Summer babies 'tall and strong'

10:24 GMT, Wednesday, 4 February 2009
Summer babies 'tall and strong'
A pregnant woman

Children who are born in late summer or early autumn are often taller and stronger than peers born in spring and winter, a large study suggests.

The results from the Children of the 90s project - which involved 7,000 youngsters - says the reason may lie in their mothers' exposure to the sun.

The body makes Vitamin D, crucial for bone-building, from sunlight.

The Bristol University study suggests that this process may even occur in babies while still in the womb.

By the age of 10, those children born in the summer and autumn months were on average half a centimetre taller and had nearly 13 cm sq of extra bone area than those born in the winter months.

"Wider bones are thought to be stronger and less prone to breaking as a result of osteoporosis in later life, so anything that affects early bone development is significant"
Professor Jon Tobias
Bristol University

"Wider bones are thought to be stronger and less prone to breaking as a result of osteoporosis in later life, so anything that affects early bone development is significant," said Professor Jon Tobias, one of the researchers.

Mothers entering the late stages of pregnancy in the summer can attain the necessary vitamin D levels by walking around outside or even sunbathing, the researchers suggested.

People should not panic about skin cancer as a result of controlled exposure, as some sun was much better than none, they added.

And if there was not much sun to be seen, "women might consider talking to their doctor about taking Vitamin D supplements, particularly if their babies are due between November and May," said Professor Tobias.

In winter months at latitudes of 52 degrees north (above Birmingham), there is no ultraviolet light of the appropriate wavelength for the body to make vitamin D in the skin, research shows.

The Arthritis Research Campaign is currently running a trial to establish whether giving vitamin D to pregnant women increases the bone density of their babies at birth and in childhood and reduces the risk of developing osteoporosis in later life.

"Although most people in the UK can can get the essential nutrients they need from their diet, and don't need to take extra supplements, the exception is vitamin D," a spokeswoman for the charity said.

"Because of a lack of sunshine in the UK in winter many Brits are vitamin D deficient, with vitamin D deficiency extremely common in pregnant women, leading to their babies having weaker bones at birth."

A study last year also suggested that pregnant and nursing mothers take supplements to curtail an apparent resurgence of the bone disease rickets.

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14:03 GMT, Wednesday, 4 February 2009
'Holocaust bishop' told to recant
breaking news

The Vatican has ordered an ultra-traditionalist bishop to publicly recant his views denying the Holocaust.

A statement said Bishop Richard Williamson must "unequivocally" distance himself from his statements to serve in the Roman Catholic Church.

The Vatican also said that the Pope had not been aware of the bishop's views when he lifted excommunications on him and three other bishops last month.

Earlier, a senior cardinal acknowledged the Vatican had mishandled the issue.

The Pope's decision, ending Bishop Williamson's excommunication on an unrelated matter, has caused a bitter row, as he does not believe that six million Jews were gassed by the Nazis in World War II.

On Tuesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged the Pope to make a clearer rejection of Holocaust denials.

"This is not just a matter, in my opinion, for the Christian, Catholic and Jewish communities in Germany but the Pope and the Vatican should clarify unambiguously that there can be no denial," she said.

Cardinal Walter Kasper, who is in charge of relations between the Roman Catholic church and Jewish leaders, admitted different parts of the Vatican administration had not talked enough to each other, and failed to check where problems could arise.

Bishop Williamson - who was ex-communicated 20 years ago on an unrelated matter - has apologised for stirring controversy, but not repudiated his views.

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07:45 GMT, Tuesday, 3 February 2009
Alzheimer's 'is brain diabetes'
Elderly man

The most common form of dementia may be closely related to another common disease of old-age - type II diabetes, say scientists.

Treating Alzheimer's with the hormone insulin, or with drugs to boost its effect, may help patients, they claim.

The journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports insulin could protect against damage to brain cells key to memory.

UK experts said the find could be the basis of new drug treatments.

"The most exciting implications are that some diabetes drugs have the potential to be developed as Alzheimer's treatments"
Spokesman, Alzheimer's Research Trust

The relationship between insulin and brain disease has been under scrutiny since doctors found evidence that the hormone was active there.

The latest study, joint research between Northwestern University in the US and the University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, looked at the effects of insulin on proteins called ADDLs, which build up in the brains of Alzheimer's patients and cause damage.

They took neurons - brain cells - from the hippocampus, a part of the brain with a pivotal role in memory formation.

These were treated with insulin and a drug called rosiglitazone, given to type II diabetics to increase the effect of the hormone on cells.

After this, the cells were far less susceptible to damage when exposed to ADDLs, suggesting that insulin was capable of blocking their effects.

Treatment hope

Professor William Klein, from Northwestern, said that drugs to boost the brain's sensitivity to insulin could provide "new avenues" for treating Alzheimer's disease.

"Sensitivity to insulin can decline with aging, which presents a novel risk factor for Alzheimer's disease - our results demonstrate that bolstering insulin signalling can protect neurons from harm."

His colleague, Professor Sergio Ferreira, from Rio de Janeiro, said: "Recognising that Alzheimer's disease is a type of brain diabetes points the way to novel discoveries that may finally result in disease-modifying treatments for this devastating disease."

A spokesman for the Alzheimer's Research Trust said that the study shed light on how insulin interacted with toxic proteins linked to the disease.

"People with diabetes are at higher risk of developing Alzheimer's. It is well known that insulin affects how the brain works, and this research adds more evidence to the possibility that Alzheimer's could be a type of brain diabetes.

"The most exciting implications are that some diabetes drugs have the potential to be developed as Alzheimer's treatments."

Dr Victoria King, of the charity Diabetes UK, said: "We already know that people with Type 2 diabetes are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

"This study is in its early stages but it is interesting because it suggests that insulin, alongside drugs that help the body use insulin more effectively, may protect against the underlying biological mechanisms associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease.

"This is very intriguing and could potentially help with new treatments for Alzheimer's disease and shed further light on its links with diabetes. We would certainly welcome more research in this area."

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West Europe's taxpayers exposed to east's loans

6 hours 20 mins ago
Reuters Gergely Szakacs

* Print Story

Peter Mihalovits was just about to retire when the crisis hit. He had ignored warnings about borrowing in foreign currencies to take what seemed a risk-free, cheap route to a lifestyle he could otherwise not afford.

Now the 59-year old must try to hang on to his job in the road haulage business to pay off his Swiss franc mortgage.

"The monthly instalment has doubled," said Mihalovits. "I wanted to retire but now I have to work, otherwise we would not sustain ourselves even at lower living standards."

As emerging European currencies weaken by the day, the rising cost of loans taken out by people like him in foreign currencies such as the Swiss franc, the euro and the yen is pushing some of them into default.

As joblessness also increases, the mounting risk is putting emerging Europe's banks -- and their increasingly state-backed Western parents -- under heavy pressure.

Western European banks, mainly from Austria, Italy and Germany, have bought up most of emerging Europe's banks. Until recently this was seen as a blessing, protecting the region from sudden retreats by investors.

Now the banks dominating the region -- topped by Italy's UniCredit, Austria's Raiffeisen International and Erste Group Bank -- are struggling with scarce funding for themselves, and reliance on them could trigger a credit crunch in the east.

For now analysts say stricter lending practices and lower loan-to-value ratios make a U.S.-style subprime mortgage meltdown unlikely in eastern Europe.

But currency weakness and job losses will squeeze bank earnings and erode portfolios. And as authorities increasingly urge their Western bankers to keep bail-out cash close to home to minimise the burden on taxpayers, the outlook darkens.

"In extreme loan-loss scenarios, the cost to western European taxpayers could be substantial," Goldman Sachs analysts Rory MacFarquhar and Jonathan Pinder wrote in a note last week.

"If western European governments refuse to allow their troubled banks to support ... subsidiaries, it would fall to the (emerging European) governments themselves to support the local banks," said the note for exposed banks).

"In this situation, many more countries would likely have to appeal to the IMF for assistance, and even so would have only a limited ability to escape a deep credit contraction."

The IMF warned last July that emerging economies in eastern Europe faced severe repercussions from a sharp retreat in oil prices, as they particularly benefited from petrodollar deposits from countries such as Russia, Libya, Nigeria and Angola.

In contrast to the 1970s and 1980s when Latin America felt the pain of retreating Middle Eastern petrodollars, "the bulk of vulnerable countries is not Latin America but in emerging Europe," wrote IMF economist Johannes Wiegand at the time.

EXPOSURE

Data from the Bank for International Settlements released last week showed Austrian banks' claims on emerging European clients totalled $277.6 billion, or nearly 75 percent of Austria's Gross Domestic Product.

For Sweden, claims mostly on clients in the Baltic countries of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia represent 23 percent of GDP and for the Netherlands, exposed mostly to Polish, Russian and Romanian borrowers, this is just under 16 percent.

Since early last August Hungary's forint has dropped about 28 percent versus the Swiss franc, 46 percent to the yen, and about 23 percent versus the euro. The Romanian leu has dropped 19 percent versus the euro while the Polish zloty has lost about 30 percent.

In Hungary, whose economy was rescued only by a $25.1 billion (17.38 billion pound) IMF-led loan in October, a growing number of households face difficulty repaying their mortgages.

Mariann Lenard, a lawyer whose society assists troubled Hungarian borrowers, says her workload has shot up since last September.

"We have registered a 10- to 15-times increase in the number of complaints since last September-October," Lenard told Reuters, sitting in her small office. "Instead of the usual 20, we now get 128 emails a day and the same amount via post."

Hungary's total stock of foreign currency mortgages rose to 2,374 billion forints (7.1 billion pounds), or about 9 percent of GDP by December.

Austria's Raiffeisen Zentralbank, owner of Raiffeisen International, last week sought a state capital injection of 1.75 billion euros (1.56 billion pounds) to help it weather the credit crisis.

Peter Felcsuti, Chief Executive of Raiffeisen's Hungarian unit and head of Hungary's Banking Association, said the quality of households' foreign currency loans was bound to deteriorate as the recession takes its toll and the currency weakens.

"These impacts add up and this is definitely a concern," Felcsuti said.

Raiffeisen is the No.5 lender in Hungary, where home-grown OTP is the biggest bank, followed by units of Belgium's KBC, Germany's BayernLB and Intesa Sanpaolo.

CIB, Intesa's Hungarian unit, said for the time being it could not see a rise in the proportion of non-performing loans but, looking at trends of rising unemployment, this could change within months.

WEAKENING CYCLE

If the forint were to weaken even only slightly further from an all-time low of 303.50, the pain could spread.

"Above 300 (to the euro) I can already see problems given that over the past years the average exchange rate was about 250," said analyst Daniel Bebesy at Budapest Fund Management. "So a 25-30 percent depreciation can put many borrowers in a hard spot."

Three months ago, Hungary was the only country in the region expected to slide into recession this year. Now the whole region's growth prospects look much more dismal than before.

Romanian central bank data showed the number of individual borrowers with past-due debts older than 30 days rose by around 21 percent to 443,000 from January 2008.

"The level of non-performing loans is not yet worrying but the trend needs to be monitored," said Nicolae Cinteza, head of its surveillance department.

"Against a background of rising unemployment and national currency depreciation, it is expected that non-performance will increase," he added.

Erste's BCR is the biggest player in Romania, followed by Societe Generale's BRD and Raiffeisen.

In Poland, banks with large portfolios of Swiss franc mortgages have seen the zloty's steep falls over the last four months swell the value of loans on their balance sheets: they are now scrambling to attract more deposits.

Slovak banks -- the biggest are owned by Erste, Intesa and Raiffeisen -- said last week they had not seen any dramatic worsening of mortgage portfolios, but the government plans to help cover mortgages for people who lose their jobs because of the crisis.

Foreign banks in Serbia have been reluctant to lend since October.

Plumbing engineer Laszlo Vadasz has already seen the consequence. Since the construction project he was working on folded, the 61-year-old defaulted on his Swiss franc mortgage worth 20 million forints on a house outside Budapest.

He has been declared unfit to work with high blood pressure and his bank is preparing to auction off the house he shares with his wife and disabled son.

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Gazan smugglers dig to beat blockade

By Anna Fifield in Rafah, Gaza

Published: February 3 2009 20:18 | Last updated: February 3 2009 20:18

Most Gaza residents are desperate for the tiny Palestinian territory’s borders to be re-opened so they can get their hands on the commodities they need to rebuild their lives after last month’s conflict with Israel.

Not Mohammad and his family. As owners of one of the biggest tunnels under the Egyptian border, they have developed a booming business out of Gaza’s imposed isolation.

“We would be sad if the borders opened again,” says Mohammad, who is in his mid-20s, at his home in the border town of Rafah. “If they open, the tunnels will be shut down and I will have to start trading legitimately.”

Mohammad was nervous about talking to the Financial Times, afraid not just of admitting to an illegal business but also of betraying secrets that Israel could use.

Israel heavily bombed the Rafah border during its 22-day assault on the Gaza Strip, seeking to destroy the underground network that it accuses of supplying weapons to Hamas. Attacks on the tunnels have continued as retaliation for sporadic rocket fire from Gaza.

Many of the tunnels were dug after Israel closed the borders when Hamas seized power two years ago. Hamas wants the borders fully reopened but with the Jewish state concerned about rearmament of the Islamist group, that does not look likely soon.

Mohammad and his family painted a picture of a lucrative and sophisticated smuggling network that operates with the full knowledge of officials on both sides of the Egypt-Gaza border.

“The best period was during the [six month] ceasefire between Israel and Hamas [in 2008], because Israel continued to block the crossings but we were still working,” said Ahmed, Mohammad’s father. They estimate they made a profit of $1m during this time and shared it with their eight partners in one of the oldest, largest tunnels.

The partners built the tunnel seven years ago to smuggle cigarettes into Gaza, bypassing customs duties. But it was not until the Israeli blockade that business really took off.

Since then, they have been bringing everything from cheese and nappies to laptops, full-size fridges and even cars through their 190m-long, 27m-deep tunnel, transported on plastic trolleys with mechanical pulley systems. “We are the transporters,” says Mohammad, pulling out his mobile phone to play a video clip of a man, bent at the waist, walking through the tunnel.

There are set rates: they charge $200 (€154, $140) for every 40kg load, or $5,000 per tonne. Bringing a sheep through costs $100; a cow is double that. Chinese motorcycles can be delivered for $600 each, while two customers have paid a cool $7,000 a pop to have BMWs brought through the tunnels in pieces (Mohammad insists both cars worked perfectly when reassembled in Gaza).

Mohammad’s tunnel was damaged in air strikes three times during last month’s conflict but quickly repaired.

The tunnels provide employment for young men who would otherwise have no jobs. They receive $100 for each metre they dig.

A handful of tunnels were not damaged in the bombing – Israel estimates it destroyed 80 per cent of the network – and the “tunnel market” in Rafah is bustling, selling everything from generators to leather jackets.

Mohammad’s family is feeling the pinch from the increased competition. “A year ago there were only 10 tunnels but now there are 150, and some people are charging only $100 or $150 for 40kg. So we need to expand,” he said; they are building a second tunnel.

They have few hassles on the Egyptian side, where their 50/50 partners oversee operations and grease palms. “We bribe the Egyptian officials. Recently they have been asking for 2,000 Egyptian pounds ($359; €276; £250) a month ,” says Mohammad. “They say ‘you can smuggle anything you like, just don’t let me see you’.”

That might change. Israel has signed agreements with Egypt and the US to crack down on the Rafah tunnels.

In Gaza, the tunnels work with the knowledge and encouragement of Hamas. Every tunnel operator has a “responsibility” to transport one tonne of wheat and one tonne of cement via their tunnel for free each week.

Israel suspects that Hamas brings weapons underground but Ahmed says they do not come through his ­tunnel.

“The Hamas government has their own tunnels, and they are big enough to drive cars through,” he says. “They get weapons, rockets, Grads [rockets], everything through their own tunnels.”

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Bishkek to shut US military base

By Isabel Gorst

Published: February 4 2009 02:00 | Last updated: February 4 2009 02:00

Kyrgyzstan said yesterday it would shut a US military base on its territory after Russia offered $2bn (€1.5bn, £1.4bn) of emergency aid to the impoverished central Asian country.

The base, located at Manas outside Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital, was established with Russia's blessing in 2001 to support US coalition forces' campaign to overthrow the Taliban in Afghanistan.

However, Russia has since called for the removal of US bases from central Asia. Russia also agreed to participate in a delayed hydroelectric project in Kyrgyzstan.

Isabel Gorst, Moscow

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Kazakh banks' decline is a cause for City shame

By Andrew Hill

Published: February 4 2009 02:00 | Last updated: February 4 2009 02:00

Heaven knows British banks are hardly shining examples of sturdiness these days. But if you were seeking an illustration of how the City got carried away before the credit crunch, Kazakhstan's banks would be Exhibit A.

The Kazakh government's sovereign wealth fund has just taken the brutal but logical next step in a series of decisions aimed at propping up its struggling domestic banks. Earlier this week, it bought majority stakes in BTA and Alliance Bank and took minority investments in Halyk and Kazkommertsbank.

So far, so Kazakh. Except that the last three were all the subject of enthusiastic marketing campaigns by City institutions that sold the banks' global depository receipts via the London Stock Exchange in 2006 and 2007. The credit crunch has since crushed their equity value. Alliance - described in these pages (ominously as it turns out) as Kazakhstan's "fastest-growing bank" - launched its offering on the brink of the crisis in July 2007 at $14 per GDR. The government paid less than $1 this week for a 76 per cent stake - the whole of it.

This saga is embarrassing for the UK at several levels. Kazakhstan itself is not really to blame for the pre-crunch frenzy. When Nursultan Nazarbayev, the president, came to London with a 200-strong delegation in November 2006 he was courted by everybody from the Queen downwards. A trip to the Stock Exchange was a high-profile part of that visit.

But Mr Nazarbayev was only capitalising on investors' and advisers' single-minded obsession with the rising price of commodities that underpin the Kazakh economy. City experts lavished attention on his country's mining and financial sectors, selling ever more exotic debt instruments for the banks.

So now that the Kazakh government justifies its highly politicised nationalisation of the banks with reference to the UK's rescue plan for its financial institutions, Britain can hardly complain. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, they say.

The supposedly sophisticated investors that bought the GDRs should be embarrassed. But the deeper shame is the damage inflicted on the City's reputation by its unseemly excitement about such listings. The fact that Alliance Bank - based in Almaty (average winter temperature: between -3 and -13 celsius) - had to postpone its conference call on the latest developments by a day because of a modest snowfall in the Square Mile just adds insult to injury.

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Kazakhstan devalues tenge by almost a fifth

By Isabel Gorst in Moscow

Published: February 5 2009 02:00 | Last updated: February 5 2009 02:00

Kazakhstan devalued the tenge by almost one-fifth yesterday in a move that it blamed on the sharp depreciation of the Russian rouble and falling oil prices.

The devaluation will increase the focus on other central Asian republics, which are economically highly interdependent and vulnerable to Russia's economic woes.

The Kazakh central bank set a new corridor for the tenge, saying the currency would be allowed to fluctuate by about 3 per cent around a level of 150 against the US dollar.

Yesterday the tenge tumbled to 149 against the dollar, a drop of more than 18 per cent from Tuesday's levels of 122-124 - the far end of the central bank's previous corridor of 117-123.

Grigory Marchenko, the chairman of the Kazakh central bank, pledged to support the tenge at the new level.

"We have reached a new market equilibrium level and we will defend it," he said.

Kazakhstan has used up $6bn (€4.6bn, £4.1bn) of its foreign exchange reserves since October defending the tenge, including $2.7bn in January alone.

Similar to Russia, Kazakhstan has been able to defend its currency using foreign exchange reserves built up during years of high demand for exports, but falling oil revenues and competitive pressure from cheaper Russian goods have forced the devaluation.

Energy-poor, central Asian countries have insufficient financial resources to support their currencies and are looking for international aid to survive the deepening crisis, providing Russia with an opportunity to strengthen its influence in the region.

Russia offered Kyrgyzstan $2bn in emergency aid this week and said it would exchange Kyrgyz debt for control of a torpedo plant that supplies the Russian navy.

Moscow yesterday denied that the aid package was tied to a Kyrgyz decision to shut a US military base on its territory.

Central Asian countries have been affected by a slump in remittance earnings as Russia and Kazakhstan lay off foreign construction labourers.

Meanwhile, Russia has pressed ahead with a strategy to assert control over central Asian gas, offering Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan higher prices for supplies. Uzbekistan has, in turn, increased the price it charges Kyrgyzstan and Tajikstan for gas, helping to exacerbate an energy crisis in both countries.

Last month, Tajikstan turned to the International Monetary Fund and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development after its currency fell by 7 per cent in the final quarter of 2008.

Ulrich Leuchtmann, currency strategist at Commerzbank, said that Kazakhstan was taking the opposite approach to the Russian central bank.

"They've chosen to devalue the tenge in one big step, thus reducing pressure on the currency, and costing far less in reserves. In that sense it's a very wise decision," he said.

Katya Malofeeva, chief economist at Renaissance Capital in Moscow, said the tenge should be able to hold its value within the new corridor without central bank intervention. However, uncertainties about world oil prices and exact dates when Kazakh banks will repay foreign obligations could change the picture.

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Medvedev vows aid as Kyrgyzstan looks to close US base

By Isabel Gorst

Published: February 5 2009 02:00 | Last updated: February 5 2009 02:00

Kyrgyzstan's government asked parliament yesterday to approve its decision to close a US military base on its territory after Russia offered $2bn of emergency aid to the impoverished central Asian country.

Russia also said it would write off Kyrgyzstan's debt in exchange for control of a secret torpedo plant that equips the Russian navy. Kurmanbek Bakiyev, Kyrgyz president, said the deal would help to underpin the economy.

Moscow denied a connection between the $2bn (€1.6bn, £1.4bn) package to combat an economic crisis - the equivalent of about half of Kyrgyzstan's gross domestic product - and Bishkek's decision to close the Manas base.

Dmitry Medvedev, Russian president, said: "In the conditions of an economic crisis, this [package] is a serious and important contribution to the economic growth of Kyrgyzstan."

Mr Medvedev distanced himself from the Kyrgyz announcement about closing the base, saying it was "within the competence of the Kyrgyz republic" to decide how Manas functioned.

Grigory Karasin, Russia's deputy foreign minister, described the move as "a sovereign and well thought out decision by Kyrgyzstan".

The US base was established with Russia's blessing in 2001 to support the campaign to overthrow the Taliban in Afghanistan. However, Russia has since called for the removal of US bases from central Asia, an area traditionally in its zone of influence.

Moscow was prepared to co-operate with the US coalition to stabilise Afghanistan, even if Manas were closed, Mr Karasin said.

Geoff Morrell, Pentagon spokesman, said Manas was a hugely important airbase. "It provides us with a launching-off point to provide supplies to our forces in Afghanistan . . . We are actively involved in discussions with the Kyrgyz government about the continued use of Manas."

He added that David Petraeus, commander of US central command, and Duncan McNabb, commander of the US's transportation command, had both travelled to Kyrgyzstan as part of Washington's efforts to continue using the base.

Mr Morrell added: "I have seen nothing to suggest, other than press reports, that the Russians are attempting to undermine our use of that facility."

Robert Simmons, Nato's special representative for the Caucasus and central Asia, said it would be "regrettable" if the base closed.

Kyrgyzstan threatened to evict the US from Manas in 2006, but backed down after Washington agreed to increase the rent.

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Swiss Re turns to Buffett for new funding

By Haig Simonian in Zurich

Published: February 5 2009 07:53 | Last updated: February 5 2009 08:54

Swiss Re on Thursday turned to Warren Buffett, the legendary US investor, for fresh funding and cut its dividend to a “nominal” amount in an effort to retain its investment grade credit rating.

The Swiss reinsurer also scrapped its financial markets activities following large writedowns on structured credit default contracts and reported a SFr1bn ($860m) annual loss.

The results, which were released early following heavy share price falls in recent days on rumours of losses and refinancing needs, confirmed analysts’ worst fears. Swiss Re shares plunged 16.6 per cent to SFr25.14 per cent in early Zurich trading.

More than half of the SFr5bn Swiss Re may raise – SFr3bn – will come from Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett’s investment group, which is already a big shareholder. Mr Buffett could eventually own more than 20 per cent of the Swiss reinsurer.

The decision to raise capital followed Swiss Re’s admission that, at year-end, it was SFr1.5bn-SFr2bn below the level required to maintain its current AA credit rating. To preserve capital, the group intends to cut its dividend to a nominal amount.

Shareholders’ equity fell to SFr19bn-SFr20bn at year-end following unrealised losses on investments in the fourth quarter and exchange rate factors.

Swiss Re’s problems contrasted with the relative health of its arch rival Munich Re. The German group this week said that although 2008 profits had slumped to €1.5bn from €3.9bn, it would maintain its €5.50 dividend.

Berkshire’s holding, which is subject to Swiss Re shareholders’ approval, will probably be via a perpetual note paying 12 per cent. The US investor will have the option in three years to convert into Swiss Re shares at SFr25.

“We’ve seen a much, much larger movement in asset values in the fourth quarter than anyone anticipated”, said George Quinn, chief financial officer.

Swiss Re, which had claimed to have taken extraordinary steps to protect the value of its near SFr200bn investment portfolio, said it would continue reducing risk while raising new funds.

Apart from the injection from Berkshire, the group said it would raise further equity of up to SFr2bn, subject to market conditions.

“We are disappointed with our overall results in 2008, but our core business – property and Casualty and life and health – are performing well”, said Jacques Aigrain, chief executive.

The comments showed how deeply the group suffered in its financial services division, which has already had to write down about SFr2.7bn since late 2007 on two disastrous structured credit default swaps for a client.

In a surprise move, the group announced a full scale retreat from its former strategy of moving increasingly into sophisticated, and sometimes esoteric, financial insurance and trading.

Swiss Re will disband its financial markets activities, with remaining businesses being reorganised into asset management and a “bad bank” legacy business, which will hold the structured CDS and other troubled assets. Swiss Re said the legacy unit booked a SFr6bn writedown for the year, of which SFr2bn stemmed from the structured CDS.

Mr Quinn said the aim of the legacy unit would be to run down the portfolio as quickly as possible.

The group said underlying re-insurance activities remained strong. In property and casualty, it expected a combined ratio – a key industry yardstick of costs and claims as a proportion of premiums – of 97.4 per cent. Life and health also remained “strong”, it said, with a full year benefit ratio of about 85.5 per cent.

Swiss Re said demand for reinsurance had increased, and rates were expected to rise by about 2 per cent, leading to a 6 per cent rise in the group’s volume of business at constant exchange rates. By contrast, Munich Re said renewals in January – one of the key periods for negotiating new contracts, had not gone as well as expected.

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Command accord presages French return to Nato

By Ben Hall in Paris and James Blitz in London

Published: February 5 2009 02:00 | Last updated: February 5 2009 02:00

France has paved the way for its full reintegration in Nato's military command by securing the backing of the US administration for French officers to take two senior command positions in the alliance.

Forty-three years after General Charles de Gaulle pulled his country out of Nato's military command in a bold assertion of diplomatic and military autonomy, Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, appears to have sealed his country's return to the heart of the alliance, ending a symbol of its foreign policy exceptionalism.

According to diplomats in Paris and Brussels, final decisions on the commands to be accorded to France have not yet been taken. "France has still to formally announce whether and when it will rejoin Nato's military structure," said a diplomat.

However, officials confirmed that James Jones, US national security adviser, has agreed in principle that French officers could take over Allied Command Transformation, a unit overseeing Nato doctrine based in -Norfolk, Virginia; and the alliance's command post in Lisbon, the headquarters of the Rapid Reaction Force.

The US and some of its Nato allies are now waiting to see what announcements Mr Sarkozy makes about France's plans at the Munich security conference this weekend.

According to one western diplomat, the issue of French reintegration into Nato will be among the issues to be discussed in Munich. "Sarkozy will have to say something and clarify what's happening. If France is to rejoin Nato fully this spring, he needs to set the stage for the formal announcement at Nato's 60th anniversary summit."

If the two commands in Virginia and Lisbon are -confirmed, they will fall short of the strategically important Nato southern command demanded by then president Jacques Chirac in his abortive attempt to reintegrate France fully into the alliance's command structure in the mid-1990s.

The deal may make it harder for Mr Sarkozy, the most pro-American French president in a generation, to fend off domestic criticism that he has failed to secure concessions from Washington on bolstering Europe's role in the alliance.

France started its return to the command structure several years ago and now has hundreds of officers working in Nato headquarters. But Mr Sarkozy was determined to complete the reintegration, arguing it had become an outdated symbol of French exceptionalism and source of distrust across the Atlantic.

He set two conditions for France's return - further progress in European -security and defence policy and a bigger role for Europe inside the alliance itself - but left the details vague enough for the criteria to be easy to fill.

Paris argues that big strides were made in European Union defence under France's EU presidency in the second half of 2008. -However, they fell short of Paris's long-standing objective of an autonomous operational military headquarters for the EU based in Brussels.

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Baltic Dry sees biggest one-day rise in 25 years

By Javier Blas

Published: February 5 2009 02:00 | Last updated: February 5 2009 02:00

The Baltic Dry index, the benchmark for freight costs for dry bulk commodities such as iron ore, coal and iron, yesterday jumped almost 15 per cent, the biggest daily increase in almost 25 years, on signs of a recovery in the raw materials trade.

Shipping brokers said that demand for the largest vessels, known as Capesizes, is slowly recovering as Chinese steelmakers buy more iron ore from Australia and Brazil after running down their ore inventories.

The Baltic Dry index rose 14.6 per cent to 1,316 points, the highest level in 3½ months. The index is still well below last year's all-time high of 11,793 points, but has recovered 98.5 per cent from its December 22-year low of 663 points.

Steve Rodley, at shipping hedge fund Global Maritime Investments in London, said the shipping market had bottomed after falling last year "too far, too hard", although he cautioned that it was still early to forecast a strong recovery. "We are off ground zero, but I don't think we are going to fly to the stratosphere any time soon."

Shipbrokers said that most of the Capesize vessels left anchored at ports from October until late December because of lack of demand were now back in the market shipping bulk commodities as consumption improved.

In the energy market, o i l prices were volatile after a larger rise than expected in US oil inventories. Downward pressure was offset by bullish comments from the Opec oil cartel about fresh supply cuts.

In late-afternoon trading in London, ICE March Brent rose 7 cents to $44.15 a barrel while Nymex March West Texas Intermediate rose 31 cents to $41.09 a barrel.

The US Department of Energy said that the country's oil stocks rose last week by a larger-thanexpected 7.2m to 346.1m barrels. Inventories at Cushing, Oklahoma, the delivery point of the Nymex oil contract, rose a further 800,000 barrels to an all-time high of 34.3m. The surge in Cushing inventories has broken the traditional relationship between WTI oil and other international and US crude oil benchmarks.

The oil market was also supported by news that Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, had sharply raised its official selling prices to customers for March, hitting the US refineries particularly hard. The price of the kingdom's main oil grade Arab Light to US customers was set at a premium of $1 to the Nymex West Texas Intermediate price, the highest level in at least a decade, up from a discount of $2 this month.

Gasoline prices rose as US inventories rose just 300,000 barrels, half the market forecast. Nymex March RBOB gasoline was up 4.34 cents to $1.2104 a gallon.

Nymex March heating oil rose 1.19 cents to $1.3373 a gallon after inventories fell 1.4m barrels, against the market expectation of an increase of 600,000 barrels.

In other commodities markets, base and precious metals traded higher. Gold consolidated above $900 a troy ounce after UBS said the metal could average $1,000 an ounce this year as a result of strong demand. In London, spot gold rose to $906.05 an ounce from Tuesday's last quote of 901.60.

In agricultural markets, Thai medium-quality rice , the world's benchmark, rose to almost $600 a tonne, the highest level since October, after Egypt said it would extend a ban on rice exports.

The market had expected that Egypt, the world's ninth largest exporter of the grain, would lift the ban on April 1.

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Battle to preserve Hong Kong waterfront

By Tom Mitchell in Hong Kong

Published: February 4 2009 16:57 | Last updated: February 4 2009 16:57

Six of the 14 stations on Hong Kong’s Island underground railway line are named after bays or streams that no longer exist, obliterated decades ago by landfill projects that greatly diminished what had been one of the world’s most beautiful harbours.

An aircraft lands at Kai Tak airport days before it closed in 1998. A redevelopment plan opposed reclamation
The government’s original redevelopment plan for Kai Tak, the city’s former airport, threatened to eradicate Kowloon Bay, the last vestige of the once spacious Victoria Harbour.

But when a 12-year, HK$100bn ($12.9bn, €10bn, £8.9bn) blueprint for Kai Tak was finally released last month, environmental activists were pleasantly surprised to find that the Hong Kong government had taken a “zero reclamation option”.

“It is a major success – there will not be one square foot of reclamation,” says Winston Chu, a solicitor who has led the fight to preserve what remains of the harbour. “This is the last bay left.”

Mr Chu, who began his crusade in 1994 at the urging of his late mother, and his fellow campaigners owe much of their success to Hong Kong’s independent judiciary and the rule of law, tools not available to would-be citizen activists in other Chinese cities.

Mr Chu has won five of seven lawsuits against the government. Another victory was the protection of the harbour bill adopted on the eve of the former British colony’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. It declared that the harbour “is to be protected and preserved as a special public asset and a natural heritage of Hong Kong people, and for that purpose there shall be a presumption against reclamation”.

Six years later, a legal test case set a high bar for proposed reclamations, saying they could proceed only if they met an “overriding public need”. One that did is a bypass expressway to be built on the controversial Central and Wanchai (Cantonese for “Little Bay”) reclamation, which is in full swing and will reshape the waterfront of Hong Kong’s main business district.

Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s secretary for development, calls it “the final, final piece of reclamation – that’s it”.

“We respect the law,” Ms Lam says. “We should do much better on enhancing the waterfront because Victoria Harbour is such a natural asset . . . It’s also about respecting the history of the place.” Much of the damage to Hong Kong’s harbour was in fact done decades ago by British rulers trapped by huge development pressures in the cramped colony and their fiscal dependence on land sale revenues. Roughly half of Kowloon Bay was lost to reclamations completed by 1977; the new plan for Kai Tak will preserve the bay’s remaining 300 hectares.

Mr Chu jokes that Hong Kong’s former rulers, perhaps homesick for the Thames, set out to turn Victoria Harbour into Victoria river. He compares the government sanctioned erosion of the harbour that is the city’s raison d’être and gave it its name – “Hong Kong” is Cantonese for “fragrant harbour” – to the slow but steady mastications of a silk worm. “It’s only one small bite at a time – chomp, chomp, chomp – but then the leaf is gone,” he says.

While activists pledge to remain vigilant of future landfill encroachments, their focus is turning to the revitalisation of Hong Kong’s dispiriting waterfront. Public promenades are piecemeal and often truncated by industrial installations.

These waterfront wastelands contrast sharply with Hong Kong’s world class natural park system, which encompasses almost half the territory’s land area. When people seek solace and natural beauty, they head to the hills not the harbour.

“There’s no vision for what the harbour might look like one day,” says Margaret Brooke, who chairs the best practice committee at the Harbour Business Forum, a concern group backed by many of Hong Kong’s leading companies.

“Providing a [continuous] promenade is going to be a nightmare because you’ve got so much engineering stuff on the harbour . . . We just have to improve it inch by inch. It’s a dead economic asset at the moment.”

Ms Lam agrees: “We have tended to put a lot of functional things by the waterfront.” She says she maintains “an open mind” about the possible creation of a more powerful harbour authority. But she also defends the government’s current “bits and pieces” approach to harbour development, citing an HK$18m project to pedestrianise a 200-metre stretch along Kowloon Bay. “We don’t want to lose any opportunity to make improvements.”

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Greece rapped on asylum seekers

By Kerin Hope

Published: February 4 2009 02:00 | Last updated: February 4 2009 02:00

The Council of Europe's senior human rights official has criticised Greece over its policy towards asylum seekers amid a surge in arrivals of illegal immigrants from Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

A report by the council published today says there are "serious deficiencies" in Greek procedures for protecting asylum seekers and processing their applications. Thomas Hammerberg, the council's commissioner for human rights, told the Financial Times: "It's a very bad system. The Greek authorities have a responsibility to deal with the situation . . . but there is a lack of political will."

Greek authorities rejected the council's criticisms.

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Iranian satellite launch alarms west

By FT reporters

Published: February 4 2009 02:00 | Last updated: February 4 2009 02:00

The US and its western allies expressed serious concern yesterday about Iran's growing mastery of ballistic missile technology after Tehran launched its first low-level satellite into space.

In a move that will raise worries in Israel and the west about Iran's nuclear ambitions, Tehran hailed the launch - designed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Iranian revolution - as a big step forward.

Western defence experts said the launchcould mark a new step in Iran acquiring reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering capability.

However, the US, Britain and France said their main concern was that Iran was acquiring technology that would allow it to project a long-range nuclear weapon, even if it insists it has no plans to do so.

A US state department official voiced "great concern" over the launch, saying Iran's work to put satellites into space could "possibly lead to the development of ballistic missiles".

Bill Rammell, a UK foreign office minister said: "We think this sends the wrong signal to the international community, which has already passed five United Nations Security Council resolutions on Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile -programmes."

The development came as world powers were preparing to hold substantive discussions today on how they will move forward to stop Iran's uranium enrichment plans - a programme that the US, Britain and France believe is aimed at developing a nuclear weapon.

Iran's satellite launch is the first display of its rocket technology since Barack Obama became US president last month. His administration is reviewing its Iran -policy and hoping to open a dialogue intended to convince Tehran to halt its nuclear programme.

Iran said the purpose of its satellite launch was purely peaceful. But at a time when it could be preparing for talks with the US, the launch might be intended to show that international pressure will not paralyse Iran.

Mark Fitzpatrick, an expert on Iranian military technology at the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, said Tehran had scored a notable breakthrough last November with the launch of the Sajjil missile.

"The Sajjil has a solid fuel engine which is easier to handle than a liquid fuel engine and can be fired with little notice."

Yesterday's launch "represents a further technological advance by Iran", he said. "Each test does advance them along the learning curve and improves the -reliability and accuracy of their missiles."

Mr Fitzpatrick said yesterday's launch was bound to concern western governments, given that Iran was pressing ahead with uranium enrichment plans.

Big announcements of breakthroughs by Iran are difficult to assess, given the limited information that is made available. State television said the satellite was designed to gather information and test equipment and that it would orbit the earth 14 times every 24 hours.

"It was another achievement of Iranian scientists under sanctions," said the broadcaster.

By James Blitz in London, Daniel Dombey in Washington and Roula Khalaf and Najmeh Bozorgmehr in Tehran

From Sina to Safir and beyond

October 27 2005 Iran launches its Sina-1 satellite from the Plesetsk launch pad in northern Russia. The satellite was launched from a Russian Cosmos 3M rocket as a joint project between Iran and Russia February 4 2008 Domestically made rocket launched as part of Iran's satellite programme, the Explorer 1. It said it needed two more similar tests before putting a domestically made satellite into orbit August 17 2008 Dummy satellite launched on a domestically made Safir satellite carrier for the first time. US officials said the attempted launch was a failure August 20 2008 Iran announces plans to send a manned rocket into space in the next 10 years

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Paris and Berlin could toughen Iran sanctions

By Chris Bryant in Berlin and Ben Hall in Paris

Published: February 4 2009 11:47 | Last updated: February 4 2009 11:47

Germany and France may consider further sanctions against Iran if it does not give up its nuclear programme, the leaders of both countries warned on Wednesday.

In a joint statement Angela Merkel, German chancellor and Nicholas Sarkozy, French president, welcomed the expected shift towards diplomacy and dialogue with Iran under Barack Obama, the new US president, but said they would support “new, very resolute sanctions if necessary” to contain the Iranian threat.

“We will not permit an Iranian nuclear bomb because this would threaten world peace,” the two leaders said in the article published in Le Monde and Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

The warning came as diplomats representing the “group of six” - the US, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany - gathered near Frankfurt to discuss Iran.

These talks attained new importance this week after Tehran launched its first low-level satellite into space, raising fears about Iran’s growing mastery of ballistic missile technology. Iran maintains its nuclear programme is peaceful and intended only for civil energy use.

Mr Sarkozy and Ms Merkel will join a host of senior political and military officials at the Munich security conference on Saturday, where US vice president Joe Biden will lead a heavy-weight US delegation. Ali Larijani, Iranian parliamentary speaker and former nuclear negotiator, will also attend, although the two are not expected to meet.

Angela Merkel, German chancellor and Nicholas Sarkozy, French president, also appealed for improved cooperation between Nato and the European Union while confirming that a German military unit would be stationed on French soil for the first time since World War II.

France and Germany are the joint hosts of Nato’s 60th anniversary summit in April, Mr Sarkozy and Ms Merkel on Wednesday said they hoped would launch “a new strategic concept”.

The two leaders said they regretted that the strategic partnership between Nato and the EU was currently “not living up to our expectations, due to disagreements which persist between certain nations,” - a possible reference to Turkey’s blocking role in negotiations.

They appealed for the European Union to speak with a more united voice on security and foreign policy issues in order to act as a “stronger partner” for the US. “It is no longer possible for a single country to solve the world’s problems,” they said.

Meanwhile, Mr Sarkozy and Ms Merkel confirmed that a full German military unit is to be stationed on French soil for the first time since 1945.

The German troops will come from the Franco-German brigade, which was set up in 1989 as a symbol of reconciliation between the two countries and which until now has been stationed in south-western Germany. The Franco-German brigade is part of the Eurocorps, whose headquarters is in Strasbourg, eastern France. This is likely to be where the German troops are stationed.

Mr Sarkozy and Ms Merkel hailed "the historic significance of this new step in Franco-German friendship".

But there are also more prosaic reasons for the move. The French government wants to repatriate or even disband two of its regiments attached to the Franco-German brigade to save money and reduce overseas deployments.

But such a move - without a compensating symbolic gesture - would have been interpreted as another step in the unravelling of a Franco-German relationship which has been severely strained since Mr Sarkozy came to power in May 2007.

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Abu Dhabi injects liquidity

By Robin Wigglesworth in Abu Dhabi

Published: February 4 2009 15:09 | Last updated: February 4 2009 15:09

Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, said on Wednesday it will inject $4.3bn into five of its banks to shore up capital and help insulate the emirate’s banking system from further contagion from the global debt crisis.

Though bankers and analysts welcomed the move, many said the unilateral move by Abu Dhabi’s government raised questions over the coherence of federal efforts to bolster the country’s economy and financial sector, and risked exposing the banks of other emirates such as Dubai.

“It calls for a reciprocal measure from Dubai,” said Raj Madha, director of equity research at EFG-Hermes. “They were already under more strains than Abu Dhabi banks, so it is a surprise it wasn’t done on a federal level.”

The UAE initially seemed shielded from the credit crunch but tumbling oil prices and frozen debt markets have hit the wealthy Gulf state full force in recent months, particularly debt-straddled Dubai. Some analysts are concerned about a country-wide property price crash.

The UAE central bank has already made a Dh50bn credit facility available to all banks, while the federal finance ministry has guaranteed deposits and interbank lending. The ministry has also deposited about two thirds of a promised Dh70bn into banks across the UAE to prevent a full-scale withdrawal of lending.

The five Abu Dhabi-based banks will receive the capital injections in the form of non-voting, non-cumulative perpetual securities which pay 6 per cent in interest, and will immediately shore up the banks’ Tier 1 capital.

National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, and First Gulf Bank will each receive Dh4bn ($1.1bn), while the smaller Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and Union National Bank will receive Dh2bn each.

“By doing this they’ve drawn a line in the sand so far out that they should reassure even the most bearish investors,” said Zahed Chowdhury, regional head of research at Deutsche Bank. “This should allow them to operate even under an ultra-bearish environment.”

However, some bankers cautioned that while Abu Dhabi banks mostly enjoyed robust capital adequacy rates even before the injection, the move could be because of government concern over future losses.

“I don’t think that they did it because it would be a nice thing to do; I think they did it because it was necessary,” said a senior investment banker. “They are probably worried about losses on real estate down the line.”

Analysts said that Dubai should follow Abu Dhabi’s move, but questioned whether it had the available capital to do so without help from the UAE capital.

“Dubai is definitely going to come out with something,” a senior regional banker said. “Abu Dhabi is not going to let Dubai slide, but the price will be high.”

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Kazakhstan devalues tenge by almost a fifth

By Isabel Gorst in Moscow

Published: February 5 2009 02:00 | Last updated: February 5 2009 02:00

Kazakhstan devalued the tenge by almost one-fifth yesterday in a move that it blamed on the sharp depreciation of the Russian rouble and falling oil prices.

The devaluation will increase the focus on other central Asian republics, which are economically highly interdependent and vulnerable to Russia's economic woes.

The Kazakh central bank set a new corridor for the tenge, saying the currency would be allowed to fluctuate by about 3 per cent around a level of 150 against the US dollar.

Yesterday the tenge tumbled to 149 against the dollar, a drop of more than 18 per cent from Tuesday's levels of 122-124 - the far end of the central bank's previous corridor of 117-123.

Grigory Marchenko, the chairman of the Kazakh central bank, pledged to support the tenge at the new level.

"We have reached a new market equilibrium level and we will defend it," he said.

Kazakhstan has used up $6bn (€4.6bn, £4.1bn) of its foreign exchange reserves since October defending the tenge, including $2.7bn in January alone.

Similar to Russia, Kazakhstan has been able to defend its currency using foreign exchange reserves built up during years of high demand for exports, but falling oil revenues and competitive pressure from cheaper Russian goods have forced the devaluation.

Energy-poor, central Asian countries have insufficient financial resources to support their currencies and are looking for international aid to survive the deepening crisis, providing Russia with an opportunity to strengthen its influence in the region.

Russia offered Kyrgyzstan $2bn in emergency aid this week and said it would exchange Kyrgyz debt for control of a torpedo plant that supplies the Russian navy.

Moscow yesterday denied that the aid package was tied to a Kyrgyz decision to shut a US military base on its territory.

Central Asian countries have been affected by a slump in remittance earnings as Russia and Kazakhstan lay off foreign construction labourers.

Meanwhile, Russia has pressed ahead with a strategy to assert control over central Asian gas, offering Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan higher prices for supplies. Uzbekistan has, in turn, increased the price it charges Kyrgyzstan and Tajikstan for gas, helping to exacerbate an energy crisis in both countries.

Last month, Tajikstan turned to the International Monetary Fund and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development after its currency fell by 7 per cent in the final quarter of 2008.

Ulrich Leuchtmann, currency strategist at Commerzbank, said that Kazakhstan was taking the opposite approach to the Russian central bank.

"They've chosen to devalue the tenge in one big step, thus reducing pressure on the currency, and costing far less in reserves. In that sense it's a very wise decision," he said.

Katya Malofeeva, chief economist at Renaissance Capital in Moscow, said the tenge should be able to hold its value within the new corridor without central bank intervention. However, uncertainties about world oil prices and exact dates when Kazakh banks will repay foreign obligations could change the picture.

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Moscow abandons bail-outs in favour of bank aid

By Stefan Wagstyl in London and Catherine Belton in,Moscow

Published: February 5 2009 02:00 | Last updated: February 5 2009 02:00

Russia signalled a change in its policies to fight the financial crisis yesterday, indicating that it would switch from bailing out individual companies to supporting the economy through the banking sector.

Moscow also plans huge budget cuts in an attempt to limit its fiscal deficit - rejecting pressure to follow the US and other western countries to try to stimulate the economy with a big boost in public borrowing.

The proposals suggest that Moscow is losing hope it can stave off the crisis with public spending and is instead battening down the hatches for what might be a prolonged recession.

The plans also indicate that the authorities are not giving in to public demands for a quick-fix response and are ready to resist pressure for money from cash-strapped oligarchs.

The news came amid mounting economic gloom in Russia and eastern Europe, with Fitch, the rating agency downgrading Russian sovereign debt, the International Monetary Fund warning of serious difficulties in Ukraine, and currencies plunging from Poland to Kazakhstan.

Russia's planned policy change was revealed by Igor Shuvalov, the first deputy prime minister, who said the government was deliberately choosing to allow gross domestic product growth to fall to zero or below in 2009 to stabilise the economy and maintain foreign exchange reserves. Moscow was rejecting the advice of those economists who had suggested using the reserves to finance a budget deficit of 10 per cent of GDP to promote growth, Mr Shuvalov told investors at a closed-door meeting in Moscow.

According to those present, the deputy prime minister also said the state would invest "several percentage points of GDP" in strengthening the banking sector, covering "possible future losses" and supervising a consolidation plan that would see the number of banks cut from 1,100 to 500. Separately, Alexei Kudrin, the finance minister, confirmed during a visit to London that the state was preparing to inject $40bn (€31bn, £28bn) capital into banks provided that the money was channelled into the real economy. This would follow last year's Rbs960bn package of subordinated loans.

Mr Shuvalov made clear some key industrial companies would continue to get priority, headed by military enterprises, Gazprom, the gas monopoly, electricity groups and the state railways. This is a far more tightly focused target than the previously announced list of 295 industrial companies deemed worthy of financial support that included oligarch-led groups such as Rusal, the aluminium company, and Norilsk Nickel, the metal combine.

While more loans to oligarchs are not ruled out, they are no longer in favour. Mr Shuvalov suggested that the state should not have lent $4.5bn to Rusal, Oleg Deripaska's aluminium group, on the security of its 25 per cent stake in Norilsk Nickel, the metals company, when it was clear these shares were worth only $1.5bn.

In efforts to enhance its regional superpower role, Russia announced plans for a fund to support its exSoviet neighbours and other allies, which could total more than $10bn, including $3bn already pledged. It was agreed at a regional summit in Moscow hosted by president Dmitry Medvedev and attended by the leaders of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is having difficulties sticking to a reform plan agreed last year with the International Monetary Fund as part of its $16.5bn rescue package. A senior IMF official visiting Kiev warned of "serious problems" and concern over failure to implement loan conditions, including a social spending cuts and a zero-deficit budget.

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四川大地震の校舎倒壊　父母らがネットで当局の暴力・汚職追及 (1/2ページ)
2009.2.5 20:48
中国の「こどもの日」の１日、崩壊した新建小学校で追悼集会が開かれ、遺族らががれきの上で亡くなった子供を弔った＝四川省都江堰市（ＡＰ）中国の「こどもの日」の１日、崩壊した新建小学校で追悼集会が開かれ、遺族らががれきの上で亡くなった子供を弔った＝四川省都江堰市（ＡＰ）

　【北京＝野口東秀】昨年５月の四川大地震で倒壊した多数の校舎の一つである都（と）江堰（こうえん）の新建小学校の父母が連名で出したとされる公開書簡がネット上で公表された。「われわれは２４４人の児童の無念を晴らしたい」と題するもので、汚職が背景にある手抜き工事の責任を追及するとともに、当局による暴力、軟禁なども具体的に列挙している。中国では政治権力に対抗して民主化、人権尊重を求める動きが相次いでおり、今回の公開書簡もそうした流れに沿ったものといえそうだ。

　公開書簡への参加者の名前は「当局の圧力を受ける」として非公開で、参加者数も不明。書簡の草案は昨年１０月ごろに書かれたとされ、全文は今年１月２０日ごろからネットに流れたようだ。現在、中国では全文を閲覧できなくなっており、中国当局による規制がうかがえる。同小では６８０人の児童のうち当局発表で２４４人が死亡、２人が行方不明という。

　書簡は「子供たちは典型的な手抜き工事の被害者」とし、「なぜ校舎の向かいのビルが倒れず校舎が一瞬で粉々になったのか。避難用の通路もふさがれていた。これが学校か」とした上で、柱などの強度が不足していたと指摘している。

　書簡によれば、昨年６月３日には、国営新華社通信記者が倒壊現場で父母を取材中、３０～４０人の警官が同記者と父母を殴打した。同月２１日には父母らが地元政府に向かう途中、３００～４００人の警官がこれを阻止し、父母１９人が殴打されて負傷したという。

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旧ソ連圏７カ国、合同の即応部隊創設で合意　ＮＡＴＯに対抗
2009.2.5 21:12

　【モスクワ＝佐藤貴生】ロシアなど旧ソ連を構成した７カ国で組織する「集団安全保障条約機構」は４日、モスクワで首脳会議を開き、合同の即応部隊を創設することで合意した。ロシアのメドべージェフ大統領は「部隊は最新の装備を有し、潜在力は北大西洋条約機構（ＮＡＴＯ）にも劣らない」と述べ、欧米への対抗意識を明確に示した。

　同機構の加盟国は、ロシア、ベラルーシ、アルメニア、カザフスタン、ウズベキスタン、タジキスタン、キルギス。ＡＰ通信によると、即応部隊は１万人規模になる見通しだ。正式な発足時期や指揮系統、出動の具体的な条件などの詳細は不明。

　プリホチコ露大統領補佐官は、ロシアから参加する落下傘部隊が即応部隊の主力になるとの見通しを示しており、軍事面から旧ソ連圏に対する影響力を強めるロシアの狙いがうかがえる。

　ただ、首脳会議直前にタジキスタンのラフモン大統領が出席に難色を示したほか、ウズベキスタンは即応部隊に恒久的な参加はしない方針を打ち出すなど、加盟諸国がロシアを中心に一枚岩でまとまっているとは言いがたいのが実情だ。

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２審も著者らに賠償命令　南京事件研究書訴訟　
2008.5.21 16:19
このニュースのトピックス：民事訴訟

　南京事件の研究書で、事件の被害者とは別人と指摘された中国人の夏淑琴さん（７９）が、著者の東中野修道・亜細亜大学教授（６０）と出版元の展転社（東京都）に計１５００万円の損害賠償を求めた訴訟の控訴審判決が２１日、東京高裁であった。柳田幸三裁判長は東中野教授と同社に計４００万円の支払いを命じた１審東京地裁判決を支持、双方の控訴を棄却した。

　問題とされた研究書は「『南京虐殺』の徹底検証」。東中野教授は同書で、事件の生き残りと主張している夏さんを「別人」と指摘。夏さんは「偽者扱いされて名誉を傷つけられた」と訴えていた。

　柳田裁判長は、東中野教授が執筆に当たって調べた英語の資料について、「東中野教授の解釈は不合理で妥当とはいえない」と指摘、１審の「夏さんが別人だとは立証されていない」とする判断を支持した。

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南京事件研究書で賠償確定
2009.2.5 22:05

　南京事件の研究書で事件の被害者とは別人と指摘され、名誉を傷つけられたとして、中国人の夏淑琴さんが、著者の東中野修道・亜細亜大学教授と出版元の展転社に損害賠償を求めた訴訟で、最高裁第１小法廷（涌井紀夫裁判長）は５日、教授と同社の上告を退ける決定をした。東中野教授と同社に計４００万円の支払いを命じた１、２審判決が確定した。

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相続税免除付き無利子国債「慎重に議論」　財務次官
2009.2.5 21:38

　財務省の杉本和行事務次官は５日の記者会見で、景気対策として自民党内などで浮上している相続税免除条件付きの無利子国債について「課題が多くあり、慎重に検討すべきだ」と述べた。

　杉本事務次官は、相続税免除条件付き無利子国債の「発行例は諸外国でもほとんどない」と指摘。そのうえで経済政策としてのメリットに関して「具体的な商品設計や発行方法も明らかでなく、効果を申し上げるのは難しい」として否定的な見方を示した。

　また、国家財政にとって、相続税の税収減分が国債利払いの負担軽減分を上回った場合には「プラスになる要素はないのではないか」と指摘した。

　ただ、相続税を免除する代わりに利子がつかない国債を発行することに対し、自民党内には前向きな検討を求める声がある。また、同じく景気対策として議論になっている政府紙幣よりも「無利子国債の方が実現性が高い」との声もあがっている。

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ドイツ銀、年間赤字に転落　民間最大手　戦後初の４５００億円
2009.2.5 21:38

　ドイツの民間銀行最大手ドイツ銀行は５日、２００８年１２月期通期の最終損失が３９億ユーロ（約４５００億円）の赤字に転落したと発表した。年間での赤字は戦後初めてで、金融危機の深刻化が打撃となった。０７年は６５億ユーロの過去最高の最終利益を計上していた。

　業績が安定しているとされたドイツ銀行の赤字転落は、欧州の大手金融機関の財務内容が厳しさを増していることを示した。ドイツなど欧州各国政府は金融不安の解消に向け、追加的な市場安定化策を迫られそうだ。（ベルリン　共同）

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11:31 GMT, Thursday, 5 February 2009
Sweden aims to lift nuclear ban
Barseback power station, Sweden

The Swedish government plans to overturn a nearly 30-year-old decision to phase out nuclear power and lift a ban on building new reactors.

The centre-right government says it wants to allow for new reactors to replace 10 still in operation.

The decision still needs to be approved by parliament. The plan will not receive state funding.

In a 1980 referendum, Swedes voted to phase out nuclear power. But since then only two of 12 reactors have closed.

Leaders of the coalition government say new reactors are needed to help combat climate change and secure the nation's energy supply.

Phase-out 'abolished'

"The phase-out law will be abolished. The ban in the nuclear technology law on new construction will also be abolished," the government said in a statement.

"Authorisations can be granted to successively replace the existing reactors once they reach the end of their economic life spans."

It added: "Swedish electricity production currently stands on only two legs - hydro power and nuclear power. The climate issue is now in the spotlight and nuclear power will therefore remain an important part of Swedish electricity production in the foreseeable future."

The government said no state money would be provided for nuclear projects.

"I am doing this for the sake of my children and grandchildren"
Maud Olofsson, Centre Party leader

It also called for renewable energies, such as wind power, to be increased to reduce Sweden's vulnerability.

Analysts say public support for nuclear energy in Sweden has grown amid concerns over climate change and the reliability of foreign energy suppliers.

Sweden's 10 reactors supply about 50% of the country's electricity.

If the plan is approved by parliament, Sweden would join a growing list of countries rethinking nuclear power as a source of reliable energy.

Britain, France and Poland are planning new reactors and Finland is currently building Europe's first new atomic plant in over a decade.

The agreement followed a compromise by the Centre Party, a coalition member which has been sceptical towards nuclear power.

"I am doing this for the sake of my children and grandchildren," said Centre Party leader Maud Olofsson said.

"I can live with the fact that nuclear power will be part of our electricity supply system in the foreseeable future."

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11:15 GMT, Thursday, 5 February 2009
Vitamin D helps control MS genes
Vitamin supplements

The first evidence of how vitamin D deficiency and genetics interact to increase the risk of multiple sclerosis（多発性硬化症） has been reported by researchers.

A UK and Canadian team found that vitamin D helps to control a gene known to increase MS risk, the PLoS Genetics journal reports.

It suggests that vitamin D supplements taken during pregnancy and early in life could prevent the disease.

More than 85,000 people in the UK are thought to suffer from MS.

The condition, results from the loss of nerve fibres and their protective myelin sheath in the brain and spinal cord, causing neurological damage.

"Our study implies that taking vitamin D supplements during pregnancy and the early years may reduce the risk of a child developing MS in later life"
Dr Sreeram Ramagopalan, study leader

It is not entirely clear what causes MS but other research has suggested vitamin D, produced in the body through exposure to sunlight plays a part.

Specifically there is evidence that populations from Northern Europe have an increased risk of developing MS if they live in areas receiving less sunshine.

Various pieces of research have also pointed to genetic causes.

In the latest study, a researchers at the University of Oxford and University of British Columbia looked at a section of the genome on chromosome six which had been shown to have the strongest effect on MS risk.

Whilst one in 1,000 people in the UK are likely to develop MS, this number rises to around one in 300 amongst those carrying a single copy of the gene variant - known as DRB1*1501 - and one in 100 of those carrying two copies.

The researchers found that proteins activated by vitamin D in the body bind to a particular DNA sequence next to the gene, altering its function.

They believe that vitamin D deficiency in mothers or even in a previous generation may lead to altered expression of the gene in their offspring.

Immune system

Exactly how the gene-environment interaction alters MS risk is yet to be determined one explanation could be an effect on the thymus - a part of the immune system which produces T cells to attack invaders such as bacteria and viruses.

It is thought that in people who carry the gene variant, a lack of vitamin D during early life might impair the ability of the thymus to delete rogue T cells, which then go on to attack the body, leading to a loss of myelin on the nerve fibres.

Co-author, Professor George Ebers, from the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, at the University of Oxford, said it had been known for a long time that genes and the environment determine MS risk.

"Here we show that the main environmental risk candidate - vitamin D - and the main gene region are directly linked and interact."

Study leader, Dr Sreeram Ramagopalan, added: "Our study implies that taking vitamin D supplements during pregnancy and the early years may reduce the risk of a child developing MS in later life."

Simon Gillespie, chief executive of the MS Society, said: "These remarkable results tie together leading theories about the environment, genes and MS but they are only part of the jigsaw.

"This discovery opens up new avenues of MS research and future experiments will help put the pieces together."

The government already advises that pregnant and breastfeeding women make sure they get enough vitamin D, taking supplements if necessary.

And it is also recommended that children under five take daily vitamin D supplements.

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野村、インドで投資銀業務

　野村ホールディングスは5日、インドで投資銀行業務と株式売買業務を始めると正式発表した。5日までに投資銀業務への参入に必要な「マーチャント・バンキング免許」と、ナショナル・ムンバイ両証券取引所の会員権をインド金融当局から取得。インド企業向けにＭ＆Ａ（合併・買収）助言などのサービスを提供するほか、世界の機関投資家にインド株の売買を取り次いでいく。

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パナソニック、栃木・新潟工場を閉鎖

　パナソニックは5日、オフィス向けのデジタル複合機やファクスを開発・生産する国内2工場を6月に閉鎖すると発表した。栃木県と新潟県の工場が対象で、計850人強の従業員については希望者全員を佐賀県や福岡県の拠点に異動させる。開発・生産機能を他工場に移管するかどうかは未定という。同社は2009 年度末までに内外50カ所前後の生産拠点を閉鎖する方針を打ち出している。

　通信・事務機器子会社のパナソニックコミュニケーションズ（福岡市）の宇都宮事業場（宇都宮市）と新潟事業場（新潟県小千谷市）を閉鎖する。従業員はコードレス電話などを生産する佐賀事業場（佐賀県鳥栖市）や福岡市にある同子会社の本社に配置転換する。転勤できない従業員は早期退職制度などで対応する。(21:10)

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エビとカニのアレルギー物質、分けて検出　ハウス食品が新技術

　ハウス食品は、エビとカニに由来する食物アレルギーの原因物質を区別して検出する新しい技術を開発した。エビとカニは、加工食品での原材料表示が義務付けられているが、従来の技術では2つを分けることができなかった。どちらか一方にしかアレルギーがない人に向け、適切に表示できるようになるとして、検査機器メーカーなどに技術をライセンス供与していく方針だ。

　エビとカニは、食品衛生法に基づいて2008年から表示が義務付けられ、企業は2010年6月までに実施するよう求められている。(21:10)

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コスモ石油、今期最終赤字920億円　一転赤字に転落

　コスモ石油は５日、2009年３月期の連結業績見通しを下方修正した。最終損益は920億円の赤字（前期は351億円の黒字）になる見通し。従来予想の 190億円の黒字から一転、赤字に転落する。原油が高値の時に仕入れた在庫が売上原価を押し上げ、利益を圧迫する。売上高は前期比４％減の３兆3700億円と、従来予想を6600億円下回る。原油価格下落に伴う石油製品の販売単価の下落が響く。経常損益は1210億円の赤字（従来予想は750億円の黒字）。

　同時に発表した2008年４―12月期の連結決算は、最終損益が820億円の赤字（前年同期は336億円の黒字）だった。(16:54)

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資産３０億円アノ投資家、１日１食コンビニ弁当だった

３時間睡眠、サプリで栄養補給
神王リョウ（クリックで拡大）

　総資産３０億円以上、お先真っ暗、どん底の日本経済を「チャンスに溢れたうれしい状況」と言ってのける投資家・神王リョウ氏（２９）。見かけは金髪ロッカーだが、「３日でサラリーマンの年収を稼ぎ出す男」の気になる“異常な健康生活”をのぞいた。

【１日１食コンビニ弁当】

　投資先など関連する会社は１５社以上。十数億の金を操る２０代投資家としてテレビにも出演している神王氏だが、食事はコンビニ弁当がほとんど。それも１日１食と驚きの“粗食”。

　「でも風邪もほとんどひかないし、大きな病気はしたことがない。半年に一度、健康診断を受けてますが問題はない。１食はだいたい夜中の２、３時くらいに食べる。中学からですからね、慣れました」

　中学生の時、母親も働きに出るようになった。夕食代に置いていってくれた１０００円を食べずにおこづかいにするため貯金するうちに１食生活に。「お金のために食べなかった」少年時代、今は「お金を動かすために食べない」。

　「人間が最もエネルギーを使うのが消化活動。だから昼間働いている時に消化でエネルギーを使いたくないんです」

　さらに驚いたことに、寝るのは明け方で相場が開く９時に起床。睡眠は１日わずか３時間。

　「３時間睡眠でも健康でいられるように、と試したサプリは１００種類以上。毎日１０種類近く飲んでます。健康には非常に興味がある。健康になれば、同じ１時間で倍の仕事ができるようになるじゃないですか」

【仕事命】

　１分１秒、変化する相場。その動きを見逃さないため食事、睡眠を節制しているわけではない。

　「僕、新聞も読んだことないんです。よくパソコンを何台も並べて四六時中情報に囲まれている人もいますが、そういう投資スタイルは僕には向いてない。疲れるだけ」

　「投資＝数学×心理学」。値動きに影響されるのではなく、相場の心理状態を読む。２０歳の時、ロバート・キヨサキの本「金持ち父さん貧乏父さん」に出合い投資家を志した神王氏、書店に通い２００冊以上の本を読みあさる中で独自の投資法を確立した。

　「投資家は４勝６敗で十分。イチローもそう、４割でトップバッターです。じゃあ、なぜ利益が出るか。４回勝った時に大きく利益を出し、６回を小さく負ける。負けは難しい。損切りをいかに早くできるか。自分との闘い。心理学が大きくかかわっているわけなんです」

【金持ちロッカー】

　不況もどこ吹く風、だが、今年は投資家活動を自粛するという。

　「お金を手にして変わったことは選択肢が増えたこと。ラーメン店行ってもトッピングが頼めなかったのが、頼めるようになったとか。でもお金を持ったら幸せになる、は嘘。自分が心からやりたいことをやらないと幸せになれない。僕はお金の面では成功したが、心の中には物足りなさがあった。それは何なのか、探していた」

　念願のロックバンドを結成、この４月にデビューするそうだ。「やるか、やらないか悩んだ時、絶対にやるを選ぶ、が僕のルール。失敗も何年後かには絶対にいい経験になっているはずですからね」。笑顔は“夢みるロッカー”だった。

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力士に道徳求めるな…若麒麟の退職金に賛同するワケ

高須基仁　人たらしの極意
若麒麟の大麻事件で世間は大騒ぎだが…（クリックで拡大）
若麒麟の大麻事件で世間は大騒ぎだが…（クリックで拡大）

　「百瀬博教さんが生きていたら、今の相撲界の惨状についてどういう具合に説明するのだろうか？」と、１月末、百瀬さんの１周忌が開かれた浅草・龍泉寺の境内で、ふと考えた。

　“ＰＲＩＤＥの怪人”と晩年、世間から呼ばれた百瀬さんは、総合格闘技のみならず、相撲についての博識は日本一だった。

　事実、立教大学時代は相撲部に所属し、ハイティーンのころ、力士になろうとした時には力道山から「坊ちゃん、おすもうさんになるのはお止めなさい」と諭され、子供からの知人の現役花形力士の東富士らにも反対され、角界入りを断念した。

　さて、今月、海外“逃亡”をするロシア人元力士、若ノ鵬と今回、大麻取締法違反容疑で逮捕された元若麒麟＝本名・鈴川真一容疑者（２５）＝のことである。

　両者ともに「解雇」であるから、それぞれに約５００万円の“餞別”が、規定により相撲協会から支払われる。「解雇ではなく“除名”にして、金は支払うな…」とばかりに、管轄の文科相まで登場して、処分内容について百家争鳴！！　いつの間にやら、横綱朝青龍の“品格問題（？）”とやらもカヤの外！！

　誰もズバリと本音を言わないので、あえて書く。

　明治時代の「断髪令」に逆らってチョンマゲを結い続け、今ではＴバックと呼ばれるふんどし一丁で裸体と尻を土俵の上でさらし続け、メタボブームにも逆らってまさに暴飲暴食をし続け、不健康そのものの肥満体でひざにダメージを受けたまま、土で固められた土俵というステージで年６回の本場所と地方巡業を続けている角界と力士に、いまさら世間的な“道徳”と“倫理”と“常識”、そして“品格”を求めてどうするのか！！

　私に言わせれば、力士には力士の憲法があり、その第１条は「私の寿命は肉体的に短い…」である。従って、力士とは、物理的に刹那に生きる職業なのである。

　だから、部屋別に力士は割り振られ、親方と“親子の契り”を結び、一刻（ひととき）、家族となり、ありもしない“終身雇用”を夢見るのだ。

　体がデカイだけがとりえの１５歳の子供が、その肉体を賭け、土俵の中に埋まっているハズの“金”を求め、たった１５年間だけの勝負に挑む。

　異相の若者が裸体をぶつけ合う姿を、世間は自宅や国技館などでお茶や酒を飲みつつ大口を開けて笑いながら、その興行を楽しむ構図は「見世物」の究極。

　異相と“異界”のエンターテインメントに外国人力士が参加すると、あからさまに銅臭があぶり出され、少しだけ将来を考えた副業にまで世間は茶々を入れ出すありさま。

　チョンマゲ・ふんどし姿の力士は、日本人によって創出した“現代日本人の“ボヘミアン”そのものなのだ！！　そして角界はエトランゼでもある。そして力士は、世間的にはありえない“治外法権の世界”で生きている…。

　だからこそ、力士に世間的な道徳と倫理と常識、品格を求めてはいけないのだ。ただ究極のエンターテインメントとして楽しめばいいのだ。

　若ノ鵬と若麒麟に支払われる５００万円あまりの金は、楽しんだその御礼として考えれば、安いモンじゃありませんか！！（出版プロデューサー）

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東寺：仏像盗難…平安後期の不動明王立像　昨年１２月

　世界遺産に登録されている東寺（京都市南区）の毘沙門堂（びしゃもんどう）で昨年１２月、平安時代後期の作とみられる不動明王立像が盗まれていたことが分かった。文化財には指定されていない。複数のビデオカメラ映像に、白い布に巻かれた仏像らしき物を持ち去る男の姿が映っており、京都府警南署が窃盗容疑で捜査している。

　東寺や南署によると、立像は高さ約１１０センチのヒノキの一本彫り。１２月７日午後４時ごろ、見回りの僧侶が盗難被害に気付いた。男が映っていたのは約２時間前で、帽子とマスクを着用し、体形は小太り。この日、東寺は骨董（こっとう）市でにぎわっており、お堂に鍵は掛かっていなかった。

　京都市内では仏像などの盗難が続いており、▽足利将軍家菩提寺（ぼだいじ）の等持院（北区）で昨年９月、江戸時代初期の足利尊氏像の左手首▽門跡寺院の毘沙門堂（山科区）で同１０月、鎌倉時代初期の毘沙門天像▽建仁寺（東山区）で先月、江戸時代初期の十一面観音座像が被害に遭った。いずれも文化財指定は受けていない。

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アホウドリ：ヒナ１５羽を小笠原諸島・聟島に移送　環境省

　環境省は５日、国の特別天然記念物アホウドリのヒナ１５羽を、繁殖地の伊豆諸島・鳥島から小笠原諸島の聟島（むこじま）に移送したと発表した。火山噴火による絶滅を回避するためで、「移住作戦」は昨年に続き２回目。聟島から巣立った鳥が戻り、営巣地として定着する期待が高まる。

　移住作戦は山階鳥類研究所（千葉県我孫子市）が環境省や米国魚類野生生物局と共同で実施している。この日は、研究所の研究員らが鳥島で捕獲したふ化後約３５日のヒナをヘリコプターで南に約３５０キロ離れた聟島に移送。ヒナは同日午後、聟島で無事放鳥された。昨年はふ化後約４５日で移送したが、より若い方が移送先を「故郷」と認識しやすいため、今年は時期を早めた。

　ヒナは５月下旬まで研究員が人工飼育する。５羽程度に発信器をつけて、巣立ち後の行動を追跡する予定。早ければ３年後には聟島に戻り、営巣する可能性があるという。

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オリエンタルランド、最高益見通し　入園者、過去最高に

2009年2月5日18時56分

　「東京ディズニーリゾート」を運営するオリエンタルランドは５日、０９年３月期の連結業績予想を引き上げると発表した。売上高と純利益がこれまでで最高になる見通しという。開園２５周年記念イベントの効果に加え、節約のため海外旅行などを控えた人の来園が増えたようだ。

　売上高は１１月時点の予想より１０１億円多い３８５２億円、純利益は３３億円多い２０８億円を見込む。今期は新しいサーカス劇場やホテルもオープン。入園者数は２７１０万人に達し、過去最高の０６年度の２５８１万人を上回る見通しだ。入園者１人あたりの売り上げ（チケット代含む）も前年より２７０円多い９６４０円になるとみている。

　東京ディズニーはバブル崩壊後も入園者数を伸ばし、不況に強いテーマパークといわれてきた。だが、新年度については「１００年に１度といわれる不況の影響はさすがに受けるだろう」（広報）と慎重にみている。

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大西委員　尿検査実施の原案を提出

　日本相撲協会の再発防止検討委員会の大西祥平委員（日本反ドーピング機構専門委員）が東京・両国国技館を訪れ、全協会員を対象とした抜き打ちの尿検査に関する原案を提出した。２７日の理事会で承認されれば、翌２８日から実施が可能となる。大西氏は「薬物乱用防止と大麻取り締まりが目的。スピード感を持ってやっている。力士が大阪に乗り込んでからではできませんから」と早期の実施を熱望。昨年９月に行われた尿検査と整合性を合わせるため、簡易検査で陽性反応を示したら即解雇となる。

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協会、28日にも大麻検査！検査ルール原案作成

　日本相撲協会は４日、薬物乱用対策の抜き打ち尿検査実施へ向けた検査ルールの原案を作成した。伊勢ノ海理事（元関脇藤ノ川）、友綱理事（元関脇魁輝）、アンチ・ドーピング委員会の大西祥平委員が両国国技館で話し合ってまとめた。

　協会内で議論を重ね、２７日の理事会での承認を目指す。大西委員は「大阪に行くまでには（検査を）やりたい。２７日に認められれば２８日から（検査が）できます」とした。３月１日に力士団は春場所（３月１５日初日）に備えて大阪入りするため、それ以前に検査を行うなら、２月２８日しかなくなる。

　昨年９月２日に行われた簡易検査と同様に検査キットを用いる予定。大麻などの陽性判定が出ても精密検査は行わない。罰則については今回の原案には盛り込まれていない。

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抜き打ち尿検査「早期実施」厳し

　日本相撲協会の生活指導部特別委員会（旧再発防止検討委員会）は４日、全協会員を対象にした新たな抜き打ち尿検査について、ドーピング検査委員会の大西祥平専門委員（慶大教授）も交えて話し合った。２日の会見では「早期実施を目指す」としていたが、この日は協会幹部が「細かいルールづくりが必要で、すぐにはできない。２７日の理事会後からになるだろう」と話すなど、実施には時間を要しそうだ。

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相撲協会「抜き打ち尿検査」２８日にも実施と事前発表

「処分甘い」批判受け制度見直しも

　日本相撲協会が早ければ２８日にも全協会員を対象とする大麻の抜き打ち尿検査を行う。相撲協会生活指導部特別委員会の大西祥平委員（慶大スポーツ医学研究センター教授）が４日、東京・両国国技館に生活指導部長の伊勢ノ海理事（元関脇藤ノ川）を訪ね、実施原案を提出した。

　大西委員は報道陣の取材に対し「具体的な案を出した。スピード感を持って早急に検査しないといけない」と語った。相撲協会は２７日に定例理事会を開く予定で、同委員は「承認されれば、翌日から検査できる態勢を整えたい」としている。

　大麻所持容疑で逮捕された元若麒麟の事件を受けた次回の検査では、幕下以下の力士のほか親方や行司を含むすべての協会員が対象となる。

　一方、元若麒麟への解雇処分が「軽すぎる」と塩谷立文部科学相から批判されたことを受け、武蔵川理事長（元横綱三重ノ海）は４日、「（理事会で決定した）解雇ですから」と、処分を見直す意思がないことを示した。

　その上で、解雇した協会員に退職金にあたる養老金を支払わざるを得ない、現行の寄付行為について、「問題は（解雇処分で）退職金を支払うかどうか。解雇しても甘いといわれないように、今後、退職金を支払わないように（寄付行為を）見直さないといけない」と話した。

　早ければ２７日の理事会で決定する見込みだ。

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大相撲：解雇処分再考せず！協会　文科相“無視”

　大麻取締法違反（共同所持）容疑で逮捕された元幕内・若麒麟容疑者（２５＝本名・鈴川真一）が解雇された件で、日本相撲協会の武蔵川理事長（元横綱・三重ノ海）は４日、解雇処分を再考する方針がないことを明らかにした。３日に塩谷立（しおのや・りゅう）文部科学大臣が「軽すぎる」と協会に処分の再検討を要求したが、「解雇は重い」の一点張り。一方で、解雇でも退職金にあたる功労金が支払われる現在の規定を、早急に見直すことを強調した。

　監督官庁トップの批判にも、協会トップの判断は変わらなかった。３日に塩谷文科相が、元若麒麟容疑者を除名でなく解雇とした相撲協会の対応に“物言い”。前日は体調不良で対応しなかった武蔵川理事長は「（処分は）解雇だからね」と、あらためて処分が妥当との見解を口にした。

　塩谷文科相は３日の会見で「（不祥事が）度重なる中、軽すぎるとの印象は否めない」と相撲協会の甘い対応を批判。さらに「今後、協会全体の（上部）期間で再検討される可能性はあると思う」と処分の差し戻しを求めていた。しかし、協会Ｎｏ・２の伊勢ノ海事業部長（元関脇・藤ノ川）らは「処分は重い」と反論。そして、この日、武蔵川理事長も処分は再考しない意向を表明した。今後、文科省への報告予定もないという。

　監督官庁の意向を無視するかのような、大甘の対応。上層部の“おとがめなし”も協会内外から批判されているが、武蔵川理事長は「今となってはどうのこうのできないから」とばつが悪そうに話した。「問題は退職金を払わなきゃいけないということ。甘いと言われないように今後はびしっと決めていきたい」と話したが、甘すぎる対応には今後、世間からの視線も厳しくなることが予想される。

　相撲協会の寄付行為には、解雇された場合の退職金規定が定められておらず、それが今回の騒動を大きくさせた要因。理事長も「解雇された場合に退職金を払わないよう、早急に変えないといけない」と示唆しており、早ければ２７日の理事会・評議員会で改訂されることになる。文科省が行政指導を行う予定はないが、世間を納得させるには毅然（きぜん）とした対応が望まれる。（スポニチ）

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元若麒麟が理事長へ謝罪文　父、目を潤ませ頭下げる

　大麻所持容疑で逮捕されて日本相撲協会から解雇処分を受けた大相撲の元若麒麟（本名・鈴川真一）容疑者（２５）が５日、退職金にあたる養老金の受け取りを辞退した。尾車親方（元大関琴風）と同容疑者の父鈴川淳一さん（５３）が同日午後、東京都墨田区の両国国技館を訪れ、元若麒麟が書いた謝罪文を相撲協会の武蔵川理事長（元横綱三重ノ海）に手渡した。

　尾車親方は「若麒麟の思いをしたためた手紙を昨夜、弁護士から受け取りました」との言葉を添えた。同親方によると、謝罪文には「わたしは除名されても仕方ない人間。養老金を頂く気持ちはありません」という内容がつづられていたという。

　父淳一さんは記者会見で目を潤ませ「皆さんにご迷惑をかけて申し訳ありませんでした」と何度も頭を下げた。

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協会幹部処分なし　変わらぬ角界論理 (1/2ページ)
2009.2.5 22:08
元若麒麟の鈴川真一容疑者の解雇処分を発表する武蔵川理事長（右から２人目）ら＝２日、東京・両国国技館元若麒麟の鈴川真一容疑者の解雇処分を発表する武蔵川理事長（右から２人目）ら＝２日、東京・両国国技館

　大麻取締法違反で逮捕された元若麒麟は５日、退職金に当たる養老金の辞退を日本相撲協会に申し入れたが、武蔵川理事長（元横綱三重ノ海）は自身を含めた協会幹部への処分を下さない姿勢を崩していない。昨年の大麻関連不祥事で監督責任を問われて２階級降格となった親方も、今回の騒動の中で１階級昇進している。元若麒麟の処分が「トカゲのしっぽ切り」だったとの印象は強まるばかりだ。

　そもそも解雇は決して軽い処分ではない。角界のルールブックである寄付行為には「解雇した者は再び協会に帰属することができない」と明記されており、永久追放処分である。一般社会でいえば、退職金の支払いを伴わない懲戒免職に近い。問題は、解雇者の養老金支払い請求を拒否できない現行の規定にある。

　角界が一丸となって再生に向け努力する中で、大麻に手を出した若麒麟は悪質ではある。それでも、外部監事で元警視総監の吉野準氏が「ほかの処分との兼ね合いもある。退職金を支払いたくないからといって除名にするのでは本末転倒。（解雇者に養老金を支払う）現行の規定を変える必要がある」と主張したのは、法治の精神からも理解できる。昨年の大麻関連不祥事に関与した力士３人と同様の解雇とすることは妥当だろう。

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（以下は２ちゃんより）

旧再発防止検討委員会が力士の人生どうとでもできますよ、だな
ドーピングの利権でスポーツ界を支配するのは第三世界ではよくあること
合法恫喝だからな
医療関係者もこの美味しい利権は手放さないぞ
力士は集団でＣＡＳに提訴しろ
裁判所に人権救済をもうしたてろ

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とにかく昨年の検査について
・クロだった若麒麟がどうして見過ごされたのか
・陽性とされた露鵬と白露山は本当にクロだったのか
この２点をマスコミはもっと追及すべきだ。

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ロホーとハクロザンは警察レベルで問題にならなかった
（無罪放免）のに、さらし者にされた挙げ句、解雇。

若麒麟は警察レベルで問題になったのに、「かわいそう」で
解雇。

この差別を容認してはいけないだろう。社会正義に反する。

ロホー、ハクロザンのケースでは、警察が引いたため、
警察ではない大西が警察官の役割を演じた。ここに第一
の問題がある。

さらに、当時大西が見逃した若麒麟が半年後に逮捕された。
ここに第二の問題がある。

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大西の専門知識でできることは「吸引した・しない」
を見分けるまで。ここまでが彼の分野。

日本の法律では問題視されない「吸引のみ」を
解雇にする大西って、どういう脳みそしてるの？
（協会の処分規定にまで彼は口を出している）。

それでいて、警察に逮捕される若麒麟を見逃した
わけだから、専門家としての彼の能力には疑問を
持たざるを得ない。

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去年９月の検査で、
「幕内力士全員を検査した」と発表したが、
実際には千代ハクホーを検査しなかった。
彼は未だに検査を受けていない。

この事実一つをもって「慶応の大西教授は
平気で嘘を付く人物である」と断定することが
できる。

ましてや「若麒麟の検査結果を廃棄した」
「陽性ではないし、偽陽性でもない。陰性です！」
とタンカを切った事実もある。

彼が監修・監督した検査なんて信用できない。

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そもそもこの検査の目的が
「やってる奴はやめろよ」という警告ではなく、犯人探しでもなく、
「辞めさせたい奴を大っぴらにクビにする口実」になっていることが、
一番の問題だね。