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Talks between senior Conservatives and Liberal Democrats continued late into Friday as the parties tried to broker a deal to form the next government.

A day after the polls closed, it remains unclear who will lead the country after the general election delivered a hung Parliament.

David Cameron approached the Lib Dems after the Tories won the most seats but finished 20 short of a majority.

Labour leader Gordon Brown also says he is prepared to talk to the Lib Dems.

Leaving the Cabinet Office late on Friday, after hour-long talks with Lib Dem counterparts, the Conservative’s William Hague said: "We’ve had an initial meeting. That’s all there is to say at the moment."

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said nothing to the press when he left his party’s central London HQ later.

His energy spokesman Simon Hughes said: "Things are going properly. Things are going carefully. I am not going to speculate. You’ll just have to wait."

Talks are expected to continue on Saturday, when Lib Dem MPs are also expected to meet to discuss Mr Cameron’s proposals.

As the results confirmed the general election was the first to deliver a hung Parliament since 1974, Mr Cameron made a statement announcing he wanted to make a "big, open and comprehensive offer" to the Lib Dems.

BBC political editor Nick Robinson said this could include cabinet posts.

Mr Cameron later had a "very constructive" conversation with Mr Clegg by phone, although there was little discussion of details, the BBC understands.

Mr Hague, with senior Conservatives George Osborne, Oliver Letwin and Mr Cameron’s chief of staff, Ed Lewellyn, then met the Lib Dems’ Chris Huhne, Danny Alexander, Andrew Stunnell and David Laws.

Results from the 649 constituencies contested on 6 May showed the Tories had secured 306 seats. It leaves the party just short of the 326 needed for an outright majority, with the Thirsk and Malton seat – where the election was postponed after the death of a candidate – still to vote.

Labour finished with 258 MPs, down 91, the Lib Dems 57, down five, and other parties 28. The Conservatives got 36.1% of votes (up 3.8%), Labour 29.1% (down 6.2%) and the Lib Dems 23% (up 1%).

Past practice under Britain’s unwritten constitution involves the sitting prime minister in a hung Parliament having the right to make the first attempt at forming a ruling coalition.

But Mr Cameron said Mr Brown had "lost his mandate to govern" after the Conservatives won the most votes and the most seats.

And Mr Clegg said he believed the result gave the Tories the right to seek to govern first.

‘More collaborative’

Mr Cameron referred to the "outgoing Labour government" in his speech. But Mr Brown said he was making his statement "as prime minister with a constitutional duty to seek to resolve the situation for the good of the country".

The Conservative leader said talks would begin with other parties. He said one option was to offer them reassurances about certain policy areas – then try to govern as a minority Conservative government.

But he said it might be possible "to have stronger, more stable, more collaborative government than that".

"I want to make a big, open and comprehensive offer to the Liberal Democrats. I want us to work together in tackling our country’s big and urgent problems – the debt crisis, our deep social problems and our broken political system," he said.

While there were policy disagreements between the Tories and Lib Dems – including on the European Union and defence – there were also "many areas of common ground", he said.

The Conservatives agreed with the Lib Dem on ideas such as a "pupil premium" in schools, a low-carbon economy, tax reform and shared opposition to Labour’s ID cards scheme.

But he did not pledge a referendum on changing the voting system – a key concern of the Lib Dems – instead offering an "all party committee of inquiry on political and electoral reform".

"I think we have a strong basis for a strong government. Inevitably the negotiations we’re about to start will involve compromise. That is what working together in the national interest means," Mr Cameron said.

BBC political editor Nick Robinson said that while he doubted the Lib Dems would take up the offer of a formal coalition, they might be prepared to let Mr Cameron govern by not voting down the Queen’s Speech or Budget. Taking that option would allow them not to be tainted by decisions they did not like.

Former Conservative prime minister Sir John Major told the BBC offering the Lib Dems cabinet seats was "a price, in the national interest, that I personally would be prepared to bear" for the formation of a stable government able to manage the economic crisis.

Earlier, outside No 10, Mr Brown said he would be "willing to see any of the party leaders" adding: "I understand and completely respect the position of Mr Clegg in stating that he wishes first to make contact with the leader of the Conservative Party."

But he added "should the discussions between Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg come to nothing… I would be prepared to discuss with Mr Clegg the areas where there may be some measure of agreement between our two parties".

He said there were areas of "substantial common ground" – including reforming the voting system and plans to ensure economic stability, he said.

He also said he did not expect a swift conclusion to the uncertainty surrounding the election result – saying the voters had given their verdict and it was now "our responsibility now to make it work for the national good".

BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said Mr Brown’s message was directed at Lib Dem supporters – spelling out what a Labour government would offer them in the hope of getting them to put pressure on Mr Clegg not to do a deal with the Conservatives.

Mr Clegg – whose party has done worse than in 2005 despite favourable opinion polls – said that he believed the Tories had gained the "first right" to attempt to form a government in the "national interest".

Speaking outside Lib Dem headquarters in London, he said: "It is vital that all parties, all political leaders, act in the national interest and not out of narrow party political advantage."

Downing Street has authorised the civil service to support other parties in hung parliament negotiations – essentially giving the go-ahead for talks to begin.

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A Thai policeman has been killed and another wounded in a drive-by shooting in the capital, Bangkok, police say.

The attack occurred in the Silom financial district, close to the area where red-shirt opposition protesters have been barricaded.

A number of blasts in the same area later wounded another four policemen.

The violence came as a two-month-long stand-off continued with protesters rejecting a government offer to dissolve parliament in September.

The offer of elections on 14 November was made earlier this week by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

However, red-shirt protesters say this is not the firm date they need before they will disband their protest camp.

Yellow-shirt leaders also dispute the government’s road-map and say the prime minister should resign if he cannot enforce the law against the red-shirts.

The government insists its November election bid is non-negotiable.

The policeman killed on Friday evening died in hospital after being shot in the stomach, spokesman Pongsapat Pongcharoen told AFP news agency.

He said one civilian was injured in the attack.

Police said the blasts later appeared to have been caused by grenades, but there is no confirmation.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban called on people to "avoid violence and help solve the problem".

"We have to seek co-operation from everybody to return Thailand to peace," he said.

But the red-shirts insisted they would not end the protest without that has left 28 people dead and about 1,000 injured.

"The red-shirts will stop our demonstrations when our people have a clear answer to what we demand and when our people are safe," protest leader Jatuporn Prompan told a news conference.

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Work is continuing to lower a giant funnel onto the bed of the Gulf of Mexico in an attempt to contain oil gushing from leaks in a blown-out well.

A crane is lowering the 90-tonne device, which is hoped to be operational by Monday.

The operation is complicated by the great depth – 5,000 ft (1,800m) – to which the device must be lowered.

Earlier, oil from the massive slick started washing ashore on an island chain off the coast of Louisiana.

Pelicans and other birds were found covered in oil on the uninhabited Chandeleur Islands – the second oldest national wildlife refuge in the US and home to countless endangered birds.

A federal maritime agency said there was "oiling all over" the islands.

Risky operation

An estimated 200,000 gallons of oil a day has been leaking unstopped for 18 days from the well, 50 miles (80km) off Louisiana, since an explosion destroyed the Deepwater Horizon rig last month, killing 11 workers.

Although the rig was operated by Transocean, it was leased by the British oil giant, BP, which has taken charge of the clean-up process.

It said it hoped the gigantic concrete and steel containment device, once operational, would contain about 85% of the oil leaking out.

The technology has been used a few times in shallow waters, but never at such extreme depths and under such high pressure.

There is also a chance that the device could damage the well and make the leak worse.

Other risks include the drill-pipe becoming clogged with ice, and explosions when separating the mix of oil, gas and water on the surface.

Inflatable booms

On Thursday, the US Coast Guard confirmed for the first time oil had made its way past protective booms and was washing up on land.

Heavier concentrations of crude remain further offshore, and the Coast Guard said weather forecasts suggested it would stay there until the weekend.

BP said emergency teams had been sent to Freemason Island, a favourite fishing spot for recreational anglers some 30 miles (50km) off Louisiana’s coast, to deploy inflatable booms to protect its prime marshland.

Fears are growing that sea life has been severely affected in the area, which includes vital spawning grounds for fish, shrimp and crabs.

PROJECTED SPREAD OF OIL SPILL ON 7 MAY

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About 20 million electors will be voting in 164 council polls being held in England on Thursday, at the same time as the general election.

These include those for 32 London boroughs, 36 metropolitan authorities and 20 unitary authorties.

A total of 15,785 candidates are fighting 4,222 seats.

Five are already returned unopposed – two Tories at Cherwell and one at Daventry, one Labour at Hartlepool and an independent at Purbeck.

There are mayoral contests at Hackney, Lewisham, Newham and Watford where residents face a triple election on the same day – general, council and mayor.

When the seats being contested this year were last fought in 2006, a BBC survey put Tories 14% ahead.

The latest opinion polls suggest Labour has a chance of overall gains this year.

Polling stations are open between 0700 and 2200BST on Thursday.

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Police have launched an investigation following the death of a man in East Kilbride.

A Strathclyde Police spokesman said the man’s death was being treated as suspicious.

He was found in the Mossneuk area at about 1900 BST on Thursday however no further details have been released.

Police said inquiries were at an early stage and a post-mortem examination was due to take place to establish the cause of death.

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel calls for an “acceleration” of efforts to regulate the eurozone finance sector.

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Nepal’s Maoist party has ended an indefinite strike after six days saying it was taking a heavy toll on ordinary people.

Party leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal said the Maoists would continue with other forms of protest.

The former rebel group has staged demonstrations and brought the country to a virtual standstill, in an attempt to force the government to resign.

Transport, schools and businesses have been closed and tourists evacuated.

"We have decided to end the strike keeping in mind the difficulties the general people have had to face," Mr Dahal said on Friday.

‘Masses against the masses’

Thousands of Maoists have been out on the streets since Sunday, protesting against the government led by Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal.

On Friday riot police used tear gas to disperse crowds.

Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai said the protests were not over, but that they had "changed the form of process" of their movement.

"Over [the] week we launched political strike, government responded. But the government turned the masses against the masses," he told the BBC’s Joanna Jolly.

Also on Friday, about 20,000 people took part in a protest against the Maoists in Kathmandu.

Kush Kumar Joshi, organiser of the rally and head of Nepal’s chambers of commerce, told AFP news agency the strike was "crippling the business industry".

Mr Dahal was elected as prime minister in 2008 but resigned last year in a dispute over a failed attempt to sack the army chief.

The Maoists, who are the largest party in parliament, are demanding Mr Nepal steps down and that their party lead a national unity government.

They say the government has not consolidated Nepal’s peace process and has failed to draft a new constitution – due by 28 May.

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Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton has insisted neither Fernando Torres nor captain Steven Gerrard need to be sold to ease the club’s mounting debts.

The Reds’ parent company posted a loss of £54.9m for the year to 31 July 2009.

Newspaper reports have linked Torres and Gerrard with possible big money moves away from Anfield this summer.

But Broughton said: "There’s absolutely no reason to sell either Torres or Gerrard. We don’t need to do it to pay off any debt."

The British Airways chairman, who was brought in last month to oversee the sale of the club: added: "I don’t want to sell either of them. Rafa [Benitez] does not want to sell either of them, the club is not looking to sell them."

Torres is out for the rest of the season following knee surgery but the 26-year-old striker is hoping to return in time to play for Spain in this summer’s World Cup.

At the end of March, he dismissed speculation he might be looking to leave Liverpool but underlined the importance of manager Benitez being able to strengthen his squad after a disappointing campaign.

The Merseysiders will miss out on Champions League football next season after failing to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League – they failed to get through the group stage of Europe’s premier club competition before Christmas.

Torres has scored 72 goals in 116 games for Liverpool since arriving from Atletico Madrid for a fee of about £20m in July 2007 but has yet to win any major honours during his time at Anfield.

Gerrard, 29, a product of the Reds’ youth academy, has become a talismanic figure, inspiring Liverpool to their Champions League triumph in 2005 as well as to two FA Cups, two League Cups and the Uefa Cup.

Benitez, whose own future has been the subject of much scrutiny, has been more concerned with Torres returning to full fitness than any stories about him leaving.

"I think that Fernando will be OK and the main thing for him now is to recover and be ready for the World Cup", said the Liverpool boss.

"He has said from the start that he is very happy at Anfield, so hopefully he will be OK and can score a lot of goals for the club in the future."

Liverpool’s huge loss was 34% worse than 2008’s figure as £40.1m went on servicing the club’s £351.4m debt to Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and US firm Wachovia.

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The US financial watchdog says it will look into stock market activity which saw the Dow Jones share index plummet 9%.

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Hundreds of voters have been turned away and police called to deal with queues as people struggled to vote before polls closed at 2200 BST.

Turnout was predicted to be higher than recent elections, including 2005.

Voters were left "fuming" when they were turned away in Manchester, there were three-hour queues in Sheffield and ballot papers ran out in Liverpool.

The Electoral Commission announced a "thorough review" in constituencies where people were unable to vote.

Chair Jenny Watson said the law may well need to be changed, and some constituencies may find they would be subject to electoral petitions.

The law say poll doors must close at 2200 and no ballot papers are issued after that time, although everyone who has a ballot paper by then must be able to vote.

Across the country:

• Police were called to a polling station in Lewisham, southwhere around 300 people had yet to vote by 2200 BST.

• In Hackney, London, angry would-be voters staged a sit-in when polls closed. Voters were also due to elect local councillors and the borough’s mayor.

• In hisSheffield Hallamconstituency, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg went to offer his apologies to frustrated voters at a polling station in Ranmore after they queued for more than three hours. Labour’s candidate, Jack Scott, said he was angry people may have been denied the chance to cast their vote. Former Hillsborough MP Helen Jackson said it left any close results open to legal challenge.

• Doors were closed on 200 potential voters inLadybarn in Withington, Manchester.

• InLiverpool,voters were left waiting when one polling station ran out of ballot papers.

• Voters were turned away amid long queues inBirmingham.

• Long queues were reported at two polling stations in Newcastle.

A spokesman for Gordon Brown said the prime minister was "very concerned" about the reports of people being turned away from polling stations and "would support a thorough investigation into them".

The Conservatives said reports of the queues were "disturbing" and must be "thoroughly investigated".

BBC political editor Nick Robinson said: "What a tragedy that, after a campaign which engaged and energised many who were previously cynical about politics, tonight’s story may be being over-shadowed by the extraordinary revelation that Britain cannot competently run the most basic part of the democratic process."

‘Fuming’ voters

Many voters contacted the BBC to say they had been denied the chance to vote because the polls closed while they were still queuing.

Kathy Murray, from Manchester, said: "I’m fuming. I queued for over and hour and had the doors shut on me."

"We went (to vote) at 1800 BST, it was too busy, we went back an hour later – still big queues.

"We went back at 2100 BST but still couldn’t vote. I estimate 200 were turned away."

The Electoral Commission said each returning officer decided the number of polling stations in their constituency and the number of electors allocated to each station.

"There should have been sufficient resources allocated to ensure that everyone who wished to vote was able to do so," a statement said.

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US Middle East envoy George Mitchell has met Israeli President Shimon Peres, attempting to restart Israeli-Palestinian indirect peace talks.

In Jerusalem, Mr Mitchell will also hold talks with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

He will then go to Ramallah to see Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

Washington has said it expects the so-called proximity talks in the next few days. Talks in March were delayed by a row over building in East Jerusalem.

The talks have been stalled since 2008.

Shuttle diplomacy

On Friday, President Peres told Mr Mitchell that Israel was committed to reaching a Middle East settlement, but stressed that the country’s security must be at the top of the agenda of any possible indirect talks.

Later on Friday, Mr Mitchell will meet Mr Lieberman and also Israeli opposition leader Tzipi Livni. He will then go to the West Bank to hold separate talks with Mr Abbas.

The US envoy, who arrived in the region on Wednesday, has already seen Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu twice.

Palestinian leaders want the backing of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), due to meet on Saturday, before committing to the indirect talks.

After the Arab League backed Palestinian participation in the talks last Saturday, Mr Abbas said he did not "want to lose hope".

The Palestinians pulled out of talks in March after an announcement that Israel had approved plans for new homes in the East Jerusalem settlement of Ramat Shlomo during a visit to Israel by US Vice-President Joe Biden.

The move caused deep strain in Israeli-US relations.

The Palestinian Authority’s formal position is that it will not enter direct talks unless Israel completely halts building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

In November, Israel announced a 10-month suspension of new building in the West Bank, under heavy US pressure.

But it considers areas within the Jerusalem municipality as its territory and thus not subject to the restrictions.

Israel has occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since 1967. It insists Jerusalem will remain its undivided capital, although Palestinians want to establish their capital in the east of the city.

Nearly half a million Jews live in more than 100 settlements in the West Bank, among a Palestinian population of about 2.5 million.

The settlements are illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this.

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The Scottish National Party has ruled out a deal with the Conservatives in a new Westminster administration.

First Minister Alex Salmond told the BBC’s Jeremy Paxman that he was right to say there was "no chance" of the SNP entering any pact with the Tories.

Labour has made an approach to the nationalists and Mr Salmond said he had accepted Gordon Brown’s offer of "civil service support".

The SNP maintained it would not enter a coalition with any Westminster party.

The BBC understands that there has been Cabinet level contact between the Scottish National Party and the Labour Party to discuss talks about the formation of a new government.

The SNP has not had similar discussions with either the Liberal Democrats or the Conservatives.

Speaking to Jeremy Paxman on BBC One Mr Salmond said: "Fate seems to have dealt us a mighty hand, between ourselves and Plaid Cymru.

"As I understand it, on the projections we have at the present moment, certainly there would have to be some involvement of the SNP and Plaid Cymru if you were to get and construct an alternative government scenario.

"So for that reason, I’m accepting the offer of the Prime Minister on behalf of the SNP and Plaid Cymru to have the civil service backup to have discussions to see what the possibilities are in terms of defending the interests of Scotland and Wales in this parliamentary situation."

The Tories have failed to make a much-needed election breakthrough in Scotland, as the Labour Party’s vote held up north of the border.

Labour won 41 out of 58 seats, while the Tories ended up with just one MP, David Mundell.

Elsewhere, the SNP failed to reach its 20-seat target, while the Lib Dems also fell short in key target seats.

The last Scottish seat to declare, Argyll and Bute, has been held by the Liberal Democrats.

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The pound was volatile on Thursday after the UK general election proved inconclusive but showed signs of recovery.

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