Dallas Star Larry Hagman Dies

Larry Hagman, who starred in the hit TV series Dallas as the scheming oil baron J R Ewing, has died.

His family said in a statement that the 81-year-old died in a Dallas hospital following complications from his battle with cancer.

He had suffered from liver cancer and cirrhosis of the liver in the 1990s after decades of drinking.

Dallas, which made its premiere on the CBS network in 1978, made Hagman a superstar.

The show quickly became one of the network's top-rated programmes, built an international following and inspired a spin-off, imitators and a revival in 2012.

"Larry was back in his beloved hometown of Dallas, re-enacting the iconic role he loved the most," his family said in a statement. "Larry's family and closest friends had joined him in Dallas for the Thanksgiving holiday."

Hagman with his co-stars Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray

The popularity of Dallas made Hagman one of the best-paid actors in television and earned him a fortune. He lost some of it, however, in bad oil investments before turning to real estate.

Fans and celebrities took to Twitter to pay tribute to him.

Linda Gray, who played J R's wife, Sue Ellen, and was at his bedside when he died, said: "Larry Hagman was my best friend for 35 years. He was the Pied Piper of life and brought joy to everyone he knew. He was creative, funny, loving and talented, and I will miss him enormously."

Larry King said: "Larry Hagman was a dear man who had an incredible career. He helped me to stop smoking. He was a very special person."

Actor William Shatner said: "My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Larry Hagman. My best, Bill".

Hagman with Barbara Eden at the I Dream Of Jeannie DVD launch

In July 1995, he was diagnosed with liver cancer, which led him to quit smoking, and a month later he underwent a liver transplant.

Hagman said he quit drinking the moment doctors told him he had cirrhosis of the liver and could die within six months.

Hagman was born in Weatherford, Texas, and his father was a lawyer who dealt with the Texas oil barons Hagman would later come to portray.

His mother was stage and movie star Mary Martin and he became a star himself in 1965 on I Dream of Jeannie, a popular television sitcom.

Barbara Eden, who starred alongside him in I Dream of Jeannie, tweeted: "Larry Hagman not just a great actor, not just a television icon, but an element of pure Americana. I'll miss him."

Hagman and his wife Maj

Hagman started his acting career in theatre in New York where he married Maj Axelsson in 1954 while they were in a production of South Pacific. They have two children, Heidi and Preston.

He served in the Air Force, spending five years in Europe as the director of USO shows.

In his later years, Hagman became an advocate for organ transplants and an anti-smoking campaigner.

He also was devoted to solar energy, telling the New York Times he had a $750,000 solar panel system at his Ojai estate, and made a commercial in which he portrayed a J R Ewing who had forsaken oil for solar power.

He was also a longtime member of the Peace and Freedom Party, a minor leftist organisation in California.

Hagman had a eccentric streak. When he first met actress Lauren Bacall, he licked her arm because he had been told she did not like to be touched and he was known for leading parades on the Malibu beach and showing up at a grocery store in a gorilla suit.

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Yasser Arafat's Body To Be Exhumed Next Week

Experts will take samples from the body of the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat next week to try to establish how he died.

Investigators are trying to discover whether Mr Arafat was poisoned after traces of the lethal radioactive substance polonium-210 were found on the clothing he was wearing in new tests earlier this year.

Palestinian officials claim  Mr Arafat, who died after falling ill suddenly in November 2004, was poisoned by Israel, however, Israel has denied the allegations.

Tawfik Tirawi, the former Palestinian intelligence chief who is leading the investigation, said that Swiss, French and Russian experts would take the samples from Mr Arafat's remains on Tuesday.

Mr Tirawi said: "The tomb will be opened on November 27 and experts will take samples the same day within a matter of a few hours."

His body will be reburied the same day with military honours.

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UKIP Couple Lose Their Three Foster Children

A couple say three foster children were taken from them because of their membership of the UK Independence Party.

The unnamed couple, from South Yorkshire, who have been fostering for seven years, took on a baby girl, a boy and an older girl from an ethnic and troubled family background in September.

Less than eight weeks into the placement they were visited by a Rotherham social worker and foster agency official who accused them of belonging to a party with "racist policies" which meant they were unsuitable to look after the children.

The visit followed an anoymous tip-off about the couple's party membership.

The husband and wife told The Daily Telegraph they were left "dumbfounded" and "offended".

The wife said: "I was dumbfounded. Then my question to both of them was, 'What has UKIP got to do with having the children removed?'

"Then one of them said, 'Well, UKIP have got racist policies'. The implication was that we were racist."

"I said, 'I am absolutely offended that you could come in my house and accuse me of being a member of a racist party'."

UKIP leader Nigel Farage condemned the decision

The paper said the wife denied she and her husband were racist and told the officials they would not have taken them on if they were.

The youngsters were taken away from the couple, who are former Labour voters, within a week last Friday.

The wife she was left "bereft", adding: "We felt like we were criminals. From having a little baby in my arms, suddenly there was an empty cot."

UKIP leader Nigel Farage condemned the decision "outrageous" and demanded the council apologise "wholeheartedly for the "concern and the upset they have caused".

He told Sky News he had spoken to the couple, who were "very upset and distressed" by what had happened.

"My first and primary concern is that they get a fair deal and these three children get a fair deal because what has happened is outrageous," he said.

"UKIP is a non-racist, non-sectarian political party. I mean, for goodness sake, we have got the Croydon North by-election going on at the moment where Jamaican-born Winston McKenzie is our candidate, so there are absolutely no grounds for this at all."

UKIP leader Nigel Farage has condemned the decision "outrageous"

He said the council was now "backtracking" and had decided the couple can foster again.

"I am pleased that at least they have done that, but what they've said is rather insulting - they've said the couple may foster again, but only white children," Mr Farage continued.

"That, frankly, is pursuing an apartheid-style policy, dividing up children and categorising adults. That simply isn't good enough ... heads should roll within that council."

He added: "I think we should be colourblind in these things ... it's the interest of the child that matters, not some politically-correct theory."

Rotherham Council said the decision to remove the children was taken with "careful consideration".

"After a group of sibling children were placed with agency foster carers, issues were raised regarding the long-term suitability of the carers for these particular children," it said in a statement.

"With careful consideration, a decision was taken to move the children to alternative care. We continue to keep the situation under review."

Joyce Thacker, strategic director of children and young people's services at the council, said the children had been placed with the couple as an emergency and it was never going to be a long-term arrangement.

She said their cultural and ethnic needs needed to be taken into consideration.

"These children are from EU migrant backgrounds and UKIP has very clear statements on ending multiculturalism, not having that going forward, and I have to think about how sensitive I am being to those children," she told BBC Breakfast.

Parliamentary by-elections for Rotherham, Middlebrough and Croydon North are due to take place next Thursday.

Rotherham Council is Labour-controlled. A spokesperson for the Labour Party said: "Membership of UKIP should not block parents from adopting children. There needs to be an urgent investigation by Rotherham Borough Council into this decision."

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Social Care: 'One In Four' Services Failing

Vulnerable people are at risk of receiving "poor or unsafe care" as pressures on services take their toll, according to a new report.

The ageing population and the rising number of patients who suffer from complex or multiple illnesses mean that some care providers are struggling to give "person-centred" care, according to the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Pressure on the care system is having an impact on the respect that patients are receiving in some areas, according to the State of Care report.

Based on evidence from 13,000 CQC inspections, it found that one in 10 NHS hospitals did not meet basic standards of respect and dignity. And at 375 out of 2,500 nursing homes there was a lack of respectful care.

Inspectors noted that 272 out of 1,362 nursing homes and residential care homes and 38 out of 258 NHS hospitals failed to ensure that the people in their care were given the food and drink they need or helped them to eat or drink.

Jeremy Hunt says a 'raising of standards' is necessary

The CQC also raised concerns about staff numbers. It found that 40 out of 250 NHS hospitals did not have adequate staffing levels and a quarter of nursing homes failed to meet the CQC staff standards.

Increased pressure on care providers is leading to slip-ups in basic care practices such as record keeping and medicine management, the CQC said.

Overall, one in four services failed at least one of the 16 key standards.

More than one in five NHS hospitals failed to meet standards in medicine management and 22% had poor record keeping, inspectors found.

The CQC, which regulates health and social care in England, said that when it witnessed poor care, there were three main underpinning factors - a care culture in which the "unacceptable care becomes the norm", an attitude to care that is "task-based", not person-centred, and providers who try to manage with high vacancy rates or poorly deployed staff.

David Behan, chief executive of the CQC, said: "Our report highlights concerns we have that pressures on some services are leading to problems in the quality of care, keeping people safe, treating people with dignity and respect, and involving people in decisions about their own care.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "While there is much to praise about the NHS and social care today we still need to do much more to raise standards of care across the board.

"I've made it absolutely clear that quality of care needs to be valued as highly as the quality of treatment. And that there can be no hiding place for those providing poor care or sub-standard practice."

He said that the Department of Health plans to measure patients' hospital experiences, adding: "By shining a light on those organisations which have problems, we will be able to drive up standards so that everyone gets the quality of care they should expect.

"Where there are problems we expect the CQC and other regulators to take swift action."

Dr Andrew McCulloch, chief executive at the Mental Health Foundation, said the report highlights that vulnerable patients are facing "unnecessary and unacceptable risks", adding: "Unless action is taken further scandals will be inevitable."

Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, added: "At the heart of this report are a number of serious issues: unsafe discharges from hospitals to care homes, the exploitation of vulnerable residents and the fear that many have of raising concerns.

"The basics of good care, such as dignity, compassion and respect, cannot be delivered in a conveyor belt approach which is task orientated or lacking in empathy and human care."

Jamie Reed, Labour's shadow health minister said: "This report raises worrying questions about the quality of care some people are receiving, particularly the most vulnerable in our society.

"The Care Quality Commission is right to say patients are paying the price for falling staffing levels in care homes, nursing homes and hospitals. Figures this week showed that over 7,000 hospital nursing jobs have been axed since David Cameron entered Downing Street, with almost one thousand in the last month alone.

"The loss of experienced nurses is picking up speed and healthcare assistants are increasingly being used to cover nurses roles. Ministers are taking unacceptable risks with standards of patient care - they cannot continue to ignore the warnings from nurses' leaders."

The report also states that there is a growing demand for nursing care within social care settings.

Dr Peter Carter, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said: "This supports what our members have long been telling us about a growing demand for nursing care in the face of reduced staff numbers and a dilution of skills.

"The report echoes the RCN's warnings that not enough hospitals, nursing and care homes are adequately staffed and, when coupled with the wrong mix of skills, is having a real effect on patient care.

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Floods: Man Dies As More Rain Expected

A man has died after becoming trapped in his 4x4 in floods after large parts of the UK were hit by strong winds and heavy rain.

Forecasters said there would be a respite on today with fewer showers, and drier and brighter conditions - but the weather is expected to get wetter again this weekend with gale force winds.

Around 90 flood warnings and about 180 less serious flood alerts are in place for rivers.

The areas most affected by the heavy downpours were Wales and southwest England.

But the majority of the UK was hit by the storms as they were pushed eastwards throughout Thursday, causing flash flooding.

Hundreds of drivers were stranded, thousands of homes were without power and more than 100 people were evacuated as winds reached more than 86mph.

South-west England was one of the worst hit areas in the floods

In Torquay, Devon, several homes were evacuated after severe weather overnight resulted in a landslide. Part of a cliff face was hit by a landslip after netting was washed away.

In Chew Stoke, Somerset, emergency services received a call last night reporting a car was wedged under a bridge near a ford.

Fire crews and police went to the scene where they found a man in the 4x4. The unnamed victim was pronounced dead on the way to hospital.

Chew Stoke resident David Smith, 76, said it was the second time in 24 hours in which a 4x4 had got into trouble crossing the ford.

Mr Smith said: "About 24 hours ago, a Land Rover came past here and I flagged him down and told him he ought not to try and cross the ford, but he did and he was swept away in the middle of the ford.

The man died in his car in Chew Stoke, Somerset

"Fortunately, his vehicle was caught by one of the bollards on the road and he was able to climb out of the window on to the roof.

"We tied a rope around him, from my garden, just in case he was swept away and sort of secured him until the fire brigade arrived about 20 minutes later."

Amid the wet and windy weather, thousands of commuters also suffered disruptions, with many train services in the South West and connections to London Paddington either cancelled or delayed.

While the rainfall overnight was lighter compared to earlier in the day, much of it fell on already saturated ground.

Sky's weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said there would be "drier and brighter conditions today with much lighter winds than yesterday".

"Rain from overnight across eastern parts of East Anglia and the southeast of England will clear this morning to leave central and eastern England dry with sunny spells, although it could remain quite cloudy to the south-east of London.

Driving conditions have been treacherous

"Sunshine too for Wales and the west of England but also some sharp showers near coastal areas."

But she warned that on Saturday "the rain will become heavy and persistent through the afternoon with winds strengthening as well".

Ghaffar added: "There will be the risk of further localised flooding as the heavy rain falls on already saturated ground. Overnight Saturday there will be stormy conditions across central and southern parts of the UK with severe gale force winds."

The Met Office said some areas saw up to 60mm of rain during Thursday, causing river levels to rise and surface water flooding.

Western Power said 2,500 customers in the South West and 500 in Wales were without power because of high winds bringing down power lines, but that it was working to reconnect them as quickly as possible.

The AA said the last few days have been some of its busiest for flood-related call-outs, with many roads impassable.

:: Send us your flooding photos and videos.

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Steel Giant Tata Cuts 900 Jobs Across UK

Indian-owned Tata Steel confirms that it will close 12 plants in Britain as it attempts to boost its competitiveness.

The move will result in 900 job losses, the company confirmed, including 580 in South Wales, 155 in Yorkshire, 120 in the West Midlands and 30 in Teesside.

Sites to close include Wales' Tafarnaubach and Cross Keys plants, and it will also reduce shifts at its Rotherham and Hartlepool sites in response to lower demand for products.

Tata also confirmed plans to re-start one of two blast furnaces at Port Talbot in the first quarter of next year as part of a £250m investment programme.

The chief executive of the company's European operations, Karl Kohler, said the move was part of a strategy to become an "all-weather steel producer", able to withstand the difficult economic conditions.

Demand for steel in Europe had fallen by 25% since 2007 and was forecast to slump by another 10% this year, Tata said.

Mr Kohler added: "The job losses are regrettable and I know this will be a difficult and unsettling time for the employees and their families affected.

"We will be working with our trade unions and government at a national and local level to ensure we provide them with as much assistance and support as possible."

The company, which employs 19,000 in the UK, said it remained committed to investing in the business to help create long-term stability.

Michael Leahy, general secretary of the Community trade union, said it was "sad news" for those affected and their families.

"We will be seeking an urgent meeting with the company to ensure our principle of no compulsory redundancies is upheld, although we are pleased to see the company has already committed to offering a package of training and support for those affected by these changes," he said.

"Sadly, these potential job losses are symptomatic of the continuing failure of the Government's economic policy and yet another reason why we are calling on the British Government to take urgent action to stimulate economic growth and help revive the manufacturing sector."

A Welsh Government spokesman added: "This is very disappointing news, and a massive blow to those who will be losing their jobs.

"Tata's decision reflects the serious and ongoing challenges faced by manufacturing industries during these very difficult economic times.

"In addition to these challenges, it is clear that high energy costs and uncertainty over UK Government energy policy are having a significant impact on business investment decisions.

"As a Government, we have warned for some time of the need for these costs to be reduced."

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EU Budget: Proposed Rise 'Quite Wrong' Says PM

David Cameron has insisted that the proposed rise in European Union spending is "quite wrong" as he arrived in Brussels for marathon budget negotiations.

The Prime Minister said he would be fighting "very hard" for a good deal for British taxpayers and to keep the rebate negotiated by Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s.

"These are very important negotiations. Clearly at a time when we are making difficult decisions at home over public spending it would be quite wrong - it is quite wrong - for there to be proposals for this increased extra spending in the EU," he said.

Mr Cameron is calling for a real-terms freeze, or even a cut, in the budget for 2014-20 - the sole subject on the agenda for the summit, which is being attended by leaders from all 27 EU member states.

The British PM is the first in line this morning for a meeting with European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso and European Council president - and summit chairman - Herman Van Rompuy.

Other EU leaders will be ushered in throughout the day to see the two presidents as part of an unusual pre-summit effort to avoid deadlock when the summit gets under way tonight over dinner.

The budget is a complex and deeply divisive process, with the UK balking at the European Commission's opening gambit - to increase the overall spending ceiling to a maximum one trillion euro.

This was flatly rejected by Britain and nearly all the net contributors to the European Union.

The European Council, which represents the interest of the member states, chimed in with its own plan, which represents a real-terms 2% cut from the spending ceiling approved for the current seven-year period.

But the proposal, penned by Mr van Rompuy, would reduce Britain's rebate and only contains a 1% reduction under so-called "Heading 4", which details the EU's spending on administration costs.

Mr Cameron, and other leaders, believe Brussels should accept some symbolic reductions in red tape and make deeper cuts to the legions of Eurocrats who work in the EU institutions.

The British Prime Minister believes Mr van Rompuy's proposals are moving in the right direction, but he needs to go further.

He has also insisted that the UK's £3bn a year rebate, which was negotiated to compensate Britain for money disbursed to other nations, is not up for discussion.

The budget has to be agreed by all 27 members and by a majority in the European Parliament.

Other countries also have reservations with the proposals on the table: France and Ireland want to protect agricultural payments to their farmers, Italy is unhappy that other countries' rebates due to expire in 2013 might be renewed while Denmark wants to negotiate its own rebate.

Earlier this month Mr Cameron was blindsided by a Tory rebellion calling for a budget cut, not just a freeze. He may yet face their wrath.

The budget being discussed is about setting an absolute limit on EU spending, but the money spent is always considerably less.

So while the PM might be able to claim a victory in securing a freeze in total EU spending limits, UK taxpayers may still have to fork out more cash to Brussels.

If no agreement is reached, more summits will be held in the new year.

If there are still problems, the annual budget will roll over with an extra 2% added to take account of inflation.

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CCTV Attack: Man Held Over Teenager Assault

A man has been arrested after a 16-year-old girl was punched in the head in an apparently random attack caught on CCTV.

The shocking footage shows a man jogging up behind the 16-year-old and hitting her around the head.

The girl was left lying on the ground in Plaistow, east London, as her attacker casually jogged off.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "A man, aged 34, was arrested yesterday evening in connection with the assault of a 16-year-old female in High Street, Plaistow.

"He remains in custody at an east London police station."

The teenager is now recovering after the attack which happened outside the Black Lion pub at around 12.30pm on November 13.

The girl, who needed work on her teeth following the assault, is said to be "bearing up really well".

Anyone with information can contact Newham Violent Crime Unit on 020 8217 5890 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Leveson Report To Be Published Next Thursday

The report from the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics and standards will be released on Thursday November 29.

David Cameron set up the inquiry in July last year in response to revelations that the News of the World commissioned a private detective to hack murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's phone after she disappeared in 2002.

The first part, which started in September last year, looked at the culture, practices and ethics of the press in general and its final report will be published next Thursday, the inquiry has announced.

Inquiry chairman Lord Justice Leveson will publish the report, which is expected to include recommendations for the future regulation of the British press, at 1.30pm, followed by an "on-camera statement".

The report will be laid in both Houses of Parliament, the inquiry said, and will be available on its website once it has been laid in Parliament.

Lord Justice Leveson and his panel of advisors heard months of evidence - some explosive - from key figures including celebrities, lawyers, politicians and journalists.

Formal evidence started on November 14, 2011, and, according to its website, the inquiry sat for a total of 88 days up to and including June 30 this year.

The final report will reveal Lord Justice Leveson's recommendations for the future regulation of the British press.

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Gaza: Ceasefire Delayed As Shelling Continues

A ceasefire between the Israelis and the Palestinians in Gaza has been delayed – but a diplomatic push is under way to try to stop the fighting.

On Tuesday night, Hamas official Ayman Taha said an Egyptian-brokered truce had been finalised and would take effect from 10pm.

But a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the announcement was premature.

The remains of government building in Gaza City

The United States has now stepped in, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meeting Mr Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

Mrs Clinton has vowed to work on a truce between the two sides.

She said: "In the days ahead, the United States will work with our partners here in Israel and across the region toward an outcome that bolsters security for the people of Israel, improves conditions for the people of Gaza and moves toward a comprehensive peace for all people of the region."

Smoke rises after an apparent Israeli air strike in the Gaza Strip

Israel intensified its bombardment of Gaza on Tuesday night, with airstrikes just 10 minutes apart.

Artillery shells and missiles were also fired from gunboats.

One Israeli airstrike hit the seventh floor of a media building in Gaza City.

The Israel Defence Forces tweeted a warning to all foreign journalists operating in Gaza to stay away from Hamas militants just minutes later.

A rocket fired from Gaza hit an apartment building near Tel Aviv

Some 138 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel. The Iron Dome system intercepted 53 rockets which were headed for built-up areas, but 14 got through.

One hit an apartment building in the town of Rishon Letsion, near Tel Aviv. Six people were injured in the attack.

Rockets were also aimed at Jerusalem, where residents took to underground bomb shelters. However, none fell on the city.

Parachute flares illuminate the Gaza Strip for an artillery barrage

Israel launched the offensive one week ago in an attempt to end months of rocket attacks out of the Hamas-run territory, which lies on Israel's southern flank.

After assassinating Hamas' military chief, it has carried out a campaign of airstrikes, targeting rocket launchers, storage sites and wanted militants.

The campaign has killed more than 130 Palestinians, including 20 on Tuesday, and wounded hundreds of others.

Five Israelis have been killed by rocket fire, including a soldier and a civilian contractor.

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One-Week-Old Baby Bitten To Death By Dog

A one-week-old baby boy has died after being bitten by a family pet in Shropshire.

West Mercia Police said the child died in hospital on Tuesday morning after paramedics were called to an address in Woodside Road, Ketley, near Telford. 

Initial indications suggested the boy died after being bitten by the dog - a family-owned Jack Russell. Efforts were by the ambulance crew at the scene and on the way to the hospital to save the child.

The animal has now been put down.

Sky's David Crabtree said the family were "utterly devastated" by what had happened.

Woodside Road, Ketley

Police are continuing to investigate the precise circumstances of the boy's death as they await the result of a post-mortem.

Detective Chief Inspector Neil Jamieson said: "Our investigation is ongoing but it appears that the baby died as a result of a dog bite.

"The dog in question was a family pet - a Jack Russell - and this animal has been put down.

"A post-mortem will be taking place to establish the exact cause of this baby's death but at this stage it does appear to be a tragic accident.

"With an investigation ongoing, there is no further comment I can make on this matter apart from to say that all our thoughts are with the family of the baby at this extremely sad time."

The emergency services were called to the house just before 8am and the boy was taken to Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.

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Israel: Explosion On Tel Aviv Bus Hurts Ten

At least 10 people are thought to have been injured in a bomb blast on a bus in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.

The explosion took place across from the military headquarters -  on the eighth day of an Israeli offensive against Palestinian militants in Gaza.

Ofir Gendelman, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, immediately condemned the explosion as a "terrorist attack".

Authorities are investigating whether an explosive was planted on the vehicle or whether the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber.

Unconfirmed reports from Israel said police are holding a man caught running away from the scene moments before the bombing, and are looking for a woman who was on the bus before the explosion.

The blast happened at around noon in one of the coastal city's busiest hubs, near the Tel Aviv Museum and an entrance to the Kirya, Israel's national defence headquarters.

Emergency services tend to the injured as crowds gather after the blast

Television footage showed pictures of a smoke-filled bus, charred inside with its windows blown out.

Israel's ambulance service said three of the wounded were in a moderate-to-serious condition.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri praised the bombing, but stopped short of claiming responsibility.

"Hamas blesses the attack in Tel Aviv and sees it as a natural response to the Israeli massacres ... in Gaza," he said.

"Palestinian factions will resort to all means in order to protect our Palestinian civilians in the absence of a world effort to stop the Israeli aggression," he added.

Israel has been locked in a deadly week-long confrontation with Palestinian militants in Gaza after an Egypt-brokered truce fell through.

The attack comes as diplomats, including US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are in the region for talks to try to broker a ceasefire.

More than 130 Palestinians and five Israelis have been killed in the latest conflict.

The last time Tel Aviv was hit by a serious bomb blast was in April 2006, when a Palestinian suicide bomber killed 11 people at a sandwich stand near the city's old central bus station.

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Gaza: UN Boss Warns Of 'Dangerous Escalation'

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon has called for an immediate ceasefire to end the Gaza-Israel conflict.

Speaking in Cairo after talks with Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby, he said a ground invasion of Gaza would be a "dangerous escalation" that must be avoided.

"Immediate steps are needed by all to avoid a further escalation, including a ground operation which will only result in further tragedy," Mr Ban, who is to meet Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, said.

Gaza residents inspect bomb damage from an attack overnight

"My message is clear - all sides must halt fire immediately - further escalating the situation will put the entire region at risk."

Mr Ban, who will go to Israel later today, added: "I will urge the Israeli leadership to end the violence."

"We all must recognise that Israel has legitimate security concerns that must be respected in accordance with international law, but a ground operation would be a dangerous escalation."

A bus in southern Israel damaged by a rocket attack from Gaza

The US has confirmed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will fly from Asia to meet key officials in Jerusalem, Ramallah and then Cairo.

It also emerged that Barack Obama has not asked Israel to hold off on a ground invasion, as a White House source confirmed the US president believes Israel has a right to make its own security decisions.

Egyptian officials have already held talks with an Israeli envoy and Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, but both sides continued to trade blows as Hamas insisted on the lifting of a six-year blockade of the Gaza Strip.

An Israeli child in a shelter used during rocket attacks from Gaza

Militants said they fired 16 missiles at the southern Israeli city of Beersheba after Israel's military targeted roughly 100 sites in Gaza overnight, including ammunition stores and the Gaza headquarters of the Hamas-backed National Islamic Bank.

Many families have fled their homes to seek haven in the south which has seen fewer strikes, while thousands of Israeli families have been forced into shelters during the rocket attacks.

Israeli strikes killed 32 Palestinians on Monday, taking the Gaza death toll to at least 111.

Residents who have fled their homes outside a UN-run facility in Gaza

:: Shots were fired and a man armed with a knife and axe has been taken into custody by police in Tel Aviv, after he attacked a guard outside the US embassy.

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Danny Nightingale 'Bullied Into Guilty Plea'

The father of an SAS sniper jailed for illegally possessing a gun has told Sky News his son was bullied into pleading guilty at a court martial.

Humphrey Nightingale said: "We knew Danny was not guilty but the judge made it quite clear that if he did not plead guilty he would be sent to a civilian jail for a minimum of five years.

"Our hands were tied and we had no other option - Danny has a lovely wife and a young family.

"We expected a lenient sentence - maybe suspended - but instead he was sentenced to 18 months."

Sgt Danny Nightingale, a father-of-two who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, is at the Military Corrective Training Centre in Colchester, Essex, after admitting possessing a prohibited firearm and ammunition.

The gun, a 9mm Glock pistol, was a gift from Iraqi soldiers he had been training. It had been packed up and returned to him by colleagues in Iraq, after he had to leave the country in a hurry to help organise the funeral of two friends killed in action.

Sgt Nightingale suffers medical problems which affect his memory and said he did not remember having the weapon.

The controversial case has sparked outrage from SAS veterans. MPs will debate the case this evening.

Mr Nightingale said his son was "100% innocent" and urged Prime Minister David Cameron to apply "any pressure he can".

Lawyers for Sgt Nightingale say they will lodge an appeal against his conviction and sentence later this week, as well as applying for bail.

His wife Sally visited him on Monday for the first time since he was sentenced two weeks ago.

Mrs Nightingale said her husband was struggling with being locked up for 16 hours a day.

"Danny's an outdoor person; he never sits still and it's very hard for him to be in there," she said, "but with all the support behind him, that will see him through."

An MP supporting Sgt Nightingale said visiting the soldier had "filled him with determination" to get justice.

Julian Brazier, MP for Canterbury and Whitstable, said: "It was humbling in a way to feel that such a guy, who has given so many years service could have been brought so low by a system of which I am part, the legislature.

"It filled me with a determination that we have to get justice for this guy."

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Brooks And Coulson Face New Charges

The Prime Minister's ex-spin doctor Andy Coulson and Rebekah Brooks are to be charged with conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, following an investigation into corrupt payments to public officials.

The charges stem from the phone-hacking scandal that erupted last year at the News Of The World, which both Brooks and Coulson used to edit.

A parallel investigation, known as Operation Elveden, was launched into alleged payments to public officials.

Coulson is to face two charges of conspiracy and Brooks is to face one count of conspiracy.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said two other former News International journalists would also be charged with conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office.

They are The Sun's ex-chief reporter John Kay and former royal editor at the News Of The World Clive Goodman.

The CPS said: "We have concluded, following a careful review of the evidence, that Clive Goodman and Andy Coulson should be charged with two conspiracies.

"The allegations relate to the request and authorisation of payments to public officials in exchange for information, including a Palace phone directory known as the 'Green Book' containing contact details for the Royal Family and members of the Household."

An employee of the Ministry of Defence, Bettina Jordan Barber, is also to be charged over the investigation, while inquiries continue into one other suspect.

The CPS added: "We have concluded, following a careful review of the evidence, that Bettina Jordan Barber, John Kay and Rebekah Brooks should be charged with a conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office between January 1, 2004, and January 31, 2012.

"This conspiracy relates to information allegedly provided by Bettina Jordan Barber for payment which formed the basis of a series of news stories published by The Sun.

"It is alleged that approximately £100,000 was paid to Bettina Jordan Barber between 2004 and 2011.

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Cameron Declares 'Economic War' On Downturn

The Prime Minister has told Britain's business leaders that his coalition "gets it", as the Government promises to help boost the economy.

Speaking at the annual conference of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), David Cameron also urged bureaucrats to use the same spirit that was needed to defeat Hitler during the Second World War, in order to get the economy back on track.

Mr Cameron warned the country is at the "economic equivalent of war".

He said: "When this country was at war in the 1940s, Whitehall underwent a revolution.

"Normal rules were circumvented. Convention was thrown out. As one historian put it, everything was thrown at 'the overriding purpose' of beating Hitler.

"Well, this country is in the economic equivalent of war today - and we need the same spirit."

Mr Cameron pointed the finger at lobbyists, as pressure from them creates "risk-averse" civil servants.

"Over the past two and a half years, I've worked with exceptional civil servants who are as creative and enterprising as any entrepreneur, and they are as frustrated with a lot of this bureaucratic rubbish as I am."

Britain came out of its longest double-dip recession since the 1950s

He now plans to cut excessive red tape, reducing bureaucratic hurdles for British businesses.

Mr Cameron argued: "Back in 1998 there were 4,500 applications for review and that number almost tripled in a decade. We urgently needed to get a grip on this."

This year's conference takes place against the backdrop of rebounding economic growth, but the outlook remains uncertain.

Recent data showed that gross domestic product jumped 1% in the third quarter, as Britain powered out of its longest double-dip recession since the 1950s with the help of the London Olympic Games.

However, the Bank of England forecast last week that the economy could shrink again in the fourth quarter, with low growth expected for the next three years due to the eurozone debt crisis, tight credit and inflationary pressures.

Today's conference will also be addressed by the coalition Government's Business Secretary Vince Cable, as well as opposition Labour party leader Ed Miliband and London mayor Boris Johnson.

Meanwhile, confidence about future job security for City workers continues to fall, according to a study by recruitment firm Astbury Marsden.

It said that only one in 10 bankers and hedge fund workers believed London will create the most new banking jobs over the next 12 months - down from 22% a year ago.

Some 75% of four of the 460 people polled said the major Asia Pacific centres of Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore will create the most new banking jobs.

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Gaza Conflict: Rockets 'Hit Israeli Town'

Gaza: The Moment Media Buildings Were Hit

Updated: 11:11am UK, Monday 19 November 2012

By Sam Kiley, Middle East Correspondent, in Gaza City

An orange flash lingered, windows bulged pregnant, and burst - the bang came last. It's odd the things you notice in the blink of an eye.

We had chosen to sleep on the floor in a small room in the Sky studios in central Gaza City for our own safety.

The previous two nights had been interrupted every few minutes with the cataclysmic detonations of airstrikes near the hotel we had picked in the north of the city.

Hamas has rocket firing points not far from the hotel, a training ground, and the home of Ismail Haniye, the Hamas Prime Minister, were about 500 yards away.

One can only take a few nights of the "waterbed effect" - when the shock waves of nearby blasts seem to liquefy the mattress and its occupant flows on to the floor.

More fools us.

Mick Deane, Sky's veteran cameraman, News Editor Tom Rayner, and I convinced ourselves the Sky Arabia studios that we were borrowing were well known to the Israeli Air Force, and would never be targeted.

At around midnight on Saturday, we might have taken a hint. A building about 100 yards away was hit twice.

Our local colleagues reacted with horror. Eight journalists were injured, one losing a leg - they were from two Arab TV Channels.

Ambulances screeched up and down the streets while we considered out options.

We had none.

It was too dangerous to leave in the middle of the night, we risked being picked off as militants by an Israeli drone.

Surely they would not hit us here, we reasoned, they have good intelligence?

We wrapped ourselves in the miraculous, dream coat-coloured polyester blankets that are ubiquitous in the Third World, and tried to catch up on missed sleep.

An hour after dawn, the first flash, the bubbling windows.

We struggled into our dirt-stiffened clothes to figure out how badly hit we were and look for any injured.

As I approached the stairwell leading to the floor above and the roof, another blast drove a wall of choking dust down at me and I spun away.

Water poured out of burst mains on the roof and cascaded down the outside of the building.

Later, Israeli military officials said a Hamas communications facility had been "surgically targeted" on the roof above us and especially small munitions used to destroy it.

Air strikes have become an everyday experience for Gazans. Except we were luckier than many.

Gaza's trapped population has endured raids against 1,000 targets across this tiny coastal enclave. After a house was hit, the death toll shot up to around 60, with some 300 wounded.

The majority, medical officials say, are civilians.

Just like the Sky News team, Gazans don't know where they can be safe.

Hamas or other militants use rocket launching sites that are tucked into residential neighbourhoods to fire at Israel.

Gaza is so densely populated it's difficult to see how the militants could find anywhere to use their weapons that did not endanger civilians. Equally, however hard Israel tries to avoid hitting the innocent, it surely has and surely will.

The only advice Israel's military give to Gazans is to try to stay away from Hamas installations and personnel.

But, as we spent several hours trying to figure out how to do that, we drew a blank.

Hamas is the government here. It runs the schools and other ministries. Its security officers are on every street corner, and its guerrilla fighters experts at concealment.

Nowhere is safe.

So we are back at our hotel in the north of the city enduring the orange flashes, the bulging windows, the nauseating process of actually counting luck.

Just like everybody else.

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South African Found Guilty Of Dewani Murder

A judge finds South African Xolile Mngeni guilty of the murder of Anni Dewani while on her honeymoon in November 2010.

Judge Robert Henney told the High Court in Cape Town: "I'm satisfied that the accused has committed the crime of murder."

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Prisoner Voting Ban: MPs To Debate Again

MPs are to be given another say on whether to give prisoners the vote, as the deadline for Britain to comply with a European ruling on the controversial issue looms.

The UK's current blanket ban on prisoners voting has been judged as unlawful by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and officials in Strasbourg have given the Government until Friday to comply with the ruling.

Last February, the Commons called by an overwhelming margin of 234 to 22 for the blanket ban to be maintained, while David Cameron has flatly ruled out the option of handing criminals back their democratic rights.

MPs will this week be given another chance to vote on the issue when the Government introduces a draft bill.

The bill, to be published on Thursday, will give MPs three options, according to The Daily Telegraph.

They will be votes for prisoners who have been imprisoned for four years or less, votes for prisoners who have been imprisoned for six months or less, or no votes for prisoners at all.

There is a risk that this week's Commons vote could set up another clash with the ECHR, which could fine the Government if it does not comply with its ruling.

Attorney General Dominic Grieve has warned against defying the Strasbourg court, saying its ruling imposes an international legal obligation on the UK.

But the Prime Minister has made it clear he would not be letting prisoners get the vote.

David Cameron told the Commons last month: "I do not want prisoners to have the vote, and they should not get the vote - I am very clear about that.

"If it helps to have another vote in Parliament on another resolution to make it absolutely clear and help put the legal position beyond doubt, I am happy to do that.

"But no one should be in any doubt: prisoners are not getting the vote under this Government."

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has said Parliament has the right in law to tell the ECHR that it does not accept its ruling.

But added there would be "consequences" for the UK's position in Europe if MPs do chose to defy the judgement.

In 2005, the ECHR said it was up to individual countries to decide which prisoners should be denied the right to vote from jail, but that a total ban was illegal.

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Savita's Father Calls For Abortion Law Change

The father of an Indian woman who died after apparently being refused an abortion in Ireland has urged the country's prime minister to change the current abortion laws.

In an appeal to Enda Kenny, Andanappa Yalagi said altering the legislation would "save the lives of so many women in the future".

Mr Yalagi's daughter, Savita Halappanavar, 31, was 17 weeks pregnant when she died at Galway University Hospital on October 28 after suffering a miscarriage and septicaemia.

A woman holds a candle during a vigil held in Dublin on Saturday

Her husband Praveen alleged that his wife, who was a dentist, pleaded with doctors to perform a medical termination.

Doctors are said to have denied her requests because a foetal heartbeat was present - reportedly telling her: "This is a Catholic country."

In an interview with the Observer, Mr Yalagi added his voice to calls urging the Irish government to reform complex abortion laws.

Addressing Mr Kenny, he said: "Sir, please change your law and take consideration of humanity.

"Please change the law on abortion, which will help to save the lives of so many women in the future."

Mr Yalagi revealed he and his wife are considering legal action against the hospital and said no health officials or anyone from the Irish government had been in touch with them to express any remorse.

Speaking at his home in the southern Indian town of Belgaum, he added: "I want to take legal action against them over the inhumane way they treated my daughter."

He added: "They are doctors but they were not humane. If they had been humane, they would have treated her."

People gather in Dublin for a vigil and to support abortion reform

The Galway-Roscommon University Hospitals Group and the Health Service Executive's (HSE) national accident management team announced two separate investigations into Mrs Halappanavar's death.

The death has sent waves through the Irish parliament and caused a 2,000-strong protest on its doorstep when it emerged last week.

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Gaza: Israel Prepares To Expand Offensive

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country is ready to "significantly expand" its Gaza offensive.

"We are extracting a heavy price from Hamas and the terror organisations," Mr Netanyahu said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting on the fifth day of the conflict.

"The soldiers are ready for any activity that could take place."

On Friday, ministers doubled the current reserve troop quota set for the offensive to 75,000 in preparation for a possible ground invasion.

Some 30,000 soldiers have already been called up.

Foreign Secretary William Hague tells Sky News Murnaghan programme that  Britain has warned Israel against a ground invasion.

Some 30,000 Israeli soldiers have already been called up

"The Prime Minister and I have both stressed to our Israeli counterparts that a ground invasion of Gaza would lose Israel a lot of the international support and sympathy they have in this situation," he said.

"A ground invasion is much more difficult for the international community to sympathise with or support, including the United Kingdom."

But Mr Hague blamed Hamas for sparking the current conflict in Gaza.

"We call on Hamas again to stop the rocket attacks on Israel, it is Hamas that bears principal responsibility for starting all of this and we would like to see an agreed ceasefire - an essential component of which is an end to those rocket attacks."

Israel's bombardment of Gaza entered a new phase overnight, with the military shelling the Palestinian territory from the sea, as well as continuing its airstrikes.

On Sunday, five Palestinian civilians were killed in airstrikes, including four children ranging in age from one to seven, according to Ashraf al-Kidra, a Gaza health official. 

The deaths bring to 51 the number of Palestinians killed since the operation began on Wednesday. One-third of the dead were civilians. More than 400 people have been wounded in the strikes.

On the Israeli side, three civilians have been killed and more than 50 wounded by rocket fire.

Palestinians in Gaza this morning fired rockets at Tel Aviv for the fourth straight day. Police said two rockets were shot down by Israel's Iron Dome air shield.

Earlier Sunday, at least one rocket fired by Gaza militants landed in Ashkelon in southern Israel.

Palestinian girls in the northern Gaza Strip

But a Palestinian official told AFP news agency that a truce was possible "today or tomorrow", after Egypt's President suggested that there could be a ceasefire soon.

Mohamed Morsi said: "There are now intensive efforts through communication channels with the Palestinian side and with the Israeli side and there are now some indications that there is possibility of a ceasefire soon between the two sides."

 Israel has said it is not prepared to enter into a truce without guarantees the rocket fire will stop.

The latest Israeli strikes also hit two Gaza media centres housing the offices of Al Quds TV and Al Aqsa, both seen as sympathetic to Hamas. 

A Gaza press association said six Palestinian journalists were wounded, including one who lost a leg. 

The media buildings hit were also being used by foreign journalists, including Sky News and ITN.

Tom Rayner, Sky News Middle East editor, said on Twitter: "There don't appear to have been any injuries following Israeli strike on international media building being used by Sky News, ITN and others."

Sky's Sam Kiley: "I think that this demonstrates just how dangerous and complex with aerial bombardment is."

The attacks followed a defiant statement by Hamas military spokesman Abu Ubaida.

"This round of confrontation will not be the last against the Zionist enemy and it is only the beginning."

The masked gunman dressed in military fatigues insisted that despite Israel's blows Hamas "is still strong enough to destroy the enemy".

Israel military spokesman Yoav Mordechai warned that Israel would go after Hamas commanders Sunday, in addition to rocket squads, in "more targeted, more surgical and more deadly" attacks.

Israel unleashed its massive air campaign on Wednesday, killing a leading militant of the Hamas Islamist group that controls Gaza and rejects Israel's existence.

Israel says it is trying to stop militants in the coastal enclave from launching rockets that have plagued its southern communities for years.

More than 500 rockets fired from Gaza have hit Israel since the recent violence flared on Wednesday.

The Jewish state has launched more than 950 air strikes since then.

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