BBC News (World)

Israel-Gaza war: Half of Gaza's population is starving, warns UN A senior UN aid official has warned that half of Gaza's population is starving, as fighting there continues. Carl Skau, deputy director of the UN World Food Programme, said only a fraction of supplies needed have been able to enter the Strip - and nine out of 10 people cannot eat everyday. Conditions in Gaza have made deliveries "almost impossible", Mr Skau said. Israel says it must continue air strikes on Gaza to eliminate Hamas and bring Israeli hostages home. read more

Video shows stripped Palestinian men detained in Gaza With fighting raging around Khan Younis and in the north of Gaza, a video has emerged on social media showing dozens of Palestinian men detained by Israel. The footage, verified by the BBC, shows them stripped to their underwear, kneeling on the ground and being guarded by Israeli soldiers. The men are thought to have been arrested in Beit Lahia, in the far north of the Gaza strip. A local media outlet says one of the men is a respected journalist. read more

Mount Marapi: Indonesia volcano death toll rises to 22 The death toll from a volcanic eruption in Indonesia has gone up to 22, after rescuers found nine more bodies. The search for the 10 missing hikers on Mount Marapi resumed on Tuesday after being paused due to safety worries. Officials said that nine bodies had been recovered by afternoon, with one of them still missing. Twelve other injured hikers are undergoing treatment in hospital. Frequent volcanic eruptions in Marapi have hampered rescue efforts for days. read more

Forest City: Inside Malaysia's Chinese-built 'ghost city' "I managed to escape this place," Nazmi Hanafiah laughs, slightly nervously. A year ago, the 30-year-old IT engineer moved to Forest City, a sprawling Chinese-built housing complex in Johor, on the tip of southern Malaysia. He rented a one-bedroom flat in a tower block overlooking the sea. After six months, he'd had enough. He didn't want to continue living in what he calls "a ghost town". "I didn't care about my deposit, I didn't care about the money. I just had to get out," he said. We had arranged to meet in the same tower block he used to live in. read more

COP28: Head of UN talks hits back at climate denial claims The president of the ongoing UN climate talks Sultan al-Jaber has hit back at claims that he denies a core part of climate science. It follows his earlier comments that there was "no science" behind requiring the end of fossil fuels in order to limit temperature rise to 1.5C. "We very much believe and respect the science," he said on Monday. The talks in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, aim to make progress on tackling climate change. read more

Israel-Gaza war: Israeli forces pushing into south Gaza Israeli ground forces are pushing into southern Gaza, after three days of heavy bombardment. Initial reports from Israeli army radio effectively confirmed Israel has launched a ground operation to the north of Khan Younis. The BBC has also verified images of an Israeli tank operating near the city. The head of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later told troops the IDF was also fighting "strongly and thoroughly" in south Gaza. read more

Philippines accuses China of swarming reef in South China Sea The Philippines has accused China of "swarming" a reef off its coast after more than 135 military boats were spotted in the South China Sea. The coast guard said the boats were "dispersed and scattered" in the vicinity of Whitsun Reef, which it says is within its exclusive economic zone. They said the growing presence of these military boats was "alarming". The South China Sea is at the centre of a territorial dispute between China, the Philippines and other countries. read more

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Paris attack near Eiffel Tower leaves one dead and two injured A man has died and two others, including a British man, have been injured in a knife and hammer attack on a street in central Paris. The attack occurred near the Eiffel Tower shortly before 21:00 local time (20:00 GMT) on Saturday. A 26-year-old French national known to security services has been arrested and anti-terrorism prosecutors have opened an investigation. Officials confirmed that the man killed was a German national. read more

Israel-Gaza war: Residents of Khan Younis say Israeli strikes heaviest since start of war Israel has carried out intense air strikes on Khan Younis in southern Gaza, with residents describing it as the heaviest bombing of the war. People in eastern areas of the city have been told by the Israeli military to evacuate further to the south. Israel believes some Hamas leaders are in the city, where many civilians are sheltering after fleeing the north. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says at least 193 people have been killed in the latest wave of Israeli attacks. read more

'I’m not ready to lose hope': The hostages still in Gaza "She doesn't deserve to wait for the next deal, just because she's not somebody's mother or grandmother," writes Or Neko Maymon on Facebook in Hebrew. Or is talking about 27-year-old street artist and art student Inbar Haiman, who is his partner's sister. Inbar was kidnapped by Hamas from the Supernova music festival in Israel on 7 October, and was seen days later in a hostage video circulated on social media, with blood on her face. read more

Judge rejects Trump's immunity claim in 2020 election case A federal judge has dismissed ex-President Donald Trump's bid to throw out charges of election interference on the basis of "presidential immunity". Mr Trump's lawyers had argued his attempts to reject the 2020 results fell within his duties as president. But Judge Tanya Chutkan found no legal basis for concluding presidents cannot face criminal charges once they are no longer in office. read more

Released Palestinians allege abuse in Israeli jails Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails say that guards carried out abuse and collective punishment in the weeks after the Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October. They have described being hit with sticks, having muzzled dogs set on them, and their clothes, food and blankets taken away. One female prisoner has said she was threatened with rape, and that guards twice tear-gassed inmates inside the cells. read more

Key Dutch party sees 'no basis' for talks with Wilders A major Dutch political party has said it will not enter talks with anti-Islam leader Geert Wilders about forming a coalition cabinet for now. The New Social Contract party said Mr Wilders's election manifesto risked breaching the Dutch constitution. Mr Wilders's Freedom party (PVV) last week shocked critics by winning a dramatic general election victory but failed to secure a majority. To become prime minister, he needs the backing of other parties. read more

Freed Hamas captives tell of fear, squalor and hunger Bare benches for beds in "suffocating", airless rooms. Little to no food. A child captive forced by Hamas to watch the carnage of 7 October on video. Stories emerging from those freed from Gaza - mostly through their relatives - paint a picture of weeks spent in squalor, uncertainty and fear. One hostage, Ruti Munder, 78, said she learned her son was killed in Israel by listening to a radio used by guards. Deborah Cohen claimed her 12-year-old nephew was made to watch videos of the Hamas rampage through southern Israel. read more

How Hamas built a force to attack Israel on 7 October Five armed Palestinian groups joined Hamas in the deadly 7 October attack on Israel after training together in military-style exercises from 2020 onwards, BBC News analysis shows. The groups carried out joint drills in Gaza which closely resembled the tactics used during the deadly assault - including at a site less than 1km (0.6 miles) from the barrier with Israel - and posted them on social media. They practised hostage-taking, raiding compounds and breaching Israel's defences during these exercises, the last of which was held just 25 days before the attack. read more

COP28: UAE planned to use climate talks to make oil deals The United Arab Emirates planned to use its role as the host of UN climate talks as an opportunity to strike oil and gas deals, the BBC has learned. Leaked briefing documents reveal plans to discuss fossil fuel deals with 15 nations. The UN body responsible for the COP28 summit told the BBC hosts were expected to act without bias or self-interest. read more

Israel-Gaza: Four-year-old girl among released hostages A four-year-old Israeli-American girl who was kidnapped by Hamas during its 7 October attack in southern Israel was among the 17 hostages released by the group on Sunday. Avigail Idan was just three at the time she was taken hostage from her home, where her parents were attacked and killed by Hamas gunmen. She turned four while she was held hostage by Hamas. Avigail's family said: "We hoped and prayed today would come." "There are no words to express our relief and gratitude that Avigail is safe and coming home," said Liz Hirsh Naftali, Avigail's great aunt, and Noa Naftali, her cousin, in a statement. read more

Israel-Gaza: Families' relief as hostages released Families of 13 Israeli hostages released by Hamas have spoken of their relief at their return. The group, which includes young children and elderly women, are now back in Israel after being brought by the Red Cross from Gaza into Egypt. Soon after, 39 Palestinian detainees were released across the Beitunia checkpoint in the West Bank. Ten Thai nationals and one Filipino were also released by Hamas, in a deal separate to the one mediated by Qatar. read more

Dublin riot sees clashes with police after five hurt in stabbings Vehicles have been set on fire and shops looted in Dublin after a knife attack that left a number of people, including three children, injured. A five-year-old girl and a woman in her 30s were seriously hurt in the attack after 13:40 local time. It happened on Parnell Square East in the city centre, outside the children's school Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire. A man in his 40s who was also seriously injured is a person of interest, police said. read more