Spain election: Rajoy's PParty declares victory...[ 2540 ]

Spain election: Rajoy's Popular Party declares victory

Conservatives in Spain are celebrating a landslide victory in today's national elections.

BBC., 20 November 2011 Last updated at 23:11 GMT
- 

Spain's centre-right Popular Party (PP) has won a resounding victory in a parliamentary election dominated by the country's deep debt crisis.

With almost all the votes counted, the PP, led by Mariano Rajoy, is assured of a clear majority in the lower chamber.
The Socialist Party, which has governed Spain since 2004, has admitted defeat.
Mr Rajoy, who is expected to tackle the country's debts amid slow growth and high unemployment, said he was aware of the "magnitude of the task ahead".
He told supporters there would be "no miracle" to restore Spain to financial health, and that the country must unite to win back respect in Europe.

"Forty-six million Spaniards are going to wage a battle against the crisis," said the 56-year-old PP leader.

The PP won about 44% of the votes and the Socialists 29% in Sunday's election, according to near-complete official results.
The PP is expected to take about 186 of the 350 seats in the lower house.
As the results were announced, jubilant, flag-waving supporters danced outside party headquarters in central Madrid.
Socialist Party spokesman Jose Blanco congratulated the PP on its victory.
The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Madrid says the right is headed for its biggest win since the end of the Franco dictatorship in 1975.
Parliament is expected to meet next month to confirm Mr Rajoy as the new prime minister.
'Sacrifices ahead' The new government will have little time to show results and people are bracing themselves for a new wave of spending cuts, our correspondent adds.
Over the past week, borrowing rates have risen to the 7% level which is regarded as unsustainable. Unemployment stands at five million.

PP leader Mariano Rajoy: "We can only go forward if we all go forward together"

-

Miguel Arias, the Popular Party's campaign co-ordinator, said Spain was "going to make all the sacrifices".
"We have been living as a very rich country," he told BBC News.
"People are used to a very high level of public services and it takes time to them to acknowledge the realisation that we now are a poor country, that we have lots of debts and in order to pay them back we must reduce public expenditure and then we must recover the confidence of the markets."
Outgoing Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero was not standing again at this election.
His successor as party leader, Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, has accused Mr Rajoy of planning severe cuts to health and education.
"Spain is at a historic crossroads," he told reporters in Madrid.
Correspondents say many are angry with the Socialists for allowing the economy to deteriorate and then for introducing tough austerity measures.
Spain's is the third Eurozone government in as many weeks whose fall has been attributed to the debt crisis.
The socialists in Greece and Silvio Berlusconi's Italian conservatives have also been swept from power.
Earlier this year, the governments of debt-stricken Ireland and Portugal also fell

Analysis

Sarah Rainsford BBC News, Madrid

The Popular Party had already erected the platform for its victory speeches at its Madrid headquarters by mid-morning. Hours before the polls closed, workmen unfurled a huge, new banner that said "Gracias". Somewhat premature, it was quickly removed.

But there was no doubt who would win this race. Left-wing voters have punished the governing Socialist party: it is pretty tough asking to be re-elected when almost five million people are unemployed. So the mood over at PSOE (Socialist) headquarters today was distinctly subdued.

Here, though, the music is pumping through loud speakers. The crowds have gathered - many wrapped in the Spanish national flag. The PP and its supporters are beginning their party.

Fyrom had never been Macedonia...[ 2539 ]

Skopje historically had never been Macedonian

Posted by D-Mak in FYROM Propaganda, skopje

Typical residents of modern Skopje (FYROM) : two Albanians and a cop.

- Ancient Scupi (modern Skopje), initially a Paeonian settlement, was founded in early antiquity near Axios (Vardar). It became the Capital of ancient Dardania, hence it was not part of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon.
 

- Dardanians were racially, a totally unrelated people to Ancient Macedonians and belonged probably to the Illyrian Group [1] . They could be described as natural Enemies of ancient Macedonians since their relation is characterised by continuous Dardanian incursions in Macedonian territories and wars against Macedonians.

More: 

• Skopje historically had never been Macedonian
•  

.Christian shrines display in Moscow..[ 2538 ]

Thousands gather in Moscow to see main Christian shrine

Thousands gather in Moscow to see main Christian shrine

MOSCOW, November 19 (RIA Novosti)

Thousands of people lined up around the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, where one of the most-revered Christian shrines, the Mother of God’s Belt, went on display on Saturday.
Russian Patriarch Kirill, who will celebrate his 65th birthday on Sunday, has led the service, celebrating the arrival of the miracle-working shrine which is believed to heal diseases and help women to conceive.
-
From the early morning thousands of worshippers from all over Russia and abroad are gathering near the Cathedral to pray before the Belt of the Mother of God that has been brought to Russia for the first time.
-
According to legend, the Mother of God wove the miraculous belt out of camel wool and wore it until the end of her Earthly days. At the time of her ascension, she passed the belt on to Thomas, the Apostle.
-
Currently, the relic belongs to the Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos in Greece. The belt was brought to Russia on October 20 and has already been shown in St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Norilsk, Vladivostok, Ussuriysk, Krasnoyarsk, Tyumen, Nizhny Novgorod and Volgograd among others.
The relic will be on display in Moscow round the clock till November 27.

Spain's borrowing costs...[ 2537 ]

Spain's borrowing costs hit 14-year high

 

-

Spain's borrowing costs have risen over the last few days

-

BBC.,17 November 2011 Last updated at 12:16 GMT

Spain's borrowing costs have risen at its latest bond auction, as Spaniards prepare to vote for a new government to tackle its financial crisis.

On money borrowed today, payable in 10 years, Spain has to pay an interest rate of 6.975%, the highest since 1997.
A high rate or yield indicates investors may not have confidence in a government to fully repay its debts.
The figure is perilously close to 7% - the level at which other eurozone countries have had to seek bailouts.
-
The average yield on 10-year Spanish government bonds soared from 5.433% in October.
Italian 10-year bond yields passed 7% earlier this month.
Opinion polls indicate that the opposition Popular Party will win Spain's general election on Sunday, ending seven years of Socialist government.
'Dreadful' The Spanish government sold 3.56bn euros (£3.04bn; $4.79bn) worth of bonds out of a maximum target of 4bn euros.
The auction attracted bids worth 1.5 times the securities offered. The so-called bid-to-cover ratio was down from 1.8 in October.

"The result was dreadful. They didn't manage to raise the full amount and the bid-to-cover is really poor," said Achilleas Georgolopoulos, rates strategist at Lloyds in London.

"The fiscal profiles of Spain and Italy are different but their yields seem to be aligning now."
A similar auction in France saw French short-term borrowing costs - for its two and four-year bonds - also rise by about half a percentage point.
The spread between French and German 10-year yields widened to as much as 203 basis points - the widest since the euro was created in 1999, amid fears that France will be the next eurozone country to face a debt crisis.
-
ECB role France, whose AAA credit rating has come under threat, has called for the European Central Bank (ECB) to take stronger action.
Many analysts believe the ECB should buy up large quantities of bonds to try to stem contagion in the eurozone.
But Germany has resisted this move, opposing any suggestions for the ECB to become the "lender of last resort", fearing it may lead to rising inflation.
-
German Chancellor Angela Merkel reinforced that stance on Thursday. "If politicians think the ECB can solve the euro crisis, then they are mistaken," she said.
Marc Ostwald, analyst at Monument Securities, said the eurozone had to deliver something which was going to calm the markets.
-
"At the moment, markets feel like they are being given no comfort whatsoever," he said.
In Italy, new Prime Minister Mario Monti will outline austerity measures later aimed at restoring confidence in the country's economy.
He will present his plans to the Italian senate ahead of a confidence vote in the upper house.

“Start Quote

Even if the Spanish exchequer expropriated and sold superstar footballers such as Fabegras, Villa and Iniesta, there would be only the tiniest dent in its debt mountain”

Robert Peston Business editor, BBC News

• Euro 2012 and the eurozone crisis 2011

Australia agrees US Marine deployment plan...[ 2536 ]

Obama visit: Australia agrees US Marine deployment plan

Julia Gillard and Barack Obama announce details of the new military arrangement

-

BBC., 16 November 2011 Last updated at 10:52 GMT 

Australia has agreed to host a full US Marine task force in the coming years, Prime Minister Julia Gillard has announced at a news conference with US President Barack Obama in Canberra.

She said about 250 US Marines would arrive next year, eventually being built up to 2,500 personnel.

The deployment is being seen as a move to counter China's growing influence.

But Mr Obama said the US was "stepping up its commitment to the entire Asia-Pacific", not excluding China.

"The main message that I've said, not only publicly but also privately to China, is that with their rise comes increased responsibility," he said.

"It is important for them to play by the rules of the road."

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin questioned whether the move was in keeping with the region's peaceful development.

"It may not be quite appropriate to intensify and expand military alliances and may not be in the interest of countries within this region," he was quoted as saying by AFP news agency.

The Global Times, a newspaper produced by the Communist Party-controlled People's Daily group, has been much more bellicose, says the BBC's Damian Grammaticas in Beijing.

An editorial warned it was "certain" that if "Australia uses its military bases to help the US harm Chinese interests, then Australia itself will be caught in the crossfire".

Luo Yuan, a senior officer at the People's Liberation Army's Academy of Military Sciences told the paper that while neither the US or China wanted to start a war, "if China's core interests such as its sovereignty, national security and unity are intruded on, a military conflict will be unavoidable".

Alliance honoured The US president flew into Canberra from this weekend's Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) forum in Honolulu.

The visit comes as the two countries mark a 60-year security alliance.

Ms Gillard said about 250 Marines would be deployed on a rotational basis in northern Australia from next year.

"Australia will welcome deployments of a company-size rotation of 200 to 250 Marines in the Northern Territory for around six months at a time," she said.

"Over a number of years we intend to build on this relationship in a staged way to a full force of around 2,500 personnel, that is a full Marine air-ground task force."

Analysts said the deployment was the biggest in Australia since World War II.

Mr Obama said the deployment would allow the US to "meet the demands of a lot of partners in the region" in terms of training, exercises and "security architecture".

Later in his visit the US leader is due to visit a memorial in Darwin to honour US and Australian soldiers killed during World War II.

Mr Obama has twice cancelled visits to Australia in the past - in March 2010 as he worked to pass healthcare reform legislation and then in June the same year amid the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

After his stop in Darwin, Mr Obama flies to Indonesia for a summit of Asian leaders. 

-

Analysis

Jonathan Marcus BBC Diplomatic Correspondent

Long a close ally of Washington, Australia is set to take on a growing strategic importance for the US as Mr Obama seeks to pivot America's foreign policy away from the wider Middle East towards the Asia-Pacific region as a whole.

Australia approaches China with a degree of ambivalence. Beijing is Australia's biggest trading partner. But China's growing military reach is seen as at least a potential threat for the future.

In his speech to parliament Mr Obama will set out his vision of a new Pacific century. A subsequent trip to Darwin on Australia's north coast will symbolise the enhanced military relationship between the two countries.

It is an attempt to offset Chinese influence and to ensure that Beijing's "soft power" remains just that and does not spill over into military assertiveness.