New Zealand signs Maori land deal

07:00 GMT, Wednesday, 11 February 2009
New Zealand signs Maori land deal
NZ rugby team, winning Rugby Sevens in Hong Kong March 2008, perform Haka

The New Zealand government has agreed to pay NZ$300m (US$157m, £108m) to eight Maori tribes to settle grievances dating back more than 150 years.

The tribes say they were victims of illegal land seizures and breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi.

This was the agreement on land and human rights reached by British settlers and indigenous people in 1840.

The government also acknowledged Maori authorship of the Haka, the war dance used by the All Blacks rugby team.

The tribes involved have some 12,000 members and will receive about half the amount in cash and the rest in rents from government-owned forests and greenhouse gas emission credits.

Haka

The Maori chief Te Rauparaha was recognised as the originator of the Haka, written to celebrate his escape from death in a battle in the 1820s.

This places ownership of the Haka in his Ngati Toa tribe.

The government has also acknowledged that he was detained without trial in 1846 for 18 months.

Concerns have grown recently at the inappropriate use of the Haka for commercial purposes.

In 2006, an advertisement for Fiat cars featured an Italian woman doing a version of the Haka; it was also used repeatedly in the Hollywood movie Forever Strong.

Land

The deal settles three big claims of land from the bottom half of the North Island and the top of the South Island.

Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples said the agreement was a huge step forward.

It involved gathering people together, researching the history, identifying the issues and preparing claims, appointing negotiators and securing a mandate, dealing with neighbours and sorting through overlapping interests, he said.

Maori make up around 15% of New Zealand's 4.3 million population, but are at the bottom of most social indicators.

---------------------------
13:07 GMT, Tuesday, 10 February 2009
Daewoo warns on Madagascar plans
Soldiers on the street of the Madagascan capital last month

South Korea's Daewoo Logistics has warned it may delay its plans to plant corn in Madagascar following the recent violence in the African nation.

Daewoo's announcement comes after two weeks of unrest on the island state that has caused more than 125 deaths.

The violence has stemmed from a row between the government and opposition.

Daewoo plans to build a corn plantation on Madagascar that is half the size of Belgium. It also blamed lower global corn prices for the possible delay.

'No rush'

The company first announced in October that it aimed to plant corn on one million acres of land in Madagascar.

"Political instability in the country has also reduced its merit"
Daewoo's Shin Dong-hyun

It said it had leased the land for 99 years, and hoped to produce five million tonnes of corn a year by 2023, mostly to meet the growing demand for corn in South Korea, which is the world's third largest importer of the crop.

Daewoo also plans to grow palm oil on a further 300,000 acres of land in Madagascar.

"We are not in a rush to push for the plan and want it to be delayed because weak corn prices and difficult financing conditions have made the deal less attractive," said Shin Dong-hyun, who is in charge of the project at Daewoo.

"Political instability in the country has also reduced its merit...we have done everything we are obliged to do under the contract and are awaiting a response from the Madagascar government to take the next step."

Analysts said the government's decision to lease the vast quantity of land to Daewoo was a background factor to the political violence.

While President Marc Ravalomanana has strongly backed the deal, which would create hundreds of jobs for Madagascan farm workers, opposition leader Andry Rajoelina is opposed, saying too many farmers would lose control of their land.

Madagascan analysts have said they fear that much foreign investment could leave the country unless the political dispute is rectified.

----------------------------
11:49 GMT, Friday, 6 February 2009
Nine-year-old writes iPhone code
Lim Ding Wen

A nine-year-old Malaysian boy in Singapore has written a painting application for the Apple iPhone.

Lim Ding Wen created the finger painting program, known as Doodle Kids, for his two younger sisters aged three and five.

The program allows iPhone owners to draw images on the handset's touch screen using just their fingers.

The program has been downloaded more than 4,000 times from Apple's iTunes store in less than two weeks.

While most children of his age are painting or drawing with crayons, Lim Ding Wen has been programming.

Lim, who is now fluent in six programming languages, first started using a computer when he was two-years-old, discovered programming aged seven, and has since completed more than 20 programming projects.

His latest application, Doodle Kids, allows users to draw pictures using their fingers and then clear the screen by shaking the iPhone.

"I wrote the program for my younger sisters, who like to draw," said Lim. "But I am happy that people like it."

Lim wrote the original application on his computer but has now adapted it for use on an iPhone.

He told The Electric New Paper in Singapore that he wrote the application in just a few days in Pascal.

Go on my son

Writing on his website, Lim's father - Lim Thye Chean - a chief technology officer at a local hi-tech firm, who also writes iPhone applications, was modest about his son's achievements.

"Ding Wen is an above average boy with an interest in computers, especially Apple IIGS and Macs, likes to do programming, and that's it.

"Doodle Kids is an extremely simple program that can be done by anybody. Everybody can program - if Ding Wen can, so can you," he wrote.

Lim Ding Wen is now working on a sci-fi game for the iPhone called Invader Wars and plans to join his school's robotics club.

------------------------------
10:53 GMT, Wednesday, 11 February 2009
Ban on Dutch MP from entering UK
Geert Wilders

A Dutch MP who described the Koran as a "fascist book" has been banned from entering the UK amid fears his presence would endanger public security.

Freedom Party MP Geert Wilders was invited to show his controversial film - which links the Islamic holy book to terrorism - in the UK's House of Lords.

But Mr Wilders, who faces trial in his own country for inciting hatred, has been denied entry by the Home Office.

Mr Wilders said the move was "cowardly" but one peer said it was "welcome".

'Offensive'

Mr Wilders' film Fitna caused outrage across the Muslim world when it was posted on the internet last year.

Its opening scenes show a copy of the Koran followed by footage of the 9/11 attacks in the US and the bombings in Madrid in 2004 and London in 2005.

The Dutch prime minister has said the film served "no purpose other than to offend".

Mr Wilders was asked to show the film at the House of Lords by UK Independence Party peer Lord Pearson.

"It would be unwise to have him in the UK because this man's presence would cause hatred"
Lord Ahmend

Profile: Geert Wilders

However, he received a letter from the British Embassy in the Netherlands telling him he would not be allowed into the UK.

The Home Office said there was a blanket ban on Mr Wilders entering the UK under EU laws enabling member states to exclude someone whose presence could threaten public security.

"The government opposes extremism in all forms," it said in a statement, adding that it had tightened up rules on excluding those engaging in "unacceptable behaviour" in October.

"It will stop those who want to spread extremism, hatred, and violent messages in our communities from coming to our country."

Mr Wilders described the decision as "cowardly" and said he still intends to travel to the UK on Thursday to take part in the event.

The Dutch government is reported to be trying to overturn the ban.

In the past, Mr Wilders has called for the Koran to be banned and compared it to Mein Kampf.

'Cowardly decision'

Earlier this year, a Dutch court ordered prosecutors to put Mr Wilders on trial for inciting hatred and discrimination by making anti-Islamic statements.

Labour peer Lord Ahmed, who expressed his concerns to the Parliamentary authorities about Mr Wilders' visit, said he welcomed the decision to ban the MP.

"It would be unwise to have him in the UK because this man's presence would cause hatred," he said.

"He has a case against him in the Amsterdam court for inciting hatred."

Lord Ahmed, who said other Muslim peers shared his concerns, stressed that Mr Wilders' views would certainly present a threat to public order.

"When Muslims are attacked obviously you will see people react to that."

But Lord Pearson said the decision to bar him was "weak and unacceptable in the extreme".

"The Home Office is guilty of appeasement on this, clearly."

The peer said the screening would still go ahead on Thursday whether Mr Wilders was present or not.

He said the Parliamentary authorities were happy for the event to take place but had ordered extra security for it.

"The film does not threaten anyone," he said, adding that it simply showed how violent extremists justified their actions.

He said the screening would be followed by a debate on issues relating to the Koran, extremism and freedom of speech.

------------------------------
07:50 GMT, Wednesday, 11 February 2009
Regular eggs 'no harm to health'
Eggs

Limiting egg consumption has little effect on cholesterol levels, research has confirmed.

A University of Surrey team said their work suggested most people could eat as many eggs as they wanted without damaging their health.

The researchers, who analysed several studies of egg nutrition, said the idea that eating more than three eggs a week was bad for you was still widespread.

But they said that was a misconception based on out-of-date evidence.

"There is cholesterol present in eggs but this does not usually make a great contribution to your level of blood cholesterol"
Victoria Taylor
British Heart Foundation

Writing in the British Nutrition Foundation's Nutrition Bulletin, they said eating saturated fats was far more likely to cause health problems.

Researcher Professor Bruce Griffin said eggs were actually a key part of a healthy diet, as they were particularly packed full of nutrients.

Ingrained misconception

He said: "The ingrained misconception linking egg consumption to high blood cholesterol and heart disease must be corrected.

"The amount of saturated fat in our diet exerts an effect on blood cholesterol that is several times greater than the relatively small amounts of dietary cholesterol.

"The UK public do not need to be limiting the number of eggs they eat - indeed they can be encouraged to include them in a healthy diet as they are one of nature's most nutritionally dense foods."

While elevated blood cholesterol levels increase the risk of heart disease, only around a third of the cholesterol in the body comes from the diet.

Other factors such as smoking, being overweight and physical activity can influence blood fat and cholesterol levels and heart disease risk.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) dropped its advice to limit egg consumption to three a week in 2007 in light of new evidence.

However, research by the British Egg Information Service suggests 45% of consumers still believe it was sensible to limit consumption.

Victoria Taylor, a senior BHF dietician, said: "We recommend that eggs can be eaten as part of a balanced diet.

"There is cholesterol present in eggs but this does not usually make a great contribution to your level of blood cholesterol.

"If you need to reduce your cholesterol level it is more important that you cut down on the amount of saturated fat in your diet from foods like fatty meat, full fat dairy products and cakes, biscuits and pastries."

In 2007 the Egg Information Service was banned from re-running a television commercial from the 1950s which urged viewers to "go to work on an egg" to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

The Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre said the slogan went against the principle of eating a varied diet.

-------------------------------
高まる米国債の購入圧力　一蓮托生のリスク増大 (1/2ページ)
2009.2.11 19:44
このニュースのトピックス：通商・貿易

　米政府が新たな金融安定化策を発表し、議会上院も景気対策を可決したが、今後、米国の財政支出と米国債の発行が雪だるま的に増大するのは避けられない。同盟国で中国に次ぐ米国債保有国である日本に対し、購入圧力が高まるのは必至だ。１６日にはヒラリー・クリントン米国務長官が来日するが、市場では「米国債のセールスに来る」との声が上がる。財政悪化で米国債が暴落したり、円高ドル安が進んだりすれば、日本は巨額の損失を被る。米国債の大量保有は、“一蓮托生”の関係が強まるリスクをはらんでいる。

　市場関係者は１０日から１３日に実施される過去最大規模の６７０億ドルに上る米国債の発行入札をかたずをのんで見守っている。「順調に消化されないと、市場で国債が売られ、長期金利が上昇しかねない」（大手邦銀）からだ。

　１０日は株安による資金逃避で国債が買われ、価格に反比例する利回りは、指標となる１０年債で２・８％台に急低下したが、前日の９日には昨年１１月以来となる３％台に上昇していた。

　「不況下の金利上昇」は最悪のシナリオだ。本来、不況時には低金利が続くとの予想から国債が買われ、長期金利は低下する。

　しかし財政悪化懸念で国債が売られ、長期金利が上昇すれば、企業や家計の利払い負担が増大し景気はさらに冷え込む。新発債の利率も上昇し、利払いで財政悪化に拍車がかかる。

　米国債の今年度の新規発行は３兆ドルに上り、財政赤字は過去最悪の１兆ドルに達する見通し。長期金利は「さらに２・５％上昇する可能性がある」（大和総研の熊谷亮丸シニアエコノミスト）という。

--------------------------
200,000-men-strong rapid-deployment force to be created.

11.02.2009, 10.41

MOSCOW, February 11 (Itar-Tass) - A 200,000-men-strong force, ready to be immediately committed to action at any theatre of operation, is planned to be created in the Russian Armed Forces after their transformation, Lieutenant General Vladimir Shamanov, head of the department for combat training and service under the Armed Forces, wrote in an article, which was published by the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper on Wednesday.

“Considering the problem of the general-purpose troops, which include the Ground Troops, the Airborne Troops and the Marine Troops, we must create a nucleus of a compact force, whose numerical strength should not exceed 200,000, but which should have an extremely high combat rapid-deployment potential. Those should be mobile, excellently trained troops, ready to be committed to action at any theatre of operation any moment. In other words, we should create an army group that could be used not in the warfare, similar to that of the mid-20th century, by in modern warfare, similar to the combat operation in Georgia in August 2008, or to the war waged by the United States in Afghanistan or Iraq,” General Shamanov continued.

“If we wish to have a rapid-deployment force, it would be reasonable to pass over to the three-stage combat training,” he wrote. According to General Shamanov, “the new system of combat training should include the following stages: while one battalion has a rest and is engaged in everyday work, the second one engages in combat training at some far-away training ground, and the third one engages in combat training in the area of permanent deployment and it ready to be committed to action any moment. Actually it is on stand-by alert. The developments in South Ossetia showed that we must have a force, made up of five to ten battalions, permanently ready to be committed to action.”

--------------------------
OSCE observers arrive illegally in South Ossetia.

11.02.2009, 12.51

TSKHINVAL, February 11 (Itar-Tass) -- Observers from the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) arrived in South Ossetia illegally again, a source in the South Ossetian Ministry of Press and Mass Communications said.

“A car carrying OSCE observers transgressed the border of South Ossetia near the village of Artsev. After South Ossetian patrol at the post had been trying to stop the car with the OSCE observers, the car turned around and left the republic hurriedly,” the source said.

On Tuesday, Artsev policemen detained two OSCE observers in the same district, but released them after identity checkups.

------------------------
Bank sees slowdown deepening

By Daniel Pimlott and Peter Garnham in London

Published: February 11 2009 11:41 | Last updated: February 11 2009 12:19

The UK economy is likely to contract at a much faster pace than had been thought as recently as November, with further interest rates cuts likely and other unusual monetary policy possible, the Bank of England’s quarterly inflation report suggested on Wednesday.

Mervyn King, the Bank’s governor, said the UK economy was in deep recession and that the risks to economic growth lay “heavily to the downside” as the government wrestled with problems in the financial system.

The inflation report projects that growth in national income will continue to decline until the final quarter of this year, hitting a low of minus 4 per cent in the second quarter compared with the year before.

This is much worse than the November forecast of the Bank’s inflation report, which foresaw a maximum of 1.9 per cent year on year drop in GDP.

The Bank forecasts that the decline in GDP this year will be amplified as companies run down stocks rather than make new orders as they fall short of working capital and their business prospects weaken. But it expects that companies will then ease their rate of destocking and begin to rebuild them, increasing output again.

At the lowest end of its forecast, the Bank said there was a chance that GDP could fall by as much as 6 per cent in the second quarter compared with the year before.

Further interest rate cuts, and possibly other unusual monetary policy, will be necessary if the Bank is to meet the inflation target of 2 per cent over the longer term, it added.

Its forecast for inflation suggests that without further action, inflation would fall below 1 per cent – or more than a full percentage point away from its 2 per cent target – for an extended period this year and could remain well below target for much of 2010 and 2011.

The Bank also spelled out its views on monetary policy as interest rates approach zero. It said that cuts in the Bank rate so far – from 4.75 per cent to 1 per cent since late 2008 – had fed through to consumers and businesses with longer term variable rate loans.

But it said that the transmission of lower interest rates to lending had been severely disrupted by the financial crisis, with interest rates for new lending to households tending to drop by much less than the fall in the bank rate.

“The net effect of these factors has blunted the impact of reductions in bank rate,” the report says.

The pound extended its losses on Wednesday after the release of the Bank’s latest warning on the UK economy.

Expectations that the Bank would embark on a policy of quantitative monetary easing once interest rates fell to zero that undermined sterling.

Mr King is talking about turning on the printing press, which would effectively de-base the value of the pound,” said Paul Mackel at HSBC. “On the back of Mr King’s comments the path of least resistance is for sterling to weaken.”

The pound fell 1 per cent to $1.4385 against the dollar, lost 1.2 per cent to £0.8987 against the euro and fell 1.6 per cent to Y129.36 against the yen.

In order to supplement normal interest rate policy, the Bank has been granted powers to use its asset purchase facility to buy up high-quality corporate debt to ease credit. Initially this would be funded through the sale of gilts, but in its inflation report the Bank underlined that the facility could also be used to achieve the inflation target – meaning that it would be allowed to create money in order to fund the purchase of assets.

However, the Bank outlined its concerns about creating money, saying that there was a risk that banks would choose to hoard the funds rather than expand the supply of credit – as happened in Japan in the 1990s.

The Bank also said it was unclear how much using such purchases of assets improved liquidity or encouraged new issuance.

But it said it remained prepared to do whatever was needed to reach the inflation target.

“Whatever the uncertainties about the strength of the transmission mechanism, the private sector should be assured that the MPC will take the necessary to bring inflation back to target,” it said.

The Bank expects credit conditions over the forecast period to be tighter than had been expected in the November report, mainly because credit conditions for households had deteriorated. As a result of the extraordinary measures by the Bank and the government to stabilise financial markets – including the Bank’s £50bn asset purchase facility – lending to companies is expected to be better than assumed in its last report.

------------------------------
UK jobless total rises to 1.97m

By Andrew Taylor, Employment Correspondent

Published: February 11 2009 10:12 | Last updated: February 11 2009 10:12

The total number of people out of work continued to rise sharply at the end of last year but failed to top the 2m mark as widely expected according to official figures published on Wednesday.

This benchmark is likely to be exceeded in the opening months of this year, with redundancies announced in the final three months of 2008 climbing to the highest level since comparable records began in 1995.

Rise in foreign-born workers

Gordon Brown’s slogan: “British jobs for British workers” will face further questioning, following official figures on Wednesday which showed that employment of UK-born workers had fallen by almost 260,000 in the final quarter of last year, compared with the same period in 2007 - while employment of non-UK-born workers over the same period rose by 214,000 to 3.8m.

Since the beginning of 1997, the year Labour came to power, the number of foreign born workers with jobs in the UK has almost doubled, increasing by 1.9m to 3.82m.

Over the same period, the number of British-born workers has risen by 1.26m - or 5 per cent - to 25.58m.

The figures come as fresh demonstrations were staged by construction workers outside the Staythorpe and Isle of Grain power stations in protests over the employment of foreign workers.

The pace of job cuts across almost all areas of the economy has risen even more sharply in the opening months of this year with employers in the retail, manufacturing, construction and financial services sectors announcing a spate of redundancies in recent weeks.

Redundancies in the construction sector alone during the final three months of last year were more than four times higher than in the final quarter of 2007. Job cuts in the manufacturing, retail and leisure, and finance and business services sectors had also doubled over the same period, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The total number of unemployed according to the ONS rose by 146,000 to 1.97m during the three months to the end of December. This was the highest level since August 1997, which was shortly after Labour came to power.

The unemployment rate of 6.3 per cent, although still lagging behind most of the UK’s main continental European rivals, was the highest level since 1999.

The number of people claiming unemployment benefit also rose for the twelfth month in succession, climbing by 73,800 in January to 1.23m - also the highest level since 1999.

Job vacancies, another good guide to the health of the labour market, have continued to tumble, falling by a further 76,000 to 504,000 during the latest three monthly period to the end of January.

Officials said this was the lowest level since comparable records began in 2001.

Manufacturing vacancies were 48 per cent lower than at the same stage a year ago, while construction industry vacancies were almost 42 per cent lower.

The trials of the job market, however, have failed to trigger, at least so far, a rise in industrial disputes.

During December, just 1,000 working days were lost from four stoppages. This was “the lowest number of recorded stoppages since comparable monthly records began in 1931,” said the ONS.

Rises in earnings have also remained modest. Average annual earnings growth, including bonuses, was 3.2 per cent during the three months to the end of December - the same as during the previous three months.

Average earnings growth excluding bonuses was also unchanged at 3.6 per cent.

--------------------------------
Airbus in row over integration of its Spanish military division

By Sylvia Pfeifer in London, Peggy Hollinger in Paris and,Gerrit Wiesmann in Frankfurt

Published: February 10 2009 02:00 | Last updated: February 10 2009 02:00

A row has broken out at the top of Airbus as the commercial aircraft maker seeks to integrate the Spain-based military aircraft division of EADS, its parent company.

The conflict threatens to reignite deep-seated national tensions at the top of Europe's leading aerospace and defence group and among its core French, German and Spanish shareholders.

EADS is struggling to regain control of the A400M military transport programme, Europe's biggest collaborative defence project, which is running at least three years late and running up billions of euros of extra costs.

The integration, announced in December, was designed to enable Airbus, based in Toulouse, to take over direct control of the group's military aircraft operations in Spain.

There have been mounting tensions between Tom Enders, Airbus chief executive, and Carlos Suárez, head of the military division. Relations between the two are at a low after a clash last week, say people familiar with the situation.

Speaking about the integration of the Spain-based business into Airbus last month, Mr Enders said relations had previously been "overly complex, they were a bit politically polluted. We will deal with that".

He is believed to be unhappy with the progress on the A400M programme.

EADS has taken a charge of €1.7bn (£1.5bn) for the delays and is in talks with its European government customers about restructuring the programme.

The dispute potentially poses yet another political problem for EADS, which has been riven by battles between its dominant French and German shareholders.

The Spanish state still holds a 5.5 per cent stake in the group.

When asked to comment on rumours of a rift with Mr Suárez by the Financial Times at a conference in Munich over the weekend, Mr Enders declined to comment, but reiterated that the integration was crucial for the success of the A400M.

Mr Suárez was unavailable for comment.

Last night, EADS said: "EADS is not aware of any political issues with the Spanish government over the integration of the military division. Carlos Suárez is still fully in charge.

"We are still in the process of integrating our military division into Airbus."

----------------------------
Danone forecasts double-digit growth

PARIS, Feb 11 - French food group Danone achieved a 15 per cent rise in underlying net income last year and said it continued to expect double-digit growth in earnings per share in 2009 as it saw no dramatic drop in consumption.

Net profit rose to €1.31bn ($1.70bn) in 2008 from €1.19bn the previous year, Danone said in a statement on Wednesday, broadly in line with the average of analysts’ forecasts based on Reuters Estimates.

“As anticipated ... the global economic environment has further deteriorated in the past three months, resulting in a slowdown in most markets in which the group operates, including in a number of emerging countries,” Danone said.

“Our scenario for 2009 remains that current consumption patterns in our key emerging and developed markets will continue over the balance of the year, with no significant improvement or dramatic breakdown.”

The maker of Evian bottled water and Actimel yoghurt said it still expected like-for-like sales growth of a few points below its medium-term guidance of 8-10 percent and a like-for-like continued improvement of the trading operating margin this year.

------------------------
外国軍増派「賛成」アフガン国民の１８％だけ…英米ＴＶ調査

　【イスラマバード＝酒井圭吾】アフガニスタン国民のうち、同国に駐留する外国軍の増派に「賛成」なのは１８％しかいないことが、英ＢＢＣ放送や米ＡＢＣテレビの共同世論調査で明らかになった。

　米国への好感度も、２００５年調査で８３％が「好ましい」と答えていたのに、今回は４７％に急落。同盟国とともにアフガン増派計画を進めるオバマ米政権にとっては、厳しい数字となった。

　駐留外国軍の規模については、「減らすべきだ」が４４％、「現状維持」が２９％と、増派に反対する意見が多数を占めた。「（武装勢力による）外国軍への攻撃を容認する」も２５％おり、誤爆による市民の犠牲が、外国軍への見方を厳しくしている実態が明らかになった。

　調査は、昨年１２月から今年１月にかけて、アフガン３４州の１５３４人を対象に実施された。

------------------------
鉄鋼最大手ミッタル、２３００億円の赤字…１０～１２月期

　【ロンドン＝是枝智】鉄鋼世界最大手のアルセロール・ミッタルが１１日発表した２００８年１０～１２月期決算は、世界的な景気低迷で鉄鋼需要が大幅に落ち込み、純利益が２６億ドル（約２３００億円）の赤字に転落した。

　四半期ベースで赤字に陥ったのは、０６年にミッタル・スチールとアルセロールが統合して発足して以来、初めてだ。自動車や建設市場の悪化で、売上高が前年同期より２割以上減ったことが響いた。

　０８年１２月期（通期）の純利益も、前年同期比９％減の９３億ドルにとどまった。約９０００人の人員カットなどで経費削減を目指すが、０９年１～３月期の設備稼働率は６割弱にとどまるとしており、今後も厳しい経営が続きそうだ。

------------------------
西日本に今年初の「黄砂」、視程１０キロ未満の所も

　西日本で１１日、今年初の黄砂が観測された。熊本、長崎、大分、宮崎、鹿児島県など。視程が１０キロ未満になる所があった。

　黄砂は、中国の砂漠や黄土地帯で吹き上げられた砂ぼこりが偏西風に乗って飛来する現象。毎年２～５月頃、観測される。

-----------------------
中東の闇の核開発をめぐり暗躍　ＣＩＡ元秘密工作員、活動の一端を語る (1/3ページ)
2009.2.11 13:00

　米中央情報局（ＣＩＡ）の元秘密工作員として約２０年間、主に中東を舞台に活動したイシュマエル・ジョーンズ氏（偽名）は産経新聞に対し、イラク戦争前にイラクの核専門家に接触を試みたもようや、イランのミサイル開発をつかむため機器をひそかに輸出していた貿易会社内に情報源をつくったことなど、秘密工作活動の一端を明らかにした。（ワシントン　有元隆志）

　－－２００３年３月に始まったイラク戦争前、イラクの大量破壊兵器開発についてどのような情報収集を行ったか

　「イラク戦争前、ＣＩＡ本部（米バージニア州ラングレー）はイラクの核専門家がセミナー出席のためイラク国外に出てくるとの情報をつかんだ。私は現地の言葉（アラビア語）も話せ、地元の地理にも詳しいので、イラクの大量破壊兵器活動の実態を知る“標的”との接触を志願し、その専門家と電子メールのやりとりもした」

　《子供のころ中東で育ったジョーンズ氏は大学卒業後、海兵隊に入隊した。除隊後、大学院を修了しニューヨークの金融街で働いた。ＣＩＡには１９８０年代後半に入局し、中東や欧州を拠点とした》

　－－本部の返事はどうだったのか

　「本部は『ＳＩＳ（英情報局秘密情報部）が君の電話内容を知るかもしれない』と心配した。なぜ英国人が私の電話内容を知っているのかと聞いたら、『われわれが録音内容を提供しているからだ』という答えだった」

　－－結局、ＣＩＡはどう対応したのか

　「このイラク人専門家の趣味がテニスと知った本部は、相手方が疑わないようセミナーで偶然出会い、共通の趣味を通じて接触を深める案を選んだ。『地球の反対側』から送られてきたのはテニスが上手な要員だった。しかし、要員は一緒にテニスする機会もなく、計画は失敗に終わった。イラク戦争が始まったのは数カ月後だった。イラク戦争前の情報収集をめぐってはだれもうそをついていない。大量破壊兵器の存在を語る情報源をわれわれが持っていなかっただけだ」

　《大量破壊兵器問題で、ジョーンズ氏にはもう一つの悔しい思い出がある。９０年代はじめ、パキスタンの「核開発の父」といわれたカーン博士が講演のため中東を訪れるのを知ったジョーンズ氏は、接触を試みようとした。博士本人は無理だったが、同行していた若い科学者を食事に招くことに成功した》

　－－科学者との会話はどうだったか

　「非常に話しやすかった。将来よい情報源になると確信した。インドやパキスタンの科学者の多くは米国に留学経験もあり、家族が米国に住んでいるケースもあり、非常に接近しやすかった。情報収集の標的としては最適だった」

------------------------------
ＦＸ業界も自主ルール策定へ＝健全化に向け専門部会を設置－金先協

　外国為替証拠金取引（ＦＸ）業者などが加入する金融先物取引業協会が、ＦＸ取引の自主ルールの策定に向けた調整に入ったことが１０日、分かった。同協会の下部組織として、業界主要２１社で構成する専門部会を設置、規則の具体案や実施時期を協議する。金融庁が業者に対し顧客資産の全額信託を義務付ける方針を固めたのに続き、業界としてもＦＸ取引の健全化に乗り出す。

　部会では、証拠金に対する取引額倍率（レバレッジ）や売買値の差（スプレッド）に上限を設定、個人投資家や業者が過度なリスクを取らないよう自主ルールに盛り込む方針だ。また、投資家の損失が一定額以上に膨らんだ場合の強制決済や、業者が倒産した際に投資家の資産を保護する基金設立についても検討する。（2009/02/10-20:15）

-----------------------------
三菱ＵＦＪ証券とモルガン日本法人、「秋にも統合」合意

　三菱ＵＦＪフィナンシャル・グループ（ＦＧ）傘下の三菱ＵＦＪ証券と米モルガン・スタンレーの日本法人が今秋にも経営統合することで大筋合意したことが 10日明らかになった。3月の基本合意を目指し、出資比率などについて詰めの協議に入ったもよう。2社の統合で、国内2位の大和証券グループ本社に肉薄する3位の証券会社が誕生する。

　三菱ＵＦＪは昨年秋、米モルガン・スタンレーに優先株の引き受けを通じて90億ドル（約9000億円）を出資した。将来は普通株への転換を通じて約 20％の出資比率を確保する条件だ。そのうえで、国内証券業務の強化のため、三菱ＵＦＪ証券とモルガンの日本法人の統合をモルガン側に申し入れていた。 (12:01)

----------------------
信金中金、４信金に資本支援

　信用金庫の中央金融機関である信金中央金庫は10日、経営難に陥っている４つの信金に資本支援する方向で最終調整に入った。湘南（神奈川県横須賀市）、滝野川（東京・北）、秋田ふれあい（秋田県大仙市）、西九州（長崎県佐世保市）で、支援金額は合計で数百億円規模になる見通し。不良債権処理や有価証券の減損処理で傷んだ財務基盤を強化する。

　西九州は佐賀県の杵島（武雄市）と合併する方向で最終調整に入った。預金量は2008年3月期の合計で1165億円に上り九州で中規模の信金に浮上する。週内にも発表する見通しだ。(07:00)

----------------------------
企業支援オペ、３兆円突破　日銀、目標上回る

　年度末を控えた金融機関や企業の旺盛な資金需要が鮮明になっている。日銀は10日、社債などを担保に低利資金を貸し出す3回目の入札を実施した。落札額は1兆3834億円で、過去2回と合わせた供給総額は約3兆9000億円に上った。年度内の目標だった3兆円を早くも突破しており、最終的な資金供給額は当初見込んでいた2倍ほどに膨らむ可能性もある。

　年度末は決算対策として企業間の資金決済が増えやすく、企業は手元資金の調達を急いでいる。ただ、金融危機で市場からの資金調達が難しくなっており、資金繰りに支障をきたす恐れがある。(07:00)

---------------------------
楽天社長「自分が出る」　医薬品販売検討会、ネット通販規制に反発

　楽天の三木谷浩史社長は10日、厚生労働省が設置を決めた一般用医薬品の販売方法をめぐる検討会に、自身がメンバーとして参加する意向を明らかにした。厚労省が省令で通信販売を大幅に規制したことに反発、「自分が出て憤りと疑問をぶつけ、国民的議論を喚起する」と“出陣”の構えを見せた。

　検討会は今月中―下旬に開催し、ネット事業者が規制反対の理由とする、通販以外で購入が困難な消費者への販売方法などを話し合う予定。日本薬剤師会など従来の検討会メンバー15人に加え、新たにネット事業者ら4人が参加する。厚労省は楽天の参加者を関聡司執行役員と公表していた。(12:07)

----------------------------
回転ずし２社が値下げ　期間限定「スシロー」１皿90円

　回転ずし大手2社が期間限定で100円を切る値下げに踏み切る。「無添くら寿司」を展開するくらコーポレーションは主力の一皿105円のすしを92円に、「あきんど」「スシロー」を運営するあきんどスシローも同90円にする。外食企業の中では比較的好調だった回転ずし業界も昨夏以降景気不安から苦戦が続く。値下げで客数を増やし、売り上げ増を目指す。

　くらは13日から21日まで（15日除く）、ほぼ全店に当たる約215店舗で実施する。持ち帰りも同様に値下げする。昨秋から携帯電話で店舗の席が予約できる「ｅｐａｒｋ」会員向けに期間限定で92円とするサービスを始めたが、今回はすべての客を対象とする。(11:13)

------------------------------
エルピーダ、台湾３社と統合へ　日台の公的資金活用

　半導体大手のエルピーダメモリは台湾の半導体メーカー3社と経営統合することで大筋合意した。半導体市況の悪化で各社の業績は急速に悪化しており、規模の拡大で生き残りを目指す。日本の半導体大手が国や地域を越えた統合に踏み込むのは初めて。統合で生まれる新会社は台湾当局から金融支援を得て財務基盤を強化する。エルピーダは日本の公的資金の活用も検討しており、半導体産業の競争力強化に向け日台が公的資金を投入する異例の展開になる。

　エルピーダはパソコンなどに使われる記憶用の半導体メモリー（ＤＲＡＭ）で世界3位。すでに提携している同7位の力晶半導体、力晶とエルピーダの合弁会社である瑞晶電子、8位の茂徳科技と経営統合を視野に入れた交渉を進めてきた。台湾を訪問中のエルピーダの坂本幸雄社長が11日、台湾当局や交渉中の半導体メーカーなどと大筋合意する見通し。統合が実現すれば、韓国サムスン電子に次ぐＤＲＡＭの世界2位に浮上する。(07:00)

-----------------------------
オフィス家具各社、新興国で拡販

　オフィス家具大手各社が新興国市場に本格進出する。イトーキは中国で生産設備を導入し、2月後半から現地で発売する。コクヨは日本メーカーで初めてインドに現地法人を設立、岡村製作所はアラブ首長国連邦（ＵＡＥ）のドバイやロシアに進出する。日本のオフィス家具需要は企業の人員削減や設備投資抑制を受けて冷え込んでおり、成長余力のある新興国に活路を求める。

　イトーキは中国・江蘇省で店舗向け陳列棚を作る自社工場に、3億円を投じてオフィス家具の生産設備を導入した。価格を抑えた製品を独自開発し、イトーキブランドで販売する。中国のオフィス投資の伸びも弱含んでいるが、長期的に成長が見込めると判断した。海外売上高を2010年に07年比約3倍の50億円に増やす計画だ。(07:00)

----------------------------
東京都の主要施設、改築・改修に9000億円　09―18年度計画

　東京都は10日、都庁舎（東京・新宿）を含めた主要施設について、2009―18年度に約9000億円を投じて改築・改修する計画を発表した。空調設備などが老朽化する都庁舎の工事費は780億円を見込む。都は公共施設の整備向けの基金や都有地の売却などで財源を確保する考えだが、景気悪化で足元の都税収入は落ち込んでおり、大規模改修は財政運営の重荷となる。

　都庁舎は著名建築家の丹下健三氏が設計し、1991年に完成。48階建てのツインタワーの第1本庁舎と、34階建ての第2本庁舎、7 階建ての議事堂の計3棟がある。延べ床面積は計約38万平方メートル。計約1万1500人の都職員が働き、展望室には年約189万人が訪れる。

　完成から17年が過ぎ、給排水設備や電気設備が劣化し、99―07年度には計約2万8000件の故障が発生。空調設備の修繕回数が年々増加傾向にあるなど、耐用年数の限界を迎えつつあった。民間の超高層ビルも築20年前後で設備更新しており、初めての大規模改修に踏み切る。

---------------------------
渡辺氏グループ、堺屋太一氏ら参加し17人に　都内で初会合

　渡辺喜美元行政改革担当相、江田憲司衆院議員らの政策グループが11日、都内で初会合を開いた。両氏のほか、堺屋太一元経済企画庁長官や高橋洋一東洋大教授、1月に現職最年少として当選した山中光茂・三重県松阪市長ら15人が参加。「脱官僚」や「地域主権」などを全国で訴えていく考えで一致した。 (20:02)

--------------------------
渡辺喜美氏：国民運動体の発足会合　江田議員ら参加

　自民党を離党した渡辺喜美元行政改革担当相が１１日、東京都内のホテルで「脱官僚」「地域主権」「生活重視」を掲げる国民運動体の発足会合を開いた。渡辺氏は記者会見で「霞が関が国をコントロールする閉（へい）塞（そく）状況を打破し、政治を国民の手に奪還する」と活動の趣旨を説明した。

　運動体には、発起人の江田憲司衆院議員（無所属）▽政府の道州制ビジョン懇談会座長の江口克彦ＰＨＰ総合研究所社長▽国家公務員制度改革推進本部顧問会議メンバーで政治評論家の屋山太郎氏－－をはじめ、作家の堺屋太一氏、元内閣参事官の高橋洋一・東洋大教授、山中光茂・三重県松阪市長ら計１５人が中心メンバーとして参加した。渡辺氏は、運動体が新党結党につながる可能性を否定したが、「我々政治家が（政治と国民運動との）懸け橋となれれば」と述べ、含みも残した。

-----------------------------
都道府県・政令市の全教委、教員採用試験を改善

　文部科学省は11日、2009年度の教員採用試験について、都道府県と政令市の計64の教育委員会のすべてが、試験問題公表や成績開示など、何らかの改善策を講じる方針だと発表した。

　調査は大分県教委の教員採用汚職事件を受け、不透明との指摘が根強い採用試験の改善状況を把握するために1月30日時点で実施した。

　改善策として試験問題や解答を公表するのは50教委。東京は問題をホームページに掲載、山梨や長野などは問題を持ち帰ることを認める。愛知は過去3年分の筆記試験と実技試験の全問題を閲覧できるようにする。(20:22)

--------------------------
ライブドア：堀江被告への損賠請求、和解分３１０億円上乗せ

　証券取引法違反に問われた元ライブドア社長、堀江貴文被告（３６）＝１、２審実刑、上告中＝ら旧経営陣５人と公認会計士２人に約３５億円の損害賠償を求めて東京地裁に提訴しているＬＤＨ（旧ライブドアホールディングス）は１０日、請求額を約３４５億円に増やした。

　ＬＤＨは１月、事件で保有株の価値が下がったとして賠償を求めていたフジテレビ側と約３１０億円を支払うことで和解しており、その分を元社長らに追加請求した。これまでの裁判で元社長側は争う姿勢を示している。