In Short

A round-up of today's other stories in brief.

Goldman gains US deputy state secretary

Robert Zoellick, US deputy secretary of state, announced his resignation yesterday to join investment house Goldman Sachs, after focusing on China and Sudan in the number two job at the department.

Mr Zoellick had been tipped as a candidate for treasury secretary but he was passed over for the job, which went to Goldman Sachs chairman Henry "Hank" Paulson.

With Mr Zoellick at her side, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice paid tribute to her outgoing deputy as a strategist and an intellectual leader.

She did not announce a replacement for Mr Zoellick when he leaves next month, and State Department officials said it was undecided whether his successor would be the point person on China and Sudan. - (Reuters)

CH founder raises stake in Kingspan

Gerry McCaughey, the founder of Century Homes, which was acquired last year by Kingspan, has spent €65,000 buying shares in the building materials group.

Mr McCaughey bought 5,000 Kingspan shares, at a price of €13 each, last Friday, increasing his stake in the company to 16,000 shares.

EBS roadshows aim to raise €1.5bn

EBS Building Society will this week begin roadshows to raise €1.5 billion through the issue of a residential mortgage-backed security, market sources said.

Barclays Capital and UBS are lead managers in the bond sale.

Billionaire invests €2.3bn in Evraz

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has bought an estimated $2.9 billion (€2.3 billion) stake in Evraz, giving him a leading role in transforming Russia's vast steel industry.

The deal to buy the 41.3 per cent stake in Russia's largest steel producer was signed on Friday. Millhouse, Mr Abramovich's investment company in Russia, said in a statement released yesterday that the price was in "line with current market conditions" and added that the deal was subject to approval by regulators.

An industry source said such a stake would be worth about $3 billion. - (Guardian service)

High Court delays Dublin Gas case

A petition to wind up Dublin Gas was adjourned for two weeks in the High Court yesterday.

The petition had been brought by Donal Kinsella, a shareholder and director of Dublin Gas when it went into receivership two decades ago.

Senate gives Fed governor approval

The US Senate yesterday approved the nomination of Federal Reserve Board governor Donald Kohn, a monetary policy veteran, to be vice chairman at the central bank.

The Senate approved the nomination on a voice vote.

Mr Kohn, who has served on the central bank's board since August 2002, has spent his entire 36-year career within the Fed system and is considered a safe option by analysts. - (Reuters)

Oil falls on signal given from Iran

Oil fell almost a dollar to $69 a barrel yesterday after major oil exporter Iran said there was a positive atmosphere in the dispute over its atomic work, easing concern about threats to supply.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Sunday said a "positive atmosphere" may help bridge the gap. However, he did not say when Tehran would respond to an offer made by the UN Security Council. - (Reuters)