Forex / World news

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Prime Minister Gordon brown has completed all ministerial appointments, Downing Street said in a statement. A full list follows.Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil ServiceGordon BrownChancellor of the ExchequerAlistair Darlingrown'sSecretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth AffairsDavid MilibandSecretary of State for Justice and Lord ChancellorJack StrawSecretary of State for the Home DepartmentJacqui SmithSecretary of State for Defence; and Secretary of State for ScotlandDes BrowneSecretary of State for HealthAlan JohnsonSecretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsHilary BennSecretary of State for International DevelopmentDouglas AlexanderSecretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory ReformJohn HuttonLeader of the House of Commons (and Lord Privy Seal); Minister for Women; and Labour Party ChairHarriet Harman QCSecretary of State for Work and Pensions; and Secretary of State for WalesPeter HainSecretary of State for TransportRuth KellySecretary of State for Communities and Local GovernmentHazel BlearsParliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Chief WhipGeoff HoonSecretary of State for Children, Schools and FamiliesEd BallsMinister for the Cabinet Office; and Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterEd MilibandSecretary of State for Culture, Media and SportJames PurnellSecretary of State for Northern IrelandShaun Woodward *Leader of the House of Lords (and Lord President of the Council)Baroness Ashton of UphollandChief Secretary to the TreasuryAndy BurnhamSecretary of State for Innovation, Universities and SkillsJohn DenhamLords Chief Whip and Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms - the Lord Grocott**Other MinistersLaw OfficersAttorney General - Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC**Solicitor General - Vera Baird QCAdvocate General for Scotland - Lord Davidson of Glen Clova QCTreasuryFinancial Secretary to the Treasury - Jane KennedyExchequer Secretary (Parliamentary Secretary) - Angela EagleEconomic Secretary (Parliamentary Secretary) - Kitty UssherForeign and Commonwealth OfficeMinister of State (Europe) - Jim MurphyMinister of State - Sir Mark Malloch Brown KCMG**Minister of State - Dr Kim HowellsMinister of State - Sir Digby Jones (jointly with DBERR)Parliamentary Under Secretary of State - Meg MunnMinistry of JusticeMinister of State - David HansonMinister of State - Michael WillsParliamentary Under Secretary of State - Lord Hunt of Kings Heath OBEParliamentary Under Secretary of State - Bridget PrenticeParliamentary Under Secretary of State - Maria EagleHome OfficeMinister of State and Minister for the West Midlands - Liam ByrneMinister of State - Tony McNultyParliamentary Under Secretary of State - Vernon CoakerParliamentary Under Secretary of State - Admiral Sir Alan West GCB DSCParliamentary Under Secretary of State - Meg HillierMinistry of DefenceMinister of State - Bob AinsworthMinister of State - Lord Drayson* (jointly with DBERR)Parliamentary Under Secretary of State - Derek TwiggScotland OfficeMinister of State - David CairnsDepartment of HealthMinister of State - Dawn PrimaroloMinister of State and Minister for the South West - Ben BradshawParliamentary Under Secretary of State - Professor Sir Ara DarziParliamentary Under Secretary of State - Ann KeenParliamentary Under Secretary of State - Ivan LewisDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsMinister of State - the Lord RookerMinister of State - Phil WoolasParliamentary Under Secretary of State - Joan RuddockParliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for the South East -Jonathan ShawDepartment for International DevelopmentParliamentary Under Secretary of State - Gareth Thomas (trade policy, jointly with DBERR)Parliamentary Under Secretary of State - Shriti VaderaParliamentary Under Secretary of State - Shahid Malik *Office of the Leader of the House of CommonsParliamentary Secretary - Helen Goodman *Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory ReformMinister of State - Stephen TimmsMinister of State - Sir Digby Jones (jointly with FCO)Minister of State - Pat McFaddenMinister of State - Malcolm WicksMinister of State - Lord Drayson* (jointly with MOD)Parliamentary Under Secretary of State - Gareth Thomas (jointly with DfID)Department for Work and PensionsMinister of State - Mike O'BrienMinister of State and Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber - Caroline FlintParliamentary Under Secretary of State - Anne McGuireParliamentary Under Secretary of State - James PlaskittParliamentary Under Secretary of State - Lord McKenzie of Luton*Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for the East of England - Barbara FollettWales OfficeParliamentary Under Secretary of State - Huw Irranca-DaviesDepartment for TransportMinister of State - Rosie WintertonParliamentary Under Secretary of State - Jim FitzpatrickParliamentary Under Secretary of State - Tom HarrisDepartment for Communities and Local GovernmentMinister of State - Yvette Cooper **Minister of State - John HealeyParliamentary Under Secretary of State - Baroness Andrews OBEParliamentary Under Secretary of State - Parmjit DhandaParliamentary Under Secretary of State - Iain Wright *Department for Children, Schools and FamiliesMinister of State - Jim KnightMinister of State and Minister for the North West - Beverley Hughes ***Parliamentary Under Secretary of State - Kevin BrennanParliamentary Under Secretary of State - Lord AdonisCabinet OfficeParliamentary Secretary - Phil HopeParliamentary Secretary and Minister for the East Midlands - Gillian MerronMinister for the Olyics and Minister for London (Paymaster General) - Tessa Jowell **Department for Culture, Media and SportMinister of State - Margaret Hodge MBEParliamentary Under Secretary of State - Gerry SutcliffeNorthern Ireland OfficeMinister of State - Paul GogginsDepartment for Innovation, Universities and SkillsMinister of State - Bill RammellMinister of State - Ian PearsonParliamentary Under Secretary of State - David LammyParliamentary Under Secretary of State - Lord TriesmanWhips - House of CommonsDeputy Chief Whip (Treasurer of HM Household) and Minister for the NorthEast of England - Nick BrownGovernment Whip (Cotroller of HM Household) - Thomas McAvoyGovernment Whip (Vice Chamberlain of HM Household) - Liz BlackmanJunior Lords of the TreasuryGovernment Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury) - Frank RoyGovernment Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury) - Steve McCabeGovernment Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury) - Alan CabellGovernment Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury) - David WattsGovernment Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury) - Claire WardAssistant WhipsAssistant Government Whip - Siobhian McDonaghAssistant Government Whip - Michael Foster (Worcester)Assistant Government Whip - Tony CunninghamAssistant Government Whip - Alison SeabeckAssistant Government Whip - Diana Johnson *Assistant Government Whip - Mark Tami *Assistant Government Whip - Sadiq Khan *Assistant Government Whip - Bob BlizzardAssistant Government Whip - Tom WatsonAssistant Government Whip - Wayne DavidWhips - House of LordsDeputy Chief Whip (Captain of The Queen's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard) - Lord Davies of OldhamBaronesses and Lords in WaitingBaroness in Waiting - Baroness CrawleyBaroness in Waiting - Baroness Royall of BlaisdonBaroness in Waiting - Baroness Farrington of RibbletonBaroness in Waiting (paid as Parliamentary Secretary) - Baroness Morgan of DrefelinLord in Waiting - Lord Evans of Tele Guiting CBELord in Waiting - Lord Bassam of BrightonLord in Waiting - Lord Truscott*Parliamentary Private Secretaries to the Prime MinisterIan AustinAngela E SmithParliamentary Private Secretary to the Chief WhipSarah McCarthy-FryOther appointments include:Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington QPM to be the Prime Minister's Senior Adviser on International Security Issues...

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Britain is facing a "serious and sustained threat" from terrorists, said new Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, while also announcing that Sir Alan West, a former First Sea Lord, had been appointed Security Minister at the Home Office...

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Prime Minister Gordon Brown said today's security alert in central London is a reminder that Britain faces "a serious and continuous threat" and the public needs to be alert at all times.Brown was speaking after police made safe what they said was a "potentially viable explosive device" in the busy Haymarket district of the city...

BRUSSELS (Thomson Financial) - Ambassador Vladimir Chizhov, Russia's permanent representative of the Russian Federation to the European communities, said the global energy market will "never be stable" without Russia.Speaking here on EU-Russia energy relations, the ambassador said: "There are factors which have led to energy 'Russophobia' (including in the EU)...

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Police cordoned off part of central London after they defused what they called a "potentially viable explosive device" found in a car.Police said they went to The Haymarket, a street near the Piccadilly Circus landmark, just before 2...

BEIJING (Thomson Financial) - China will raise its minimum wages this year to offset the rise in food prices, the Ministry of Labor and Social Securities said.It said local governments should raise the wages before the end of 2007 in regions where salaries have risen slowly or are markedly lower than the national average...

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Here is a full list of Cabinet Ministers at the head of Gordon Brown's first government. Other ministerial appointments will be made tomorrow, said Michael Ellam, Brown's spokesman.Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service: Gordon BrownHome Secretary: Jacqui SmithForeign Secretary: David MilibandChancellor: Alistair DarlingInternational Development: Douglas AlexanderJustice Secretary: Jack StrawDefence Secretary: Des BrowneEnvironment Secretary: Hilary BennBusiness and Enterprise: John HuttonCommons Leader: Harriet HarmanWork and Pensions: Peter HainTransport Secretary: Ruth KellyCommunities: Hazel BlearsChief Whip: Geoff HoonSchools and Children: Ed BallsCabinet Office Minister: Ed MilibandNorthern Ireland Secretary: Shaun WoodwardLords Leader: Baroness AshtonChief Treasury Secretary: Andy BurnhamInnovation and Universities: John DenhamOlympics and London: Tessa JowellChildren and Youth Justice: Beverley HughesLords Chief Whip: Lord GrocottAttorney General: Baroness ScotlandHousing: Yvette CooperAfrica, Asia and UN: Lord Mark Malloch BrownParliamentary Private Secretaries: Ian Austin, Angela E SmithTFN...

MOSCOW (Thomson Financial) - Venezuela and Russia are likely to discuss plans for Russian gas giant Gazprom and oil giant Lukoil to develop projects in Venezuela during Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's visit to Moscow which started today, Kommersant newspaper reported...

BERLIN (Thomson Financial) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said today that Tony Blair's mandate as the new Middle East envoy would be limited and that he would report to the international "Quartet" and not the other way round.Merkel, whose country is outgoing president of the European Union, which is part of the Quartet working to resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict along with the United States, the United Nations and Russia, said the former British prime minister was uniquely suited to the job...

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - The Department of Trade and Industry has been abolished and replaced with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (DBERR) to promote "productivity and enterprise across government and within the EU", said Prime Minister Gordon Brown...

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - New British Prime Minister Gordon Brown unveiled his new Cabinet today with Alistair Darling appointed to the key post of Chancellor, Downing Street confirmed.The final line-up contains many veterans of Tony Blair's last government with David Miliband handed the plum job of Foreign Secretary and Alan Johnson, who becomes Health Secretary after the resignation of Patricia Hewitt last night...

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Patricia Hewitt became the first casualty of the shake-up of government under new Prime Minister Gordon Brown when she quit as Health Secretary.Hewitt had been tipped for the sack after her handling of the recruitment system of junior doctors' recruitment and the financial crisis across the National Health Service...

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Tony Blair said "au revoir" to British politics in a final parliamentary performance that culminated in a standing ovation from MPs on both sides of a packed House of Commons in his final Prime Minister's Question Time.He began by apologising for the dangers faced by British soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, but not for the decision to send them there...

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Gordon Brown has finally grabbed the title he has coveted for more than 10 years - British Prime Minister.The former Chancellor emerged outside Number 10 Downing Street after a 55-minute meeting with Queen Elizabeth II during which she invited him to become prime minister and form the next government...

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - The world's richest individuals halved their allocation to alternative investments in 2006, largely in favour of real estate and equity investments -- but the appetite for hedge funds and private equity is poised to return, according to a report by Merrill Lynch and Capgemini...

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Prime Minister Tony Blair said he will do whatever he can to help bring peace to the Middle East, as speculation increased that he was about to be chosen as an envoy for the troubled region.Blair refused to deny that he was about to be appointed by the four powers sponsoring the stalled Middle East peace process...

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - The British government on Monday launched a consultation on a potential site for the long term disposal of higher activity radioactive waste.Ministers plan to seek views on the technical aspects of a disposal facility and on the process and criteria used to decide its location, the Department for the Environment, Food&Rural Affairs said...

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - The UK public is not prepared for an imminent squeeze on government spending and the Treasury should do more to inform about the leaner times that lie ahead, an influential committee of MPs said today.The Treasury Select Committee's report on the upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) accuses the government of being "too timid" in bringing forward the national debate on public expenditure and said it should risk giving some clear indications of the decisions it is taking...

MANCHESTER, England (Thomson Financial) - Gordon Brown has been confirmed as the new leader of Britain's ruling Labour Party at a specially convened conference here and told the party faithful he is "ready to serve".The appointment was confirmed by Prime Minister Tony Blair to applause and cheers...

MANCHESTER, England (Thomson Financial) - Gordon Brown is set to take over as of Britain's ruling Labour Party later today as an opinion poll put the party ahead of the Conservatives for the first time in eight months.The Chancellor will take over without a challenge after a left wing bid to challenge him failed to garner enough votes to force a contest...