It's official, Clinton to be secretary of state

WASHINGTON: Hillary Rodham Clinton will be the next US secretary of state, president-elect Barack Obama said yesterday.

Obama also said Defense Secretary Robert Gates will continue on his post, Washington lawyer Eric Holder would be the new attorney general and Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano would be the next homeland security secretary.

The president-elect appeared at a morning news conference in Chicago to announce the 61-year-old Clinton's nomination as the top US diplomat.