News in Brief

A former member of President Clinton's cabinet has been accused of accepting thousands of dollars' worth of illegal gifts and favours. Mike Espy served as Mr Clinton's first Agriculture Secretary, from 1993 to 1994. He has been charged with 39 separate offences by a federal grand jury in Washington. If convicted, he could face a jail sentence of 100 years or more.

The Israeli authorities have lifted most of the restrictions they imposed on the West Bank city of Bethlehem after the suicide bombings in Jerusalem last month. But the wider Israeli ban which prevents crossings from Palestinian territories into Israel remains in force.

Lottery grants totalling £17.5m have been awarded to hundreds of voluntary and community groups throughout Scotland. People on low incomes, and those who are unemployed or disabled will benefit from the 435 projects to receive cash from the Scotland Committee of the National Lottery Charities Board.

Rebel Labour MP Tam Dalyell has revealed his intention to appear in a televised debate on devolution. The programme is scheduled for September 8 - three days before the referendum, with the Scottish Secretary, Donald Dewar, and the Scottish National Party leader, Alex Salmond, also appearing. Although Mr Dalyell is a long-standing opponent of devolution, he has denied that he is joining the formal anti-devolution movement. He said: "I think it's clear that people are entitled in a referendum to express their own views." A Labour Party spokeswoman said: "There would be no question of Mr Dalyell facing sanctions for opposing Mr Dewar in the televised debate."

Tommy Graham - the suspended Labour MP for Renfrewshire West - has broken his silence: to appeal to the media to leave him alone. In comments passed on by his solicitor, Mr Graham denied that he was planning to stage a "tell-all" news conference, and said he was considering legal action against some newspapers over "derogatory comments which were completely unfounded". Mr Graham has not been seen in public since the suicide of fellow Labour MP Gordon McMaster. He was suspended last week along with two other local party figures.

Conservative employment spokesman David Willetts has become an adviser to an international management consultancy. The former Paymaster General is joining Monitor Company, which specialises in helping organisations to become more competitive. The company said Mr Willetts has had considerable influence on strategic policy-making in the Conservative party over the past 10 years.