from today's Nikkei

来年度税制改正　法人税下げ実施せず　所得税改革先送り　政府・与党方針　配偶者控除など維持

The government and ruling parties, the LDP and New Komeito,have decided on Friday to postpone the revision of taxes in the 2008 tax system reform,in which many have been expecting that the virtual tax rates for corporations will be reduced and individual income taxes will be revised drastically.The reduction of corporate taxes has been discussed for the purpose of enhancing domestic companies' competitiveness in the global market, and the revision of income deduction, such as spouse deduction, has also been deliberated aiming at the tax being adapted to the ages when so-called double -income households have been increasing.However,the consumption tax increase,which has been also discussed along with these issues,has not yet been able to receive the consensus from all parties concernd.And the decision on it has to be postponed.Thus,the two issues mentiond here also have to be postponed beyond the fiscal year 2009.

from today's Nikkei

日朝打開へ政府新方針　拉致・核　進展なら段階的支援　北朝鮮に伝達　生存者の帰国を最優先

The government has decided the basic idea for a new policy on North Korea in order to break through the iceberg covered between the country and Japan.With the first priority not changed and placed on early return to Japan of Japanese abdutees,if the issues of abduction,nuclear weapons,and missiles are going forward their settlement,Japan gradually could lift its saactions and also respond to request from North Korea in supprting the country.The idea will be soon formulated as a government's new policy and be officially deliverd to North Korea.
参考：the iceberg covered between the country and Japanというのはおかしいですね。間違いだと思います。というのは、the iceberg is covered between the country and Japan という言い方をしないと思うから。むしろ、the iceberg is covering the country and Japan はありえるか。しかし、こんなときにicebergなどという大袈裟な言葉を使いそうにないなと思う。difficulty とかdifficult problemsとかのようにやさしくいたほうがぶなんですかね。straddling the two coutries とかexisting between the two countries とかで修飾できる。

from today's Nikkei

東電・三井物産のCO2削減事業　国連、排出権取得認めず　日本企業で初　審査を厳格化

When a compamy in a developed country wants to get the greenhouse gases emission right from a developing country, the greenhouse gases emission cut project planned in the developing coutry by the developed coutry's company has to be endorsed by the United Nations.In such a framework,it is learnd that the UN has likely started making its scrutinizing tougher than before recently.It was revealed on Wednesday that the two projects presented by TEPCO( Tokyo Electricity Co.) and Mitsui & Co. was dismissed by the UN.It is likely because the contents of the projects were viwed as insufficient.If this kind of dismissals by UN continue,expected proceeding of Japan might not be made.

from today's Nikkei

基礎年金　全額税負担なら　消費税５－７％上げ必要　保健料方式では１％　諮問会議試算　

The private sector's members belonging to the the government's Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy are to submit a draft plan on the revision of the public pension scheme on Thursday.The outline of the draft has been recently revealed.According to it,they say that when the national budget's burden for the pension scheme' basic part is raised up to half the necessary expenses maintaining the current premium-paying from subscribers system, the tax revenue increase equivalent to the 1% of cunsumption tax is needed.If the scheme is changed so that the basic part of the public pension is shouldered by the national coffers,the shortfall of the resources would be the amount of money equivalent to the 5-7% of consumption tax.

from today's Nikkei

日立、パソコン生産撤退　家庭用も開発停止　採算性確保難しく　寡占化、国内再編迫る

Hitachi,Ltd. has decided to completely draw back from the production of PCs.Already it has consigned U.S. Hewlett-Packard Company to manufacture its industrial-use Pcs. And this time it is to stop manufacturing and developing household-use PCs.In the midst that oligopoly has been proceeding in the IT(information technology) market bythe influence of the majors in the West and Asia,domestic makers,which have been continueing their excessive competition, have come to the situation where most of them can no longer secure the profitability.With Hitachi's withdrawal of its PCs business following the Sanyo's withdrawal of its cellular phone business,it is likely that business alignment among domestic major electronics makers will surely get momentum.