Mr Olmert is seeking a Syrian deal that eluded his predecessors

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has described peace talks with Syria as "exciting", but warned that they might involve "painful concessions".

"It's always better to talk than shoot," Mr Olmert said, though he did not say what the concessions might be.

Earlier, the two sides revealed that they had begun the talks - the first since 2000 - under Turkish mediation.

Previous negotiations collapsed over a possible withdrawal from the Golan Heights, which Israel occupied in 1967.

Israel and Syria are still technically at war over the area.

New momentum

Mr Olmert's office on Wednesday said the two sides were talking "in good faith and openly".

The prime minister later told journalists that the "negotiations won't be easy".

He noted that previous Israeli leaders had been prepared to make "painful concessions" for peace with Syria.

Push for Israel-Syria peace Golan Heights facts

In a statement on Wednesday, Syria's foreign ministry confirmed that the two countries had "expressed their desire to conduct the talks in goodwill and decided to continue dialogue with seriousness to achieve comprehensive peace".

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said Israel had agreed to withdraw from the Golan up to the armistice line of 1967.

Israel has refused to comment on the claim, although a spokesman for Mr Olmert said the current talks were being carried out with the failure of the previous ones in mind, and that the talks had recently gathered momentum.

The US and the EU have welcomed news of the negotiations, and both have praised Turkey's role as facilitator.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said he hoped the two parties "will reach a peaceful solution".

Analysts suggest that, in return for any withdrawal, Israel would demand Syria sever its ties with Iran and the Hezbollah group in Lebanon.

However, they add that withdrawal from the Golan would not be popular with Israelis.

The reports of talks in April sparked outrage in the Israeli parliament, where several MPs said they would try to accelerate the passage of a bill requiring any withdrawal from the Golan to be backed by a referendum.

Mr Olmert is currently battling corruption allegations, and the BBC's Katya Adler in Jerusalem says the prime minister's critics believe the confirmation of peace talks may be an attempt to divert some attention from that.

MPs have a free vote to express their views on this contentious issue

An attempt to cut the 24-week upper limit for abortions to within the first 20 weeks of a pregnancy has been rejected overwhelmingly by MPs.

Tory MP Nadine Dorries, an ex-nurse, who proposed the 20-week limit, said she was not anti-abortion, but said the baby involved "had rights".

But her proposed cut was defeated by 332 votes to 190. MPs are now voting on whether to cut the limit to 22-weeks.

Pro-choice campaigners dismissed efforts to cut the limits as "cynical".

The proposed reductions came in amendments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill.

Survival rates 'disputed'

It is the second day of debate on the bill, and comes after MPs voted down a cross-party attempt to ban hybrid human animal embryos.

MPs also rejected a cross-party move for doctors to consider the need for a "father and a mother" before allowing IVF treatment.

Health Minister Dawn Primarolo insisted there was no evidence requiring the abortion laws to be changed.

In modern Britain the most dangerous place to be is in your mother's womb. It should be a place of sanctity Edward Leigh Conservative MP In quotes: Abortion debate Q&A: Abortion law Q&A: The issues explained

"The upper gestational limit for termination of pregnancy was set by Parliament in 1990 at 24 weeks because the scientific evidence of the time was that the threshold of viability had increased and babies were increasingly surviving at 24 weeks and above.

"That was the case in 1990 and it's certainly the case now."

But, David Jones, a professor of bio-ethics, said research on the survival rates for extremely premature babies was "disputed".

In the Commons MPs rejected a bid to reduce the abortion limit to within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy by 393 votes to 71. A further attempt to get the limit cut to 16 weeks was defeated by 387 votes to 84.

Gordon Brown said he would vote to maintain the current limit, while Conservative leader David Cameron said he would vote to lower the limit to 22 weeks.

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg is also expected to vote against any reduction.

Mrs Dorries said she believed the right of a woman to choose had its limits.

She reached this decision after seeing the "botched" abortion of a baby boy when she was a gynaecological nurse, she said.

"I believe a baby has rights. Those rights kick in if that baby were born it would have a chance of life and if it feels pain as part of the abortion," she said.

'Protect the vulnerable'

Ex-minister Edward Leigh, a father-of-six, who pressed the 12-week limit, said it would bring Britain into line with the rest of Europe.

ENGLAND AND WALES ABORTIONS Under 9 weeks: 54.9% 9-12 weeks: 34.3% 13-19 weeks: 9.2% 20-24 weeks: 1.5% ONS figures from 2006 Abortion: Medical evidence How MPs voted on embryos Abortions 1971-2006

"In modern Britain the most dangerous place to be is in your mother's womb. It should be a place of sanctity," he said.

He said that "98% of abortions are social - only 1.3% are for foetuses which are handicapped, 0.4% are for risk to mother's life. "It is a bleak picture of modern Britain ...

"I believe we should give that silent child a voice," he said.

Labour's Claire Curtis-Thomas said she was not opposed to abortion, believing that women have the right to choose. "I just hope they don't choose to have an abortion," she said, adding that she would be happier with a 12-week limit.

"I can't accept that we keep the limit where it stands where there is a possibility of life. The majority of people are deeply uncomfortable with that prospect," she said.

Tory Mark Pritchard, who would like the limit to be 16 weeks, said: "I believe that terminating a child that has been woven and knitted in the womb should be a choice of last resort - not the latest manifestation of Britain's throwaway society."

'Difficult matter'

But Labour's Chris McCafferty said restricting when a woman can have a termination "is just prolonging the agony" and was "cruel, cynical, ill-informed and inhumane".

"It's a basic misconception that women with an unwanted pregnancy should only enter into the actual decision-making process after counselling with someone they do not know," she said.

Ex-Cabinet minister Ann Widdecombe asked why "viability" of the child should be the only determining factor in setting the limit for abortions.

"There is a substantial body of evidence about foetal pain and foetal distress and if the child who is being aborted cannot live, what's the point of the lethal injection?"

Lib Dem Dr John Pugh said: "There are people in our world today in no way inferior to us in capacity, intelligence and beauty who were born at 22 weeks. That ought to give us cause for reflection."

Government figures show that 193,737 women in England and Wales had an abortion in 2006.

Previous attempts to force a vote on lowering the abortion limit have been defeated, but as there is a free vote on the issue, an unknown number of MPs may choose to stay away, or abstain.

That increases the chances of those campaigning to lower the limit to 20 or 22 weeks, who claim to have the backing of 200 MPs.

Need for father

Ahead of the abortion debate, MPs voted down, by 292 votes to 217, an amendment that makes it a condition of IVF treatment that there be both a "father and a mother".

They also opposed a further bid to ensure there is a "father or a male role model" before fertility treatment, by 290 votes to 222.

Existing legislation requires IVF clinics to consider the "welfare" of any child created, which currently means considering the need for a father.

However, the new bill says this should no longer be the case, saying instead there needs to be evidence of "supportive parenting".

On Monday night a cross-party attempt to ban hybrid animal embryos was defeated.

Roman Catholic cabinet ministers Ruth Kelly, Des Browne and Paul Murphy voted for a ban, while Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Tory leader David Cameron both opposed it.

A bid to ban "saviour siblings" was voted down by 342 votes to 163.

Senator Edward Kennedy is known as a staunch liberal

US Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy has a malignant brain tumour, doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital say.

Mr Kennedy, 76, was flown from Cape Cod to the hospital in Boston at the weekend after suffering a seizure.

Doctors says tests reveal a tumour in Mr Kennedy's left parietal lobe. His wife and children have been with him but have not issued a statement.

The youngest brother of assassinated President John F Kennedy, he is one of the best-known Democratic politicians.

"Preliminary results from a biopsy of the brain identified the cause of the seizure as a malignant glioma in the left parietal lobe," doctors Lee Schwamm and Larry Ronan said in a statement.

Mr Kennedy's treatment will be decided after more tests but the usual course includes radiation and chemotherapy, the doctors said.

"He has had no further seizures, remains in good overall condition, and is up and walking around the hospital," they added.

He is expected to remain in hospital for the next few days.

Mr Kennedy is the second longest-serving member of the Senate. He has been an active supporter of Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for US president.

Political dynasty

Mr Kennedy was first elected senator for Massachusetts in November 1962 - shortly after turning the requisite 30 years of age - to replace his brother, who had been elected president in 1960.

EDWARD MOORE KENNEDY 1932 Born, youngest of nine siblings 1962 Becomes country's youngest senator 1963, 1968 Brothers President John F Kennedy and Senator Robert F Kennedy both assassinated 1969 "Chappaquiddick incident" - Kennedy flees scene after road crash in which his young passenger dies 1980 Runs unsuccessfully for Democratic nomination against sitting President Jimmy Carter Profile: 'Teddy' Kennedy

Since then he has been re-elected seven times.

Born into a rich and powerful Irish-American Catholic family, the son of Joseph Kennedy, Edward "Teddy" Kennedy became the head of the clan after the death of his three elder brothers.

The eldest, Joseph Jr, was killed while flying a bomber during World War II.

John was assassinated while president in 1963, and Robert was shot dead while running for president in 1968.

Edward, or Teddy, as he is known, ran against sitting President Jimmy Carter in 1980, but failed, after struggling to put the infamous "Chappaquiddick incident" behind him.

He had, in 1969, crashed a car off a bridge, and while he escaped, his young female passenger drowned in the water below. He fled and did not report the incident to police for over eight hours.

He later pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and received a suspended two month sentence.

Mr Kennedy is also the father of Congressman Patrick J Kennedy.

Some remarkable footage of a flying fish has been captured by a TV crew filming off the southern tip of Japan.

It is claimed to be one of the longest recorded flights of this acrobatic animal.

The fish was completely airborne for 45 seconds. This beats one previous, impressive report from an American researcher in the 1920s of 42 seconds.

The animal is seen travelling parallel to a ferry, which itself is motoring at about 30km/hour (20mph).

The fish was able to continue flying by occasionally beating the surface of the water with its tail fin. The footage was shot by an NHK crew as it travelled to Yakushima Island.

According to Junji Yonezawa, at the Center for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on Outlying Islands, the animal's flight-time of 45 seconds must be close to its physical limit, as brachial respiration is impossible while moving through the air.

There are some 40 species of "flying fish" in the family known as Exocoetidae. The animals are found worldwide in warmer waters.

Their flight ability comes from a glide rather than a powered flapping.

Joey Barton was jailed for six months

Premier League footballer Joey Barton has been jailed for assault and affray.

Barton, 25, was captured on CCTV in Liverpool on 27 December 2007 punching one man 20 times before an attack which left a teenage boy with broken teeth.

The Newcastle and England midfielder, from Widnes, admitted the charges last month but reporting restrictions were only lifted on Tuesday.

Sentencing him to six months in jail, Judge Henry Globe QC said it was a "violent and cowardly act".

Liverpool Crown Court heard how Barton, of Foxbank Road, had been on a Boxing Day night out with his brother, cousin and other friends in Liverpool city centre.

Barton's cousin, Nadine Wilson, 27, of Childwall, Liverpool, and his brother Andrew Barton, 20, also of Foxbank Road, Widnes, also pleaded guilty to their part in the assaults.

Punched on floor

Barton had drunk 10 pints of lager and five bottles of lager during the night, before going to a McDonald's restaurant on Church Street.

The group got into a heated discussion with some youths inside the restaurant, before leaving and walking up Church Street towards Bold Street.

TIMELINE: BAD NEWS BARTON 2004 February: First red card for Manchester City April: Storms out of City ground after being dropped July: Criticised by manager for sparking mass brawl in pre-season friendly game December: Stubs cigar into eye of team-mate Jamie Tandy at Christmas party (fined six weeks' wages) 2005 May: Involved in early hours road accident, injuring pedestrian July: Altercation with teenage fan during Asian tour (fined eight weeks' wages) 2006 September: Drops shorts in direction of Everton fans during game (police take no action) 2007 November: FA probe tackle on Dickson Etuhu after Barton's move to Newcastle but no action December: Describes Newcastle fans as "vicious" 2008 May: Jailed for assault

The Barton group was involved in some verbal exchanges with others before the attack happened.

Joey Barton was caught on CCTV knocking an unidentified man to the ground. He then straddled him and punched him four or five times as his cousin threw food at the victim before the Premier League player punched him up to 15 times more.

Minutes later, the midfielder attacked a 16-year-old, punching him and leaving him with broken teeth.

The hearing was told the footballer was remorseful about the incident and had admitted to an alcohol problem.

Two character references were read out in court about Barton, who has a tendency to lose his temper both on and off the field.

The first reference, from Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan, was read to the court by Stuart Driver QC, mitigating.

Keegan said he first knew the player when he was Manchester City manager.

He said of that period: "There were a number of issues in his life and events, some of which have been very well documented.

"Had I been asked to give character evidence for him then, I probably wouldn't have been able to do so."

'Total abstinence'

He added that since then he had seen a "massive change" in Barton and that he was now "a far more responsible individual".

A second reference was given by Peter Kay, of the Sporting Chance clinic, which has been supporting Barton while on bail.

Mr Kay said: "Joey recognises he has an addiction to alcohol and the only way forward is total abstinence."

He also said Barton "despises" the man he becomes after consuming alcohol.

Sentencing, Judge Globe told him: "Without doubt, the most serious of the three offenders is you.

"You were restrained by others but ignored them and acted in an extremely violent and aggressive manner.

"You have a high profile as a footballer and you know that draws attention to you. Yet you drank to excess and behaved in an aggressive, disgraceful manner."

Barton was also ordered to pay £2,500 to the youth whose teeth were broken.

Andrew Barton was jailed for four months suspended for two years for assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Wilson received a six-month sentence suspended for two years for affray and common assault.

Originally from Huyton, Merseyside, Joey Barton began his football career with Manchester City in 2002.

Barton was sold by them to Newcastle United in June 2007 in a £5.8m deal, four months after he had made his full international debut for England.

His club said in a statement: "Newcastle United notes the sentence passed to Joey Barton at Liverpool Crown Court today.

"The club is considering the verdict and will be making no further comment at this moment."

Russell T Davies oversaw the 21st Century relaunch of Doctor Who

Russell T Davies is to step down as executive producer of Doctor Who, the BBC has announced.

Davies is credited with breathing new life into the show which he brought back to television screens in 2005.

Bafta-winning writer Steven Moffat will succeed Davies as lead writer and executive producer of the fifth series of Doctor Who.

Moffat said that the whole of his career had been "a secret plan to get this job".

DAVIES' CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Children's Ward (1993-1995) Touching Evil (1997) Queer As Folk (1999) Casanova (2005) Doctor Who (2005-2008) Torchwood (2006-2008)

"As lead writer and executive producer, he has overseen the creative direction and detail of the 21st century re-launch of Doctor Who and we are delighted to have his continued presence on the specials over the next 18 months," she added.

Davies will remain in charge of four specials to be shown in 2009.

The fifth series, with Moffat at the helm, is scheduled to be broadcast on BBC One in Spring 2010.

Moffat has already written some of the most memorable Doctor Who episodes of recent times, including The Girl in the Fireplace and The Empty Child.

MOFFAT'S CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Press Gang (1989) Coupling (2000) Jekyll (2007) Doctor Who (2005 onwards ) Tintin (2008 onwards)

Earlier this month, he picked up the best writer Bafta for the Blink episode of series three which featured terrifying weeping angels.

Moffat said: "I applied before but I got knocked back 'cos the BBC wanted someone else. Also I was seven.

"Anyway, I'm glad the BBC has finally seen the light and it's a huge honour to be following Russell into the best - and the toughest - job in television.

"I say toughest 'cos Russell's at my window right now, pointing and laughing."

Doctor Who's return after a 16-year break from the screen received praise from critics and fans alike.

Speaking after the first series of the revamped show in 2005 - which starred Christopher Eccleston as the Time Lord - Davies said Doctor Who had been in desperate need of regeneration.

"But, even with all that love, you have to admit that the name of the programme had become a joke and its reputation had become a cheap joke at that - you know, rubber monsters and shaky sets."

I applied before but I got knocked back 'cos the BBC wanted someone else. Also I was seven Steven Moffat

He added: "It's been everything we planned and more, and it's very rarely in life you get the chance to have that happen."

The programme, complete with time machine the Tardis, originally ran from 1963 to 1989.

In that time, the lead role was played by eight different actors with writers taken advantage of the Doctor's ability to regenerate his body.

Eccleston and current Time Lord David Tennant take that number to 10.

Mr Obama has won more delegates in the primary contests so far

Barack Obama is hoping to take a step towards clinching the Democratic Party's US presidential nomination, as Kentucky and Oregon hold primary votes.

Senator Obama looks set to win in Oregon and Hillary Clinton in Kentucky.

In the primaries so far, Mr Obama has secured more of the delegates who will choose the party's nominee at the Democratic National Convention.

With very few delegates still to be won, correspondents say it is highly unlikely Senator Clinton can catch him.

Mrs Clinton insists the race is not yet over, but BBC correspondents say Mr Obama is keen to suggest the opposite.

Mr Obama also leads in terms of the so-called "super-delegates", who get an automatic vote at the convention by virtue of holding a senior position in the party.

Tuesday's primary votes are unlikely to push Mr Obama over the 2,026 overall delegates needed to win the party's nomination.

However, he is expected to secure a majority of the "pledged" delegates - those secured via primary votes - at stake.

This milestone could encourage those super-delegates who remain undecided to back him.

'Slap in the face'

The first polls opened in Kentucky at 0600 local time (1000 GMT) and will stay open for 12 hours.

DEMOCRATIC DELEGATES Total delegates (pledged and super-delegates) needed for nomination: 2,026 Total pledged delegates at stake: 3,253 Total super-delegates at stake: 797 Total delegate tally for Barack Obama: 1,915 Pledged delegate tally for Mr Obama: 1,610.5 Total delegate tally for Hillary Clinton: 1,721 Pledged delegate tally for Mrs Clinton: 1,443 Source: Associated Press, as of 0900 BST on 20 May

Voters in Oregon, which has a mail-in voting system, have until 2000 local time (0300 GMT) to return their ballots to election offices.

Mrs Clinton has focused her campaign efforts on Kentucky, where she held a big lead in opinion polls going into Tuesday's vote.

"This is nowhere near over," she told supporters at a rally on Monday.

Her campaign warned Mr Obama against declaring premature victory, saying it would be a "slap in the face" to her millions of supporters so far and those states yet to vote.

Mr Obama's aides are increasingly pushing the message that he has all but wrapped up the Democratic nomination and will be the one to face Republican John McCain in November's general election.

"As we near victory in one contest, the next challenge is already heating up," campaign manager David Plouffe wrote in an e-mail to supporters on Monday.

"President Bush and Senator McCain have begun co-ordinating their attacks on Barack Obama in an effort to extend their failed policies for a third term."

'Reckless judgment'

Mr Obama is due to give a speech in Iowa - scene of his first primary victory back in early January - before the results are even in from Tuesday's primaries.

Hillary Clinton insists that the battle to run for president is not yet over

The obvious intention, BBC North America editor Justin Webb says, is to suggest without quite saying so that the primary season is closing and the general election race is beginning.

Our correspondent adds that although Mrs Clinton insists the race is still on, the truth is that the undecided super-delegates are moving steadily towards Mr Obama.

According to the Associated Press news agency, he picked up six more on Monday, taking his total including super-delegates to 1,915 going into Tuesday's polls, with 1,721 for Mrs Clinton.

Once the 103 pledged delegates at stake in Kentucky and Oregon have been divided between the two rivals, Mr Obama may be only 50 to 75 short of the 2,026 delegates needed, AP says.

Mr McCain wrapped up the Republican Party's nomination in March

Mr McCain, senator for Arizona, has already begun targeting Mr Obama as his probable opponent in November.

Monday saw him criticise Mr Obama over comments he made a day earlier suggesting that Iran does not pose the same level of threat to the US as the former Soviet Union once did.

"Such a statement betrays the depth of Senator Obama's inexperience and reckless judgment," Mr McCain said.

"These are very serious deficiencies for an American president to possess."

In response, Mr Obama said that while Iran was a "grave threat", it had no nuclear weapons whereas the Soviet Union "had thousands".

Mr Kelly faces up to 15 years in jail if convicted of charges

Opening arguments have been made in the child pornography trial involving R&B star R Kelly.

A prosecutor told the jury that Mr Kelly had staged and taped "vile" sex acts with an underage girl.

But a lawyer for Mr Kelly said the video showed neither him nor the alleged victim.

The star has denied filming himself engaging in sex acts with a girl who prosecutors say could have been as young as 13.

In Tuesday's opening arguments, prosecutor Shauna Boliker told the jury they would "see the sex acts he commands her to do".

"Acts you have never seen before. Vile, disturbing and disgusting sex acts, actions that were choreographed, produced and starred in by Robert Kelly."

But defence lawyer Sam Adam Jr said the video was "at best a copy of a copy of a copy".

He said Mr Kelly had a significant mole on his lower back and that the man on the tape did not have the mole.

Mr Adam said neither the FBI nor "a single witness" could identify the man in the tape as Mr Kelly.

Mr Kelly sat grim-faced through the hearing, the Associated Press news agency reported.

The jurors in the Chicago court case were selected from an initial pool of 150.

They include a man who spent five days in jail for marijuana possession and the wife of a Baptist preacher.

Gagging order

On Friday, Judge Vincent Gaughan refused a media request for access to transcripts of any parts of the hearing held behind closed doors.

He also refused to lift a gagging order forbidding lawyers from talking about the case.

The judge said he was not trying to inhibit the press but wanted to guarantee a fair trial.

In 2002, Mr Kelly was charged with 21 counts relating to child pornography and was released on $750,000 (£383,000) bail. Seven of the charges have since been dropped.

Mr Kelly, whose hits include She's Got That Vibe and I Believe I Can Fly, faces up to 15 years in jail if convicted.

The girl, now 23, who is alleged to be in a crucial videotape, says it was not her in the footage.

Salmon became the 30th Blue Peter presenter when she joined in 2004

Blue Peter presenter Zoe Salmon is to leave the BBC One children's show after three-and-a-half years.

The 28-year-old will quit at the end of the current series in June when co-presenter Gethin Jones also says goodbye to the long-running programme.

Law graduate Salmon, a former Miss Northern Ireland, has signed up to present a new gameshow on CBBC.

"I've loved my time on Blue Peter and I've had experiences that I never dreamed I could have," she said.

During her time on the show, Salmon has run the London Marathon, raced in a Formula One car, walked on fire, and trekked to the top of the UK's highest peaks.

'Highlight'

Salmon said she will always "treasure" her Blue Peter Badge.

She said: "[Blue Peter] has taken me to places I never thought I would see, from Japan to Iceland, introduced me to people I never dreamt I would meet, from the Queen to David Beckham, and quite literally gave me the opportunity to do things I never thought I would or could do.

"Life on Blue Peter has been one continuous highlight.

"I grew up watching the iconic show, it's been an incredible privilege and honour to have been part of the fantastic team and I will always treasure my Blue Peter Badge and memories."

Blue Peter editor Tim Levell said Salmon had been a "fantastic presenter".

"Whether she's been strapped to the outside of an aeroplane or had to learn a routine for High School Musical, she has thrown herself into the challenges we have given her with 110% dedication. And children absolutely love her."

Blue Peter will celebrate its 50th anniversary in October 2008.