Russia...and Iran [ 429 ]

Sergei Lavrov : Russia is worried by Iran missile tests

TREND///// , 29.09.2009 11:10

Russia is worried about Iran conducting test launches of missiles, Russian news agencies quoted Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on Monday, Reuters reported.

"Of course it is worrisome, when missile launches happen against the backdrop of unresolved situation concerning Iran's nuclear program," he said.

"I am convinced restraint is needed," Lavrov added. The agencies did not specify whether he meant restraint by Iran or by the West in response to the tests.

World's first platform for observing seabed{ 428 ]

Japan developing world's first reusable platform for observing seabed

The new movable seabed observation post prototype at JAMSTEC in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. (Mainichi)

Sept.27,2009 - The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) is developing the world's first movable platform for taking observations of the seabed.

While most countries possess fixed seabed observation posts, JAMSTEC's is the first that can be relocated. As well as being capable of measuring sea temperature and salinity, it's also designed to be used for investigating life on the seabed.

The seabed is home to some unique organisms, and while changes in the earth's crust and acidification of the world's seas due to global warming are thought to have some effect on the seabed environment, the extent of this is not exactly known.

The platform itself consists of a 2 by 4 meter frame, to which various instruments, batteries and so on are attached, and emplaced by an unmanned submersible. Each one costs around 200 million yen, and a prototype has already been completed.

One issue still to be fixed is that of power. Fixed observation posts can be powered by cable from nearby islands, but the new movable models are forced to use batteries. JAMSTEC is now looking for a partner to develop compact, high-capacity batteries within a few years, and work on economizing the platforms' power usage.

(Mainichi Japan) September 27, 2009

China's military power[ 427 ]

China says military arsenal comperable with west

BEIJING (AP) -(Mainichi Japan) September 27, 2009-

China's military now possesses most of the sophisticated weapon systems found in the arsenals of developed Western nations, the country's defense minister said.

Many of China's systems, including the J-10 fighter jet, latest-generation tanks, navy destroyers, and cruise and intercontinental ballistic missiles, match or are close to matching the capabilities of those in the West, Liang Guanglie said in a rare interview posted Monday on the ministry's Web site.

"This is an extraordinary achievement that speaks to the level of our military's modernization and the huge change in our country's technological strength," Liang said.

But an analyst said the claim was likely directed at the Chinese public and exaggerated its technological prowess.

The minister's remarks come ahead of the country's biggest military parade in a decade scheduled for the Oct. 1 National Day in Beijing. That event will showcase much of the country's most advanced equipment, the fruit of a booming economy and nearly two decades of annual double-digit percentage increases in the defense budget.

Liang said he believed the parade would "display the image of a mighty force, a civilized force, a victorious force."

In its 2009 report on Beijing's military power, the Pentagon ranked Chinese defense technology below that of the United States -- as it always has -- but noted that the country's armed forces have improved their capacity to carry out operations away from its shores and deny other militaries access to its airspace and seas off its coast.

Hans M. Kristensen, an expert on the Chinese military at the Federation of American Scientists, said Liang's comments may have overestimated the country's capabilities.

"Although Western countries are concerned and uncertain about China's military modernization, China hasn't gone through the wars that have shaped and sharpened the swords and strategies of the Western militaries," Kristensen said. "It takes a great deal more than building a weapon system for it to be technologically comparable."

The 2.3 million-member People's Liberation Army is the world's largest standing military and its modernization has been accompanied by gradual steps toward greater engagement with the outside world. Liang said China has contributed 13,000 troops to U.N. peace keeping operations along with three navy flotillas to join in anti-piracy patrols of the coast of Somalia.

Despite such moves, however, the PLA remains largely a closed shop and military ties with the United States and other nations are often hobbled by disputes over Taiwan and other political issues.

China's improved capabilities are also seen as emboldening the country's military and civilian leaders in using force to back up political and territorial claims. Chinese ships have repeatedly harassed U.S. Navy surveillance vessels collecting intelligence off China's southeastern coast, while Chinese submarines have aggressively pursued aircraft carrier battle groups.

And while relations with Taiwan have warmed in recent months, Beijing continues to add to the hundreds of missiles it has pointed at the self-governing island that China considers its own territory -- to be unified with by force if need be.

Analysts say the odds of conflict with the U.S., Japan and other regional militaries is likely to increase as China further beefs up its arsenal.

China announced a 14.9 percent rise in military spending in its 2009 budget, to 480.6 billion yuan ($70.3 billion). Many observers say actual Chinese military spending is much higher.

Portugal : Exit Polls-(Update no1)...[ 426 ]

Socrates Wins however Loses Majority in Portugal, Exit Polls Show (Update 1)

Sept. 27 (Bloomberg, By Anabela Reis) --

Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates’s Socialist Party won the most votes in the country’s parliamentary elections, while losing its majority, exit polls showed.

The Socialists took between 36.2 percent and 40.4 percent, according to polls reported by SIC television channel and 36 percent to 40 percent, according to polls reported by state- owned RTP1. The Social Democrats, led by Manuela Ferreira Leite, received between 26.9 percent and 30.7 percent, according to SIC, and 25 percent to 29 percent, according to RTP1.

The projections showed the Socialists getting between 99 and 103 seats in parliament, less than the 116 seats needed for a majority. It won 121 seats in the 2005. Manuela Ferreira Leite’s Social Democrats may get between 74 to 77 seats today.

Triumphant Merkel eyes new coalition [ 425 ]

Merkel 'heads for' new coalition

Angela Merkel said she wanted to be a chancellor "for all Germans"

(BBC)-Sunday, 27 September 2009 21:08 UK

Chancellor Angela Merkel has been returned to power in Germany, exit polls suggest, after her conservative bloc won more than 33% of the vote.

Mrs Merkel told supporters they had achieved "something magnificent", but said she wanted to be a chancellor of all Germans at a moment of crisis.

Mrs Merkel's bloc now looks set to form a centre-right alliance with her preferred partner, the pro-reform FDP.

She says the alliance will get Germany out of its worst crisis in 60 years.

Her rival, SPD leader Frank-Walter Steinmeier, admitted a "bitter defeat".

He said his party would be "vigilant in opposition".

See a breakdown of what parties got, based on German TV exit poll In detail

"The voters have decided and the result is a bitter day for German Social Democracy ... there is no way of talking it up - the result is a bitter defeat," the SPD leader said.

Still, in the "Elefantenrunde" debate that traditionally follows the German election, involving each of the party leaders (the "elephants"), Mr Steinmeier said it "would not be very sensible" to resign and vowed "to go on fighting".

Exit polls in Germany, Europe's largest economy and the biggest member of the European Union, are generally considered to be extremely reliable.

AT THE SCENE Jonny Dymond BBC News, Berlin As exit poll results neared, officials and activists filled Christian Democrat headquarters in central Berlin, to eat, drink, gossip and of course speculate about the results to come. Then, drinks were set down and eyes turned towards TV screens. Chancellor Merkel's own party has done well but that's not what caused the great cheer here. It's the fact that the right-wing FDP looks like it has done very well, exceeding expectations. The left-right coalition, the so-called "grand coalition" between the Social Democrats and the Christian Democrats can now be consigned to history. Angela Merkel will still be chancellor tomorrow but overnight the political landscape will have changed completely.

Preliminary results are expected in the next few hours.

The BBC's Steve Rosenberg in Berlin says the result seems a disaster for the Social Democrats (SPD), who could have their lowest share of the vote since World War II.

The SPD have shared power with Mrs Merkel's CDU/CSU in an awkward grand coalition since the last elections in 2005.

An exit poll for ZDF television gave the CDU/CSU 33.5%, SPD 23.5% and the FDP, Mrs Merkel's preferred partners, 14.5%.

This would give the centre-right alliance, with 48% in total, a narrow majority over the SPD and the two other major parties, the Greens and the Left, both of which increased their share of the vote.

"Our main objective has been achieved, namely a change of government, which for me is what really counts this evening," a smiling Mrs Merkel told cheering supporters in Berlin.

"I want to be the chancellor of all Germans, so that things improve for our country, especially in such a moment of crisis."

HEWITT ON EUROPE Now Merkel has the opportunity to reveal where her true instincts lie Read Gavin Hewitt's thoughts in full

"I would not tell anyone to remain sober, but we don't want to forget that there are many problems in our country to be solved," she added.

She said she would hold "swift and decisive" talks with FDP leader Guido Westerwelle, whom some are tipping as the next foreign minister.

Mr Westerwelle said the new government would act "responsibly".

"Now the work starts for real... for Germany and our people," he said
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

ISOTIMIA.GR, - Κυριακή, 27 Σεπτεμβρίου 2009 - 21:27

Κεντροδεξιά κυβέρνηση "δείχνουν" οι κάλπες στην Γερμανία

Κυβέρνηση χωρίς τους σοσιαλδημοκράτες μπορεί, όπως διαφαίνεται, να σχηματίσει πλέον η καγκελάριος Ανγκελα Μέρκελ καθώς επιτυγχάνεται, αν και δύσκολα, ο στόχος συνεργασίας με τους Φιλελεύθερους (FDP),. Οι μέχρι τώρα συμμετέχοντες στην κυβέρνηση Σοσιαλδημοκράτες (SPD) καταγράφουν τα χειρότερα ποσοστά τους μεταπολεμικά.

Η είδηση ενισχύει ήδη το ευρώ καθώς εκτιμάται ότι η ενίσχυση της κεντροδεξιάς ενδέχεται να φέρει γρηγορότερη ανάκαμψη ενώ οι Φιλελεύθεροι θεωρούνται «φιλικότεροι» για τις επιχειρήσεις

Οι χριστιανιοδημοκράτες της καγκελαρίου Ανγκελα Μέρκελ, όπως ήταν αναμενόμενο, αναδεικνύονται πρώτη δύναμη στα exit poll των γερμανικών ομοσπονδιακών εκλογών.

Τα exit poll έδωσαν 33,5% στους Χριστιανοδημκράτες της Μέρκελ (CDU και CSU), 22,5-23,5% στους Σοσιαλδημοκράτες (SPD), 15-14,5% στους Φιλελεύθερους (FDP), 10,5-10% στους Πράσινους και 12,5-13% στην Αριστερά.

Ο υποψήφιος του SPD και υπουργός Εξωτερικών με το Μεγάλο Συνασπισμό του 2005, Φρανκ Βάλτερ Στάινμαγερ, παραδέχτηκε την ήττα ελάχιστα λεπτά μετά το κλείσιμο της κάλπης.
Στις προηγούμενες εκλογές, το SPD είχε συγκεντρώσει το 34,2%.

Οι Φιλελεύθεροι (FDP), συγκεντρώνουν τα καλύτερα αποτελέσματα της ιστορίας τους, και ετοιμάζονται για την κυβέρνηση.
Η συμμετοχή έφτασε στο χαμηλότερο ποσοστό της για τη Γερμανία, στο 72%.