THE parents of Madeleine McCann, actor Hugh Grant and Harry Potter creator JK Rowling were named yesterday as core participants in the first stage of the inquiry into the British phone-hacking scandal.

JAILING those involved in the riots for longer than they deserve risks undermining confidence in the justice system, lawyers and campaigners have said.

BRITISH police chiefs yesterday hit back at Prime Minister David Cameron’s plans to enlist a US crime expert after last week’s riots, as the conservative leader vowed “zero tolerance” against street violence.

RUPERT MURDOCH was urged to bow to the will of the British parliament yesterday after it emerged all three main parties are set to back a call for him to abandon his takeover bid for BSkyB.

RUPERT MURDOCH flew into a political storm over his BSkyB takeover plans as he arrived in Britain to take personal charge of the phone-hacking scandal.

Rupert Murdoch flew into the UK to take personal charge of the phone hacking scandal today as pressure mounted on the Government to freeze News Corporation’s proposed takeover of BSkyB.

David Cameron and Nick Clegg have insisted their British government coalition will continue, despite the humiliation handed out to Liberal Democrats in the elections and the referendum on voting reform.

The UN Security Council’s emergency meeting last night, the Palestinians and Arab nations, backed by a number of council members including Turkey, called for an independent and impartial investigation and the lifting of the blockade on Gaza.

TORY leader David Cameron entered Downing Street as British Prime Minister for the first time last night and said: “This is going to be hard and difficult work.”

Formal negotiations between Labour and the Liberal Democrats resumed in the House of Commons today, as the parties struggled to form a viable government five days after the UK general election.

David Cameron insisted today that it was “decision time” for the Liberal Democrats as power-sharing talks ran into their fifth day.

Negotiations between the UK political parties over the shape of the next government were reaching a heightened pitch today, with some sources expecting a conclusion before the end of the day.

Liberal Democrat MPs today called for “clarification” of a possible deal with the Tories, including on the key issue of electoral reform.

THE Conservatives entered detailed talks with the Liberal Democrats yesterday to look for ways to form a government, under pressure to make progress before nervous financial markets reopen today.

Negotiators for the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats will meet today for a crunch meeting to spell out their demands for a deal which could see the parties form a coalition government in Britain.

Nick Clegg will today address British Liberal Democrat MPs in an attempt to gain their backing for his negotiating strategy as he embarks on discussions with the Conservatives that could force Gordon Brown out of No 10.

The Brighton bomber has visited the UK's House of Commons for the first time to speak about “reconciliation”.

With six fastest stage times through today's nine tests, the North/South pairing of Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle in their Peugeot UK 307 S2000 have swept into an impressive lead of 40.2 seconds at the end of the first leg of Sata Rally Azores today.

Irish driver, Keith Cronin has taken yet another sensational last stage victory in a round of the British Rally Championship.

Hundreds of well-wishers lined the streets today to bid farewell to reality television star Jade Goody.

Thousands of well-wishers are expected to line the streets today to bid farewell to tragic reality television star Jade Goody.

The Irish crew of Daniel Barry and Martin Brady have moved into the lead of the Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship and have also consolidated the lead in the Mitsubishi Evo Challenge following their fourth place in the Brick and Steel Border Counties Rally in Scotland yesterday.

Sir Menzies Campbell tonight dramatically quit as leader of Britain's Liberal Democrat Party, blaming Gordon Brown’s decision to cancel a snap election for his decision to quit.

Sir Menzies Campbell has resigned as leader of the Liberal Democrats in the UK, party president Simon Hughes said.

THE BRITISH honours system is expected to be changed following disclosures that funds and loans have had been paid by wealthy businessmen to secure appointments to the House of Lords.

Menzies Campbell was today elected the new leader of the Liberal Democrats.

POLITICS, as diverse as they come, dominated the media in Britain yesterday in the wake of an admission by the Liberal Democrat president, that he was homosexual and the “outing” in a different context of George Galloway from a television show.

Mark Oaten today threw his hat into the ring for the fight for the UK's Liberal Democrat leadership as he declared he would modernise the party and lead it to power.

Charles Kennedy’s former deputy Menzies Campbell was today clear favourite to succeed him as Liberal Democrat leader.

Charles Kennedy bowed to the inevitable today and resigned as Liberal Democrat leader, two days after admitting a drink problem.

Preliminary results from a newspaper poll today indicated just 27% of Britain's Liberal Democrat party members wanted Charles Kennedy to lead them into the next election.

Charles Kennedy tonight confessed to a drink problem as he challenged his critics within the Liberal Democrat party to face him in a leadership battle.

ALL sides of the political spectrum attacked the British Government’s raft of counter-terrorism proposals as “random” and “half-baked” yesterday.

Austin MacHale has lost his battle to become the British Rally Champion by just 8.7 seconds.

Tony Blair was dealt a severe blow by voters today as Labour plunged to third place in the local elections, the party’s worst showing in living memory.

Tony Blair is the least trustworthy politician in Britain, a new survey found today.

British military aircraft have been patrolling the skies above London as part of the latest operation to guard against a terrorist attack, Britain's Ministry of Defence confirmed today.

The Manchester Evening News was today waiting to hear whether Attorney General Lord Goldsmith would take action over an allegation that the newspaper breached a High Court injunction to protect the anonymity of James Bulger’s killers.

Charles Kennedy, leader of the Liberal Democrats, was in an optimistic mood as he kicked off his party’s campaign today ahead of Tony Blair’s expected General Election announcement.