Jerusalem: Hamas Rocket Attack Targets City

A rocket has been fired at Jerusalem by Hamas - the first time the holy city is thought to have been targeted by Gaza militants using such a weapon.

Israeli police said the rocket landed in an open area near Gush Ezion, a collection of Jewish settlements in the West Bank southeast of the city.

The rocket caused no damage or injuries, the Jewish state's army said.

But an attack on what Israelis call their capital marks a significant escalation by Gaza militants, both for its symbolism and its distance from the Palestinian territory.

Located about 55 miles away from the Gaza border, Jerusalem had been thought to be beyond the range of Gaza rocket squads.

The armed wing of Hamas, Al Qassam Brigades, said on Twitter: "Al Qassam Brigades launch two M75 homemade missiles towards occupied Jerusalem."

Four Palestinians have been killed in a new Israeli strike on Gaza, a Hamas health ministry spokesman said, as multiple new raids struck throughout the territory.

Among the four to die was reportedly Ahmed Abu Jalal, a field commander of Hamas's armed wing.

Israeli police detain a Palestinian during clashes in Jerusalem's Old City

Twenty-nine Palestinians - including 13 militants - have now been killed in the recent violence. Three Israelis were killed by a rocket on Thursday.

The Israeli military said nearly 200 rockets fired from Gaza hit Israel on Friday - half were intercepted by its Iron Dome anti-missile system.

Earlier on Friday, there was a second rocket attack by Palestinian militants on Tel Aviv in 24 hours.

Air raid sirens went off in the centre of Israel's largest city on Friday afternoon and people were forced to scramble for cover. There were no reports of any injuries and it is thought to have landed in the sea.

"We are sending a short and simple message: There is no security for any Zionist on any single inch of Palestine and we plan more surprises," Abu Obeida, spokesman for the Hamas militant wing, said of the rockets aimed at Israel's two main cities.

It was the second day in a row that a rocket from Gaza had reached the Tel Aviv area in what Israeli networks said was the first time rockets had been fired at the city since the 1991 Gulf War, when it was hit by Iraqi Scud missiles.

On Thursday, another rocket fell in the sea and the other landed in a Tel Aviv suburb, causing no damage or casualties. Israel responded with airstrikes.

The latest rocket came as the Israeli air force continued a major bombing campaign across Gaza Strip as it targeted suspected rocket launching sites.

Senior Israeli cabinet minister Moshe Yaalon warned that Israel was considering a ground operation in order to stamp out rocket fire.

Hisham Kandil (L) and senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh during the visit

"We are preparing all the military options, including the possibility that forces will be ready to enter Gaza in the event that the firing doesn't stop," he wrote in a series of postings on his official Twitter account.

There were fresh exchanges of fire between Israel and Hamas militants on Friday despite a temporary ceasefire in place for a visit by Egypt's prime minister Hisham Kandil to Gaza.

Several sites in southern Israel have been hit by rockets fired from inside the Gaza Strip, while a Hamas source said the Israeli air force attacked a Hamas commander's house which resulted in the death of two civilians, one a child.

But Israel's military strongly denied carrying out any attack from the time Mr Kandil entered Gaza, and accused Hamas of violating the three-hour deal.

During his visit, the Egyptian PM condemned Israeli action against Gaza as "unacceptable aggression", saying his country will intensify efforts to secure a truce in the conflict.

"This tragedy cannot pass in silence and the world should take responsibility in stopping this aggression," he said at a news conference in Gaza City's Shifa hospital after seeing some victims from an airstrike.

"Egypt will not hesitate to intensify its efforts and make sacrifices to stop this aggression and achieve a lasting truce."

His visit comes as 16,000 Israeli army reservists have been called up and heavy artillery has been seen on the Gaza border, increasing the possibility of a ground attack.

Israeli ministers have reportedly approved the call-up of as many as 75,000 reservists as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held late evening talks with his inner circle.

Air raids sirens have gone off in Jerusalem

Meanwhile, European Union foreign policy chief Baroness Ashton said Israel had the right to protect its people against Gaza rocket attacks but urged it to stick to a "proportionate" response.

She also voiced hopes that the Egyptian prime minister "will be able to calm the situation".

And Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague urged both Israel and the Palestinians to make efforts to halt the violence.

But Mr Hague made it clear that he believes Hamas bears the greatest responsibility for the current crisis, as well as the ability to bring it most swiftly to an end.

The conflict has been intensifying over recent weeks, but flared up dramatically in the wake of the Israeli strikes against senior Hamas figures.

Mr Netanyahu has warned his country is prepared to extend its operation against Hamas, sparking fears of a repeat of the ground incursion four years ago in which hundreds died.

Israel's Iron Dome fires an interceptor rocket near Sderot in the south

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Lord Prescott Loses Out On Police Role

End Of The Road For Prescott

Updated: 9:37pm UK, Friday 16 November 2012

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

For John Prescott, in the east coast resort of Bridlington, it really was the end of the peer show as he failed in his comeback bid.

The 74-year-old former deputy prime minister, an MP in Hull for 40 years, was defeated by a Tory trade unionist and businessman who became a councillor only five years ago.

Matthew Grove, whose election as Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside was a massive boost for David Cameron among all the other poor results for the Tories, told me he began his working life gutting chickens in a poultry processing plant.

Well, he certainly fileted Lord Prescott, beating him reasonably comfortably in the second round of this contest, thanks largely to a better turnout than elsewhere in the Tory stronghold of the East Ridling of Yorkshire and the second preferences of UKIP voters.

But it could have been very different.

The most disappointed man in the wonderful Spa entertainment complex overlooking the lashing waves of the north sea in Bridlington was not John Prescott but Paul Davison, a former police superintendent from Beverley, in the East Riding.

He stood as an independent and came within about 600 votes of beating Mr Grove for second place in the first round of voting.

After he was eliminated and Lord Prescott and Mr Grove went through into the second round, Mr Davison told me that if the Government had let independents like him have a mail shot to voters he would have made it through to the second round.

And I think he's probably right.

But Mr Grove, like Mr Davison, was an impressive candidate, a down-to-earth, no-nonsense Tory who's about as different from the "arrogant, out of touch posh boys" that Nadine Dorries complains about as it's possible to be.

At the end of the evening, I asked John Prescott if he was going to retire. He gave me a filthy look.

But at least it was an improvement on his greeting when he arrived, in a Jag, naturally.

When I asked him as he stepped out of the Jag how confident he was of winning, he turned to me and said: "B****r off."

Now the votes have been counted, I imagine he meant that no, he wasn't confident.

Down on the south coast, meanwhile, another ex-minister in his 70s, Tory Michael Mates, also slumped to defeat. Like Prescott, Mates has form for using colourful language.

In the 1990s he sent the tycoon Asil Nadir a watch inscribed with the words: "Don't let the b*****s get you down."

David Cameron insists he's not disheartened despite the derisory turnout in these elections.

Humberside saw the highest turnout, just under 20%, apart from Avon and Somerset, where voters were also electing a mayor in Bristol.

But the national average was about 15% and it was below 10% in some places.

The PM – and the victorious Matthew Grove in Humberside – predicted the turnout would be higher next time round.

And I'm sure they're right, although John Prescott said in a surprisingly gracious speech in defeat "if" they were held again, suggesting Labour may abolish the commissioners if they win the next election.

At the end of the evening, with just one result - in Devon and Cornwall - still to come, Labour had 13 commissioners, the Conservatives 15 and independents 12.

The way the elections were conducted - as Paul Davison told me in Bridlington - favoured party candidates over independents.

There were also complaints from Labour - including John Prescott - about the voting system.

He pointed out to me that if his election had been fought on first past the post he would have won.

Well, up to a point, Lord Prescott. Voters wouldn't necessarily have voted the same way under a different voting system.

But it's a fair point, made by many Labour and Conservative activists at the Bridlington count, that voters rejected electoral reform in a referendum last year and here we had these elections fought on a form of proportional representation.

Lord Prescott has always been a strong supporter of first past the post.

But he says he won't now be fighting any more elections, whatever the voting system.

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Israel Calls Up Thousands Of Reservists

Israel has approved the call-up of 30,000 reservists as it moves troops towards Gaza.

It increases the prospect of a ground war - while Palestinian militants fired rockets at Tel Aviv, Israel's main commercial city, for the first time in 20 years. 

Sky's Middle East Correspondent Sam Kiley said: "In British terms, the number (of reservists) is pretty close to 10 brigades - a vast number of troops. These will be armour, infantry and specialists in support, but most likely to fill in the gaps likely to be left as troops are moved down towards Gaza.

"There's already been an increase in movement of ground troops close to Gaza, the movement of tanks and so on.

"If there is going to be a ground offensive, those troops have got to come from somewhere else and they would need to be back-filled.

"So, in all likelihood, this is all part of the military planning for a ground assault into Gaza, should the Israeli prime minister so order.

"It's part of the plan, but that order has not yet been given. But this is a strong indication that Israeli troops are preparing to go into the Gaza Strip."

The head of Hamas' military wing Ahmed al Jaabari who was killed

Downing Street said Prime Minister David Cameron spoke to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday evening.

A spokesperson said: "The Prime Minister said that he was extremely concerned by the dangerous situation and deeply sorry for the loss of civilian life on both sides.

"He said the rocket attacks from Gaza into southern Israel by Hamas and other armed groups were completely unacceptable and that the increasing frequency of rocket attacks in recent days was the immediate cause of the situation.

"He made clear that Hamas bears the principal responsibility for crisis.

"The Prime Minister said that the priority must be to de-escalate the crisis. He called on Mr Netanyahu to do all he could to avoid civilian casualties and emphasised that both sides needed to avoid a spiral of violence that would be in no-one's interest, particularly at a time of instability in the region."

Medics say the baby son of a BBC Arabic employee died in an Israeli strike

France says its President, Francois Hollande, has spoken to Mr Netanyahu to try to avoid an escalation in the violence. And Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged both sides to exercise restraint.

Earlier, Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired missiles at Tel Aviv, Israel's largest city, in a significant escalation in the conflict.

One fell in an open area near Rishon Lezion on the outskirts of Tel Aviv and caused no damage or injuries.

Air raid sirens later sounded in Tel Aviv and witnesses said they heard an explosion. But a military spokesman said that rocket had landed in the sea. 

With claims that Palestinian militants fired nearly 150 rockets on Thursday, killing three people, defence officials said Israel was prepared to launch a ground invasion into Gaza, if necessary.

Mr Netanyahu said the army was prepared for a "significant widening" of its Gaza offensive. In a televised address, he said: "We will not tolerate a situation in which Israeli citizens are threatened by rocket fire."

A car destroyed by a rocket fired by Palestinian militants

Three people were killed in the Israeli town of Kiryat Malahi when a rocket hit an apartment block.

The casualties were the first since Israel's airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Wednesday which killed Hamas' top military commander Ahmed al Jaabari.

The White House said the US strongly condemned the rocket fire from Gaza into Israel.

Spokesman Jay Carney said there is "no justification" for the violence perpetrated by Hamas and other terrorist organisations.

Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi has rejected what he called Israel's aggression in Gaza, saying it threatened to destabilise the region. He has ordered his prime minister Hesham Kandil to lead a delegation to Gaza on Friday.

Egypt's Islamist administration has close ties with the Hamas movement and recalled its ambassador on Wednesday in protest at the Israeli action.

Pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian demos at the Israeli Embassy in London

US President Barack Obama and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon both telephoned Mr Netanyahu ahead of an urgent UN Security Council meeting on the deteriorating situation.

According to the White House, Mr Obama reiterated US support for Israel's right to self-defence against rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip but urged Israel to avoid civilian casualties in the Palestinian territory.

They agreed that Hamas must stop the attacks, which have seen hundreds of rockets fired into Israel over the last five days, in order to allow tensions to ease.

Mr Ban told the Israeli PM of his expectation that "Israeli reactions are measured so as not to provoke a new cycle of bloodshed," the UN said.

He also expressed his concerns about "an alarming escalation of indiscriminate rocket fire from Gaza into Israel".

So far, at least 15 people, including Mr Jaabari, have been killed in more than 50 Israeli airstrikes - codenamed Operation Pillar Of Defence. Two young children were among the dead.

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Dave Lee Travis Bailed By Savile Detectives

DJ Dave Lee Travis has been bailed after his arrest in connection with the Jimmy Savile sex abuse inquiry.

The former Radio 1 star, from Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, was held at 7.45am on suspicion of sexual offences.

Police said the allegations made against the man do not directly involve Savile, and are classed under the strand of their investigation termed "others".

He was bailed to return on a date in early January.

Travis returned home at 9.15pm in the passenger seat of a silver car. He stared straight ahead as the vehicle was mobbed by photographers.

Three police officers stood nearby as the car drove slowly through the gates. One officer told reporters that Travis would not be making any comment tonight.

His arrest came as the Metropolitan Police revealed they are now dealing with around 450 potential victims, the majority of whom claim they were abused by Savile.

This has risen from around 300 possible victims the force said they were dealing with last month.

Officers are looking at three strands within their inquiry: claims against Savile, those against Savile and others, and those against others.

Most of the "others" allegations have been made against people associated with the entertainment industry.

Ex-glam rocker Gary Glitter, comedian Freddie Starr and a 73-year-old man have already been arrested and bailed in connection with the investigation.

A 1977 episode of Top Of The Pops featuring Travis was due to be shown on BBC4 on Thursday night but was pulled.

Last month Travis vigorously denied allegations that he groped two women while in BBC studios.

Dame Janet Smith, who is reviewing the corporation's practices during the Savile years, called on potential victims, witnesses, people who worked with the TV presenter and senior staff at the time to assist the investigation.

According to the inquiry's website, the review also wants to hear from people "who were familiar with the culture or practices of the BBC" in terms of "preventing or enabling the sexual abuse of children, young people or teenagers".

In addition, the Department of Health is investigating its own conduct after appointing Savile to head a task force at Broadmoor high-security hospital in 1988.

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Anti-Austerity Strikes: Protests Grip Europe

A wave of anti-austerity anger is sweeping across Europe with general strikes in Spain and Portugal and walkouts in Greece and Italy - grounding flights, closing schools and shutting down transport.

Millions of workers have been taking part in the dozens of co-ordinated protests in a so-called European Day of Action and Solidarity against spending cuts and tax hikes.

In Portugal, violent clashes took place between activists and police officers in Lisbon, and one woman was seen being repeatedly struck with a baton.

In Italy, local media reported that six police officers were injured, including one seriously, as clashes broke out with protesters at demonstrations in Milan and Turin.

Protesters take part in a demonstration in Valencia

Around 20 activists allegedly beat an officer with a stick and baseball bats in Turin, while five officers were hurt during running street battles in central Milan.

In Spain - the fourth-biggest eurozone economy - activists and unions will be staging an evening rally outside the parliament in the Madrid.

Protests got under way early in Madrid and Barcelona, with protesters clashing with police as they attempted to blockade buses and cause disruption at food markets.

Riot police fired rubber bullets at hundreds of protesters in Madrid's Cibeles Square and used night-sticks to quell picket line disturbances, as more than 80 people were arrested.

Spanish police used night-sticks to quell unrest on picket lines

Airlines operating in the country including Iberia, Iberia Express, Air Nostrum, Vueling, Air Europa and easyJet cut more than 600 flights including some 250 international routes.

Heathrow said, of its normal 1,300 daily services, 39 flights - nearly all involving Spain or Portugal - had been cancelled.

Hospitals in Spain fully staffed emergency and surgery rooms, but non-essential care was scaled back.

Spain, where one in four workers is unemployed, is now teetering on the brink of calling for a European bailout, with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy trying to put off a rescue that could require even more EU-mandated budget cuts.

Parts of Rome were at a standstill as protesters clashed with police

Italy's biggest trade union CGIL called strikes in dozens of cities - and thousands of workers took to the streets calling for more safeguards for jobs and pensions and protesting against Prime Minister Mario Monti's government.

Student Mario Nobile, 23, said: "Europe is waking up today - from Rome to Madrid to Athens."

Protests are also being called in 40 towns and cities across bailed-out Portugal, including Lisbon and Porto.

Portuguese airline TAP said it was grounding more than 160 flights, most of them international.

Greece, struggling to satisfy international lenders that it has cut spending sufficiently to qualify for bailout funds and to avoid default, has called a three-hour walkout and a rally in Athens.

The European Trade Union Confederation said it was the first time that it had appealed for a day of action that includes simultaneous strike action in four countries.

"By sowing austerity, we are reaping recession, rising poverty and social anxiety," its general secretary Bernadette Segol said in an online statement.

"In some countries, people's exasperation is reaching a peak. We need urgent solutions to get the economy back on track, not stifle it with austerity. Europe's leaders are wrong not to listen to the anger of the people who are taking to the streets."

Union-led rallies are also being called across France and in Poland, while high-speed Thalys rail services between Belgium and Germany have been cancelled for the day.

Just 20% of Spain's long-distance trains and a third of its commuter trains are expected to run, while Lisbon's Metro will be shut completely with only 10% of rail services in action.

Tensions have been rising in Spain since last Friday when a woman jumped from her apartment to her death as bailiffs tried to evict her from her home in the country's second apparent suicide linked to evictions.

On Monday, the country's largest banks agreed to halt repossessions for the most vulnerable for two years.

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Gaza Airstrikes: Obama Urges Calm From Israel

Israeli Offensive In Gaza Is Risky

Updated: 12:27am UK, Thursday 15 November 2012

By Sam Kiley, Middle East Correspondent

Israel's spectacular escalation of the conflict in the Gaza Strip in a bid to secure its southern population against the constant threat from Palestinian rockets risks having the opposite effect.

In the worst case scenario it could undermine the bedrock of the Jewish state's security. This is its peace treaty with Egypt, Israel's southern neighbour.

Within hours of the latest bloodletting, which began with an Israeli air force missile strike on the moving car of Ahmed Jabari, the leader of Hamas' military wing, Egypt had ordered its ambassador out of Tel Aviv and the Israeli envoy to Cairo was packing his bags.

Egypt had played an important role in persuading Hamas to de-escalate its own attacks on Israel and police more militant groups in the Strip which it has ruled since 2007.

Cairo managed just such an agreement the day before Israel launched Operation Pillar of Defence, its new campaign to decapitate Hamas.

More than 100 rockets and mortars had been launched into Israel in the previous 24 hours.

Israel understandably could not tolerate a barrage which sooner or later would cause civilian casualties.

It has promised a campaign lasting several days. It issued sneering Tweets warning Hamas operatives no matter how lowly, not to emerge from underground shelters.

There was a time perhaps even in 2008 when Israel launched its last campaign in Gaza, that Israel might have been able to impose peace for itself by force.

But a Harmattan of revolutionary fervour has blown through the Islamic world carrying with it the Muslim Brotherhood and its allies into the presidency of Egypt. Hamas is to some extent, a child of the Brotherhood.

Mohammed Morsi, Egypt's president, is a member of the movement. He may be exasperated by Hamas' petulance and its violence if he does not want to see it dismembered.

The Arab street has never been keen on peace with the 'Zionist Entity'. Morsi knows this, and while he has insisted he will respect Egypt's treaties, his spokesmen have warned of regional insecurity if Israel persists with its military campaign.

They do not mean that Egypt will give up on peace - rather that the violent al Qaeda-linked groups that have been growing in strength in the Sinai and elsewhere in Egypt will draw strength from the spectacle of Israeli aggression in Gaza.

But for Israel to leave Hamas intact now would look like a defeat. Destroying it could be worse, a regional conflagration might follow.

The best hope to avoid these nightmare scenarios is for the United States, the biggest donors to Israel, Egypt, and the Palestinians to step in and demand that all sides engage in a Washington sponsored peace process.

So far there hasn't been a whiff of that.

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Cameron 'Fed Up' With Abu Qatada Still In UK

David Cameron has said he is "fed up" that Abu Qatada is still in the country, as the cleric returned home after his release from prison.

On a visit to Italy, the Prime Minister said: "I am completely fed up with the fact that this man is still at large in our country.

"He has no right to be here, we believe he is a threat to our country. We have moved heaven and earth to try to comply with every single dot and comma of every single convention to get him out of our country.

"It is extremely frustrating and I share the British people's frustration with the situation we find ourselves in."

The 52-year-old refugee was freed after a UK judge ruled he could not expect a fair trial if he was returned to Jordan, where he is wanted on terrorism-related charges.

David Cameron: "We believe (Qatada) is a threat to our country"

A minister in the Jordanian government told Sky News his country will renew its efforts to convince the British courts to overturn their decision.

Nayef al Fayez said: "We share a similar disappointment (as the UK). We must be sure that the right decision will be taken and we will continue to co-ordinate closely with them in that regard."

The decision to free Qatada is the latest twist in an 11-year legal battle, that is believed to have cost the British taxpayer at least £1m.

Qatada, once described as Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe, will have to obey a 16-hour curfew and can only leave his home between 8am and 4pm.

He will also have to wear an electronic tag, cannot use the internet and will be barred from contacting certain people - who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Round-the-clock surveillance of his home is now expected to be put in place, at a reported cost of up to £100,000 a week.

A seven-page document released by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) lists the comprehensive conditions with which he has to comply.

They also include being forbidden from leading prayers, only being allowed one bank account, and not being allowed near any train or London Underground stations.

Qatada was greeted by a small group of protesters as he arrived home in northwest London following his release from prison in Worcestershire.

Jackie Chaunt, 50, who works nearby, said: "He shouldn't be here. He was supposed to be deported to Jordan. It's a disgrace."

Protesters who greeted Qatada at his arrival in northwest London

But others say the British judiciary's decision must be respected. Mohammed Shafiq of the Ramadhan Foundation, said: "I think the politicians and the media should calm down.

"They should allow the due process to be completed and they should respect the right of judges to interpret it and base decisions on legislation passed by Parliament".

Home Secretary Theresa May has vowed the Government will continue to fight to "get rid" of him and said the Home Office will appeal the judge's decision.

"The Government has been doing everything it can to get rid of Abu Qatada and we will continue to do so," she said.

Qatada was originally convicted of terror-charges in Jordan in his absence in 1999.

The UK judge in Qatada's case ruled that, despite assurances from Jordan, it could not be wholly sure that evidence from witnesses who had been tortured would not be included in any re-trial. 

Meanwhile, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper called for ministers to travel to Jordan straight away for discussions.

She said: "I think people will be really concerned that instead of seeing Abu Qatada on a plane to Jordan we've actually got him out on bail and on Britain's streets instead."

Jordan's King Abdullah II is due to visit London next week, when it is expected that discussions on Qatada will take place.

Mr Cameron's official spokesman said: "I am sure there will be further discussions with the Jordanian government about the Abu Qatada case. They have demonstrated that they are very happy to help us."

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Man Charged Over Al Hilli Bank Fraud

Police have charged a man with attempting to access the bank accounts of the family murdered in the French Alps in October.

Nigerian-born Abiodun David John, 33, was charged with fraud after allegedly trying to get into accounts in the name of members of Saad al Hilli's family after his death on September 5.

Surrey Police could not confirm whether the accounts belonged to Mr al Hilli himself and said the fraud charges were not linked to the ongoing investigation into the murder of the Iraqi-born engineer, his wife, mother-in-law and a French cyclist.

A spokeswoman said: "Abiodun David John was arrested at an address in Salford, Greater Manchester, in October.

"He returned on bail today where he was charged with eight counts of fraud by false representation which are alleged to have taken place between July and September this year."

Around 100 police officers in Britain and France are investigating the murders of Mr al Hilli, 50, his dentist wife Iqbal, 47, her elderly mother Suhaila al Allaf, 74, and passing cyclist Sylvain Mollier in a horrifying gun attack near Chevaline, Lake Annecy.

The couple's four-year-old daughter Zeena lay undiscovered under her mother's corpse for eight hours after the shooting, while her sister Zainab, seven, was found with serious injuries after being beaten and shot.

French investigators searched the al Hilli family home in Claygate, Surrey, in the wake of their deaths.

Later in September, Surrey Police asked Greater Manchester Police to arrest John on suspicion of fraud offences.

John, who has since moved to London, denies the charges.

He will appear at Guildford Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

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Qatada Given Bail After Winning Latest Appeal

Abu Qatada is to be freed after winning his latest appeal against extradition, in a major blow to Home Secretary Theresa May.

The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) decided the radical cleric would not get a fair trial in Jordan because evidence obtained via torture could be used against him.

This is despite the Home Secretary securing assurances from the country that this would not happen.

Qatada will be released on bail after Home Office lawyers failed to persuade Siac judges he should remain behind bars.

They insisted that the Palestinian-born Jordanian cleric, real name Omar Mahmoud Mohammed Othman, poses "an enormous risk to national security".

But Edward Fitzgerald QC, for Qatada, declared: "Enough is enough. It has gone on for many years now. There is no prospect of deportation taking place within a reasonable time, in fact there is no prospect at present of deportation at all."

The successful appeal is the latest twist in a battle that has lasted more than a decade.

Siac has already rejected the Government's application to challenge the decision but permission can still be sought at the Court of Appeal. Home Secretary Theresa May announced to MPs in the House of Commons that she will contest the ruling.

"Last year the Jordanian constitution was amended to make clear that not only is torture forbidden, but that any statement extracted from a person under duress or the threat thereof, shall neither be taken into consideration nor relied on," she said.

"Despite these assurances to allow Qatada a fair trial and despite the change to the Jordanian constitution, in the absence of clear case law, Mr Justice Mitting still found in Qatada's favour. In doing so, we believe he applied the wrong legal test."

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper agreed that, while "every avenue should be pursued" to secure Qatada's deportation, Ms May was to blame for errors which led to the Siac ruling.

"There has been a catalogue of confusion and mistakes over Abu Qatada from this Home Secretary, including getting basic dates wrong earlier this year," she said.

"The Home Secretary needs to say urgently what she is now doing to get Abu Qatada's deportation back on track and to keep the public safe in the meantime. We cannot have any more mistakes that simply leave the public at risk."

The ruling is a blow to Home Secretary Theresa May

Speaking outside Siac, Qatada's solicitor Gareth Peirce said: "It is important to reaffirm this country's position that we abhor the use of torture and a case that was predicated upon evidence from witnesses who have been tortured is rejected - rejected by the courts of this country as by the European Court.

"We clearly agree with the decision, of course we do, but it is important to emphasise the fundamental rules of law that we subscribe to. To that extent, it is important for other cases, not just for this case."

Asked about the inevitable reaction of the British public to Qatada's release, she said: "We understand that this is a difficult case that has been challenging for everyone, of course we understand that.

"But I think the time has come in the world, with the conflicts in the world, for us to talk to each other and understand each other and enter into dialogue, and perhaps nothing is as black and white as it is painted."

The Home Office said the Government "strongly disagreed" with the ruling.

"We have obtained assurances not just in relation to the treatment of Qatada himself, but about the quality of the legal processes that would be followed throughout his trial," a spokesman said.

"Indeed, today's ruling found that 'the Jordanian judiciary, like their executive counterparts, are determined to ensure that the appellant will receive, and be seen to receive, a fair retrial'. We will therefore seek leave to appeal."

Qatada, once described by a judge as Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe, was allowed to stay in Britain in 1994 but was convicted of terror charges in Jordan in his absence in 1999.

The cleric, who is said to have wide and high-level support among extremists, featured in hate sermons found on videos in the flat of one of the September 11 bombers.

In December 2001, he became one of Britain's most wanted men after going on the run from his home in west London. He was arrested almost a year later and detained in Belmarsh prison.

He has been in and out of jail in the intervening years and was rearrested in April amid hopes in Government that he could finally be removed from the country.

His legal team lodged a fresh appeal at the European Court of Human Rights but lost, and took the fight back to the British courts and Siac.

At the hearing last month, Jordan expert Professor Beverley Milton-Edwards warned that a fair trial for Qatada there was "unlikely".

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Gas Prices: Watchdogs Probe Fixing Claims

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) and Ofgem are investigating claims by a whistleblower that Britain's wholesale gas market has been frequently manipulated by energy companies.

The allegations, revealed by the Guardian newspaper, suggest the £300bn market has been fixed in a way similar to the banks' fiddling of the Libor interest rate.

The FSA, the City watchdog, said: "We can confirm that we have received information in relation to the physical gas market and will be analysing that material."

Ofgem, the energy regulator, said it had also received information relating to trading in the gas market and is looking into the issue.

The allegations come as the energy sector is already under fire after major energy suppliers announced imposed inflation-busting price rises.

It is understood the Treasury and the Department for Environment were alerted to the market manipulation claims by Ofgem and the FSA on Monday.

Energy Secretary Ed Davey said: "I am extremely concerned about these allegations and will be keeping in close touch with the regulators while they get to the bottom of this."

Ed Davey said he was "extremely concerned"

Mr Davey is expected to make a statement to MPs on Tuesday afternoon.

An Ofgem spokesman said: "In preparing for full implementation of new EU legislation (Remit) to tackle market abuse, we will consider carefully any evidence of market abuse that is brought to our attention as well as scope for action under all our other powers.

"Ofgem has already activated its established procedures to review the information we have received."

UK energy companies EDF Energy, NPower, SSE, ScottishPower, E.On and British Gas have all denied any involvement.

The whistleblower, Seth Freedman, works as a price reporter for ICIS Heren, a company responsible for setting so-called benchmark prices.

Mr Freedman raised the alarm after identifying what he believed to be attempts to distort the prices reported by the company.

ICIS said in a statement that it has "detected some unusual trading activity on the British wholesale gas market on September 28 2012", which it reported to Ofgem in October.

"The cause of the trading pattern, which involved a series of deals done below the prevailing market trend, has not yet been established," an ICIS spokesman said.

"ICIS welcomes the seriousness with which the regulator has so far responded to this information and we have provided all the evidence at our disposal to help the regulator determine what happened."

It is believed that on September 28 prices went down by about 0.4%.

Shadow energy secretary Caroline Flint said: "These are very concerning reports which, if true, suggest shocking behaviour in the energy market that should be dealt with strongly."

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British Soldier Killed In 'Insider Attack'

A British soldier has been killed in Afghanistan in an apparent "insider attack", the Ministry of Defence has said.

Major Laurence Roche, the spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said: "I am very sorry to report the death of a soldier from The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland who was shot by an individual wearing an Afghan National Army uniform at his base in the Nad-e Ali district of Helmand Province.

"This is incredibly sad news for the Battalion and everyone serving in Task Force Helmand.

"As we mark Remembrance this weekend, our thoughts now turn to the soldier's family and friends whose loss is so much greater than ours."

The soldier's family have been informed, and requested a 24-hour period of grace before further details are released.

A total of 437 members of the UK military have died in Afghanistan since operations started in 2001.

More than 60 soldiers serving with the Nato coalition have been killed so far this year by their Afghan colleagues, in what have become known as green on blue attacks.

Responsibility for security in Afghanistan is due to be handed over to local military from 2014.

More follows...

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Ex-BBC Boss In Line For £450,000 Payment

Former director-general George Entwistle will receive one year's salary after resigning from the BBC.

Mr Entwistle quit after 54 days in the job after a Newsnight report wrongly implicated former Conservative Party treasurer Lord McAlpine in an investigation into child abuse allegations at the Bryn Estyn care home in North Wales.

Under the standard executive board contract, he would normally be entitled to just six months salary.

A BBC Trust spokesman said: "The BBC reached a consensual termination agreement with George Entwistle last night and agreed to pay him 12 months pay, in lieu of notice.

"This reflects the fact that he will continue to help on BBC business, most specifically the two ongoing inquiries."

Lord Patten has told Sky News that he must restore confidence in the BBC

The chairman of the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee John Whittingdale said he could not see any justification for such a large payoff.

"A lot of people will be very surprised that somebody who was in the job for such a short period of time and then had to leave in these circumstances should be walking away with £450,000 of licence fee payers' money," he said.

"Certainly I would want to know from the Trust why they think that's appropriate.

"I want to hear an explanation but I have to say that I find it very difficult to see a justification for that amount of money to be paid to somebody who has had to resign in these circumstances.

"I wouldn't have thought that just because you have to help an inquiry into the Savile allegations you necessarily need to be paid a such a large amount of money.

"A lot of people will be giving evidence to the inquiry into the culture and practices within the BBC and I can't imagine they will all be being paid for it."

The chairman of the BBC Trust, Lord Patten, has told Sky News that people will expect him to step down if he fails to restore the public's confidence in the corporation.

"If we don't restore the huge confidence and trust that people have in the BBC, then I'm sure people will tell me to take my cards and clear off," he said.

He also admitted that the future of Newsnight is being discussed.

Tim Davie, the acting director-general of the BBC, will unveil his plans to restore the broadcaster's reputation on Monday.

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CIA Director Petraeus Quits Over Affair

CIA Director David Petraeus has resigned over an extramarital affair - which officials say was uncovered by an FBI investigation.

His affair with Paula Broadwell, his biographer and a reserve US Army officer, led him to ask President Barack Obama to allow him to resign. The president accepted.

The 60-year-old general admitted he had shown "extremely poor judgement" in having an affair.

"Such behaviour is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organisation such as ours," he wrote.

He had only been sworn in as director of the Central Intelligence Agency on September 6 last year.

Prior to that, he was a four-star general with 37 years' service in the US Army.

His last assignments in the army were as commander of Isaf, the International Security Assistance Force, and commander of US forces in Afghanistan and in Iraq.

The resignation took Washington's intelligence and political communities by surprise, coming as a sudden end to the public career of the best-known general in recent years.

Exchanges between the general and Ms Broadwell, 40, were first uncovered by FBI agents investigating a potential security breach on his computer.

The investigation was launched after a woman, who has not been identified, accused Ms Broadwell of sending her threatening emails, according to officials.

General Petraeus with his wife Holly

In a statement released after the resignation was announced, Mr Obama hailed the "extraordinary service" of Gen Petraeus.

"David Petraeus has provided extraordinary service to the United States for decades," Mr Obama said.

"By any measure, he was one of the outstanding general officers of his generation."

The president said the CIA's Deputy Director Michael Morell would serve as acting director.

"I am completely confident that the CIA will continue to thrive and carry out its essential mission," Mr Obama said.

Gen Petraeus has been married for 37 years to Holly, who he met when he was a cadet at the US Military Academy at West Point.

Although the president made no direct mention of Gen Petraeus' reason for resigning, he offered his thoughts and prayers to the general and his wife.

He said Mrs Petraeus has "done so much to help military families through her own work. I wish them the very best at this difficult time".

The CIA has come under fire in recent weeks in the wake of the September 11 attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that killed US ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

Critics have questioned how much the intelligence agency knew about the likelihood and nature of the attack.

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BBC Boss Resigns After Newsnight Abuse Report

BBC's Reputation Is In Crisis

Updated: 12:34am UK, Sunday 11 November 2012

The BBC has been through crises before, but nothing that has shaken trust quite like this.

According to a ComRes poll carried out after the Savile allegations came to light, but before the latest scandal hit, more people now believe the corporation is untrustworthy than trustworthy.

Of 1,002 adults polled last month, 47% did not agree that the BBC was trustworthy, compared to 45% who said it was.

Among 45-54 year-olds, the results were even worse - 59% said the corporation was not trustworthy.

Media commentator Steve Hewlett told Sky News it was the first time he could remember that more people did not trust, than trusted, the BBC.

The corporation has had its share of uncomfortable scrutiny over the last decade - the Hutton Inquiry, misleadingly edited footage of the Queen, the Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand affair.

Yet the Savile scandal seems to have resonated with viewers like never before.

In the space of just over five weeks, Savile has been unmasked as, according to police, one of the most prolific sex offenders the country has ever seen, the BBC has had to order an inquiry into why a Newsnight report that might have uncovered his activities was shelved, and now another Newsnight investigation has been broadcast falsely accusing a senior Tory of being a paedophile.

It has not been the corporation's finest hour.

What's at stake now is trust in the integrity of the BBC's journalism, and trust in the senior management's ability to get a grip.

Hewlett said: "It looks like no-one's in charge, no-one's got a grip and it's clearly unsettling. Not just inside the BBC, where it's plainly unsettling, I can tell you that for certain, but it's also unsettling out there. People are not sure, they are just not sure."

Before he resigned as the corporation's director-general, George Entwistle demanded a report into the latest Newsnight incident and halted all Newsnight investigations while their editorial robustness is assessed.

He also had to admit that he did not see the Newsnight report in question at the time - he was out that night - and he did not know anything about it in advance. He found out about it on the internet, he said.

That led to the unfortunate label "Incurious George" from some - the man who failed to ask questions as Director of Vision last year about the Newsnight Savile investigation, and who failed, as director-general and editor-in-chief of the BBC, to show that he was wholly in charge of the organisation.

Conor Burns MP said that ought to have been "at the very heart of George Entwistle's agenda every day" and which has been "destroying the credibility of the BBC".

"This is a crisis for the BBC, it's been an ongoing crisis for the BBC for some weeks now," he added.

Trust in the BBC is more than just a warm, fluffy sentiment - the BBC depends on the trust of the public because it depends on the licence fee to fund it.

Perhaps no surprise then that the BBC Trust, which oversees the corporation and protects the interests of the licence fee payer, has expressed its concern.

A spokesperson told us: "This is a deeply troubling episode. The Trust notes the BBC Executive's apology and would like to offer its own apology also.

"The Trust has impressed upon the director-general the need to get to the bottom of this as a matter of the utmost urgency and will expect appropriate action to be taken as quickly as possible."

In other words, Auntie needs to get the house in order.

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