Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, is opening at 5 a.m., an hour earlier than last year, with DVDs priced as low as $3.44 and a Hewlett-Packard Co. desktop computer available for $398. ウオルマートは今年は午前5時開店で、DVD$3.44とかHPのPC$398が目玉商品。
Sears, Roebuck & Co. is giving $10 gift cards to the first 200 customers at each of its more than 2,400 locations. シアーズローバックは先着200名様に$10のギフトカード進呈
J.C. Penney Co. is opening early and offering bargains to jumpstart business. Early-hour specials like a 60 percent price cut on coats from 5 a.m. to noon JCペニーでは午前5時から正午までの時間帯は早朝スペシャルで60%オフのバーゲン
Wal-Mart's Sam's Club is also opening at 5 a.m. for the first time and is providing free breakfast to shoppers. ウオルマートのサムズクラブでは午前5時開店で、お客様に無料の朝食サービス
Sears, a unit of Hoffman Estates, Illinois-based Sears Holdings Corp., is cutting gold and silver jewelry prices by 70 percent from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. シアーズの一部であるホフマンエステートでは金と銀の宝飾品を午前6時から11時まで70%オフ ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー お客を呼ぶ話題つくりに必死、というところで、この裏側にはインターネットショッピングの増大 があり、お客を伝統的な店に呼び込むことの重要性を感じて、お祭り騒ぎを演出したいということ があるような。
この通貨スワップは人民銀行が今後12ヶ月に$6Bのドルを6.75元のレートで買うことを可能にす るもの。このスワップが中央銀行にとって有利であるためには通貨のレートは現行レベルから2.9% 程度切り上げられる必要がある。トレーダーはその理由から人民銀行が来年一年で、人民元の穏や かな利上げがあるというサインではないかと見ている。 (To make the deal attractive for the central bank, the yuan would need to rise at least 2.9% from current levels, not including interest)
Dealers said the central bank sold dollars to 10 domestic banks at the current exchange rate of 8.0810 yuan per dollar with an agreement to buy them back in a year's time at 7.85 yuan. ディラーによれば中央銀行は国内の10の銀行に対して現行の8.010のレートでドルを売り、一年 先に7.85のレートで人民元を買うスワップ取引を行った。
The implied yuan rise of about 2.9 percent reflects nothing more than the difference between U.S. and Chinese interest rates. これは一年間くらいで2.9%の元の切り上げがあることを意味しているが、中国と米国の金利差 からみて当然である。
Still, Ha Jiming, chief economist with CICC, China's biggest investment bank, said the deal flashed an important signal. "The aforementioned swap transaction suggests that the dollar/renminbi exchange rate would be around 7.85 a year from now," Ha said in a note to clients. しかしそれであっても中国最大の投資銀行CICCの主任エコノミストHa Jimingによれば、これ は大きなシグナルである。「このスワップ取引の示唆するものはこの先一年後には元のレートが 7.85であるということだ」
"This is a very significant step. In theory, the fact that the banks are willing to do this kind of swap with the central bank implies that there is greater acceptance of more renminbi appreciation," he said. 「これは大きなステップで、理論的には国内の銀行と中央銀行がこうしたスワップ取引を行うとい うことは人民元気利上げに対する受け入れが広がっていることを意味する」
A trader in Hong Kong saw the deal differently. He said the bank was trying to cool, not fan, expectations of yuan strength. "It means that they are sending a signal to the market that in one year the maximum move allowed in the yuan will be to 7.85, so maybe they are trying to calm down the market a bit," he said. 香港のトレーダーはこの取引を別の意味に解釈しており、中央銀行が元の切り上げの思惑で過熱化 する相場を冷却させるために行ったとみている。「これはマーケットにシグナルを送って、今後の 一年間での、元の切り上げの最大値が7.85のレートまでだといっているわけで、市場を冷却化した いのだろう」(後略)
Roche Holding AG, maker of the flu treatment Tamiflu, said it has told the governments of Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia that they are free to manufacture the medication without paying compensation to Roche because the drug is not patent protected in those three countries. ロシェはタミフルが特許登録されていないタイ、フィリピン、インドネシアの三国について 無償で製造を許可するとした。
Roche has also offered to discuss the "technical aspects of the manufacturing of Tamiflu with these countries in view of our expertise and experience in the manufacturing of this important medicine," a spokeswoman for the Swiss company said Friday. さらに、ロシュは重要な薬品の製造に関する技術的な議論(支援)を行ってゆくとしている。
>>42 ttp://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3216,36-713763@51-629278,0.html (Le Monde) Le Japon veut reviser sa Constitution pacifiste LE MONDE | 24.11.05 | 14h27 ? Mis a jour le 24.11.05 | 14h27 TOKYO CORRESPONDANT Philippe Pons Article paru dans l'edition du 25.11.05 ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー おなじみのポンズさんのいつもの反日反米、日本孤立論ですねえ
The basij volunteers became national heroes during the 1980-1988 war of attrition against Iraq. More recently, they have been employed to put down student demonstrations and crack down on women who flout strict dress codes. In Teheran, some 3,000 basij, clutching automatic rifles and wearing chequered headscarves, paraded before President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and chanted “God is the Greatest”.
And now we hear an allegation of 300 bird flu deaths in China, where seven cases were caused by human-to-human transmission: But Masato Tashiro, head of virology at Tokyo’s National(ry ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー この田代発言を疑問視する華僑系ブログ「東南西北」(英語)
ttp://www.zonaeuropa.com/200511brief.htm#090 Here the chain of custody: Unverified Chinese web posting (at Boxun) of a statistical table that did not even look good; an off-hand mention by a scientist as an example of unverified data; report by a mainstream newspaper; magnification by a popular scientific journal; prominent publicity from Boxun as proof that an experts support the 300 deaths figure (see Boxun); an angry denial from the scientist. The only remaining question is whether Boxun will publish the denial and identify the data source (namely, itself) and explain why scientists would find it inadequate.
And I'm well aware of how this is argued by certain China followers: the ones doing the lying were the local officials, while the central government was trying to correct the lies and take responsible action. I just wonder whether it's that black and white, as if the "two governments" - local and central - are truly self-contained organizations, one good, one bad. And I also wonder, if the central government thought they could lie about this and get away with it, wouldn't they? I mean, look at SARS and AIDS.
ハルビンの写真は、このブログが充実(重いけど) ttp://lijiangsong.blogbus.com/logs/2005/11/1630848.html 黄城李記【江松】 記者撮影 中的中国影像 采集与?播都非常重要 Photos tanken by a photojournalist/Feel the developing China through his vision,passion and profession/Collecting,distributing,and communication are both important. Jason Lee/Reuters
What makes this doubly uncomfortable for the authorities is that the video emerged after a number of Chinese tourists alleged they had been arrested, forced to strip in front of male police officers and robbed. ttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4470422.stm
マレーシアのイスラム主義者を越えないのはとても慎重で、彼らは直接首相の本人を攻撃するので はない、いくつかに対して“後ろ盾”のスケープゴート、たとえば“イスラムの姉妹”(Sisters In Islam)これは大胆に女性の権益と人権の非の政府の組織を提唱する。これらの攻撃は馬からきて社 会の中であれらに来てみこの支持者?中産階級の外“にあるだけでない全部及び;立ち後れる分子”。
9月に、ひとつは名前を“ムスリムの専門のフォーラム” (Muslim Professional Forum)の組織は “自由なイスラム:1つの明らかな存在の危険”のために丸1日の活動を展開して、巴達維首相の宗教 の方向と支持者に対してごまかしの批判をプラスしないことを行う。
ttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB113296298246606932.html?mod=home_whats_news_us Airlines, Battered By Losses, Look Set for Rebound Falling Costs, Fewer Seats May Be Ticket to Recovery For Some Major Carriers By SUSAN CAREY and MELANIE TROTTMAN Staff Reporters of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL November 26, 2005; Page A1
WSJ:5年間、高騰するコストと戦ってきた航空業界に回復の兆候、燃料価格低下や過剰設備廃棄で
After five years of steep losses, the U.S. airline industry appears to be on the verge of a recovery, as fuel prices come off their peaks, labor costs decline and excess capacity finally begins to shrink.
A power struggle of titanic proportions has broken out between Iran's newly elected President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the country's parliament. Now the President's domestic political agenda is in danger of collapse, after MPs refused to accept his choices for the top post of oil minister. And a new scandal in Tehran municipality tarnished his election promises to weed out corruption
A THOUSAND Chinese soldiers were drafted in this weekend to stack 300 tons of filters at a waterworks in the industrial city of Harbin in a desperate effort to solve a pollution crisis that has cut off water to more than 3m people.
In a commentary by its official Korean Central News Agency, the North said the footage was "full of sheer lies" and accused CNN of airing the tape at the instigation of the U.S. government as part of an alleged psychological campaign to overthrow the regime.
Hakim gave few details of what getting tough would entail, other than making clear it would require more weapons, with more firepower, than the United States is currently supplying. He also urged the United States to take a tougher stand against countries harboring insurgents and their supporters, and called for faster trials of insurgent suspects.
Hakim said the United States could find "many areas" of agreement with Iran on Iraq, if it wanted to. For example, he said, "from the Iranian point of view, it is in the Iranian interest that Iraq be stable. That is also supposed to be the American intent."
ttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10218888/site/newsweek/ Panic Is Not The Solution Many Democrats are understandably enraged over Iraq. But in responding in equally partisan fashion, they could well precipitate a tragedy. By Fareed Zakaria Newsweek
ニューズウイーク:イラク政策でパニックになる時ではない By Fareed Zakaria ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー リベラルなニューズウイークにしては珍しくも、一部の民主党のいうイラクからの即時撤退論を たしなめて、イラクの安定化政策がうまくいきそうになっている今の時点でアメリカがそういう 党派的議論に熱中するのはナンセンスだ、と言い切っている。(ただし筆者はプロ・ブッシュと いうわけではなくて、むしろ逆だけれど、現実派のリベラルとでもいうべき立場)
Just as our Iraq policy has been getting on a firmer footing, the political dynamic in Washington could move toward a panicked withdrawal. ようやく、イラク安定化・復興の政策がうまくゆきそうになっているのに、ワシントンでは撤退を 議論してパニックっているわけだ。
If Washington's strategy is more aggressively pursued, it could actually be compatible with some American troop withdrawals. For obvious political reasons, it would be far better if the "hold" part of the policy was done by Iraqi forces. And, in fact, this has been happening. Najaf and Mosul are now patrolled entirely by Iraqi Army forces. Even Kirkuk, which is politically sensitive, has fewer American troops in it than it did six months ago. This trend could accelerate, which would mean that three or four brigades could be withdrawn in the next year.
But for any of this to work, the United States needs to be able to maintain a stable set of policies in Iraq that do not appear to be the product of panic or politics. That alone will yield success, which will allow American troops to return home having achieved something. As has often been pointed out, the key here is not the exit, but the strategy.
By the very act of making Japan the first stop on his tour, Bush combined political symbolism with strategic intent. His speech in the ancient capital of Kyoto was perhaps the most important event of the entire trip と書いていて、京都演説はたいへん重要とする。それはアジアにおける民主主義諸国の連帯を 深めて、自由と民主主義を広めてゆく、と言う考え方。
Second, the speech defined Japan as a mature democracy that has set an example for Asia and is ready to play a more active role in the world. "A free Japan has helped transform the lives of others in the region," 二番目に重要なことは、日本をアジアにおけるアメリカの最重要のパートナーと確認して同盟 関係を深め、日本の更なる国際貢献を促したこと。
If the president was speaking most directly to the Japanese, he was also speaking to other U.S. allies in the region, again stressing the binding force of common political principles. The most significant of these other allies was Taiwan. さらにアジアの民主主義国家として台湾を指名してその連帯と民主主義体制の保護を明確にしている。
Many foreign policy realists and Asia hands take China's view that Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is worrisomely nationalistic. But in Bush's view, Koizumi is a longtime ally with "common values, common interests, and a common commitment to freedom," as he said in his Kyoto speech. These are the same words Bush used this past July in a summit with India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, which Bush's critics also faulted. Never mind the potential for a broad strategic partnership, the critics said, India is not committed to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. 中国の主張する小泉首相の危険な民族主義的傾向というのをブッシュ大統領は退けて、共通の価値観 を持つ国とした。それはNPT不参加で核武装をしているという問題を抱えたインドについても同じ で、アンチ・ブッシュのいう批判を退けて、インドを重要なパートナーとみなすものである。
Yes, but like Japan, India is more likely part of the solution in Asia, rather than the problem. 何故なら、問題があるとしても、日本もインドもアメリカのアジア政策にとって問題であるよりは解 決である面が大きいいためである。
This new combination of Bush Doctrine rhetoric and military reposturing represents more than a hedge against the traditional American approach to the region, particularly when it comes to dealing with Beijing. The shopworn "One China" policy endures, preventing the recognition of self-governing Taiwan as an independent country while fudging our position on Beijing's claims to the island. The president's rather mechanical recitation of this liturgy at Kyoto suggested how outdated and uninspiring that formulation is. こうしたブッシュのアジア・ドクトリンというべき政策は、中国の台頭に対応したものであり、それ は従来のアメリカの「ひとつの中国政策」は自己統治できる存在としての台湾を認めることを妨げて いるけれど、その時代遅れ振りが目に付くためだ。
If economic liberalization is leading to democracy in China, then there's no need to worry about China's growing economic, diplomatic and military power. 中国の経済の開放化が中国を民主化に向かわせるのであれば中国の経済、外交、軍事力の増大を心配 する必要は無い。しかし現実には中国は民主化や自由化に向かっていないので心配が残る。もしも 中国が台湾をめぐって、あるいは日中の対立から問題が起こればアメリカも巻き込まれざるを得ない。
Professor Liu Guogong, one-time alternate member of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, former vice president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (the party's think thank), and former director of the Institute of Economics (for many years the spearhead for market-oriented reforms), has decided it has all been a big mistake.
Liu, in the latest issue of the in-house magazine of his old institute, argues that the last 20 years have demonstrated that there is no room for two economic philosophies, the Marxist canon and the liberal market-economy canon. One of them has to go. The surprise is that he is calling for a full-fledged return to the Marxist canon.
The problem is that party leaders, and their families, are the ones benefiting the most from the wealth being generated by the application of Western liberal economic policies within a Marxist-Leninist-Maoist political framework. And they control the government (and the judiciary), at all levels.
ttp://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000006&sid=afZ0c5j5CRYc&refer=home Purchases by overseas investors reached 9.44 trillion yen ($78.9 billion) this year on a net basis, according to figures from the Tokyo Stock Exchange. That exceeds the annual record of 9.13 trillion yen of Japanese shares that overseas investors bought in 1999. Overseas investors have been buying Japanese stocks amid a recovery in the world's second largest economy that is boosting earnings and spurring corporate investment.
He also sends this, by email: "My internet access has been limited but I'm having the time of my life in Iraq. I've had great access to all of the Marines and soldiers out here, and am being treated like royalty. These guys are extremely frustrated with the media and make no bones about their distaste for those who are undermining the war effort by calling for withdrawal."
英国のエコノミストが2006年に中国の景気悪化を予想してますね。 The end of the affair http://www.economist.com/theworldin/asia/displayStory.cfm?story_id=5133212&d=2006&tranMode=none Yet the mainland’s expansion, which has, by some measures, contributed fully a third of global economic growth in recent years, has started to slow―and in 2006 China’s loss of momentum will become painfully clear to the rest of the world. …
次の10年間で在韓米軍が撤退するとの予想も・・・・・。 Troops out http://www.economist.com/theworldin/unitedstates/displayStory.cfm?story_id=5134029&d=2006&tranMode=none Over the next decade 60,000-70,000 American troops, almost a third of the total based overseas, will be withdrawn from their former cold-war stations, principally in Germany and South Korea, to America, 自主国防も否応無く進み、戦時統帥権も取り戻せます。 統一への障害もなくなりますし、 全てが韓国の望む方向に進みそうで良い傾向ですね。
Yet for the most part, America is less interested in the success of Operation Iron Fist, for instance, than the course of the entire Iraq enterprise. "What the national news media try to do is figure out: What's the overall verdict?" says Brig. Gen. Volney Warner, deputy commandant of the Army Command and General Staff College. "Soldiers don't do overall verdicts."
Yet soldiers clearly feel that important elements are being left out of the media's overall verdict. On this day, a group of Navy medics gather around a table in the Cleveland-area headquarters of the 3/25 - a Marine reserve unit that has converted a low-slung school of pale brick and linoleum tile into its spectacularly red-and-gold offices.
2006年当初に議会選挙になると見られれる。 ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー ttp://news.ft.com/cms/s/59d773b2-6035-11da-a3a6-0000779e2340.html Martin set to call polls for Canada in January By Bernard Simon in Toronto Published: November 28 2005 17:42 | Last updated: November 28 2005 17:42
FT:カナダのマーティン政権は2006年1月の選挙に向け解散か
Paul Martin, Canada’s prime minister, is set to call a general election on Tuesday for the second half of January following an expected no-confidence vote against the minority Liberal government in the House of Commons. ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー マーティンのリベラル政権は今年の半ばから汚職スキャンダルでぐたぐただったので、年末に来て 寿命が尽きたような。ただし、カナダの政治は複雑怪奇なので来年の選挙がどう動くのか見通しが 流動的で、最新のデータでは保守よりリベラルが有利らすい。
According to an Ekos Research poll at the weekend, the Liberals hold a lead of almost 10 points over the Tories. This has widened in recent weeks in the vote-rich areas around Toronto and Vancouver.
And all this, it seems to me, helps show why "the conservative attack on the press" has been "particularly damaging." Whether blogs are trying to condemn "liberal bias" or simply point out mistakes, they -- much more than the media has been -- are media critics, who alert readers that they shouldn't believe everything they read. And this helps produce a healthy skepticism of the media, much as the media in past decades has produced a healthy skepticism of other institutions.
Saturday, November 19, 2005 The Coming (Knock on Wood) Taiwanization of China 将来起こるであろう、中国大陸の台湾化について
Saturday, November 26, 2005 The Future of China, as Seen from Taiwan (続、台湾化する中国)、中国の将来、台湾から眺めた展望 By Andrew Meyer http://madmanofchu.blogspot.com/ Madman of Chu のブログ ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー NYシティ大学で東洋史を教えるアメリカ人の書いているブログで、中国と台湾に4年、日本に1年 住んだ後で米国に戻って歴史学の博士号をとったという人。考え方はアメリカ人的にオリジナルな ので、日本、中国、台湾の問題が、アメリカ人から見るとどう見えるのかを考えるヒントになりそ うな。(ただし、個人的にはこのしとのアメリカ人的楽観には賛成できないけれど)
"Shanghai doesn't have bird flu yet. As long as it doesn't crop up here, we're good," he said, dragging on a cigarette. "But if it does, it's all over, because then people will have to kill their birds at home too."
I have just returned from my fourth trip to Iraq in the past 17 months and can report real progress there. More work needs to be done, of course, but the Iraqi people are in reach of a watershed transformation from the primitive, killing tyranny of Saddam to modern, self-governing, self-securing nationhood--unless the great American military that has given them and us this unexpected opportunity is prematurely withdrawn.
Progress is visible and practical. In the Kurdish North, there is continuing security and growing prosperity. The primarily Shiite South remains largely free of terrorism, receives much more electric power and other public services than it did under Saddam, and is experiencing greater economic activity. The Sunni triangle, geographically defined by Baghdad to the east, Tikrit to the north and Ramadi to the west, is where most of the terrorist enemy attacks occur. And yet here, too, there is progress.
There are many more cars on the streets, satellite television dishes on the roofs, and literally millions more cell phones in Iraqi hands than before. All of that says the Iraqi economy is growing. And Sunni candidates are actively campaigning for seats in the National Assembly. People are working their way toward a functioning society and economy in the midst of a very brutal, inhumane, sustained terrorist war against the civilian population and the Iraqi and American military there to protect it.
"The Bank of Japans policy of quantitative easing should continue until inflation is high enough to make the risk of renewed deflation negligible," the report said.
But there are great gaps in Kyoto. Its binding limits apply to less than two-thirds of developed country emissions, chiefly because the US, the world's biggest polluter, refuses to sign up to it, and do not cover big developing country polluters, such as China and India, at all. In at least the first phase of Kyoto, the onus of cleaning up the side-effects of the industrial revolution was put on countries that led that revolution.
So the main question at the Montreal climate review conference is whether Kyoto should in a second, post-2012 phase, be made more flexible to bring more countries into it.
But there is a case for showing flexibility towards late-industrialisers such as China and India, and indeed all developing countries. The Kyoto parties badly need them to start controlling their pollution. One way to induce them to do so could be by providing more help to adapt to climate change. For it is the developing world that will probably suffer first from rising sea levels and desertification. ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー ttp://clivedavis.blogs.com/clive/2005/11/on_newsnight_ye.html Tuesday, November 29, 2005 環境サミットの各社論調を紹介しているクライブ・デービス・ブログ LAST GASPS
"It's difficult to say now. The market expected some selling around this level, but the Japanese just keep on buying," said Ellison Chu, senior manager at Standard Bank London's Hong Kong office.
しかし、中には商品市場の投機はピークを超えているとの説もある(だけど多数派というわけでもない)
"We tend to think the metal will run out of steam up here," Mr. Ferguson said. "And we still think the U.S. dollar is going to strengthen, so at some point that's going to have an impact on the gold price."
ttp://www.slate.com/id/2131180/ Will pay Web sites succeed like HBO? Why TimesSelect is not like cable TV. By Mickey Kaus Updated Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2005, at 6:02 AM ET
新規住宅購入の強さの解釈には(SCOTT PATTERSON 、WSJ) Recent housing market indicators, such as Monday's report on sales of homes already lived in, have signaled that the multiyear housing boom is cooling off. Tuesday's report on new- home sales, which could be a result of buyers leaping into the market before mortgage rates go much higher, will further fuel speculation about whether the boom will continue into 2006. というように、今後の様子を見ないと判断の難しいところも。
ttp://www.cpt.org/ CPT confirmed on 29 November that the four human rights workers missing in Baghdad on 26 November are associated with our organization.
CPT does not advocate the use of violent force to save lives of its workers should they be kidnapped, held hostage, or caught in the middle of a conflict situation.
In fact, here's the InstaPundit policy: 私の「政策宣言」はこうだね。
InstaPundit strongly supports the use of violent force to save lives of its workers (er, that's me), readers, advertisers, or unrelated onlookers should they be kidnapped, held hostage, or caught in the middle of a conflict situation. The use of grossly excessive or gratuitous violence, while not exactly encouraged, isn't exactly deplored, either.
NAKAGAWA Nobuo Retrospective at his Centenary co-presenter: National Film Center, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo Supported by:gency for Cultural Affairs Special sponsor:Osaka Gas Sponsors:Air France, Kodak, Bandai Visual Subsidized by:Japan Keirin Association (Keirin Public Fund) Funding provided by:The Japan Foundation, SWISS FILMS, Pro Helvetia-Arts Council of Switzerland Approved by:Kigyo Mecenat Kyogikai (Association for Corporate Support of the Arts) Presented under the auspices of:Ministry of Economy, Embassy of Switzerland With the cooperation of:Athenee Francaise Cultural Center, cut, Cine Quanon, Disk Garage, The Film School of Tokyo , Inter-src , Kokusai Hoei, Office Kitano, Renaissance Tokyo Hotel Ginza Tobu, Shochiku, ROKUROU KOBO, Toei
This event was subsidized by Japan Keirin Association through its promotion funds from KEIRIN RACE.
>>163 ttp://www.cpt.org/ Christian Peacemaker Teams is a violence reduction program. Teams of trained peacemakers work in areas of lethal conflict around the world.
We were the first people to publicly denounce the torture of Iraqi people at the hands of U.S. forces, long before the western media admitted what was happening at Abu Ghraib.
Following the arrests, on 25 November 2005, more than four hundred monks sat on a peaceful solidarity protest in the front courtyard of Drepung Monastery. The protesters refused to abide by the authorities’ directives to denounce the Dalai Lama and to accept “Tibet as a part of China”. They also called for the release of the five monk arrestees, or on refusal to do so, demanded to also be expelled from the monastery
http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/iraq_strategy_nov2005.html <ホワイトハウスのサイトにうpされたイラク計画文書> PART I Strategic Overview * Victory in Iraq Defined * Victory in Iraq is a Vital U.S. Interest * The Benefits of Victory in Iraq * The Consequences of Failure * Our Enemies and Their Goals * The Strategy of Our Enemies * Our Strategy for Victory is Clear A. The Political Track (Isolate, Engage, Build) B. The Security Track (Clear, Hold, Build) C. The Economic Track (Restore, Reform, Build) * This Strategy is Integrated, and its Elements are Mutually Reinforcing * Victory Will Take Time * Why Our Strategy Is (and Must Be) Conditions-Based * Our Strategy Tracks and Measures Progress PART II Strategy in Detail * The Political Track in Detail * The Security Track in Detail * The Economic Track in detail * Organization for Victory APPENDIX * The Eight Pillars ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー ざっと眼を通してみると、たいへんマジに正面からイラク復興計画がどうあるべきかを論じ 現在はその戦略が成功していると評価していて,民主党やリベラルメデイアのイラク泥沼論 を否定する論文になっている。
ttp://www.aei.org/publications/filter.all,pubID.23499/pub_detail.asp Launch Regional Initiatives By Michael Rubin, Alex Alexiev, Christopher Brown, Caroline B. Glick, Lt. Gen. Tom McInerney, USAF (Ret.), Kenneth R. Timmerman, Maj. Gen. Paul E. Vallely, USAF (Ret.) Posted: Wednesday, November 30, 2005
In an administration that has been in the doldrums lately, to put it mildly, Rice has been an unusual success story. The figure skater who learned to stay upright on a thin blade is gliding into a perilous new year as the problems of Iraq, Iran and Syria converge. Does she truly speak for this administration on foreign policy? Can she make the Iraq balancing act work? The next few months will give us the measure of the Bush administration's second- term star.
Firefox 1.5 ・・・improved "live bookmarks" feature to enable easier discovery of and subscribe to RSS feeds and improved "options" interface to make it easier to adjust browser settings.
Security and Privacy features include "New Automatic Update"
On the Performance and Accessibility front features include "improved performance" with a next-generation rendering and layout engine that speeds navigation(ry
Download Firefox 1.5 for Windows here. Download Firefox 1.5 for Mac OS X here. Download Firefox 1.5 for Linux here. ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー ちょっと使ってみた限りでは、前のバージョンと体感速度に大きな差は無いけれどIEよりは軽い。
ttp://go.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=10437614&src=rss/topNews Rumsfeld instead referred to the guerrillas in Iraq as "the terrorists" and "the enemies of the government." U.S. military statements also have referred to insurgents as "anti-Iraqi forces." "I think that you can have a legitimate insurgency in a country that has popular support and has a cohesiveness and has a legitimate gripe. These people don't have a legitimate gripe," Rumsfeld said.
(記事の一部参照コピペのあとに) Wow. If that’s the standard for propaganda, we could’ve saved the information op folks the trouble of writing new copy and just reprinted stories directly out of the LA Times... うへえ、もしそういうものがプロパガンダと呼べるものであればLAタイムスの記事なんてものは すべてプロパガンダになってしまうのではないかいな。
(アルカイダやアルジャジーラのプロパガンダ合戦がイラクで戦われていると指摘して) Questions: have we used these same techniques in other wars? Certainly. Should we? Absolutely?particularly if it could save US soldiers’ lives and help end the insurgency. And interestingly, weren’t many of the critics of these techniques the same people who were absolutely apoplectic when they believed “Scooter” Libby had “outed” a “covert” CIA agent? What activities do these people think covert CIA agents engage in, anyway?
質問:我々はプロパガンダのテクニックを他の戦争においても使っているのか?勿論そうである。 使うべきであるのか?勿論。そうした手法がアメリカ兵氏の命を救い、テロリストを撲滅する上 で有効であれば使うべきだ。だいたい、これを批判している連中が、そういうプロパガンダを多 用してきたのではないか。CIA機密漏洩事件だのリビー前補佐官起訴事件だの、そうしたプロ パガンダ報道の嵐ではなかったのか? ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー ttp://vodkapundit.com/archives/008314.php ウオッカ・プンディット・ブログ Smart move, given that the Iraq Campaign is one small part of the Terror War - in which the media is the arm of decision. If you don't manage information, you lose.
The question is, as Comrade Lenin said ... What is to be done? This is something our modern reified left rarely asks or says. They don't even seem to be very interested in it. Corn skips over this most relevant of all questions, saying only that Bush's speech "won't matter." Very few speeches indeed do (and most only in retrospect). You would think left/liberals would have some positive response about the overthrow of a hideous dicator, something which, when I was on the left, I was begging our government to do (Pinochet most notoriously). But now, it would seem, since a Republican was involved, we were over- reaching. Well, maybe so. But historically, the jury is still out on that ... way out. And the soi-disant left still has no real response to the world situation other than Not Bush. Bo-ring! ttp://www.rogerlsimon.com/
So much for those predictions of recession we heard in the spring, and again in September. In fact, has there ever been a U.S. expansion this robust that has been accompanied by so much disbelief and predictions of imminent collapse? Not since the 1980s, we'd guess. (今年の春には、アメリカ経済の不況突入を予想する声があまりにも高かったではないか。 それは9月になっても繰り返されたくらいである。アメリカ経済がそんなにも悲観的な声や 将来の破滅を予想する声のなかで健全な成長を続けていることは稀であり、80年代以来では ないかと思われる)
Overseas investors bought 134.3 billion yen ($1.1 billion) more Japanese shares than they sold last week, extending the buying spree by international money managers to a ninth week, figures from the Ministry of Finance showed today. Sixty-six percent of global money managers in a Merrill Lynch & Co. survey last month said they have an ``overweight'' position in Japanese stocks, the highest among the world's five regions for the third straight month.
One of those fallen heroes is a Marine Corporal named Jeff Starr, who was killed fighting the terrorists in Ramadi earlier this year. After he died, a letter was found on his laptop computer. Here's what he wrote, he said, "[I]f you're reading this, then I've died in Iraq. I don't regret going. Everybody dies, but few get to do it for something as important as freedom. It may seem confusing why we are in Iraq, it's not to me. I'm here helping these people, so they can live the way we live. Not [to] have to worry about tyrants or vicious dictators_. Others have died for my freedom, now this is my mark."
There is only one way to honor the sacrifice of Corporal Starr and his fallen comrades -- and that is to take up their mantle, carry on their fight, and complete their mission. (Applause.) ttp://powerlineblog.com/archives/012417.php
Thanks to that censorship, it's still not clear whether the lying -- which rivals the failure by the Soviet Union to report the 1986 nuclear accident at Chernobyl -- was the initiative of local officials or whether it was ordered by senior Communist Party leaders. Some Chinese reports said that Harbin failed to report the slick at first because it was waiting for Beijing's permission to tell the truth.
Asia. Today, as the world worries about a possible flu pandemic, the Chinese government claims that it has recorded only three cases of the avian flu, compared with 91 in neighboring Vietnam. Is it telling the truth? If, once again, it is not, the consequences could be catastrophic.
In fact, many Democrats in Congress agree with the principal elements of Mr. Bush's "strategy for victory," which are to build up a representative Iraqi government and security forces to defend it in the next 12 months while gradually shrinking the numbers and duties of U.S. troops.
The real question about Mr. Bush's strategy, which few in Congress dare to ask, is whether the means meet the ends ・・・ But what if Iraqi leaders refuse to compromise, and instead split the country into several pieces? What if Iraqi forces fail to control the insurgency in the areas where they have taken over?
The hard truth, as the administration's own strategy paper puts it, is that "it is not realistic to expect a fully functioning democracy, able to defeat its enemies and peacefully reconcile generational grievances, to be in place less than three years after Saddam was finally removed from power." It's not realistic to expect it after four years, either -- whether or not there are benchmarks and timetables.
But for all the political blogs that can be found on the Net, it remains hard to pinpoint with any certainty their impact on voters. Recent voting patterns indicate turnout among younger Canadians is low and dropping. ネットに現れる政治的ブログというのは投票行動に影響を与えるようなものとは考えられない 最近の投票行動を見れば、若いカナダ人の投票率は低く、低下中である(から、影響は少ない)
But just because it's an Internet-savvy generation doesn't mean blogging is the answer to engaging disaffected voters, said Chris Waddell, a journalism professor at Carleton University who teaches web publishing. "I'm not convinced anyone reads them other than a small group of insiders," said Waddell. "People are not coming home from work at night and deciding they have to read 10 or 12 blogs before dinner in the same way they may read the newspaper or sit down to watch the news." カールトン大学でジャーナリズムを専門とし、インターネット出版を教えるChris Waddell教授は、 技術オタクの20歳代はブログが政治参加を促すとは思えないという。「ブログを読む人というのは 少数のインサイダー以外には考えにくい」という。「人々は仕事から帰って夕食の前に10とか12の ブログを読んだりはしない。普通、新聞を読むとかTVを見るのだ」
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー I am 56 and fed up with the bias in most MSM. Yes I look at tv news and I have the Calgary Herald and NP delivered daily, but its more to see what the enemy is doing than anything else. When I want the truth I check out my favourite blogs, and yes I do it numerous times daily. When blogging first started, or at least when I first discovered them, is when I started sending emails to some MSM outlets, notably CBC and CTV. ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー I'm 54, I get the local newspaper for local news only, I now skip a lot more stuff than I used to, including the columnists. I have a set blog-reading pattern, of the 43 or so blogs I have bookmarked I hit a few several times a day, some once a day, some once every two or three days. I used to respect the Globe and Mail, now I won't even read a free copy if it's available. Bias is a universal constant but lies and manipulative propaganda are intolerable.
Lee should appreciate that the credibility of WHO has been undermined by his own staff’s performance. It’s ironic that they choose to strike on World AIDS Day. Toward the end of 2003 WHO established the 3 by 5 Initiative--to treat 3 million HIV-positive people with antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) by the end of 2005. ・・・・ WHO has an important role as a purveyor of information and as an urgent responder to international concerns, like SARS (where it did well) or bird flu. Were it not for that I’d endorse the strike by WHO staff, not because I like strikes, but because WHO in so many of its roles is counterproductive--and fewer WHO staff on the job is therefore good news.
Several hundred staff at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva have taken part in a one-hour stoppage over job cuts. WHOジュネーブ本部で、人員削減に関連して数百人の1時間のストライキを行った
A strike there is unprecedented, and the fact that it was held is a reflection of deep dissatisfaction among some staff, our correspondent adds. BBCの特派員によれば、WHOのスタッフの中に深刻な不満があり、ストライキはその反映で あるという ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー 鶏インフルエンザで脅威が深刻になっているときにWHO本部で労使紛争とは・・
IN THE CIA's continuing campaign against the Bush administration, the agency has found the leaking of classified information to be a potent weapon. This is especially true with regard to the spinning of intelligence connecting Saddam's Iraq and bin Laden's al Qaeda. Consider, for example, the case of Abu Zubaydah, a top al Qaeda operative captured in March 2002.
A. Demand for jewelry has traditionally been strong -- and remains so -- in the U.S., India and China. Meanwhile, investments in gold -- which refers to gold purchases other than jewelry and commercial use -- have been rising sharply. Investments are expected to rise 62% in 2005 in terms of tonnage after a 56% increase in 2004. That includes hoarding bars and investing in coins.
Investor demand is up 11% year-over-year in India, according to the gold-mining trade group. In the Middle East, investment demand has risen 38% on an annualized basis.
Meanwhile, representatives of central banks in South Africa, Russia and Argentina recently said they are considering increasing their proportion of gold reserves. Those banks have 9%, 3.6%, and 3% of their reserves in gold, respectively, compared with 64% for the U.S. and 50% for Germany.
Q: Gold prices usually appreciate when stocks aren't performing well. What gives?
A: With major stock gauges like the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index hovering around four-and-a-half year highs, it's clear that the old adage about gold and stocks moving in opposite directions isn't holding right now. ttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB113339122119710644.html?mod=home_whats_news_us
Wet Sealfemale teen apparel51.5%Management turnaround Abercro& Fitch teen apparel22Strong traffic, virtually no markdowns Gymboreechildren's 22Nice holiday line, enticing sales & promotions Ann Taylorwomen's apparel12.9Nice sweaters, scarves; cashmere sale Wal-Mart discount 4.3Aggressive, early discounts JC Penneydepartment 3.6Record after-Thanksgiving sales Target diswcount2.6May be losing some market share to Wal-Mart Pier 1 imported home 1.9First positive report in a year Saks department 0.1Lost traffic to big, off-mall chains Federateddepartment -3.4Expects customers to shop department stores Gap men's, women's -4Weak Thanksgiving weekend traffic Bombay imported home -12.4Strong year-earlier promotion Wilson Leatherleather apparel, accessories-13.8Weak sales of men's, women's apparel Sharper Imageelectronics, personal care-18Sluggish sales of purifiers
訂正:<WSJに拠る、年末商戦出だしのスナップショット> COMPANYCATEGORYGAIN/LOSS*COMMENT <勝ち組> Wet Seal/female teen apparel/51.5%/Management turnaround Abercro& Fitch/teen apparel/22/Strong traffic, virtually no markdowns Gymboree/children's/22/Nice holiday line, enticing sales & promotions Ann Taylor/women's apparel/12.9/Nice sweaters, scarves; cashmere sale
<そこそこ順調> Wal-Mart/discount/4.3/Aggressive, early discounts JC Penney/department/3.6/Record after-Thanksgiving sales Target/diswcount/2.6/May be losing some market share to Wal-Mart
<さえない> Pier 1/imported home /1.9/First positive report in a year Saks/department/0.1/Lost traffic to big, off-mall chains Federated/department/-3.4/Expects customers to shop department stores Gap/men's, women's /-4/Weak Thanksgiving weekend traffic
<負け組み> Bombay/imported home/-12.4/Strong year-earlier promotion Wilson Leather/leather apparel, accessories/-13.8/Weak sales of men's, women's apparel Sharper Image/electronics, personal care/-18/Sluggish sales of purifiers
Cheap chic is not a new concept, but it's now more foolproof than ever, according to Aaron Keller, cofounder of Capsule, a brand development firm in Minneapolis. ''Low-cost retailers are no longer a season behind," he said. ''They're side by side with the designers."
Keller credits a combination of technology, overseas manufacturing, and the fierce competition that exists among discount retailers for faster production cycles and lower prices. ''For instance, China is getting smarter about quality and product. A lot of retailers have been tapping into these and other countries where labor is cheaper," he said.
As a result, innovative design isn't the competitive advantage it once was. Also, since low-cost retailers such as Target, Wal-Mart, H&M, and Old Navy have such a large presence, they have the financial capital to negotiate for increasingly better quality, he said.
Burns, who has covered China, the Soviet Union, Afghanistan and Bosnia, says the terror of Saddam Hussein's Iraq was unmatched anywhere in the world, except perhaps by North Korea today.
Even if as many as 5,000 Iraqis died in the war, Burns writes, that's fewer than would have died if Saddam's killing machine had gone on as usual during the six-week period of battle. The war should have been justified on this basis, he says, "but you'd never have known it by reading most of the coverage of the war by those correspondents."
"If they did everything right, they could do 10% growth," Deutsche Bank's chief economist for Asia, Michael Spencer, told us. "But 8% is fine." Indeed. India boasts a rule of law and a democratic system of government. That means its economic development has stronger underpinnings than its neighbor to the northeast.
「政策の宜しきを得ればGDP成長10%も可能だが、8%でも上出来だ」とドイツ銀行のエコノミスト Michael Spencerがいっている。インドは隣国と異なって法の支配や民主主義体制の政府がある国なの で、経済成長はより確実な基盤に支えられているといえる。
Much of this week's improvement can be attributed to increases in approval among Republicans (+ 6 percentage points), men (+ 8 points) and independents (+10 points). 共和党支持者で+6%、男性で+8%、独立派で10%の支持率向上が見られた。
Fully 42% of Americans say the United States should "mind its own business internationally and let other countries get along the best they can on their own."
毎日の記事に書いていないことは:
国連へのアメリカ人の信頼が激減している Only about half of Americans (48%) now express a positive opinion of the U.N., down from 77% four years ago. (国連への支持は77%だったものが48%に激減している)
中国を深刻な問題と見るひとはアメリカ国民の45% And while solid majorities in each elite group ? and a plurality of the public (45%) ? continue to view China as a "serious problem, but not an adversary," fewer than one-in-five in each group say China is an adversary.(adversary=敵)
ASIA MARKETS;他のアジア市場も上昇しているものの、東京の上昇は特異的 PRICE CHG %CHG Australia * /4573.80 /41.50 /0.92% Hong Kong * /15200.38/132.35/0.88% India * /8961.61/16.83/0.19% Indonesia * /1119.42/23.05/2.10% Japan */15421.60/291.10/1.92% Malaysia */885.14/-2.66/-0.30% Pakistan/9209.00/127.97/1.41% Philippines */2114.89/28.71/1.38% Singapore */2332.52/21.53/0.93% S.Korea */1310.12/4.14/0.32% Sri Lanka */2257.44/-12.93/-0.57% Taiwan */6228.95/49.13/0.80% Thailand */659.91/-1.04/-0.16%
<ミッキー・カウス、NYTの経済解説記事の阿呆らしさを皮肉って・・・> ttp://www.slate.com/id/2131180/ By Mickey Kaus Updated Friday, Dec. 2, 2005, at 4:39 AM ET
Gregg Easterbrook's rule that All Economic News is Bad was effectively illustrated by yesterday's NYT front-pager, "Upbeat Signs Hold Cautions for the Future." The article notes several positive economic trends, including lower gas prices, but then warns darkly that ... as always with the United States economy, it is not quite that simple.
For every encouraging sign, there is an explanation. ...[snip] Gasoline prices - the national average is now $2.15, according to the Energy Information Administration - have fallen because higher prices held down demand and Gulf Coast supplies have been slowly restored. [Emph. added.]
It's indeed deeply disturbing to learn that higher gas prices have held down demand, causing those prices to fall back to a level at which demand begins to rise again! It's almost as if some insidious law was at work--as prices rise, demand declines! As supply increases, prices fall! You can't win! ... P.S.: The price drop might be alarming if the decline in demand for gas reflected a general economic downturn. But that doesn't seem to be the case. What the NYT's Vikak Bajaj ominously describes is the market working exactly as it's supposed to, coupled with successful rebuilding efforts on the Gulf Coast. It appears to be "quite that simple." ... P.P.S.: Nor can I spot any "cautions for the future." .... P.P.P.S.: Bijaj further reported that
the Federal Reserve and businesses will have a big part in setting the economy's pace next year - the Fed through interest rates and companies by their hiring decisions. [Emph. added]
Yikes. Who knew? That's the sort of alarming macroeconomic information investors can use to make millions--and yet this wasn't even a TimesSelect article. They charge for Bob Herbert but they're giving away Bijaj's explosive contrarian insights for free! The hapless Pinch Sulzberger misses yet another revenue stream. ...
Atlantic Council of the United States Donald G. Gross is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council of the United States and a consultant on Asian affairs in Washington D.C. He previously worked as an international lawyer in Washington and Seoul, where he also served as Adjunct Professor in the Graduate School of International Studies at Yonsei University. Mr. Gross served as counselor to the Office of the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Affairs in the State Department (1997-2000) and the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. Mr. Gross was Director of Legislative Affairs at the National Security Council. He served as Counsel to a congressional subcommittee and was an Adjunct Professor of Law at American University in Washington, D.C. He graduated magna cum laude from Cornell University and holds a law and a political science degree from the University of Chicago.
But the incident in Xian is unusual because the victims were members of one of China's largest communities of nuns, the Convent of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 被害者の尼僧は、中国で最大規模の西安のフランシスコ修道院に属する。
The convent, home to about 300 nuns, is run by the Xian diocese of the state-sanctioned Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association. The association's churches are supposed to be loyal to the party rather than the Vatican, but in recent years the Vatican has succeeded in winning over many of their members, including most of the bishops. 修道院は300人規模で愛国カソリック教会に属し政府の許可を受けたもので地下教会系ではない。しかし 最近ではヴァチカンへの支持が高まっている。
You might call this emerging set of alliances the “four-by-four” strategy. It is built around four great powers--the United States, Great Britain, Japan, and India--who share four basic strategic principles--that the dangers of radicalism, failing despotic governments, and nuclear proliferation in the greater Middle East are too great to ignore; that the growing military strength and political ambitions of Beijing’s autocrats make it far from certain that China’s “rise” will be a peaceful one; that the spread of representative forms of government will increase the prospects for a durable peace; and that military force remains a useful and legitimate tool of national statecraft.
Democratic Lawmakers Splinter on Iraq -- "Many Surprised as Pelosi Calls for a Fast Pullout" Democrat asserts that Army is 'broken' -- "Most US troops will leave Iraq within a year, and the Army is ''broken, worn out," and may not be able to meet future military threats to the country's security, Representative John Murtha said." Bush's Victory is Defeat Washington Post. Bush lied, people died.
So it's true. Iraq is Vietnam and soon the 21st century version of the Carter era will dawn. Isn't that something to look forward to? ・・・・ ・・・・ A King must be obeyed or lose the throne. There is no middle ground. Personally I think the repeated conjury of the master-spell of 'Vietnam' and the endless repetition of "we have been defeated" is a strained attempt to achieve what used to be accomplished effortlessly; almost as a background process. Now the spell is being used altogether too often to be convincing, like a lion-tamer who must repeatedly shout at the mountain of snarling flesh before him to sit down. (throne=王座、conjur=手品、repetition=反復、lion-tamer= ライオン使い)
One of the characteristics of the collapse of an illusion is the suddenness with which it comes. The Soviet Union; the EU superstate; the notion of an advanced, enlightened and progressive France, were like Atlantis separated from glory and oblivion by a single night and day. I would be careful about Vietnam because the '60s, like Vaudeville, may never come again.
The Democratic Party is pretty much cutting itself to pieces over Iraq. One faction, represented publicly by such as Joe Lieberman, thinks America is making progress and ought to win the war against the insurgents. Another faction ? Howard Dean, Nancy Pelosi, and Jack Murtha ? are calling for an unconditional surrender on the part of the United States: the war's a failure, get out. A third faction ? Hillary, John Kerry ? doesn't know which end is up, where the winds will blow, or what to be for before they are against. It's a serious division as we enter the 2006 political season, but the MSM has been almost silent. "If it were the Republicans this divided, they'd be predicting the end of the party."
Here's the problem for Hillary: She's insincere. Like her husband, it's pretty difficult to assess what she really believes (although it's pretty certain she's a lefty), and even harder to predict what she'd do if elected (because one can never foresee the political climate -- and that's always the determining factor in guiding the Clintons' actions). The right has always accused her of being willing to do anything to get elected . . . and now, the left is reaching that conclusion, as well.
Unfortunately for Hillary, she's up at a time when authenticity has been placed at a premium by the left. That's why we should all expect to be seeing Bill Clinton tack left in days to come -- trying to shore up his wife's flagging flank.
An American counterterrorism official called the killing "a major blow" to Al Qaeda, saying that the man, Hamza Rabia, had served in recent months as the organization's top planner for external operations, including those directed at the United States. Pakistani officials said he was regarded as the commander of Arab fighters hiding in the tribal areas.
"Al Qaeda has been resilient, and has been able to replace those who have been taken out, but this is a very, very significant development, and it will not be easy for Al Qaeda to recover from," said the official, who spoke under his agency's ground rules of anonymity. (NYT、12、4)
He negated the rumours that they were killed by a US missile. They died of the blast in the explosives stock present at their residence, he said. Hamza Rabia was among the five dead in Asoaray village in Mira Ali Tehsil to the east of North Waziristan Agency’s regional headquarter Miran Shah , Sheikh Rashid added.
Meanwhile, interior minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao also confirmed the news saying Al Qaeda leader was not killed in any kind of military operation and neither his residence was targeted by a missile. He (Hamza) was killed in bomb blast, he added.
Meanwhile, BBC also quoted the witnesses and said that al Qaeda figures died after they were attacked by missiles fired by an aero plane. ttp://www.paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=127333 (パキスタン・トリビューン)
Dr. Charoen Chuchottaworn, an avian-flu expert at the Public Health Ministry, said doctors reviewing the cases were alerted by the very mild symptoms present in both patients, neither of whom had had any recent contact with birds or poultry. タイ保健省の鶏インフルエンザ専門家であるCharoen Chuchottaworn博士は、二人の鶏インフルエンザ 患者が、たいへんおだやかな症状ながら、鶏や鶏舎に接触していないことから人・人感染が疑われてい るとした。
Dr. Kamnuan Ungchusak, director of Thailand's Epidemiology Bureau, refuted these assertions, saying: "Chickens were dying near their homes and chicken droppings were everywhere around their neighborhood. They might have contracted the virus through contaminated soil." タイ感染症局の理事、Kamnuan Ungchusak博士はこれに反論して鶏の排泄物や汚染された土壌などから の感染の可能性があるとしている。
Dr. Charoen, however, fears that these cases may be the tip of a previously unconsidered iceberg and that other people infected with a mild-symptom variant of avian influenza may have been around and undiagnosed for quite some time. Charoen博士は、このケースは氷山の一角で、鶏インフルエンザの穏やかな症状を示す変異型が蔓延 しているかもしれないという。その変異型インフルエンザが感染しているのではないかとした。
It must be stressed that these cases do not signal the beginning of a human-to-human transmissible pandemic of bird flu, merely that an isolated group of scientists is suggesting that the virus may already have become more transmissible by becoming less virulent. しかし強調されるべきことは、これらのケースは、鶏インフルエンザのパンデミックが始まったとい うことではない。現状では一部の科学者の間で、毒性の弱まった変異ウイルスが、より伝染性を高め ているのではないか、と議論されているということである。
しかし、新政権はこれまでの官僚主義や古い規則から脱却し、経済成長を促すなどの改革に対して、 インタビューを受けた75%の人が支持し、外交政策に関しても85%の支持率を示された。 ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー ttp://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1799410,00.html Germany | 02.12.2005 Most Germans Satisfied with Merkel ドイッチェ・ベレの記事で確認すると、大紀元の記事は正確な要約になっている But the new administration won points for its plans to reform the unwieldy federal system (75 percent approval) and for the broad strokes of its foreign policy (85 percent).
Polls have shown that Taiwan voters generally pay scant attention to relations with China in local elections like the Saturday ones, focusing instead on economic issues and the candidates' personalities.
Still, Mr. Chen had tried to turn Saturday's contest, in part, into a test of attitudes toward China. Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory despite 56 years of separate rule. China's leadership has refused to deal with Mr. Chen's government because of his moves toward formalizing the island's de facto independence. Mr. Chen argued on the campaign trail that a Kuomintang victory would embolden Beijing in its effort to squeeze his government.
Economic ties across the Taiwan Strait have boomed over the past decade, with Taiwanese companies investing tens of billions of dollars in China. Still, numerous official restrictions remain, including a Taiwan ban on direct flights and shipping to China that forces cross-strait travelers to transit through Hong Kong or a third country.
Lin Cho-shui, a DPP legislator who has been critical of Mr. Chen, said Saturday's setback might prompt the Taiwan government to clamp down further on ties with China.
Many analysts said the outcome should instead force Mr. Chen to be more accommodative. Moves toward direct flights and more business ties "will definitely go forward, although the credit for this goes to" the Kuomintang, said Hsu Yung-ming, a political scientist at Taiwan's Academia Sinica who generally supports the DPP.
Today, in the middle of new global warming talks in Montreal, there is a sense that the whole idea of global agreements to cut greenhouse gases won't work.
But the current stalemate is not just because of the inadequacies of the protocol. It is also a response to the world's ballooning energy appetite, which, largely because of economic growth in China, has exceeded almost everyone's expectations. And there are still no viable alternatives to fossil fuels, the main source of greenhouse gases.
ttp://www.treasury.gov/press/releases/js3034.htm Statement by U.S. Treasury Secretary John W. Snow following the Meeting of the G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors 米国財務省長官、ジョン・W・スノーのG7会議後のステートメント、財務省ファイル
But analysts remain optimistic that the rally can continue. Jeffrey Kleintop, chief investment strategist for PNC Advisors in Pittsburgh, said: “Eleven thousand is definitely achievable this month. What we need is the catalyst, and that should come from retail sales data.” Strong consumer spending, as the holiday season starts, had the potential to outweigh concerns over the Fed, he added. “It’s good news about consumers that can get us to the high points on the main indexes.”
TOULOUSE, France (Reuters) - Airbus agreed with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Sunday to study the possibility of setting up an assembly line in China -- a move that could see its jets being built outside Europe for the first time.
Under the plan, signed during a tour of the European aircraft-maker's giant assembly plant in Toulouse, southwestern France, Airbus and Chinese authorities will review over six months whether to set up a second A320 assembly line in China.
The Chinese government could purchase as many as 150 Airbus single-aisle planes during a visit to France by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, who arrived in the country Sunday, according to a senior aviation executive with knowledge of the latest sales negotiations. An order for 150 planes would be valued at $9.6 billion at list prices, although discounts for large sales are common.
Meanwhile, a deal on the scale of the orders expected to be announced Monday -- coming barely two weeks after China reached a similar agreement with Boeing Co. for as many as 150 single-aisle 737 jets, including 70 firm orders, during President Bush's visit to Beijing -- demonstrates the country's voracious appetite for aircraft. It is working from a low base: China's carriers operate about 800 planes in all, fewer than American Airlines has in its fleet alone.
Unfortunately, the rates of growth of domestic demand in Japan and Europe remain below what is needed, underlining the need for them to put in place reforms to allow productivity growth and labor participation to reach their full potential.
日本と欧州の経済に求められているのは内需拡大、成長加速であって利上げではない。
Global imbalances also very much involve China and emerging Asian economies. I welcome China's commitment - reaffirmed many times by Chinese officials - that market forces will play an increasing role in the setting of China's exchange rate and past statements of placing greater emphasis on domestic sources of growth.
The G7 noted that further flexible implementation of China's currency system would improve the functioning and stability of the global economy and the international monetary system.
On the IMF, we encouraged Managing Director Rato to substantially elevate the attention given to exchange rate issues in the Fund's surveillance activities.
Tracking their U.S. counterparts' performance in the past week, Asian markets generally moved downward in Monday morning trading, with Japan's Nikkei 225 a significant exception. Before the opening bell, the Ministry of Finance reported the combined capital investment of nonfinancial companies in the July-September quarter rose 9.6% from a year earlier, increasing for the 10th straight quarter, XFN-Asia reported.
Japan* /15551.31/129.71 Hong Kong/15186.66/-13.72 Australia*/4576.80/3.00 Singapore/2322.69/-9.83 DJIA*/10877.51/-35.06
Negotiating a phased - not immediate - withdrawal of Coalition forces based upon the Sunni insurgents' cessation of hostilities could be a win-win situation. In a best-case scenario, after reaching an agreement, Iraqi and Coalition forces would turn their attention to crushing the remaining al Qaeda elements in the country.
Zalmay Khalizad, America's highly capable ambassador to Iraq, is opening quiet talks with the neighboring Iranians, who have been causing significant trouble in Iraq. Getting Tehran to drop its support for the insurgency - which includes weapons, training and financing - would go a long way toward ending the death and destruction.
This is not your grandfather's Japan. And the best thing Japan's friends can do is support the country's efforts to play a bigger role on the world stage--including its bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. The Second World War ended more than a half- century ago. Japan should never ignore that side of its history but, in turn, we should recognize what Japan has become. The war is over.
ttp://www.defenselink.mil/speeches/2005/sp20051205-secdef2121.html The Future of Iraq (Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies) Remarks as Delivered by Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, John's Hopkins University, Washington, D.C. Campus, Monday, December 5, 2005.
A distinguished academician, I don’t have the exact quote so I won’t name him, said something to the effect that the situation in Iraq is terrible, and it’s never been better. If one is viewing events through a soda straw, they should know that they are by definition selectively focusing on some facts that may highlight their view and not seeing some other perspectives. A full picture of Iraq comes best from an understanding of both the good and the bad, and the context for each.
Among the continuing difficulties to be sure are:
* Bursts of violence, including continued assassination attempts, attempts to intimidate Iraqi leaders and those who support the legitimate Iraqi government; * Hostage taking; * Continued U.S., Coalition, and Iraqi casualties; * Iran and Syria continue to be unhelpful. We know that; * Calls for Coalition withdrawal from some quarters that encourage those who are opposing the legitimate Iraqi government and aid their fundraising and their recruiting.
However, there are also some positive developments to be seen, if we look for them:
* The political process is on schedule. Iraqis now have a constitution that they wrote, that they voted for, and that they now are proceeding towards elections under that constitution in less than two weeks -- a week and a half -- December 15. * There are hundreds of candidates who are politicking in those elections; * There seem to be growing divisions among the enemies of the Iraqi people, particularly after the bombing of a wedding reception in Amman, Jordan, where now even Zarqawi’s family is demonstrating against him; * Iraq’s neighbors now seem to believe that this new democracy might in fact succeed, which they doubted I think for some period, and they seem to be moving to get right with the Iraqi people and the prospective Iraqi government. And they’re more active in their support, which is a good thing; * A vital and engaged media is emerging, with some 100 newspapers in Iraq now, 72 radio stations, 44 television stations, incredible number of cell phones, which is an entirely new thing in that country; and * The Sunnis are increasingly taking part in the political process, and further isolating those who still oppose the government of Iraq; * The stock market is alive and well in Iraq.
The media serves a valuable -- and indeed an indispensable -- role in informing our society and holding government to account. But it’s important also for the media to hold itself to account. Government has to reassess continuously, and we do. So to, it’s useful I believe for the media to reassess.
We have arrived at a strange time in this country where the worst about America and our military seems to so quickly be taken as truth by the press and reported and spread around the world -- often with little context and little scrutiny -- let alone correction or accountability after the fact. Speed it appears is the critical determinant. Less so, context.
tp://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/05/business/media/05cnd-abc.html?ex=1291438800&en=e8f4309d67aaafc2&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss ABC Names Anchors of 'World News Tonight' By JACQUES STEINBERG Published: December 5, 2005
(entrusting its flagship evening news broadcast to a younger generation and asking them to expand the program's presence on such media as the Web and cellphones.)
ttp://osm.org/site/story/2005125Poller?currow=1 "Fresh Baked Daily" パリからの作りたて通信 Nidra Poller in Paris for Pajamas Media Monday, December 5, 2005 ("Fresh Baked Daily" will be an ongoing series of exclusive PJMedia reports from France.)
Now the air is acrid with the smell of burned plastic. Boulevard Beaumarchais looks like a war zone. From la Republique to la Bastille, the boulevard is covered with trash, garbage, broken glass, burned garbage cans and charred motorcycles. Elephantine collectors for glass bottles?remember ecology?--torn from their foundations lie on the road, burned to a black meltdown, half-burned, one quarter burned lying open like huge green eggshells.
Smoke rises from place de la Bastille. A bit further up the boulevard, a cluster of firemen looking like Lego characters stand and watch, their silver helmets whistling in the dark. The buzz is that this time it’s the gypsies.
de la Bastilleの方向から煙が上がっている。通りを進むとレゴの玩具の様な消防士たちの群れが銀色 のヘルメットで暗闇に立っている。噂では、今回の暴動はジプシーたちの仕業である。
In the old quiet sleepy days of gay Paree, the smashers brought up the rear, after the honest demonstrators had paraded with balloons and sound trucks, catchy slogans and a cheerleader atmosphere. The rules of the game have changed. Public officials are still mouthing platitudes about the “urban violence” in the banlieues, when another community comes out fighting: the gypsies. Not all gypsies, of course. Many moderate gypsies are going about their business today, asking only to be integrated into French society.
Another day in Paris. Watch out for the next demonstration. It seems the pedophile-rapist-murderers think they aren’t getting a square deal in France. They might just decide to tear up the boulevard one day soon and demand egalite pour tous.
Shanghai. December 5. INTERFAX-CHINA - China ordered all employees at Chinese newspapers and periodicals to undergo examinations to ensure they meet "press and publication qualifications," the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) said Monday.
In addition, the new policies stipulate that all magazines and newspapers must submit to quality evaluations, yearly examinations, and another examination after publication and circulation. All examinations will be conducted by the GAPP. Newspapers and magazines that do not pass these examinations will be suspended and their publication licenses revoked.
Exports:US 22.7%, China 13.1%, South Korea 7.8%, Taiwan 7.4%, Hong Kong 6.3% (2004) Imports :China 20.7%, US 14%, South Korea 4.9%, Australia 4.3%, Indonesia 4.1%, Saudi Arabia 4.1%, UAE 4% (2004) ttp://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ja.html#Econ
He said that during last month's street protests in France, the US television network Fox -- owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation in which Al-Walid himself has shares -- ran a banner saying: "Muslim riots." "I picked up the phone and called Murdoch... (and told him) these are not Muslim riots, these are riots out of poverty," he said. "Within 30 minutes, the title was changed from Muslim riots to civil riots."
But in fact Zhang was never fully in charge: After receiving news of the spill he had contacted the State Council, China's Beijing-based cabinet, seeking instructions, but had received no reply. That apparently put him in a quandary. "On the one hand, people have the right to know. The responsibility of government is to be open and transparent," he said. "On the other hand, investment in Heilongjiang province is at a critical moment.
"We asked the State Council, who will inform them? And how? This is not the kind of thing a province can decide."
With the shutoff looming, he explained, Harbin city officials knew they had to say something. So, Zhang concluded, "Harbin created an explanation. It could only say that it was conducting maintenance on the water main." Zhang decided a misleading statement was better than no statement at all.
このコンソーシアムに参加する会社は:American Electric Power, of Columbus, Ohio; Southern Co., of Atlanta; Consol Energy Inc., of Pittsburgh; Foundation Coal, of Linthicum Heights, Md.; Kennecott Energy, of Gillette, Wyo.; Peabody Energy Corp., of St. Louis; China Huaneng Group, of Beijing; and BHP Billiton Ltd., of Melbourne, Australia.
#何気に中国の石炭火力発電会社が参加している(China Huaneng Group, of Beijing)
"These guys spent billions of dollars in companies that if they would continue to be standalone would be in freefall in terms of valuation," he says. "You have to find ways that these billion-dollar mergers make more sense than just buying a bunch of customers."
パワーライン、ABCニュースのスクープについて: Nothing short of criminal prosecution is going to stop these CIA leakers from further endangering the national interest. Let's get started. Now. ttp://powerlineblog.com/archives/012458.php
インスタプンディット、ABCニュースのスクープについて: "POUTING SPOOKS" STRIKE AGAIN? Seems, as others have suggested, like something calling for more subpoenas. Because leaking classified information is always wrong, right, not just when it might implicate someone in the White House. . . . (Via Never Yet Melted). You do wonder whether anyone at the CIA ever manages to keep a secret. It seems clear that Bush made a dreadful mistake by not firing a lot of people after 9/11. ttp://www.instapundit.com/
Speaking at a meeting for analysts here, Mr. Chambers said he expected network loads to increase 300% to 500% a year over the next decade.
"You can see the role video will play in loads on the network," he said. Traffic associated with one half an hour of video is equal to more than a year of email, he explained.
The productivity of US businesses grew by a robust 4.7 per cent annualised in the third quarter, boosting confidence that the US economy can continue to grow briskly without sparking inflation.
この発表はインフレを警戒するFRBにとって、安心感を与えるものであろう。
Monday’s figures should provide comfort to officials at the Federal Reserve, who have expressed concern over inflationary pressures
“The strong productivity performance explains why consumer price inflation shows no sign of heating up,” said Peter Morici, an economics professor at?the University?of Maryland.”
In Sunday's speech, closely monitored by all Thais, the King essentially advised the nation and especially the prime minister - that constructive criticism is to be encouraged, and lawsuits should not be deployed to silence critics. The immediate consequence was that two days later Thaksin's legal team dropped a slew of six criminal and civil suits against Sondhi, totaling more than 2 billion baht (US$50 million). ttp://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/GL07Ae02.html The King steps in By Pepe Escobar
この事態はどういうことかといえば、大方は機会便乗主義と政治的臆病さ(opportunism and political cowardice)の産物である。欧州のメデイアは普段から、あまりにも多くのアンチアメリカニスムに満 ちた収容所の記事とかを書いているので欧州の政治家がそれに恐れをなしているのである。
拷問といった激しい手段を使う調査は効果的ではないと言う議論をする向きもあるが、それはあまりに 無邪気な議論と言うべきだ。CIAのリーク情報では12人のテロリストのなかで水攻めの脅しを行わずに白 状したのは一人だけである。それはRamzi bin al-Shibhで拷問を恐れて泣き出したと言われている。
Could it be that Japan, long the sick man among major global economies, has finally recovered?
But this time, most economists and analysts agree, the recovery seems to be real, its roots extending through the Japanese economy. ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー 日本経済の持続可能な回復コース入りの記事は、主要メディアではWSJが最も早く社説で書き、ついで エコノミスト(ビル・エモット)が日はまた上ると書き、今日のNYTもそれを追認している。
ttp://msnbc.msn.com/id/10345320/ Poll finds broad approval of terrorist torture Most in U.S., Britain, France, S. Korea say torture justified in rare instances Updated: 9:29 p.m. ET Dec. 6, 2005