Dubai The Perfect Gift To Eat ヨックモック、ドバイで大人気

We love anything and everything Japanese-so of course

when we heard that Yoku Moku had arrived in Dubai with their selection of unique

and very luxurious confectionary we headed straight over to check it out.

Their company’s famous cookie is called “cigar” and was created in 1969.

They look like rolled butter cookies, with a range of unique flavors

including vanilla, chocolate and milk coffee. The brand pays a lot of attention to choosing the best raw ingredients,

including Hokkaido-born Butter, flour with the minimal amount of gluten, Madagascan vanilla, and superior soft sugar.

We fell head over heels for the thin butter-vanilla cookies doubled over with milk chocolate inside.

The ambience of the store is sophisticated with their latest collections on display

– the brand does a new Summer and Winter collection of flavors every season just like high-end couture labels!

If you have guests arriving for dinner, we recommend impressing them with one of the Yoku Moku assortment boxes.

Products are sold individually or in boxes of different sizes. Prices start at 185 AED for 40 pieces.

店舗状況　Shop Locations



【ドバイ＝村山祐介】洋菓子メーカー・ヨックモック（東京）が中東での出店を加速させている。

昨年１０月に初出店したアラブ首長国連邦（ＵＡＥ）のドバイ中心部のモールでは今月上旬、７店舗目がオープンした。

同社の看板商品「シガール」などはこれまで、来日する中東の富裕層による贈答用の「まとめ買い」が目立っていたという。

ＵＡＥの店頭では日本の２・５倍の価格設定だが、売り上げは当初見込みの倍以上で、

数万円の高額セットなどが「ポンポン売れていく」と担当者。

今後、出店ペースをさらに早めて１年後に約２０店舗まで拡大し、カタールなど近隣国への展開も目指すという。
.
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Deal to Move Okinawa Base Wins Approval＜辺野古埋め立て＞承認に市民ら抗議

TOKYO — A long-simmering dispute between the United States and Japan over the fate of a Marine base on Okinawa seemed to have been resolved on Friday when the governor of Okinawa gave his approval to move the base to a remote area.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left, met with the governor of Okinawa, Hirokazu Nakaima, in Tokyo on Wednesday.



The agreement would bolster efforts by the Pentagon to rebalance American military forces across the Asia-Pacific region and by the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, to raise his country’s strategic posture and check the growing military influence of China.

An official document approving a landfill on which much of the base would be built was stamped by the governor of Okinawa, Hirokazu Nakaima, and sent to the local branch of the Ministry of Defense, Kanako Shimada, a prefectural official, said on Friday.

Mr. Nakaima’s approval was a breakthrough after what had been longstanding opposition on Okinawa to the plan to move the Marine Corps’ Air Station Futenma, on the prefecture’s main island to the north of the island.

The original agreement to move the base, which is in a heavily populated area, was reached in 1996 after the gang rape of an Okinawan schoolgirl by American servicemen.

That fueled a local protest movement in Okinawa that advocated ousting the Marines from the island and even suggested that Okinawa declare its independence from Japan. Then there were concerns about the effects of building a new base in an environmentally sensitive area on the island’s coast.

The concerns delayed further progress on the agreement. A 2009 pledge by Yukio Hatoyama, who briefly served as prime minister, to move the base off Okinawa, perhaps to another part of Japan, confused the issue even more.

But since his return to the prime minister’s office a year ago, Mr. Abe had pressed Okinawan officials to finally give the go-ahead. In a meeting on Wednesday in Tokyo, Mr. Abe unveiled a set of measures to reduce the burden of the American bases on Okinawa, together with promises of financial support to the prefecture, Japan’s poorest.

That cleared the way for Mr. Nakaima’s approval of a landfill for the new base, Camp Schwab-Henoko Bay in the north.

For Mr. Abe, the approval comes at a time of increasing tensions with China that have led him to enhance security ties with the United States and to envision a bigger military role for Japan in the region.

Senior Defense Department officials said they viewed the agreement as critical to the Pentagon’s new strategy in the Asia-Pacific region.

The approximately 18,000 Marines now stationed on Okinawa will drop to about 10,000 once the new base is completed over the next decade.

During that time, facilities are to be built that would shift about 5,000 Marines to Guam, and plans are underway eventually to deploy about 2,500 Marines in Australia.

Those movements, Pentagon officials said, would create a more militarily useful distribution of Marines across the region, allowing them to be closer to a broader swath of territory as required for traditional security missions or disaster relief efforts.

Prolonged delays and uncertainty over the base in Okinawa had undermined the Obama administration’s plan for a strategic rebalancing in Asia.

A senior Pentagon official called the Okinawa agreement the “most significant” breakthrough in moving the American military to “a very operationally sustainable, distributed lay-down in the Pacific.”

“This sends a clear signal to the region that the alliance is strong, capable,” added the official, who requested anonymity because the agreement had not been formally announced.

The certainty of a continued Marine presence, according to Pentagon officials, demonstrates to other regional allies, as well as rivals, that the United States has the resolve to maintain its security presence despite its budget difficulties and fatigue from wars in the Middle East.

Another benefit, officials said, is that the United States and Japan could now focus on broader security issues.

With an agreement in place, “We can focus on the larger strategic issues on our plate,” another senior Defense Department official said.

Senior Pentagon officials acknowledged that additional hurdles could arise over the 10-year timetable required to replace Futenma with the new base at Henoko Bay, which is near a small existing installation called Camp Schwab. Staunch opposition to the base remains, and about 2,000 protesters gathered at the Okinawa prefecture offices on Friday after the agreement became known. Some pushed into the building’s lobby, occupying it, according to reports by the NHK television network.

Indications of a breakthrough surfaced earlier this week, when Mr. Abe reached a deal with Mr. Nakaima over environmental protection issues involving the new American base.

Officials in Washington credited a series of high-level meetings, including recent talks with the Japanese involving Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.


Hiroko Tabuchi reported from Tokyo, and Thom Shanker from Washington.





＜辺野古埋め立て＞承認に市民ら抗議、県庁に千人なだれ込む

毎日新聞 12月27日(金)13時37分配信





＜辺野古埋め立て＞承認に市民ら抗議、県庁に千人なだれ込む

辺野古埋め立て承認に反対して沖縄県庁のロビーに座り込む市民＝那覇市の沖縄県庁で２０１３年１２月２７日午後０時５４分、和田大典撮影

　那覇市の沖縄県庁前には２７日正午ごろ、仲井真知事の埋め立て承認に抗議する市民ら約２０００人（主催者発表）が集結。

庁舎を取り囲み、「屈しない」と書かれた赤いプラカードなどを掲げながら「辺野古埋め立てを許さないぞー」

「知事は県民を裏切るなー」とシュプレヒコールを上げた。

約１０００人の市民らはその後、仲井真知事に説明を求めて県庁１階ロビーになだれ込み、座り込みを続けた。

【第一報】沖縄知事:辺野古埋め立て承認…防衛局に文書送付

４歳の長男を連れて参加した浦添市の主婦、比嘉佐和子さん（４１）は「仲井真知事は不承認と言ってくれるかもしれないと一瞬でも信じた自分がばかだった。

お金で解決しようとする政府に怒りを感じるし、首相に『お金ください』とへらへらする知事もみっともない。

子供の将来のためにも、基地が少しでも減ってほしい」と話し、静かに怒りをたぎらせていた。【福永方人】

BBC-Hokkaido.Garden of the Gods. part 3

BBC-Hokkaido.Garden of the Gods. part 3

BBC-Hokkaido.Garden of the Gods. part 2

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Japan's Abe visits shrine for war dead, China, South Korea angered 安倍首相が初の靖国参拝

(Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited a shrine on Thursday that is seen by critics as a symbol of Tokyo's wartime aggression, infuriating China and South Korea and prompting concern from the United States about deteriorating ties between the North Asian neighbors.

China and South Korea have repeatedly expressed anger in the past over Japanese politicians' visits to Yasukuni Shrine, where Japanese leaders convicted as war criminals by an Allied tribunal after World War Two are honored along with those who died in battle.

The two countries have been especially touchy about visits to the shrine by serving Japanese prime ministers, and Abe is the first leader in office to pay homage at Yasukuni in the past seven years.

Business ties between China and Japan, the world's second- and third-largest economies, have improved after a downturn sparked by a flare-up last year in a row over tiny East China Sea islands controlled by Japan but also claimed by China.

But worries are growing that an unintended incident between Japanese and Chinese aircraft and ships playing cat-and-mouse near the disputed isles could escalate into a military clash.

Abe, a conservative who took office for a second term exactly one year ago, said he did not intend to hurt feelings in neighboring nations.

"There is criticism based on the misconception that this is an act to worship war criminals, but I visited Yasukuni Shrine to report to the souls of the war dead on the progress made this year and to convey my resolve that people never again suffer the horrors of war," he told reporters after the visit.

Television carried live video of his motorcade making its way to the shrine, built in 1896 by Emperor Meiji to enshrine war dead. Yasukuni played a key role in the wartime state Shinto religion which mobilized the population to fight in the name of a divine emperor.

Abe, dressed in a morning suit and a silver tie, bowed at the shrine before following a Shinto priest into an inner sanctum.

Stressing that it was natural for a nation's leader to pay respect to those who died for their country, Abe said he shared the view of past Japanese leaders that ties with China and South Korea were important and that to make them firm was in Japan's national interests - and said that he would like to explain that if given the opportunity.

"EXTREMELY DANGROUS"

Tokyo's relations with Beijing and Seoul are already strained by territorial rows and disputes stemming from Japan's wartime occupation of large parts of China and its 1910-1945 colonization of the Korean peninsula.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Abe's action had pushed Japan in an "extremely dangerous" direction.

"Japan must bear full responsibility for the serious political consequences," the foreign ministry's website quoted Wang as telling the Japanese ambassador to China, who was summoned to the ministry.

A commentary in state-run news agency Xinhua added: "Choosing a sensitive time to visit a highly controversial and notorious place, Abe knows perfectly what he is doing and the consequences. Instead of a pledge against war, as Abe has claimed, the visit is a calculated provocation to stoke further tension."

In an e-mail sent to Japanese nationals registered with the Japanese embassy in Beijing, the embassy warned its citizens to stay away from any demonstrations and to not congregate in big groups.

"Given the media coverage, we fear the deterioration in sentiment towards Japan," the embassy said. "In dealing with Chinese people, pay attention to your behavior and your language."

South Korea termed the visit a deplorable and anachronistic act that damaged ties between the two countries and summoned a top Japanese diplomat in Seoul to protest.

"We cannot withhold regret and anger over the visit," said Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yoo Jin-ryong.

Washington - which has welcomed Abe's more proactive defense policies but been unhappy at his historical revisionism - also expressed disappointment.

"Japan's leadership has taken an action that will exacerbate tensions with Japan's neighbors," a U.S. Embassy statement in Tokyo said.

"The United States hopes that both Japan and its neighbors will find constructive ways to deal with sensitive issues from the past, to improve their relations, and to promote cooperation in advancing our shared goals of regional peace and stability."

The head of Abe's coalition partner, the Buddhist-backed New Komeito - who had urged the premier not to make the pilgrimage -

called the visit regrettable in light of the problems it as likely to cause with Japan's neighbors.

IMPACT OF VISIT UNKNOWN

Japanese exports to China have recovered after a sharp drop following scattered protests in China in 2012. That was sparked by Japan buying disputed East China Sea isles that are claimed by both countries to fend off a bid by the then-governor of Tokyo, a nationalist, to purchase them.

It was unclear whether Abe's Yasukuni visit, the first by a serving premier since 2006, would dampen business ties again.

"We don't know how much impact the visit might have. I hope this will not develop into a huge problem." Kyodo news agency quoted a Japanese car company executive as saying.

Paying respects at the shrine is part of Abe's conservative agenda to restore Japan's pride in its past and recast its wartime history with a less apologetic tone. He also wants to ease the restraints of Japan's post-World War Two pacifist constitution on the military.

No serving Japanese prime minister has visited the shrine since Junichiro Koizumi's annual pilgrimages to Yasukuni during his 2001-2006 tenure.

Some political experts said Abe had probably calculated that his relatively high voter ratings, based largely on hopes for plans to revive the economy, could withstand any criticism over his Yasukuni pilgrimage, which would also shore up support in his conservative base.

He may also have felt that with ties with Beijing and Seoul in a deep freeze, a visit would hardly make things worse.

"He probably thinks that it's OK, that's he's relatively popular and it's a matter of conviction," said Koichi Nakano, a professor at Sophia University in Tokyo.

"But everyone knew with Koizumi ... he wasn't a revisionist nationalist. But with Abe, that is precisely the question some people were asking. Now we know the answer."

(Additional reporting by Mari Saito and Kiyoshi Takenaka in Tokyo and Ben Blanchard, Sui-Lee Wee and Norihiko Shirouzu in Beijing; Editing by Shinichi Saoshiro and Raju Gopalakrishnan)

［東京　２６日　ロイター］ -安倍晋三首相は政権発足からちょうど１年目の２６日午前、東京・九段（千代田区）の靖国神社を参拝した。

現職の首相としての参拝は、２００６年８月の小泉純一郎首相以来７年ぶり。

参拝後に安倍首相は中国と韓国に理解を求めたが、日本との関係悪化が続く中国は直ちに反発した。

安倍首相が靖国に参拝するのは、０６─０７年の第１次内閣時代も含め初めて。

昨年１２月２６日の第２次内閣発足後、第１次内閣のときに参拝しなかったことについて「痛恨の極み」と後悔の念を示していたが、

この１年間は中国や韓国との外交問題に発展することを避けて見送ってきた。

安倍首相は参拝後、記者団に対し「１年間の（安倍内閣の）歩みを報告した」と説明。

「中国や韓国の人々の気持ちを傷つける考えは毛頭ない」とし、「理解してもらうための努力を重ねていきたい」と語った。

さらに「日中、日韓は大切な関係であり、この関係を確固たるものにするのが日本の国益であり、説明する機会があればありがたい」と、

中韓両国との首脳会談実現に強い意欲を示した。

これに対し、中国は即座に反発。同国外務省の秦剛報道官は談話を発表し、

「日本に対し、侵略の歴史を反省するとした誓約を守り、誤りを正す措置を講じ、悪い影響を取り除き、

具体的な行動をもってアジアの隣国や国際社会の信頼を得るよう、厳粛に求める」と抗議した。

尖閣諸島（中国名：釣魚島）をめぐる日本と中国の緊張関係は、緩和の兆しがみえない。

１１月には中国が同島上空を含む空域に防空識別圏を設定。一方、日本は今月に入り、中国の海洋進出を強く意識した国家安全保障戦略を策定した。

上智大学の中野晃一教授は「（安倍首相は）中国との状況が改善しないのだから、参拝してもこれ以上悪くならないと考えたのかもしれない」と分析。

「しかし、それは間違っていると思う」としている。

安倍首相の靖国参拝を受けて、中国側が尖閣付近での活動を活発化する可能性もある。

小野寺五典防衛相はこの日午前の会見で「現在も警戒監視態勢をしっかりしているし、これからも同様にしっかり警戒監視態勢をしていく」と語った。

(久保信博、リンダ・シーグ　編集：田巻一彦)

BBC-Hokkaido.Garden of the Gods. part 2

BBC-Hokkaido.Garden of the Gods. part 2

私が通訳兼コーディネーターとして働いた作品です

BBC-Hokkaido.Garden of the Gods. part 1

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BBC-Hokkaido.Garden of the Gods. part 1

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BBC-Hokkaido.Garden of the Gods. part 1

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White Christmas

White Christmas (Bing Crosby and others)
ホワイト・クリスマス　　（ビング・クロスビーなど）

WHITE CHRISTMAS - Bing Crosby

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops glisten

and children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow

私はホワイト・クリスマスを夢みています

私がむかし経験したような　クリスマス

樹冠が　きらきら輝いて

子どもたちが耳を澄ませて

そりの鈴の音を聞く　雪の世界


I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

私はホワイト・クリスマスを夢見ています

１枚１枚クリスマスカードを書きながら

あなたが楽しく明るく過ごしますように

あなたのクリスマスが銀世界でありますように


I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

私はホワイト・クリスマスを夢見ています

１枚１枚クリスマスカードを書きながら

あなたが楽しく明るく過ごしますように

あなたのクリスマスが銀世界でありますように

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we wish you a merry christmas

we wish you a merry christmas

この歌「We wish you a Merry Christmas」の中で必要とされているのはどれでしょう？



In the song 'We wish you a Merry Christmas' what pudding was asked for?



A Plum Pudding

A Rice Pudding

Sticky toffee pudding

A Figgy Pudding


答えはコメント欄にお願いします


we wish you a merry christmas




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ヒントです

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

We wish you a Merry Christmas,
We wish you a Merry Christmas,
We wish you a Merry Christmas,
And a Happy New Year.

　Good tidings we bring
　To you and your kin;
　We wish you a Merry Christmas
　And a Happy New Year.

Oh bring us some figgy pudding,
Oh bring us some figgy pudding,
Oh bring us some figgy pudding,
And bring it right here.

　Good tidings we bring
　To you and your kin;
　We wish you a Merry Christmas
　And a Happy New Year.

We won't go until we get some,
We won't go until we get some,
We won't go until we get some,
So bring it right here.

　Good tidings we bring
　To you and your kin;
　We wish you a Merry Christmas
　And a Happy New Year.

We wish you a Merry Christmas,
We wish you a Merry Christmas,
We wish you a Merry Christmas,
And a Happy New Year.

　Good tidings we bring
　To you and your kin;
　We wish you a Merry Christmas
　And a Happy New Year.

クリスマスおめでとう（三宅忠明：訳）

クリスマスおめでとう、　
クリスマスおめでとう、　
クリスマスおめでとう、　
そして、新年おめでとう!

　　よい知らせ持って来ましたよ、
　　あなたと、ご家族に、
　　クリスマスおめでとう、
　　そして、新年おめでとう!

イチジクのプディングくださいな、
イチジクのプディングくださいな、
イチジクのプディングくださいな、
今、ここに!

　　よい知らせ持って来ましたよ、
　　あなたと、ご家族に、
　　クリスマスおめでとう、
　　そして、新年おめでとう!

もらうまで帰りませんよ、
もらうまで帰りませんよ、
もらうまで帰りませんよ、
さあ、ここに!

　　よい知らせ持って来ましたよ、
　　あなたと、ご家族に、
　　クリスマスおめでとう、
　　そして、新年おめでとう!

クリスマスおめでとう、　
クリスマスおめでとう、　
クリスマスおめでとう、　
そして、新年おめでとう!

　　よい知らせ持って来ましたよ、
　　あなたと、ご家族に、
　　クリスマスおめでとう、
　　そして、新年おめでとう!

Lionel Messi dismisses Barcelona contract rumours メッシが契約更改要求を否定

Lionel Messi insists he has not asked for an improved contract at Barcelona, despite recent reports suggesting that he had.

The 26-year-old only penned a new five-year-deal with the La Liga champions back in February, but reports in Spain have suggested that summer-signing Neymar has since overtaken him as Barca's biggest earner.


Javier Faus, Barcelona's vice-president, had questioned whether Messi deserved a new deal earlier this month, although the Argentina star maintains that he never asked for one.

"Mr. Faus knows nothing about football and wants to run Barcelona like a business, which it's not," Messi told Catalan radio station Rac1.

"Barcelona is the best club in the world and it should be run by the best directors in the world.

"Neither I nor any of my representatives have asked for an improved contract.

"The truth is that I'm focused on my recovery and not thinking about anything else."

Barcelona have announced that Messi has been given the green light to begin the third phase of his recovery programme from a hamstring injury.

The Argentina international is in Buenos Aires as he continues his rehabilitation from the injury he sustained against Real Betis on November 10 and will keep him sidelined until the new year.

Messi underwent further tests at the Argentina Football Association's (AFA) facility on Friday where it was confirmed the 26-year-old can move on to the next stage of his recovery.

Barca announced on their official website: "On Wednesday it was confirmed that Leo Messi's recovery was on track, and this Friday additional tests at AFA facilities confirmed that the Argentinian player has progressed past the clinical stage of his recovery.

"The player is now focused on the third stage of his recovery, which focuses on physical conditioning."

The injury is set to keep Messi out for between six and eight weeks in total, meaning he is in line for a January return.






［マドリード　２０日　ロイター］ -サッカーのスペイン１部、

バルセロナのＦＷリオネル・メッシ（２６）は、

契約の見直しについてハビエル・ファウス副会長が残したコメントに反論し、更改は求めていないと述べた。

バルセロナの財務部門を担当するファウス副会長は今月スペインのラジオ局ＲＡＣ１で、

新たな契約を結んだばかりのメッシがなぜさらに好条件の契約を必要とするのか理解できないと発言していた。

メッシとバルセロナはことし２月、２０１８年６月までの契約を結んだ。

これを受けてメッシはＲＡＣ１に対し、珍しく強い口調で「ファウス氏はサッカーのことを何も知らない。

バルセロナは世界最大のクラブのひとつであり、フロント陣も最高であるべき」と述べた。

また契約の見直しについてメッシは「自分と自分の関係者から年俸の引き上げや契約更新を求めたことは一度もない。

ファウス氏はそのことをよく分かっている」とコメントした。

バルセロナのサンドロ・ロセル会長は１９日、

「メッシは世界最高のサッカー選手であり、年俸も世界最高であってしかるべき」とコメントし、

事態の収拾に務めていた。メッシがさらなる高年俸を要求していないことから、この騒動が尾を引くことはないものとみられる。

５月に米経済誌フォーブスが発表したスポーツ選手の長者番付で、

メッシは最大で２１２０万ドル（約２２億円）の年俸を得ており、サッカー選手ではトップとなっている。




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Nearly 1,000 killed over 2 days in Central African Republics中央アフリカ、２日間で１０００人死亡

中央アフリカ１，０００殺される

(CNN) -- Former rebels in the Central African Republic killed almost 1,000 in a two-day rampage earlier this month, Amnesty International said, as together with Human Rights Watch it warned of a surge in sectarian violence.

War crimes and crimes against humanity are being committed in the country, Amnesty International said.

"Crimes that have been committed include extrajudicial executions, mutilation of bodies, intentional destruction of religious buildings such as mosques, and the forced displacement of massive numbers of people," said Christian Mukosa, Amnesty International's Central Africa expert.

The country has seen violence and chaos since the Muslim-backed Seleka militia and other rebel groups from the marginalized northeast seized the capital Bangui in March. President Francios Bozize fled to Cameroon, and Michel Djotodia, who had been one of the Seleka leaders, made himself President.




CNN on the ground in CAR
Djotodia later officially disbanded the Seleka, but as many as 15,000 kept their arms and instead continued to wreak havoc in Bangui and elsewhere. They mainly targeted Christian communities, which in turn formed their own vigilante group, the anti-balaka (literally "anti-machete").

Anti-balaka forces staged an early morning attack in the capital on December 5, going door to door in some neighborhoods and killing approximately 60 Muslim men, Amnesty International said.

De facto government forces, known as ex-Seleka, retaliated against Christians, killing nearly 1,000 men over a two-day period, according to the rights group. A small number of women and children also were killed.

In a statement, Amnesty International called for the deployment of a "robust" U.N. peacekeeping force, with a mandate to protect civilians, and enough resources to do so effectively.

"The continuing violence, the extensive destruction of property, and the forced displacement of the population in Bangui are feeding enormous anger, hostility and mistrust," said Mukosa.

"There can be no prospect of ending the cycle of violence until the militias are disarmed and there is proper and effective protection for the thousands of civilians at risk in the country. Residential neighborhoods must be made safe as an urgent priority in order to allow people to go back to their homes and resume their normal lives."

Violence in Bossangoa

In a separate report, Human Rights Watch cited a surge in violence around the northern town of Bossangoa since September, adding concerned countries should immediately bolster the African Union peacekeeping force in the country and support efforts by France to protect civilians.

In the report, Human Rights Watch said Christian militias attacked Muslim communities, cutting the throats of children while forcing parents to watch.

Muslim groups retaliated, setting fire to Christian homes and killing their occupants with the apparent approval of commanders present, Human Rights Watch said.

The recent violence has created a humanitarian crisis.

Both sides have burned down large swathes of villages in the norhtern Ouham province, the rights group said, adding relief workers have found it difficult to provide assistance, particularly emergency medical aid, as aid workers have also been the targets of attacks.

"The brutal killings in the Central African Republic are creating a cycle of murder and reprisal that threatens to spin out of control," said Peter Bouckaert, emergencies director at Human Rights Watch and author of the report.

"The UN Security Council needs to act quickly to bring this evolving catastrophe to a halt."

The Central African Republic is about the size of France and a country rich in resources, including diamonds, gold, timber and ivory. The former French colony has rarely seen political stability or economic growth in the 53 years since it gained independence.

CNN's Susanna Capelouto and Dana Ford contributed to this report.

中央アフリカの宗教対立激化、２日間で１０００人死亡

CNN.co.jp 12月19日(木)14時39分配信



（ＣＮＮ）　治安が極端に悪化している中央アフリカで宗教対立が激化し、２日間の間に１０００人あまりが殺害された。国際人権団体アムネスティ・インターナショナルが１８日に明らかにした。

アムネスティは、同国で戦争犯罪や人道に対する犯罪が行われていると指摘。裁判なしの死刑執行や遺体の切断、モスクなど宗教関連施設の意図的な破壊が横行し、大量の住民が避難を強いられているとした。

中央アフリカでは今年３月にセレカなどのイスラム武装勢力が首都バンギを制圧して当時のボジゼ大統領を追放し、セレカ指導者のジョトディア氏が暫定大統領に就任。以来、イスラム勢力とこれに対抗するキリスト教の自警団との間で衝突が激化していた。

アムネスティによると、１２月５日早朝にキリスト教の自警団がバンギ市内でイスラム教徒を襲撃し、住宅を１戸ずつ回ってイスラム教徒の男性約６０人を殺害した。

イスラム勢力で組織する暫定政府軍はこの報復として、２日間でキリスト教徒の男性１０００人近くを殺害したという。少数の女性や子どもも犠牲になった。

アムネスティは、「民兵の武装を解除させ、危険にさらされている市民を守る効果的な措置を講じない限り、暴力の連鎖が終わる展望はない」と述べ、民間人を守るために国連平和維持部隊の配備増強などを求めている。


最終更新:12月19日(木)16時37分




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South Sudan clashes 'kill 400-500' after coup claim 南スーダン兵士同士の戦闘で５００人死亡か

Hundreds of people are believed to have died in clashes between rival South Sudan army factions, the UN says, quoting unconfirmed reports.

UN diplomats said they had been told by sources in the capital, Juba, that the death toll was between 400 and 500.

South Sudan has seen two days of clashes following a reported coup attempt against President Salva Kiir.

Fugitive opposition leader Riek Machar has denied government accusations that he tried to seize power.

"What took place in Juba was a misunderstanding between presidential guards within their division, it was not a coup attempt," he told the Sudan Tribune, a Paris-based news website, in an interview published on Wednesday.

Mr Machar, a former South-Sudanese vice-president who fell out with President Kiir in July, said he had no knowledge of or connection with any coup attempt.


President Kiir has said a group of soldiers supporting Mr Machar had tried to take power by force on Sunday night, but were defeated.

Amid continuing clashes on Monday and Tuesday, the government said 10 senior political figures, including a former finance minister, had been arrested.

Details of the fighting have been sketchy, but a meeting of the UN Security Council in New York on Tuesday was told that the clashes were "apparently largely along ethnic lines".

'Heavy toll'

French UN ambassador Gerard Araud, who holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council, said up to 20,000 people had taken refuge in the UN mission in Juba.

He said the council had received only "patchy information" in a briefing given by UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous.

Continue reading the main story
Profile: Riek Machar
t Former South Sudan Vice-President Riek Machar (file image)
Central figure in Sudanese and South Sudanese politics for three decades
Member of South Sudan's second-largest ethnic group, the Nuer
Married UK aid worker Emma McCune in 1991 - she died two years later in a car accident in Kenya while pregnant
Was a Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) commander and led a breakaway faction for some years in the 1990s
After 2005 peace deal appointed vice-president of interim government, retaining the post after independence in 2011 until his dismissal in July 2013
Riek Machar in profile
In pictures: South Sudan unrest

"Some reports are speaking of hundreds of casualties. For the moment we can't confirm this, but in any case it is a heavy toll," Mr Araud told the BBC.

He said the conflict had "the potential of a civil war" between the two main ethnic groups, the Dinka and the Nuer.

However, the governor of Unity State, Simon Kun Pouch, was quoted on the government website as saying that the conflict had nothing to do with tribes.

"There are people out there saying what has happened is between the Dinka and the Nuer tribesmen. We the leaders of this country would want to state here that this is not true," he said.

"If you see the people going with Dr Riek [Machar], some are Dinkas, some are Chol, Nuer and other tribes," he added.

The US has ordered all its non-emergency embassy staff to leave the country immediately.

In hiding

President Kiir said the clashes began when uniformed personnel opened fire at a meeting of the governing party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM).

Fighting then continued into Monday when the government said it was back in full control.

However, fresh gunfire erupted on Tuesday near the presidential palace and many other areas of Juba.

Government officials say they are hunting for Mr Machar, who is believed to be in hiding.

Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth told the BBC that his whereabouts have been unclear since the start of fighting on Sunday.

He said Mr Machar - who leads a dissident faction within the SPLM - was thought to have escaped with some troops.

On Tuesday, the government said former Finance Minister Kosti Manibe, former Justice Minister John Luk Jok and former Interior Minister Gier Chuang Aluong were among the 10 people arrested.

Many were members of the cabinet that was sacked in its entirety in July.

South Sudan has struggled to achieve a stable government since becoming independent from Sudan in 2011.

The independence referendum was intended to end a decade-long conflict, led by the SPLM, against the north.

But the oil-rich country remains ethnically and politically divided, with many armed groups active.

ロイター 12月18日(水)11時40分配信





南スーダン兵同士の戦闘で500人死亡か、政府「クーデター未遂」

１２月１７日、国連に入った報告によると、南スーダンで起きた戦闘で４００─５００人が死亡し、

最大８００人が負傷したもよう。

［ジュバ／国連　１７日　ロイター］ -国連に入った報告によると、

南スーダンで１７日に起きた戦闘で４００─５００人が死亡し、

最大８００人が負傷したもようだ。同国政府はクーデター未遂に関与した疑いで政治家１０人を逮捕したと発表した。

複数の外交官によると、死傷者数については、国連平和維持活動（ＰＫＯ）局長のラズース事務次長が安全保障理事会の非公開会合で現地の病院の情報として明らかにしたが、

国連も確認が取れないという。

南スーダンの保健省当局者は同日、軍の対立するグループ同士が１５日夜から翌朝にかけて首都ジュバで交戦し、

少なくとも２６人が死亡したと述べた。銃声や爆発音は散発的に続いている。

政府はマニベ前財務相をはじめ主要な政治家１０人を逮捕し、

クーデターを計画した容疑でマシャール前副大統領の行方を追っていると明らかにした。

キール大統領は１６日、７月に解任された前副大統領を支持する部隊が軍基地を襲撃したとの見方を示していた。

南スーダンでは、日本の陸上自衛隊もＰＫＯに参加している。







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Militants kill eight Shiite pilgrims in Iraｑ

Militants killed at least eight Shiite pilgrims in Baghdad province on Tuesday, Iraqi security officials said.

A suicide bomber detonated explosives among pilgrims walking south of Baghdad, killing four, while militants in a car threw a hand grenade at pilgrims in the capital, killing at least four others.

The two attacks also wounded at least 27 more people.

The violence came after two car bombs targeted Shiite pilgrims south of the Iraqi capital on Monday night, killing at least 24 people and wounding over 50.

Hundreds of thousands of people, many of them on foot, make pilgrimages to the holy city of Karbala during the 40 days after the annual commemoration marking the death of the Prophet Mohammed's grandson, Imam Hussein.

The 40th day, known as Arbaeen, falls on December 23 this year.

Sunni militants including those linked to Al-Qaeda frequently target members of Iraq's Shiite majority, whom they consider to be apostates.

Violence in Iraq has reached a level this year not seen since 2008, when the country was just emerging from a period of brutal sectarian killings, raising fears the country is falling back into all-out conflict.

More people died in violence in the first eight days of this month than in the whole of last December, and over 6,500 people have been killed since the beginning of 2013, according to AFP figures based on security and medical sources.
..

.



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Russian - Thistle ( Tumbleweed ) ロシアからアメリカに進撃した「史上最強」の転がる雑草

Tumbleweed 転がる雑草

Salsola tragus

Synonym: Salsola pestifer

Family: Chenopodiaceae – Goosefoot Family

Annual herbs; 3.9” to 5.9” (1 to 1.5 dm) tall

Leaves: alternate; simple; grey or bluish; entire; can have hairs; 0.6” to 2.4” (1.5 to 6 cm) long, 0.012” to 0.032” (0.3 to 0.8 mm) wide

Flowers: 0 petals; 2-5 sepals, 0.1” to 0.14” (2.5 to 3.5 mm) long; 1 pistil, 1-3 stigmas; 2 or 3 styles; 5 stamens; small and inconspicuous, small, greenish; perfect

Pollinators: other Salsola species are pollinated by wind

Fruits: utricles – small 1 seeded fruit with a thin wall; large number of seeds that persist

Blooms in Arches National Park: May, June, July, August, September, October

Habitat in Arches National Park : weed in disturbed areas; characteristically grows on halophytic (salty) soils

Location seen: around Visitor Center buildings and entrance road

Other: The genus name, “Salsola”, means “salty” referring to the taste of the young leaves. The species name, “tragus” is possibly from the Greek “tragos” which means “a part of the ear”, "goat" or from Hieronymous Tragus, the Greek name for Jerome Bock (1498-1554), physician, scholar, and one of the three fathers of German botany. The species name, “pestifer”, means “pest” referring to this plant's bad reputation.

Russian-thistle was first introduced into South Dakota around 1873 with flaxseed from Russia . The plant spread over the American West in a few decades.

Plants in this family are generally weedy, but beets and spinach are members of this family. The family is called the goosefoot family because the leaf shape may look like a goose's foot.

動画「転がる草を追いかけて」

ナショナル ジオグラフィック日本版 12月16日(月)14時13分配信




ロシアからアメリカに進撃した“史上最強”の転がる雑草

西部劇などで、無人の路上や空き地を、一陣の風とともにコロコロと転がっていく枯れ草を目にしたことがあるだろうか。

タンブルウィード、すなわち「回転草」と呼ばれるこの雑草は、米国の西部ではよく目にする植物だ。

分類上はオカヒジキ属の一種で、ハリヒジキとも呼ばれる。

食用の、緑色でシャキシャキした食感の「オカヒジキ」とは近縁だ。

もともとはユーラシア大陸の植物で、ウラル山脈の東に広がる草原地帯に生えていた。

転がりながら25万個の種をまき散らす

だが、外来種としてよその土地にいったん持ち込まれると、

この草は驚異的な繁殖力を示し、分布域を広げていった。

冬が来て枯れると茎がもろくなり、風のひと吹きで根元から折れる。

あとは風に吹かれて転がり続けるうちに、トゲだらけの茶色い塊と化し、

時に民家を埋もれさせ、牧場では激しい火災の元になる。

文字通りの厄介者だ。

小型車ほどの大きな塊になるものもあり、何キロも移動する間に最大25万個もの種を至るところにまき散らす。

その種は、次の侵略に向けて地中で待機するのだ。

この雑草には葉らしきものが見当たらないが、実際には苞（ほう）と呼ばれる小さなとがったうろこ状の葉をつけている。

そして、苞と茎の間のくぼみの中に咲く、やっと見えるくらいに小さい花が、種を実らせる。

一つひとつの種の内部には、らせん状の胚が潜み、

昼間の気温が0℃を超えればすぐに発芽しようと準備している。

周囲にごくわずかでも水分があれば、回転草は成長を始め、最大で地下2メートルの深さまで根を張る。

晩秋になると、十分に成長した回転草は大量の種をつける。

そこへ晩秋の西部に特有の強風が吹きつけると、回転草は根元から折れ、

地面を転げ回って種をまき散らす。

豊かな土壌でもやせた土地でも、湿った場所でも乾燥地でも、粘土質でも砂地でも、

土壌がアルカリ性でも酸性でも、この雑草はチャンスを逃さない。

すきやシャベル、牛のひづめで地面が耕され、緩んでさえいれば回転草は発芽する。

その広がりを食い止めようと、米農務省の科学者はロシアやウズベキスタン、

トルコの研究者の協力を得て、ダニ、ゾウムシ、ガ、菌類など、もともとの生息地で回転草を食べていた生物を使った実験を何年も続けている。

天敵を活用したこのような「生物的防除」の仕組みを導入すれば、

「広い地域でこの雑草の数を無害なレベルにまで減らす効果が期待できます」と、研究者の一人リンカーン・スミスは強調した。

もっとも米政府はまだ、これらの天敵を野外に放つことは許可していない。

このような政府の慎重な姿勢は、間違ってはいないだろう。

ただ、もっと早く適切な手段を講じていれば、回転草の広がりを阻止できたのではないか、という思いはある。

今のところ、連中の真の敵は私たち人間だけだ。


（ナショナル ジオグラフィック12月号特集「米国西部にはびこる厄介者 転がる雑草」より）

George Johnson/National Geographic




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Thierry Henry joins BBC as pundit for World Cup in Brazil ティエリ・アンリ

ティエリ・アンリ

He had been billed as 'the football pundit all the top broadcasters wanted' and now the BBC have moved to sign up Thierry Henry for their World Cup coverage.

Sky Sports, BT Sport and the BBC were reportedly locked in a battle to secure the services of Arsenal's record goalscorer after he became a hot property in the world of football punditry.

Henry, who impressed during his stint as an expert for Sky Sports during midweek and is booked in for Match of the Day this weekend, has been talked about in glowing terms since he began offering his views.

The French World Cup winner will warm up for his new role with the Beeb working alongside presenter Gary Lineker and expert pundit Alan Shearer on the MOTD highlights show on Saturday evening.

He will then join the BBC's World Cup team in Brazil which now reads: Lineker, Shearer, Rio Ferdinand, Clarence Seedorf, Phil Neville and Alan Hansen.

Henry, who played in four World Cups, will be in Brazil during his break in the MLS season with the striker still playing for the New York Red Bulls.

The forward, who scored 51 goals in 123 appearances for France, said: "I am delighted to be joining Gary Lineker and the rest of the BBC team for the tournament in Brazil.

"I've enjoyed playing in World Cups, but to experience it as a fan and studio analyst will be a new, exciting challenge.

"I've been fortunate enough to play with and against many of the players taking part, so will look forward to watching their performances this summer."

Philip Bernie, the BBC's head of TV sport, added: "We are thrilled to have Thierry as part of our team, and he joins our exciting line-up, which has a wealth of international experience.

"He has witnessed first-hand all the emotions this great competition has to offer, as one of the outstanding players of his generation, and we are sure he will now enjoy offering his greatly informed opinions to our audiences."

Henry won the competition on home soil in France in 1998, adding a European Championship win two years later.

ティエリ・アンリ
Thierry Henry
フルネーム ティエリ・ダニエル・アンリ
Thierry Daniel Henry
ニックネーム ティティ,キング・オブ・クール
国籍 フランス
生年月日 1977/8/17
出身地 ル・ユリス
ポジション FW(CF,LWG,RWG)
身長 187cm
体重 81kg
代表デビュー 1997/10/17vsRSA
管理人評価 SS

シーズン 所属クラブ 試合数 得点数
1994/95 フランス・リーグ1 モナコ 8 3
1995/96 フランス・リーグ1 モナコ 23 3
1996/97 フランス・リーグ1 モナコ 36 9
1997/98 フランス・リーグ1 モナコ 30 4
1998/99
(jan) フランス・リーグ1 モナコ 13 1
イタリア・セリエA ユベントス 16 3
1999/00 イングランド・プレミアリーグ アーセナル 31 17
2000/01 イングランド・プレミアリーグ アーセナル 35 17
2001/02 イングランド・プレミアリーグ アーセナル 33 24
2002/03 イングランド・プレミアリーグ アーセナル 37 24
2003/04 イングランド・プレミアリーグ アーセナル 37 30
2004/05 イングランド・プレミアリーグ アーセナル 32 25
2005/06 イングランド・プレミアリーグ アーセナル 32 27
2006/07 イングランド・プレミアリーグ アーセナル 17 10
2007/08 スペイン・プリメラディビジョン バルセロナ * *
主なタイトル
1998 ワールドカップ優勝
2000 欧州選手権優勝

コメント
　爆発的な瞬発力でマーカーを置き去りにし、

しなやかな身のこなしでゴールを量産する世界最高峰のストライカー。

スピードが最大の武器だが、フィジカルコンタクトの強さにも定評があり、なおかつ高い技術力も擁する。

1995年にバロンドール3位の評価を受けたのを機に世界的に知られるプレーヤーとなり、

1998年ワールドカップでは3得点を記録し優勝に貢献。

1998/99シーズン途中にユベントスへと引き抜かれる。だがイタリアの水がいまいち合わなかったのか、

ユベントスでは3得点を挙げたのみに終わり、シーズン終了後にイングランドのアーセナルへと移籍。

イングランドではまるで別人のような目覚しい活躍を見せ1999/00シーズンに17得点を記録。

翌シーズン以降も毎シーズン得点王を争う活躍を見せる。

2002年ワールドカップでは不運が続きレッドカードを受ける受難もあったが、

クラブレベルでは相変わらずの好調を維持。

2005/06シーズンは若いチームを纏め上げUEFAチャンピオンズリーグ決勝にまで導き、

シーズン後のワールドカップでは準々決勝のブラジル戦で値千金の決勝ゴールを記録。

惜しくも決勝にて敗れたが、代表レベルでの勝負弱さを指摘する声を沈黙させた。

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Nelson Mandela's Body Flown Home For Funeral

Nelson Mandela's body is being flown to South Africa's Eastern Cape ahead of a funeral service for the former president.

His coffin, draped in the country's national flag, was carried from a farewell service in Pretoria and onto a military plane, accompanied in clear blue skies by two fighter jets.

It is expected to arrive in Mthatha this afternoon before a final journey to the village of Qunu, Mr Mandela's childhood home, where the anti-apartheid icon will be given a state funeral.

It comes amid speculation that Desmond Tuto, the former archbishop, will miss his close friend's burial service, with some reports claiming he was not invited for political reasons.

The 82-year-old, who also missed a memorial service in Sowetto earlier this week, has been openly critical of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party.

His spokesman confirmed he was "not presently planning to attend" but refused to comment on the reasons for his alleged exclusion.

However, a spokesman for President Jacob Zuma told media in South Africa that Mr Tutu is "definitely on the invite list".

The mostly sombre event in Pretoria was punctuated by song and dance, as the ANC paid tribute to its former leader.

Mr Zuma recalled the political achievements of his predecessor, saying he brought discipline and vision to the anti-apartheid movement.

"He did something that is not easy to do," he said.

Mr Mandela's grandson Mandla, who sat with his grandfather for three days while he lay in state in Pretoria, also attended the service.

He told the audience: "I have witnessed his army, I have witnessed his people, I have witnessed ordinary South Africans who walked this long walk to freedom with him.

"I can assure the ANC that today, the future of this country looks bright."

Mr Mandela's state funeral is a first for South Africa and means full military ceremonial honours will be laid on, led by the armed forces.

A 21-gun salute will ring out and the South African Air Force will perform a fly pass.

The centuries-old traditions of the Xhosa tribe will also be observed, with a ritual slaughtering of an ox before Mr Mandela's body arrives at Mthatha airport.

A group of traditional leaders and Mandela elders, led by Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, the AbaThembu king, will welcome him home to Qunu.

According to his memoirs, the village, with its rolling hills and dusty tracks, was where he spent "the happiest days" of his childhood.

Zwelonke Sigcau, the Xhosa king, told Sky News: "The Xhosa people believe Nelson Mandela is not leaving us. It is just his body which is going into the ground. His spirit will remain."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.
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5日に死去したマンデラ元大統領は、15日に埋葬される。

南アフリカのズマ大統領は、6日に会見し、マンデラ元大統領は、

15日に故郷の南東部クヌに埋葬されると発表した。

10日には、ヨハネスブルクのサッカースタジアムで、公式追悼式が営まれる。

そして、11日から13日まで、遺体は首都プレトリアで公開安置され、世界各国の要人の弔問を受けつけるという。




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