Golda Meir served as Israeli foreign minister for 10 years

England have

Golda Meir, the "grand old woman of Israeli politics", is to become the first female prime minister of Israel.

The 70-year-old's candidature was officially accepted by the Labour Party in Tel Aviv after she received 287 votes from her own central committee. Forty-five MPs abstained.

On Sunday she will formally succeed her political friend and colleague Levi Eshkol, who died of a heart attack last week.

Mrs Meir, who has come out of retirement to take up the role, pledged to maintain national unity and called on the people who worked with Mr Eshkol to "continue in the same framework" in her government.

She added: "I have never failed to accept party decisions and I shall not refuse now.

"I have faced difficult problems in the past but nothing like the one I'm faced with now in leading the country."

With her party controlling the largest faction in parliament, Acting Prime Minister Yigal Allon and Defence Minister Moshe Dayan have agreed to step aside and reserve their own bids for power until later in the year.

Following their decision, she was the only nominee put forward before the central committee.

Mrs Meir, a former schoolteacher in America, previously served as Israeli foreign minister for 10 years before she retired following ill health.

Because of her age and condition, her appointment is regarded by many as a stop-gap, intended to maintain national unity before the Labour Party chooses a leader for the October general elections.

Many supporters within the party consider General Dayan to be a more suitable candidate.

Acting Prime Minister Mr Allon also has substantial backing within the party leadership.

Both are younger than Mrs Meir and considered national heroes.

Despite such opposition, General Dayan, who is expected to retain his post as defence minister, said he would be honoured to work with Mrs Meir.

Her government is expected to reflect the same parties and ministers who previously served under Mr Eshkol.

Details of her new cabinet will be announced in the next few days.

BBC's John Timpson tries to charm Goldie back to earth with an Ethiopian bird pipe

Goldie the Eagle escaped from the central London zoo eight days ago and has beendodginghis captors ever since.

He has spent most of the past week flying round the park - although he has also been spotted in Tottenham Court Road, Euston and Camden Town.

A crowd of about a thousand gathered in Regents Park today to watch the bird being chased by keepers, police, firefighters and even a BBC reporter. The Navy has also been consulted about supplying a net and line-firing rifles.

Goldie, who has lived at the zoo for five years, escaped while his cage was being cleaned. He left behind his mate, Regina.

Joe McCorry, deputy head keeper of birds of prey at London Zoo, has predicted Goldie will be caught once he gets hungry.

The zoo has received hundreds of telephone calls and letters offering advice for his capture. Two teams of keepers have been tracking his progress using two way radio sets on loan from the Civil Defence.

The closest Goldie has so far come to being recaptured was yesterday while he was devouring a Muscovy duck in the grounds of the American Ambassador's residence in Regent's Park.

But he was scared off at the last minute when a reporter tried to throw a coat over him and the bird abandoned his meal half-eaten.

Goldie has also attacked two Cairn terriers but members of the watching crowd managed to beat him off.

BBC reporter John Timpson recently returned from covering the Queen's trip to Ethiopia tried to charm Goldie back to earth using an Ethiopian bird pipe - perhaps not surprisingly this ploy also failed.