The former mayor of New York has died at the age of 88.

Ed Koch oversaw the city for 11 years from 1978, stepping down only after losing a bid for a record fourth term in office.

A prominent figure who was known for being confrontational and opinionated, Mr Koch was credited with bringing New York back from the brink of bankruptcy.

New York's mayor may have inadvertently taken a step forward in Jewish-Muslim relations this week.

Michael Bloomberg was speaking at an event to mark the beginning of Ramadan, Islam's annual month of fasting, when he made something a slip.

The mayor of New York was among the guests who watched a glass smashed under the chuppah at one of the state's first ever same-sex marriages.

New York became the sixth US state to legalise gay marriage in June, and the law came into effect on Sunday.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a champion of gay marriage, conducted a ceremony for a Jewish couple at his Upper East Side residence.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has visited the family of the murdered eight-year-old boy Leiby Kletzky as they sat shiva.

Mr Bloomberg joined the Chasidic family in their week of mourning at their Brooklyn home, visting at the same time as the New York police commissioner Ray Kelly.

New York mayor Michael Bloomberg has weighed into the ongoing scandal involving IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

In the four days since news broke that Mr Strauss-Kahn had been arrested in Manhattan for the "criminal sexual act, unlawful imprisonment, and attempted rape" of a 32-year-old hotel maid, a number of well-known figures have commented on the case.

The Americans arrested when buying weapons on Thursday, on suspicion of planning terror attacks on New York synagogues, were apparently angry that the world treated Muslims "like dogs".

Ahmed Ferhani, a 26-year-old said to be of Algerian descent, was heard by undercover police saying that he needed the arms "for the cause" and expressing interest in attacking the Empire State Building.

The founders of Google and Hungarian-born financier George Soros are among the 50 richest people on the planet.

Forbes magazine has released its annual list of the world’s billionaires, topped for the second consecutive year by Mexico’s Carlos Slim.

The highest placed Jewish person on the list was Larry Ellison, the founder of software communications company Oracle.

Jewish financier and Holocaust survivor George Soros has topped a list of the most generous American philanthropists over the last year.

Mr Soros, who was born in Hungary, donated or pledged to donate £205 million in 2010.

The money will go to Human Rights Watch and to other organisations under the umbrella of his Open Society Foundations.

Last year he appeared at sixth on the list, compiled annually by the Chronicle of Philanthropy magazine.

Other Jewish men and women in the top ten included New York mayor Michael Bloomberg and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

The Israeli prime minister has been named the 24th most powerful person in the world by Forbes magazine.

Last year Benjamin Netanyahu was placed at number 46 but he has risen in influence because “as leader of an undeclared nuclear power, [he] remains the biggest menace to Iran's nuclear ambitions.”

However Mr Netanyahu, the only Israeli on the list, is considered one place less powerful than Jewish politician and New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, who came in at number 23.

Fashion designer Ralph Lauren is to be given the key to New York City.

Mr Lauren is to receive the prestigious gold plated key today – his 71st birthday.

The key will be handed to him by Mayor Michael Bloomberg during a ceremony at Manhattan’s newest Ralph Lauren clothes store.

The Jewish businessman, born Ralph Rueben Lifshitz to immigrants from Belarus, is the first fashion designer to receive the symbolic honour.

Mr Lauren, a prominent philanthropist who has funded The Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention since 2001, is worth an estimated £2.9 billion.