Crimea 'votes for Russia union'

Some 95.5% of voters in Crimea have supported joining Russia, officials say, after half the votes have been counted in a disputed referendum. Crimea's leader says he will apply to join Russia on Monday. Russia's Vladimir Putin has said he will respect the Crimean people's wishes.

 

Many Crimeans loyal to Kiev boycotted the referendum, and the EU and US condemned it as illegal.

 

Pro-Russian forces took control of Crimea in February. They moved in after Ukraine's pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovych was ousted after street protests. Pro-Moscow crowds celebrated after voting in the Crimean capital Simferopol Crimea's pro-Moscow leader Sergei Aksyonov celebrated on stage in Simferopol

 

Mr Putin and US President Barack Obama spoke over the phone earlier, with the Kremlin and the White House later releasing contrasting accounts of the conversation. The Kremlin said both men agreed to seek a way to stabilise Ukraine, and that Mr Putin had stressed that the Kiev government had failed to curb "rampant violence by ultra-nationalists". The White House said Mr Obama had insisted that the referendum was illegal and would never be accepted, and called for Moscow to support an international monitoring mission in eastern Ukraine. The EU said in a statement that the vote was "illegal and illegitimate and its outcome will not be recognised". EU foreign ministers are due to meet on Monday and are expected to consider imposing sanctions on Russian officials. (BBC NEWS 2014/3/17)

 

 

 

Zuckerberg 'frustrated' by US spying

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has said he has called President Barack Obama to "express frustration" over US digital surveillance. The 29-year-old said in a blog post the US government "should be the champion for the internet, not a threat".

 

His comments come a day after a report the US National Security Agency (NSA) imitated a Facebook server to infect surveillance targets' computers. The NSA said the report was "inaccurate".

 

Mr Zuckerberg said in September that the US "blew it" on internet spying. The tech founder wrote on Thursday "it seems like it will take a very long time for true full reform". (BBC NEWS 2014/3/14)

食品業界の表示規制の緩和の動向

現在、保険効果をＰＲできる「機能性表示」が認められているのは、トクホとサプリメントなど栄養機能食品のみである。　それを一般食品でも国の審査なしで表示できるようにする方向で、議論が進んでいる。

早ければ２０１４年度中にも実施しされる見通しだ。政府は規制緩和によって、健康食品市場を拡大し、医療費の抑制につなげようとしている。

①食品メーカーにとっては追い風になる。
②トクホと同じような効果を宣伝する商品が乱立し、消費者は正確に判断できなくなるおそれがある。
③国の審査が行われないと、行き過ぎた表示が横行し、トクホをふくめた食品全般にたいする消費者の信頼を失いかねない。

医薬品業界の市場環境

①iPS細胞をはじめこれまでの治療法を根本から覆すような新しい技術が進展している。
②多種多様な業種が続々と業界に参入している。
③ジェネリック医薬品の使用が促進される中で長期収載品の収益が大幅に圧迫されている。
④薬価改定によってとくに新薬メーカーの市場環境が厳しさを増している。
⑤新薬創出の難易度が上がり、開発の成功確率が低下している。

新薬開発の開発から新薬の市場投入（上市・じょうし）までには10年から15年以上におよぶ時間を要し、この間、莫大な費用と人的資源を投入しなくてはならない。

候補物質が新薬として世に出る確率は、３万分の一とも言われている。（週刊東洋経済 2014/3/15より要約）

Kerry rejects Putin Ukraine meeting

The US secretary of state has rejected a talks offer with Russian President Vladimir Putin until Moscow engages with US proposals on Ukraine's crisis.

 

John Kerry told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that Moscow's military intervention in Crimea had made any negotiations extremely difficult.

 

US officials say there will be little to talk about if the referendum on Crimea's future goes ahead. The vote is to be held on Sunday - Ukraine and the West say it is illegal. (BBC NEWS 2014/3/11)

 

国民投票が国家にとってどのような意味を持つのか、また、今回のような軍事侵攻を正当化するのに有効なのかどうか、他の世界情勢に影響を与えかねない。(TS)

Nato jets to monitor Ukraine border

Nato is to deploy reconnaissance planes in Poland and Romania to monitor the Ukrainian crisis. It gave the go-ahead for the flights on Monday, a Nato spokesman said.

 

"All Awacs [Airborne Warning and Control System] reconnaissance flights will take place solely over alliance territory," the official said. It comes as Russia cements its control of Ukraine's Crimea ahead of Sunday's referendum to join Russia. Ukraine and the West say this is illegal.

 

In the latest move on Monday, armed men - said to be Russian troops and local militias - seized a military hospital in Crimea. The attackers marched into the hospital in the regional capital Simferopol, threatening staff and some 30 patients.

 

Pro-Russian troops are also blockading Ukrainian troops across Crimea, which is an autonomous region. Moscow has officially denied that its troops are taking part in the blockades, describing the armed men with no insignia as Crimea's "self-defence" forces.

 

The government in Kiev - as well as the US and EU - accuse Russia of invading Ukraine, in violation of international law. (BBC NEWS 2014/3/11)

 

NATOによるウクライナの状況の監視がはじまりました。「監視」、これは、クリミア半島紛争の長期化を暗示しているのかもしれません。(TS)

Japan in record deficit, growth slows

Japan's current account deficit widened to a record 1.5tn yen ($15bn; £8.7bn) in January, the largest since records began in 1985. In further bad news, the country's economic growth figures were also revised downwards. Japan's economy grew by 0.7% in 2013, down from an initial estimate of 1%.

 

Investors reacted with disappointment to the news, with the benchmark Nikkei 225 index falling by 95 points, or more than 0.6%. From October to December 2013 Japan's economy grew by just 0.2%, after earlier estimates showed an increase of 0.3%.

 

The sluggish growth and growing deficit come just before a planned sales tax increase, scheduled to take effect in April. Many economists had expected growth to pick up towards the end of 2013, as consumers spent ahead of the tax rise. But the latest revisions show consumer spending increased by 0.4% in the fourth quarter of 2013, revised downwards from 0.5%.

 

Japan's trade gap also rose to a new record last month, increasing by 71% to 2.79tn yen in January, official figures showed. That was largely down to weak export figures, which were impacted by global turmoil in emerging markets and a weakening yen.

 

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he plans to push ahead with the sales tax hike as a way to tackle Japan's debt. However, to counteract the increase, which is scheduled to go from 5% to 8% - Mr Abe unveiled a stimulus package of 5.5tn yen in December. (BBC NEWS 2014/3/10)

 

Facebook's WhatsApp purchase opposed

Facebook's purchase of mobile messaging service WhatsApp has been opposed by privacy groups. Mark Zuckerberg's firm is planning to buy the company for around £11bn. Opponents want US regulators to stop the deal until Facebook provides more information on what it plans to do with the personal data of WhatsApp's users.

 

But Facebook said it will operate as a separate company and honour existing privacy arrangements, which include not collecting user data for advertising. "WhatsApp built a user-base based on its commitment not to collect user data for advertising revenue," read a complaint filed with the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC). It was drawn up by two non-profit groups, the Electronic Privacy Information Center and the Center for Digital Democracy. They added: "Users provided detailed personal information to the company including private text to close friends. Facebook routinely makes use of user information for advertising purposes and has made clear that it intends to incorporate the data of WhatsApp users into the user profiling business model.

 

"The proposed acquisition will therefore violate WhatsApp users' understanding of their exposure to online advertising and constitutes an unfair and deceptive trade practice, subject to investigation by the Federal Trade Commission." And the groups, which work on research and consumer protection online, asked the regulators to investigate the deal "specifically with regard to the ability of Facebook to access WhatsApp's store of user mobile phone numbers and metadata". (BBC NEWS 2014/3/7)

 

巨大なプラットフォームであるフェイスブックに対する規制当局の対応が注目されます。

Landmark default in China solar firm

Solar panel maker Shanghai Chaori Solar Energy Science & Technology has defaulted on interest payments owed on its bond, say media reports quoting the firm. It is the first Chinese firm ever to default on its onshore corporate bonds.

 

On Tuesday, the firm warned it would be unable to make a 89.8 million yuan ($14.6m; £8.7m) interest payment on a one billion yuan bond issued in 2012. The default is seen as a test case for the Chinese government. Investors have assumed in the past that the Chinese government would bail out any Chinese corporation in danger of defaulting. The move to allow Chaori to default signals a new stance.

 

"There's never been a corporate bond default, [so] investors have been conditioned that there is no such thing as risk in China," Leland Miller, president of research firm China Beige Book, told the BBC. "The Chinese leadership is trying to break down this misunderstanding that everything is backstopped." Chaori Solar said it planned to pay 4 million yuan ($654,000) of the interest payment due on the billion yuan bond, which was taken out two years ago.

 

Up until now, the Chinese government and state-owned banks have helped bail out or provide last-minute loans to Chinese firms in trouble. That has led many investors to park their funds in the corporate bonds of many Chinese firms, on the belief that the government would help ensure that these firms could continue to repay their debts. However, a significant portion of this debt is set to mature in 2014 - with more than $1.5 trillion of corporate bonds outstanding at the end of January. "There's not enough money in the world to bail everything out," said Mr Miller.

 

 

Chaori Solar took out a $1bn bond two years ago to help finance operations

That is why the Chinese government may be making a strategic decision to let some firms fail - particularly those, like Chaori, that may not have a huge knock-on effect in the market. China's solar industry has been suffering from an overcapacity problem for some time, as cheap financing and local government support led to a glut of firms entering the industry. That has led to a sharp fall in price, and the Chinese government has since hinted that it supports consolidation in the industry.

 

Other Chinese solar panel firms, like LDK Solar, have already defaulted on bonds issued outside China.

 

"This is something they need to do - that the government has to do - in order to address the over capacity in many industries," Fitch Ratings' Kalai Pillay told the BBC. (BBC NEWS 2014/3/7)

US economy adds 175,000 new jobs

The US economy added 175,000 new jobs in February, but the unemployment rate rose slightly to 6.7%.

 

The jobs figures, from the US Labor Department, were better than many had been expecting and marked a rebound from two weak months. It had been thought the figures would be affected by recent harsh weather, which had hit much of the country.

 

But the unemployment rate, based on different statistics, went up slightly from January's 6.6% to 6.7%.

 

February's jobs figure, known as non-farm payrolls and based on a survey of employers, compares with the 129,000 new jobs created in January. Analysts had been expecting a rise of about 150,000 last month. (BBC NEWS 2014/03/07)

Crimea vote will not be recognised

Ukraine's interim prime minister has warned the Crimean parliament "no-one in the civilised world" will recognise its referendum on joining Russia. Arseniy Yatsenyuk and others in the Kiev government have called the vote "unconstitutional" and "illegitimate".

 

But the referendum has the support of the Russian parliament. The speaker of the upper house said if the Crimean people vote on 16 March to join Russia then they would "unquestionably back this choice". The decision by Crimean MPs to seek to join the Russian Federation comes amid international tensions over the presence of pro-Russian troops in the southern Ukrainian peninsula.

 

The Kremlin said, after a telephone conversation between President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Barack Obama, that differences remained in their approach and assessment of the crisis.

 

Meanwhile, Ukraine's Paralympic team has confirmed it will take part in the Sochi Winter Paralympics, which begins later.

 

The head of the team, Valeriy Sushkevich, said they would participate "so they remember us, remember Ukraine - a sovereign state, which sent its athletes here". But he said: "If something major happens, Ukraine will leave the Games immediately". (BBC NEWS 2014/3/7)

Interest rates policy of ECB today

The European Central Bank will update its interest rates policy in a few hours. Sarah Hewin, from Standard Chartered, told World Business Report the bank "will probably keep interest rates on hold" at the current 0.25%, as the risk of deflation has decreased. Some observers are worried that the rate will be cut to 0%. (BBC NEWS 2014/3/6)

米海軍艦船が黒海の海域に入る予定

イタル・タス通信は３月５日、ロシア黒海艦隊消息筋の話として、今週末に米海軍艦船が黒海の海域に入る予定だと報じた。事実ならクリミアのセバストポールに司令部を置く黒海艦隊への牽制が目的とみられる。（産経　2014/3/6）

Eurozone business growth accelerates

Business growth in the eurozone accelerated last month to its fastest pace since June 2011, a survey says. The final Markit Eurozone Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for February was 53.3. This was higher than an earlier, preliminary estimate of 52.7, and above the 50 level that indicates expansion.

 

Markit said the figures indicated the eurozone is set to grow by 0.4-0.5% in the first quarter of 2014, which would be the best growth for three years. Official figures, also released on Wednesday, confirmed that the eurozone grew by 0.3% in the final three months of 2013. Growth was helped by rising exports and improving investment.

 

The PMI survey confirmed the contrasting fortunes of Germany and France. German companies saw strong growth, with the country's composite PMI reading hitting a 33-month high of 56.4. However, activity among French firms continued to decline, with the PMI figure dropping to 47.9.

 

The European Central Bank (ECB) holds its latest meeting on Thursday, and there has been speculation that the bank may take action to avert the threat of deflation in the eurozone. Eurozone inflation was 0.8% in February, well below the ECB's target of 2%. (BBC NEWS 2014/3/5)

 

China sets growth target of 7.5%

China has set its economic growth target for the year at 7.5%, as it looks to continue its efforts to stabilise the economy. The country also set its inflation goal at 3.5%, aimed at keeping prices in check.

 

After years of blistering growth rates, China has seen its rate of expansion slide after a slowdown domestically and in key markets. In 2013, the country grew at a pace of 7.7%, about the same as in 2012.

 

Recent manufacturing data has also indicated a slowdown in activity in the world's second largest economy. (BBC NEWS, 2014/3/5)

Even the planned test inevitably adds another element of Cold War-style tension to the current crisis

The Russian military says it has test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile, as tension continues over Ukraine's Crimea region. A Topol RS-12M missile was launched from Russia's Kapustin Yar test range near the Caspian Sea to the Sary Shagan range in Kazakhstan, it said. It comes after the US accused Russia of an "act of aggression" in Crimea. The US said it was notified of the launch before it took place, as required by arms treaties.

 

Moscow is in de facto control of the Crimean peninsula after troops thought to be Russian or pro-Russian took control of strategic points in recent days.

 

US Secretary of State John Kerry, visiting the Ukrainian capital Kiev, praised the "restraint" of the new government there, which took power after the overthrow of Russian ally President Viktor Yanukovych last month.

 

Defending his threat to use the Russian military in Ukraine if he felt it necessary, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the country was in "chaos" after being seized by "nationalists" and "anti-Semites", and that Russia had a right to protect its citizens there.

 

The Topol was fired at 22:10 (18:10 GMT), the defence ministry in Moscow said, adding: "The aim of the launch was to test a promising intercontinental ballistic missile payload." The nuclear-capable missile reached its target successfully, it said.

 

Tests of the missile, one of Russia's newest, are not unusual but the timing of the launch if confirmed, is likely to alarm observers of the crisis with Ukraine. (BBC NEWS, 2014/3/3)

Currency exchange fluctuations backed to risk-on just only in rumors of the instruction to return to base troops by Russian President

Dollar straight, cross-yen, dollar-yen soared by rumor of the instruction to return to the base troops by Russian President, transmitted at 15:00. EUR/USD rate extremely soared to around $ 1.3765, GBP/USD seems to have become a near $ 1.6667 at that time.

On the other hand, even though March 2 and 3 Russian troops invasion to Crimea, the exchange rate was not moving to the risk off  (weakening EUR and GDP).

If you are looking objectively such a situation, you can read the signal that the western countries and markets (such as the United States, Germany, France, Japan) had accepted implicitly the invasion of Russian troops this time. (TS)

「ロシア大統領、軍事演習中の部隊に基地への帰還を指示」のウワサだけで為替が変動

午後3時とともに｢ロシア大統領、軍事演習中の部隊に基地への帰還を指示」との報道（おそらくウ噂）が伝えられとドルストレート、クロス円、ドル円が上伸。ユーロドルが1.3765ドル近辺、ポンドドルが1.6667ドル近辺となったらしい。

このような些細なことで、為替がリスクオン（ユーロ高・ポンド高）に戻ろうとしている。

一方で３月２日から３日にかけて、ロシア軍がクリミア半島に侵攻しても、為替は目立ったリスクオフ（ユーロ安・ポンド安）には動いていない。

このような状況を客観的にみていると、マーケットと西側諸国（アメリカ・ドイツ・フランス・日本など）は、今回のロシア軍の侵攻を暗に容認してた、というシグナルに読める。（ＴＳ）

Russia Demands Immediate Surrender Of Ukraine Warships

Russian forces in Crimea demanded Monday evening that the crews of two Ukrainian warships surrender immediately or face an assault on their ships and crew, according to a Ukrainian official.

 

Four Russian navy ships were in position around the Ukrainian ships in Sevastopol's harbor as they awaited a response to the surrender ultimatum, the Associated Press reports. Ukrainian defense sources also told the BBC Russia had set a 03:00 GMT (22:00 EST) deadline for Ukrainians soldiers in Crimea to surrender or be attacked “across Crimea,” but a Ukrainian spokesman could not confirm that order. (TIME, 2014/3/3)

G7 condemns Russia over Ukraine

Soldiers, believed to be Russian, have surrounded Ukrainian military bases in Crimea

Russia's G8 partners have condemned Moscow's military build-up in Ukraine amid fresh diplomatic efforts to avert a dangerous escalation of the crisis.

 

The world's seven major industrialised powers also suspended preparations for the G8 summit in Sochi in June. Meanwhile, European Union foreign ministers are due to meet in emergency session in Brussels.

 

The moves come as Russian military forces continue to strengthen their grip on the Crimean peninsula. Ukraine's interim government has accused Russia of having declared war, and has ordered the mobilisation of its armed forces. But Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far defied calls from the West to pull back his troops. He insists Russia has a right to protect its interests and those of Russian-speakers in Crimea and elsewhere in Ukraine.

 

The UN said on Sunday that Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson was travelling to Ukraine to be "personally apprised of the facts on the ground". A statement said he would brief UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon "on the next steps the United Nations could take to support the de-escalation of the situation". (BBC NEWS, 2014/3/3)

Berkshire Hathaway in record profit

The investment firm run by the US billionaire Warren Buffett has reported a record profit for 2013. Berkshire Hathaway made $19.5bn (£11.6bn) last year, up from $14.8bn (£8.8bn) in 2012. "On the operating front, just about everything turned out well for us last year - in some cases very well," Mr Buffett wrote to shareholders. However it underperformed the S&P 500 share index for the fifth year in a row. The growth in the company's book value - that is the company's assets minus its liabilities and Mr Buffett's preferred measure of Berkshire's performance - was 18.2% in 2013, while the S&P 500 rose 32.4%. But Mr Buffett said that was to be expected when the S&P performed well. "We expect to fall short... in years when the market is strong - as we did in 2013. "We have underperformed in 10 of our 49 years, with all but one of our shortfalls occurring when the S&P gain exceeded 15%." He added that the fund had outperformed the stock market between 2007 and 2013 and that through a full six year cycle he expected to do that again. "If we fail to do so, we will not have earned our pay," he wrote. Berkshire Hathaway increased its holding in Coca-Cola Mr Buffett, ranked fourth on the Forbes rich list, pointed to a strong performance in the firm's insurance, rail and energy businesses for the increase in profit. (BBC, 2014/3/2)

Russian's president set to send military troops into Ukraine

The Russian parliament's upper house unanimously approved Saturday a request by President Vladimir Putin to send military troops into Ukraine, shortly after the Crimean peninsula's pro-Kremlin prime minister appealed to the Kremlin for military muscle.

 

Putin said ethnic Russians in Crimea and the personnel of a Russian military base needed to be protected for the “normalization of the political situation” in Ukraine. But the Russian president's official request for troops seemed to be merely a formality as Moscow appeared to solidify its iron grip on Crimea.

 

Armed troops believed to be Russian had already seized control of much of the strategic peninsula Friday and Saturday, taking over key airports and communications centers across the region. By Saturday they had seized an airfield used for military transports, and Ukraine moved to close its airspace Saturday after reports suggested at least eight Russian troop transport planes had touched ground in the Crimea. (TIME, 2014.3.2)

 

土曜日にロシア議会は、プーチン大統領によるウクライナへの軍隊派遣の計画を、全会一致で承認しました。ただ、そもそも金曜日と土曜日のうちに、戦略的に重要なウクライナ半島は、ロシア軍によって制圧されていましたので、ロシア議会はこれを追認したことになります。プーチン大統領はロシア軍を、ウクライナの政治的正常化までの間、クリミアに置くと発言していますが、その意図はむしろ、「 Iron Grip on Crimea 」を確固なものにすることであると、ＴＩＭＥは伝えています。

US GDP growth rate revised down

The US economy grew at a much slower rate from October to December than originally predicted, the US Commerce Department said. US gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an annualised rate of 2.4% in the fourth quarter of 2013, down from an initial estimate of 3.2%. The revision is down to weaker than expected consumer spending.Severe winter weather in the US is expected to slow growth further in the current quarter.

 

The Commerce Department initially predicted consumer spending had expanded by 3.3%, but spending is now estimated to have grown at a 2.6% annual rate. Consumer spending accounts for roughly 70% of US economic activity. Bad winter weather has cut into vehicle sales, among other purchases.

 

Despite the revised GDP estimate, US growth should be regarded as strong, the financial information firm Markit said. "The details of the report suggest that investment is growing at an increased rate and underlying demand continued to expand at a reassuringly robust rate, given the headwinds during the closing months of 2013," said Markit chief economist Chris Williamson.

 

For all of 2013, the economy grew at 1.9%. (BBC NEWS 2014.2.28)

Warns Russia over Ukrain

US President Barack Obama has warned Russia there will be "costs" for any military intervention in Ukraine. He said he was deeply concerned by reports of Russian military movements inside the country. Ukraine's acting president has accused Russia of deploying troops to Crimea and trying to provoke Kiev into "armed conflict". Russia's UN ambassador said any troop movements in Crimea were within an existing arrangement with Ukraine. Speaking from the White House, President Obama commended Ukraine's interim government for its "restraint".  "Any violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity would be deeply destabilising, which is not in the interests of Ukraine, Russia or Europe," he said.  "It would represent a profound interference in matters that must be determined by the Ukrainian people. It would be a clear violation of Russia's commitment to respect the independence and sovereignty and borders of Ukraine - and of international laws." He added: "Just days after the world came to Russia for the Olympic games, it would invite the condemnation of nations around the world. And, indeed, the United States will stand with the international community in affirming that there will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine." (BBC NEWS 2014.3.1)