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US denies transcript of phone call between Netanyahu and Obama
A White House official has moved to deny the contents of a transcript of a conversation said to have taken place between Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Barack Obama.
In the alleged conversation, translated from a Hebrew transcription by Irael’s Channel 1, it is claimed that Obama said: "I demand that Israel agrees to an immediate, unilateral ceasefire and halt all offensive activities, in particular airstrikes." According to the Times of Israel, Netanyahu appears to have replied that "Hamas broke all five previous ceasefires."
But a White House Deputy National Security Advisor denied the claims in a tweet:
This "transcript of POTUS-PM call" report is totally false
Obama: Sanctions have already made Russia 'weaker'
US President Barracks Obama said a new round of sanctions will continue to ratchet up the pressure on Russia.
The US leader said existing sanctions have already made the Russian economy even weaker.
He added: "If Russia continues on this current path, the costs on Russia will continue to grow."
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Hamas military wing leader: 'No cease fire until demands are met'
The leader of the Hamas military wing has said in an audio recording that his group will not cease fire until its demands are met. Mohammed Deif's comments were broadcast on Al-Aqsa TV, the satellite station of Hamas.
– Mohammed Deif...there is not going to be a cease-fire as long as the demands of our people are not fulfilled.
Hamas has demanded that Israel and Egypt lift a border blockade they imposed on Gaza after Hamas seized the territory in 2007. Deif's voice was recognisable in the audio statement. The Al-Aqsa station also broadcast a videotape it said showed an infiltration by Hamas fighters into Israel on Monday through a border tunnel.
EU sanctions meant as a 'strong warning' to Russia
European Union sanctions against Russia were meant as a "strong warning" that Russia's actions in Ukraine, according to Europe's top two officials.
In a joint statement the president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said: "The European Union will fulfill its obligations to protect and ensure the security of its citizens. And the European Union will stand by its neighbours and partners."
The measures will shut major state-owned Russian banks out of European capital markets and target the defence sector and sensitive technologies, including oil. But they will exclude the vital gas sector, on which Europe is heavily dependent.
Barroso and Van Rompuy also warned that they would bring "heavy costs" to Russia's economy.
Apart from agreeing on the economic measures, ambassadors also signed off on a new list of Putin's associates and companies that will face asset freezes and visa bans under previous measures.
Eight more officials including four members of the Russian leader's inner circle, are also expected to be added the current list of 87.
The sanctions will initially last a year but will be reviewed after three months on Oct. 31 to determine their impact on Moscow's behaviour, diplomats said
The EU does more than 10 times as much trade with Russia as the United States.
US expands sanctions against Russia
The US expanded the list Russian businesses to be subjected to sanctions because Moscow's support for separatists in Eastern Ukraine, the US Treasury Department said.
Almost all the largest banks with state ownership of over 50 percent were affected, including the Bank of Moscow and the Russian Agriculture Bank.
The sanctions limits the dealings US citizens and companies can have with them.
Sanctions have also been imposed on a shipbuilding company based in St. Petersburg. Any assets held in the US have been frozen and American companies have been prohibited from dealing with them.
Dead child's body discovered in US Air Force plane
The body of a dead child has been discovered in wheel well of a US Air Force plane that landed in Germany, NBC News reported.
It is believed that the youngster climbed aboard the C-130 Hercules transporter in Mali, but the flight made several stops before coming to its final destination at the Ramstein Air Base.
A senior American official told the station that the body, which was not visible during a routine safety inspection, was discovered during a post-mission maintenance check on Sunday.
German authorities have taken charge of the investigation and autopsy because the body is not American. The US military is also investigating how he got into the wheel well in what appears to be a serious security breach.
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Police probe eight 'linked' racist attacks in Belfast
Police say they can't rule out Loyalist paramilitary involvement in eight racist attacks across homes in east Belfast.
Read the full storyGPs: No confidence in community mental health service
Four in five GPs say they have no confidence in their local community mental health services, according to a new survey. The study also reveals that many patients are being failed by the NHS. The research - seen exclusively by ITV News - quotes doctors saying delays in referrals to overstretched mental health teams, have resulted in patients harming themselves and even committing suicide.
Cries for revenge in Gaza as Israeli attacks intensify
Power remains off for the inhabitants of Gaza this evening, ahead of what is expected to be another night of attacks from the Israeli military.
More than 100 Palestinians, mostly civilians, died in attacks today according to health officials, after Israel intensified its bombardment last night after 10 Israeli soldiers died in cross border attacks yesterday.
As the death toll continues to rise, there are impassioned pleas for revenge, as Dan Rivers reports from Gaza.
Blustery winds in Scotland but calm and dry elsewhere
An earlier satellite picture reveals the weather system responsible for a contrast in weather and temperature today. In what has been a story of two halves, there has been plenty of sunshine across the south and the south east, meaning temperatures bounced up towards 27C. For the rest of the UK there was a fresher feel to the day, around 21C at best with the cloud cover.
Tonight, expect blustery winds to continue around the fringes of Scotland, with a few showery outbreaks from time to time. Otherwise it will be calm, dry and quiet, with not too much going on at all.
