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.

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.

Hagman with his co-stars Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray

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

Linda Gray, who played J R's wife, Sue Ellen, 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."

Piers Morgan wrote: "Very sad to hear that Larry Hagman has died. His J R Ewing character was the greatest TV villain of them all. Wonderful actor."

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 with Barbara Eden at the I Dream Of Jeannie DVD launch

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.

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.

Hagman and his wife Maj

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 wide 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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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,  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 tell 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?'

UKIP leader Nigel Farage condemned the decision

"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'."

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 them within a week.

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 and said: "The council and the panel clearly have no understanding of UKIP and by their actions, clearly no desire to know. To take children out of a safe family environment for such false reasons means they are failing in their role."

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."

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Social Care Report: 'One In Four' Services Failing

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

The ageing population and the rising tide of patients who suffer from complex or multiple illnesses mean that some care providers are struggling to provide "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.

The report, based on evidence found from 13,000 CQC inspections, found that one in ten NHS hospitals did not meet basic respect and dignity standards.

And at 15% of 2,500 nursing homes there was a lack of respectful care. Inspectors noted that 20% of 1,362 nursing homes and residential care homes and 15% 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.

The CQC also raised concerns about staff numbers. It found that 16% 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.

Jeremy Hunt said a 'rasing of standards' was necessary

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."

NHS Confederation chief executive Mike Farrar said: "It is extremely worrying that some organisations are still not getting the basics right every time.

"In every part of the health service, we must make it a priority to get the cornerstones of good care right every time, including providing the right food and drink, treating people with dignity and respect, and co-ordinating arrangements to support people when they are ready to leave hospital."

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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Man Dies In Floods As Storms Set To Continue

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

Forecasters said there will be some respite today with fewer showers - but the wet weather is expected to get worse again this weekend.

Around 90 flood warnings are in place for rivers across England and Wales along with more than 200 less serious flood alerts.

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

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

Fire crews and police attended the scene and a man was found in the car and pronounced dead.

An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said officers were still trying to identify the victim.

The areas worst affected by the heavy downpours were Wales and south-west England.

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

Three children had to be rescued from Dolbadarn primary school in Llanberis by firefighters in a boat yesterday afternoon when they were prevented from leaving by high water.

Among those hurt in the storms were an elderly pedestrian who cut his head after being struck by a tree, two teenage girls who had head and shoulder injuries and a female driver in her 50s who escaped with minor injuries after the car was crushed by a falling tree trunk.

More follows...

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Votes For Prisoners: Draft Bill To Be Unveiled

A draft bill on whether prisoners should be given the right to vote will be published later today.

MPs will be given three options: giving votes to prisoners who have been behind bars for four years or less, six months or less, or no votes for prisoners at all.

They are likely to get the chance to vote on the bill early next year, and are expected to maintain the blanket ban.

In 2005, the European Court Of Human Rights (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.

David Cameron says is strongly opposed to prisoners getting the vote

Officials in Strasbourg have given the Government until Friday to comply with the ruling, and could impose a fine if the law is not changed.

Last February, the Commons called for the blanket ban to be maintained, while Prime Minister David Cameron has ruled out the option of allowing criminals to vote in elections.

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

The European Court of Human Rights made its ruling seven years ago

But Mr Cameron made it clear he did not want to change the status quo.

He 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."

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Cameron To Insist On Austerity In EU Budget

By Robert Nisbet, Europe Correspondent

David Cameron travels to Brussels later insisting that austerity being enforced around Europe is reflected in the EU's budget.

He will join leaders from all 27 countries at a special summit to set the European Union's spending limits from 2014 to 2020.

It 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 the Council President Herman 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.

He told MPs yesterday he would be "fighting incredibly hard" to get the best deal for the UK, but he could use the veto to protect British interests.

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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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.

Last night Hamas official Ayman Taha said that 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 United States has now stepped in, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meeting Mr Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

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

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."

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

Artillery shells and missiles were also fired from gunboats.

Parachute flares illuminate the Gaza Strip for an artillery barrage

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.

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

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

A spokesman for Mr Netanyahu said the ceasefire announcement was premature

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

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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Report: Thousands Of Children Raped And Abused

By Richard Suchet, Sky News Reporter

At least 2,409 children were raped or abused by gangs or groups in England between August 2010 and October 2011, according to the Office of the Children's Commissioner.

Its interim report - the most in-depth investigation to date of child exploitation by gangs and groups in England - found a further 16,500 children were at "high risk" of abuse.

And Deputy Children's Commissioner Sue Berelowitz told Sky News the figures were likely to be an "under-counting".

"Agencies across England are not sufficiently aware of the warning signs and they are not taking action to protect children," she said.

"There are of course some who are doing good work on this, but too many are not taking this seriously enough, which means some children are falling through the net.

"It's a very, very worrying situation. It's absolutely not good enough that there are children in need of protection and are not being protected."

Much of the evidence presented in the report is too harrowing and graphic to be reported here.

It comes just months after nine Asian men who groomed white girls as young as 13 in Rochdale with drink and drugs were jailed at Liverpool Crown Court.

But Ms Berelowitz insisted the scenario of Asian men targeting white girls was "just one of a number of models", and warned that if investigators concentrate on those patterns, victims could be missed.

White men form the largest group of perpetrators in gangs and groups, according to the report.

Some 28% of the victims brought to the attention of the inquiry were from black and ethnic minority backgrounds.

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the report is a "wake-up call"

The report looks at the nature of sexual, physical and emotional abuse.

It also highlights the use of mobile phones, social networking sites and other forms of technology through which perpetrators groom, bully and pursue victims - and the impact of violent pornography.

The report authors say it is "clear that sexually exploited children are not always identified even when they show signs of being victims".

They are now calling for "urgent action" to make sure that all agencies are made explicitly aware of the warning signs of child exploitation, and act on them.

Those signs include children going missing, offending, drug and alcohol abuse, self-harming and mental health problems.

It is also encouraging agencies to share information and work together.

Councillor David Simmonds, chairman of the Local Government Association's children and young people board, said: "While these are uncomfortable lessons for the organisations tasked with looking after children they will help to ensure improvements are put in place to better protect young people in future."

Andrew Flanagan, chief executive of the NSPCC, said: "This report quite clearly shows that the terrible problem of children being groomed for sexual abuse is widespread and needs urgent action to bring it to a halt.

"Sex offenders come from all backgrounds but if there is a problem with one community in a particular area we must be bold enough to address it and not just turn a blind eye."

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the evidence should act as "a wake-up call to the Government and other agencies that urgent action is needed".

If you are a child or young person affected by abuse or exploitation you can call Childline for advice and support 24 hours a day on 0800 11 11.

If you are an adult who needs support or information, or are concerned about a child or young person, call the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000.

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UN Chief In Cairo To Push For Gaza Truce

UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon has arrived in Cairo where he will attempt to broker a ceasefire to end the Gaza-Israel conflict.

Both sides continued to trade blows across the border overnight, and thick smoke was seen rising from Gaza just after dawn.

Mr Ban will meet Egypt's influential president Mohamed Morsi and Arab League chief Nabil al Arabi to discuss a potential truce.

Egyptian officials have already held talks with an Israeli envoy and the Hamas leader-in-exile, Khaled Mashaal.

Mr Ban will also meet Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas this week.

The White House has confirmed that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would meet key officials in Jerusalem, Ramallah and Cairo.

Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama, the EU and the Russia have all appealed for the two sides to end the conflict.

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

As the violence raged for a sixth day, an Israeli missile killed a senior Islamic Jihad militant in a Gaza City tower housing Palestinian and international media, the second time in as many days it had been hit.

The Israeli army said 42 rockets had struck Israel and another 19 had been intercepted by the Iron Dome defence system.

Mr Mashaal said his movement was committed to efforts to secure a truce, but insisted that Israel must lift its six-year blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Many Gaza families have fled their homes, some seeking haven in the south which has seen fewer strikes.

"My son Mohammed refuses to eat. He follows me everywhere because he's so scared and asks me every 10 minutes when we're going to die," said Umm Jihad, 37.

Monday also saw mourners flock to the funeral of nine members of one family who were killed in a weekend strike on their house in Gaza City. The bodies of the five children were pictured being carried through the streets wrapped in flags.

The violence comes ahead of the Israeli general election on January 22.

Ministers in Benjamin Netanyahu's inner circle - the Forum of Nine - were reportedly in talks over whether to agree to a ceasefire or expand the air campaign into a wider ground operation.

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Energy: All Homes 'To Be Given Cheapest Deal'

Energy Secretary Ed Davey will flesh out proposals later to ensure all households are on the cheapest gas and electricity tariffs available.

After weeks of confusion about the Government's plans to simplify the market and reduce bills for hard-pressed families, the Liberal Democrat is expected to use an appearance before the Energy Select Committee to give more details.

It is thought that energy firms may be prevented from offering more than four tariffs and be required to automatically move customers on to the cheapest one.

The move comes amid long-standing concerns that many households are paying hundreds of pounds a year more than is necessary for gas and electricity because of the confusing array of tariffs.

Ed Davey insists the Government backs a low carbon economy

The issue has become more acute in recent years because of rising wholesale prices that have seen energy charges soar.

Meanwhile, MPs have called on Chancellor George Osborne to reassure investors the Treasury is committed to moving towards a greener economy.

Mr Osborne must use the autumn statement next month to end the uncertainty over the direction of energy policy, which is undermining investment in the UK's power sector, the parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) said.

MPs say George Osborne must "end the uncertainty"

The EAC also added its voice to calls from business leaders, trade unions and green groups for the Energy Bill, due to be published before the end of November, to include a target to slash emissions from the power sector by 2030.

The cross-party committee's chairwoman Joan Walley said: "The Treasury must end the uncertainty on energy policy and give investors and businesses the confidence to seize the enormous opportunities presented by new clean technologies."

Friends of the Earth's head of campaigns Andrew Pendleton said: "MPs are right to slam the Chancellor - his gas-fuelled economic strategy will send fuel bills soaring, jeopardise jobs and scupper UK efforts to tackle climate change.

"The Treasury seems hell-bent on killing off Britain's growing green economy, despite the tens of thousands of jobs it can create and business leaders' group CBI's pleas for more backing."

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Ban Ki-moon Calls For Ceasefire In Gaza

Gaza: The Moment Media Buildings Were Hit

Updated: 9:37pm UK, Sunday 18 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 downtown Gaza City for our own safety.

The previous two nights had been interrupted every few minutes with the cataclysmic detonations of air strikes 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 years away.

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

More fools us.

Mick Deane, Sky's veteran cameraman, News Editor Tom Rayner, and I convinced ourselves that the Sky Arabia studios that we were borrowing were well known to the Israeli Aid 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 that a Hamas communications facility had been "surgically targeted" on the roof above us and an especially small munition 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 he 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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Obama Makes Landmark Visit To Burma

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent

Barack Obama has landed in Burma for a landmark visit aimed at encouraging a string of political reforms in the former pariah state.

On the second stop of his three-country tour of Asia, the US President flew into Rangoon on Monday morning.

He said he was "extending the hand of friendship" to the country, where he is meeting the country's reformist leader Thein Sein and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Tens of thousands of people, many of them waving US flags, packed the streets of Rangoon to see Mr Obama's motorcade speed through the city.

Mr Obama has become the first ever sitting US president to visit Burma, also known as Myanmar.

The visit is a key indicator that Washington believes Burmese government reforms are genuine and continuing.

The President said his historic visit marked the next step in a new chapter between the two countries.

Speaking after a private meeting with Ms Suu Kyi, Mr Obama said he had seen encouraging signs of progress in the country in the past year. Those signs, he said, include the opposition leader's release from house arrest and her election to parliament.

He said ties between the US and Burma will grow stronger if moves toward democracy continue.

Mr Obama met Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Sunday

The US President's first stop on the tour was Thailand where he stressed the "critical" importance of the Asia-Pacific region to the future of the US over the coming century during his first foreign trip since his re-election.

Speaking at a news conference with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Mr Obama said: "Asia is my first foreign trip since our election in the United States, and Thailand is my first stop.

"This is no accident. As I've said many times, the United States is and always will be a Pacific nation.

"As the fastest growing region in the world, the Asia-Pacific will shape so much of our security and prosperity in the century ahead, and it is critical to creating jobs and opportunity for the American people.

"That's why I've made restoring American engagement in this region a top priority as president."

Mr Obama also met the Thai King, Bhumibol Adulyadej, who is in hospital where he has been recovering from an illness since September 2009.

Mr Obama calls himself the "Pacific President" and has pledged to focus significant attention on the Asia-Pacific region.

It is therefore no surprise that his first foreign trip is here.

People line the streets in Rangoon to greet Mr Obama

The US is seeking to counter China's increasing clout in the region. The US government has said that 60% of the US naval forces will be based in the region by 2020.

As if to underline America's commitment to the region, the US Defence Secretary is currently on his fourth trip to Asia this year.

Thailand is the US' longest standing ally in the region. The US sees it as vital in helping it pivot attention towards Asia and boost ties with the fastest growing region on the planet.

During the news conference, Mr Obama defended his decision to go to Burma.

"This is not an endorsement of the Burmese government," he said.

"This is an acknowledgement that there is a process under way inside that country that even a year and a half, two years ago, nobody foresaw."

The President's visit follows a trip by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the country in December 2011 and a visit by British Prime Minister David Cameron in April 2011.

The US President's Asian tour will end in Cambodia, where he will attend a meeting of the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean).

The leaders of 16 southeast Asian countries will attend, as well as the Russian President Vladimir Putin, the outgoing Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, the Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, the Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

In Burma, despite the recent reforms, sectarian clashes between Muslims and Buddhists have killed more than 180 people and destroyed the homes of more than 100,000.

The government has been criticised for not having done enough to stop the violence in the coastal Rakhine State.

On Friday, Washington announced it had lifted a ban on the import of goods from the country.

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Gaza Conflict: Toddler Killed In Airstrike

A toddler has been killed and his two brothers wounded in the latest Israeli airstrike on Gaza, emergency services said.

The 18-month-old Palestinian boy died in a strike east of the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, spokesman Adham Abu Selmiya told the AFP news agency.

Health ministry spokesman Ashraf al Qudra said the two wounded boys, aged four and five, were "in critical condition".

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

Forty-eight Palestinians, about half of them civilians, including 13 children, have now been killed in Israel's raids, Palestinian officials said.

Rocket warning sirens sounded in Tel Aviv on Saturday for a third day

Militants in Gaza resumed firing rockets into Israel this morning, with at least one landing in Ashkelon in southern Israel.

More than 500 rockets fired from Gaza have hit Israel since the recent violence flared on Wednesday, killing three people and injuring dozens.

Two buildings housing local Arab media in Gaza were among the targets in the latest airstrikes.

Among the buildings hit was a media centre housing the offices of al Quds TV, often a voicepiece for Hamas. Three journalists were wounded.

Both buildings also contained offices used by foreign journalists, including Sky News.

Egypt's president Mohamed Morsi had suggested a ceasefire was close

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

The airstrikes come as Egypt President  Mohamed Morsi suggested that there could be a ceasefire soon.

Two other pre-dawn attacks on houses in the Jebalya refugee camp killed one child and wounded 12 other people, medical officials said.

These 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".

A plume of thick black smoke is seen rising from Gaza City

On Saturday Israeli aircraft bombed Hamas government buildings in Gaza, including the offices of Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and a police headquarters.

Israel has said it will keep schools in its southern region closed as a precaution to avoid casualties from rocket strikes, which have reached as far as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in the past few days.

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.

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

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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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