British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was fighting to keep Labour in power today by tempting the Liberal Democrats into a coalition government as Britain seemed set for a hung parliament.

UK Justice Secretary Jack Straw denied plotting to remove British Prime Minister Gordon Brown today after claims in a book that he told colleagues that Brown “had to go”.

BRITISH prime minister Gordon Brown rallied Labour MPs last night, declaring that the “hard- won economic recovery” would provide them with a platform for victory at the general election.

AS GORDON Brown was getting the better of David Cameron at prime minister’s questions, the television news channels flashed up the breaking news that two former cabinet ministers were demanding a secret ballot on whether he should remain as Labour leader.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was today facing the prospect of a dramatic challenge to his leadership after two former Cabinet ministers issued a call for the issue to be resolved "once and for all".

DAVID GILLICK produced the third fastest time of his career to qualify for tomorrow night’s 400m final at the world championships in Berlin.

Gordon Brown appealed today for discipline in the UK's Labour Party amid fresh criticism of his leadership following Labour’s humiliating by-election defeat in Norwich North.

CONSERVATIVE leader David Cameron yesterday criticised journalists guilty of “unacceptable practices” but continued to back the former British tabloid newspaper editor who heads his media relations team.

SCOTLAND YARD will conduct “no further investigation” of allegations of phone tapping by the News of the World, assistant commissioner John Yates said last night.

THE British PM’s chances of survival were boosted last night when a “peasants revolt” of backbenchers failed to materialise.

Ken Livingstone’s defeat in the race for London mayor put the seal today on a disastrous set of elections for British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Gordon Brown will be acclaimed Labour leader elect and Britain’s next prime minister today, after his left-wing rival John McDonnell conceded defeat in the race for No 10.

British Chancellor Gordon Brown today indicated that he expects a fight for the Labour leadership when Tony Blair steps down as prime minister.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair tonight won House of Commons backing for his plans to replace Britain's Trident nuclear deterrent, despite the biggest Labour Party backbench revolt since the Iraq war.

THE slaughter of thousands of turkeys is under way as officials battle to stamp out Britain’s outbreak of the potentially deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu.

The British government is preparing “very seriously” for the remote possibility of a human flu pandemic as officials battle to contain the first avian outbreak in the UK.

Phone-tap evidence that could have seen scores of terrorists convicted in the North should be allowed, a human rights group said today.

Tony Blair today tried to draw a line under infighting over the Labour leadership with an appeal to activists to stop worrying about the polls and focus on policy challenges.

The war over Labour’s succession in Britain flared back into life with a vengeance today, as former Home Secretary Charles Clarke launched a ferocious assault on the character of Gordon Brown.

Hundreds of Irish citizens jailed in Britain could be facing deportation upon release despite having lived there for years, it was claimed today.

ON Oireachtas Report (RTÉ 1, June 8), Deputy Jim O’Keeffe asked the Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, about the Government’s policy on deportation of non-nationals who have served prison sentences for a criminal offence committed in Ireland.

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell should have the good grace to resign. If he does not, he should be sacked immediately for plunging the countryinto the worst crisis it has ever faced in the area of criminal law.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair was set to reshuffle his Cabinet this morning after Labour suffered a humiliating defeat in local council elections.

A WIDESCALE government reshuffle looks to be on the cards in Britain after tomorrow’s local elections possibly involving three of embattled Prime Minister Tony Blair’s key ministers.

BRITISH deputy premier John Prescott faced renewed pressure over his conduct last night after his former secretary went public with lurid details of their two-year affair.

BRITAIN’S Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has admitted having a two-year affair with one of his secretaries.

BRITAIN admitted yesterday it had freed over 1,000 foreign prisoners, including murderers, rapists and paedophiles, who should have been considered for deportation at the time of their releases.

BRITAIN admitted yesterday it had freed over 1,000 foreign prisoners, including murderers, rapists and paedophiles, who should have been considered for deportation at the time of their release.

FOUR of the gang found guilty of the rape and murder of Mary-Ann Leneghan had been under probation supervision.

Ireland may have to create an ID card system if they are introduced in Britain.

IRISH citizens could soon have to carry identification cards to cross the Border into Northern Ireland or to enter Britain, Justice Minister Michael McDowell has said.

MORE than 1,000 businesses now have the right to open round the clock after new licensing laws came into force at midnight in England and Wales.

British Home Secretary Charles Clarke decided today to order the extradition of British terror suspect Babar Ahmad to the United States.

BRITISH Prime Minister Tony Blair set himself up yesterday for high-risk clashes with his party, refusing to compromise on future reforms despite a first parliamentary defeat that raised doubts about his ability to govern.

The British government today suffered its first defeat in the House of Commons since Tony Blair came to power in 1997, as MPs voted down plans for terror suspects to be held for up to 90 days without charge.

BRITISH Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday declared his continuing support for police demands to detain terrorist suspects for up to 90 days without charge, less than 24 hours after Home Secretary Charles Clarke offered a compromise on the issue.

Britain is organising a series of talks with members of the European Union’s national parliaments this week to ensure broad support for a proposed package of anti-terrorism laws.

BRITISH Home Secretary Charles Clarke may have endangered some of the most high-profile terrorist prosecutions yet in Britain by distributing details of three sub-judice cases.

THE British Government is considering allowing terror suspects to turn “supergrass”, it emerged yesterday.

ONE of the July 7 London suicide bombers made three desperate phone calls to his fellow terrorists just before detonating his explosives, it emerged yesterday.

British home secretary Charles Clarke angrily hit out at the United Nations today after a senior official warned that Britain’s plans to deport foreign Islamic extremists breached its international human rights obligations.

Scotland Yard chief Ian Blair did not know his officers had shot an innocent man until 24 hours after Jean Charles de Menezes was killed, it emerged tonight.

John-Paul Ford Rojas

The shooting dead of an innocent Brazilian by anti-terror police in London was branded “shocking and terrifying” after new details of alleged police blunders emerged.