Rankings of richest oligarchs rewritten

Rankings of richest oligarchs rewritten

By Catherine Belton in Moscow

Published: February 17 2009 02:00 | Last updated: February 17 2009 02:00

Mikhail Prokhorov, the playboy Russian billionaire, has emerged as the country's wealthiest businessman after economic turmoil erased two-thirds of Russia's top 10 tycoons' fortunes, according to a rich list published by Finans magazine, Catherine Belton reports from Moscow .

The 43-year-old metals tycoon cashed out of most of his holdings last summer for $10bn before Russia's stock market crashed more than 70 per cent. He had looked to be the loser after he was forced to sell after a dispute with erstwhile partner Vladimir Potanin that erupted in the French ski report of Courchevel.

Finans valued Mr Prokhorov's fortune at $14.1bn. Roman Abramovich, the Chelsea football club owner, kept his position from last year but saw his fortune fall to $13.9bn from $23bn last year. Oleg Deripaska, until this year Russia's richest man, fell from number one with $40bn last year to number eight with $4.9bn today.

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Russian industrial output falls 20%

By Charles Clover and Catherine Belton in Moscow

Published: February 17 2009 02:00 | Last updated: February 17 2009 02:00

Russia's industrial production plunged 20 per cent in January, a fall that could herald a much larger than expected drop in gross domestic product this year, economists fear.

The decline was its largest month to month drop since records began seven years ago.

"The horrendous industrial production data in January have left no doubt that the economy has come to a screeching halt," said Ivan Tchakarov, chief Russia economist for Nomura, the investment bank. "This indicates that the combined effect of the credit squeeze in the banking sector and falling global and domestic demand has filtered through to the real economy."

Russia's president Dmitry Medvedev underlined the Kremlin's concern with the worsening situation when he sacked four regional governors yesterday, the first time so many senior officials have been purged in years.

The governors fired had headed regions where a recent spike in unemployment had taken the worst toll. In December, Russia's economy shed roughly half a million jobs, bringing the total unemployment level to 7.7 per cent.

Sergei Markov, a member of the Kremlin's ruling United Russia party, said that the sackings may have also been connected to anti- corruption probes and could usher in further dismissals right up to cabinet level. "In this situation we need to make sure that government funds get to the real sector and are not stolen along the way."

Russia was hit hard by the combination of the global credit crunch and the falling price of oil last autumn. A one-third fall in the value of the rouble since the summer has crippled demand at home and caused an artificial shortage of credit. Russian officials are already describing their country as in recession.

Igor Yurgens, an adviser to Mr Medvedev, said the government was mapping out scenarios for growth to fall from 6.3 per cent in 2008 to anywhere between zero and minus 10 per cent this year depending on whether the oil price falls further, whether international credit markets reopen and on how sharply the global recession hits China.

The government is locked in debate over how to redraw the budget for 2009 as fear grows over the extent of the recession.

Economists linked the sharp fall in January output to the virtual paralysis of the financial system as the government sped up a rouble devaluation that created a lucrative one-way bet for anyone to change roubles for dollars, rather than lend them to the real economy.

Bankers say non-payments spiralled during the devaluation and rouble liquidity dried up. The banking system is still frozen with most second and third tier borrowers unable to find funds. However, the rouble appears to have stabilised, at least temporarily, and authorities are hoping the banks will begin lending again.

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Search is on for fresh sources of fuel

By Jude Webber in Buenos Aires

Published: February 17 2009 02:00 | Last updated: February 17 2009 02:00

With Bolivian supplies constrained, the search for new sources of oil and natural gas among nearby countries has intensified in recent months, often in costly offshore areas, writes Jude Webber in Buenos Aires .

The most promising new exploration areas could be off the prestigious Uruguayan resort of Punta del Este, which the government says share some features of the Santos Basin off Brazil, the site of the giant Carioca oil field that is potentially the third biggest discovered.

Uruguay believes the area could yield deposits of 12m cubic metres of gas a day plus oil, and is holding a tender expected to attract big European and North American energy groups. It hopes to award exploration licences late this year or early 2010.

Interest has also increased in the waters around the British-ruled Falkland Islands in the south Atlantic. High oil prices last year spurred a surveying push after decades of rumours about rich, untapped reserves.

Results were promising, but the crash in oil prices looks likely to scupper drilling both there and in Paraguay, another long-touted prospect sandwiched between gas-rich Bolivia and oil-and-gas producing northern Argentina.

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Bolivia pays a high price for nationalisation

By Naomi Mapstone in Lima and Andres Schipani in La Paz

Published: February 16 2009 19:49 | Last updated: February 16 2009 19:49

Bolivia, the linchpin of gas supplies to the southern half of Latin America, is struggling to secure long-term investment for its hydro­carbons sector amid questions over its reliability as a supplier and uncertainty over demand from export markets.

Evo Morales, the country’s popular leftist president who faces a presidential election in December, travelled to Russia this week to sign an agreement with Gazprom, the state gas monopoly, to develop Bolivia’s gas reserves until 2030.

The government estimates the Gazprom agreement, which includes a joint project with Total of France, will be worth $3bn (€2.3bn, £2bn). It says Venezuela and Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB), Bolivia’s state-owned gas company, will together invest a further $240m.

The fact that Bolivia has to go so far abroad highlights the damage it did by nationalising its energy industry in 2006, driving away technically able international companies with a proven ability to raise funds.

The consequences will also be felt by the country’s neighbours, particularly ­Brazil, the region’s biggest economy.

Carlos Alberto López, a former Bolivian energy minister and consultant with Cambridge Energy Research Associates, says Bolivia, having undermined its strategic position, is now turning to countries such as Russia and Venezuela to fill the investment gap. However, he warns that, in the current economic climate, this could be problematic.

“For ideological reasons this government wants to rely on state-run companies. But the only efficient one is Petrobras [of Brazil]. The Gazproms, Pemexes, PDVSA and Iran are not,” he says, referring to Mexico’s Pemex, and PDVSA of Venezuela.

“In prosperous times they do fine, but in bad times they fail. Bolivia wants to support itself using giants with clay feet.”

Search is on for fresh sources of fuel

With Bolivian supplies constrained, the search for new sources of oil and natural gas among nearby countries has intensified in recent months, often in costly offshore areas, writes Jude Webber in Buenos Aires.

The most promising new exploration areas could be off the prestigious Uruguayan resort of Punta del Este, which the government says share some features of the Santos Basin off Brazil, the site of the giant Carioca oil field that is potentially the third biggest discovered.

Uruguay believes the area could yield deposits of 12m cubic metres of gas a day plus oil, and is holding a tender expected to attract big European and North American energy groups. It hopes to award exploration licences late this year or early 2010.

Interest has also increased in the waters around the British-ruled Falkland Islands in the south Atlantic. High oil prices last year spurred a surveying push after decades of rumours about rich, untapped reserves.

Results were promising, but the crash in oil prices looks likely to scupper drilling both there and in Paraguay, another long-touted prospect sandwiched between gas-rich Bolivia and oil-and-gas producing northern Argentina.

The Bolivian government says it expects to boost oil and gas investment to $530m this year, after it fell to $149m in 2007 from a peak of $581m in 1999.

Oscar Coca, who became the fourth hydrocarbons minister to serve under Mr Morales when he was appointed last week, told state media that attracting new investment was his top priority.

“Businesses haven’t made the necessary investments and today we’re living with the effects ... Our chief goal is to take care of that issue in the medium and long term,” he said.

However, the 12 foreign companies that operate in Bolivia, already rattled by the nationalisation of the country’s gas and oil sector, are awaiting implementation of a hydrocarbons law required by the new constitution and are wary of getting more involved.

The government has said it will respect existing ­contracts but one executive from a nationalised foreign company expressed scepticism about the pledge.

“The current government has no problems in not following contracts and there is a perception that the legal system in Bolivia is not up to normal standards. So if things go wrong, an investor will have to deal with a Bolivian court and it is very unlikely that they won’t back the government,” he says.

Mr López says political uncertainty in Bolivia has hastened the arrival of new suppliers in the region.

“Unlike three years ago, when Bolivia was a preferential supplier, today we are suffering the politicisation of hydrocarbons,” he says.

“By being unreliable, Bolivia itself promoted the entrance of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the region and can now forget about imposing, setting or negotiating prices as it did in the past.”

Bolivia, which has the second biggest gas reserves in the region after Venezuela, is the largest supplier of gas to Brazil and Argentina. Its plans to increase exports to Argentina are being held up by delays in the construction of a pipeline between the two countries and its failure to respect existing supply contracts forced Argentina to import costly LNG from outside the region last year .

Buenos Aires has been importing gas from Bolivia and exporting to Chile, but surging domestic demand prompted it to cut exports to a trickle. Both Chile and Uruguay are now exploring the possibility of LNG, which can be transported by sea from anywhere in the world as a safer long-term prospect, despite it being more expensive.

Chile, which imports two-thirds of its energy, cannot buy directly from Bolivia because of a lingering ­diplomatic dispute.

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Mideast funds fret over US Treasuries

By Henny Sender in New York

Published: February 17 2009 02:39 | Last updated: February 17 2009 02:39

Sovereign wealth funds in the Middle East are growing increasingly concerned about the health of the US Treasury market, raising questions about whether they will remain such active buyers of US government debt.

Middle Eastern buyers are the fifth-largest investors in Treasuries after China, Japan, the UK and Caribbean banking centres, and their appetite could prove critical to US government plans to issue mountains of debt to fund stimulus efforts.

So far there is little sign of a flight from the dollar or from Treasuries, but senior executives at several sovereign funds in the region say the US Treasury has been conducting a dialogue to reassure Middle Eastern investors that US government debt still offers value.

Treasury prices soared – and Treasury yields declined – last year as investors sought the safety of government debt. Yields have started rising this year, and Middle East investors remain concerned that they will continue to do so, reducing the value of holdings and removing the incentive to buy more.

Current Treasury yields were an expression of “the psychology of fear”, said the head of one sovereign fund in the Middle East. “It is the financial equivalent of a 10-alarm fire outside one’s home.”

Adding to the skittishness of Middle East investors is the fear that the dollar will also decline, further depressing the value of US debt holdings. Since oil is priced in dollars, these investors are inclined to invest in dollar-denominated assets.

“If there is a further meltdown in the financial system, it could have an impact on the dollar,” says one Gulf central bank governor. “A run on the dollar would be the worst-case scenario.”

Deutsche Bank estimates that Treasury issuance will rise sharply as a result of the stimulus efforts – “with at least $2,000bn [€1,538bn, £1,388bn] in net marketable borrowing likely to occur this year and potentially that much again next year”.

Middle Eastern investors will also face competing claims at home, and will probably have to scale back Treasury purchases, at least at the margin, as they allocate funds to help revive their domestic economies.

“There are supply issues, valuation issues and demand issues with existing holders,” says Mohamed El-Erian, chief executive at Pimco, the US-based bond investor.

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村上ファンド事件、検察側が上告断念

2009年2月17日20時9分

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　村上ファンドによるインサイダー取引事件で、検察側は１７日、ファンド元代表村上世彰（よしあき）被告（４９）を懲役２年執行猶予３年、罰金３００万円の有罪とした二審・東京高裁判決について、上告しない方針を決めた。「明確な上告理由が見当たらない」としている。二審判決は、村上被告を実刑とした一審・東京地裁判決を破棄し、執行猶予を付けた。弁護側は「主張をおおむね受け入れたものだが、納得できない点がある」として、すでに上告している。

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日経新聞持ち株会訴訟　元社員同士の譲渡認めず　最高裁

2009年2月17日20時14分

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　自社株の保有資格を現役従業員か役員に限る「社員株主制度」を持つ日本経済新聞社の株をめぐり、社内の持ち株会以外への売却を認めないのは不当だとして元社員２人が同社側を相手に起こした訴訟の上告審で、最高裁第三小法廷（堀籠幸男裁判長）は１７日、元社員側の上告を棄却する判決を言い渡した。同社側の勝訴が確定した。

　判決によると、同社は日刊新聞法に基づき、株式を譲り受けられる人を定款で「事業に関係のある者」に限定。社内では、従業員や役員の株は「持ち株会が１株１００円で従業員や役員に譲渡し、必要がなくなった場合は持ち株会が同額で買い取る」とのルールが成立していた。

　元社員はこのルールについて認識・合意して株式を購入。そのうえで、０５年９月、４００株をもう１人に１株１千円で売買する契約を結び、同社側に承認を要求したが、同社側はルールに従っていないとして認めなかった。このため、上告審ではルールが適法か否かが争点となった。

　第三小法廷は、社員株主制度を維持することを前提としたこのルールの合理性を是認。「ルールに従うという合意は会社法や公序良俗に反しないから有効だ」と述べた。

　　　◇

　〈日経新聞社広報グループの話〉　社員株主制度は、言論報道機関として独立性を保ち、中正公平な報道を貫くために不可欠な仕組み。最高裁判決は司法がその正当性を認めたものと受け止めている。

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漁協への補償は「違法」　香川で住民監査請求へ
2009.2.17 22:13

　香川県東かがわ市の市民グループは、漁港埋め立て地への企業誘致に伴い、市が地元漁協に補償費を支払ったのは違法だなどとして、近く住民監査請求することを決めた。

　市民グループによると、平成１９年１１月、三本松港の埋め立て地にクレーン会社が進出することになり、市は土地の無償使用の権利を持つ東讃漁協に約２５７０万円の権利消滅補償費と、水産振興費２０００万円の支払いを２０年に議決。補償費は既に支払った。

　市は、１６年１２月の「確認書」や１９年３月の「覚書」で漁協に対して無償使用を認めているという。市民グループは「補償費も振興費も法的根拠がない。補償費の算出方法はこじつけ」と主張し、漁協に返還させるなどの措置を市に求める。監査請求が退けられれば住民訴訟も検討するという。

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13:05 GMT, Tuesday, 17 February 2009
Russia cuts 2014 Olympics budget
Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev enjoy the snow in Sochi (3 January 2009)

Russia has cut its budget for hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics in the Black Sea resort of Sochi by 15%, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak has said.

Mr Kozak said an assessment of construction projects found it would be possible to save about $8.3bn (£5.8bn), according to the Interfax news agency.

Russia has been hit hard by the global financial and economic crises after years of soaring economic growth.

The 2009 budget is expected to show its first deficit in about a decade.

In November, Mr Kozak announced that the state would seek savings on all major construction projects in which it was involved.

Overestimated costs

At a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday, Mr Kozak said an assessment of projects for the construction of sports facilities in Sochi for the Winter Olympics had identified a possible 300bn roubles in savings.

For example, the assessment found that the cost of four of venues had been overestimated by 7.5bn roubles ($208m; £150m), he said.

Sochi has a subtropical coastal region and an alpine mountain range

Sochi's mixed feelings over games

Resurgent Russia's Olympic task

Sochi

"We have budgeted the cost of these facilities with a 15% reduction," he was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.

Mr Putin also noted that construction costs were decreasing as a result of a recent drop in the price of materials.

When Russian president in 2007, Mr Putin was credited with helping Sochi's winning bid, after he addressed delegates in three languages - English, Spanish and French. It was reportedly the first time he had spoken English at a public ceremony.

The Black Sea resort has a unique combination of spring-like weather and cold temperatures in the nearby Krasnaya Polyana mountains, which Mr Putin - a keen skier - said would guarantee snow.

"You know we can turn sports competitions into a really spectacular show and we are good at it," he added.

A Russian media report on Tuesday said preparations for the Olympics had also been affected by a lack of interest from firms in bidding for projects, forcing the local authorities to extend tender deadlines.

They also faced mounting difficulty in acquiring land necessary for Olympic infrastructure because owners were refusing to sell at prices offered by the government, the Prime-TASS news agency said.

The Austrian city of Salzburg, which lost out to Sochi for the right to host the games, said in November that it was still prepared to do so if Russia was unable to complete its construction projects in time.

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Mikhail Prokhorov becomes Russia’s richest dollar billionaire
17.02.2009 Source: Pravda.Ru URL: http://english.pravda.ru/russia/economics/107113-russia_billionaire-0

Russian businessman Mikhail Prokhorov, the owner of Onexim Group, was ranked the nation’s richest dollar billionaire with the fortune of $14.1 billion as of 2008. Prokhorov thus took the place of Oleg Deripaska, whose fortune was evaluated at $40 billion as of the end of 2007, Finans magazine wrote. Deripaska, the head of the Basic Element holding, lost from 16 to 28 billion dollars in 2008 because of the economic crisis.

The international financial crisis sent the prices on raw materials plunging. It became virtually impossible for Russian entrepreneurs to receive new loans abroad. The crisis also decreased the capitalization of Russian enterprises, drove many of them into the debt pit and seriously changed the structure of the rating of Russian billionaires.

However, Mikhail Prokhorov can be referred to as one of the few successful businessmen today. He does not have a considerable debt load, whereas the profitability of his business has not suffered a decline, RIA Novosti reports.

Mikhail Prokhorov has become one of the most successful Russian entrepreneurs recently, the magazine wrote. Many of his colleagues desperately try to find any possible way out of the critical situation. Unlike them, Mr. Prokhorov is busy with acquiring the most expensive villa in the world ($496 million in the south of France) and investing millions in the development of biathlon.

The number of dollar billionaires decreased in Russia from 101 to 49 people in 2008. The total fortune of Russia’s ten richest people lost 66 percent in 2008 because of the economic crisis and currently makes up $75.9 billion.

Mikhail Prokhorov’s fortune was evaluated at over $21 billion a year ago, which ranked him the seventh richest Russian.

Oleg Deripaska’s capital reduced from $40 billion to $4.9 billion.

Chukotka governor Roman Abramovich is ranked second on the list of Finans magazine. His fortune dropped from $23 billion to $13.9 billion. The bronze belongs to Vladimir Lisin, the owner of Novolipetsk Steel, with $7.7 billion (instead of $22.2 billion).

The top ten also includes Lukoil’s Vagit Alekperov ($7.6 billion) and Suleiman Kerimov ($7.5 billion), as well as the co-owner of Alfa-Group Mikhail Fridman ($6.1 billion) and Vladimir Potanin ($5 billion). Some other billionaires dropped out of the top ten list of Russia’s richest men this year, whereas others have lost the title of ‘dollar billionaire’ at all.

Elena Baturina, the wife of Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov, traditionally remains Russia’s richest woman. Her fortune is evaluated at $1 billion.

Source: agencies

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Russia may not ship S-300 missile systems to Iran hoping to improve ties with USA
17.02.2009 Source: Pravda.Ru URL: http://english.pravda.ru/world/asia/107115-russia_s300_iran-0

Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Najar arrived in Moscow Monday with an official visit, Interfax reports with reference to the press secretary of the Russian Defense Minister, Colonel Aleksei Kuznetsov. Najar is expected to negotiate the issue of the delivery of Russian S-300 missile systems to Iran.

The defense ministers of Russia and Iran will conduct negotiations on February 17 to discuss the current and future questions of military cooperation between the countries.

The visit of the Iranian minister will last till February 18. Mostafa Najar will have a meeting with an official spokesman for Russia’s defense export giant, Rosoboronexport, and visit one of the country’s defense enterprises.

In addition to the questions about the delivery of S-300 missile systems, Russia and Iran may discuss the perspectives of other arms contracts, as well as the questions of customer service for Tor-M1 missile systems which Russia ahs already delivered to Iran.

Rosoboronexport’s General Director Anatoly Isaikin stated before that Russia had not shipped S-300 systems to Iran. However, the official added, Russia would be ready to organize the shipments upon the adequate instructions from the country’s administration.

The information about the delivery of Russian S-300 missile systems originally surfaced in Iranian media outlets. Spokespeople for the Russian Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation released a statement claiming that the information was not true to fact.

Most likely, the above-mentioned visit of the Iranian defense minister to Moscow will most likely leave the situation with the delivery of S-300 systems unchanged. For the time being, Russia does not have an intention to ship the complexes to the Iran since the deal may seriously obstruct the new dialogue between the Kremlin and the new US administration, The Kommersant newspaper wrote with reference to sources at Russia’s defense complex.

The S-300 contract can be executed at any moment; other contracts can be signed with Iran too, particularly about Buk-M1 missile systems. A political decision is required to give them all a go, although it seems that such a decision is not a matter of the near future.

Most likely, Russia hopes to improve its relations with the United States. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected to have his first meeting with the new US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in March. President Dmitry Medvedev will have an opportunity to shake hands with Barack Obama in April of this year. Moscow pins big hopes on those talks: the two countries may find a compromise on the issues of nuclear disarmament and the deployment of the US national missile defense system in Eastern Europe. The news about the shipment of S-300 systems to Iran will mar the atmosphere of the talks.

Vyacheslav Davidenko, the press secretary of Rosoboronexport, said that Russia would most likely not change any of its views pertaining to the deliveries of S-300 systems to Iran, not even after the visit of the Iranian defense minister.

Source: agencies

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Iran confirms trial run of Bushehr NPP to go ahead by yearend

16:35 | 17/ 02/ 2009

Print version

TEHRAN, February 17 (RIA Novosti) - Tehran hopes a trial run of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran will take place before the end of this year, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday.

"The work to complete the construction of the nuclear power plant is proceeding as planned," Hasan Qashqavi said, citing Russian officials.

He added that Iran did not anticipate any "emergencies" that could prevent the plant's operation.

"Technical consultations with our Russian partners are ongoing, and we hope that the expectations of the entire Iranian people will not be disappointed - the NPP will be put into operation on time and will work for the benefit of our country," he said.

The head of Russia's state nuclear power corporation Rosatom said earlier this month the work was "moving according to schedule."

Sergei Kiriyenko said, however, that unforeseen obstacles were always possible, particularly, as the corporation was working to integrate "old equipment."

The construction of the Bushehr nuclear power plant was started in 1975 by German companies. However, the German firms stopped work after the imposition of a U.S. embargo on hi-tech supplies to Iran following the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the subsequent capture of the U.S. embassy in Tehran.

Russia signed a contract with Iran to finish the work on the plant in February 1998. The Bushehr project was originally scheduled go on line at the end of 2006, but the date has been pushed back several times. Russia has cited financial problems for the delay amid Western suspicions that Tehran could be seeking nuclear weapons. The Islamic Republic insists it needs its nuclear program to generate energy for non-military purposes.

Iran's Atomic Energy Organization said earlier the Bushehr plant was 94.8% complete. Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said it was due to go on stream in the first half of 2009.

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Russia
Russia, China sign energy accords - Deputy PM Sechin
14:59 | 17/ 02/ 2009

Print version

BEIJING, February 17 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and China have signed a number of documents on cooperation in the energy sphere, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin said on Tuesday.

Sechin, who is responsible for the fuel and energy sector in the Russian government, said after his meeting with Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao that both countries had signed an intergovernmental agreement on the construction of a branch of the East Siberia-Pacific Ocean (ESPO) oil pipeline toward China and long-term Russian oil supplies.

According to Sechin, under the agreement, Russia will supply 15 million metric tons (110 million barrels) of crude annually for 20 years to China "on credit terms that suit both parties."

Sechin declined to specify the terms of the credit.

Russia was seeking two loans worth a total of $25 billion from China for its state-controlled oil firm Rosneft and Transneft pipeline operator to build a Chinese branch of the East Siberia-Pacific Ocean. ESPO is currently under construction and expected to pump its first oil in December 2009.

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北京で北島も実践、仕事にも応用…勝負“脳力”開花術

　北島康介ら北京五輪の競泳チームが実践したことで注目を集めた「勝負脳」。提唱者の脳科学者・林成之氏によれば、“勝つための脳”はサラリーマンにも応用可能という。過酷な競争社会、脳を鍛えて仕事で金メダルを狙え！！

【失速しない脳】

　「よくゴール目前に選手が失速してしまうことがあるでしょう。それは、実は脳の仕組みに関係しているのです」と話すのは、「ビジネス勝負脳」（ＫＫベストセラーズ）の著者で日本大学大学院総合科学研究科の林成之教授。かつて同大医学部附属板橋病院救急救命センター部長として多くの脳神経外科の手術を行い、その経験から脳の仕組みを研究。

　脳には外からの刺激に反応する「外意識」と、外の刺激を受け止めて脳内で情報処理をする「内意識」があり、内意識こそが勝負脳に関係するなどの理論を独自に構築。アドバイザーとして北島選手をはじめ日本のトップアスリートに限界以上の力を引き出す方法を伝授している。

【負けない脳】

　具体的には、脳の中で感情をつかさどる「ドーパミンＡ１０神経群」を中心に、記憶をつかさどる海馬、情緒を司る扁桃核（へんとうかく）がポイント。林教授はこれを「モジュレータ神経群」と呼ぶ。

　「私たちは、常日頃から一次的な記憶そのものではなく、脳内で再構成されたイメージ記憶で、ものを考えたり運動したりしています。その仕組みを上手く生かすことが、スポーツだけでなく、ビジネスで成功することにもつながります」

　このモジュレータ神経群、例えばゴールが近いと視覚で情報を得ると、イメージ記憶の再構成で「ゴールになった」と認識。すると、自然に身体はパフォーマンスが落ちてしまう。本人の意識とは関係なく、脳が認識してしまうのだ。「ビジネスの場で、リーダーが勝負脳を意識して鍛えると、正しい判断や決断ができるようになる」という。　

【脳の鍛え方】

　▼「情報はいつも複数以上重ねて理解することを習慣化する」

　初対面の人は、ぱっと見た印象だけでなく、その時の話の内容や会った場所、着ていた洋服などの情報も重ねて覚えておくと、深く相手を脳に印象づけられる。

　▼「理解した内容を４日後に再確認する」

　脳はあまり必要でない記憶は、前頭前野に到達後３～４日で消えてしまう。人と意見が異なったり、迷ったときには、結論を先延ばしし、再度検討すると良い結果を導き出せる。

　▼「明るい性格を鍛え、ネガティブなことはいわない」

　明るい性格を鍛えるとドーパミンＡ１０神経群も鍛えられ、才能を伸ばすことにつながる。

　▼「嫌いな相手を好きになる」

　さらに踏み込んで相手と自分を一体化する。これは競泳日本代表チームも活用した考えで、自身が水と一体化することで脳が水を「抵抗」とみなさなくなり、それが運動神経に伝わり、より速く泳げるようになる。

　▼「４拍子半のリズム」

　通常人間は歩いたり、走ったりする時、３拍子か４拍子のリズムをとる。だが脳のパフォーマンスをぐいぐいあげるリズムは４拍子半。作業能率を上げたかったら「イチ、ニ、サン、シ・ィー」と唱えてみる。

ZAKZAK 2009/02/17

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海外サーバーに児童ポルノ、売り上げは２億円
2009.2.17 15:45

　福岡県のアダルトサイト運営会社が海外のサーバーを利用して児童ポルノを提供した事件で、児童ポルノ禁止法違反（提供目的所持）などの疑いで逮捕された男らが、平成１９年９月から今年１月までに、約２億円の収入を得ていたことが１７日、警視庁と福岡県警の調べで分かった。

　同法違反とわいせつ図画販売目的所持の疑いで逮捕されたのは、福岡市博多区のアダルトサイト運営会社「フィーゼ」社長、森本憲容疑者（４１）＝福岡市中央区薬院＝ら男女８人。

　警視庁少年育成課の調べによると、森本容疑者らは不特定多数に提供する目的で、１月２９日午後３時半ごろ、「フィーゼ」社内のハードディスクに、日本人とみられる少女のわいせつな動画データを所持した疑いがもたれている。

　同課によると、動画は米・カリフォルニアのサーバーからダウンロードする仕組みとなっており、サイトは香港のサーバーにあった。会費はチェコの銀行を通じて集めるなど、複数の国が利用されていた。森本容疑者は「海外なら罪にはならないと思った」などと供述している。

　サイトは会費２９ドルで３０日間ダウンロードし放題など、複数のコースがあり、日本人の客約６０００人が契約していた。国外のサーバーを利用したアダルトサイトの捜査は難しいが、今回は海外のサーバー会社から早急な捜査協力が得られたことが、逮捕につながった。

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日産が09年度広告費「大ナタ」新聞、雑誌、ラジオはゼロ？
2009/2/16 このエントリーを含むはてなブックマーク はてなRSSに追加 この記事をBuzzurlにブックマークする この記事をクリップ！ Yahoo!ブックマークに登録 newsing it! コメント(8) 印刷

世界的な景気低迷を受けて、自動車各社の業績も「総崩れ」状態だ。各社とも人員削減など「大ナタ」をふるうなか、日産自動車は全運動部を休部するなどの対応が波紋を呼んだ。加えて、同社は2009年度から広告費を大幅に削減することが明らかになり、マスコミ業界には大きな痛手になりそうだ。
テレビCMも絞り込んでいく

日産自動車は2009年2月9日、09年3月期の連結決算見通しを下方修正する、と発表した。従来は2700億円の黒字だと予想されていた営業損益を1800億円の赤字に修正したのだ。営業赤字は1995年3月期以来で、カルロス・ゴーン社長の就任後初めての事態だ。これを受けて、全世界の従業員の1割近い約2万人を削減し、運動部を休部するなどのリストラ策も発表された。

さらに、同社は、09年度から広告費の大幅削減に踏み切るというのだ。同社広報部では、

「業績が厳しいことを受けて、広告費についても削減を厳しく進めています。媒体が持つ影響力を考えて、出稿のやりかたを検討しているところです」

と明かす。

日経広告研究所の調べによると、同社の07年度の広告宣伝費は396億3000万円で、国内有力企業の中では9位にランクインしている。これが大幅に削減される形だが、同社では、削減幅については明らかにしていない。

ただ、出版関係者からは、

「テレビのスポットCM以外の、雑誌、新聞、ラジオ広告の出稿はゼロになってしまうと聞いている」

といった声も出てきており、実際、ある出版社では「出稿取りやめ」を宣言され、1誌あたり年間1500～2500万円の広告収入が失われる見通しだ。

もっとも、日産側は

「確かに、出稿を減らすことを(出版社などに)お知らせしているケースもあります。テレビCMにしても、提供している番組を精査しながら、絞り込んでいく予定です」

と、「広告費大幅カット」の方向性については認めながらも、「スポットCM以外は『全滅』」との見方を否定している。
ワールドカップや中日クラウンズなども現在検討中

今回、広告費の大幅カットが明らかになったのは日産のみだが、自動車業界の業績は「総崩れ」なのが現状だ。例えば09年3月期の連結決算では、日産以外にもトヨタ自動車、マツダ、富士重工業、日野自動車が営業赤字を計上する見通しだ。

さらに、日本の広告業界で自動車広告が占める位置は決して小さくない。前出の日経広告研究所の調査によると、国内有力企業で広告費が多い上位 10社(07年度)のうち、自動車メーカーが3社を占めている。日産以外でランクインしているのはトヨタ自動車(1位、1083億4000万円)とホンダ (3位、913億4000万円)。トヨタについては前年比で2割程度の削減にとどまるのでは、と業界ではみているが、

「ワールドカップや中日クラウンズなどの協賛関係については、現在検討中なのですが、(広告出稿などの)詳細については、回答を控えさせていただきたく思います」(トヨタ自動車)

としている。

「09年度の広告宣伝費については、まだ予算を組んでいる途中で、まだ上層部で議論をしている段階です。かなり厳しいということは認識しているんですけどね…」(ホンダ)

両社とも態度を明確にはしていない。ただ、前年をかなり下回るのは確かなようだ。

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「景気回復には消費増税」　伊藤元重氏が講演　名古屋「正論」懇話会
2009.2.10 18:53

　名古屋「正論」懇話会の第２回講演会が１０日、名古屋市の名鉄グランドホテルで開かれ、東大大学院教授の伊藤元重氏が「内外の経済動向と日本の活路」と題して講演、「景気を良くするため消費税を増税すべきだ」と訴えた。

　伊藤氏は、医療、教育、介護、育児サービスを充実させ、国民の安心を実現するとともに、新たな雇用を創出する必要があると強調。消費税率５％では財源不足で「２年後から税率を段階的に上げていくべきだ。（引き上げ前の）駆け込み需要による内需拡大も期待でき、国の借金を増やさずに社会保障原資を確保できる」と力説した。

　また、「これまでがあまりに円安だった。現在の為替レートは円高とはいえない」と指摘。今後、製造業の再編は必至で、国内雇用は２～３割減る可能性があるとの見通しも示した。