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Billy Bragg helps overturn ban on guitars in prisons
Protest singer Billy Bragg has helped reverse a government ban on steel-strung guitars in prison.
The activist joined politicians and fellow musicians, including former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, calling for inmates to be granted use of guitars with steel strings as well as nylon.
Bragg, who started the Jail Guitar Doors initiative in 2007 as means of helping prisoner rehabilitation through sourcing guitars for prisons, said: "As an incentive to engage in rehabilitation, individual access to steel-strung guitars can really help the atmosphere on a prison wing."
Labour MP Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West), who also supported the campaign, said: "This is a victory for common sense and I'm pleased after months of campaigning the UK Government has listened.
"If we want to reduce reoffending we need to support purposeful activities like learning to play an instrument."
Blustery showers in the far north but fine elsewhere
There will be blustery showers around the fringes of Scotland which will continue to be on and off throughout the course of tomorrow.
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US city places curfew on children in a bid to cut crime
Tough new curfews on children and young people have been introduced to try and cut crime in the US city of Baltimore.
Read the full storyTop level task force to look at threat to passenger planes
A "senior level" international task force has been set up by world aviation chiefs to tackle the threat to passenger planes from ground-based weaponry following the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.
Now a top-level safety conference involving more than 190 nations is to take place under the auspices of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The ICAO's secretary general Raymond Benjamin said that while aviation was still a safe form of travel, Mr Benjamin said that the MH17 disaster had "raised troubling concerns" in respect of civilian aircraft.
He said the task force would be composed of state and aviation industry experts who would see how intelligence regarding the safety of planes could be effectively gathered and passed on to all those affected.
Tel Aviv protesters rally in support of Gaza offensive
Hundreds of people have demonstrated their support for the ongoing assault against Gaza in central Tel Aviv tonight.
The show of support comes an Israeli military pilot told ITV News that they can see Hamas is increasing its attacks on Israel, as Rohit Kachroo reports.
Gazans without power as fresh shelling reported
by Dan Rivers - Correspondent
At the moment in central Gaza where I am there has been no airstrikes so far this evening, but we are hearing reports of shelling about six miles north. Initial reports suggesting that several people have been killed, and many more injured.
The airstrikes tend to be happening here in the small hours of the morning. I can hear F16s circling and drones, the ever constant sound in the skies.
Many Gazans this evening remain without power due to a power station having been taken out earlier today.
Israel is suggesting that Hamas still has between 3,000 and 4,000 rockets still left in its arsenal still to fire.
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Team Scotland smashes medals record at Commonwealth Games
Team Scotland has smashed its previous medals record with five days of the Commonwealth Games still to go. The host nation broke its previous record when the men's gymnastics team won silver at the Hydro this afternoon.
Scotland's success took their medal haul to 34, surpassing the 33 won at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh in 1986. Later Jen McIntosh took silver in the women's 50 metres rifle shooting at the Barry Buddon Shooting Centre in Carnoustie, Angus.
McIntosh, 23, was thrilled with her performance which makes her Scotland's most successful female Commonwealth Games competitor with five medals, having also won three in Delhi four years ago. It also took her past mother Shirley, who won four shooting medals in 1994 and 1998.
Read: Commonwealth Games - Royals hope to witness Brit success
Hamas footage claims to show tunnel attack
Unverified footage aired on Hamas TV claims to show its fighters attacking an Israeli army watchtower.
Read the full storyFrom Flanders to Syria: WW1's chemical warfare legacy
Chlorine gas, like that used in Syria, was first used as a weapon of war in 1915. 100 years later, it remains horribly effective.
Read the full storyUS 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
