BAE poised to seal Saudi Typhoon deal

BAE poised to seal Saudi Typhoon deal

By Sylvia Pfeifer, Defence Industries Correspondent

Published: February 19 2009 09:41 | Last updated: February 19 2009 20:40

BAE Systems, Europe’s largest defence contractor, on Thursday said it expected to agree a multi-billion pound deal to provide support and weapons systems for the 72 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft to be bought by Saudi Arabia this year.

Ian King, chief executive, said the company was “in active discussions on the next phase” of a contract, signed between the UK government and the Gulf kingdom in 2007.

Saudi Arabia buys arms from Britain under government-to-government deals and BAE then acts as the prime contractor to the UK.

The most lucrative contract so far, the al-Yamamah deal, under which Britain supplied Tornado and Hawk aircraft in the 1980s, has been dogged by allegations of corruption and bribery.

The 2007 contract – Project Salam – is worth an initial £4.3bn.

The first deliveries of the jets are due to begin this year and Mr King said he expected to be “on contract” in 2009 to provide support and spares packages.

If agreed, a deal would provide a significant boost BAE’s sales this year.

Analysts have estimated that other orders for armaments and weapons systems on the jets could be worth £5bn, with a further £10bn being spent on maintenance, training and support for the aircraft over their lifetime.

Mr King said he saw “no evidence at this time” of a slowdown in potential orders from the Middle East on the back of the recent drop in the oil price.

Overall, he said the company expected another year “of good growth” in 2009.

BAE reported a 31 per cent surge in underlying pre-tax profits to £1.9bn in 2008 on sales 18 per cent higher at £18.5bn.

It ended the year with net cash of £39m and by the close of play yesterday, its shares were up 3.56 per cent at 400p.

Its forward order book rose 20 per cent to £46.5bn.

BAE said it had benefited from the weakness of the pound against the US dollar – which accounted for £5.9bn of the increase in the order book – as well as awards of new contracts, including a 15-year partnering agreement with the Ministry of Defence to supply munitions.

The company also said it would pump an additional £200m into plugging the deficit in its UK pension schemes this year and $250m into its US pension schemes.

It is increasing its full-year dividend to 14.5p from 12.8p.

-------------------------
Turkey rate cut surprises markets

By Delphine Strauss in Ankara

Published: February 19 2009 23:37 | Last updated: February 19 2009 23:37

Turkey’s central bank cut its main borrowing rate by 150 basis points on Thursday evening, a much bigger step than markets had expected at a time when eastern European neighbours are considering raising rates to shore up their currencies.

Policymakers have now slashed Turkey’s benchmark borrowing rate by 525 basis points since November. The latest move takes it to a record low of 11.5 per cent. They also cut the lending rate on Thursday from 15.5 per cent to 14 per cent.

Analysts described the decision as “bold”, given the pressure on emerging currencies and Turkey’s delay in reaching an agreement with the International Monetary Fund that would boost investors’ confidence.

“This is a risky move, especially if one takes into consideration the risk of a contagion from the weakness of [central European] currencies. In this environment, the need for an IMF programme is even higher,” said Yarkin Cebeci, economist at JPMorgan.

The lira slid around 25 per cent against the dollar in 2008, mostly in the final months of the year, but has been relatively stable since the start of 2009, reflecting investors’ perception that Turkey is holding out relatively well in a troubled neighbourhood.

The central bank did not rule out further rate cuts, saying it thought inflation likely to “significantly undershoot target” at the end of the year. It said it would also take new measures to boost foreign exchange liquidity.

Policymakers were responding to growing signs of distress in Turkey’s economy, which most analysts expect will contract or at best stall in the year ahead. Recent figures show employment has hit a four-year high of 12.3 per cent , while industrial production has plunged with car manufacturers’ exports down as much as 60 per cent.

“We think that the policy rate should be lowered as much as possible this year,” said Tevfik Aksoy, economist at Morgan Stanley, arguing it would be the best chance to bring interest rates that have lingered in double digits to manageable levels in the longer term. But Turkey would also need to finalise an IMF deal and tighten fiscal policy immediately after local elections in March, he added.

Analysts at Unicredit said Turkey was among countries “in distinctly better positions” than many others in the region, adding that because domestic consumption was a big driver of growth, any scope for policy stimulus would be “especially precious”.

-------------------------
Soros analysts eye Nigeria’s banking sector

By Matthew Green in Lagos

Published: February 19 2009 23:43 | Last updated: February 19 2009 23:43

George Soros’s $20bn hedge fund company is scouting potential opportunities in Nigeria’s banking sector, where valuations have collapsed during the past year amid intensifying fears about the level of supervision and transparency.

Senior analysts from Soros Fund Management visited Nigeria this week to meet bankers and government officials, raising hopes in the market of a return of foreign interest after many portfolio investors fled during the course of the past year.

Remi Babalola, minister of state for finance, said he was due to brief Sharif Atta, a senior analyst at Soros Fund Management, and Ahmad Zuaiter, a portfolio manager, on the investment climate in Nigeria.

“What makes it interesting is that they are the first to come since the global financial crisis, and since the departure of most other investors from the market,” Mr Babalola told the Financial Times. “It’s going to be a magnet for other investors to come in.”

The Soros delegation met Nigerian bankers including senior managers from United Bank for Africa and Diamond Bank during their trip to Lagos, the commercial capital, according to sources within the banks. Representatives of at least two other big US and European funds have also visited Lagos since the start of the year, according to another industry source. The Soros Fund Management declined to comment.

The trips take place against a backdrop of intensifying concerns about the health of Nigeria’s banking sector, which enjoyed spectacular growth after a consolidation exercise launched in 2005 before share prices began to tumble in March last year.

The market capitalisation of the Nigerian Stock Exchange has fallen by about 60 per cent in local currency terms since the market reached a historic high on March 5, 2008, according to data from AfriFinance, mainly as a result of losses in banking stocks which have a heavy weighting within the overall share index. Some analysts say the valuations mean some banks now appear much more reasonably priced.

Nigerian regulators have been quick to blame the collapse on foreign investors withdrawing funds as the global credit crisis intensified.

But analysts argue hedge funds and other international investors, which never held more than an estimated 10-12 per cent of share capital, appear to have played only a secondary role. Many industry insiders say the sudden collapse was rooted instead in the widespread practice of banks loaning money for share purchases, which allowed soaring valuations to lose touch with market fundamentals.

The plunge in stock prices has provoked concern about the extent of banks’ exposure to losses from these loans and raised questions about the level of supervision by the Central Bank of Nigeria and other regulators. Many investors call for Nigerian banks to adopt much more transparent accounting procedures.

Victor Osadolor, group chief financial officer for UBA, who met the Soros team, said they were keen for greater transparency. “These are sophisticated investors, so they understand where to come in. There’s plenty of bargains,” he said.

--------------------------
Banks inject $2bn into Kiev offshoots

By Stefan Wagstyl in London and Roman Olearchyk in Kiev

Published: February 19 2009 20:23 | Last updated: February 19 2009 20:23

International banks are injecting $2bn of new capital into their subsidiaries in crisis-hit Ukraine, in a rare flash of good news for the troubled economies of central and eastern Europe.

Seventeen banks signed an agreement last month pledging to raise the capital in the wake of the International Monetary Fund’s $16.4bn (€13bn, £11.7bn) package to support Kiev as it struggles with recession and difficulties with external financing.

Ten foreign-owned banks promised to stump up $2bn, and seven Ukrainian-controlled banks pledged a further $1bn, including capital contributions made since the country plunged into economic crisis last autumn.

But with central and east European markets in turmoil, political disputes in Kiev and debates raging in western Europe on supporting the eastern states, Ukrainian officials could not be sure banks would deliver on their pledges.

However, the uncertainties do not seem to have prevented at least some of the 17 banks from going ahead with their recapitalisation plans. Italy’s Unicredit announced this week it was providing 500m hryvnia ($62m, €48m, £42m) to recapitalise Ukrsotsbank, the subsidiary it acquired in 2007 for $2.1bn. It also said it had nearly $3bn in long-term deposits with Ukrsotsbank.

Raiffeisen International of Austria said it was planning to complete a relatively small recapitalisation of Raiffeisen Aval, its Ukrainian arm, after injecting nearly €200m late last year. Germany’s Commerzbank has agreed to a 33 per cent capital increase, or $85m, at Bank Forum, its majority-owned Ukrainian subsidiary.

Russia’s state-controlled VEB, which recently took control of Prominvest Bank, has offered a $190m capital injection and a $1bn credit line.

Shareholders in Ukrsibbank, half-owned by BNP Paribas of France, agreed on Thursday to increase the bank’s capital by 32 per cent to 5.3bn hryvnia and revealed a doubling in last year’s profits to 427.6m ­hryvnia.

Erik Berglof, chief economist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the multilateral lender that is providing €500m to support Ukrainian banks, welcomed the foreign institutions’ moves.

“It shows the problems in the region are manageable but they do have to be actively managed,” he said.

The remainder of Ukraine’s 170 banks will also be asked to increase capital, as required.

Kiev is not yet out of the woods, however.

The IMF this month delayed disbursement of a $1.8bn slice of its $16.4bn emergency loan after paying out $4.5bn last year. The fund withheld its money in a dispute with the Ukrainian government over the budget deficit, which Kiev wants to set at 3 per cent of gross domestic product despite the IMF’s demands that it be set at zero.

Ukraine is trying to bridge the gap by raising $5bn from donors, including Russia and the European Union. But the arguments have created uncertainties and led to the resignation of Viktor Pyn­zenyk, the finance minister.

Fitch, the ratings agency, announced downgrades on thursday on five top Ukrainian banks, including Ukrsotsbank and Ukrsibbank, citing deteriorating economic and financial conditions.

But Ukraine’s banks are hitting back at what they see as overly pessimistic reporting by ratings agencies. The Ukrainian Association of Banks, an industry body, asked members this week to consider withdrawing co-operation with the agencies during the financial crisis, insisting that their negative ratings harmed Ukraine’s banking system.

--------------------------
UBS to pay $780m fines and reveal names over tax evasions

By Joanna Chung and Francesco Guerrera in Washington

Published: February 19 2009 02:00 | Last updated: February 19 2009 02:00

UBS yesterday agreed to pay $780m (£548m) in fines and turn over some customer names to the US government as part of a landmark settlement in which the Swiss bank admitted it helped thousands of clients evade taxes.

The deferred prosecution agreement settles a long-running criminal investigation by the US Department of Justice into whether UBS helped wealthy US clients hide bank accounts from the Internal Revenue Service.

The fine is one of the biggest yet and underscores the US government's efforts to crack down on tax evasion.

"The veil of secrecy has been pulled aside and we will continue to aggressively pursue those who shirk their federal tax obligations or assist others in doing so,'' said John DiCicco, acting assistant attorney-general of the justice department's tax division.

The settlement also caps a year of turmoil for UBS. The bank has been Europe's biggest casualty of the credit crisis. Last week, UBS reported a SFr20bn (£12bn) loss, the largest in Swiss corporate history.

"UBS sincerely regrets the compliance failures in its US cross-border business," said Peter Kurer, chairman of UBS AG.

"We accept full responsibility for these improper activities."

Prosecutors said that in light of UBS's willingness to acknowledge responsibility they would recommend dismissing charges.

UBS has agreed to provide the identities of, and account information for, US customers of its cross-border business. According to people close to the situation, the bank has agreed to turn over about 250 names.

The DoJ has agreed that any prosecution be deferred for at least 18 months, which is subject to extension if the bank needs more time to complete the exit of its US cross-border business.

However, the agreements announced yesterday do not resolve all outstanding matters. In June 2008, a court granted the IRS permission to serve UBS with a "John Doe" summons that would identify US taxpayers with accounts at UBS in Switzerland who have elected to hide them from the IRS. The government will continue to seek enforcement of the summons.

UBS has agreed to pay $400m in tax-related payments and an additional $380m in forfeited profits, including to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, which yesterday settled separate civil charges that the firm acted as an unregistered broker-dealer and investment adviser.

--------------------------
Brazil to supply oil to China for loans

By Jonathan Wheatley in São Paulo and agencies

Published: February 19 2009 23:44 | Last updated: February 19 2009 23:44

Brazil and China signed a landmark agreement on Thursday that will ensure long-term supplies of oil to China while delivering much-needed financing to help Brazil develop enormous reserves of oil and gas recently discovered in its coastal waters.

The deal was announced after Xi Jinping, China’s vice-president, met President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brasília.

Petrobras, Brazil’s publicly traded but state-controlled oil company, will supply China with between 100,000 and 160,000 barrels of oil a day. In return, China will supply loans of up to $10bn (£7bn, €8bn) to help Petrobras and its private-sector partners develop the so-called “pre-salt” fields.

Petrobras said it signed a contract to sell between 60,000 and 100,000 barrels a day to Unipec Asia, a subsidiary of China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (Sinopec), and a memorandum of understanding with PetroChina to sell between 40,000 and 60,000 barrels a day. It also signed a memorandum of understanding with the China Development Bank and Sinopec to provide up to $10bn in finance to Petrobras. The agreement also covers potential joint development of oil industry projects and supply of goods and services to Petrobras by Chinese companies.

Sérgio Gabrielli, president of Petrobras, said details of the agreement would be settled in time for a May visit to China by Mr Lula da Silva.

Celso Amorim, Brazil’s foreign minister, said: “This is the most important South-South relationship.” It comes as part of China’s efforts to secure long-term supplies of raw materials such as oil, minerals and agricultural commodities.

On Tuesday, the China Development Bank signed a $25bn financing deal with Rosneft, Russia’s government-controlled oil company, and Transneft, the Russian monopoly pipeline operator, in exchange for oil from the East Siberian fields over the next two decades.

Petrobras has been seeking financing from a variety of non-traditional sources to help fund planned investments of $174.4bn between 2009 and 2013. The plans include about $29bn to begin developing the pre-salt fields, discovered over the past three years under several kilometres of seawater, rock and a hard-to-penetrate layer of salt.

Petrobras is developing the fields in partnership with foreign oil companies including ExxonMobil and Amerada Hess of the US, BG of the UK, Galp of Portugal, Repsol of Spain and Royal Dutch Shell.

It has refused to speculate on the total size of the reserves, although government officials have said they could add more than 100bn barrels to Brazil’s proven reserves of 14.4bn barrels of oil and natural gas equivalent.

Petrobras said on Monday it was negotiating with up to four consumer countries to secure financing in exchange for oil supplies, as traditional sources of finance have dried up in the global economic crisis.

--------------------------
Venezuela, Peru and Mexico act

By Benedict Mander in Caracas, Naomi Mapstone in Lima and,Adam Thomson in Mexico City

Published: February 20 2009 02:00 | Last updated: February 20 2009 02:00

Latin American authorities yesterday moved against the local operations of the Stanford business empire, as thousands of individual depositors across the region waited anxiously for news of their savings.

Venezuela seized the local operations of Antigua-based Stanford International Bank, which was charged with fraud by US regulators earlier this week, after hundreds of investors scrambled to recover their funds.

In Peru, the authorities moved to take control of Stanford's local business, while Mexico's banking regulator said it was investigating the local Stanford bank affiliate for possible violation of banking laws.

Up to three-quarters of the $8bn in certificates of deposit that the Securities and Exchange Commission, the US financial regulator, has accused Stanford International Bank of selling fraudulently are understood to have been bought in its offices in Latin America.

But Stanford was especially active in Venezuela, taking advantage of ongoing capital flight sparked by President Hugo Chávez's attempts to implement what he calls "21st century socialism".

"Stanford Bank Venezuela will be put on sale as soon as possible - we already know of groups interested in acquiring the bank," said Ali Rodriguez, finance minister.

He said Venezuela's banking system was "totally stable", with deposits at Stanford Bank Venezuela representing 0.2 per cent of Venezuela's banking system.

Edgar Hernandez Behrens, Venezuela's banking regulator, estimated that 10,000 Venezuelan clients had a total of about $2.3bn-$3bn deposited at Stanford International Bank. "Only about 3 per cent of Venezuelans have dollars. I'm sure they are people that are upper middle class and upper class," he said of the Venezuelans who invested in Stanford.

Since the government put capital controls in place in 2003, Venezuelans have been seeking ways to get their money out of the country.

Analysts said that Stanford represented an easier option than US or European banks, as it only asked for a copy of a passport and an address to make deposits.

Stanford had more than 70 employees dedicated to luring Venezuelan depositors with dollar-denominated certificates of deposit from Antigua.

Analysts familiar with the bank's operations said that typical deposits were in the $80,000-$200,000 range, but that few businesses were exposed to the bank.

One person with links to the government, who requested anonymity, suggested that several high-ranking officials had money deposited at Stanford.

Peru's securities regulator yesterday suspended the operations of Stanford Group USA's Lima-based subsidiary as a "preventive" measure in the wake of the allegations.

The Peruvian brokerage with net assets of about 6.8m new sol ($2.1m), will not operate for 30 days under the order imposed by the National Supervisory Commission for Companies and Securities (Conasev).

Regulators in neighbouring Ecuador and Colombia had already moved to suspend Stanford's brokerages in Quito, Guayaquil and Bogotá in recent days.

In Mexico City yesterday, investors waited nervously in the lobby of Stanford Fondos, the Mexican arm of Stanford Financial Group, as they tried to find out what had become of their savings.

Alberto, a well-dressed 26-year-old who works in the import business, said he had been trying to obtain information since Tuesday.

"Of course I hope I can get the money back but it looks difficult."

Asked what it would mean if he failed to recover his investment, he replied: "It's simple: it would mean bankruptcy."

-------------------------
S Korean banks again face dollar shortage

By Song Jung-a in Seoul

Published: February 19 2009 09:39 | Last updated: February 19 2009 09:39

North Korea threatens them with war and Hillary Clinton is making her first visit to Seoul as US secretary of state, but what is really gripping South Koreans is the possibility of a dollar shortage at local banks due to the global credit crunch.

The Bank of Korea on Thursday tried to play down fears that the country will face a funding crisis as local banks struggle to pay back external debts maturing next month. The BoK said South Korean lenders have $24.5bn of foreign currency debt maturing this year with $10.4bn of it coming due in February and March.

The central bank stressed that $24.5bn is “not a big amount” when taking into account the country’s $201bn foreign exchange reserves, the world’s sixth-largest holdings. It said that local lenders’ foreign-currency funding conditions have shown signs of improvement since January.

Mounting speculation over Korean banks’ capability to pay back such debt pushed the local currency to a two-month low of Won1,481 per dollar on Thursday. Fears of a bank funding crisis were heightened after Woori Bank last week decided not to redeem $400m of subordinated bonds maturing in 2014, driving up the cost to borrow dollars in the swap market.

The Korean won has fallen about 15 per cent against the dollar this year, becoming the worst performer among major Asian currencies as investors worry that the country may run short of dollars to pay back debts amid plunging exports and that Japanese lenders may withdraw money en masse ahead of their yearly book closing in March.

“Doubts are growing over whether local banks have enough foreign currency funds to pay back short-term foreign debts due in coming months,” said Kim Seung-hyun, economist at Taurus Securities.

However, Lee Seong-tae, the BoK governor, dismissed talk of the March crisis as “groundless,” saying that financial institutions’ exposure to Japanese lenders remains small. BoK officials said bank demand for dollars has halved this year from the fourth quarter.

Yoon Jeung-hyun, finance minister, said the government placed top priority on stabilising the country’s financial markets and the ministry said the won has recently displayed “unstable moves.” Government officials expect rising a current account surplus to help stem the won’s slide against the greenback.

--------------------------
UK’s public debt surges towards £1,200bn

By Chris Giles, Economics Editor

Published: February 20 2009 00:10 | Last updated: February 20 2009 00:10

Public debt is in danger of rising to £1,200bn – or 80 per cent of national income – in the next three years, double the level the government thought possible a year ago, as recession tightens its grip on the country.

A sharp drop in tax revenues over the past three months, coupled with mounting likely losses in the banking sector, will force the government to confront much higher public borrowing when it presents the Budget in April.

A Financial Times estimate – based on the latest risk-adjusted Bank of England forecast, the Treasury’s ready-reckoner on the link between economic growth and the public finances, and internal International Monetary Fund estimates of the likely ultimate losses in the UK banking system – suggests public sector net debt will rise to twice the previous 40 per cent of national income permitted under the sustainable investment rule that was in place until last summer.

In the pre-Budget report last November, the Treasury projected public sector net debt would rise to 57 per cent of national income; internal IMF estimates suggest another 13 per cent of national income will be needed to pay off the losses in the banking system; and very weak public finances are likely to contribute another 10 per cent of national income in debt by the end of 2010-11.

The Office for National Statistics said on Thursday that in the 2008-09 financial year to date, tax receipts were £10bn down on the same period in 2007-08, while the Treasury forecast that the loss of revenue over the whole financial year would be only £3bn.

Ken Clarke, the shadow business secretary, called on Alistair Darling, the chancellor, to take immediate action. “He should slow down public spending growth to levels he’s admitted he’s going to have to reduce them to the year after [2010-11]”, he told the BBC.

“Gordon wants to buy a few votes,” he added, “this is a time for public sector restraint.”

But Angela Eagle, exchequer secretary to the Treasury, dismissed the Tory ideas as a “recipe for complete disaster”. She said: “We are unashamedly sustaining public spending at a time when there is a global economic downturn to support the economy.”

The ONS, meanwhile, said that it had decided that the government had so much control over Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland that it would classify the two companies as public corporations. This would ultimately have the effect of increasing the formal measure of public debt to around 150 per cent of national income or over £2,000bn. But economists do not think this is a true reflection of the amount taxpayers owe, since the banks have assets to offset many of the liabilities that will appear on government books.

The political wrangle over the public finances comes as Sir John Gieve, outgoing Bank of England deputy governor, said the “neat separation of powers” that had given the central bank independence to set interest rates “has evaporated”.

In a valedictory speech to the London School of Economics, he made clear he thought that the bank would have to work more closely with the Treasury and the Financial Services Authority.

“Fiscal policy has returned as a major tool of macroeconomic management as well as an essential support to the banking sector. And the Bank and the Treasury have been drawn deeper into the financial stability realm,” he said in what will be seen as a big challenge to Bank orthodoxy.

---------------------------
スウェーデンのサーブ、事実上の経営破綻

　【ロンドン＝清水泰雅】スウェーデンの自動車大手で、米ゼネラル・モーターズ（ＧＭ）傘下のサーブが20日、事実上経営破綻した。金融危機をきっかけにした世界的な新車販売の低迷で、業績が悪化。ＧＭはスウェーデン政府に求めていたサーブへの金融支援も得られなかったため、法的管理下で再建を目指す。金融危機以後、経営破綻した欧米の大手自動車メーカーははじめてで、自動車業界で破綻が相次ぐ可能性がある。 (18:59)

-----------------------------
サーブ：事実上の経営破綻　米ＧＭのスウェーデン子会社

　【ロンドン藤好陽太郎】経営危機に陥っている米自動車大手ゼネラル・モーターズ（ＧＭ）の子会社でスウェーデンの自動車メーカー、サーブが２０日、事実上経営破綻（はたん）し、再建に向けた法的手続きに入った。資金繰り難が表面化する中、スウェーデン政府がＧＭの求めていたサーブに対する公的支援を拒否したため。ＧＭグループのメーカーで金融危機後に破綻した自動車メーカーは初めてで、今後も自動車メーカーの破綻や世界的な再編が起こる可能性がある。

　サーブは金融危機前から慢性的な赤字体質となっており、昨秋に金融危機が深刻化してからは、深刻な資金繰り難に陥っていた。

　サーブは今後、管財人と協力し、資金を調達。ＧＭから分離・独立したメーカーとして３カ月以内に再建手続きを終えたい考え。業務は従来通り続ける。

　サーブは「今後の投資に備える真の独立事業体を創出するうえで、法的手続きが最善と判断した」と説明。これに対して、スウェーデン政府も「サーブへの融資の保証を排除しない」と今後の再建計画を注視する意向を強調している。

　欧州メディアによると、サーブは三つの新型車を投入し、販売台数を１２万台程度に戻すなどの案を検討している。スウェーデンの４０００人超の従業員は大幅削減されるとみられる。

　サーブはスウェーデン航空の自動車部門として発足。００年にＧＭの完全子会社になった。だが慢性的な赤字に加え、世界経済の悪化で販売が激減し、０８年は前年比２５％も低下した。

--------------------
シリアの施設跡地から新たなウラン検出　ＩＡＥＡが報告書

　【ウィーン＝桜庭薫】国際原子力機関（ＩＡＥＡ）のエルバラダイ事務局長は19日、シリアとイランの核問題に関する報告書を理事国（日米など35カ国）に配布した。イスラエルが空爆したシリアの施設跡地から新たなウランを検出したうえ、原子炉の材料となりうる黒鉛を発見した。イランについては国連安全保障理事会の決議に違反しているウラン濃縮活動の継続を確認した。

　事務局長はシリアで検出したウランについて、「イスラエルのミサイル使用によってもたらされた」とするシリア側の主張に「可能性は低い」と否定的な見解を示した。シリア側の核疑惑が深まった格好だ。米国は施設が「北朝鮮の協力を得て秘密裏に建設中だった原子炉」だったとしている。

　また、イランが国連安保理の決議に違反し、ウラン濃縮活動を継続していると報告した。中部ナタンツの核施設では濃縮活動に必要な遠心分離器の稼働数が3964台となった。昨年11月の前回報告から164台の増加にとどまり、拡大ペースは落ちた。(16:00)

-----------------------------
芦屋に全戸２億円以上の超高級マンション

2009年2月19日11時14分

　兵庫県芦屋市山手町に全戸２億円以上のマンションが建てられ、１９日、報道向けの内覧会が開かれた。大理石や高級木材のチーク材をふんだんに使ったという豪華な内装で、２１日から約２億１千万～約３億６千万円で販売される。

　阪急芦屋川駅から徒歩約５分の場所にある「ラ・クラシカ芦屋山手町」。地上３階、地下２階建てで、１戸あたりの広さは１８０～２０２平方メートル。間取りはすべて３ＬＤＫで、全１２戸のうち９戸には、強盗などが侵入したときに緊急避難するための広さ６～８畳のシェルターが別に設けられている。

　事業主の「兼北」（神戸市中央区）によると、ターゲットは「阪神間の山の手に住む富裕層で、高齢になったために交通の便がいい場所に引っ越したいと考える人」。すでに数件の問い合わせがあるという。

------------------------------
スイスＵＢＳ、「秘密銀行」から撤退　脱税摘発に発展か

2009年2月20日0時29分

　【ロンドン＝尾形聡彦】スイスの金融最大手ＵＢＳは１８日夜、顧客の脱税を助長してきたことを認め、「不正事業」から得た利益など７億８千万ドル（約７３０億円）を支払うことで、米司法省と和解したと発表した。スイスの銀行の「秘密口座」は、富裕層が資産を不正に隠す場として長年批判されており、大きな転換点になりそうだ。

　ＵＢＳは、米国との間の「秘密口座」事業から完全撤退する方針。脱税に寄与してきた秘密口座の情報を、米司法省側に提供することも約束した。２５０～３００人分の情報を米当局に渡すという。今後、富裕層などによる脱税事件の大規模摘発に発展する可能性もありそうだ。

　ＵＢＳのクーラー会長は「法律を守ることができず後悔している」との声明を出した。スイス政府の金融担当の幹部は１９日緊急会見し、「脱税者を守ることはしない」と述べた。

-------------------------
全産業活動指数、08年は1.6％低下　６年ぶりマイナス

　経済産業省が20日発表した2008年の全産業活動指数（2000年＝100、季節調整値）は105.7となり、前年に比べ1.6％低下した。前年比マイナスとなるのは02年以来、6年ぶり。世界的な景気悪化の影響で鉱工業生産指数が大幅に低下したのが主因。金融市場の混乱を背景に金融・保険業が落ち込んで第三次産業活動指数が低下したことも全体の指数を押し下げた。

　同時に発表した08年12月の指数は99.8と前月に比べて2.7％低下した。マイナスは3カ月連続で、04年2月以来の大きな下げ幅となった。

　08年の全産業供給指数は103.5となり、前年を2.5％下回った。低下は6年ぶりで、下げ幅は現行基準では最大となった。(13:02)

----------------------------
ＪＦＥ、高炉2基目を休止　鋼材需要の低迷にらむ

　ＪＦＥスチールは20日、西日本製鉄所福山地区（広島県福山市）で今月末から高炉1基を当面休止すると発表した。同社としては2基目の休止で、2基の生産能力は全体の2割を占める。1―3月の減産幅は前年度比約35％で変更はしないものの、4月以降も鋼材需要の低迷が続くと判断。生産性の高い設備の稼働を優先することで、コスト競争力の維持に努める狙いだ。

　今回休止するのは粗鋼の年産能力が約260万トンの福山地区第3高炉。需要が回復すれば再稼働する。稼働後約15年が経過し老朽化しているため、需要の低迷が長期化すれば、そのまま改修に入ることも検討するという。

　すでに1月、西日本製鉄所倉敷地区（岡山県倉敷市）で年産能力325万トンの高炉1基を休止しており、稼働する高炉は合計7基になる。

------------------------
ＪＲ東海、来春の新卒採用1030人　２年連続で過去最高に

　東海旅客鉄道（ＪＲ東海）は20日、2010年春の新卒採用者数が過去最高の1030人になると発表した。09年春も計画比で1025人の新卒採用を予定しており、2年連続で過去最高を更新する見込み。団塊世代の大量退職を補充するほか、2025年に開業を目指すリニア中央新幹線の建設に向けた人材確保が狙いだ。

　採用の内訳は大学・大学院卒が約465人、高専卒70人、短大卒50人、専門学校卒70人、高校卒約375人。職種別ではリニア関連の技術者採用を大幅に増やすのに加え、「現地の工事に携わる人員が必要となる」（松本正之社長）。

　ＪＲ東海は山梨県で、リニア実験線の延伸工事を進めており、リニア新幹線の実現に向けた動きを本格化させている。(21:54)

---------------------------
雪冷房、工場に広がる　トヨタやデンソー導入

　冬に積もった雪を工場の冷房に生かす動きが道内で広がる。トヨタ自動車北海道（苫小牧市）やデンソーが今年導入。雪の少ない地域での普及に向け、人工雪を活用する研究も始まった。道内は雪氷利用の先進地だが、従来は主に農産物の貯蔵用。二酸化炭素（ＣＯ2）排出量の削減に有効な環境対策の柱として、今後はものづくり産業での採用が進みそうだ。

　トヨタ北海道は今年夏から、アルミホイールを生産する第2工場に雪冷房を取り入れる。工場の北側の土地約600平方メートルに、敷地内で冬に集めた約1500トンの雪を保管。雪山の中心部からパイプを工場内部に引き込み、塗装工程部門と休憩所に冷気を送る。

　今年4月に操業を始めるデンソーエレクトロニクス（千歳市）はグループで初めて、工場に雪冷房を活用する。現在、雪の貯蔵を進めており、327トンの雪を7―8月にロビーや部品を展示するホールの冷房に使う。省エネ効果は原油換算で1390リットル、3.7トンのＣＯ2削減につながると試算している。

----------------------
都心の清流復活へ連携　品川と目黒区、悪臭除去「酸素水」で実験

　水質が悪化している河川を清流に復活させようと、都内自治体で取り組みが始まった。住宅が密集する都市部では大量の生活排水が川に流れ込み、川の流れが悪いために汚濁や悪臭の原因になっている。周辺住民の居住環境を改善するほか、水質改善技術を産学官で開発し、地域の産業振興を目指す狙いもある。

　品川区と目黒区は2009年度、両区を流れる目黒川の水質改善実験に共同で取り組む。目黒川は流れが停滞する区界周辺で、水の白濁や悪臭の発生が目立つ。ここに高濃度の酸素を溶かした水を供給する装置を両区が2台ずつ設置する。

　河川には微生物の働きで汚れを分解する自浄作用が備わっているが、汚れを分解するには酸素が必要だ。このため人工的に酸素を供給して微生物の働きを助ける。

　川の水1リットル中に酸素が2ミリグラム以上になると、白濁や悪臭の発生を防げる。区界周辺は夏場にこの数値を下回るため数値を装置の設置で改善させ、魚がすむのに良好な同5ミリグラム以上をめざす。

-------------------------
築地市場：移転推進現職ようやく再選

　「東京魚市場卸協同組合」（東卸）は２０日、市場内で５回目の理事長選を行い、現職で移転推進派の伊藤宏之理事長（７０）が再選された。築地市場の移転の是非を巡って新理事長が決まらない状態が続いていた。伊藤理事長は５期目。この日は伊藤理事長が１６票を獲得、１４票の反対派の山崎治雄氏を抑えた。

　記者会見した伊藤理事長は、移転について全組合員（約７６０業者）の意向調査を実施する考えを示した。

--------------------------
天下り・渡り：全面禁止政令３月３１日に閣議決定

　総務省は２０日、国家公務員が省庁のあっせんで再就職する「天下り」と再就職を繰り返す「渡り」を全面的に禁止する政令を来月３１日に閣議決定すると発表した。禁止時期は、来年１月１日以降とする。

　天下りと渡りについては、麻生太郎首相が今月３日の衆院予算委員会で、「今年いっぱいで廃止するための政令を作る」と答弁していた。０７年に成立した改正国家公務員法は、経過措置として、天下りのあっせんを１１年１２月までは容認するとしていたが、与野党から強い反発を受け、禁止時期を前倒しした。

------------------------
元若麒麟を大麻取締法違反で起訴…横浜地検川崎支部

　横浜地検川崎支部は２０日、大麻取締法違反罪で大相撲元若麒麟の鈴川真一容疑者（２５）を起訴した。

　起訴状によると、鈴川被告は１月３０日、東京・六本木の音楽ＣＤ販売会社事務所で大麻約５グラムを所持していた、としている。

　神奈川県警によると、鈴川被告はこれまでの県警の調べに「自分で吸うために持っていた。葉巻と混ぜて吸っていた」などと供述。大麻以外の覚せい剤やコカインなど違法な薬物の尿検査では陰性反応だった。

　鈴川被告は昨年９月、日本相撲協会が実施した大麻使用の有無を確認する尿検査を受け、３度目の検査で陰性が確認されていた。

（2009年2月20日17時45分 スポーツ報知）

----------------------------
元若麒麟・鈴川容疑者を起訴、ミュージシャンは釈放

　横浜地検川崎支部は２０日、大相撲の元若麒麟・鈴川真一容疑者（２５）を大麻取締法違反罪（所持）で横浜地裁川崎支部に起訴した。

　捜査関係者によると、「自分が吸うために持っていた」と起訴事実を認めているという。

　鈴川容疑者と一緒に同法違反容疑で現行犯逮捕されたミュージシャンの平野力さん（３０）は同日、処分保留で釈放された。

　起訴状によると、鈴川容疑者は１月３０日、東京都港区六本木の音楽制作販売会社の事務所内で乾燥大麻約５・７グラムを所持したとされる。

　平野さんは、鈴川容疑者と共同で大麻を所持していた疑いで逮捕されたが、当日は大麻が見つかった部屋の隣室におり、容疑を否認していることから、横浜地検は「現時点で共犯関係の成立を認めるに足りる証拠がない」と判断した。

　また、今回の事件の端緒となった別の事件で、同法違反（譲渡）容疑で逮捕された東京都品川区の男性（２１）も２０日、処分保留で釈放された。
（2009年2月20日20時46分 読売新聞）