Nick Clegg

Britain's deputy prime minister says the U.K. plans to share previously secret expertise in the detection of illegal trafficking of radiological and nuclear material. Nick Clegg told about 60 world leaders meeting in Seoul, South Korea, at a nuclear security summit that since 2001 Britain had used high-tech equipment to detect nuclear material being moved into the country. Although he did not offer specifics on the type of technology used, Clegg said Britain will open a new nuclear forensics laboratory at the U.K.'s main atomic weapons research center to share techniques with...

Britain's deputy prime minister says the U.K. plans to share previously secret expertise in the detection of illegal trafficking of radiological and nuclear material. Nick Clegg told about 60 world leaders meeting in Seoul, South Korea, at a nuclear security summit that since 2001 Britain had used high-tech equipment to detect nuclear material being moved into the country. Although he did not offer specifics on the type of technology used, Clegg said Britain will open a new nuclear forensics laboratory at the U.K.'s main atomic weapons research center to share techniques with...

LONDON — British voters fixed their eyes on television screens across the country for the first US-style political debate yesterday — a historic event billed as an exciting prelude to one of the closest elections in years. But a life-sapping format of 76 rules sterilized many of the exchanges — there were no real gaffes, no visible beads of sweat, and no bloodletting. Initial polls handed a surprising victory to the third-place Liberal Democrats’ Nick Clegg, 43, - who looked relaxed with his hand resting in his pocket.

LONDON - The British prime minister's rejection of an accord to quell Europe's debt crisis generated cracks in his Cabinet yesterday, sparking sharp criticism from the junior partners in his coalition, the Liberal Democrats. On Friday, David Cameron, a Conservative, made Britain the only nation in the 27-country European Union to reject a pact aimed at shoring up the foundations of the euro through a new treaty spelling out, among other things, binding caps on government spending and borrowing.

LONDON — Britain will hold a public referendum next year on overhauling its voting system — a potentially radical change that could see the country frequently led by European-style coalition governments rather than by one strong party. Prime Minister David Cameron’s office said yesterday that details will be announced next week on what could be the most sweeping reforms since British women won the vote in 1918, or the voting age dropped from 21 to 18 in the mid-1960s. Cameron himself strongly opposes any change, and has vowed to campaign against the reform.

LONDON - The British prime minister's rejection of an accord to quell Europe's debt crisis generated cracks in his Cabinet yesterday, sparking sharp criticism from the junior partners in his coalition, the Liberal Democrats. On Friday, David Cameron, a Conservative, made Britain the only nation in the 27-country European Union to reject a pact aimed at shoring up the foundations of the euro through a new treaty spelling out, among other things, binding caps on government spending and borrowing.

LONDON - Young people who looted stores as riots erupted across England last month were let down by a society that did not allow them to have faith in their own futures, Britain's deputy prime minister said yesterday. Addressing an annual rally of his Liberal Democrat party, Nick Clegg, the junior partner in Britain's coalition government, pledged new help for disadvantaged youths to divert them from criminality. Arson, disorder, and theft spread through London and other major English cities for four days in August.

LONDON — Britain’s new deputy prime minister pledged yesterday to lead a sweeping drive to protect civil liberties by curbing official surveillance and data collection, scrapping an unpopular national identity card program, limiting the retention of DNA profiles, and regulating the spread of closed-circuit TV cameras. Nick Clegg said the coalition government was rolling back government monitoring after years of complaints from rights groups that personal freedoms have been sacrificed in the name of national security.

LONDON — British Prime Minister Gordon Brown made a dramatic bid yesterday to keep his beleaguered Labor Party in power after it fell far short in elections last week, announcing he will resign by September at the latest even if the Liberal Democrats — being wooed by the Conservatives — decide to join his party in government. The political theater, played out in front of the iconic black door of No. 10 Downing Street, comes as David Cameron’s Conservatives — who won the most seats in Parliament but fell short of a majority — struggled in their...

LONDON — Britain’s first coalition government in seven decades held its inaugural meeting yesterday, as members of once-rival parties sat around the Cabinet table together — and signaled their seriousness about deficit-slashing by agreeing to an immediate pay cut. Prime Minister David Cameron, head of the Conservative Party, presided over the gathering, sitting across from his deputy, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg. There are 18 Conservative ministers and five Liberal Democrats in the new Cabinet.

LONDON - Young people who looted stores as riots erupted across England last month were let down by a society that did not allow them to have faith in their own futures, Britain's deputy prime minister said yesterday. Addressing an annual rally of his Liberal Democrat party, Nick Clegg, the junior partner in Britain's coalition government, pledged new help for disadvantaged youths to divert them from criminality. Arson, disorder, and theft spread through London and other major English cities for four days in August.

BRUSSELS - As the European economy teeters on the precipice, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France is by the Mediterranean in his swimming trunks. His prime minister is vacationing in Tuscany. The entire 15-member Cabinet of debt-ridden Ireland has left Dublin, though the finance minister is taking calls from his home in Limerick. The European Union is pretty much shut. Europeans have always treasured their long summer vacations, and that goes for their leaders as well. But some analysts say this has left the continent...

LONDON — Britain will hold a public referendum next year on overhauling its voting system — a potentially radical change that could see the country frequently led by European-style coalition governments rather than by one strong party. Prime Minister David Cameron’s office said yesterday that details will be announced next week on what could be the most sweeping reforms since British women won the vote in 1918, or the voting age dropped from 21 to 18 in the mid-1960s. Cameron himself strongly opposes any change, and has vowed to campaign against the reform.

LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II delivered a somber message of austerity yesterday in a speech outlining the plans of Britain’s new coalition government — setting out a program for sharp curbs to public spending, new regulation of the financial sector, and changes to the centuries-old political system. The queen wore a crown studded with 2,000 diamonds for the annual pageant of power, pomp, and politics — featuring canon fire, cavalry, red-jacketed Yeoman warders, and glittering carriages.

LONDON — Britain’s new deputy prime minister pledged yesterday to lead a sweeping drive to protect civil liberties by curbing official surveillance and data collection, scrapping an unpopular national identity card program, limiting the retention of DNA profiles, and regulating the spread of closed-circuit TV cameras. Nick Clegg said the coalition government was rolling back government monitoring after years of complaints from rights groups that personal freedoms have been sacrificed in the name of national security.

LONDON — Britain’s first coalition government in seven decades held its inaugural meeting yesterday, as members of once-rival parties sat around the Cabinet table together — and signaled their seriousness about deficit-slashing by agreeing to an immediate pay cut. Prime Minister David Cameron, head of the Conservative Party, presided over the gathering, sitting across from his deputy, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg. There are 18 Conservative ministers and five Liberal Democrats in the new Cabinet.

LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II delivered a somber message of austerity yesterday in a speech outlining the plans of Britain’s new coalition government — setting out a program for sharp curbs to public spending, new regulation of the financial sector, and changes to the centuries-old political system. The queen wore a crown studded with 2,000 diamonds for the annual pageant of power, pomp, and politics — featuring canon fire, cavalry, red-jacketed Yeoman warders, and glittering carriages.

LONDON — The two parties that could form Britain’s next government held hours of closed-door talks yesterday without reaching a power-sharing deal, and there were fears that the political uncertainty could stoke market jitters when trading reopens today. Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have a “mountain to climb’’ on issues including an electoral overhaul, a senior member of the Liberal Democrats said. The Liberal Democrats want Britain to shed a system that gave them just 9 percent of the seats in Parliament after they won 23...

LONDON — British Prime Minister Gordon Brown made a dramatic bid yesterday to keep his beleaguered Labor Party in power after it fell far short in elections last week, announcing he will resign by September at the latest even if the Liberal Democrats — being wooed by the Conservatives — decide to join his party in government. The political theater, played out in front of the iconic black door of No. 10 Downing Street, comes as David Cameron’s Conservatives — who won the most seats in Parliament but fell short of a majority — struggled in their attempts to win over the...

LONDON — The two parties that could form Britain’s next government held hours of closed-door talks yesterday without reaching a power-sharing deal, and there were fears that the political uncertainty could stoke market jitters when trading reopens today. Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have a “mountain to climb’’ on issues including an electoral overhaul, a senior member of the Liberal Democrats said. The Liberal Democrats want Britain to shed a system that gave them just 9 percent of the seats in Parliament after they won 23...