprise the like of which we have not seen since the exchange of dissidents for spies in the Soviet era.

Arriving in Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin on July 31, Libyan Prime Minister al-Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmoudi brought on his plane Alexander Tsygankov, the head of LUKoil Overseas in Libya, who had been imprisoned 8 months ago in that country on charges of industrial espionage.

What makes it more remarkable is that Prime Minister Putin had tried to clear up this misunderstanding during a meeting with Muammar Qaddafi in Tripoli in April, but apparently in vain.

After receiving such a "present," there was nothing left to do but discuss the details of a whole range of Libyan-Russian large-scale cooperation projects - from producing, processing, and exporting oil and gas and laying pipelines on the Mediterranean sea bed, to selling arms to Tripoli, and building railroads and nuclear power plants.

Not all the financial details are known, but it is clear that the deals run into billions of dollars. It is enough to mention the 514 km (320 mile)-long railroad Russian Railways will build in Libya for $2.2 billion, or the shopping list of weapons Libya would like to buy (90% of its arms are Soviet-made).

Russia has joined a long list of countries that have been standing in line to do business with the largely desert, but oil and gas rich, country since the miraculous transformation of its leader Colonel Muammar Qaddafi. Russia is not the first in line, but nor is it the last, which is a good thing. At this point it would be appropriate to recall that for 17 years (from 1986 to 2003), Libya was considered one of the worst "rogue states" by those who use that classification.

The United States imposed trade sanctions on Libya in 1986, after an explosion in a Berlin disco popular with American soldiers that killed three and injured over two hundred men (Washington had already severed diplomatic relations with Libya in 1980). President Reagan even sanctioned the bombing of Qaddafi's residences, and the Libyan leader had a narrow escape.

The UN and the European Union (EU) introduced sanctions against Libya in 1991, after it was proved that Libya's intelligence services had been involved in the 1988 mid-air explosion of Pan Am flight 103 over the Scottish village of Lockerbie, killing 270 people.

In 1993, the sanctions were toughened. In 2003, they were lifted. In 2004, the United States eased its sanctions and in 2005 cancelled them completely. It removed Libya from its list of sponsors of international terrorism, and voiced its readiness to restore diplomatic relations with it in 2006. This is the history of Tripoli's sins and absolution.

The Americans have already dubbed this transformation the "Libyan model," and strongly recommend that Iran follow its example. They are trying to show to Iran that it can receive all the benefits Libya has (investment, technical aid, and removal of sanctions) if it meets their demand to suspend its nuclear program.

As it often happens in diplomacy, especially, in American diplomacy, all this is actually misleading. In reality, the situation is the reverse.

Paradoxical though it may seem, Qaddafi's miraculous transformation was made possible as a result of direct talks between the White House and his emissaries. This is precisely what Washington denies Iran. Edward Walker, president of the Middle East Institute and former U.S. assistant secretary of state for Middle Eastern affairs made this comment: "Some say it is supposed to send a message to the Iranians. As far as I can see, the message is that it worked because they had direct talks with the Libyans."

Qaddafi's decision to denounce terrorism, and shut down Libya's programs to develop nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons in 2003 is presented as a sudden conversion, although Washington started talks with him under Bill Clinton's presidency (1993-2001). The reason is almost too embarrassing to tell. By Clinton's second term he was coming under very strong pressure from American oil firms. Italy's ENI, France's Total, and Spain's Pepsol were already operating in Libya on a large scale in defiance of UN and EU sanctions. They were merely trying to keep a low profile. By 2003, when Qaddafi made his miraculous transformation from pariah to citizen, more than a hundred foreign companies were producing and processing oil, or providing equipment for wells and oil production, but none of them were American. That was doubly irritating because it was the Standard Oil of New Jersey (previously Exxon) that had discovered oil in Libya in 1959.

Libya abounds in oil and natural gas. Thanks to Western sanctions, and lack of equipment its oil industry was for a long time in hibernation. There was no exploration, production, or research, and its hydrocarbons were saved for posterity. Libya is different from other OPEC countries. It is the only major oil country in the Middle East that does not ban foreign investment in its oil industry. In Western estimates, it costs it one dollar to produce one barrel of high quality oil. Libya is believed to be Africa's first and OPEC's fifth in oil reserves, which amount to some 5.1 billion tons, and it is quite possible that it has even more oil.

The situation with gas is even more radiant. Today, Libya supplies Europe with eight billion cubic meters of gas via the Green Stream pipeline every year. Libya's gas reserves had been estimated at 1.47 trillion cubic meters. Now they are believed to be double that figure.

In principle, Russia is close to signing an agreement with Libya for the purchase of large qualities of gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) for re-export. The question is how much gas Russia will buy. Many West European countries dread to think what the answer could be, because they had hoped to keep the Russian gas monopoly Gazprom away from its southern flanks. Russia is bound to encounter strong, if indirect, resistance from Europe.

But we have our own trump card. During his visit to Libya last April, Vladimir Putin voiced Moscow's readiness to write off $4.5 billion dollars of Libya's debt. With this gesture Russia has good reason to hope for understanding in business talks.

The opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.

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Libya, Russia Draft Stronger Energy Ties
July 31, 2008
By Reuters

MOSCOW -- Libya sought to strengthen energy ties with Russia, an alliance that could raise alarms in Europe where countries had looked to Libya to help ease their dependence on Russian oil.

"We would like to achieve bigger volumes in investment cooperation between Russia and Libya in the oil and gas sectors," Libyan Prime Minister al-Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmudi said at the start of talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.

The Libyan prime minister said after the talks he had discussed the possibility of Russian cooperation in building a nuclear power station in Libya, Russian news agencies reported.

Putin said Libya was also seeking to buy Russian weapons.

"The Libyan leadership has confirmed it is interested in buying high-quality produce from Russia's military-industrial complex," Putin was quoted as saying by local news agencies.

Libya, a major oil and gas exporter, has become an attractive market for both Russia and the West since 2003, when the UN Security Council lifted sanctions against the country viewed for decades as a supporter of terrorism.

Putin, then the Russian president, visited Libya in April to ensure favorable treatment for Russian firms vying with Western and Chinese rivals.

Moscow then agreed to write off $4.5 billion of Libya's debt in return for contracts going to Russian firms.

Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi, keen to balance growing ties with the West, used the April summit to stress special relations with Moscow.

On July 31, Putin said: "We will do everything to create favorable conditions for Libyan investment in Russia. We will also work in the oil and gas sector not only in Libya, but in other third countries."

Al-Mahmudi invited Putin to visit Libya again in late August to attend an opening ceremony of a railway built by Russian Railways, under a 2.2 billion-euro ($3.4 billion) contract.

Improving Ties

In a separate signal of improving ties, an executive of Russian oil company LUKoil detained in Libya since November was flown back to Moscow on al-Mahmudi's plane.

Aleksandr Tsygankov spent eight months in detention without being formally charged. Russian media has speculated he was detained on suspicion of involvement in industrial espionage.

"Yesterday, on the orders of the leader of the Libyan revolution Qaddafi, a decision was made to free...the LUKoil official," al-Mahmudi said, according to a transcript of the meeting supplied by the Russian government. "He was flown to Moscow on our special flight."

During the Tripoli summit, Russia's gas-export monopoly, Gazprom, showed interest in taking part in the construction of a new gas pipeline linking Libya and Europe.

Libya currently exports about 8 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year to southern Sicily via the Greenstream pipeline owned equally by Italian oil major Eni and Libya's National Oil Corporation.

Gazprom and Eni formed a strategic partnership in 2006, which allowed for energy asset swaps, including those Eni has in Libya. The two have said the deal could also involve pipelines.

Libya's natural-gas reserves are estimated at 1.47 trillion cubic meters, though the National Oil Corporation said they could be more than twice as large.

Gazprom is also interested in buying additional volumes of Libyan oil and gas and eyeing a refining joint venture in Libya.

Its plans will dampen European hopes of finding alternative sources of gas to lessen dependence on Russia.

Al-Mahmudi said Libya was planning to open an office in Moscow of its investment agency and hailed energy cooperation as a new era in bilateral relations.

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安近短二極化高額　原油高で海外旅行大幅減　韓国・欧米人気 近くても中国は３６％減 (1/3ページ)
2008.8.3 21:53
このニュースのトピックス：航空・マイレージ

　国際線の航空運賃に上乗せされる燃油特別付加運賃（燃油サーチャージ）の値上げが続き、国内航空２社のお盆期間（８～１７日）の予約は前年比９・０％（約５万２０００人）も落ち込むなど、夏休み期間の予約は大幅減の見通しだ。距離に応じて加算される付加運賃だが、人気が根強いのは韓国など「安近短」路線と欧州など付加運賃がかさむ高額旅行で、二極化傾向が進む。一方、近いはずの中国は大きく減り、五輪効果もかすんでいる。

　▼昨夏の２倍以上

　羽田空港国際線ターミナル。８月に入り早朝から韓国・ソウルへ向かう利用客が、搭乗カウンターに長い列をつくる。

　東京都中野区の男性会社員（３５）は、仕事仲間６人と３日間の旅行。足取りは軽やかだが、費用の話になると、「休みも長く取れないし、けちってもしようがないが…。サーチャージが高いといえば高い」と笑顔が消えた。

　韓国への付加運賃は往復７０００円。３年前の５倍にはね上がっている。それでも、いまや１万円以下は韓国だけだ。

　日本航空と全日空は７月から付加運賃を値上げしており、すべての方面で昨年夏の２倍以上で、旅行客の負担は重い。

　▼「五輪底なら…」

　ＪＴＢの予測では、夏休み（７月１５日～８月３１日）の海外旅行者は前年を７・０％（約１７万２０００人）も下回る約２２５万人。１・８％減だった前年をさらに上回る落ち込み。特に中国は３６・６％（１３万９０００人）の大幅減となった。

　旅行各社も北京五輪を目前に苦戦している。前年比６割減という近畿日本ツーリストは「五輪を機にイメージが回復し、五輪の時期が底だったとなればいいのですが…」（ブランド戦略室）と“ギブアップ”の状態だ。毒ギョーザ事件→チベット問題→四川大地震が連続したことで敬遠されたと分析している。

　空の便の予約も、日航１９・７％減、全日空９・４％減と前年を下回る。

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共産党、新規党員増加　「蟹工船」「資本論」ブームで？ (1/3ページ)
2008.8.3 21:24

　共産党の新規党員が急増している。同党広報によると、党員数は平成２年の５０万人をピークに減少が始まり、ここ１０年は４０万人前後で推移していたが、昨年９月の第５回総会時から現在までに約９０００人が入党したという。志位和夫委員長は幹部会報告で「『蟹工船』が若者を中心にブームとなり、マルクスに新しい関心が高まっている。テレビ局が『資本主義は限界か』という企画を立て、その答えを共産党に求めてきた。党が体験したことのない新しい状況だ」と語り、年内に２万人超の新規党員を獲得する目標を掲げた。

　興味深いのは、新規党員のうち２割が３０歳以下の青年で、６０歳以上の高齢者も２割を占めるという点だ。同党広報はこう分析する。

　「いくら働いても何の展望も持てないのは自己責任だと思い込まされていた若い人たちが、それが実は政治の責任で、政治を変えなければならないと考えるようになった。高齢者は後期高齢者医療制度をきっかけに、これまで国を支えてきたのに、その仕打ちはないだろうと、期待を寄せるようになったようだ」

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降ってわいた「供託金」問題　真の狙いは民主・共産の分断？ (1/3ページ)
2008.7.21 08:09

　自民党が国政選挙や地方首長選挙などでの供託金没収点の引き下げの検討に入った。各党と公営選挙ごとの引き下げ幅や導入時期などの調整を進め、早ければ８月下旬にも召集される次期臨時国会に議員立法で公職選挙法改正案を提出、成立を目指す。供託金を没収されるケースがきわめて少ない自民党がこの問題に取り組み始めた背景には、共産党に多くの候補者を擁立させて、野党支持票が民主党候補に集中するのを避けたいという思惑がありそうだ。（政治部　今村義丈）

　供託金制度は売名行為の泡沫（ほうまつ）候補の乱立防止が目的だ。現行公選法によると衆院選の場合、１候補者につき選挙区３００万円、比例代表６００万円を供託し、選挙区では有効投票数の１０分の１を得票できれば返還されるが、得票できなければ没収される。

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３０人に１人　親が外国人、　１８年に日本で生まれた子
2008.8.3 17:39

　平成１８年に国内で生まれた赤ちゃん約１１０万人のうち、親の少なくとも一方が外国籍の子が３万５６５１人で、新生児の３・２％、ほぼ３０人に１人の割合に上ることが３日までに、厚生労働省の調査で分かった。

　同年に国内で結婚し、婚姻届を出したカップルのうち、１人または両方が外国人の組み合わせは６・６％で約１５組に１組。いずれの数字も増加傾向にあり、過去１０年で最高。在日外国人の定着と日本社会の国際化を裏付けている。

　「人口動態統計」などによると、１８年に出生した赤ちゃんのうち「父親が外国人」が約１万９０００人、「母親が外国人」は約２万６０００人。これらのうち「両親とも外国人」は約９０００人。夫が日本人、妻が外国人という組み合わせが約３万６０００組と圧倒的に多く、妻の国籍は中国、フィリピンがそれぞれ３分の１で、６分の１が韓国・朝鮮だった。

----------------------------
不正採用の教員は退職金なし　大分県教委、汚職で検討

2008年8月3日15時18分

　大分県の教員採用汚職事件で、県教育委員会は、不正による合格が確認された教員の採用を取り消す場合、退職手当を支給しない方向で検討を始めた。採用自体が取り消されることで、支給する根拠がなくなるという。ただ、すでに支払った給与は労働の対価として返還は求めない方針だ。

　県教委は、得点改ざんなどが確認できた不正合格者は採用を取り消す一方、不正による不合格者は本人が希望すれば採用する方針を打ち出している。県警などの調べでは、０７、０８両年度の小学校教員採用試験では４１人ずつの合格者のうち、０７年度で２０人前後、０８年度で１５人前後が得点のかさ上げで合格したとみられ、不正の実態解明を進める県教委のプロジェクトチームが受験者の得点データの解析を進めている。

　採用取り消しの根拠は地方公務員法。「職員の任用は受験成績、勤務成績その他の能力の実証に基づいて行わなければならない」との規定に反するとして取り消す。その場合、勤務期間がなかったとみなされるため、退職手当は支給の根拠がなくなるという。

　県教委の担当部署は、不支給とする法的根拠を解説した資料などをプロジェクトチームに提供している。今後、県教委内で協議し、結論を出す予定だ。

　一方、元県教委義務教育課参事、矢野哲郎（５２）、妻かおる（５１）両被告＝贈賄罪で起訴＝の長女が同県佐伯市立小学校の教諭を辞職した際には退職金１２万円が支給された。県教委は、不正の有無の確認に時間がかかる上、辞職を認めず給与を支給し続けるのは不適切などとして辞職届を受理した。自己都合による退職として扱ったため、退職手当の返還を求めることはできないという。

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首都圏のマンション価格、トップは赤坂見附１億９３４万

　不動産調査会社の東京カンテイは、１９９８年から１０年間に首都圏で売り出された新築マンションについて、主要駅別の平均価格ランキングをまとめた。

　１位は「赤坂見附」（東京メトロ銀座線）の１億９３４万円、２位は「神谷町」（同日比谷線）の９３３１万円、３位は「広尾」（同）の９２２５万円が続いた。

　上位の２０駅は千代田、港、渋谷区の都心に集中している。２０位の「神保町」（都営三田線）でも７２８２万円で、首都圏平均（７３３駅）の４１８３万円を大きく上回った。

　同社は「いずれも高額物件だが、賃貸で高収益を得ることも可能で、価格に見合うだけの価値があった」と指摘している。

　平均価格は、１坪（３・３平方メートル）当たりの単価から、１戸７０平方メートルとして算出した。

--------------------------
Sars adds muscle to tax haven inquiry

August 03 2008 at 11:26AM

By Eleanor Momberg

Eight wealthy German nationals are being investigated on tax charges by the South African Revenue Service (Sars) in co-operation with the German authorities.

The investigation is the extension of the probe into what has become known as the Liechtenstein tax scandal, which involves hundreds of rich people "hiding" their money in the principality's LGT Bank to avoid paying taxes back home.

The investigation was launched in February by the German government into 700 of its wealthy citizens after it purchased a disk from a former LGT Bank employee containing data. The investigation - the largest and most complex into tax evasion in Germany - has since expanded, with probes also being carried out around the world.

Liechtenstein, as a tax haven with a population of 35 000, has more registered companies than citizens. It has more than 73 000 holding companies.

Sars had estimated that South Africa could be losing R64-billion to tax havens annually. Pravin Gordhan, the Sars commissioner, this week said that the German government was sharing the information it had received about the secret bank accounts in Liechtenstein.

Adrian Lackay, a Sars spokesperson, confirmed that eight wealthy, retired Germans living in the Western Cape, were being investigated at the request of the German authorities. "They are not registered taxpayers in South Africa. They are mostly retired Germans... who have family money stashed away," he said. No South African names appeared on the disk.

Gordhan had this week highlighted a new trend by the idle rich to dodge tax - they had no "permanent abode".

Lackay explained that the elite often adopted new lifestyle patterns and new investment trends - the latest being to own homes in several countries and to move on before having to register as a taxpayer.

The individual would have to live in South Africa for longer than 183 days to register as a taxpayer.

Sars was continuously investigating corporate entities and individuals who may not declare their income from foreign investments.

"Our priority is to protect the fiscus and recover that money. When people are caught evading paying taxes, criminal charges are likely. A civil case can also be lodged."

There is a reputation risk attached for many corporates and listed companies in breaking the law, so Sars is continuously raising awareness of this.

Lackay said that tax havens were realising that their own long-term sustainability or potential to increase investment could be threatened if they continued to be seen as giving investors an unfair competitive advantage.