Gordon Brown today handed potential rival Alan Johnson the post of Home Secretary as he began his make-or-break reshuffle – which also saw another cabinet minister quit.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was today facing a fight for his political life after James Purnell dramatically quit the cabinet and urged him to stand down for the good of the Labour Party.

BRITISH forces have formally ended combat operations in Iraq, one month ahead of schedule, with a ceremony to remember their dead during six years of warfare.

British forces were ending combat operations in Iraq today in a move that means they are finally returning home after more than six years.

BRITISH Defence Secretary John Hutton signalled yesterday there would be a “fundamental change” in Britain’s role in Iraq early next year as he made his first visit to Baghdad.

Broadcasting giant BSkyB today lost its appeal against the UK government’s decision to force it to reduce its controversial 17.9% stake in ITV.

Lloyds TSB unveiled details today of its £12.2bn (€15.5bn) takeover of ailing rival Halifax Bank of Scotland.

Plans for the next generation of UK nuclear power stations faced uncertainty today after France’s EDF failed to agree a takeover of British Energy.

An innovative tidal power turbine in the North has been damaged, its owner said today.

The first electricity obtained from tidal power in the world has been put on to the national grid in the North, managers of the project said today.

Shares in broadcaster ITV jumped today after the boss of Big Brother producer Endemol refused to rule out a possible takeover bid for the company.

Supplies of petrol to Shell garages started to dry up today as hundreds of tanker drivers began a four day strike, with fears that other companies could have problems stocking up with fuel.

Faced with record-high oil prices, the world’s leading economies and oil consumers have pledged greater investment in energy efficiency and green technologies to control their spiralling thirst for petroleum.

BRITAIN was hit by the most wide-ranging wave of strikes in a decade on Thursday, with up to 400,000 public sector employees, from teachers to coast guards, striking against the Labour government.

THE world is going nuclear, but not Ireland. As many as 40 countries are making preparations dramatically to reduce their fossil fuel dependency by introducing or greatly increasing their nuclear power generating capacity. They are doing so for two reasons: the finite capacity of oil reserves and the impact of burning fossil fuels on the production of carbon emissions which, in turn, increase global warming.

Interest in building new nuclear power stations in the UK is “strong”, the British Government said today.

BSkyB said today it would launch an appeal against the Government’s decision to force it to reduce its controversial 17.9% stake in ITV.

ITV was given a boost today after regulators announced plans to review the broadcaster’s onerous advertising regime.

The British government today ruled that broadcasting giant BSkyB must offload some of its controversial 17.9% stake in ITV.

The Government today signalled its concern about the building of a new generation of nuclear power stations in Britain.

British government plans for a new generation of nuclear power stations are disastrous for national and environmental security, it was claimed today.

The British government today gave the go-ahead for a new generation of nuclear power stations, arguing that evidence for the move was “compelling”.

A fresh row about the cost and safety of nuclear power will flare in the UK today because of a decision by the British government to give the go-ahead for a new generation of nuclear power stations.

The Competition Commission today said it had recommended that broadcaster BSkyB reduces its controversial 17.9% holding in ITV to below 7.5%.

UK Secretary of State for Business and Enterprise, John Hutton, has today published the Competition Commission’s final report into British Sky Broadcasting Group’s acquisition of a 17.9% stake in ITV plc.

The Competition Commission is expected to send its final verdict on BSkyB’s controversial 17.9% stake in rival ITV to the Government by the end of the week, reports said today.

Environmental campaign group Greenpeace today issued a fresh threat to take legal action against the British Government over the building of new nuclear power stations.

EVERY household in Britain could be powered by off-shore wind farms under major expansion plans being announced by the British government.

BSkyB has offered to give up a slice of its voting rights in ITV in an attempt to hold on to its controversial 17.9% stake in the broadcaster.

BSkyB’s ownership of a 17.9% stake in broadcaster ITV restricts competition and “operates against the public interest”, provisional findings from the Competition Commission said today.

A STRING of British Government ministers yesterday followed Home Secretary Jacqui Smith in admitting they used cannabis in their youth.

Tony Blair will quit as Labour leader on May 31 next year and resign as British Prime Minister on July 26 2007 after an eight-week battle for the succession, it was claimed today.

SCANDAL-PRONE British Cabinet minister David Blunkett was forced to resign yesterday for the second time in less than a year in a major embarrassment for Tony Blair.

John Hutton will replace David Blunkett as Work and Pensions Secretary, Downing Street said.

David Blunkett tonight returned to the British government as Work and Pensions Secretary in the post-election reshuffle.

A man today described watching a soldier take aim and shoot a man in the head as the victim was waving a white handkerchief on Bloody Sunday.

bidder to run the new Adoption Register for England and Wales, British Health Minister John Hutton announced today.

The couple at the centre of the internet adoption row are due to learn whether social workers will retain custody of the twins they brought into the country.

The couple at the centre of the internet adoption row say they are right to fight a custody battle over the twins.