DTN News: CHRISTMAS GREETINGS: To Our Readers & Viewers From DTN News Defense-Technology News

DTN News: CHRISTMAS GREETINGS: To Our Readers & Viewers From DTN News Defense-Technology News

Source: DTN News
((NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - December 24, 2012:  In the Western world, the birthday of Jesus Christ has been celebrated on December 25th since AD 354, replacing an earlier date of January 6th. The Christians had by then appropriated many pagan festivals and traditions of the season, that were practiced in many parts of the Middle East and Europe, as a means of stamping them out.

 There were mid-winter festivals in ancient Babylon and Egypt, and Germanic fertility festivals also took place at this time. The birth of the ancient sun-god Attis in Phrygia was celebrated on December 25th, as was the birth of the Persian sun-god, Mithras. 

The Romans celebrated Saturnalia, a festival dedicated to Saturn, the god of peace and plenty, that ran from the 17th to 24th of December. Public gathering places were decorated with flowers, gifts and candles were exchanged and the population, slaves and masters alike, celebrated the occasion with great enthusiasm.

 In Scandinavia, a period of festivities known as Yule contributed another impetus to celebration, as opposed to spirituality. As Winter ended the growing season, the opportunity of enjoying the Summer's bounty encouraged much feasting and merriment. The Celtic culture of the British Isles revered all green plants, but particularly mistletoe and holly. These were important symbols of fertility and were used for decorating their homes and altars. New Christmas customs appeared in the Middle Ages. 

The most prominent contribution was the carol, which by the 14th century had become associated with the religious observance of the birth of Christ. In Italy, a tradition developed for re-enacting the birth of Christ and the construction of scenes of the nativity. This is said to have been introduced by Saint Francis as part of his efforts to bring spiritual knowledge to the laity. Saints Days have also contributed to our Christmas celebrations.

 A prominent figure in today's Christmas is Saint Nicholas who for centuries has been honored on December 6th. He was one of the forerunners of Santa Claus. Another popular ritual was the burning of the Yule Log, which is strongly embedded in the pagan worship of vegetation and fire, as well as being associated with magical and spiritual powers. Celebrating Christmas has been controversial since its inception. 

Since numerous festivities found their roots in pagan practices, they were greatly frowned upon by conservatives within the Church. The feasting, gift-giving and frequent excesses presented a drastic contrast with the simplicity of the Nativity, and many people throughout the centuries and into the present, condemn such practices as being contrary to the true spirit of Christmas. The earliest English reference to December 25th as Christmas Day did not come until 1043.

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DTN News - KOREAN PENINSULA NEWS: South Korea Says North's 'Rocket' Could Reach US

DTN News - KOREAN PENINSULA NEWS: South Korea Says North's 'Rocket' Could Reach US

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources AFP
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - December 23, 2012: North Korea's recent rocket launch amounted to the test of a ballistic missile capable of carrying a half-tonne payload as far as the US west coast, the South Korean defence ministry says.

North Korea launched its three-stage Unha-3 rocket on December 12, insisting it was a purely scientific mission aimed at putting a polar-orbiting satellite in space.

South Korea's estimate was based on analysis of an oxidiser container - recovered from the rocket's first-stage splashdown site - which stored red fuming nitric acid to fuel the first-stage propellant.

"Based on our analysis and simulation, the missile is capable of flying more than 10,000 kilometres with a warhead of 500-600 kilograms," a defence ministry official said.

The estimated range of 10,000 kilometres covers the whole of Asia, eastern Europe and western Africa as well as Alaska and a large part of the US west coast including San Francisco.

Without any debris from the second and third stages to analyse, the official said it could not be determined if the rocket had re-entry capability - a key element of inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) technology.

Most of the world saw the North's rocket launch as a disguised ballistic missile test that violates UN resolutions imposed after Pyongyang conducted nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009.

The success of the launch was seen as a major strategic step forward for the isolated North, although missile experts differed on the level of ballistic capability demonstrated by the rocket.

The debris collected by the South Koreans was made of an alloy of aluminium and magnesium with eight panels welded manually.

"Welding was crude, done manually," the ministry official said, adding that oxidiser containers for storing toxic chemicals are rarely used by countries with advanced space technology.

The South's navy later recovered three more pieces of the rocket - a fuel tank, a combustion chamber and an engine connection rod - from the Yellow Sea and has been analysing them since Friday, Yonhap news agency said.

"As additional pieces have been salvaged, we will be able to look deeper into the function and structure of North Korea's long-range rocket," said a defence ministry official quoted by Yonhap.

The communist North apparently timed the widely-condemned launch to mark the first anniversary of the death of its longtime ruler Kim Jong-Il and drum up more support for his son and successor, Kim Jong-Un.

Since the launch, Pyongyang's propaganda machine has gone into overdrive to heap praise on the ruling Kim dynasty for leading the successful mission and to urge support for the young ruler who took over a year ago.

The nuclear-armed nation has awarded medals to 101 rocket scientists and technicians who worked on the launch, the official Korean Central News Agency said.

"By successfully launching satellite Kwangmyongsong 3-2, they instilled great national self-esteem... and dealt a sledge-hammer blow at the hostile forces' desperate moves to check the advance of (the North)," it said.

RELATED STORY: North Korea leader orders bigger rockets

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MAP: Korea, Democratic People S Republic Of

North Korea's recent rocket launch amounted 

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources AFP
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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. To Deploy Newest Weapons To Asia-Pacific

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. To Deploy Newest Weapons To Asia-Pacific

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources AFP
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - December 20, 2012: The United States plans to deploy some of its newest warships and other high-tech weapons to the Asia-Pacific as part of a strategic shift to the region, a U.S. defense official said Dec. 19.

The Pentagon will send P-8 submarine-hunting aircraft, cruise missiles, Virginia-class submarines, coastal combat ships and F-35 fighter jets to Asian ports and bases in coming years, the senior official told reporters.

“What you’re seeing is part of a bigger effort; the Pacific theater will get the newest weapons systems first,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Pentagon has promoted a tilt to Asia after a decade of ground wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, reflecting concern over China’s growing military power and its assertive stance in territorial disputes with its neighbors.

The United States already plans to deploy more than half of its fleet to the Asia-Pacific and to station four littoral combat ships — speedy new vessels designed to operate near coastlines — for rotational deployments in Singapore.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Dec. 18 that the stealthy F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which is still in development, could be deployed at the Iwakuni air station in Japan’s Yamaguchi prefecture by 2017.

Washington also is providing Japan with another powerful X-band radar to bolster its missile defenses, a move announced in September.

Vietnam, the Philippines and other countries in Southeast Asia are locked in escalating territorial disputes with China and have sought to bolster military ties to Washington to counter Beijing’s influence.

The senior U.S. defense official, recounting recent talks in Southeast Asian capitals, said governments were watching closely to see how China’s new political and military leadership will handle the territorial arguments.

“There was palpable concern and deep concern” over Beijing’s recent actions on the South China Sea, the official said.

He was referring to tough new maritime rules from China’s Hainan province, a controversial map in new Chinese passports and allegations that Chinese fishing boats cut the seismic cables of a Vietnamese geological survey vessel.

Hainan province adopted new regulations last month allowing local police to board and expel foreign ships entering waters it considers under Chinese jurisdiction.

And Beijing infuriated its neighbors by issuing new passports containing a map showing its claim to nearly the whole of the South China Sea.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources AFP
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DTN News - PAKISTAN DEFENSE NEWS: Pakistan Moves To Build Its Own Drones, Push Aside U.S.

DTN News - PAKISTAN DEFENSE NEWS: Pakistan Moves To Build Its Own Drones, Push Aside U.S.

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Dion Nissenbaum - Wall Street Journal
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - December 20, 2012: This country's defense industry is building what companies hope will be a domestic fleet of aerial drones that can take over the U.S.'s role in attacking militant strongholds.

The U.S.'s persistent use of armed drones to kill militants in remote parts of Pakistan has created a public backlash that has damaged the relationship between the two nations.
American attempts to reduce the number of civilian casualties by tightening oversight of such strikes have done little to reduce popular opposition in Pakistan to the attacks nor mute Pakistani leaders' routine protests.

But Pakistan isn't altogether against drones. The nation's leaders want to have more control over where and how they are used, and are encouraging local drone makers to build up the country's budding arsenal.

"The future era is toward unmanned operations," said Sawd Rehman, deputy director of Rawalpindi, Pakistan-based Xpert Engineering, which builds aerial drones. "The policy of self-reliance is always priority No. 1 of every nation."

Mr. Rehman is part of a new wave of executives in the Pakistani defense industry who have studied American drone strikes with a mix of scorn and envy. He and other Pakistanis view U.S. drone attacks on militant sanctuaries as counterproductive because of the anti-American hostility they have fueled.

Instead, Xpert and a small number of other companies are working to develop the country's own fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles—a force they hope will one day supplant the American drones that dominate the country's border with Afghanistan.

"We have tried our best asking the United States to transfer this technology to us so we can fight our own war instead of somebody from abroad coming and doing it," said Maj. Gen. Tahir Ashraf Khan, director general of Pakistan's Defense Export Promotion Organization. 

"Those efforts did not meet with success, so we decided to venture into this field ourselves—and we have gone pretty far ahead."

Pakistan's military already uses a small but growing number of unarmed drones, some of them manufactured at home, to monitor the borders, coast and mountain ranges that serve as sanctuaries for some of the world's most wanted militant leaders, including the Taliban and its allied Haqqani Network.

U.S. officials agreed last year to sell Islamabad several dozen small, unarmed Raven model drones with limited short-range surveillance capabilities. American officials have steadfastly opposed Pakistani requests for the transfer of U.S. armed drone technology to Pakistan.
The Pentagon declined to comment on Pakistan's drone program or the reasons for not giving it U.S. technology.

Washington is resuming about $1 billion in military aid after freezing it when Pakistan blocked U.S. access to supply lines into Afghanistan. That followed an American border strike that killed 25 Pakistani troops in November 2011. The standoff ended over the summer with a U.S. apology.

Without advanced satellite technology, the Pakistanis are incapable of developing armed drones by themselves now. It will take years, if not decades, for Pakistan to develop a fleet of armed drones to rival America's Predator and Reaper models, many analysts and people in the industry say.

"We don't have the capability," said Muhammad Sulaiman, a sales manager for Global Industrial Defense Solutions, or GIDS, a consortium of Pakistani companies that sells drones, tanks and planes to the nation's military. "Maybe Pakistan will need another 50 years."
To expand its capabilities, Pakistan is looking for help from China, which has marketed its own version of armed drones to developing countries.

"Pakistan can also benefit from China in defense collaboration, offsetting the undeclared technological apartheid," Pakistan Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said at a recent arms expo in Karachi, in apparent reference to U.S. reluctance to share its technology with Pakistan.

GIDS produces one of Pakistan's newest and most advanced drones, a medium-range vehicle called the Shahpar that can fly for about seven hours—a fraction of the 40 hours a Predator can spend in the sky.

To supplement its nascent drone industry, Pakistan has been working with Italy's Selex Galileo SpA to produce a medium-range Falco drone with limited capabilities that the Pakistani military has been using for surveillance since at least 2009, when the government staged operations against militants based in Swat Valley in northeastern Pakistan.

While Pakistan has looked to other countries to advance its drone capabilities, one Pakistani company said it has exported a small number of drones to a private company in the U.S.
Raja Sabri Khan, chief executive of Integrated Dynamics, a Karachi-based drone manufacturer, said he thought the U.S.'s use of armed drones has given the industry a bad name. He aims to help rehabilitate the perception of drones by promoting their peaceful uses, such as the ability to locate flood victims for rescue. "Drones can be used for saving lives, for security," he said. "I'm absolutely against drones for armed purposes."This country's defense industry is building what companies hope will be a domestic fleet of aerial drones that can take over the U.S.'s role in attacking militant strongholds.

The U.S.'s persistent use of armed drones to kill militants in remote parts of Pakistan has created a public backlash that has damaged the relationship between the two nations.
American attempts to reduce the number of civilian casualties by tightening oversight of such strikes have done little to reduce popular opposition in Pakistan to the attacks nor mute Pakistani leaders' routine protests.

But Pakistan isn't altogether against drones. The nation's leaders want to have more control over where and how they are used, and are encouraging local drone makers to build up the country's budding arsenal.

"The future era is toward unmanned operations," said Sawd Rehman, deputy director of Rawalpindi, Pakistan-based Xpert Engineering, which builds aerial drones. "The policy of self-reliance is always priority No. 1 of every nation."

Mr. Rehman is part of a new wave of executives in the Pakistani defense industry who have studied American drone strikes with a mix of scorn and envy. He and other Pakistanis view U.S. drone attacks on militant sanctuaries as counterproductive because of the anti-American hostility they have fueled.

Instead, Xpert and a small number of other companies are working to develop the country's own fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles—a force they hope will one day supplant the American drones that dominate the country's border with Afghanistan.

"We have tried our best asking the United States to transfer this technology to us so we can fight our own war instead of somebody from abroad coming and doing it," said Maj. Gen. Tahir Ashraf Khan, director general of Pakistan's Defense Export Promotion Organization. "Those efforts did not meet with success, so we decided to venture into this field ourselves—and we have gone pretty far ahead."

Pakistan's military already uses a small but growing number of unarmed drones, some of them manufactured at home, to monitor the borders, coast and mountain ranges that serve as sanctuaries for some of the world's most wanted militant leaders, including the Taliban and its allied Haqqani Network.

U.S. officials agreed last year to sell Islamabad several dozen small, unarmed Raven model drones with limited short-range surveillance capabilities. American officials have steadfastly opposed Pakistani requests for the transfer of U.S. armed drone technology to Pakistan.
The Pentagon declined to comment on Pakistan's drone program or the reasons for not giving it U.S. technology.

Washington is resuming about $1 billion in military aid after freezing it when Pakistan blocked U.S. access to supply lines into Afghanistan. That followed an American border strike that killed 25 Pakistani troops in November 2011. The standoff ended over the summer with a U.S. apology.

Without advanced satellite technology, the Pakistanis are incapable of developing armed drones by themselves now. It will take years, if not decades, for Pakistan to develop a fleet of armed drones to rival America's Predator and Reaper models, many analysts and people in the industry say.

"We don't have the capability," said Muhammad Sulaiman, a sales manager for Global Industrial Defense Solutions, or GIDS, a consortium of Pakistani companies that sells drones, tanks and planes to the nation's military. "Maybe Pakistan will need another 50 years."

To expand its capabilities, Pakistan is looking for help from China, which has marketed its own version of armed drones to developing countries.

"Pakistan can also benefit from China in defense collaboration, offsetting the undeclared technological apartheid," Pakistan Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said at a recent arms expo in Karachi, in apparent reference to U.S. reluctance to share its technology with Pakistan.

GIDS produces one of Pakistan's newest and most advanced drones, a medium-range vehicle called the Shahpar that can fly for about seven hours—a fraction of the 40 hours a Predator can spend in the sky.

To supplement its nascent drone industry, Pakistan has been working with Italy's Selex Galileo SpA to produce a medium-range Falco drone with limited capabilities that the Pakistani military has been using for surveillance since at least 2009, when the government staged operations against militants based in Swat Valley in northeastern Pakistan.

While Pakistan has looked to other countries to advance its drone capabilities, one Pakistani company said it has exported a small number of drones to a private company in the U.S.
Raja Sabri Khan, chief executive of Integrated Dynamics, a Karachi-based drone manufacturer, said he thought the U.S.'s use of armed drones has given the industry a bad name. He aims to help rehabilitate the perception of drones by promoting their peaceful uses, such as the ability to locate flood victims for rescue. "Drones can be used for saving lives, for security," he said. "I'm absolutely against drones for armed purposes."

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Dion Nissenbaum - Wall Street Journal
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DTN News - IRAN DEFENSE NEWS: Iran Unveils Two Indigenous Helicopters

DTN News - IRAN DEFENSE NEWS: Iran Unveils Two Indigenous Helicopters

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Press TV
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - December 18, 2012: Iran has unveiled two domestically-produced helicopters at the sixth aerospace industry exhibition in the country’s southern Kish Island in the Persian Gulf.

At the four-day event, the Iranian military showcased two semi-heavy and medium-weight military choppers, Panha-1 and Panha-2, which can carry 14 and 8 people, respectively 


Iran has presented two new helicopter of its own production at the recently opened exhibition of airlines and aviation equipment on the island of Kish, said on Tuesday the Iranian news agency Fars.

In the presence of Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi presented two model helicopter "Panha 1" and "Panha 2."

"Panha 1" - a model of medium-lift helicopter, capable of carrying 14 people, which is suitable for both military and civilian purposes.
"Panha 2" - a model of a light class, capable of carrying eight passengers.

The exhibition, which runs until 14 December, was also a model helicopter "Shahriar", which is a modified version of the twin-engine helicopter Bell 214ST, developed by U.S. company Bell Helicopter Textron.

"Shahriar" has been completely changed by Iranian experts and can carry about 20 people.


Their main task is to provide logistical support for the armed forces and take part in military missions. 

Shahriar, a completely overhauled medium-lift, twin-engine helicopter with a capacity of 20 passengers, was also displayed during the ceremony. 

Speaking during the inauguration ceremony of the exhibition, Managing-Director of Iranian Aviation Industries Organization (IAIO) Manouchehr Manteqi said Iran is ready to export the two indigenous choppers. 

In recent years, Iran has made great achievements in the defense sector and gained self-sufficiency in the production of essential military hardware and defense systems. 


*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Press TV
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DTN News - PAKISTAN DEFENSE NEWS: Crashes Raise Concern About Pakistani Air Force

DTN News - PAKISTAN DEFENSE NEWS: Crashes Raise Concern About Pakistani Air Force

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Dawn
(NSI News Source Info) SINGAPORE - December 17, 2012: Over a dozen Pakistani air force planes have crashed in roughly the past 18 months, raising concerns about the health of an aging fleet that officials are struggling to upgrade because of a lack of funds.

A significant number of the air force's combat aircraft are nearly half a century old and have been called on in recent years to help the army fight a domestic Taliban insurgency that has killed thousands of people. This has added to the strain on a force that has historically focused on countering the threat from Pakistan's neighbor and archenemy, India.

Pakistan has turned to the U.S. and China for help in modernizing its air force, but economic woes have strained the government's budget, even for the country's powerful military. Tension with the U.S. over a host of issues, including the covert raid that killed Osama bin Laden last year, also hasn't helped.

Shahzad Chaudhry, a former senior Pakistani air force officer, said the number of planes that have crashed "would be worrying for any air force."

"If I were air force chief, I certainly wouldn't want to see over a dozen airplanes being lost," said Chaudhry. "Obviously we need to bring those numbers down."

At least 13 planes have crashed since May 2011, many because of technical problems, according to a record maintained by The Associated Press. The air force did not respond to request for comment on the crashes.

The most recent accident occurred on Nov. 22, when a Dassault Mirage fighter jet crashed on a routine night training mission in central Punjab province, killing the pilot. The air force said at the time that it was investigating the cause of the crash, but eyewitnesses said the plane caught fire before it fell out of the sky.

Nearly half the planes that have crashed were decades-old Mirage fighters. They make up at least a quarter of the force's fleet of about 400 combat aircraft, according to the website GlobalSecurity.org. Many were built nearly 50 years ago and acquired from foreign militaries that had already retired them.

"We bought them at almost throw-away prices, brought them over, overhauled them and continue to operate them," said former Pakistani air force chief Tanvir Mahmood. "This was our compulsion because of the financial constraints that we had."

Chaudhry, the former senior air force officer, said the Mirage was a "very sturdy platform" that shouldn't fail easily.

"But when you have the intensity of an operational combat environment, problems tend to be there," said Chaudhry.

The crashes raise questions not only about the age of the aircraft, but also flight maintenance practices, said Sajad Haider, a celebrated former air force pilot who has written a book about the service.

Other planes that have gone down include the Chengdu F-7 fighter jet bought from China, the JF-17 Thunder fighter jet jointly developed with China and Pakistan's Mushshak trainer, a propeller plane.

The most advanced fighter jet operated by the Pakistani air force is the F-16 Fighting Falcon, over 60 of which were purchased in various batches from the U.S. over the past three decades.

U.S. military support came to a halt in the 1990s because of sanctions imposed on Pakistan over its nuclear program, but resumed in 2001 when Washington needed Islamabad's support to fight al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan. Military assistance largely dried up once again over the past two years because of renewed tensions between the two countries, although the U.S. did deliver more than a dozen new F-16s purchased by Pakistan.

One of the reasons Pakistan turned to China for help with its air force was the country's troubles with the U.S.

The government has purchased over 100 F-7 fighter jets from China, mostly in the 1980s, and has reportedly ordered more advanced FC-20 fighter jets in recent years. Pakistan is also domestically producing the JF-17 fighter jet, jointly developed with China, but it has not yet entered full service.

"The JF-17 program was pushed through during my tenure of office because we knew we couldn't live with these old Mirages and some of our old Chinese planes for too long," said Mahmood, who served as air force chief from 2006 to 2009.

The current head of the air force, Tahir Rafique Butt, told Pakistan's Senate defense committee at the end of November that the force was struggling to modernize its equipment and technology because of a shortage of funds, said the head of the committee, Mushahid Hussain.

While Pakistani military spending makes up about 20 percent of the government's budget, the air force is lower down the totem pole than the powerful army.

Hussain said the air force was doing the best with what it has, but the recent spate of crashes "was linked to use of technology that is fast becoming outmoded and obsolete."

"That reinforces the argument the air force was making to us about a lack of resources," said Hussain.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Dawn
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DTN News: Japan Top Stories / Headlines News (Images) Dated December 17, 2012

DTN News: Japan Top Stories / Headlines News (Images) Dated December 17, 2012

 Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources 

(NSI News Source Info) Singapore - December 17, 2012: Comprehensive daily news related to Japan for the world of TODAY.

*Comprehensive daily news related to Japan Top Stories / Headlines News for the world of TODAY

Washington Post See realtime coverage

Prime Minister Noda resigns as Democratic Party of Japan president after ... Washington Post  - ‎3 hours ago‎ TOKYO - Prime Minister Noda resigns asDemocratic Party of Japan president after election defeat. Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. YouTube Aljazeera.com Aljazeera.com Globe and Mail CTV News CTV News CTV News CBC.ca Xinhua Wall Street Journal Globe and Mail The Guardian AFP BBC News AFP Telegraph.co.uk Wall Street Journal (blog) Voice of America The Guardian AFP Times of India Wall Street Journal BBC News

The Hindu

Japan's conservatives win landslide victory Aljazeera.com  - ‎2 hours ago‎ Japan's conservative Liberal Democratic Party(LDP) has won a landslide victory in the election for parliament's lower house, according to TV exit polls, returning to power after a three-year-hiatus with ex-prime minister Shinzo Abe at the helm.

Yahoo! News (blog)

Conservative party favored as Japan voting begins Yahoo! News (blog)  - ‎18 hours ago‎ Associated Press/Itsuo Inouye - Japan's main opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Shinzo Abe speaks during a campaign rally for the Dec. 16 parliamentary elections in Kawaguchi, near Tokyo, Saturday, …more Dec. 15, 2012.

Conservative LDP wins landslide in Japan Boston.com  - ‎3 hours ago‎ TOKYO (AP) - Japan's conservative Liberal Democratic Partyreturned to power in a landslide election victory Sunday after three years in opposition, exit polls showed, signaling a rightward shift in the government that could further heighten tensions ...

CTV News

Exit polls point to Conservative LDP win in Japan election CTV News  - ‎5 hours ago‎ TOKYO -- The main opposition Liberal Democratic Party won a clear majority in Japanese parliamentary elections Sunday, media exit polls showed, signaling a rightward shift in the government that could further heighten tensions with rival China.

Japan PM Noda likely to quit as Democratic Party leader: NHK Chicago Tribune  - ‎6 hours ago‎ TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is likely to quit as leader of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) after the ruling party was trounced in a national election on Sunday, public broadcaster NHK quoted a party executive as saying.

Platforms of key parties in Japan's election Denver Post  - ‎Dec 15, 2012‎ The party says it would deepen its alliance with the U.S. and reform politics to restore public trust. The Democratic Party backsJapan's participation in the U.S.-backed Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, a region-wide free-trade initiative, to help ...

Belfast Telegraph

Voting begins in Japaneseelections Belfast Telegraph  - ‎17 hours ago‎ Still, many voters remained undecided, reflecting a lack of enthusiasm for any party and bewilderment over a host of new parties that have sprung up.

Yahoo! News (blog)

Japan's LDP set for big win in Sunday election: polls Yahoo! News (blog)  - ‎Dec 13, 2012‎ Reuters/Reuters - Japan's main opposition LiberalDemocratic Party's (LDP) leader and former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe makes a speech during a campaign for the December 16 lower house election in Ageo, north …more of Tokyo December 11, 2012.

Japan Votes To Elect Lower House Of Parliament RTT News  - ‎10 hours ago‎ The ruling Democratic Party of Japan has 267 candidates in the running with the Liberal Democratic Party having 338 contestants in the fray.

The West Australian

Japan votes in poll likely to eject ruling party - The West Australian The West Australian  - ‎15 hours ago‎ Media surveys show the Liberal Democratic Party on course for a convincing victory in the lower-house election, with the Democratic Party of Japanled by Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda set to be ousted in the race for the premiership. Some opinion polls ...

LOWER HOUSE ELECTION 2012 / LDP seen maintaining momentum The Daily Yomiuri  - ‎Dec 14, 2012‎ While the Democratic Party of Japan has been catching up in some single-seat constituencies, the situation surrounding the ruling party is harsh, as some incumbent Cabinet ministers are facing uphill battles, according to the survey.

Deutsche Welle

Japan's conservative LDP projected to win landslide | News | DW.DE | 16.12.2012 Deutsche Welle  - ‎6 hours ago‎ Public broadcaster NHK predicted that the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) would win between 275 and 310 seats in the legislature, compared with just 55-77 seats for Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda'sDemocratic Party of Japan. It said it based these ...

The Guardian

Japanese voters go to the polls | World news | guardian.co.uk The Guardian  - ‎7 hours ago‎ An 11th-hour plea to voters by the prime minister, Yoshihiko Noda, to turn their backs on the LDP's "old-style politics" was unlikely to save hisDemocratic party of Japan (DPJ) from a crushing defeat. Some polls suggest the LDP, along with its...

BBC News

Japan election: Shinzo Abe and LDP in sweeping win - exit poll BBC News  - ‎5 hours ago‎ The conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Shinzo Abe has won the Japanese election, exit polls predict. The LDP, which enjoyed almost 50 years of unbroken rule until 2009, is projected to have an overall majority in the new parliament.

Japanese voters confused by more than a dozen parties competing in ... - Newser Newser  - ‎Dec 13, 2012‎ In this Dec. 7, 2012 photo, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan waves during his parliamentary elections campaign in Tokyo.

The Associated Press: Nationalist Shinzo Abe is likely Japan's next PM The Associated Press  - ‎3 hours ago‎ WAKO, Japan (AP) - The Liberal Democratic Party's victory inJapan's parliamentary election Sunday virtually ensures that Shinzo Abe, who resigned as prime minister for health reasons in 2007 after just a year in office, will get a second chance to ...

Wall Street Journal

Japan's Main Opposition Party Set for Big Gains, Polls Show Wall Street Journal  - ‎Dec 6, 2012‎ TOKYO—Japan's main opposition LiberalDemocratic Party appears set to sweep back to power in the Dec. 16 general election with a solid majority, surveys showed, a result that would reinstall security hawk and monetary-policy dove Shinzo Abe as prime ...

The Guardian

Japanese conservatives stage dramatic electoral comeback | World news ... The Guardian  - ‎5 hours ago‎ The governing Democratic party of Japan [DPJ] is expected to suffer a heavy defeat, three years after it ended the LDP's near-monopoly on power with a landslide victory at the last election.

NHK exit poll projects main opposition LDP to win majority of seats in Japan ... Stamford Advocate  - ‎6 hours ago‎ Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda of the rulingDemocratic Party of Japan waves during a final day of parliamentary elections campaign in Tokyo, Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012.

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