British Prime Minister Gordon Brown dismissed the botched coup bid as “silliness” today as he told of his determination to remain in his post.

THE attempted coup against Prime Minister Gordon Brown was the great unmentionable at yesterday morning’s cabinet meeting, where ministers went 90 minutes without uttering a single word about the plot which convulsed Westminster earlier this week.

AN attempt to oust British Prime Minister Gordon Brown ran out of steam after two ex-Cabinet plotters failed to win support from ministers, but analysts said Brown’s authority had been shaken.

Gordon Brown today brushed off the latest attempt to oust him as British prime minister as “a storm in a teacup”.

BRITISH Prime Minister Gordon Brown fought to quell a challenge to his leadership yesterday from two senior figures in his Labour Party, but the rebellion exposed a badly divided party months before a national election that polls predict Labour will lose.

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".

BRITISH home secretary Jacqui Smith became the first cabinet casualty of the MPs’ expenses scandal, after it was revealed she told Prime Minister Gordon Brown within days of revelations about her finances that she wanted to quit the Government in a reshuffle.

THE founder of Swiss assisted suicide clinic Dignitas defended his organisation last night.

Gordon Brown was today facing a growing clamour from his own MPs for a leadership election, with a Labour vice chairman urging a “multiplicity” of senior figures to stand against him.

Alliance Boots’ shareholders will cast their votes today on the recommended £11.1bn (€16.3bn) takeover of the group by private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and deputy chairman Stefano Pessina.

The battle for retailing giant Alliance Boots looked over today after private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts floored its rival with an £11bn (€16.2bn) bid.

The likely private equity takeover of Alliance Boots will probably lead to “opportunistic financial rape”, a retail expert has said.

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.

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.

Public health doctors today demanded much greater cross-border cooperation to deal with the threat of bird flu hitting Ireland.

A BLANKET ban on smoking in pubs and private clubs in England and Wales was approved last night by a massive margin in the House of Commons.

THE Scottish domination of New Labour in the UK (evident surely to even the most casual observer of the political scene) naturally raises the question as to who and where are the representatives of the English in the House of Commons.

A MOTHER of two teenage daughters yesterday asked the British High Court to prevent parents being “undermined” by Government guidelines which allow girls under 16 to obtain abortions through “a culture of secrecy”.

ANTI-SMOKING campaigners in Britain reacted with fury last night to a U-turn that will let people carry on lighting up in clubs and some pubs.

INDONESIA confirmed its first human deaths from bird flu yesterday — a man and his two daughters — bringing Asia’s toll from the disease to 57 people.

READING the British newspapers this week gives one a real sense of déjà vu.

BRITISH Prime Minister Tony Blair unveiled his cabinet last night, changing leadership in defence, health and the House of Commons, and putting his government back in business after a third-term victory that was dampened by a reduced majority.

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

Downing Street tonight refused to comment on reports that John Reid has been appointed Defence Secretary in Tony Blair’s Cabinet reshuffle.

The British government today stayed tight-lipped about claims that it had rebuffed a plea for help from struggling telecoms group Marconi.

Thousands of workers at MG Rover were today awaiting the inevitable arrival of their redundancy notices following the collapse of the carmaker.

British Chancellor Gordon Brown today indicated that claims MG Rover bosses made millions may be part of a future investigation into the ailing car group.

Administrators at the collapsed MG Rover car group are seeking to reopen discussions with Chinese manufacturers SAIC to revive a deal which could keep the company’s Longbridge plant open, it was confirmed today.

A €580 million pension black hole could scupper a rescue deal for ailing car group MG Rover, it emerged yesterday.

Aerospace and defence group BAE Systems today denied it had any plans to sell its stake in European aircraft giant Airbus.

UNIONS in Britain last night voiced fears that people will be forced to work until they drop under Government plans to end fixed retirement ages.

British government ministers are to hold talks with the bosses of some of the UK's biggest companies in a bid to allay fears over the European constitution.

British Energy today said it had been given the all-clear to extend the deadline for a life-saving financial restructuring.

Getting rid of “career sexism” is vital to closing the pay gap between men and women, British Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt will warn today.

Hundreds of jobs have been safeguarded in Britain thanks to a £115m (€166.1m) project to build a new transmission system for Ford cars, it was announced today.

The UK should treat China as a trading partner rather than a threat, a British government minister said today at the end of an official visit to the region.

The UK's Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt today called on British businesses to form partnerships with Chinese companies, in order to benefit from the success of the world’s fastest-growing economy.

LEADING allies of the United States sought yesterday to defend the legal basis for their support of the US-led invasion of Iraq after UN chief Kofi Annan said it was illegal.

The takeover of the UK's Telegraph titles by the Barclay brothers will not be challenged on public interest grounds.

EUROPEAN economic giants Germany, Britain and France warmly welcomed a deal yesterday to salvage world trade talks.

Tony Blair faced fresh questions over his future tonight as it emerged key Cabinet allies pleaded with him to carry on.