EZB-Präsident: Trichet will Deutschland zur Euro-Polizei machen
WELT ONLINE: In der gegenwärtigen Euro-Krise zählt EZB-Präsident Jean-Claude Trichet auf eine aktive Rolle Deutschlands mit seiner Tradition der gesunden Staatsfinanzen. Er fordert von den einzelnen Staaten, die Maßnahmen "rigoros" umzusetzen und die "Sparanstrengungen zu beschleunigen". Eine Inflation drohe aber nicht.

EZB-Präsident Jean-Claude Trichet. Bild: Welt Online
Deutschland soll nach Einschätzung von EZB-Präsident Jean-Claude Trichet mit seiner Vorbildrolle Europa aus der Krise führen. Die Regierung in Berlin stehe als eine Art Euro-Polizei in der Pflicht und müsse anderen Mitgliedstaaten der Euro-Zone auf die Finger schauen.

"Deutschland ist die größte Volkswirtschaft im Euro-Raum und ein Land mit der Tradition gesunder Staatsfinanzen“, sagte Trichet dem „Handelsblatt“. "Ich zähle auf die aktive Rolle aller Länder, inklusive Deutschlands, die Funktion der Überwachung einzuführen.“ >>> dpa/Reuters/woz | Freitag, 14. Mai 2010

Euro-Krise: Die Währungsunion am Scheideweg
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Die EU-Kommission schlägt vor, künftig die Haushalte ihrer Mitgliedsstaaten stärker zu kontrollieren - und Schuldensünder abzustrafen. Für Deutschland geht es nun um schwerwiegende Fragen: Will Berlin harte Regeln gegen Defizitsünder - oder einen Austritt aus der Währungsunion? Werner Mussler kommentiert.

EU-Kommissionspräsident José Manuel Barroso hat bei der Präsentation seiner Reformvorschläge für den Euro-Raum einen bemerkenswerten Satz gesagt: Wer die (wirtschafts-) politische Union nicht wolle, solle auch die Währungsunion vergessen, so Barroso sinngemäß. Ihm war wohl nicht bewusst, dass die Bundesbank mit genau diesem Argument Anfang der neunziger Jahre vor einer Einheitswährung gewarnt hat – und dass sich aus seiner Analyse ein Schluss ziehen lässt, der seinen Forderungen komplett widerspricht. Die Währungsunion könnte deswegen vor dem Scheitern stehen, weil die Mitgliedstaaten diese politische Union nicht wollen.

Jedenfalls ist die damals von der Bundesbank verfochtene „Krönungstheorie“, wonach eine Währungsunion erst am Ende eines langen wirtschaftlichen Annäherungsprozesses und nach Inkrafttreten einer politischen Union möglich ist, in der Euro-Krise wieder sehr aktuell geworden. Die Euro-Staaten, deren ökonomische Konvergenz wohl schon zu Beginn der Währungsunion nicht ausreichte, haben sich ökonomisch auseinanderentwickelt. Und der EU-Stabilitätspakt, der als eine Art Ersatz für die politische Union alle Euro-Staaten zu einer soliden Haushaltspolitik zwingen sollte, war eine große Selbsttäuschung. Schon in seiner ersten Bewährungsprobe, als ihn Deutschland und Frankreich nicht mehr einhalten konnten, wurden seine Regeln aufgeweicht.

Die heutige Schuldenkrise geht nicht nur auf die Finanzkrise zurück, sondern auch auf diese Aufweichung. Jeder Mitgliedstaat kann seither darauf setzen, dass seine Schulden sozialisiert werden. Der jetzt beschlossene Rettungstopf für überschuldete Euro-Staaten ist die fast logische Konsequenz. Die Währungsunion ist endgültig eine Haftungs- und Transferunion, die Sparanreize für schlecht haushaltende Mitgliedstaaten bleiben gering und kommen zu spät. Wenn das so bleibt, hat der Euro keine Zukunft. Eine richtige Analyse - handwerklich miserabel umgesetzt >>> Werner Mussler | Freitag, 14. Mai 2010

Ackermann pessimistisch: Kaum Chancen für Griechenland
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Wird Griechenland irgendwann einmal seine Schulden an EU und IWF zurückzahlen können? Deutsche-Bank-Chef Josef Ackermann sagt: wahrscheinlich nicht. Trotzdem sei es richtig gewesen, Griechenland zu retten, ansonsten hätte die Krise zu „einer Art Kernschmelze“ geführt. >>> | Fritag, 14. Mai 2010

Lien en relation avec l’article: «J'ai des doutes sur la solvabilité de la Grèce» >>> Par Guillaume Errard | Jeudi 13 Mai 2010

The Right Hand of God
NEW STATESMAN: Christian fundamentalists form a noisy wing of the Conservative Party, and their influence is growing fast.

In May 2008, a triumphant-looking Nadine Dorries, the Conservative MP for Mid-Bedfordshire, adorned newspaper front pages when she launched a campaign to restrict abortion rights. Aided by those who called themselves Christian "fundamentalists", the Tory backbencher was championed by the right-wing press for standing up against "the abortion industry". Dorries and her allies eventually lost the campaign to reduce the legal time limit for abortion, but they were undeterred. This was always going to be a long-drawn-out battle. And they had God on their side.

You could be forgiven for thinking that the David Cameron project has been striking in its unwillingness to say much about faith. None of the inner circle of Cameron, George Osborne, Andy Coulson and Steve Hilton is regarded as particularly religious, and avoiding the subject is part of the Tory detoxification project. Yet there are signs that a change is afoot.

“Historically, there have been splits in the Conservative Party over religion. But the vast majority of the new MPs will be social Conservatives who have similar opinions to myself," Nadine Dorries tells the New Statesman. “I can think of half a dozen Conservatives that don't agree with me, but they're leaving at the next election - people like Andrew MacKay and David Curry. The new MPs that are coming in are all social Conservatives - people like Fiona Bruce, Philippa Stroud, Louise Bagshawe."

Cameron is not oblivious to his party's uneasy coalitions, and has stealthily started to unveil policies designed to shore up its increasingly loud, ultra-conservative Christian base. Recently, he told the Catholic Herald that he was a "big supporter" of faith schools and that there should be a review of the legal time limit for abortion. Is he likely to go further?

The answer may depend on how well the Christian right organises itself. Strong links have emerged between the religious right and some Tories, with support from the media. Some groups in the UK have received funding from US groups. Their aim isn't merely to push certain policies but, in copying tactics from their American counterparts, build a more sustainable, long-term movement that would change the face of British politics. >>> Sunny Hundal | Saturday, April 24, 2010

Baroness Warsi Becomes New Conservative Party Chairman
BBC: Baroness Warsi has been named as chairman of the Conservative Party, as party leader David Cameron continues to choose members of his new government.

She replaces Eric Pickles, who becomes communities secretary.

Baroness Warsi, who was shadow minister for community cohesion when the Tories were in opposition, is the first Muslim woman to serve in a British cabinet.

A former solicitor, she was a vice-chairman of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2007. [Source: BBC] | Wednesday, May 12, 2010

PINK NEWS: Peer who said schools 'promote homosexuality' becomes first female Muslim cabinet member >>> PinkNews.co.uk Staff Writer | Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Le gouvernement thaïlandais se durcit face aux «rouges»
Le général rebelle Seh Daeng a été touché par un tir de sniper, jeudi, à Bangkok. Photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: La situation était explosive vendredi à Bangkok, où les affrontements entre soldats et antigouvernementaux ont fait un mort et douze blessés, dont un chef militaire des «chemises rouges», un journaliste thaïlandais et un journaliste canadien de France 24.

La journée de jeudi a commencé avec une phrase du premier ministre thaïlandais, qui a mis le feu aux poudres dans le camp des «chemises rouges». «J'ai annulé la date des élections. C'est ma décision car les manifestants refusent de se disperser».

«Les chemises rouges n'ont accepté que verbalement de se joindre à la feuille de route vers la réconciliation», a expliqué de son côté Korbsak Sabhavasu, son secrétaire général. «Mais ils n'ont pas décidé de mettre fin aux manifestations et il est donc impossible d'organiser des élections comme prévues». >>> Par Flore Galaud | Vendredi 14 Mai 2010

Ephraim Hardcastle: What does Margaret Thatcher Think of the Con-Lib Coalition?
MAIL ONLINE: What does Margaret Thatcher think of the Tory-Liberal Democrat coalition? At 84, she isn't always au courant with the day's events but her friend and adviser, Tim Bell, says: 'I am absolutely certain she would have done exactly the same thing. Whilst she was principled and idealistic, she was also intensely pragmatic.' [Source: Mail Online] | Ephraim Hardcastle | Friday, May 14, 2010

Coalition Government: David Cameron Tells of Shock at Being Prime Minister
THE TELEGRAPH: David Cameron has told of his shock at how quickly he was installed in Downing Street - and at being referred to as Prime Minister.

In an interview with The Sun, he said of Tuesday's historic changeover: ''If you had told me at lunchtime that I'd be in the Palace at ten past eight and in Downing Street at a quarter to nine, I would have said you were completely mad.''

The new premier, 43, also told of two instances since replacing Gordon Brown when he heard references to the Prime Minister, only to realise they were about him.

He told the paper: ''I had a wonderful moment...when the radio went off as I was just waking up in my own bed at home.

''I heard, 'This morning, the Prime Minister will...' and I thought, 'Oh God, what's he doing now? And then I thought, 'Oh no, hang on a second - it's me!'''

The other came at Buckingham Palace after he was appointed by the Queen. >>> | Friday, May 14, 2010

Gordon Brown Talks About His Future

Poland at Crossroads Ahead of June Election

Elena Kagan 'Outed' as Lesbian by Wall Street Journal Softball Picture
THE TELEGRAPH: An American newspaper has been accused of attempting to "out" Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan as a lesbian by publishing a front page photograph of her playing softball.

The Wall Street Journal was attacked for using a 1993 image of Miss Kagan, who was nominated for the top court by President Barack Obama this week, holding a bat during her time as a teacher at the University of Chicago.

Critics have claimed the sport is regarded as a "lesbian" pastime in the minds of many Americans and the picture was used to allude to rumours about her sexuality.

John Wright, of gay newspaper Dallas Voice, told Politico: "Personally I think the newspaper, which happens to have the largest circulation of any in the US, might as well have gone with a headline that said, 'Lesbian or switch-hitter?'."

Cathy Renna, a former spokesperson for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, said: "It clearly is an allusion to her being gay. It's just too easy a punch line." >>> Alex Spillius in Washington | Thursday, May 13, 2010

WSJ BLOGS – Washington Wire: The (Baseball) Pros Analyze Kagan’s Stance >>> Mary Lu Carnevale | Thursday, May 13, 2010

Criminal Gang Link Forces Out 500 Euro Note
YAHOO! FINANCE: Banks and foreign exchange bureaux in Britain have stopped issuing 500 euro banknotes after 90% of them were found to be linked to tax evasion, terrorism or other crimes.

According to the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca), which secretly co-ordinated the voluntary move by banknote wholesalers last month, there is "no credible legitimate use" for the note in the UK.

It said most of the high-value 500 euro notes, worth more than £426 each, are instead being used by criminals who want to discreetly transport large quantities of cash.

An adult male can stuff and swallow 150,000 euros and 20,000 euros can be hidden in a cigarette packet.

To carry the same value of notes in pounds sterling takes up ten times the space. >>> © Sky News | Thursday, May 13, 2010

BBC: 500 euro >>>

Griechischer Tourismus leidet unter der Krise: Protestaktionen gegen Sparkurs der Regierung schrecken Feriengäste ab
NZZ ONLINE: Die Tourismusbranche in Griechenland leidet zunehmend unter der Schuldenkrise des Landes und den damit verbundenen Protestaktionen gegen den rigorosen Sparkurs der Regierung.

«Die Zahl unserer Gäste ist beträchtlich gesunken, und die Stornierungen nehmen zu», sagte der Vorsitzende des Verbandes der Hoteliers in Athen und Attika, Iannis Retsos, auf Anfrage. «Bei uns rufen Gäste an und fragen, ob die Unruhen noch andauern», sagte er weiter und klagte darüber, dass die Bilder von den Ausschreitungen und der einen brennenden Bank noch Tage später in den internationalen Medien zu sehen waren. Viele dächten, Athen brenne immer noch. >>> ddp | Donnerstag, 13. Mai 2010

Angela Merkel zur Euro-Krise: ''Scheitert der Euro, dann scheitert Europa''
SUEDDEUTSCHE: Dramatischer Appell der Kanzlerin: Angela Merkel sieht das Jahrhundertprojekt Europa am Abgrund, sollten die Staaten den Euro nicht retten.

Ruft Europas Regierungen zu noch engerer Kooperation auf, um den Euro zu retten: Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel während ihrer Laudatio auf Donald Tusk in Aachen. Foto: Sueddeutsche
Angela Merkel ließ keinen Zweifel daran, was auf dem Spiel steht: "Scheitert der Euro, dann scheitert Europa." In ihrer Laudatio auf Polens Ministerpräsidenten Donald Tusk, den diesjährigen Träger des Karlspreises, forderte sie in Aachen ein engeres Zusammenrücken Europas in der Wirtschafts- und Finanzpolitik, um die gemeinsame Währung zu retten.

Die Kanzlerin betonte, wie wichtig die gemeinsame Verteidigung des Euros sei. Die Regierungen hätten den Bürgern die Währungsstabilität versprochen, und "dieses Versprechen müssen wir einhalten", sagte die CDU-Chefin. >>> sueddeutsche.de/dpa/AP/Reuters/jab/tob | Donnerstag, 13. Mai 2010

Portugal Approves Tax Increases, Salary Cuts
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: LISBON -- Portugal Thursday followed in Spain's footsteps by announcing new austerity measures to shore up investor confidence and avoid a Greece-style financial crisis.

Just days after European Union leaders put together a giant euro-zone financial backstop that was designed in part to ease investor concern about their debts, Portugal and Spain delivered on commitments to accelerate deficit reduction efforts.

"These additional measures are fundamental to defend Portugal and our economy, and to reinforce our credibility in international markets," Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates told journalists after a weekly cabinet meeting.

The Socialist prime minister said he agreed on the measures with Pedro Passos Coelho, leader of the country's biggest opposition party, the Social Democratic Party.

The government approved a value-added tax increase of 1 percentage point across all categories, to 6% for necessities, 13% for restaurants and to 21% for most other goods and services. Companies with profits of more than €2 million ($3.6 million) will pay an extra 2.5% tax on their profits.

Government ministers and other top state employees will have their salaries reduced by 5% starting this year. All the new measures will last until the end of 2011. >>> Jeffrey T. Lewis and Jonathan House | Thursday, May 13, 2010

News Hub: South Carolina Votes Cigarette-Tax Hike

Ankara Turns Away as EU Ambitions Fade
TIMES ONLINE: Turkey is growing impatient with being cold-shouldered by the European Union, and resistance to its bid for membership is stoking Ankara’s ambition to turn towards the Muslim world.

President Gül said that the EU and its leaders stood at an historic crossroads and had to decide whether or not to welcome Turkey in.

“They are at a point where they need to decide whether the Union is a closed entity, whether the current borders of the EU will define it for eternity, or whether it should plan 50 years ahead and think of its grandchildren, the future,” he told The Times and other European newspapers in his hillside palace.

The President, who hails from the Islamist AK (Justice and Development) party, voiced frustration with the near-freeze in Turkey’s accession talks with the EU, which opened in 2005. He was scathing over what he said was the EU’s use of the dispute over Turkish northern Cyprus to stall discussions with Brussels. Turkey, the only country to recognise northern Cyprus as a state, could not accept northern Cypriots being treated “like criminals, murderers and money-launderers”, he said.

He was also critical of the outright opposition voiced by President Sarkozy of France to Turkish membership and the coolness received from Chancellor Merkel of Germany. Mr Sarkozy’s argument, shared less openly by many other continental politicians, is that the EU’s frontier must never extend into Asia Minor. >>> Charles Bremner in Ankara | Thursday, May 13, 2010

«J'ai des doutes sur la solvabilité de la Grèce»
Josef Ackermann. Photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Dans un entretien télévisé diffusé ce jeudi soir sur la chaîne allemand, ZDF, le patron de Deutsche Bank, Josef Ackermann, qui a participé activement au soutien de la Grèce, s'interroge sur la capacité du pays à rembourser sa dette. Il reste néanmoins confiant sur la solidité de la zone euro. >>> Par Guillaume Errard | Jeudi 13 Mai 2010

Turkish Prime Minister in 'Revolutionary' Visit to Greece
THE GUARDIAN: Recep Tayyip Ergodan visit aimed at soothing tensions with historic enemy and advising Greece on tackling debt crisis

Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Ergodan flies into Athens tomorrow for a "revolutionary" visit aimed at soothing the often tense ties between the historic enemies – and helping Greece out of its worst debt crisis in decades.

With the red carpet rolled out as never before for the neo-Islamist leader, the Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the landmark trip would not only improve co-operation but would "surmount the psychological threshold" that has long divided them.

Highlighting the seismic shift, the Greek government will hold an unprecedented joint cabinet meeting with Erdogan and his 10-strong entourage of ministers.

"We are trying to change the perception that the two countries are in competition with each other," said Davutoglu ahead of the two-day talks. "The visit is in a sense a revolution … we have to minimise tensions, but also maximise areas of co-operation so the notion of 'tension' is eradicated from the minds of the parties."

For most Greeks, the prospect of their longstanding eastern rival extending a helping hand, even a few years back, would have been inconceivable.

The two nations have nearly gone to war three times in the last 30 years. Deadlock over the war-divided island of Cyprus – invaded by Turkish troops in 1974 after an Athens-inspired attempt to annex it to Greece – and persistent tensions over territorial disputes in the Aegean have kept the two at loggerheads. Though Nato allies, both regularly exchange accusations over the treatment of respective ethnic minorities, the legacy of an exchange of populations in 1923. >>> Helena Smith in Athens | Thursday, May 13, 2010

Related / Lien en relation avec l’article:

LE TEMPS: Visite historique d’Erdogan à Athènes >>> Stéphane Bussard | Mercredi 12 Mai 2010

Pope Says Gay Marriage Is 'Insidious and Dangerous'
THE TELEGRAPH: The Pope condemned same sex marriage as a "dangerous and insidious" challenge to society in an address to half a million Catholic faithful.

Pope Benedict XVI during the traditional 13th May annual mass at Fatima's Sanctuary. Photo: The Telegraph
In a strongly worded attack, Benedict XVI insisted that marriage should be founded on the "indissoluble" marriage between a man and a woman.

Addressing a huge crowd at the shrine of Fatima at the climax of his four day visit to Portugal, the 83-year-old Pope said that same sex marriage and abortion were among the "most insidious and dangerous challenges that today confront the common good."

He expressed his "profound appreciation" for anti-abortion campaigners, who he praised for defending the right to life and the "recovery of people wounded by the drama of abortion".

The Vatican regards being homosexual as a "deviation" and an "irregularity" and the act of homosexual sex as a sin.

In December a leading Roman Catholic cardinal reinforced the message, saying that homosexuality was an "insult to God" and that homosexuals and transsexuals will never go to heaven.

In remarks which outraged gay rights groups, Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, 76, claimed that people were not born homosexual, but chose to embrace homosexuality of their own free will.

The Pope himself angered homosexual groups in December 2008 when he suggested that the need to save humanity from the harmful blurring of gender roles was as critical as conserving the world's rainforests. >>> Nick Squires in Fatima | Thursday, May 13, 2010

Laura Bush Admits Supporting Gay Marriage and Abortion Rights
THE TELEGRAPH: Laura Bush has admitted secretly supporting gay marriage and abortion rights during her husband's eight years as president.



The former first lady said she kept quiet so as not to be seen backing measures which George W Bush had strongly opposed and used to galvanise support during his election campaigns.

Mrs Bush said in a television interview that the couple shared their disagreements in private but were not "argumentative".

"I understand his viewpoint and he understands mine," she said. "I think we ought to look at gay marriage and debate it. A lot of people have trouble coming to terms with it, because they see marriage traditionally as a man and woman. But I also know that when couples are committed to each other and love each other, they ought to have the same sort of rights that everyone has."

Asked if the US could accept gay marriage, she told CNN: "I think we could ... It's also a generational thing." >>> Alex Spillius in Washington | Thursday, May 13, 2010

Coalition Government: David Cameron Announces Pay Cut for Ministers
THE TELEGRAPH: David Cameron has announced that all ministers in his coalition Government have agreed to a five per cent pay cut and a further pay freeze for the rest of this Parliament.

For Mr Cameron, the cut means he will receive a salary of £142,500 - £7,500 less than the £150,000 Gordon Brown was receiving when he left office.

The salaries for other Cabinet ministers will be cut from £141,647 to £134,565, while the pay for a junior minister in the Commons will be reduced from £94,142 to £89,435.

No 10 estimates that the reductions will save £300,000 this year and around £3 million over the lifetime of the Parliament. >>> | Thursday, May 13, 2010

Coalition Government Angers Right-wing Conservatives
THE TELEGRAPH: Right-wing Conservatives are unhappy with David Cameron’s deal with the Liberal Democrats, privately expressing concern that he has given up too much to his coalition partners.

Some Conservatives have also predicted that the deal will quickly become strained over Britain’s relationship with the European Union. There is also anger among some Tories about being denied government posts to make way for Liberal Democrat ministers.

Mr Cameron has acknowledged that members of his party were uneasy about the deal, but insisted that the success of the coalition would assuage them.

“People of whatever wing of whatever party will see a good government and respect that,” the Prime Minister said at his joint press conference with Nick Clegg, his Liberal Democrat deputy.

Mr Cameron secured the agreement to share power by giving the smaller party five Cabinet seats. >>> James Kirkup, Political Correspondent | Thursday, May 13, 2010

Let's Face Facts, the Burqa Is an Affront to Feminism
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: Who knows the difference between ethics and morality? Belgium does, for one. Technically, there's not a lot in it. The dictionary makes ethics and morality synonyms, each relating to our cumulative attempts to tell right from wrong and act accordingly.

Aristotle's Ethics examines what it means to be good; for him, and many thinkers since, ethics and moral philosophy are one.

In everyday life, though, we tend to distinguish on a public-private basis. ''Morality'' tends to imply a code that is personal, often sexual and, just as often, religious in origin. ''Ethics'' meanwhile, denotes a public and generally secular amalgam of these values. The baked crust, if you will, atop the pie. Hence talk of professional and corporate ethics, ethical investing and, of course, ethics taught in religion's place in schools.

The St James Ethics Centre's chief, Simon Longstaff, argues similarly, defining ethics as ''a conversation . . . [on] the question, 'what ought one to do'?'' Moralities, he says - and he stresses the plural - are the voices in that conversation; one Jewish, one Christian, one Hindu, one Muslim and so on.

Ethics, in this sense, come into play where there is conflict between moralities, or between rules within a morality - as when the truth imperative cuts across kindness. >>> Elizabeth Farrelly | Thursday, May 13, 2010

Cameron Begins First Coalition Cabinet Since 1945
THE TELEGRAPH: Britain's first coalition Cabinet meeting since the Second World War has begun as David Cameron prepares to unveil the rest of his joint Conservative and Liberal Democrat ministerial team.

The Prime Minister sat next to William Hague, the new Foreign Secretary and opposite George Osborne, the Chancellor and Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister.

Vince Cable, the Lib Dem Business Secretary, arrived with his Tory deputy David Willetts and Liam Fox, the new Defence Secretary, pausing briefly at the door of No 10 before going inside.

Ken Clarke, the new Justice Secretary and one of the few to have any previous ministerial experience, arrived with Mr Hague. >>> Alastair Jamieson and Ben Leach | Thursday, May 13, 2010

LOS ANGELES TIMES: Britain's coalition leaders hail new era of politics: Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron and his deputy, Liberal Democrat Nick Clegg, set about putting together a government. They vow to make Britain a freer, fairer, more responsible country. >>> Henry Chu | Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Prophet Cartoonist Defiant After Attack
THE TIMES OF INDIA: STOCKHOLM: A Swedish artist whose drawing of the Prophet Muhammad offended Muslims said today he hopes to get another chance to deliver a lecture on free-speech that was interrupted by violent protests.

But officials at Uppsala University said they doubted they would invite Lars Vilks again after police used pepper spray and batons to help him escape a furious crowd Tuesday.

"It's nothing that we're discussing right now, but it's not very likely given how it turned out here," university spokeswoman Anneli Vaara said.

While Vilks escaped the incident with broken glasses and a degree of shock, he said it raised concerns about the freedom of expression at Sweden's oldest and most prestigious institute of higher learning.

"What you get is a mob deciding what can be discussed at the university," Vilks told The Associated Press, adding he was ready to repeat the lecture if re-invited. >>> AP | Thursday, May 13, 2010

A Very British Revolution
Photograph: Times Online
TIMES ONLINE: David Cameron and Nick Clegg introduced Britain to a radical new political landscape yesterday as they committed their parties to a five-year marriage of consensual government.

The Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister ushered in an era of “new politics” as they promised a stable and durable coalition to take the country in an “historic new direction”.

The scale of their revolution became clear as the Conservative and Liberal Democrat leaders staged a remarkable show of jovial but determined unity in the Downing Street rose garden. Fresh from handing five Cabinet jobs to Lib Dems, including two key economic portfolios, and planning to give Mr Clegg a minister in every department, Mr Cameron vowed to place the national interest above party interest and co-operation above confrontation.

“Compromise, give and take, reasonable, civilised, grown-up behaviour is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength,” he said.

Mr Clegg said that there would be “bumps and scrapes” along the way as two parties with different instincts joined themselves at the hip for an experiment that risks angering right-wing Tories and left-wing Liberal Democrats. He added that both leaders had taken “big risks” in going into full-blown coalition, but he insisted: “This is a government that will last.” >>> Roland Watson, Political Editor | Thursday, May 13, 2010

David Cameron and Nick Clegg: A Special Relationship
THE TELEGRAPH: A week ago, as Britain prepared to go to the polls, it was a scene that few voters, let alone David Cameron and Nick Clegg, could ever have imagined.



But on Wednesday, in the sun-dappled Downing Street garden, the leaders of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties stood side by side to unveil formally the country’s first coalition government for 65 years.

The two men declared that they were now “colleagues not rivals”, repeatedly pledging to act “together” in a five-year partnership. >>> Andrew Porter, Political Editor | Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Miliband Speaks Out

Cameron’s Daring Will Change Politics For Ever
TIMES ONLINE: A Tory partnership with the Liberal Democrats has wiped out the anti-Conservative majority at a stroke Read on (+video) >>> Daniel Finkelstein | Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Born to Rule? The Charmed Life of a Class Act
THE INDEPENDENT: David Cameron has long been spoken of as a future prime minister. His biographer, James Hanning, charts his relentless rise

So he got there in the end. You don't have to be a swivel-eyed conspiracy theorist to think that David Cameron was bound to be Prime Minister one day. Of course, his intelligence and upbringing in greenest, most comfortable Berkshire meant he was better placed than most to get where he wanted. And his family history, with a line of Tory MPs on his mother's side stretching back generations, gave him an implicit Conservatism and a freedom to be pragmatic that his more doctrinaire contemporaries found enviable.

He impressed contemporaries when he arrived in the Conservative Research department in 1988. In researching our biography of him, Francis Elliott and I found the words that became almost a cliché among those who knew him then: "destined for great things".

But he is no accidental politician. He had to want it, and, boy, did he want it. It is possible to construct a theory – unproven, I'd say – that he decided in his early teens that he wanted to be Prime Minister. Friends recall the alarmingly self-confident young man sitting at the breakfast table, proudly announcing that one day he would lead the Conservative Party. At Eton, he was quite unintimidated by arriving at this vast and forbidding school.

He was confident to the verge of bumptiousness, contemporaries recall. He failed to get into Pop, the school's set of prefects, and the fear of failure to which he admits may stem from not clearing this hurdle. But contemporaries also remember him in his early years there as a good-natured and amusing boy who didn't stand out in any way. >>> James Hanning | Wednesday, May 12, 2010

David Cameron Hails 'Seismic Shift' in Politics
THE INDEPENDENT: David Cameron hailed "a historic and seismic shift" in Britain's political landscape today as he launched the country's first coalition government since the Second World War.

The new Prime Minister marked his inaugural day in office by handing two major economic portfolios to his Liberal Democrat allies, anointing Vince Cable as Business Secretary and David Laws as Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

He also promised "very early legislation" to establish fixed-term Parliaments, effectively enshrining in law the Conservatives' five-year coalition deal with the Lib Dems.

At a joint news conference with new Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg - held in the garden of No 10 - Mr Cameron said the award of a total of five Cabinet jobs to Lib Dems underlined the parties' "sincere determination" to work together. >>> PA | Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Visite historique d’Erdogan à Athènes
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, premier ministre turc, entame une visite d’Etat historique à Athènes vendredi. Photo : Le Temps
LE TEMPS: Le premier ministre turc est en visite d’Etat vendredi en Grèce où il va rencontrer son homologue grec Georges Papandréou. Le désarmement sera au cœur des discussions

Au moment où les syndicats grecs appellent à une nouvelle grève générale pour le 20 mai, le premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan entame, vendredi, une visite historique à Athènes. Il va rencontrer son homologue grec Georges Papandréou confronté à une crise majeure dans son pays.

Entre les deux pays, le contentieux ne date pas d’aujourd’hui. Les survols par l’armée de l’air turque de la mer Egée sont les plus récents et les plus sensibles à l’exception de Chypre. Le différend à propos de la souveraineté d’îlots en mer Egée avait presque provoqué un conflit armé entre Athènes et Ankara en 1996. Président de la Fondation hellénique pour la politique européenne et étrangère, Loukas Tsoukalis le confiait au Temps voici peu: «Le problème, avec de tels survols, c’est qu’on ne sait pas à qui en incombe la responsabilité. Est-ce au gouvernement ou à l’armée qui vise à déstabiliser le pouvoir turc?» La délimitation du plateau continental de cette même mer est aussi un dossier sensible. >>> Stéphane Bussard | Mercredi 12 Mai 2010

Der moderne Konservative: Cameron krempelt die Tories um – Chemie in der Koalition stimmt
NZZ ONLINE: Von seiner Herkunft ist der neue britische Premier David Cameron ein typischer Tory. Doch die Zeit der «nasty party» Margaret Thatchers ist vorbei. Mit dem Liberaldemokraten Nick Clegg verbindet Cameron mehr, als vielen in seiner Partei lieb ist.

Als 1997 der damals 43-jährige Tony Blair mit überwältigender Mehrheit zum britischen Premierminister gewählt worden war, ging ein Ruck durch Grossbritannien. Der charismatische Blair galt weit über die Grenzen seiner Partei und seines Landes hinaus als Idol und Hoffnungsträger für den Aufbruch in eine bessere Zukunft.

Skeptische Wähler

Am Mittwoch hat der ein halbes Jahr jüngere Konservative David Cameron seinen ersten Arbeitstag am Regierungssitz in Downing Street begonnen. Er ist kaum weniger eloquent, selbstbewusst, dynamisch und charismatisch als Blair. Doch die Bürger begegnen ihm mehr mit Skepsis als mit Euphorie. Die Wähler haben Cameron nicht einmal eine klare Regierungsmehrheit gegeben, was ihn zur ersten Koalitionsregierung mit den Liberalen der Nachkriegszeit zwang.

Traumpaar

Doch manche munkeln, das sei ihm gar nicht so schwer gefallen, wie man das von einem richtigen Konservativen erwarten müsste. Die durch ihren ebenso jungen Parteiführer Nick Clegg repräsentierten Liberaldemokraten passen bestens zum Image der modernen, urbanen, optimistischen, sozial aufgeschlossenen und toleranten Partei, zu der Cameron die Konservativen seit seiner überraschenden Wahl zum Parteiführer vor fünf Jahren zu machen versucht. Das Führungsteam der Liberalen ist ähnlich jung, liberal, tolerant und privilegiert wie jenes Camerons.

Es erstaunt nicht, dass alle Beteiligten von den Koalitionsgesprächen berichteten, wie gut sich die beiden Teams auf Anhieb verstanden und einander vertraut hätten. Die Regierungsbeteiligung der Liberalen könnte deshalb dem Image der Konservativen gut tun und Cameron vor Angriffen unzufriedener Traditionalisten der eigenen Partei schützen. Nicht mehr die «nasty party» >>> Peter Rásonyi, London | Mittwoch, 12. Mai 2010

NZZ ONLINE: «Jetzt sind wir Kollegen» : Cameron und Clegg geben Teile ihres Programms bekannt >>> ddp | Mittwoch, 12. Mai 2010

Britain’s Power Shift

Making of an American al-Qaeda

Saving the Dhow Boats

New Style of Politics in Britain

EU Recommends Estonia Eurozone Entry on Jan 1, 2011
YAHOO! FINANCE: The European Commission on Wednesday gave Estonia the green light to become the 17th country to switch to the shared euro currency as of January 1, 2011.

"Estonia has achieved a high degree of sustainable economic convergence and is ready to adopt the euro on 1 January 2011," European Union Commissioner for Economic and Budgetary affairs Olli Rehn said.

"To ensure that the adoption of the euro is a success, Estonia must pursue its efforts to maintain a prudent fiscal policy stance," Rehn noted, urging Tallinn to "remain vigilant and react early and decisively" if problems emerge.

The single currency's future remains uncertain in the eyes of some analysts despite a trillion-dollar economic stabilisation programme for eurozone countries announced on Monday. >>> AFP | Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Nick Clegg and David Cameron: 'We Have One Key Purpose'
THE INDEPENDENT: Prime Minister David Cameron today declared that his new coalition with the Liberal Democrats would be united behind the "one key purpose" of giving the country strong and stable leadership for the long term.

With his new Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg standing alongside him in the Downing Street garden, he said that their alliance represented a "historic and seismic shift" in the political landscape.

"It will be administration united behind three key principles: freedom, fairness and repsonsibility," he told their first joint news conference.

"And it will be an administration united behind one key purpose and that is to give our country the strong and stable and determined leadership that we need for the long-term."

Mr Cameron said the appointment of six Liberal Democrats, including Mr Clegg, to the Cabinet was "a sign of the strength and depth of the coalition and our sincere determination to work together constructively to make this coalition work in our national interest". >>> PA | Wednesday, May 12, 2010

TIMES ONLINE: In full: the Con-Lib-Dem coalition document >>> | Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Congratulations, Mr Cameron. Now Learn the Lessons of a Dismal Campaign
THE GUARDIAN: David Cameron has finally got to the steps of 10 Downing Street, but the vast majority of Conservative activists believe he should have been there a week ago, elected with his own stable majority.

Ahead of last week's election, everything was set up for the Conservative party. The British economy was weak. Gordon Brown's reputation was in tatters. The Labour party was divided. In contrast, Cameron was the most popular Tory leader for a generation in mid-term polls. The party was twice as well-funded as Labour and was able to afford the most professional marginal-seats operation ever seen in UK politics.

And yet, the Tories fell short. The result was not a disaster, but it was much less than it should have been. Cameron should not have had to make deals with the Liberal Democrats and spend the next few months worrying if his government will survive. Quickly learning the lessons of an inadequate campaign is essential for the Conservative party. There is talk of fixed term parliaments, but it remains more than likely that Britain will be backs at the polls within the next year. It is vital that the Tories run a much more professional and focused campaign at the second time of asking. >>> Tim Montgomerie | Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Britons Feared Dead in Tripoli Plane Crash
TIMES ONLINE: More than 100 people were killed when a plane crashed on landing at Tripoli airport in Libya this morning. Seven on board were bound for London and only an 8-year-old Dutch boy survived.

The Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A330-200 was carrying 93 passengers, reportedly including Britons and South Africans, as well as 11 Libyan crew. The flight left Johannesburg on Tuesday night and crashed at 6am local time. “It exploded on landing and totally disintegrated,” a security official said.

A Foreign & Commonwealth Office spokesman told The Times that a team from the embassy had gone to Tripoli airport to investigate unconfirmed reports of Britons killed in the crash. "Consular staff in Tripoli are urgently seeking further details," he said.

All passengers and crew were killed apart from the boy. The child was said to be "in a good condition" in a local hospital but was undergoing surgery for injuries including broken bones. >>> Tristan McConnell and Joanna Sugden | Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Deadly Libyan Air Crash

Spain Unveils Billions in Deficit Cuts to Halt Eurozone Crisis Fears
THE TELEGRAPH: Spain will slash public spending by €6bn and cut civil servants' by 5pc salaries [sic] this year as part of a plan to ease fears the country could slide into a debt crisis like that of Greece.

Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the prime minister, on Wednesday outlined a series of measures that will include a suspension in automatic increases to retirement pensions, a drop in overseas aid and a reduction in government investment.

He said 13,000 civil service jobs would be cut in 2010, with public sector wages frozen in 2011.

Mr Zapatero was fleshing out the details of a €15bn plan announced on Sunday for deeper spending cuts to reduce Spain's deficit from 11.2pc of GDP last year to 9.3pc in 2010, and eventually to 3pc in 2013. >>> | Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Europe Tells Britain Not to Ask for Help in a Crisis
THE TELEGRAPH: Britain has been warned it will be punished by Europe if the pound is hit by a financial crisis, after refusing to support a massive euro bail-out.

Officials from both euro and non-euro countries said Britain should not ask for help if it runs into trouble because it had not signed up to a £378 billion support fund.

French, Swedish and many Brussels officials have predicted that it is only a matter of time before Sterling is hit by the same market turbulence that came close to destroying the euro at the weekend.

Jean-Pierre Jouyet, a former French Europe minister and the current chairman of France's financial services authority, yesterday predicted only "God would help" a rudderless Britain after it snubbed its euro zone neighbours.

"There is not a two speed Europe but a three speed Europe. You have Europe of the euro, Europe of the countries that understand the euro ... and you have the English," he said.

"The English are very certainly going to be targeted given the political difficulties they have. Help yourself and heaven will help you. If you don't want to show solidarity to the euro zone, then let's see what happens to the United Kingdom." >>> Bruno Waterfield in Brussels | Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Luxury Prison Built in Norway
THE TELEGRAPH: A luxury prison containing en-suite bathrooms, £1 million Banksy-style art and windows without bars, has been built in Norway.

The £15 million Halden Prison took 10 years to build and has been touted as the most humane in the world for its 252 inmates.

Prison authorities claim the luxury environment of the 75-acre site helps reduce the country's already very low crime rate.

Each inmate gets a private cell with mini-fridge, flat-screen TV and even a private en-suite bathroom and barless windows - because they let in more sunlight.

Then for every 12 to 15 rooms there is a top-spec kitchen with stainless steel work tops and lounge areas complete with IKEA-style sofas and coffee tables.

To cap-off their stay at Halden the prisoners are also able to use a gym, complete with rock-climbing wall, a music studio, and a luxury library. >>> | Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Coalition Government: David Cameron and Nick Clegg Get to Work in Downing Street
THE TELEGRAPH: David Cameron and Nick Clegg have shaken hands on the steps of Number 10 Downing Street before getting down to the business of running the country.

Mr Cameron and his deputy Nick Clegg on the steps of Number 10. Photo: The Telegraph
They have gone to work hours after finally putting together their historic Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition Government.

Mr Cameron, 43, has become the youngest premier since Lord Liverpool almost 200 years ago, and the first Conservative in No 10 since John Major departed 13 years ago.

Mr Clegg has been appointed Deputy Prime Minister, serving as one of five Lib Dem ministers in the new administration.

The Prime Minister promised there would be “hard and difficult work” ahead and said his administration would focus on “rebuilding family, rebuilding community, above all, rebuilding responsibility in our country”. >>> Andrew Porter, Political Editor | Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Les dirigeants du monde félicitent David Cameron
LE FIGARO: Le président américain Barack Obama a été le premier à appeler le nouveau premier ministre britannique pour l'inviter à Washington en juillet.

A peine sa nomination à la tête du gouvernement britannique annoncée, David Cameron s'est vu féliciter par les grands de ce monde qu'il sera amené à côtoyer régulièrement dans ses nouvelles fonctions.

Rappelant que «les Etats-Unis n'ont pas d'ami et d'allié plus proche que le Royaume Uni», le président américain Barack Obama s'est dit «heureux d'appeler David Cameron pour lui présenter à titre personnel (s)es félicitations pour sa campagne (électorale) couronnée de succès». Obama, qui a personnellement appelé David Cameron par téléphone, a «réitéré (s)on engagement fort et personnel à la relation privilégiée entre (leurs) deux pays, un lien qui a perduré depuis des générations et qui est essentiel pour la sécurité et la prospérité de (leurs) deux pays, ainsi que du monde». Il a invité le nouvel homme fort britannique aux Etats-Unis en juillet. Selon un porte-parole, les deux hommes ont également évoqué l'Afghanistan, le processus de paix au Proche-Orient et l'Iran.

En France, Nicolas Sarkozy a présenté «ses vives félicitations» à David Cameron et «espère pouvoir travailler avec lui au renforcement de la coopération très étroite et des liens exceptionnels tissés entre la France et le Royaume-Uni». … >>> Par lefigaro.fr | Mercredi 12 Mai 2010

Studie: Türken sind konservativer als andere Migranten
WELT ONLINE: 2,7 Millionen Türken leben in Deutsch-land, doch von allen Migranten fühlen sie sich am wenigsten willkommen. Gleichzeitig weichen ihre Wertvorstellungen weit von denen der Deutschen und vieler anderer Migranten ab. Besorgniserregend: Jeder fünfte Deutsche hat negative Einstellungen gegenüber Ausländern.

Fast 50 Jahre nach dem Eintreffen der ersten Gastarbeiter fühlt sich eine Vielzahl der Türken in Deutschland noch immer fremd. Das zeigt eine vergleichende Studie, für die mehr als 2000 Deutsche und Migranten aus 86 Ländern über Lebensgefühl und Wertvorstellungen befragt wurden.

Demnach haben mehr als 40 Prozent der hier lebenden Türken das Gefühl, unerwünscht zu sein. Gleichzeitig wollen allerdings nur 60 Prozent von ihnen „ohne Abstriche zur deutschen Gesellschaft dazugehören“ – unter Migranten aus anderen Ländern streben das bis zu 90 Prozent an. >>> Von Katharina Schäder | Mittwoch, 12. Mai 2010

Burqa: l'Assemblée vote une résolution
LE FIGARO: L'Assemblée nationale a adopté mardi, à l'unanimité des députés ayant pris part au vote, une résolution UMP contre le port du voile intégral, première étape avant l'examen en juillet du projet de loi l'interdisant dans tout l'espace public.



Le texte, à forte valeur symbolique mais sans pouvoir contraignant, a été adopté par 434 voix, et zéro vote contre. Les groupes UMP, Nouveau Centre et PS se sont prononcés pour, tandis que les députés communistes, du Parti de gauche et les Verts n'ont pas pris part au scrutin.



Le texte de la résolution stipule que "les pratiques radicales attentatoires à la dignité et à l'égalité entre les hommes et les femmes, parmi lesquelles le port d'un voile intégral, sont contraires aux valeurs de la République".



Le vote de cette résolution parlementaire constitue une première étape avant le projet de loi prévoyant l'interdiction générale du niqab et de la burqa dans tout l'espace public, qui doit être présenté le 19 mai en conseil des ministres. [Source: LeFigaro] AFP | Mardi 11 Mai 2010

Verschleierung: Frankreich bereitet Verbot der Burka vor
WELT ONLINE: Das französische Parlament macht ernst: Als erster Schritt zu einem Verbot der Vollverschleierung von Frauen wurde eine entsprechende Resolution verabschiedet. Nach Belgien ist Frankreich das zweite Land der EU, das per Gesetz gegen die Burka vorgeht. Muslime sprechen von einer Stigmatisierung des Islam.

Drei Viertel der Abgeordneten des französischen Parlaments haben am Dienstag für eine Resolution gestimmt, die das Tragen des Ganzkörperschleiers als Verstoß „gegen die Werte der Republik“ bezeichnet. sie soll dem eigentlichen Verbotsgesetz beigestellt werden, das erst im Juli ins Parlament kommt und jegliche Art von Vermummung in der Öffentlichkeit verbieten soll. Vertreter der französischen Muslime kritisierten das geplante Verbot als Stigmatisierung des Islam. >>> | Dienstag, 11. Mai 2010

French Parliament Condemns Islamic Veil
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: The French parliament on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the full-face Islamic veil as an affront to the nation's values, setting the stage for a law banning it.

The vote in the National Assembly put France on course to become the second European country after Belgium to declare the wearing of the burqa or the niqab illegal in public places.

President Nicolas Sarkozy's right-wing UMP party and the opposition Socialists made a rare show of unity in backing the non-binding resolution that declared the veil "contrary to the values of the republic."

"The full veil challenges the values that we share and the very principles according to which we live together," Justice Minister Michele Alliot-Marie told the assembly ahead of the vote.

"The government is determined to take all means to combat these practices which are contrary to the values of the republic," she said. >>> AFP | Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Cameron Faces Challenges Beyond His Coalition
THE NEW YORK TIMES: LONDON — The Conservative Party that David Cameron inherited in 2005 was a disoriented shadow of its once mighty self, riven by ideological disarray, wounded by endless power struggles and facing the bleak prospect of long-term unelectability.

As leader, the smooth, self-assured Mr. Cameron, who became Britain’s new prime minister on Tuesday, moved swiftly to weed out the old guard, replacing the party’s mean-spirited image with a kinder, more socially progressive philosophy that he called compassionate Conservatism. That he succeeded is a reflection of his toughness, acumen and resolve.

He will need those qualities now. As prime minister in charge of Britain’s first coalition government in 65 years, Mr. Cameron will have to contend not only with the tensions within his own party, but also with the dueling demands of his Liberal Democratic partners. He will also face an electorate likely to respond unhappily to the deep and painful budget cuts the government will need to impose to fix Britain’s ailing finances.

“It’s going to be a very interesting and hairy ride,” said Steven Fielding, director of the Center for British Politics at Nottingham University. “We’ve got a set of politicians who aren’t used to coalition government and who are going to have to learn on the job, in the midst of one of the worst economic crises we’ve ever lived through.” >>> Sarah Lyall | Tuesday, May 11, 2010

‘I Hope It’s the Start of the New Politics I’ve Always Believed In’
TIMES ONLINE: Nick Clegg was granted overwhelming approval from his party last night to embark upon a “new type of politics” and take them into government.

The leader, whose appointment as Deputy Prime Minister had been approved by the Queen earlier, secured near-unanimous approval for the coalition with the Conservatives from his parliamentary party and its federal executive at a late-night meeting.

The meeting broke up after midnight and he addressed the country about 20 minutes later.

Mr Clegg attempted to reassure the party’s voters — nervous about a formal tie-up with a Conservative Party that days ago they were fighting against — that he was convinced that this was a unique opportunity. “There will of course be problems, there will of course be glitches,” he said. “But I will always do my best to prove that new politics is not only possible, it is better.”

He said that the alliance with the Tories would lead to “fair taxes, a fair start for every child” as well as reforms to a discredited banking system, green, sustainable growth to the economy and “a new, open politics”. >>> David Sanderson | Wednesday, May 12, 2010

New British PM David Cameron Makes First Address

The Youngest PM for 200 Years – and a Milestone for the Lib Dems
THE INDEPENDENT: David Cameron has become Britain's youngest Prime Minister in almost 200 years as the head of a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition which was agreed during a day of extraordinary drama in Westminster.

The new coalition is Britain's first since the Second World War. Mr Cameron's 23-strong Cabinet will include five Liberal Democrats, giving the party their first taste of real power for 70 years. Nick Clegg, their leader, becomes Deputy Prime Minister.

The Tory leader was formally appointed by the Queen just minutes after Gordon Brown met her to tender his resignation, following the collapse of Labour's talks with the Liberal Democrats aimed at keeping the Conservatives out of power.

The 43-year-old Mr Cameron is the youngest Prime Minister since Lord Liverpool in 1812. He is six months younger than Tony Blair was in 1997. After a long, five-day wait since last Thursday's election, Mr Cameron finally went to Buckingham Palace last night when Mr Brown brought down the curtain on New Labour's 13 years in power.

As the first Cabinet appointments emerged, George Osborne became Chancellor; William Hague was confirmed as Foreign Secretary, Andrew Lansley as Health Secretary and Liam Fox as Defence Secretary. For the Liberal Democrats, Mr Cable is expected to become Chief Treasury Secretary, David Laws the Schools Secretary and Danny Alexander the Schools Secretary. The Liberal Democrats are likely to have at least one minister in each Whitehall department, giving them about 20 posts. Their appointments will leave some Tory MPs who were frontbench spokesmen in opposition out in the cold.

Speaking outside No 10, Mr Cameron said that a "proper and full coalition" between the Tories and Liberal Democrats would bring "the strong, stable, good and decent government we need so badly". He admitted it would be "hard and difficult work" and that the coalition deal would "throw up all sorts of challenges". He said it would be built on the values of "fairness and responsibility". >>> Andrew Grice, Political Editor | Wednesday, May 12, 2010

The Youngest PM for 200 Years – and a Milestone for the Lib Dems
THE INDEPENDENT: David Cameron has become Britain's youngest Prime Minister in almost 200 years as the head of a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition which was agreed during a day of extraordinary drama in Westminster.

The new coalition is Britain's first since the Second World War. Mr Cameron's 23-strong Cabinet will include five Liberal Democrats, giving the party their first taste of real power for 70 years. Nick Clegg, their leader, becomes Deputy Prime Minister.

The Tory leader was formally appointed by the Queen just minutes after Gordon Brown met her to tender his resignation, following the collapse of Labour's talks with the Liberal Democrats aimed at keeping the Conservatives out of power.

The 43-year-old Mr Cameron is the youngest Prime Minister since Lord Liverpool in 1812. He is six months younger than Tony Blair was in 1997. After a long, five-day wait since last Thursday's election, Mr Cameron finally went to Buckingham Palace last night when Mr Brown brought down the curtain on New Labour's 13 years in power.

As the first Cabinet appointments emerged, George Osborne became Chancellor; William Hague was confirmed as Foreign Secretary, Andrew Lansley as Health Secretary and Liam Fox as Defence Secretary. For the Liberal Democrats, Mr Cable is expected to become Chief Treasury Secretary, David Laws the Schools Secretary and Danny Alexander the Schools Secretary. The Liberal Democrats are likely to have at least one minister in each Whitehall department, giving them about 20 posts. Their appointments will leave some Tory MPs who were frontbench spokesmen in opposition out in the cold.

Speaking outside No 10, Mr Cameron said that a "proper and full coalition" between the Tories and Liberal Democrats would bring "the strong, stable, good and decent government we need so badly". He admitted it would be "hard and difficult work" and that the coalition deal would "throw up all sorts of challenges". He said it would be built on the values of "fairness and responsibility". >>> Andrew Grice, Political Editor | Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Embracing Change: Cameron Forges Historic Coalition
David Cameron, pictured with his wife Samantha just before entering 10 Downing Street as Prime Minister. Photograph: Times Online
TIMES ONLINE: David Cameron will begin today to forge the first peacetime coalition for more than 80 years after becoming Britain’s 53rd Prime Minister.

The Conservative leader opened a new political era by cautioning that “hard and difficult work” lay ahead for the new Government that will include five Liberal Democrats in Cabinet and some 15 others in ministerial jobs. Nick Clegg was last night confirmed by the Queen as Deputy Prime Minister.

Mr Cameron struck a businesslike tone devoid of triumphalism as he arrived in Downing Street to end five days of post-election uncertainty and become the first Tory for 31 years to depose a Labour prime minister.

He and Mr Clegg would “put political differences aside” as they moved to tackle the deficit, ease deep social problems, rebuild public trust in politics and bring about a more responsible society. The maxim of his Government would be: “Those who can, should, those who cannot, we will always help.” He promised that the elderly, frail and poorest would not be forgotten.

The scale of the political revolution underway — and the extent of the two leaders’ collaboration — was underlined with the unprecedented announcement that the next election will take place on the first Thursday in May 2015. Even before taking office, Mr Cameron gave up the Prime Minister’s freedom to go the country when he chooses, with both sides instead committing to a full five-year term.

Last night Clegg won the backing of his party for the deal. >>> Roland Watson, Political Editor | Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Nick Clegg Promises Liberal Democrats 'New Kind' of Politics
THE TELEGRAPH: Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has said that he hoped his party's coalition with Conservatives would mark the creation of a "new kind of government" in Britain.

Nick Clegg press conference after becoming Deputy Prime Minister. Photograph: The Telegraph
Addressing supporters in Westminster, the newly-appointed Deputy Prime Minister said his recommendation to enter an administration with the Tories had been "overwhelmingly" endorsed by his party's MPs and its federal executive.

He said that he was now looking forward to working with David Cameron and sought to reassure supporters in the country, insisting he would not have agreed the deal unless he was convinced it would deliver the changes they wanted.

Speaking at Westminster where the Lib Dem MPs and the federal executive had been meeting, Mr Clegg praised Mr Cameron for his "positive, constructive and workmanlike" approach to the negotiations. >>> | Wednesday, May 12, 2010