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LONDON (AP) - Gordon Brown ended a decade-long wait to become prime minister Wednesday, stepping out of Tony Blair’s shadow determined to heal divisions over the unpopular Iraq war as he brings a sober new tone to the government.

Blair departed to rousing applause and even some tears from lawmakers after presiding over a decade of rapid social change and economic prosperity but also rancor over Iraq. He now takes on the daunting role as envoy for the Quartet of Mideast peace mediators. for more click here

“The house and its exquisite furniture are a world-class product of the Scottish Enlightenment. I want them to be a showcase for a newly confident Scotland; and a catalyst for increased tourism and imaginative regeneration.” - ALEX SALMOND”

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They come from across the world, escaping from desperate circumstances and hoping to begin a new life. But, for many asylum seekers, the hardship does not stop when they reach our shores.

A new report into the experience of asylum seekers living in Scotland’s largest city has found that nearly all have been subjected to racist abuse on a daily basis in communities and schools - treatment which was last night described as “completely unacceptable” by the Scottish Refugee Council (SRC). for more click here

Thanks to a tour de force from John Swinney, the Minister for Everything, the nationalists snatched victory of a sort from the jaws of defeat last night.

They may well have lost their first significant vote since the May election but on the issues at stake - namely the Edinburgh trams project and the rail link to Edinburgh airport - the SNP government is still on course to get its way and have the projects severely curtailed if not cancelled altogether. for more click here

A CITY MP has urged Edinburgh and Lothians residents to dig deep to help save lives in Africa. for more click here

Greens today supported the funding of trams in a parliamentary vote which united all opposition parties and resulted in the government declaring that it would now fund the tram scheme for Edinburgh. Greens also welcomed the SNP government’s intention to examine the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link (EARL) project in more detail and to look at alternatives. A Green amendment proposing an examination of alternatives to EARL was not chosen by the Presiding Officer for debate but the Transport Minister announced an intention to do this over the summer.

Green MSPs supported a pro-tram amendment that had been agreed between all the other opposition parties. (1) Although the final amended motion (which was won by 81 votes to 47) partly supported the proposed Edinburgh Airport Rail Link, Greens pointed out that the EARL project would be subject to further examination, and that the most important message to send from Parliament was overwhelming support for the Trams.

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In response to a Ministerial statement on transport today, Scottish Greens set out their own programme of public transport priorities to free up Scotland’s traffic jams and deliver convenient, affordable alternatives to travel by car. As part of the programme Greens repeat their call for Edinburgh Trams to be funded, but that the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link be dumped. Patrick Harvie MSP said public transport must “come first”. Greens want the Aberdeen and Glasgow Crossrail schemes to be prioritised instead of the unnecessary roads such as the M74 Extension and the Aberdeen Western Bypass. Greens also propose to reverse rail privatisation, open new rail stations across Scotland and re-regulate bus services.

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Just what’s the matter with the yen?

As Tim Lee pointed out in yesterday’s FT, everything about the currency markets at the moment looks out of whack, to put it bluntly.

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BAGHDAD — The two men knocked on Abu Salam’s door on a Friday morning. He was one of the last remaining Christians on his block.

“Peace be upon you,” they said, and Abu Salam, a man in his 50s, repeated the greeting.

The pair, one fat and the other thin, spoke politely. Both were cleanshaven and wore slacks and button-down shirts. for more click here

BAGHDAD — Iraqi commandos backed by an arrest warrant raided the house of Iraq’s culture minister Tuesday in connection with the 2005 slaying of two sons of a maverick Sunni Muslim politician.

The arrest warrant and raid provoked an outcry from the minister’s Sunni Arab political bloc and threatened to complicate the uphill effort to pass legislation, including an oil revenue-sharing measure, sought by the Bush administration. for more click here