Teatime newslinks for Tuesday 20th December 2011

CAMERON VISITS AFGHANISTAN & THE ARMED FORCES

• Cameron arrives in Afghanistan on a troop visit - Telegraph
• .... but has to abandon his visit to Camp Bastion due to a dust storm, diverting to a NATO base in Kandahar instead - Guardian
• 'Cameron dons the khaki: PM opts for military-style mufti in morale-boosting visit to troops in Afghanistan' - Daily Mail
• 'Speaking from Kandahar, Cameron says more needs to be done "to recognise the service and sacrifice of the armed forces' - PlayPolitical
• Military covenant report shows many areas of concern for service personnel - Huffington Post
• Con Coughlin: 'Cameron is betraying the military covenant with this insulting pay rise for our soldiers' - Telegraph
• 'Phillip Hammond says women serve in submarines on the same terms as men' - MPsETC

PUBLIC SECTOR PENSIONS

• Danny Alexander outlines the public sector pension deal - BBC
• Alexander confirms pensions reforms agreement - Guardian I Guardian Video
• Minister hails pension deal with 'most' unions - Times (£)
• Francis Maude: Strike action didn't work - PoliticsHome
• James Kirkup: "There's nothing like a common enemy to bind people together. Even better is declaring victory over that enemy. That is what Coalition ministers are doing today in their struggle with public-sector trade unions over pension reform" - Telegraph
• Peter Hoskin: "These latest negotiations have also split the unions, leaving Serwotka largely isolated. So, all in all, a spot of Christmas cheer for Alexander and Francis Maude" - Spectator
• Alexander to make statement on public sector pensions - Guardian
• Steve Doughty: 'All I want for Christmas is for Boris to stand up to the unions' - Daily Mail

THE SUMMER RIOTS

• Nick Herbert: Police are right to be allowed to use firearms - PoliticsHome
• Police Minister Nick Herbert plays down threat to shoot riot arsonists - Guardian
• Watchdog says police need 'riot tactic rules' - BBC

IMMIGRATION & THE UK BORDERS AGENCY

• 'The Government is doing everything it can to "increase the number and speed of removals" of foreign criminals says Damian Green' - MPsETC
• Two officials suspended due to the relaxation of border checks are back at work - BBC
• Ken Clarke: May sees the need to reform immigration rules - PoliticsHome

OTHER TORY & POLITICAL NEWS

• Cameron makes modest gain with EU veto - Times (£)
• Doctors from the EU to face language tests in landmark ruling - Daily Mail
• Clegg must have a death wish if he thinks attacking marriage is a vote winner, says Nick Wood - Daily Mail
• David Green: 'On marriage Nick Clegg is hopelessly out of date' - Telegraph
• Rev. Peter Mullen: Nick Clegg's obsession with the House of Lords stems from the politics of envy - Telegraph
• Vince Cable's Christmas card list snubs Tory MPs - Independent
• Judge Sir Scott Baker says that extradition from the US to the UK is often quicker - BBC
• Mark Johnson: 'Troubled families need real therapy, not yet another keyworker' - Guardian