And it would open up a rival power base to that of the prime minister, something a Westminster system is not designed to cope with.

ECONOMIST: The republican rumble down under

An American base occupies a large chunk of prime real estate in the centre of Seoul, the South Korean capital, to the irritation of some locals.

ECONOMIST: Restructuring the superpower | The

On Thursday, the President will give an address to the Australian Parliament, meet with parliamentary leaders, tour a primary school with Prime Minister Gillard, and visit a military base in Darwin -- where he'll speak to a combined audience of U.S. marines and Australian troops.

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It doesn't forget to remind that Mr Singh is an "unelected" prime minister who "lacks a political base of his own, " and that political power is held by Mrs Gandhi who holds no cabinet position.

BBC: Manmohan Singh and the politics of decency

UMNO's bulging coffers and its strong political base, the election once seemed a sure thing for the prime minister.

ECONOMIST: A nervous shuffle in Malaysia

The Kremlin line is that the teamwork between Mr Putin as prime minister and Mr Medvedev as president will guarantee stability, creating a good base for more liberal reforms.

ECONOMIST: Russia's presidency

"This is a contentious issue and if we are going to deliver a lasting solution for the UK, we need to move forward on an agreed evidence base and, if possible, a high degree of political consensus, " said the prime minister's official spokesman.

BBC: A plane flying over west London

At the same time, and despite his calls for a harmonious "One Malaysia, " the prime minister has placated his party's ethnic Malay base by protecting pro-Malay affirmative action in government, business and education.

WSJ: Joseph Chinyong Liow: Malaysia's Doppelganger Election