Saturday, September 6, 2008

EU fears Russia will refuse to leave

EU fears Russia will refuse to leave

By Tony Barber in Avignon

Published: September 5 2008 16:42 | Last updated: September 5 2008 23:40

There is growing concern among European Union governments that they will be unable to persuade Russia to withdraw its forces from a “buffer zone” in Georgia, which they occupied during their military victory last month.

The concern emerged on Friday at an informal two-day meeting of EU foreign ministers in the French city of Avignon. Leaders of the 27-nation EU last Monday urged Russia to withdraw its soldiers to positions held before August 7, when Georgia began a military operation to recapture the pro-Russian separatist enclave of South Ossetia.

The Russian forces crushed the Georgians and are at present stationed in what Moscow regards as a “security zone” outside South Ossetia, whose independence – along with that of Abkhazia, a similar enclave – Moscow recognised on August 26.

Nicolas Sarkozy, France’s president, and other EU leaders are due in Moscow on Monday for talks.

Although they stopped short of threatening economic or diplomatic sanctions against Moscow, they said they would postpone talks on a new partnership accord as long as the Kremlin failed to act

They also intend to seal a closer relationship with Ukraine at a summit next Tuesday, though without offering Kiev an explicit promise of eventual EU membership.

Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, told Karel de Gucht, his Belgian counterpart, in Moscow on Wednesday that Russia would keep its forces in the buffer zone as long as there were no “international mechanisms” to provide security.

Mr Lavrov also made clear the troops would not be removed as long as Georgia refused to sign an agreement on the non-use of military force in the future.

EU diplomats said Mr Lavrov’s stance, coupled with Russia’s recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, underlined how difficult it would be to resume normal relations with Moscow in the near future.

“Security and stability must be ensured with Russian co-operation. But for that to happen, Russia must show that it will honour its commitments,” said Luis Amado, Portugal’s foreign minister.

In a deliberate display of unity in the face of Russia’s actions, all EU foreign ministers except Franco Frattini of Italy travelled together to Avignon on Friday in a special high-speed train from Paris.

But the unity appeared to have its limits.

Mr Frattini was in Moscow communicating the views of Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s prime minister, who regards himself as having an especially close friendship with Vladimir Putin, the Russian prime minister.

Meanwhile, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany’s foreign minister, raised the idea of convening an international inquiry into the causes of the Georgian war, with a view to basing the EU’s future relations with both Russia and Georgia on the outcome of the probe.

EU diplomats said Mr Steinmeier was undoubtedly aware that investigators might well conclude that Mikheil Saakashvili, Georgia’s president, bore some responsibility for the outbreak of hostilities on August 7. However, they noted that there appeared to be little enthusiasm for an inquiry in either Moscow or Tbilisi.

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A confusion of 'peacekeepers'

By Quentin Peel

Published: September 3 2008 03:00 | Last updated: September 3 2008 03:00

Exactly who is fooling whom in Georgia? Russia claims to have its troops there as "peacekeepers", although they were an important party to the conflict. Now the European Union intends to send 200 civilian peace "monitors", although they will not be allowed into the breakaway republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, where mass expulsions of ethnic Georgians have been taking place.

Monday's decision by EU leaders in Brussels demands Russian troops return to where they were on August 7, the day when hostilities broke out in South Ossetia. At that time, the vast majority were in Russia, many in the garrison town of Vladikavkaz.

At least, that is where they were supposed to be. If they were already inside South Ossetia on August 7, then the Georgian claim they attacked Tskhinvali that night in response to a Russian invasion will be proved true. Russia maintains its tanks only entered on August 8.

The trouble is, there is not a hope in hell Russia will pull its troops out of South Ossetia now. It has recognised the territory's independence and promised to reinforce its military security. The South Ossetians have officially requested the establishment of a full-scale Russian base there.

Nor will Russia pull out many of the estimated 9,000 troops it poured into Abkhazia, the other secessionist region that has now declared independence.

The EU leaders decided to "postpone" negotiations about a new partnership and co-operation agreement with Russia until the troops are back where they were on August 7. That is what the original ceasefire agreement, negotiated by Nicolas Sarkozy, French president, with Dmitry Medvedev, his Russian counterpart, clearly stated. Mr Sarkozy flies back to Moscow on August 8 to insist on the point.

If the EU is serious, it would mean the partnership talks would have to be postponed indefinitely, if the Russian troops do not go home. Or will the EU simply allow Russia to define the terms of its disengagement?

The best Mr Sarkozy can hope for is that they pull out of the so-called "buffer zone" they have set up around South Ossetia and Abkhazia, deep inside undisputed Georgian territory. That is the only area that 200 unarmed EU monitors will be allowed near. The same is likely to be true for another 100 military monitors from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

Yet mass ethnic cleansing seems to have been taking place in the buffer zones and secessionist territories. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that some 138,000 people have fled south from the two territories. There is no reliable information from inside South Ossetia. The numbers suggest the vast majority of ethnic Georgians have been expelled.

OSCE monitors were told last week they could not enter even the Russian buffer zone as their safety from roaming bands of Ossetian militia could not be guaranteed. "Hard to understand why, if they are supposed to be in charge," an OSCE diplomat said.

Russian officials refer to their troops as "peacekeepers". Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Vladimir Putin, Russian prime minister, said yesterday there were no "Russian troops" left in the Georgian buffer zones, only "peacekeepers". Whatever they are, they have failed to stop the ethnic cleansing.

By sending in the troops and tanks, and recognising Abkhazian and South Ossetian independence, Russia has changed the reality on the ground. Moscow insists negotiations to put monitors on their territory must be conducted with the independent governments. No one else in the OSCE or EU recognises them as independent.

As for the ceasefire's final point - that international discussions will be held "on the arrangements for security and stability in Abkhazia and South Ossetia" - Russia has simply pre-empted them by its own "arrangements". Any international negotiations seem an exercise in futility.

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Long View: We are now looking at a truly global slowdown

By John Authers, Investment Editor

Published: September 5 2008 21:07 | Last updated: September 5 2008 21:07

Navigating the market is about reconciling a series of dichotomies. At the heart of the drama of the last week, the worst for British stocks in six years, is an apparent paradox.

Friday’s US jobs data were terrible. Joblessness is at its highest in the US in almost five years. Attempts to deny that the world’s largest economy is in trouble are now futile.

But this came as the US dollar was in the ascendant. Since hitting rock bottom this year, the greenback has rallied more than 10 per cent against a trade-weighted index of currencies.

The collapse of sterling has been particularly dramatic. Worth $2.10 less than a year ago, today it is worth less than $1.80.

Explaining how the US dollar can do so well while its economy is in eclipse is critical for predicting how the market may behave during the next year.

Market movements are dictated by flows of funds. If money is flowing into a sector, for whatever reason, its prices will rise.

The latest US data have unleashed a flow of international capital in a fresh direction. But it needs to be viewed in context.

Ever since the credit crisis took hold in the summer of last year, the fall of equities has been braked somewhat by the hope that other countries had a degree of insulation against problems in the US.

The rally in the dollar began to take hold a few weeks ago when it became clear that the European economy was contracting. It had not been able to withstand the US slowdown.

Friday’s jobless figures make it harder than ever to believe that the US has engineered a “soft landing”. This means we are looking at a “worst-case scenario” – a truly global slowdown.

This will increase risk aversion. Any given bet looks less likely to make money, so investors will rush to remove those bets.

In the jargon, this is often called “deleveraging”: paying off debts. Because many hedge funds had been using a “carry trade” strategy – borrowing in currencies such as the yen or dollar, with their low interest rates, and putting money where rates were higher – cutting back on risk will involve money flowing back into the dollar.

Moreover, the flow of funds in recent years has been overwhelmingly out of the US. According to Emerging Portfolio Fund Research of Boston, $391bn flowed into non-US equity funds from 2003 to 2007 compared with only $7.3bn into US funds.

Starting with such a heavy bet on the world outside the US, the logical response to the latest news is to sell the non-US investments and repatriate into the US – either in equities that produce a lot of cash, such as consumer staples, or more likely into Treasury bonds.

Hence, terrible economic news for the US had the effect of sending money gushing towards the US, and pushing up the dollar.

There is no reason to expect this to stop any time soon. International investors still tend to be based in dollars, and the process of retreating from risk will probably be positive for the dollar for a while yet.

In a further paradox, this is bad news for investors in the US. The rising dollar will in due course damage US exporters; moreover, for the long years of the dollar’s decline, their equity investments had continued to profit from what Milton Friedman called “money illusion”. The performance of US stocks, denominated in dollars, did not seem bad, while international stocks’ returns looked great.

Investors who sent their money overseas probably did not realise that they were making a bet against the dollar. But that is becoming clear. Since world stocks peaked on Hallowe’en last year, dollar-based investors have suffered losses of 31.9 per cent in the emerging markets and 25.6 per cent in the developed world outside the US, according to MSCI indices. These are much worse than the return on the S&P, which is down 18.7 per cent. With the dollar gaining, it is almost impossible for them to make money in stocks.

The opposite is true for British sterling-based investors. An e-mail from a reader asked this week at what point the fall in sterling could be called a “crisis”. Sterling, on a trade-weighted basis, has tumbled more than it did in the autumn of 1992, when it was forced out of the exchange rate mechanism of the European Monetary System, so the question makes sense.

But the answer is that we are still nowhere near a crisis. A true foreign exchange “crisis” occurs when a government is trying to defend a fixed rate. It is not clear that a floating currency can suffer a crisis. That is particularly true if, as with sterling, it starts at a wildly overvalued level that must hamper the economy. Even at $1.78 to the pound, a quick comparison of prices in New York and London makes clear that the pound has not yet dropped to fair value.

And for British investors, the sudden devaluation has been a boon. In sterling terms, the S&P 500 is down only about 5 per cent since Hallowe’en. Americans who put their money into the FTSE 100 at that time are down 31 per cent.

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Rice buries enmity on historic step in Libya

By Heba Saleh in Cairo

Published: September 5 2008 22:52 | Last updated: September 5 2008 22:52

Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, arrived in the Libyan capital Tripoli on Friday on what she described as a “historic visit” that was proof Washington had no “permanent enemies”.

“This demonstrates that when countries are prepared to make strategic changes in direction, the United States is prepared to respond,” said Ms Rice.

The US secretary of state, who arrived in the early evening, met Colonel Muammer Gaddafi and shared an iftar, the traditional meal that Muslims eat at sunset when they break their fast during Ramadan.

The highest-ranking US official to go to Libya in more than 50 years, her visit was made possible by an agreement between Libya and the US last month on establishing a fund to raise about $1bn (£566m) to settle remaining claims by victims of attacks linked to Libya, such as the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988. The fund would also make payments to victims of a 1986 US attack on Libya.

Ms Rice was expected to use her visit to press Libya to deposit money in the compensation fund and to smooth the ground for US business to return to the oil-producing north African country. She was also expected to discuss with Col Gaddafi ways to deepen anti-terrorism co-operation between their two countries.

Officials also said that regional issues such as the conflict in Sudan were on the agenda. But beyond these practical aims the visit has vast symbolic significance because it will be taken to mean the US had finally acknowledged Libya’s return to international respectability.

This was a process that was aided first by Col Gaddafi’s decision to co-operate on the Pan Am bombing and by his announcement in 2003 that he had decided to relinquish efforts to obtain weapons of mass destruction.

“For all the bad relations that once existed between Libya and the United States, Libyans from the man on the street all the way up into the elite want better relations with the United States and, in particular, greater access to US education,” said Dirk Wandervalle, an American expert on Libyan affairs.

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India and US battle to lift nuclear ban

By Daniel Dombey in Washington and James Blitz in London

Published: September 5 2008 18:38 | Last updated: September 5 2008 18:38

The US and India were struggling Friday night to get the international community to lift a ban on nuclear trade with New Delhi immediately, leaving the fate of a high profile US-Indian civil accord in doubt.

After two days of negotiations involving 45 countries over whether to lift the ban, western diplomats said the Vienna meeting was likely to wind up Friday night without any agreement being reached to give New Delhi the exemptions it needs.

Western diplomats said that if the 45 members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group – a body that regulates the international trade in nu­c­lear material – failed to reach agreement, they would have to decide when to re-convene for further discussion. “The prospects for an agreement look incredibly distant,” said one diplomat from a state supporting the US stance on the deal. “We don’t see this as being the end of the process but there now will have to be reflection on when the NSG should meet again and what kind of deal can be agreed.”

Friday’s difficulty in reaching an agreement makes it unlikely that the accord will come into effect before President George W. Bush leaves office.

An agreement by the NSG is essential if the US Congress is to approve the deal. Friday night’s delay means the US Congress may now run out of time to ratify the deal before it adjourns at the end of September for elections, relegating the matter to an uncertain fate under a new president.

India and the US both argue that their deal would strengthen global non-proliferation efforts and reward what they say is India’s responsible record as a de facto nuclear weapons state. However, countries such as the Netherlands, Ireland, Austria, Switzerland, Norway and New Zealand have held out for a clear commitment to cease co-operation with Delhi in the event of a nuclear test.

There are also signs that the countries with concerns have been backed by China, following the publication this week of an opinion piece critical of the deal in the People’s Daily, the leading newspaper of the Chinese Communist party.

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US ship docks in occupied Georgian port

By Isabel Gorst in Tbilisi

Published: September 5 2008 17:29 | Last updated: September 5 2008 17:29

A US navy vessel bearing humanitarian aid for Georgia anchored on Friday off Poti, a Georgian Black Sea port still partially occupied by Russian forces.

The entrance of the US warship into Georgian waters risked provoking a fresh outburst from Russia, which has complained that the increasing presence of Nato vessels and US warships in the Black Sea upsets the balance of power in the region.

However, Andrei Nesterenko, an official at the Russian foreign ministry, said, “There is no talk of military action” in the Black Sea.

Two US vessels delivering humanitarian aid to Georgia last month avoided Poti, docking instead at Batumi, a port further south, outside the zone controlled by Russia during the conflict.

At the time Russia accused the US of smuggling arms to the Georgian coast under the guise of humanitarian aid deliveries.

An official at the US embassy in Tbilisi said the USS Mount Whitney was unloading aid at Poti for “logistical” reasons. Poti is larger than Batumi and is connected to Georgia’s east-west highway.

Russian warplanes destroyed a military base near Poti and sank several Georgian vessels in nearby waters during the conflict with Georgia over the separatist republic of South Ossetia last month.

The US and the European Union have condemned Russia’s continuing occupation of Poti as a breach of the French-brokered ceasefire agreement signed by Russia and Georgia.

Dmitry Rogozin, Russia’s permanent representative at Nato, warned this week that Russia would use military methods to track US vessel movements in the Black Sea.

However, Pavel Felgenhauer, a Russian defence expert, said, “I am sure Russia will not take any military action. No one wants an escalation.”

Huge capital flight from Russia and plunging Russian stock prices in the aftermath of the Georgian conflict would, in any case, diminish Moscow’s appetite for confrontation, he said.

The Mount Whitney’s arrival at Poti coincided with a visit by Dick Cheney, the US vice-president, to Ukraine, which, like Georgia, has angered Moscow by striving to join Nato.

During talks with Viktor Yushchenko, the Ukrainian president, on Friday, Mr Cheney discounted Russian opposition to the eastward expansion of the alliance.

“No outside country gets to veto,” he said.

Yushchenko has challenged Moscow by proposing to change the terms of a lease agreement under which the Russia bases its Black Sea fleet at the Ukrainian port of Sevastopol.

Serge Bagapsh, president of Georgia’s breakaway enclave of Abkhazia, has invited Russia temporarily to base its Black Sea fleet at Sukhumi on the Abkhazian coast.

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Trichet sees investor role in oil shock

By Ralph Atkins in Frankfurt

Published: September 5 2008 18:06 | Last updated: September 5 2008 23:44

The oil price shock that has hit global growth could have been exaggerated by financial speculation, Jean-Claude Trichet, European Central Bank president, suggested for the first time on Friday.

Going further than comments by other central bankers, Mr Trichet argued it was “reasonable conjecture” that financial investors had distorted commodity markets, leading to prices above those justified by fundamental supply and demand factors.

His remarks were significant because they indicated policymakers believe this year’s peaks in oil prices were unsustainable. Benchmark oil prices hit more than $147 a barrel in July but have since dropped by $40. Further falls would help to boost growth as well as assist central banks to fight inflation.

The ECB sees higher oil prices as a big factor in explaining the slowdown in eurozone growth, hitting consumer spending as well as demand for its exports.

Adding to the gloom, Germany on Friday reported a sharper-than-expected 1.8 per cent fall in industrial production in July. Data earlier this week had shown industrial orders fell for for the eighth month in a row.

Further falls in energy prices would strengthen ECB optimism that weak eurozone growth will be followed by a “progressive recovery” later this year.

Speaking at a Centre for Financial Studies “ECB watchers” conference in Frankfurt, Mr Trichet argued that, on one “benign” view, investors could have played a helpful role in commodity markets by expanding liquidity and making price-setting processes more efficient. The volatility created “might have been the price to pay to avoid even higher volatility in the future”, he said.

But the ECB president also said that financial investors had encouraged sellers to accumulate inventories or delay production, so as to take advantage of expected higher prices. This could have exaggerated changes in prices beyond what would have been expected by fundamental economic factors.

Mr Trichet added: “If this seems to me a reasonable conjecture, I admit, though, that existing evidence does not provide uncontroversial support to the notion.”

His comments echoed arguments by Alan Greenspan, former chairman of the US Federal Reserve, who said in an interview with the Financial Times last month that speculation was “importantly responsible” for the rapid move in oil prices.

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Schools look to expansion in the Gulf

By David Turner, Education Correspondent

Published: September 5 2008 23:04 | Last updated: September 5 2008 23:04

English private schools are expanding into the Gulf, seeking to capitalise on burgeoning demand from wealthy expatriates and locals and keep fees down in the UK.

Oundle School is to open an offshoot in Dubai in September next year; Wellington College is in advanced talks to open a sister academy in Bahrain in 2010; and Brighton College is “in negotiations” over a planned school in Abu Dhabi.

They follow on the heels of Repton, which became the first traditional English independent school to open a branch in the Gulf a year ago. It is expanding this month, adding a senior college to its Dubai prep. “We have stolen a march on everyone else,” says Carl Bilson, bursar at Repton.

In recent years, English private schools have sought additional sources of income by opening private schools in the Far East. Until now, however, they had shied away from the Gulf, deterred by fears that Islamic culture would make it hard to create sister schools with any resemblance to the original home model.

The business opportunity arises from the attractions of an English private school education to the growing number of expats and Middle Eastern families. Fluency in English, internationally recognised qualifications and centuries-old brands are part of their appeal.

Tradition and Englishness are also a selling point. There are already several international schools in the region. But Charles Bush, head of Oundle, says traditional English private schools have “a tremendous amount of expertise to offer”. Above all, some enjoy a reputation that could give them a head start.

Most of the schools operating abroad have to offer education in co-operation with local partners, whose quality may vary. But institutions that have expanded overseas say this can be solved by picking partners carefully. Mr Bilson of Repton says Evolvence, a Dubai-based alternative investor, is “buying our name from us. They’re buying our brand.” To protect its reputation, Repton “has acted in an advisory capacity”.

But the potential for spoiling their brand also makes some English schools wary of expanding abroad. The headmaster of one famous school told the Financial Times he had rejected the idea because, “I don’t want to damage the brand”.

Both Repton and Oundle expect to make money from their ventures, with Repton’s Mr Bilson saying he wants to do “anything that we can do” to keep a lid on UK fees.

Analysts say British schools will face tough competition from international rivals based in the US, Dubai and other countries. French schools can be popular even with English-speaking parents in the Gulf, for example, because of the comforting uniformity of French education the world over.

Harriet Plyler, of Good Schools Guide International, describes the Middle Eastern market for schools as “like the wild west. Things are growing up before your very eyes”.

Commenting on Dubai specifically – the place with the highest density of western expats – she adds: “People are moving out there so fast, and when they get there, there are simply not enough [school] spaces.”

English private schools are also late to the field compared with educational charities and companies, which have been operating in the Middle East for some years.

Nord Anglia, the education company, has “school improvement and teaching” contracts with the Abu Dhabi government for “about 20 schools”, according to Andrew Fitzmaurice, chief executive. It also does work in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and will set up its own international school in Qatar “when we find the right site”.

Mr Fitzmaurice says the Gulf is a growth area for the company because “the Gulf states are using petrodollars to create human capital and sustainable economies. For that, they need their own people to be well educated.”

WCLS, the UK education company, already has a primary school in Qatar, Compass International, which teaches an English-style syllabus. The company also sees business opportunities elsewhere in the Gulf.

But Marcel van Miert, chief executive, warns that fees at Gulf private schools will “increasingly have to be big” because of high land prices and inflation. However, Repton Dubai fees, charged in the local dirham, are still slightly lower than the UK senior school’s at current exchange rates.

UK education charities are already in the Gulf too. One of the biggest UK operators is CfBT, which has 27 Abu Dhabi school contracts.

Wellington plans foreign invasion

Wellington College has revealed ambitious plans to expand into Bahrain and across Asia, but with a twist: Anthony Seldon, the headmaster, does not want to make any money from his overseas ventures, writes David Turner.

Other schools have talked of using sister schools abroad to subsidise bursaries or lower fees at their original British premises. But Mr Seldon says: “The plan is the project will cover its own costs.” He intends to establish a school in Bahrain in 2010, and is looking to set up one school each in India and the Far East in the next few years. “If one looks at most of Britain’s unique selling points in the 21st century, what do we have left? Manufacturing is outsourced, professional services are outsourced but education clearly is one of our strongest features. We ought to be supporting this move abroad. It’s taken a few hundred years to develop this expertise.”

Wellington’s overseas schools will follow an ultra-traditional model, adhering to the Berkshire school’s traditions. Local children will have to learn that Orange is not just a fruit or a colour but the name of a Dutch prince who served (incompetently) alongside the Duke of Wellington at Waterloo – and more importantly, the name of a house at all future Wellington schools abroad. Mr Seldon argues this is not parochialism, but a good way to teach international history.

His vision is “a family of schools” at home and abroad.

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States feel debt pinch

By David Oakley

Published: September 5 2008 23:32 | Last updated: September 5 2008 23:32

Bond yields of Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain widened to record levels against Germany on Friday as fears rose that these economies could face increasing problems in a deteriorating financial climate.

Yields on benchmark 10-year Portuguese, Italian and Spanish bonds rose to their widest levels against Germany since the launch of the eurozone in January 1999, while those of Greece rose to highs not seen since it joined the single currency in April 2001.

Analysts warned that these countries could run into difficulties in funding their spending programmes as their economies slow and their debt costs rise, making them less competitive in relation to Germany, Europe’s biggest economy.

Yields have fallen to four-month lows this week, although in broader terms, they are still trading at about six-year highs.

The widening bond spreads come amid growing risk aversion after a big fall in global stock markets this week and increased concerns about the financial health of the banking system. Investors typically switch into German bonds in times of stress as they are the most liquid and are considered the safest.

The fourcountries all have high levels of debt with Greece running a current account deficit of 15 per cent of gross domestic product, Portugal 11 per cent and Spain 10 per cent. Italy has a low current account deficit but it has a debt to GDP ratio of 110 per cent.

Alessandro Tentori, chief European strategist at BNP Paribas, said: “Germany is in better shape in fiscal terms than the peripheral nations, which are likely to face greater difficulties in terms of funding.”

He added this may impact on growth, slowing their economies further. Spain and Italy are already in recession, according to some analysts, while the outlook is gloomy for Greece and Portugal. Other than the four Ireland and France could also come under pressure, although France has a low current account deficit and Ireland has low debt to GDP levels.

Giuseppe Marafino, a fixed income strategist at UniCredit, said: “In terms of growth Italy and other peripheral economies could start to lag behind Germany. In a climate of increasing risk aversion, Germany is in a better position to weather any difficulties. Its bonds are likely to do better than those of the peripheral eurozone economies.”

Meyrick Chapman, fixed income strategist at UBS, added: “Funding costs are almost bound to rise for borrowers. For peripheral government issuers, this will put pressure on their economies.”

Spreads between Germany and the peripheral nations have been gradually widening this week. But they rose to record levels on Friday as concerns grow over the global economy and the health of the financial sector.

In early evening trading in London, German 10-year bond yields stood at 4.0 per cent, leaving the yield spread between Spanish bonds and Germany at 41 basis points. Portuguese bond spreads rose to 52bp, Italian spreads rose to 67bp and Greek spreads to 73bp.

Although bond yields are slightly lower than at the height of the Bear Stearns crisis in the middle of March, they are near six-year highs with many analysts forecasting that they will rise further.

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The bountiful game

By Roger Blitz

Published: September 6 2008 03:00 | Last updated: September 6 2008 03:00

Late on Monday, a Real Madrid official telephoned Robinho, its Brazilian star striker, to tell him he had been sold. "You're on your way to Manchester," Robinho was told.

But when the 24 year-old arrived at the airport to meet his new employers, he was said to be confused. The welcoming party were sporting the blue of Manchester City rather than the red of United.

It may be an apocryphal story, but then again much of the reality of what happened that day in football seemed a lot stranger than fiction. Manchester City, a middling Premier League club struggling for decades in the shadow of its illustrious and infinitely more successful rival , had just announced that it was being bought for £210m by Abu Dhabi United Group, a group of investors who, it turns out, are acting for a member of the emirate's ruling family.

In a stroke, City had been transformed into the richest-backed club in the biggest league of the biggest sport in the world. Like the kid sporting shiny new boots on his first day back at school, the club was also kicking lumps out of the big boys in the playground by announcing it had broken the British transfer record, paying £32.4m for the temperamentally suspect Brazilian and giving him a salary of £160,000 a week.

This was giddying, even by the exalted standards of the Premier League, whose television reach extends to 660m homes in more than 200 countries. "This has become a club for the trillionaires," says Jon Smith, one of the longest-serving football agents in the business. "If you are a serious brand player, it's the only thing on this planet that gives you a quarter of the world's population every week."

The power of the brand is such that the super-rich club owners are now jostling with the dynasties of petrodollar-filled kingdoms. Not for the first time, the question arises: is the Premier League's money bubble full to bursting point?

It certainly looks unreal. Armed with its new-found riches, City toyed with its fiercest rival on the way to securing Robinho, mounting an audacious £30mplus bid for Tottenham Hotspur's moody but talented Dimitar Berbatov, a striker Manchester United had been trying to buy for months. United got their man in the end but City was tweaking its rivals' noses. City had not just outbid Chelsea for Robinho. Sulaiman al-Fahim, the front man for Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, brother of Abu Dhabi's ruler, casually listed the players City would bid for in the next transfer window. Among them was Cristiano Ronaldo, United's disenchanted Portuguese maestro, who Mr al-Fahim thought would be worth £135m.

Even allowing for the frenetic pace of modern-day football deals, this week's events were breathtaking. Robinho did not even have time for a medical (and it is understood only £3m of his transfer fee has actually changed hands because the City takeover is by no means complete). Two things are clear, though. First, football's ability to court big money, even in times of hardship, is undimmed. Kevin Keegan and Alan Curbishley resigned this week as respective managers of West Ham United and Newcastle United - clubs of similar stature to Manchester City - because their owners wanted to control spending. But while these clubs tighten belts, others loosen theirs. The transfer window that has just closed saw a record £500m in deals.

Second, investor interest in the Premier League has reached a level that threatens the established order of England's footballing elite. Until Monday, Roman Abramovich, Chelsea's Russian billionaire owner, ruled the footballing transfer merry-go-round. His personal wealth, derived from energy interests in Siberia and estimated by Forbes at £11.6bn, had for five years given the associate of Vladimir Putin, Russia's prime minister, first pick of world talent. Players such as Didier Drogba, Michael Ballack and Deco were lured to west London where they received huge salaries.

Manchester United, the most valuable club in the world, was happy to compete with Chelsea for trophies. Arsenal and Liverpool, the other powerhouses in English football, made up the "big four" that for three seasons running have taken up the four prized places in Europe's Champions League. But the arrival of "ultra-rich" investors such as Abu Dhabi signals that wealthy individuals including Mr Abramovich and families such as the Glazers, Manchester United's US-based owners, are about to face competition from rivals with far greater assets at their disposal.

All of them are bent on exploiting the formidable brand of the Premier League and its clubs. "They are like diamonds," says one person close to the Abu Dhabi takeover. Premier League clubs are cherished for a perceived immunity to economic squalls, according to Dan Jones from Deloitte, the consultancy: "It's not about making yield year-on-year or a regular dividend stream - it's about making a return on capital growth."

Against this background, profitability is relegated to second place. "It requires some suspension of your normal economic belief, but football is not unique," adds Mr Jones. "People buy wine, paintings, restaurants and hotels. They don't make them a lot of money but, should they want to sell them, they make their money back and more."

Under the current three-year contract, the Premier League commands domestic TV revenues of £1.7bn from the broadcasters Sky and Setanta and £625m for overseas rights. With 90,000 hours of coverage available across 380 matches, no sporting series can touch it for its penetration in so many markets over a timespan that stretches across 10 months of the year.

The Manchester City deal demonstrates how the Premier League is floating up and away from rival leagues. Nearly 20 years ago, England's top clubs saw they were struggling against more classy and appealing leagues such as Italy's Serie A and La Liga in Spain. The creation of the Premier League in 1992 and the collective sale of TV rights changed the landscape, to the extent thatsports such as American football and US basketball, which have reached maturity in their home market, look with envy at the Premier League's global reach.

The Americans themselves have made a land grab at the Premier League. Over the past few years, overseas investors have plucked the best clubs from the hands of family interests or local British entrepreneurs and US sports franchise owners have snapped up Liverpool and Aston Villa as well as Manchester United. They are not alone. A Russian entrepreneur owns Portsmouth, an Icelandic banking consortium bought West Ham United and Abu Dhabi's investors took Manchester City from Thaksin Shinawatra, former prime minister of Thailand, who paid £81m for the club last year.

Is there money to be made in football? The American investors still think so, believing that they can bring sophisticated marketing to clubs that have global name recognition but little idea how to profit from it. But some in the business note that interest from the US has stalled as the credit squeeze has taken hold. Sovereign wealth funds with different objectives are stepping in. Mr al-Fahim says one of the objectives of the Manchester City deal is to position Abu Dhabi as a "sports and cultural hub".

Abu Dhabi can expect to be joined at the Premier League's high table by Dubai, which wants to host global sports events. Dubai's ruling family nearly bought Liverpool two years ago and remain determined to prise it from its US owners. But these are by no means going to be the only new moguls in the Premier League. Rumours have in the last year linked Manchester United and Tottenham to interest from Asia. These and other clubs can safely assume that their values shot up this week.

Fifa and Uefa, football's world and European governing bodies, fret about such concentration in wealth and the imbalance between English and continental European clubs. But the signs are that some of the latter are ready to ape rather than -disparage their English counterparts, and put themselves up for sale.

None of this inflation worries the Premier League's gatekeepers. "People said we were a bubble going to burst," says Richard Scudamore, the league's chief executive. "They said it eight years ago, six years ago, four years ago. From all the indicators we've got, we don't think interest is lessening."

Willing sellers are still to be found. Bill Kenwright, longsuffering chairman of Everton, told supporters this week he wanted a foreign investor to enable the club to compete on the pitch and in the transfer market. He has hired Keith Harris, chairman of stockbroker Seymour Pierce, to find him a billionaire.

Mr Harris expects the knock-on effects of the Manchester City deal will keep him busy. "Some of it is going to be crazy spending, but there is a bandwagon beginning to roll again," he says.

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U.S. may take control of mortgage giants
Reuters
By Glenn Somerville and Al Yoon Reuters - Saturday, September 6 06:09 am

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. government plans to put government sponsored mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac under federal control, the New York Times and Washington Post newspapers reported late Friday, in what could be the largest financial bailout in the nation's history.
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The two government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) own or guarantee almost half of the country's $12 trillion (6.8 trillion pounds) in outstanding home mortgage debt.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on Friday that the U.S. Treasury Department is close to finalizing a plan to restructure the two companies that includes changes to their senior management.

The plan could be announced as early as this weekend, the Journal said.

U.S. Treasury spokeswoman Brookly McLaughlin declined to comment on the Journal report on Friday. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac spokesmen also declined to comment. The Federal Reserve, which earlier this year gave both companies the right to borrow from its discount window if necessary, declined comment also.

The two firms would be placed in "conservatorship", the Washington Post said, citing sources familiar with the discussions.

The value of the company's common stock would be diluted but not wiped out, while the holdings of other securities, including company debt and preferred shares, would be protected by the government, the Washington Post said.

Senior Bush administration and Federal Reserve officials called in top executives of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on Friday and told them that the government was preparing to place the two companies under federal control, officials and company executives told the New York Times.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson were present at meetings with James Lockhart, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the regulator of the two companies, and with Fannie Mae CEO Daniel Mudd and Freddie Mac CEO Richard Syron on Friday, Reuters can confirm. There were separate meetings with the two CEOs.

The executives were told they and their boards would be replaced and shareholders value diluted, but the companies would be able to continue functioning with the government generally standing behind their debt, the New York Times said.

Daniel H. Mudd, chief executive of Fannie Mae, and Richard Syron, his counterpart at Freddie Mac, are expected to step down from their posts eventually, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Earlier, McLaughlin had told Reuters the department was "making progress on our work" with Morgan Stanley, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and the U.S. Federal Reserve.

The U.S. Treasury had hired Morgan Stanley on August 5 to advise it on whether the companies were adequately capitalized and help it determine how it would use its new powers to support the GSEs.

An emergency plan approved by Congress in late July gave Treasury the authority to offer an undetermined amount of credit to the two companies, or take an equity stake in them if they ran into trouble. The housing legislation signed into law by President George W. Bush in July requires the companies agree to a Treasury backstop.

Shares of the two government sponsored enterprises (GSEs)have plunged about 80 percent since mid-May this year as the U.S. housing market slump resulted in the two companies reporting about $14 billion in losses in the past four quarters, eroding some of their capital.

"People have priced in an equity infusion that would wipe out shareholders," said Chuck Gabriel, managing director at Washington-based consultants Capital Alpha Partners. "On the other hand, they have come to understand you wouldn't have such an event without the GSEs agreeing to it."

Financial markets have come to expect that an investment by the U.S. Treasury would explicitly back the companies' $1.6 trillion in debt, but leave their shares nearly valueless.

The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, said the plan was expected to involve the creative use of authority the Treasury won from the U.S. Congress to pump capital into the two government-sponsored enterprises if it believed it was necessary.

Instead of giving each company a big capital infusion up front, the government plans to make quarterly infusions as the companies' losses warrant, sources told the Washington Post late Friday. This would be an attempt to minimize the initial cost of the rescue, the paper said.

Shares of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which had rebounded since August 21 on speculation a government intervention might be averted, plunged in after-hours trading in New York on Friday.

Fannie Mae stock fell 16.9 percent to $5.85, while Freddie's shares declined 7 percent to $4.74.

Analysts at Citigroup, Merrill Lynch, and Goldman Sachs since mid-August have issued reports saying the companies had plenty of capital to operate for the near term, and both companies have successfully rolled over debt on schedule in the meantime. Yield spread premiums on the companies' senior debt narrowed as traders bet government funding would cut their risks.

However, the major credit rating companies since August 22 all cut their ratings on preferred stock of the two GSEs on expectations that the share price declines had cut access to capital, increasing the need for emergency financial support.

The companies never lost their access to capital markets where they raise money to support the U.S. housing market, but the biggest buyers of the debt have grown more cautious.

Foreign central banks reduced their holdings of "federal agency" debt in custody at the Federal Reserve in the past week for the seventh week in a row.

Russia has continued reducing its holdings of agency debt, Alexei Ulyukayev, first deputy chairman of Russia's central bank, said on Friday.

The U.S. Congress created Fannie Mae as a government agency in 1938, during the Great Depression, to buy government-insured mortgages from lenders, providing them fresh money to make more loans.

Fannie continued to function as a government-run agency during the 1940s and 1950s, even as it took steps toward privatization. In 1968, President Lyndon Johnson decided to turn Fannie into a shareholder-owned company.

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apan's Nomura eyes Lehman bid: report
AFP
AFP - Saturday, September 6 05:33 am

TOKYO (AFP) - The president of Japan's biggest brokerage house Nomura Holdings said the company was considering buying a stake in troubled US investment bank Lehman Brothers, a report said Saturday.
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The move would be part of a plan to spend more than 200 billion yen (1.9 billion dollars) on investment in US and European financial institutions Kenichi Watanabe said in an interview in the Yomiuri Shimbun.

Lehman "is one of the candidates in which we plan to invest," Watanabe said without elaborating.

A number of overseas banks and securities firms are said to be considering bidding for a stake in Lehman, which suffered billions of dollars in writedowns and credit losses amid the meltdown in US subprime mortgages sector.

A news report from Seoul said the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB) had offered to buy a 25 percent stake in Lehman for more than four billion dollars.

Japan's largest banking group, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, has denied a news report that it was considering bidding for a stake in Lehman, which will report third quarter results next week.

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Japan-led consortium buys power firm: Temasek
AFP
AFP - Friday, September 5 05:31 pm

SINGAPORE (AFP) - A Japanese-led consortium has won the bid for Singapore's largest power generation company being sold by state-linked investment firm Temasek Holdings, Temasek said Friday.
(Advertisement)

The deal is worth 3.65 billion Singapore dollars (2.5 billion US) in cash, it said.

Temasek signed a share purchase agreement with Lion Power Holdings Pte Ltd, owned by a consortium comprised of Japan's Marubeni Corp and other firms, for 100 percent sale of Temasek's wholly-owned power firm Senoko Power, a news release said.

Marubeni operates in Japan and globally across a wide range of sectors from food to power.

Lion Power will also assume 323 million Singapore dollars worth of Senoko Power's net debt as of March 31, bringing the total value of the deal to about four billion dollars, Temasek said.

The transaction is expected to be completed by next Friday.

"The Lion Power consortium partners are all established industry players with strong track records in power investments globally," said Gwendel Tung, Temasek's director of investment.

Also part of the consortium are GDF SUEZ S.A, The Kansai Electric Power Co. Inc, Kyushu Electric Power Co. Inc. and Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Temasek said.

Senoko is the second of three local power generation firms Temasek is unloading as part of efforts to liberalise the domestic energy market.

Temasek said in March that it had signed a share purchase agreement with SinoSing Power Pte Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of China Huaneng Group, to sell Tuas Power Ltd for 4.235 billion Singapore dollars (2.96 billion US).

Temasek's third power generator is Power Seraya.

Last month Temasek reported a record profit of 18.2 billion Singapore dollars for the year to March, and said its portfolio rose in value to 185 billion Singapore dollars.

Temasek has controlling stakes in major regional firms and has invested billions of dollars in troubled US investment bank Merrill Lynch since late last year.

It is one of two Singapore government investment vehicles, along with the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation.

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Philippine minister says BHP to continue work at mine
Reuters
Reuters - Friday, September 5 12:14 pm

MANILA (Reuters) - BHP Billiton will continue development work at a Philippine nickel project despite a long-running dispute with its local partner, the minister in charge of the mining sector said on Friday.
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BHP, the world's biggest miner, has been in disagreement with unlisted local firm Asiaticus Management Corp since late last year over when to start commercial production at the Pujada site in the southern region of Mindanao.

"They have no intention of withdrawing," Lito Atienza, the secretary for environment and natural resources, told Reuters after meeting with BHP officials including Chris Campbell, BHP's chief development official for stainless steel materials, and country manager Troy Charlton.

"At this point, we can graduate to specifics and (BHP) is willing to study Asiaticus' proposal," Atienza said, declining to go into specifics. "To me, this is a significant step."

The Philippine group has accused the Australian miner of moving too slowly in developing the nickel project and has been pushing for immediate commercial production. Pujada is estimated to have 200 million tonnes of nickel ore reserves with 1.3 percent nickel.

The government, which is hoping to attract $10 billion (5.68 billion pounds) in investments to the mining sector over the next three years and is banking on BHP being a key contributor, is trying to mediate between the industry giant and Asiaticus.

BHP has scaled back operations due to the dispute and is seeking to resolve it through international arbitration.

BHP has committed to invest up to $2 billion in the mine site including a nickel processing plant and has spent nearly $3 million so far for exploration, based on latest government data.

Only around $1.7 billion has flowed into the Philippine mining sector since 2004 when the Supreme Court allowed foreign companies 100 percent ownership of local mining projects.

Asiaticus had cancelled its joint venture agreement with BHP due to the disagreement, prompting BHP to halt exploration activities in Pujada since May.

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Lloyd's of London chairman calls for tax cuts
Reuters
Reuters - Friday, September 5 10:22 am

LONDON (Reuters) - The tax regime for Lloyd's of London must be eased if the 320-year old insurance market is to retain its international competitiveness, its chairman Lord Levene said in a speech late on Thursday.
(Advertisement)

"The tax treatment of Lloyd's in the UK must be amended for us to stay on top," Levene said.

"It is under threat from other markets, notably in offshore centres whose tax regimes are very attractive."

Lloyd's of London faces a mounting competitive threat from emerging insurance industry hubs such as Bermuda and Dublin.

Last year, several Lloyd's insurers, including Hardy Underwriting and Kiln , moved to Bermuda to take advantage of the island's lighter tax and regulatory regime.

Hardy announced its move in Dec 2007, and analysts said at the time that moving to Bermuda could halve the company's tax rate.

"(The government) now tell us that they understand the force of our argument and hope to reach a decision soon. I fear though that 'soon' may become a moveable feast, and we need a favourable decision now," said Levene.

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窓口負担3割の倫婊、割負担に戻す 埌期高霢者医療で厚劎省

 厚生劎働省は75歳以䞊が察象の埌期高霢者医療制床で、倫婊の䞀方が同制床の察象者ずなるこずで、今幎8月から医療費の窓口負担が1割から3割に増えた䞀郚の高霢者に぀いお、元の1割負担に戻す方針を固めた。政什を改正し、来幎1月から実斜する。察象は党囜で1䞇数千人ずみられ、必芁な財源は数億円の芋通し。

 察象は倫婊のいずれかが75歳以䞊で埌期高霢者医療制床に移り、䞀方が74歳以䞋で囜民健康保険など既存制床に残ったケヌスのうち、倫婊のどちらかが「珟圹䞊みの所埗」ず刀定されお3割負担に倉曎された人。䞎党からも「䞖垯党䜓の所埗は倉わらないのに、負担が増えるのはおかしい」ずの批刀が出おおり、芋盎すこずにした。

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瀟保庁、厚生幎金党蚘録を調査ぞ 改ざん疑惑受け

 瀟䌚保険庁は5日、厚生幎金の支絊額を算定する基瀎ずなる「暙準報酬月額(月絊氎準)」の改ざん疑惑を巡っお、厚生幎金の党オンラむン蚘録を調べる方針を固めた。察象は同庁がコンピュヌタヌで管理しおいる1億5600䞇件。䞍審な点が芋぀かった人には確認を求める通知を送る。調査のため、䞀定の条件に圓おはたる蚘録を抜出するコンピュヌタヌシステムも開発する。

 調査方針は9日に開く「幎金蚘録問題に関する関係閣僚䌚議」で報告する。蚘録の改ざんを幎金加入者本人が芋぀けるのは難しいため、民䞻党などが瀟保庁に党蚘録のチェックを求めおいた。

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ボヌむング最倧劎組、スト突入 日本䌁業にも圱響

 【ニュヌペヌク=小高航】米ボヌむングの最倧劎組、囜際機械工劎組()は6日、䞻力の゚バレット工堎(ワシントン州)などで䞀斉にストラむキに突入した。航空機䞖界銖䜍の同瀟で生産停止が長匕けば、日本䌁業を含め燃料高で䜎燃費機皮を枇望する航空䌚瀟や、郚品などのすそ野産業に圱響が及ぶのは確実だ。

 「劎䜿間の意芋の隔たりが倧きすぎた」。ボヌむング民間航空機郚門のスコット・カヌ゜ン瀟長兌最高経営責任者()は5日倜、劎䜿亀枉が決裂したこずを䌝えるコメントを出した。のトム・ブロブルスキヌ地区委員長は「我々劎働者を軜芖した結果だ」ず経営偎を非難した。

 ボヌむングは同日、スト期間䞭は航空機の新芏生産を断念するず発衚した。は工堎劎働者を䞭心に玄2侇7000人の組合員を抱える最倧劎組。スト入りにより、「型」や「型」など䞻力機皮を生産する゚バレット工堎が機胜停止に陥るためだ。

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個人向け債刞の発行急増 ―月、前幎比倍

 囜内倖の䌁業が日本の個人投資家向けに発行する債刞が急増しおいる。今幎8月たでに発行された普通瀟債()ず円建お倖債(サムラむ債)の合蚈額は 8000億円匷ず、前幎同期の3倍に達した。金融垂堎の混乱を背景に、資金調達先を分散したい䌁業が株匏などのリスク資産から逃避する個人マネヌを取り蟌む動きを匷めおいる。来週には野村ホヌルディングスずシティグルヌプが起債する予定。䞖界の瀟債発行芏暡が瞮小するなか、比范的安定した日本垂堎の堅調さが目立っおいる。

 瀟債ずサムラむ債の発行額は8月末時点で8411億円ず前幎同期の3.2倍に増加した。来週には野村ずシティが個人向け債刞を発行する予定だ。いずれも 3幎物で衚面利率はそれぞれ0.7―1.7%、2.5―3.5%皋床ずみられる。発行額は珟圚調敎䞭。このペヌスが続けば、幎間で過去最高だった2001 幎(1兆2000億円匷)を䞊回る可胜性もある。

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トペタ、超小型車「」䞀般詊乗䌚 発売前、50組参加

 トペタ自動車は6日、幎内に発売予定の超小型車「」の䞀般向け先行詊乗䌚を愛知県犬山垂で開いた。は党長が軜乗甚車より玄40センチメヌトル短い3メヌトル匱で、4人乗り乗甚車では䞖界最小クラス。ガ゜リン高で需芁が冷え蟌む囜内や欧州での販売テコ入れを狙う目玉商品だ。トペタが発売前の車の䞀般向け詊乗䌚を開くのは初めお。

 詊乗䌚には抜遞で遞ばれた玄50組が参加。「走りが安定しおいる」「内装が充実しおいる」などず話した。犬山垂に続き、月内に神奈川県倧磯町、和歌山垂でも同様の詊乗䌚を開く。

 は軜より倧きい1000cc玚のガ゜リン゚ンゞンのほか、欧州向けでは1400ccのディヌれル゚ンゞン搭茉車も甚意する予定。ガ゜リン車の燃費効率は囜土亀通省などが定めた新方匏で1リットル20キロメヌトルを超えるもようだ。䞀郚タむプでは走行1キロ圓たりの二酞化炭玠(2)排出量は99グラム皋床。環境性胜ず小回りがきく点を売り物に、郜垂郚の需芁を掘り起こす。䞖界初ずいう埌方衝突甚゚アバッグも採甚する。

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癟貚店、䞊埗意客囲い蟌み 䞉越、倖商に特別カタログ

 癟貚店各瀟が繁忙期の秋冬商戊に向け、賌買額の倚い䞊埗意客の぀なぎ留め策に知恵を絞っおいる。東歊癟貚店は店舗で食事や挔奏䌚付きの招埅販売䌚を開催。䞉越や高島屋は倖商顧客向けに特別カタログを䜜成したり、特別販売䌚の期間を延長する。癟貚店は売䞊高の前幎割れが続いおおり、業瞟ぞの寄䞎床が高い顧客の囲い蟌みを匷める。

 東歊癟貚店は8月末、池袋本店(東京・豊島)の玳士服売り堎を、午埌8時の営業終了埌に賌入額䞊䜍客だけに開攟。ゞャズを聎き飲食も楜しみながら買い物ができる販売䌚を催した。招埅客189人の9割近くが賌入、蚈画を3割䞊回る玄2000䞇円を売り䞊げた。小田急癟貚店も2008幎床は、倖商顧客に限定した宝食品などの販売䌚を前幎の倍近い回数実斜する。

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資源運搬船、運賃急萜 5月最高倀の半分

 高隰しおいた鉄鉱石や石炭、穀物などを運ぶ倖航ばら積み船の運賃が急反萜しおいる。囜際指暙のバルチック海運指数(1985幎平均=1000)は5日珟圚、前日比211ポむント安の5663ずなり、7カ月ぶりの䜎氎準を蚘録。5月20日の史䞊最高倀(1侇1793)に比べ52%急萜した。

 倖航䞍定期船垂堎で鉄鉱石船や穀物船の運賃は北京五茪が始たった8月䞊旬から䞋萜が加速した。五茪開催の前埌に鉄鋌など䞭囜の玠材メヌカヌによる資源や原料調達が止たり、茞送量が急速に鈍ったのが背景だ。新興囜の資源需芁拡倧で高隰を続けたばら積み船の運賃は転換点を迎えたずの芋方も出始めた。

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玠材生産頭打ち、倀䞊げで内需䜎迷 昭和電工・出光など

 玠材の囜内生産の頭打ち傟向が鮮明になっおきた。昭和電工は来幎1月に繊維原料の生産を半枛、出光興産は10―12月の原油凊理量を14%枛らす。原燃料高を背景ずする倀䞊げで囜内需芁が䜎迷。内需を補っおきた䞭囜向け茞出も枛速し始め、玙やガラスでも枛産が広がる。2002―03幎ごろから続いおきた玠材の生産拡倧局面が終わるこずは、蚭備投資意欲を冷やし、景気の䞋抌し芁因になりそうだ。

 昭和電工は倧分コンビナヌト(倧分垂)で、衣料甚繊維や暹脂の原料ずなる酢酞の生産量を幎13䞇トンから7䞇トン皋床に枛らす芋蟌み。䞭囜などアゞア向け茞出の枛少ず原料高で採算が悪化しおいるため、繊維向けの生産から撀退し、暹脂向けなどに特化する。

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米デルも䞇円パ゜コン 勢力図塗り替えも

 パ゜コン販売で䞖界シェア2䜍の米デルは5日、最䜎䟡栌が玄5䞇円の超小型ノヌトパ゜コンを日本で発売したず発衚した。いわゆる「5䞇円パ゜コン」には䞖界銖䜍の米ヒュヌレット・パッカヌド()、同3䜍の台湟゚むサヌもすでに参入。倖出時などに䜿う2台目需芁を確実に取り蟌み、囜内のノヌトパ゜コン垂堎の2割を占めるたでに成長しおいる。シェア争奪の䞻戊堎ずなっおおり、囜内メヌカヌも察応を迫られそうだ。

 デルが発売したのは「むンスパむロン・ミニ」。䟡栌は基本゜フト()にリナックスを採甚した最小構成品で4侇9980円から。メモリヌなどの仕様は顧客が遞べる。重さは玄1キログラム。米むンテルの省電力「アトム」を採甚しおおり、フル充電のバッテリヌで屋倖で玄3時間40分䜿える。

 5日から同瀟の盎販サむトで受泚を開始した。今月䞭旬にはビックカメラなど家電量販店の店頭にも䞊ぶ芋蟌みだ。囜内に幅広い販売網を持぀デルが参入するこずで、5䞇円パ゜コンの認知床が高たりそうだ。

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東電など出資の颚力倧手、掋䞊で倧芏暡発電 英で2300億円投資

 東京電力ず豊田通商が出資する颚力発電倧手、ナヌラス゚ナゞヌホヌルディングスは英囜に掋䞊の倧型颚力発電所を建蚭する。総事業費は玄12億ポンド(箄 2300億円)で、出力は50䞇キロワット。このほど英囜政府から事業蚱可を埗た。囜内䌁業が本栌的な掋䞊颚力発電事業に取り組むのは初めお。欧州では各囜政府の補助政策が埌抌しする圢で再生可胜゚ネルギヌの需芁が高たっおおり、収益が期埅できるず刀断した。

 ナヌラスが英囜、デンマヌクの倧手電力䌚瀟ず3瀟で蚭立した事業䌚瀟が建蚭、管理を担圓する。建蚭地は英囜䞭西郚の沿岞から14―23キロメヌトルの沖合。37䞇䞖垯が䜿甚する電力をたかなうこずができる。総事業費のほずんどをプロゞェクトファむナンスで調達する蚈画だ。皌働は2012幎以降の芋通し。

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ニプロ、䞭印の営業芁員2.7倍 新興囜の開拓本栌化

 ニプロは人工腎臓透析噚(ダむアラむザヌ)などの医療機噚事業で新興囜垂堎の開拓を本栌化する。䞭囜ずむンドの営業芁員を珟圚の2.7倍ずなる蚈200 人ずし、倧郜垂䞭心だった営業䜓制を地方郜垂にたで広げる。他の新興囜での販売も匷化し、2011幎床に海倖売䞊高を珟圚の1.5倍の1000億円に匕き䞊げる。医療氎準の向䞊などで新興囜の需芁が拡倧しおいるこずに察応する。

 増員するのは䞻に営業ずメンテナンスのための芁員で、珟地で採甚する。珟圚䞭囜では北京や䞊海などに蚈45人、むンドではニュヌデリヌやムンバむなどに蚈30人を配眮しおいる。3幎以内にそれぞれを100人芏暡に増やす。これにより倧郜垂䞭心だった営業地域を倧幅に広げる。

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双日がマグロ逊殖に参入、倧手商瀟で初めお

 双日がマグロ逊殖事業に参入する。月内にも長厎県束浊垂に党額出資子䌚瀟を蚭立、2010幎から出荷を始める。圓面は幎間玄360トンの出荷を芋蟌む。倧手商瀟のマグロ逊殖ぞの盎接投資は初めお。䞖界的にマグロ需芁が増える䞀方で持獲芏制も進んでいるため、自瀟逊殖での安定調達を狙う。

 「双日ツナファヌム鷹島」を蚭立し、新束浊持業協同組合の組合員資栌を取埗する。資本金は3億円。束浊垂鷹島の沖合500メヌトルに盎埄30メヌトルの倧型いけすを6基蚭眮。初幎床ず2幎目は5000匹、3幎目から1䞇匹の皚魚ペコワを投入する。箄2幎かけお30―40キロたで成長させお、垂堎などに出荷する。

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北電、原発重芁床増す 泊号機、割完成

 北海道電力が建蚭䞭の泊原子力発電所(埌志管内泊村)号機の建蚭工事が最終段階に入った。進ちょく率は今倏に9割を達成。発電コストの安い原発増蚭ぞの期埅は倧きく、蚈画通り来幎12月の営業運転開始を目指す。ただ皌働埌も発電電力量の半分近くを火力に頌る構図は倉わらない。原油高で収益基盀が揺らぐ䞭、号機が経営改善にどこたで寄䞎するか䞍透明さもある。

 号機は2003幎に着工。緑化、塗装など䞀郚を陀き、土朚・建築工事はほが完成し、電気・機械の据え付け工事も9割を終えた。9月䞭にも機噚の機胜詊隓を始め、幎内に栞燃料を搬入する予定。汐川哲倫垞務(泊原子力事務所長)は「昚幎は(建蚭珟堎で)䞍審火の問題もあったが、今幎は順調。来幎2月には詊隓運転を始めたい」ず自信を芋せる。

 電気出力は91侇2000キロワットず、号機の1.5倍。運転をコントロヌルする䞭倮制埡宀はポンプや匁など個々の機胜に察応したレバヌやボタンを抌しお操䜜する、号機ず異なり、コンピュヌタヌの画面で操䜜するデゞタル型の制埡システム。

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韓囜ポスコ、川厎・東扇島の工堎完成 車甚鋌板加工

 韓囜ポスコが川厎枯の人工島、東扇島に建蚭䞭だった自動車甚鋌板の加工・物流拠点「川厎コむルセンタヌ」が完成した。同瀟の鋌板加工センタヌずしおは囜内で4番目ずなる。週明けにも本栌皌働する予定だ。

 ポスコの日本法人、ポスコゞャパンや日産トレヌディングなどが出資する「―」(川厎垂)が運営䞻䜓ずなる。同センタヌの倉庫・加工堎郚分は鉄骚平屋建おで、高さは玄16メヌトル。事務棟を含めた延べ床面積は玄1侇3200平方メヌトル。総投資額は玄30億円。

 加工堎には鋌板を切断するスリッタヌを2台蚭眮し、幎間玄10䞇トンを加工できるずいう。䞻に関東地域を察象にした物流基地ずしおも機胜する。

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田厎真珠、固定資産42億円売华 神戞の寮などカ所

 田厎真珠は5日、経営再建のため、瀟員寮や瀟宅など42億9900䞇円の固定資産を売华するず発衚した。売华先や日皋は未定。売华の窓口は日本䞍動産゜リュヌション。珟段階では業瞟修正はしない。

 神戞垂東灘区にある玄1600平方メヌトルの土地ず寮や瀟宅などの建物(垳簿䟡栌19億3900䞇円)、兵庫県䞉朚垂の玄12侇2200平方メヌトルの土地ず研修所(同14億500䞇円)など5カ所を売华する。

 同瀟は経営再建のため10月䞋旬に独立系投資ファンドのパヌトナヌズの傘䞋に入る。

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銖盞が倫人ず「銀ブラ」 退陣衚明埌の週末、蚘者団には沈黙

 犏田康倫銖盞は6日、退陣衚明埌、初めおの週末を貎代子倫人ず東京・銀座や郜内のホテルで過ごした。グレヌのスヌツにネクタむ姿で県鏡店に入り、レンズを亀換した埌、短時間、画廊に立ち寄っお公邞に戻った。

 銖盞は1日の退陣衚明以降、蚘者団に沈黙を続けおいる。この日も「県鏡を新調したのか」ず問われ「いや、レンズ」ず答えただけ。昌食埌も無蚀で車に乗り蟌んだ。

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銖盞がサラリヌマン化 䞭曜根元銖盞が苊蚀

 䞭曜根康匘元銖盞は6日のテレビ東京番組で、犏田康倫銖盞の退陣衚明に぀いお「石にかじり぀いおも職責を尜くすものであり、気抂が薄れおいる。銖盞がサラリヌマン化した。日本の民䞻䞻矩が匱たっおいる」ず苊蚀を呈した。

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䞉浊元瀟長の逮捕状審理、決定27日に蚀い枡し ロス郡地裁支郚

 【ロサンれルス=共同】1981幎の米ロサンれルス銃撃事件で逮捕され、サむパンで拘眮䞭の元䌚瀟瀟長䞉浊和矩容疑者(61)=日本では無眪確定=による逮捕状取り消し請求の第4回審理が5日午埌(日本時間6日午前)、ロサンれルス郡地裁支郚で開かれ、バンシックレン刀事は26日午埌(同27日午前)に決定を蚀い枡すず述べた。審理は事実䞊結審した。

 今幎2月にサむパンで逮捕されお以降続いおきた䞉浊元瀟長の身柄に関する叞法手続きは、逮捕状の有効性をめぐる26日の刀断次第で、米本土ぞの移送か釈攟かに向けお動きだす可胜性がある。

 刀事は審理終了に圓たり「刀断にはさらに分析が必芁だ。(䞉浊元瀟長偎の請求を)認めるか、吊定するかの単玔な刀断はしない」ず述べた。

 5日の審理では怜察偎ず匁護偎が、刀決が確定した事件で再び眪に問われない「䞀事䞍再理」ず、容疑者・被告に䞍利益ずなる凊眰をさかのがっお行わない「遡及凊眰の犁止」の2぀の争点に぀いお、刀事の質問に答える圢であらためお応酬した。(13:09)

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力士、たた倧麻陜性 協䌚の立堎厳しく

 怜査結果は再び「クロ」だった。簡易怜査で倧麻に陜性の反応を瀺しおいた2力士は6日、民間機関の粟密怜査でも陜性ず刀明。日本盞撲協䌚は苊しい立堎に远い蟌たれた。北の湖理事長は「本人はずっず吊定しおいる」ず怜査をやり盎す意向を瀺したが、信頌性の高い囜際公認の怜査機関が突き぀けた事実は重く、協䌚を取り巻く状況は䞀段ず厳しくなった。

 露鵬(28)が所属する東京郜江東区の倧嶜郚屋では正午過ぎ、垫匠の倧嶜芪方が郚屋前で蚘者䌚芋。時折むっずした衚情をみせながら「我々に結果を詳しく説明する前から、容疑者扱いするのはおかしい」ず䞍満をあらわに。

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倧盞撲倧麻疑惑:力士ずも陜性 協䌚は日に臚時理事䌚

 倧盞撲の露鵬()=倧嶜郚屋=ず癜露山()=北の湖郚屋=の兄匟力士の倧麻䜿甚疑惑で日、東京郜内の怜査機関で人の尿サンプルを粟密分析した結果、圓初の簡易怜査ず同じく倧麻ぞの陜性反応が出たこずが明らかになった。

 怜査は同じ尿を二぀に分けたうちの䞀぀(怜䜓)からの反応で、露鵬はさらにもう䞀぀の怜䜓(怜䜓)の怜査を求めた。日本盞撲協䌚は癜露山にも、怜䜓の粟密分析の垌望を確認したが、回答はなかったずいう。露鵬の怜䜓の分析結果は日たでに刀明する。

 協䌚は日に再発防止怜蚎委員䌚を開いお結果を報告。その埌、臚時理事䌚を招集しお、人の凊分を含めた察応を話し合う方針だ。

 日本アンチ・ドヌピング機構()専門委員で、日本盞撲協䌚の再発防止怜蚎委員䌚の倧西祥平委員は「結果は、怜䜓の分析結果がそろうたで発衚できないが、で陰性であれば、の再怜査を芁請する人はいない」ず、人ずも怜䜓で陜性が出たこずを瀺唆。さらに「垫匠(北の湖理事長)ず癜露山に぀いおは䜕の連絡もない」ず、再怜査の意思を求めたにもかかわらず、回答がないこずを明らかにした。

 たた、怜査過皋に䞍正があったかどうかに぀いおも「怜蚎委の芪方がトむレの䞭でしっかり確認し、保管した容噚にも现工の跡はなかった」ず、匷く吊定。「あずは日本で䞀぀しかない囜際機構(䞖界反ドヌピング機関=)公認の機関がするこず」ず怜査機関の信頌性の高さを匷調した。

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露鵬&癜露山、専門機関怜査でも●…倧盞撲倧麻疑惑

北の湖「たた違う所で怜査しおもらいたい」

 日本盞撲協䌚による抜き打ちの簡易尿怜査で倧麻に陜性反応を瀺したロシア出身の幕内露鵬()ず十䞡癜露山()は、民間の怜査機関による粟密怜査でも倧麻に陜性反応を瀺したこずが日、分かった。協䌚関係者が明かした。北の湖理事長(元暪綱)は同日、「たた違う所で怜査しおもらいたい」ず匷匁したが、蟞任圧力がさらに匷たるのは必至で、理事長の進退問題は最終局面を迎えた。

 同協䌚は日に䞡力士の怜䜓を提出。関係者によれば、怜査機関の䞉菱化孊メディ゚ンスから日倜に盞撲協䌚に通知された。簡易尿怜査で倧麻に陜性反応を瀺したこずに぀いお、露鵬、癜露山は䞀貫しお䜿甚を吊定しおいた。

 ただ、癜露山の垫匠でもある北の湖理事長は日、䞡力士が服甚しおいた鎮痛剀などの成分分析も含め「䜕床でも調べればいい」ず話し、陜性ず出た堎合でも、別の機関に怜査を䟝頌する考えを瀺しおいた。日も「本人たちは䜿甚をずっず吊定しおいるのだから、この段階で䜕かを蚀えるものではない。いろんな鎮静剀などの成分が入っおいるかもしれないので、怜䜓をたた違うずころで怜査しおもらいたい」ず話した。

 しかし、日本で唯䞀のドヌピング怜査機関で出た結果を疑うかのように別の怜査を重ねれば、盞撲協䌚が導入を怜蚎しおいるドヌピング怜査も圢骞化するこずになる。

 再発防止怜蚎委員䌚の䞭には、「私たちのやっおいるこずは䜕だったんだ、ずいうこずになる」ず理事長発蚀をいぶかる声もあった。若手や䞭堅の芪方の間でも、トップの察応に䞍信感が匷たっおおり、理事長の銖も颚前のずもしびだ。

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䞡力士再聎取を怜蚎…任意捜査続ける譊芖庁

 倧盞撲の幕内露鵬()ず十䞡癜露山()の倧麻陜性問題で日、粟密怜査でも陜性だったこずが明らかになり、譊芖庁は今埌、䞡力士から再床事情を聎くこずを怜蚎し、任意で捜査を進めるずみられる。

 譊芖庁組織犯眪察策課には、日午前の段階では、日本盞撲協䌚偎から粟密怜査の結果は䌝えられおいないずいう。

 日の簡易怜査で、䞡力士が陜性反応を瀺したこずを受け、譊芖庁は同日、任意で事情聎取。䞡力士は「やったこずはない」ず倧麻䜿甚を匷く吊定し、日深倜から日未明にかけお実斜した所属郚屋などの家宅捜玢でも倧麻所持を裏付ける抌収物はなかった。

 倧麻取締法に䜿甚の眰則はなく、譊芖庁は関係者からの聎取など任意捜査を続けるこずを決定。捜査幹郚は「簡易怜査の粟床が䜎いずは思っおいない。粟密怜査の結果を泚目しおいる」ず話しおいた。

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理事長の進退問題も?倧麻問題で異䟋の臚時総䌚開催

 日本盞撲協䌚の圹員以倖の芪方で組織する「幎寄䌚」(朝日山䌚長=元倧関倧受)が、䞀連の倧麻問題に぀いおの察応を協議するため、日に東京・䞡囜囜技通で異䟋ずなる臚時の総䌚を開くこずが分かった。

 関係者によるず、幎寄䌚ずしおの意芋を集玄しお協䌚幹郚に䌝える芋蟌みで、癜露山の垫匠でもある北の湖理事長の進退を問う声も䞊がる可胜性があるずいう。

 臚時の幎寄総䌚は、幎月に圓時の䌊勢ケ浜芪方(元倧関枅囜)が週刊誌䞊で、珟圹力士が無気力盞撲を取ったり、筋肉増匷剀を䜿甚しおいるなどず批刀したこずぞの察応を話し合うために開催された䟋がある。

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構わない。䜕かいけない?北の湖理事長、暎走

 北の湖理事長の頭の䞭では、協䌚トップの理事長ずしおよりも、郚屋の垫匠ずしおの刀断、思いの方が䞊なのかもしれない。解雇された元幕内の若ノ鵬に続く露鵬(倧嶜)、癜露山(北の湖)兄匟の倧麻疑惑で迷走する倧盞撲界。日午前、䞡囜囜技通内で行われた暪綱審議委員による皜叀総芋の埌、北の湖理事長はたな匟子の癜露山に぀いお改めおこう蚀った。

 「やっおいない、ず本人が蚀っおいるんだから、培底的に調べおもらうのが䞀番。どんな成分が出たか。(䜿甚しおいる)痛み止めのクスリず比べおみるのもいいんじゃないか。譊察で調べおもらっおもかたわない」

 この前日には、さらに螏みこんだ、こんな暎走発蚀もしおいる。

 「粟密怜査の結果が出おも、それが%ずは蚀えない。本人が吊定しおいる以䞊、もう回ず蚀わず、(玍埗するたで)ドンドン調べおもらえばいい」

 これでは、日の抜き打ち怜査はなんのためにしたのか。およそ意味をなさない。したがっお泚目の人の秋堎所(日初日、䞡囜囜技通)の出堎に぀いおもこうなる。

 「構わない。䜕か、いけないの。出る぀もりで皜叀させおいる」

 圓事者意識が薄いず批刀を济びるのも圓然。朝青韍以倖には寛容な脚本家の内舘牧子委員でさえ、こう蚀っお北の湖理事長の察応を冷ややかに切り捚おた。

 「匟子を信甚し、かばっおやりたい気持ちはよくわかる。でも、この問題はそういう情緒に流されるべきではない」

 粟密怜査の結果が出おも、それを吊定しおいる以䞊、どんなに時間を費やしおも終わりが芋えない。

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それでもボクはやっおない…露鵬、厳しい衚情で吊定

 粟密怜査でも倧麻の陜性反応が出た倧盞撲のロシア出身力士、幕内露鵬()は日正午すぎ、東京郜江東区の倧嶜郚屋前で蚘者䌚芋し「結果は信甚できない。絶察にやっおいない」ず倧麻の䜿甚を重ねお吊定した。

 倧嶜芪方ず匁護士ず共に珟れた露鵬は氎色の矜織はかた姿。「自分は盞撲が倧奜きで、䞀生懞呜やるしかない」ず、厳しい衚情で疑いを吊定した。塩谷安男匁護士も「䞀連の怜査や手続きが䞍透明だ」ず怜査に疑問を投げ掛けた。

 䌚芋には数十人の報道陣が抌し寄せた。

■倖囜人の察応怠ったツケ

 スポヌツラむタヌ玉朚正之さんの話 譊察の厳正な捜査が求められる。朝青韍の仮病疑惑など、盞撲界は倖囜人力士ぞの察応を怠り、いよいよツケが回っおきた。各盞撲郚屋が倖囜人を力士採甚するのはいいが、日本の䌝統文化を継承させるずいう自芚に欠けおいる。盞撲界は暎力事件など隒動続きで、日本盞撲協䌚の理事䌚には、もはや自浄胜力はない。内茪のだけで構成する理事䌚は問題解決胜力に限界があるこずを露呈しおおり、倖郚の人間を入れ刷新を図らねばならない。

■理事長蟞めるべき

 盞撲ファンで知られる評論家塩田䞞男さんの話 力士が吊定を続けようず、ここたで粟密に怜査をした結果だ。厳粛に受け止め、北の湖理事長は決然ず蟞め、新たな理事長の䞋で囜技ずしおの盞撲、角界をどう再生しおいくのかを問う機䌚ずすべきだ。たた再怜査を芁請するなどず蚀っおいるのは逃げの䞀手じゃないか。粘り腰を発揮すべき銖盞が政暩を攟り出す䞀方で、蟞任すべき理事長が地䜍に恋々ずするのではあべこべだ。

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【角界倧麻汚染】理事長雲隠れ、「幎寄総䌚」玛糟…倧揺れの角界 (1/3ペヌゞ)
2008.9.6 23:30
倧麻問題ぞの察応を協議する臚時「幎寄総䌚」に臚む芪方ら=日午埌、東京・䞡囜囜技通倧麻問題ぞの察応を協議する臚時「幎寄総䌚」に臚む芪方ら=日午埌、東京・䞡囜囜技通

 揺れ続ける角界に日、たた倧きな衝撃が走った。ロシア出身の露鵬、癜露山兄匟の粟密怜査の結果は再び「陜性」。急遜(きゆうきよ)開かれた「幎寄総䌚」は玛糟し、北の湖理事長の蟞任芁求が飛び出すなど異䟋ずくめの展開ずなった。「ほが%の粟床」ずされる粟密怜査。角界の重倧局面にもかかわらず、癜露山ず垫匠の北の湖理事長は姿を芋せず、識者からは「無責任な察応に憀りを感じる」ずの声も聞かれた。

  ■幎寄䌚

 「うるさい、やめろ」-。発蚀者に察しお、怒号が飛ぶ。日午埌時、東京・䞡囜囜技通地䞋の倧広間で人の芪方が出垭しお開かれた臚時の幎寄総䌚。時間半に及んだ異䟋の䌚合は非公開で実斜された。

 出垭者によるず、倧嶜芪方が匟子の露鵬の朔癜を䞻匵する文曞を読み䞊げたずころ、ある芪方から冒頭のやじが飛び、䞡芪方は激しいにらみ合いになった。

 北の湖理事長ぞの蟞任芁求も出た。ある芪方は「理事長を尊敬しおいるが、ここは䞀床身を匕いた方がいい」ず意芋を述べ、賛同者もいたずいう。ただ、退陣を求めるのは時期尚早ずの声も同皋床あった。

 最終的に理事䌚開催を芁求するこずでたずたり、幎寄䌚䌚長の朝日山芪方(元倧関倧受)が総䌚終了埌、協䌚執行郚に䌝えた。報道陣から「これは北の湖䜓制に察するクヌデタヌか」ず問われた朝日山芪方は「そういうこずじゃない」ず声を荒らげた。

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北の湖理事長の進退問う声も…日の理事䌚で察応を怜蚎
臚時幎寄総䌚に出垭した芪方たち(䞡囜囜技通で)

 倧盞撲の幕内力士の露鵬()(倧嶜郚屋)ず十䞡の癜露山()(北の湖郚屋)のロシア人兄匟が、専門の怜査機関による尿怜䜓の分析結果でも倧麻吞匕の反応が出た問題で、日本盞撲協䌚は日、䞡囜囜技通で再発防止怜蚎委員䌚ず理事䌚、評議員䌚を開き、力士らの凊分を含めた察応を怜蚎する。

 癜露山の垫匠でもある北の湖理事長の進退を問う理事もおり、協䌚、理事長ずもに厳しい察応を迫られる。

 怜査は䞖界反ドヌピング機関()に公認された囜内唯䞀の怜査機関「䞉菱化孊メディ゚ンス」(本瀟・東京)が実斜。五茪などでドヌピング怜査を行う䞖界最高氎準の機関で、薬物違反によるメダルはく奪などは、こうした機関の怜査に基づいお行われる。

 盞撲協䌚アンチドヌピング委員䌚の倧西祥平委員(慶倧スポヌツ医孊研究センタヌ教授)は、今回の怜査に぀いお、「最終結果ではなく、内容は蚀えない」ずしたが、協䌚関係者の話では、圓初、指摘された「第䞉者の吞った倧麻の煙による副流煙の可胜性」が、怜出濃床によっお吊定されたずいい、自ら吞ったこずが確定的ずなった。さらに、䞡力士は日珟圚、サンプル怜査を受ける意思衚瀺もしおいない。

 たた、盞撲協䌚の圹員を陀く幎寄䌚(䌚長・朝日山芪方=元倧関倧受)は日午埌、囜技通で臚時幎寄総䌚を開催、「怜査機関の最終結果が出る前に理事䌚が䞻導し、明確な察応策を出すべきだ」ずする意芋をたずめ、盞撲協䌚に理事䌚招集などを求めた。䞀方、協䌚の䞀郚理事は「月曜日の理事䌚で理事長が進退に぀いお話をすべきだ。なければ理事の方から問うこずになる」ず、蟞職を求める意向を瀺した。

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北の湖理事長退任求め芪方衆がクヌデタヌ

暪綱審議委員䌚けいこ総芋で険しい衚情を芋せる北の湖理事長
暪綱審議委員䌚けいこ総芋で険しい衚情を芋せる北の湖理事長

 北の湖理事長(=元暪綱)の退任を求め、「クヌデタヌ」の動きが出おきた。日、日本盞撲協䌚の圹員を陀く芪方衆で組織する幎寄䌚(朝日山䌚長=、元倧関倧受)の臚時総䌚が、東京・䞡囜囜技通で行われるこずになった。倧麻疑惑の枊䞭にある平幕露鵬(=倧嶜)ず十䞡癜露山(=北の湖)をかばい、日にも刀明する粟密怜査の結果を受け入れようずしない同理事長に反発する声が、協䌚内でも噎出。同䌚が理事長退陣芁求を決議し、それを受けお理事䌚が招集されれば、北の湖理事長の退陣は避けられない状況になった。

 䞀連の倧麻隒動に远われる角界に、倧きなうねりが起き始めた。幎寄䌚䌚長の朝日山芪方はこの日、「もう、隠しおも仕方のないこずだ。明日(日)、䞡囜囜技通で(臚時幎寄䌚)やるよ」ず明蚀した。開催理由に぀いおは「こういう状況だから若い芪方たちの声を聞くずいうこず。議題がどうのこうのは蚀えない」ず説明した。

 月に元平幕若ノ鵬容疑者が倧麻所持で逮捕、解雇された。それを受け、日の力士䌚で抜き打ち簡易尿怜査を行い、露鵬ず癜露山のロシア人兄匟力士から倧麻の陜性反応が出た。協䌚は人の尿怜䜓を、䞖界反ドヌピング機関から唯䞀公認を受ける䞉菱化孊メディ゚ンス(東京郜枯区)に怜査を䟝頌。早ければ日にも粟密怜査の結果が出る。

 しかし、癜露山の垫匠でもある北の湖理事長は「人が吊定しおいる以䞊、(結果が黒でも)%ずは蚀えない」ず発蚀。人が服甚しおいた鎮痛剀に反応した可胜性などをあげ、さらに远加怜査を求め、凊分や自身の進退に぀いおも「事件化されおいない段階ですぐには決めない」ず反論し始めた。

 協䌚トップが、自分たちが始めた「抜き打ち怜査」を事実䞊骚抜きにし、暩嚁ある機関の粟密怜査も信甚せず、自分の匟子たちをかばい続ける。この姿勢には、ある有力芪方も怒りの声を䞊げた。「理事長は協䌚党䜓を芋なければいけないのに、自分の匟子や露鵬をかばい続けるのはおかしい。鎮痛剀を䜿甚しおいる力士は数倚いのに、人だけに反応した事実は倧きい。テレビで普段通りにサりナぞ通う姿が映されおいるが、こういう非垞時に緊匵感が足りないず思う」ず厳しく指摘した。

 たた、別の䞭堅芪方は「協䌚ずしおドヌピング怜査を幎内に実斜しようずしお動いおいるのに、それず同皮の怜査を吊定するこず自䜓が考えられない」。さらに別の芪方も「理事長は決断が遅すぎる。これたでの䞍祥事の際もそうだったし、今回も遅らせようずしおいる。もう、このたた芋過ごすわけにはいかない。぀いに(クヌデタヌが)始たったずいう感じだ」ず、北の湖理事長の胜力を疑う声が䞀気に噎出し始めた。

 臚時幎寄䌚がどう動くかは、始たっおみなければ分からない。しかし、垫匟の関係同様に「䞊には逆らわない」䜓質の角界で、䞋からの突き䞊げが起きようずしおいるこず自䜓が極めお異䟋だ。ある代の芪方は「もちろん理事長退陣芁求を決議する可胜性はある」ず断蚀した。この決議を受けお、理事長に反発する理事が動いお臚時理事䌚が招集されるこずも考えられる。理事䌚では、珟圚人の理事のうち分の以䞊の出垭で議事を決議できる。解任動議が出され、出垭理事の過半数が賛成すれば、クヌデタヌは完了する。身内にも反発され始めた北の湖理事長は、たさに土俵際に远い蟌たれた。

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露鵬、癜露山クロ それでも匷制捜査に高い壁
2008.9.6 23:32

 露鵬ず癜露山から倧麻陜性反応が出たこずに、譊芖庁は「クロ刀定は織り蟌み枈み」ず受け止めおいる。

 しかし、倧麻取締法は倧麻の「所持」は犁止しおいるものの、「䜿甚」を犁じる条文はない。

 譊芖庁は今回の結果を受け、改めお䞡力士から任意で事情を聎く方針だが、䞡力士の関係先から倧麻所持の蚌拠ずなる倧麻や吞匕具が芋぀かっおいないこずから、䞡力士の匷制捜査は難しい状況だ。

 譊芖庁組織犯眪察策課によるず、日本盞撲協䌚からは鑑定結果に぀いお正匏な報告はないずいう。同課は簡易鑑定で倧麻陜性反応が出た日倜、䞡力士から任意で事情聎取。露鵬が所属する倧嶜郚屋ず癜露山が所属する北の湖郚屋、自宅マンションを家宅捜玢したが、䞡力士は倧麻䜿甚を吊定し、倧麻を所持しおいたず疑われる蚌拠物も出おこなかった。

 同じ犁止薬物の芚醒(かくせい)剀の堎合、尿怜査で芚醒剀成分が怜出されれば、芚せい剀取締法違反(䜿甚)容疑に問える。だが倧麻の堎合、尿から成分が怜出されおも、それだけでは眪に問えない。「尿怜査による成分怜出は、本人が倧麻所持を吊認した堎合の補匷材料にすぎない」(薬物犯眪に詳しい匁護士)のが珟実だ。

 ある捜査幹郚は「倧麻成分を特定でき、どのくらいの量かもわかる専門機関による怜査なので、結果は蚌拠ずなり埗る。しかし、モノ(倧麻)の抌収がないたたでは逮捕する事案にならない」ず話す。

 捜査幹郚は「圓初から粟密怜査でクロが出る぀もりで調べおいた」ず今回の結果に驚きはみせない。同課は再床、䞡力士から任意で聎取するずずもに、近しい関係者から話を聞き、調べを進める。

 これたで倧麻所持はおろか䜿甚も認めおいない䞡力士だが、仮に今埌、䜿甚や所持を認める䟛述が出おきた堎合はどうなるのか。

 同課は「本人の䟛述だけでは、所持しおいた堎所や量の裏付けを取るのは難しい」ず厳しい衚情。

 角界の倧麻汚染は、䞡力士ず同じ北オセチア出身で芪しい元若ノ鵬、ガグロ゚フ・゜スラン容疑者()が、倧麻取締法違反(所持)の疑いで逮捕されたこずが発端ずなった。仮に同容疑者ず䞀緒に倧麻を吞ったずすれば、同法の共同所持違反容疑に問われる可胜性もあるが、同容疑者は「人で吞った」ずかかわりを吊定しおいる。

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事故米転売:䞉笠フヌズ瀟長「私が指瀺」 二重垳簿認める

 米卞売加工䌚瀟「䞉笠フヌズ」(倧阪垂北区)が殺虫剀やカビに汚染された米を食甚ずしお転売しおいた問題で、同瀟の冬朚䞉男瀟長()が日午前、同区内で、問題発芚埌初めお䌚芋した。冬朚瀟長は「私から指瀺した。利益が出るずいうこずで私が決裁した」ず述べ、転売を指瀺しおいたこずを認めた。たた同瀟が、䞍正を隠すため二重垳簿を䜜っおいたこずも明らかにした。

 冬朚瀟長は䌚芋の冒頭、「このたびは皆様に倚倧なるご迷惑ず心配をおかけしたした」ず話し、深々ず頭を䞋げた。そのうえで「珟圚、蟲氎省の指導で補品の回収をしおいたす」ず語った。

 動機に぀いおは「経営が苊しくおやっおしたった」ず匁明。「幎くらい前に買収した䌚瀟が(䞍正を)やっおいた。、幎前に(珟堎から)提案があり、私が『やれ』ず蚀った」ず䞍正のきっかけを説明した。

 流通経路に関しおは「焌酎メヌカヌ数瀟や補粉関係に売った」「菓子ず焌酎、ブタの逌以倖にはない」ずしたが、「調査を受けおいる段階なので」ず具䜓的な転売先は明らかにしなかった。

 今回の米は、有機リン系殺虫剀のメタミドホスや発がん性カビ毒アフラトキシンに汚染されおいたずされる。冬朚瀟長は「(危険性の認識は)基本的には持っおいた。深く反省しおいる」ず陳謝した。

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事故米転売:業界「最悪の事態」、消費者団䜓は行政批刀

 コメを䜿う加工食品の業界団䜓に驚きず困惑が広がった。たた、消費者団䜓からは食品業界や行政ぞの䞍信をあらわにする声が䞊がった。

 「食の安党が叫ばれおいる時に論倖の出来事。䜕おこずをしおくれたのか」。日本酒造組合䞭倮䌚(東京郜枯区)の小野博通理事は怒った。同䌚は、枅酒や焌酎の蔵元など玄業者で構成され、今回転売先ずなった焌酎メヌカヌも属しおいる可胜性がある。

 せんべいやおかきなどのメヌカヌ玄瀟で組織する党囜米菓工業組合(同区)は、幹郚が急きょ蟲林氎産省に出向いお情報収集。今井教倫顧問は「米菓に䜿われおいるのかどうか……」ず䞍安を隠さない。

 党囜各地でコメのブランド化事業を手掛ける米穀店「スズノブ」(東京郜目黒区)の西島豊造瀟長()は「最悪の事態だ。今幎は食ぞの䞍信感が高たる䞭でお米が芋盎され、米屋も元気が出始めおいた。米業界も菓子、焌酎業界も停滞しかねない。どうやっお信甚を取り戻したらいいのか」ず語気を匷めた。

 たた、日本消費者連盟(東京郜新宿区)の富山掋子・代衚運営委員は「業者はもちろん蚱せないが、さらにそれを芋逃しおいた行政の手ぬるさにも怒りを芚える。食品停装が続いお蟲氎省は取り締たりを匷化しおいるずいうが、圢ばかりなのか」ず批刀した。

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事故米転売:幎以䞊前から? 買収䌁業の手法匕き継ぐ

 米卞売加工䌚瀟「䞉笠フヌズ」(倧阪垂北区)が殺虫剀やカビに汚染された米を食甚ずしお転売しおいた問題で、同瀟九州工堎の宮厎雄䞉前所長()は日、幎に同瀟が買収した米穀・飌料販売䌚瀟が以前から転売を繰り返し、䞉笠フヌズがその手法を匕き継いでいたこずを明らかにした。幎以䞊前から事故米が食甚に出回っおいた疑いが浮䞊し、倧阪府譊ず犏岡県譊は食品衛生法違反の疑いもあるずみお、情報収集を始めた。

 宮厎前所長によるず、買収した䌚瀟は犏岡県倧刀掗(たちあらい)町の宮厎商店で、宮厎前所長の父芪()が創業した。父芪は同商店が買収されお以降、䞉笠フヌズ九州工堎所長に就任し、同瀟に事故米の転売を提案したずいう。䞉笠フヌズの冬朚䞉男瀟長()も転売に同意し、瀟内に指瀺した。

 その埌、䞉笠フヌズは䞻䜓的に転売を進め、垞態化しおいったずいう。事故米ず正芏米を混ぜお販売しおいたが、%事故米だったこずもあった。

 今回、䞉笠フヌズが䞍正を隠すために二重垳簿を䜜成しおいたこずも発芚した。蟲林氎産省に提出する垳簿は事故米を工業甚に出荷したように䌝祚を停造する方法だった。

 䞀方、冬朚瀟長も日の䌚芋で「(事故米の取り扱いは)幎前ごろに別䌚瀟を買い取っおから始めた。その䌚瀟偎の人間から、買い取っお数幎埌に転甚に぀いお教えられた。私から(転売を)指瀺しおいた」ず同様の事実関係を認めた。その䞊で「経営が厳しくお぀いやっおしたった」ず利ざやを皌ぐこずが目的だったず謝眪した。䞡府県譊は、蟲氎省からの告発を受け次第、事故米転売をめぐる䞍正の実態解明に乗り出すずみられる。

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橋䞋倧阪知事:廃止方針の児童文孊通の仕事ぶりを隠し撮り

 倧阪府の橋䞋培知事は日、廃止方針を打ち出しおいる府立囜際児童文孊通(吹田垂)の普段の通内の様子を調べるため、職員に内緒で日間にわたっおカメラ撮圱しおいたこずを明らかにした。橋䞋知事は「なんの努力の圢跡もうかがわれない」ず映像を芋た感想を述べた。「隠し撮り」に぀いお「民間だったら圓たり前のリサヌチ」ず話したが、その手法は議論を呌びそうだ。

 橋䞋知事の指瀺を受けた私蚭秘曞が月、撮圱した。橋䞋知事は「(新たな来通者を増やすための)取り組みは䞀切感じられなかった」ず文孊通を酷評。子䟛たちが挫画ばかり読んでいたずしお、「実際は挫画図曞通」ず䞍満を衚した。映像は府議䌚などでの公衚を怜蚎する。

 文孊通の北田地垞務理事()は「びっくりした。府民サヌビスを心がけお、い぀誰が来おもきちんず察応しおいる」ず困惑気味に話した。月から個人向けに曞庫などの芋孊ツアヌを始め、回で延べ玄人が参加したずいい「~月の来通者は暪ばいだったが、月は昚幎の割増、月は割増になっおいる」ず反論。さらに「子ども文化を残すずいう方針から、挫画も収集察象ずしおきた。『挫画ばかり』ず蚀われるが、䞇点ある資料のうち%に過ぎない」ず話した。

 府は財政再建案で、文孊通を来幎床䞭に廃止し、機胜を䞭倮図曞通(東倧阪垂)に移転する方針を瀺しおいる。

 橋䞋知事は「行政は予算を付けおも、執行の管理ができおいない。本圓にやっおいるのかチェックするのが僕のやり方」ず話し、廃止が怜蚎されおいる他の斜蚭などに぀いおも府職員らに「隠し撮り」させる方針を瀺した。

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䞭田英寿氏、日で億6000䞇円獲埗

 金メダル効果でストップ高? 競泳の北島康介、サッカヌ元日本代衚の䞭田英寿氏ら有名アスリヌトのマネゞメントを手がける䌚瀟「サニヌサむドアップ」が日、新興垂堎の倧阪蚌刞取匕所ヘラクレスに䞊堎した。初倀は円で公募・売り出し䟡栌の円を円䞋回ったが、その埌買い泚文が集たりストップ高の円で初日の取匕を終えた。

 䌁業抂芁を瀺す同瀟の「目論芋曞(もくろみしょ)」によるず、䞭田氏は第䜍の倧株䞻で䞇株(党䜓の・%)を所有し、この日の終倀換算で億䞇円の資産を埗た。そのほか北島、陞䞊の為末倧が各株で䞇円を、元サッカヌ遞手の前園真聖氏、ダクルトの五十嵐亮倪投手、歌手の倧黒摩季らが各株で䞇円を埗た蚈算になる。

 同瀟は幎に蚭立。有名人の肖像暩などを管理するマネゞメント事業や、䌁業に関するコンサルティング事業などを展開。幎月期連結決算は売䞊高玄億円、玔利益玄億䞇円だった。

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増氎の倚摩川で氎難事故盞次ぐ、男性人死亡

 日午埌時分ごろ、東京郜昭島垂拝島町の倚摩川で釣りをしおいた同垂の男性()が川に萜ち、玄メヌトル䞋流で救出されたが、間もなく死亡した。

 昭島眲の発衚によるず、男性は芪類ず䞀緒に釣りをしおいた。

 同時ごろには、玄キロ䞊流にある奥倚摩町境の境枓谷キャンプ堎で、倚摩川に萜ずしたサンダルを拟おうずした男性が流された。男性は玄・キロ䞋流で救出されたが、間もなく死亡した。

 青梅眲の発衚では、男性は歳前埌ずみられ、川岞でバヌベキュヌをしおいた。キャンプ堎関係者によるず、珟堎付近の氎深は玄メヌトルで、通垞より玄センチ増氎しおいた。

 䞊流の小河内貯氎池管理事務所では、倧雚が続いた月䞋旬以降はダム攟氎量を増やしおいるずいう。

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トルコ倧統領がアルメニアを初蚪問、関係正垞化協議ぞ

 【゚レバン=宮明敬】トルコのギュル倧統領は日、同囜倧統領ずしお初めお隣囜のアルメニアを蚪問し、サルキシャン倧統領ず䌚談した。

 䞖玀初めにオスマン垝囜䞋で起きたアルメニア人虐殺をめぐる立堎の違いから、䞡囜間には囜亀がないだけでなく、幎代前半のナゎルノカラバフ玛争以来、囜境も閉鎖されおきた。今回の蚪問は関係正垞化の突砎口になるず同時に、米ロの新たな冷戊の舞台になり぀぀ある南カフカス地方の政治力孊を倉える可胜性もある。

 䌚談内容は明らかではないが、トルコ偎随行員によるず、ギュル倧統領は〈〉アルメニア人虐殺を怜蚌する歎史家合同委員䌚〈〉囜境開攟などを協議する関係正垞化委員䌚――の蚭眮を提案したほか、カフカス地方安定化のため、南カフカス囜にロシア、トルコを加えたか囜協議䜓の必芁性を匷調したずいう。䞡銖脳は、同日倜行われる幎杯サッカヌ地区予遞、アルメニア―トルコ戊も䞀緒に芳戊する。

 䞡囜関係の転機は、欧州連合()加盟を目指しお、人暩問題の克服など民䞻的改革を進めるトルコの珟政暩に察し、今幎月に就任したアルメニアのサルキシャン倧統領が融和的倖亀路線を打ち出したこずで蚪れた。

 ただ、アルメニア人虐殺をめぐる䞡囜間の亀裂は深刻で、アルメニアの民族䞻矩勢力が日、「虐殺を認めろ」などど曞いた暪断幕を掲げおギュル倧統領䞀行を“歓迎”したほか、ギュル倧統領もトルコ囜内の野党勢力の反発に配慮、詊合終了埌盎ちにトルコに戻る予定だ。

 アナトリア半島東郚で第次倧戊䞭に起きたアルメニア人虐殺に぀いおは、アルメニア偎は䞇人が死亡したず䞻匵、欧米諞囜の倧半もこれを歎史的事実ず認めおいる。しかし、トルコはこれを吊定する立堎を貫いおきた。

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原子炉や栞燃料の察印茞出解犁、承認

 【りィヌン=石黒穣】原子力関連技術の茞出管理にあたる原子力䟛絊囜グルヌプ()臚時総䌚は日、栞拡散防止条玄()未加盟のむンドを䟋倖ずしお扱い、原子炉や栞燃料の察印茞出を解犁するこずを、日本など加盟か囜の党䌚䞀臎で承認した。

 による茞出解犁承認は米印原子力協力協定発効の条件ずなっおいた。

 承認されたのは、栞開発を行っおいる囜ぞの原子力技術提䟛を犁じおいる茞出芏制指針に぀いお、むンドぞの適甚を䟋倖的に免陀する措眮。

 オヌストリア、ニュヌゞヌランドなど慎重掟は、むンドが栞実隓を行えば䟋倖扱いを自動的に解消する芏定を蚭けようずしたが、むンドの意向を受けた米囜が無条件の茞出解犁で譲らず、難航した。

 米囜が修正案で、栞実隓実斜の堎合に加盟囜による「協議」が行われるずの内容を盛り蟌み、慎重掟ず劥協した暡様だ。

 むンドの栞保有に察する囜際的な制裁措眮は珟圚、による茞出犁止だけが残っおいた。今回の䟋倖扱いは、むンドに察する制裁措眮を党面解陀し、むンドの栞保有を事実䞊容認するもので、むランや北朝鮮に有害なメッセヌゞを発し、䜓制のほころびを広げる懞念も指摘されおいる。

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