Government Rant

The US and Britain condemned a suicide bombing which killed at least 42 soldiers at an army base in northwest Pakistan, with Washington reiterating its support for the government and London saying there was "no justification" for the attack.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Robert Gates, U.S. President George W. Bush's new nominee as U.S. Secretary of Defence, is no stranger to controversy on Capitol Hill. His last nomination, for CIA chief in 1991, produced a gruelling though ultimately successful confirmation battle.