from today's Nikkei

夏のボーナス　６年ぶり減　０．３％減　石油・鉄鋼、前年割れ　本社最終集計　消費下押し要因

According to the data compiled Monday by The Nihon Keizai Shimbun on the summer bonus this year,the average pay of the bonus is 0.3 percent down from the previous year,which is the first minus in 6 years since the summer in 2002.It is obvious that companies have shifted their policies on their empolyees' wages to more severe ones given the current situation that there are a lot of concerns for their businesses such as soaring prices of various materials. In the manufacturing industry having palyed a leading role in recent years for increasing bonuses overall,the petroleum and steel industries' bonuses are down from the preceeding year.In the nonmanufacturing industries,about 70 percent of all the businesses have experienced minus wages. Some critics say that these will be one of the factors weighing down consumption for the time being from now on in the year.

from today's Nikkei

基礎年金　国庫負担上げ先送り　政府・与党検討　来年１０月以降に　消費税引き上げ困難で

According to sources,the government and the ruling parties of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Newkomeito decided Thursday that they will start deliberation on postponing the raising of the state's burden for the basic public pension expenditure to the half of the total cost,initially expected to start April 2009.Most likely it will be put off until and beyond October 2009.Given the situation next House of Representatives election is coming the real senario,it is getting more and more difficult to implement consumption tax rate increase.That makes hard to find out the source of revenues for the state's burden's raise for the public pension.

from today's Nikkei

大型有機ＥＬ　ソニー・東芝など共同開発　材料各社も参加　韓国勢に対抗　２０１５年をメドに量産化をめざす

It has recently been learned that Japanese companies,like Sony,Sharp,Toshiba,and Matsushita,likely will jointly develop a basic technology necessary for mass-producing the organic wide-screen electro luminescence panel.In doing so,they intend to the improve durability and energy-saving capability of the organic EL panel and also to make it possible to produce wide screen more than the 40-size type.Other participants are domestic material makers and manufacturing equipment makers,and Economy,Trade and Industry Ministry will extend its support for it.For developing the organic EL panel,expected to a promising product in the next generation,the Japanese public-private sectors are going to work together, with the aim of coping with South Korean rivals.Mass-production of the product is expected to start around 2015.

from today's Nikkei

「２００５年半減」世界で共有　温暖化ガス　サミット首脳宣言　新興国にも貢献促す　米大統領「強いドル　国益」

The Group of Eight leaders adopted on its summit meeting's second day the statement that greenhouse gases emission should be reduced by at least 50 percent by the year 2050 worldwide, with emerging economies,such as China, India,and Brazil,also participating in the framework.Meanwhile,in terms of economy,U.S. President George W. Bush reiterated his satnce during the discussion that strong U.S. dollar is in its national interest.

from today's Nikkei

サミット開幕　食料輸出規制撤廃促す　首脳文書案　価格高騰に懸念　アフリカ交え会合　支援を拡大・検証

The Group of Eight summit meeting, or Toyako Summit,started Monday its three-day schedule,first of all, with the expanded meetimng inviting seven headsof state from Africa held on its first satge on the day.In the meeting, they all agreed on the awareness that the recent surging oil and food prices have had a serious influence on many countries,espacially on poor countries. They also reached an agreement to establish the framework in cheking the progress of G-8 nations' aids to African coutries in ordet to promote the development in Africa.Meanwhile, according to sources,it has also been learned that the request for the abolishment of the food export bans in several nations, which is believed to be one of causes of global food price hikes, is included in a spacila document on food issue set to be adopted at this Toyako Summit.