The EU's president... [ 492 ]

Who will be EU president?

BBC ,07:27 GMT, Wednesday, 18 November 2009 The race to be president of the EU is heating up, with seven candidates standing out from the pack. With the decision looming, Europe correspondent Jonny Dymond has profiled the runners and riders. Click on the images below to listen to his take on the personalities in line for the biggest job in Europe. Copyright: AP/AFP/PA JEAN-CLAUDE JUNCKER - LUXEMBOURG Prime minister of Luxembourg is the EU's longest serving PM and head of the Eurogroup of finance ministers. Back to the top JAN-PETER BALKENENDE - THE NETHERLANDS The Dutch prime minister has led four successive governments in the Netherlands. Politically positioned on the centre-right. Back to the top TONY BLAIR - UK Former British prime minister and current Middle East envoy for the US, UN, EU and Russia. May lose support over Iraq war. Back to the top HERMAN VAN ROMPUY - BELGIUM Belgian Prime Minister said to be the frontrunner in the contest. A Christian Democrat, and former president of the Belgian parliament. Back to the top VAIRA VIKE-FREIBERGA - LATVIA Former president of Latvia, and the only woman in the seven. Dubbed the Iron Lady of Latvia, she served as president for eight years. Back to the top JOHN BRUTON - IRELAND Former Irish prime minister is currently the EU ambassador to Washington. Led Ireland at a crucial time for the Northern Ireland peace process. Back to the top CARL BILDT - SWEDEN Former prime minister of Sweden with noble roots, has been a key player in peace negotiations over the Balkan conflict. Back to the top

The Russian press.....[ 491 ]

What the Russian papers say

© Alex Steffler

MOSCOW, (RIA Novosti - 17:30,,,18/11/2009 )

Moscow tries to maneuver between United States and Iran / Russia must reconsider APEC role / Gazprom warns foreign partners of environmental risks in Shtokman project / Russian drug enforcement official starts a blog

RBC Daily

Moscow tries to maneuver between United States and Iran

The future for the Russian-Iranian relationship is becoming steadily bleaker, now that Moscow and Washington have reset their relations.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is hinting that Moscow could support sanctions against Tehran.

The Bushehr nuclear power plant project and the delivery of S-300PMU Favorit (SA-20 Gargoyle) surface-to-air missile systems to Iran are falling behind schedule.

All this seriously undermines Tehran's trust in Moscow.

The United States has decided not to deploy missile-defense system components in Europe. Moscow and Washington have also merged their positions on the new START treaty.

All this indicates that Russia is ready to renounce its neutral stand on the Iranian issue and to completely side with the West, said Radzhab Safarov, general director of the Moscow-based Center for Contemporary Iranian Studies.

He believes Moscow and Washington have struck a bargain.

Officials in Moscow maintain that any allegations that Russia has "abandoned" Iran are far-fetched.

"There is no link between talks on the Iranian nuclear program and construction of the Iranian nuclear power plant. This is not a politically motivated issue. Only technical issues are being settled," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday.

It is still too early to say that Moscow has abandoned Iran, said Alexander Sotnichenko, a leading analyst with the St. Petersburg Center for Middle East Studies.

"Moscow is trying to maneuver between the United States and Iran, as it sends out contradictory messages, delays making the final decision and is afraid to side with either party in order to avoid antagonizing the other. However, both Iran and the West are already tired of waiting for Russia to clarify its stand," the analyst said.

Nezavisimaya Gazeta

Russia must reconsider APEC role

The APEC summit in Singapore has shown that time is running out for a Europe-centered world; new trends are generating a range of new issues and require that Moscow reconsider the role of this forum, traditionally seen as a tool to attract investment to Siberia and the Far East, an analyst writes.

Dr. Alexei Fenenko from Russia's Institute for International Security Studies says it is high time we consider a comprehensive foreign-policy strategy in the Asia-Pacific Region.

APEC's growing focus on the environment requires a shift in the region's energy balance. In 2007, this led to growing tensions between the United States and China, as the latter refused to reduce its use of coal. Potentially, this problem could affect Russia, too, the analyst writes. Moscow is planning to boost supplies of energy resources to East Asia. The discussion of this issue within the APEC format could theoretically block several large investment projects, he adds.

APEC's strategic goal, foreign trade liberalization, will weaken the customs regulation system. It will be more difficult to control commodity flow toward Russia's Far East. The government will find it harder to implement its protectionist policies to stimulate the national auto or steel industries. Federal control of migration and border crossing will also become weaker, Dr. Fenenko suggests.

While supporting integration projects in the Asia-Pacific region, Russia should still take some precautions to preserve control of its Far Eastern regions. Two-thirds of the country's landmass and the bulk of its mineral resources are located in Asia. However, these issues so far remain on the margins of public discussion. This shortage of attention to Asia-Pacific problems is causing serious concern. Officials in Russia seem to be busier with the dismantled Berlin wall or Russian-Polish relations, the analyst writes. So is the general public ready to view Russia as a major Pacific power?

Gazeta.ru

Gazprom warns foreign partners of environmental risks in Shtokman project

Russian energy monopoly Gazprom has warned that development of the Shtokman field may upset the natural balance of the Barents Sea and hurt indigenous wildlife, the environment and human activity. This openness, according to analysts, is due to the participation of foreign companies in the project.

A review prepared by Gazprom assessing the impact of Shtokman development on the environment and social sphere speaks of the serious risks involved.

"Environmental issues are very important for international investors; this is established global practice. Gazprom, by focusing on these issues, shows its share of concern," says Dmitry Alexandrov, an analyst with Univer Management Company. "Besides, thoroughly planned environmental programs will invite more money for nature protection projects, equipment, etc. Such projects are usually very expensive and could encourage any amount of money for the protection of, say, fish."

Experience suggests that environmental issues should not be ignored. A good example is the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean oil pipeline. When it was being laid, some environmental issues were being ignored, causing environmentalists to raise hell. The pipeline had to be rerouted, resulting in extra cost. Another example is the foreign investors that worked with Sakhalin II. They simply lost control of the project and had to sell their controlling stake to Gazprom because Russia's federal environmental regulator (Rosprirodnadzor) kept meddling with checks and inspections. However, analysts believe it was politics rather than the environment that played the key role. On the other hand, Sakhalin II shows that environmental demands may be a powerful weapon.

The Shtokman field is located in the central part of the Russian shelf in the Barents Sea. Its reserves amount to 3.8 trillion cubic meters of gas and about 37 million tons of gas condensate. The deposit will be tapped for gas to be piped or supplied as LNG to Atlantic markets. The monopoly owns 51% of the project, with Total and StatoilHydro controlling the remaining 25% and 24%, respectively.

Kommersant

Russian drug enforcement official starts a blog

Viktor Ivanov, head of Russia's Federal Drug Control Service, has started a blog on livejournal.com and invited everyone to contribute to drafting a national drug enforcement strategy. He says all comments will be considered, but even his colleagues are skeptical.

"It is good that the service has invited public opinion," said Yevgeny Roizman, the founder of the City Without Drugs foundation. "But everyone, including Mr. Ivanov, knows what we must do: introduce a strict visa review process for drug-producing countries like Tajikistan, approve tough punishment (including life imprisonment) for drug dealing, enforce compulsory treatment of drug addicts and launch an anti-drug media campaign."

"We pinned big hopes on the Drug Control Service, which has not justified all of them. This is probably why Mr. Ivanov has decided to appeal to the more active and better thinking part of population," Roizman said.

Alexander Mikhailov, head of a center studying contemporary drug policies and a former deputy head of the Drug Control Service, said nothing had changed in the service's policy.

The service has appealed to the public several times, "but received no reasonable proposals even though it had funds for projects," Mikhail said. "Half of the respondents demanded capital punishment [for drug dealing], while the other half called for legalizing drugs."

Askar Tuganbayev, head of Internet projects at the VGTRK state radio and television broadcasting company, said Ivanov's blog reminded him of the blog started by President Dmitry Medvedev, who makes video addresses and ended his "Forward, Russia" article with an invitation to send modernization ideas to him personally.

This is not drug enforcement but politics, Tuganbayev said.

"Officials start video blogs and become interested in personal fulfillment in the media when they have problems at the office," Tuganbayev said. "When an official strives to become a public figure, it indicates he or she either plans to get a new job or has been tipped off about a superior's dissatisfaction."

RIA Novosti is not responsible for the content of outside sources.

Japanese Large Radar in Antartica..[ 490 ]

Japan to install largest atmosphere observation radar in Antarctica

The Middle Atmosphere radar located in the Shiga Prefecture city of Koka, the same type of new radar set to be installed in Antarctica. (Photo courtesy of the Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University)

(Mainichi News, Japan) November 16, 2009

Japan will install an atmosphere observation radar at its Showa Station in Antarctica next fiscal year, which is expected to provide more precise global warming forecasts, it's been learned.

Other countries' radars in Antarctica can reportedly observe only the lower part of the stratosphere, a dozen kilometers or so above the ground, but the new radar will be capable of observing almost the entire atmosphere, up to about 500 kilometers high. It will be the largest atmosphere observation radar in Antarctica.

The skies over polar areas are susceptible to global warming. "Researchers around the world have waited a long time for the new radar. It is expected to help analyze the mechanisms of global warming and improve forecast accuracy," says a project official.

According to the National Institute of Polar Research, which is leading the research project, the new, 160-meter-diameter radar consists of 1,045 antennas arranged in a circle. Australia's 50-meter-square radar is currently the only atmosphere radar that makes steady observations in Antarctica, but the new radar will reportedly have radio waves that are about five times stronger than those of the Australian radar.

The Showa Station has been visually confirming clouds seven times a day and observing horizontal winds twice a day by flying balloons with observation devices about 30 kilometers high. After installing the new radar, clouds about 50 to 80 kilometers high -- a zone which is susceptible to global warming -- and vertical winds are expected to be observed.

The new radar, which will be the world's second largest following Peru's atmosphere radar measuring 300 meters square, will be completed by the 52nd Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition that is scheduled to depart from Japan in November next year.

"A project we have been discussing over the past 10 years will be finally completed. The quality of Antarctic observations will be significantly improved," says new radar project leader Kaoru Sato, who is an atmospheric science professor at the University of Tokyo.

Atlantis is scheduled to blast off from Florida..[ 489 ]

Atlantis set to launch Monday

November 16, 2009 12:27 p.m. EST

The space shuttle Atlantis crew members walk to the van that will take them to the launch pad Monday.

(CNN) -- The space shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to blast off from Florida on Monday afternoon to haul key spare parts to prolong the life of the international space station.

Liftoff is planned for 2:28 p.m. ET at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The delivery will add years to the station's life after the space shuttle fleet is retired next year, according to NASA. Monday's launch is among six planned before then.

"You'll see this theme in some of the flights that are going to come after ours as well," said Brian Smith, the lead space station flight director for the 11-day mission. "This flight is all about spares. Basically, we're getting them up there while we still can."

Some parts are for systems that keep the station from overheating or tumbling through space, according to NASA.

"We're taking the big ones," Smith said. "And not only are they the big ones -- they're the ones deemed most critical. That's why they're going up first."

The six-member crew will return to Earth with flight engineer Nicole Stott, who launched in August.

The weather was 90 percent favorable for a launch Monday, NASA said. CNN iReport: Share your photos, video of shuttle launch

The mission also will include three spacewalks and installation of two platforms to the station's backbone. The platforms will hold spare parts to sustain station operations after the shuttles are discontinued.

"As the only vehicle large enough to carry many of the big pieces of equipment into space, several of the flights are devoted to the task," NASA said.

Other items set for delivery include nitrogen and ammonia tank assemblies, a high-pressure gas tank and the station's robotic arm. The tanks help cool and pressurize the station.

Iran.: under the UN's nuclear watchdogs [ 488 ]

UN presses Iran on nuclear site

A UN team was allowed access to inspect the Qom site last month

The UN's nuclear watchdog says it needs "more clarification" about the purpose of a recently declared Iranian nuclear site near the city of Qom.

The International Atomic Energy Agency also said in a new report the delayed declaration of the plant raised concern about other possible secret sites.

A UN team was allowed access to inspect the Qom site last month.

Some Western nations fear Tehran is trying to build nuclear weapons but Iran says its programme is peaceful.

Chief Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Asghar Soltaniyeh told Iranian media that Tehran had "provided all the information about the new facility" and called the IAEA report "repetitive".

Earlier, Russia said a nuclear power station it had been building at Bushehr in southern Iran would not be completed by the end of this year as planned.

'Inconsistent'

The IAEA report said it expected the Qom site to start enriching uranium in 2011.

ANALYSIS Paul Reynolds, BBC world affairs correspondent The IAEA report on the site near Qom basically confirms that it will be capable of housing some 3,000 centrifuges for uranium enrichment. Iran has said that it is building the plant to protect its technology from potential attack, and the head of the IAEA has said there is nothing to worry about at the site. But what does worry the governments trying to negotiate with Iran is the secrecy that surrounded the plant. The report says such secrecy does not "contribute to the building of confidence". In the wider picture, there is still stalemate over the proposal to take Iran's stockpile of low-enriched uranium and enrich it in Russia and France. Senior diplomats from the US, Russia, China and the EU will meet soon as pressure grows for further sanctions on Iran if no agreement on its uranium enrichment can be reached by the end of the year.

It said: "Iran's explanation about the purpose of the facility and the chronology of its design and construction requires further clarification."

Iran only revealed the existence of the Fordo enrichment facility, which is being built about 30km (20 miles) north of Qom, in September.

The IAEA report said this did "not contribute to the building of confidence" and "gives rise to questions about whether there were any other nuclear facilities not declared to the agency".

Iran's delay in notification was "inconsistent with its obligations", the report said.

The BBC's Iran correspondent Jon Leyne says the report raises key questions about the timing of the site's construction.

He says Iran's declaration that it began the project in 2007 does not square with the IAEA's evidence that there was work there as far back as 2002.

The report said satellite imagery showed there was work in Qom between 2002 and 2004, and that this had resumed in 2006 and "continued to date".

Mr Soltaniyeh said he was "comfortable" with the report, as it confirmed Iran was "fully cooperating" and that the activities at Qom were "in accordance with the IAEA instructions and limitations".

He told al-Alam TV: "Iran has provided all information about the new facility and the material inside it.

"We will later proceed with installing the required equipment. The facility will go online in 2011.

"Inspectors scoured the facility for two complete days. Everything was compatible with the non-proliferation treaty."

'Creative plan'

Iran has been offered a scheme whereby it would send some of its low-enriched uranium to Russia, where it would be further processed to fuel an Iranian research reactor.

However, Iran has failed to give a clear response.

Russia has delayed the launch of the Bushehr plant

US President Barack Obama has said it is unfortunate that Iran seems unable to say yes to a "creative" international plan to allay suspicions that it is secretly developing nuclear weapons.

On Sunday, Russia and the US both warned Iran that time was running out for talks over its nuclear programme.

Russia said on Monday the delay in launching the Bushehr plant was for "technical reasons".

Russian officials had said earlier this year that the plant would be completed before the end of 2010, but on Monday Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko said that although progress had been made, there would be no launch.

NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE Mined uranium ore is purified and reconstituted into solid form known as yellowcake Yellowcake is converted into a gas by heating it to about 64C (147F) Gas is fed through centrifuges, where its isotopes separate and process is repeated until uranium is enriched Low-level enriched uranium is used for nuclear fuel Highly enriched uranium can be used in nuclear weapons In depth: Nuclear fuel cycle

The BBC's Richard Galpin in Moscow says the decision to delay the completion is clearly political - an expression of Russia's frustration at Iran's failure to accept the offer now on the table from the international community.

Under the plan brokered by the IAEA and agreed by Russia, the US and France, Iran would send about 1,200kg (2,600lb), or 70%, of its low-enriched uranium, to Russia by the year's end for processing.

Subsequently, France would convert the uranium into fuel rods for use in a reactor in Tehran that produces medical isotopes.

This is seen as a way for Iran to get the fuel it needs, while giving guarantees to the West that it will not be used for nuclear weapons.

Iran has raised "technical and economic considerations" with the IAEA and has missed deadlines to respond.