Following the fighting, Israeli tanks are reported to have entered Gaza.

World News from the BBC

The United States government has unveiled new plans to help home owners struggling to pay their mortgages. With nearly 10% of the US labour force jobless, the new proposals will provide a temporary reduction in loan repayments for unemployed borrowers. There have also been incentives for lenders to reduce the debts of home owners whose mortgages are now bigger than the value of their houses.

A South Korean ship has sunk close to the disputed maritime border with North Korea. The incident initially raised fears of a conflict and prompted a special security meeting in the South Korean capital Seoul. But southern officials later said it wasn't clear whether North Korea was involved. John Subworth reports from South Korea.

The disputed sea-boundary of the west coast of the Korean peninsula has been the scene of deadly exchanges of fire between the northern and southern navies over the past few years. So it's not surprising that there is media speculation that North Korea may be involved in the sinking of this ship. But so far the South Korean government is taking a cautious line, saying that the cause is still unknown, and the rescue operation remains the priority. Although it's a precaution, the police force here in the capital Seoul have moved to a heightened state of alert.

Police in Uganda say one person has been killed in a stampede at a ceremony to mourn the destruction by fire of a series of royal tombs. Thousands of people attended the week-long event which ends today at the Kasubi tombs on the outskirts of the capital Kampala. The tombs were a UNESCO World Heritage Site and served as a burial site for the kings of Buganda, the biggest traditional kingdom in Uganda.