At least 25 people have been taken to hospital in West Baltimore following suspected drug overdoses.

Citing officials from the region's fire department, the BBC's US partner CBS News said five people were admitted in a critical condition with others in a serious condition.

The incident, which took place near a road intersection in the Penn North area of the city on Thursday morning, led to the Maryland Department of Transportation closing a nearby subway station while roads were also blocked.

Fire Chief James Wallace told reporters that emergency services on the scene were directed to multiple people suspected of overdosing by members of the public.

He said people were found along two intersecting avenues as well as on the subway platforms and along alleyways following the initial response at around 09:20 local time (14:20 BST), according to CBS.

Officials have not named any substance they believe to have been involved.

Baltimore Police posted on X on Thursday that they, and fire services, were at the road intersection "in reference to multiple individuals experiencing overdose symptoms".

The police service asked people to avoid the area as multiple streets had been blocked off and buses rerouted.

The city's state attorney, Ivan Bates, said the incident "serves as a powerful reminder of our city's ongoing battle against the opioid epidemic".

He added that his office will support emergency services and the health department in their work to find out what happened.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore also said on Thursday his team were coordinating with state agencies, city officials and first responders.

"I'm grateful to those who quickly alerted us about this situation, and those who are providing support to the community," Mr Moore said.

Separately, an update from the city's mayor, Brandon Scott, issued advice for residents who use drugs; including to never use alone and to carry Naloxone or Narcan - both of which can be collected for free from the city's health department.

After 40 years of armed struggle against the Turkish state, the outlawed Kurdish PKK will hold a ceremony on Friday to mark a symbolic first step in laying down its arms.

The disarmament process will start under tight security in Iraqi Kurdistan and is expected to take all summer.

Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has hailed the move as "totally ripping off and throwing away the bloody shackles that were put on our country's legs".

Some 40,000 people have been killed since the conflict began, and the PKK is listed as a terror group in Turkey, the US, EU and UK. Its disarmament will be felt not just in Turkey but in Iraq, Syria and Iran.

How and where will the PKK disarm?

A small group of PKK members will symbolically lay down their weapons in a ceremony near Suleymaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan, before going back to their bases.

For security reasons, the exact location is not being revealed, although it's thought members of Turkey's pro-Kurdish opposition Dem party will be there, even if other major Turkish political parties will not.

Disarmament will then continue over the coming months at points set up with the involvement of the Turkish, Iraqi and Kurdistan regional governments, BBC Turkish has been told.

In a video, the PKK's long-imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan, said it was "a voluntary transition from the phase of armed conflict to the phase of democratic politics and law". He has been in solitary confinement on the small prison island of Imrali, south-west of Istanbul, since he was captured in 1999.

Who are the Kurds?

Who are the PKK and why has the conflict lasted so long?

This is not the first attempt at peace involving Turkey and the PKK, but this is the best hope so far that the armed struggle that began in 1984 will come to an end.

Originally a Marxist group, the Kurdistan Workers' Party took up arms calling for an independent state inside Turkey.

In the 1990s, they called instead for greater autonomy for Kurds, who make up about 20% of the population.

Ocalan announced a ceasefire in 2013, and urged PKK forces to withdraw from Turkey. The 2015 Dolmabahce Agreement was supposed to bring democratic and language rights for Kurds, but the fragile truce collapsed amid devastating violence, especially in the Kurdish-dominated cities of the south-east, including Diyarbakir.

Turkey's air force targeted PKK bases in the mountains of northern Iraq. Several military campaigns have also targeted Kurdish-led forces in Syria.

The government in Ankara ruled out further talks until the PKK laid down its arms. That is now on the verge of happening.

Why has the PKK decided to disband?

In October 2024, a prominent nationalist leader and key Erdogan ally called Devlet Bahceli began a process described by the government as "terror-free Turkey". He urged the PKK's imprisoned leader to call for the dissolution of the outlawed group. It could pave the way for his possible release from Imrali island, he suggested.

The Turkish government launched talks with Ocalan via the pro-Kurdish Dem party, and then in February came his historic appeal for the PKK to disband, read out by two Dem MPs who had just returned from a visit to the prison island.

"All groups must lay their arms and the PKK must dissolve itself," read Ocalan's letter.

The PKK had been formed primarily because "the channels of democratic politics were closed", he said, but Devlet Bahceli and Erdogan's own positive signals had created the right environment.

The PKK followed Ocalan's lead and declared a ceasefire and later declared that it had "completed its historical mission": the Kurdish issue could now "be resolved through democratic politics".

President Erdogan said it was an "opportunity to take a historic step toward tearing down the wall of terror" and met pro-Kurdish politicians in April.

Why is Ocalan so important?

As founder of the PKK, Ocalan continues to be reviled by many Turks, even after 26 years in solitary confinement.

And yet he still plays an important role in the eyes of Kurds.

"I think he really has this authority; he is a main symbol for many Kurds, not all," says Joost Jongerden, a specialist on the 41-year conflict at Wageningen University in the Netherlands.

Two days before the PKK were due to begin disarmament, Ocalan appeared on video for the first time since he was put on trial more than 20 years ago.

Speaking for seven minutes, he addressed the outlawed group: "I believe in the power of politics and social peace, not weapons. And I call on you to put this principle into practice."

Ocalan was wearing a branded Lacoste polo shirt, and in an indication of his enduring relevance, the shirt quickly went viral and websites ran out of stock.

What happens next?

After Friday's ceremony, the scene switches to Turkey's parliament in Ankara where a commission will be set up to make decisions on the next steps for the government.

As the summer recess is around the corner, no concrete decisions are expected for several months, when MPs vote on the commission's recommendations and President Erdogan has the final say.

What happens to Abdullah Ocalan is not yet clear. The government says his conditions in jail could be reviewed as the process unfolds, but any chance of release will be left to the latter stages.

What's in this process for Erdogan?

Erdogan's AK Party has begun work on changing the constitution, and there has been speculation that this would mean Erdogan would be able to run for the presidency again when his final term runs out in 2028.

The AKP and pro-Kurdish Dem party deny there is any link between the peace process and reshaping the constitution, but if Erdogan secures Dem support he would have a far greater chance of pushing through changes.

Erdogan is behind in the polls, but his main opposition rival, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, is in jail accused of corruption, which he denies, and more opposition mayors have been arrested as part of a crackdown in the past week.

An international human trafficking crackdown has led to more than 150 arrests and the identification of more than 1,000 victims.

The six-day operation, which took place at the start of June, involved nearly 15,000 officers from 43 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa and South America, according to Interpol.

It targeted organised criminal gangs involved in trafficking people - who are typically underage - for the purpose of sexual exploitation, forced criminality and begging, Europol said.

Many sexual exploitation trafficking victims are women, who are typically recruited from abroad and taken to massage parlours where they are pressured into prostitution.

"Human trafficking is a brutal and devastating crime that strips people of their dignity, freedom, and humanity, preying on the most vulnerable, including children," said David Caunter, director of organised and emerging crime at Interpol.

The operation - dubbed "Global Chain" - made 158 arrests in total and identified a further 205 suspects, while 1,194 potential victims were discovered.

It was led by Austrian and Romanian authorities, and focused primarily on Europe - but also saw suspects arrested in Thailand, Nigeria and Vietnam.

Police in Malta freed three Colombian women - two sisters and their aunt - who were originally offered employment as cleaners there by an Italian national, Europol said.

Upon arrival, their passports were confiscated by the suspect under the guise of arranging work permits, the witholding of which was then used to coerce them into prostitution, the agency added.

In Austria, officers made seven arrests in connection with a Romanian family-based gang that allegedly used the "lover-boy" method to lure women into sexual exploitation and forced criminality under the pretence of a romantic relationship.

And in Italy, police raided several massage parlours with suspected links to sexual exploitation, identifying 75 potential trafficking victims, according to Interpol.

Potential trafficking victims originated from 64 countries around the globe, but the majority came from Romania, Ukraine, Colombia, China and Hungary, officials said.

The operation also saw €277,669 (£240,351) in cash seized, as well as 30 guns, 65 fraudulent documents and a tonne of cannabis.

A similar operation took place around the same time last year, resulting in the arrest of 200 suspects and the identification of more than 1,300 victims.

For Gazans, a 60-day ceasefire being negotiated between Israel and Hamas would be a lifeline.

A window to bring in large quantities of desperately needed food, water and medicine after severe – and at times total - Israeli restrictions on aid deliveries.

But for Israel's defence minister Israel Katz a two-month pause in military operations would create an opportunity to build what he has called a "humanitarian city" in the ruins of the southern city of Rafah to contain almost every single Gazan except those belonging to armed groups.

According to the plan, Palestinians would be security screened before being allowed in and not permitted to leave.

Critics, both domestically and internationally, have condemned the proposal, with human rights groups, academics and lawyers calling it a blueprint for a "concentration camp".

It's unclear to what extent it represents a concrete plan of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government or whether it is a negotiating tactic to put more pressure on Hamas in the talks on a ceasefire and hostage release deal.

In the notable absence of any Israeli plan for Gaza after the war ends, this idea is filling the strategic vacuum.

Katz briefed a group of Israeli reporters that the new camp would initially house about 600,000 Palestinians - and eventually the whole 2.1 million population.

His plan would see the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) securing the site from a distance while international bodies managed the area. Four aid distribution sites would be established in the area, he said.

Katz also restated his desire to encourage Palestinians to "voluntarily emigrate" from the Gaza to other countries.

But it has not gained traction or support among other senior figures in Israel, and according to reports the proposal even triggered a clash between the prime minister and the head of the IDF.

Israeli media say the office of the chief of the general staff, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, made clear the army was not obligated to forcibly transfer civilians, as the plan would require.

It's claimed Gen Zamir and Netanyahu were involved in an angry exchange during a recent war cabinet meeting.

Tal Schneider, a political correspondent at the centrist Times of Israel, said Zamir would be in a strong position to push back because the government "practically begged him to take the job" six months ago – and Netanyahu strongly endorsed his appointment.

It's not only the top military brass that is opposed to the idea. There is also consternation among rank and file too.

"Any transfer of a civil population is a form of war crime, that's a form of ethnic cleansing, which is also a form of genocide," IDF reservist Yotam Vilk told the BBC at his home in Tel Aviv.

The 28-year-old former officer in the Armored Corps is refusing to serve any longer in the army following 270 days of active combat in Gaza.

He describes himself as a patriot and argues Israel must defend itself but that the current war has no strategy nor end in sight.

Vilk is also part of Soldiers for the Hostages, a group calling for an end of the war to secure the release of the 50 Israelis still being held captive by Hamas in Gaza, up to 20 of whom are believed to be alive.

Meanwhile 16 Israeli experts in international law issued a joint letter on Friday denouncing the plan, which they said would constitute a war crime. The letter urged "all relevant parties to publicly withdraw from the plan, renounce it and refrain from carrying it out".

The plan has unsurprisingly dismayed Palestinians in Gaza.

"We completely reject this proposal, and we reject the displacement of any Palestinian from their land," Sabreen, who had been forced to leave Khan Younis, told the BBC. "We are steadfast and will remain here until our last breath."

Ahmad Al Mghayar from Rafah said: "Freedom is above everything. This is our land, we should be free to move wherever we want. Why are we being pressured like this?"

It's not clear how much support Katz's plan has among the general public, but recent surveys have indicated the majority of Jews in Israel favour the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza.

One poll published in the left-wing daily newspaper Haaretz claimed as many as 82 per cent of Jewish Israelis supported such a move.

But there has been curious lack of public support for the proposal among the far-right, including prominent ministers in the coalition Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

Both have been vocal proponents of Palestinians leaving Gaza and Jewish settlers returning.

Tal Schneider said both ministers may still be weighing up giving their backing to the proposal for a mass camp.

"Maybe they're waiting to see where the wind blows to see if it's serious. Both Smotrich and Ben-Gvir are cabinet members and have more access to internal discussions. Maybe they think this is just to put political pressure on Hamas to come to the table."

Outside Israel, the proposal for a new camp for all Gazans has attracted widespread criticism.

In the UK, minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer posted on social media that he was "appalled" by the plan.

"Palestinian territory must not be reduced," he wrote. "Civilians must be able to return to their communities. We need to move towards a ceasefire deal and open a pathway to lasting peace."

British human rights lawyer Baroness Helena Kennedy KC told the BBC the project would force Palestinians into a "concentration camp".

The description, which other critics including academics, NGOs and senior UN officials have used, holds considerable resonance in light of the role of concentration camps in the Holocaust.

Baroness Kennedy said the plan - as well as the latest actions of Israel - has led her to conclude Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.

"I was very reluctant to go there, because the threshold has to be very high. There has to be specific intent for genocide. But what we're now seeing is genocidal behaviour," she said.

Israel has vehemently rejected the charge of genocide and says it does not target civilians.

The Israeli foreign ministry also told the BBC that "the notion that Israel is creating concentration camps is deeply offensive and draws parallels with the Nazis". Israel "adheres to the Geneva Convention", it added, referring to the international regulations governing the treatment of civilians in occupied territories.

Aside from grim warnings about what might happen, the prospect of a new camp is having an impact on efforts to end the Gaza war.

Palestinian sources at the ceasefire talks grinding on in the Qatari capital Doha have told the BBC the plan has alarmed the Hamas delegation and has created a new obstacle to a deal.

Additional reporting by Joyce Liu and John Landy

"Deeply regrettable" is how Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has described US President Donald Trump's latest tariff threat - a 25% levy on Japanese goods.

Tokyo, a long-time US ally, has been trying hard to avoid exactly this. It has been seeking concessions for its beleaguered car makers, while resisting pressure to open its markets to American rice.

There have been many rounds of negotiations. Japan's trade minister has visited Washington DC at least seven times since April, when Trump announced sweeping tariffs against friends and foes.

And yet, those trips seem to have borne little fruit. Trump's label for Tokyo moved from "tough" to "spoiled" as talks dragged on.

And then this week, Japan joined a list of 22 nations that were sent tariff letters - 14 of those are in Asia. From South Korea to Sri Lanka, many are export-driven manufacturing hubs.

They have until 1 August to strike a deal with the US. But they are likely wondering about their chances given that Japan, a staunch ally that has been openly pursuing a deal, is still facing a steep levy.

Trump has reset the tariffs clock - again. So who is winning, and who is losing?

Winner: Negotiators who want more time

In one sense, almost all of the countries targeted by Trump earlier this year benefit from the deadline extension - they now have more than three weeks more to strike deals.

"The optimistic case is that there is pressure now to engage in further negotiations before the 1 August deadline," said Suan Teck Kin, head of research at United Overseas Bank.

Growing economies like Thailand and Malaysia, which received tariff letters this week, will be especially eager to seek a solution. They are also caught in the middle of US-China tensions as Washington targets Chinese exports rerouted through third countries, what are known as transhipped goods.

Economists have told the BBC that further extensions are likely, given the complexity of trade agreements.

Countries will need time to implement Trump's demands, which, going by the letters, are not entirely clear, said business lecturer Alex Capri from the National University of Singapore.

For instance, transhipped goods have been specifically levied as part of Vietnam's trade deal with the US. But it is unclear whether that applies to finished goods, or to all imported components.

Either way, it will involve far more sophisticated technology to keep track of supply chains, Mr Capri said.

"It's going to be a slow, long-term and evolving process involving many third parties, tech companies and logistic partners."

Loser: Asian manufacturers

It seems clear that tariffs are here to stay, which makes global trade the loser.

Companies from the US, Europe and China with global businesses remain at risk, Mr Capri said. This hurts not just exporters, but also US importers and consumers.

And it is a blow for the economic ambitions of large parts of Asia, whose rise has been fuelled by manufacturing, from electronics to textiles.

It is unwise to make zero-sum observations on which countries are winning and losing, Mr Capri added, because international trade, especially between US and China is so deeply inter-linked.

Some countries, however, could lose more than others.

Vietnam was the first in Asia to strike a deal, but it has little leverage against Washington, and is now facing levies up to 40%. The same goes for Cambodia. A poor country heavily reliant on exports, it has been negotiating a deal as Trump threatens 35% tariffs.

South Korea and Japan, on the other hand, may be able to hold out longer, because they are richer and have stronger geo-political levers.

India, which too has leverage of its own, has not been issued a letter yet. A deal has seemed imminent but appears to be delayed by key sticking points, including access to the Indian agricultural market and the country's import rules.

Loser: US-Japan alliance

"Despite its close economic and military relationship with the US, Japan is being treated the same as other Asian trade partners," said economist Jesper Koll.

And that could transform the relationship, especially as Tokyo, with its large financial reserves, appears to be ready for the long game.

"Japan has proven to be a tough negotiator and I think that has annoyed Trump," Mr Koll said.

Despite a rice shortage that has sent prices soaring, PM Ishiba has refused to buy US rice, choosing instead to protect domestic farmers. His government has also refused to give in to US demands to increase its military spending.

"They are well prepared," Mr Koll argued. He said the day after Trump announced tariffs in April, Tokyo declared an economic emergency and set up hundreds of consultation centres to assist affected companies.

"Japan will be seeking a deal that is credible," he said, because what's the guarantee Trump won't change his mind again?

With Japan's upper-house election due this month, it would be surprising if a deal is agreed by August, Mr Koll said.

"No-one is happy. But is this something that is going to force a recession in Japan? No."

Winner: US or China?

Asia has long been seen as a key battleground between Washington and Beijing, and analysts say, because of tariffs, Trump may be ceding ground.

For one, given how complex these deals can be, Trump may be overplaying his hand by extending the deadline again, according to some observers.

"The bargaining position of the US has actually been diminished as they have revealed that their hand isn't actually as strong as they would like," said NUS economics professor David Jacks.

And the deals that are made could come at the cost of reshaping trade and ties built over decades.

Trump's choice of posting the letters online, rather than through traditional diplomatic channels, could backfire, said Mr Capri, who described it as "political theatre".

The confusion caused is a "great gift" to China, which is trying to portray itself as a stable alternative to Trump's unpredictability, he added.

But the US market is not easy to replace - and Beijing has its fair share of tensions with countries in this part of the world, from Vietnam to Japan.

China is in the middle of its own trade negotiations the US, although it has longer to strike a full agreement - until 13 August.

So who will win more friends in this trade war is hard to say, but the race is still on.

“Both parties see the need for a divorce," Prof Jacks said, "but getting there will be tough and involve proceedings which will span years, if not decades."

US President Donald Trump has said he will send weapons, including Patriot air defence systems, for Ukraine via Nato.

Trump told NBC News that in a new deal, "we're going to be sending Patriots to Nato, and then Nato will distribute that", adding that Nato would pay for the weapons.

His announcement came after Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke of having a "positive dialogue" with Trump on ensuring that arms arrived on time, particularly air defence systems.

Zelensky said he had asked for 10 Patriot systems, after a surge in Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities in the past week.

Speaking in Rome on Thursday, the Ukrainian leader said Germany was ready to pay for two of the Patriots and Norway for one, while other European partners were also prepared to help.

After a phone-call with Russia's Vladimir Putin last week, Trump said he was "not happy" that progress had not been made towards ending the war, and he has since complained that Putin's "very nice" attitude turned out to be meaningless.

During his interview with NBC News, Trump said he would make a "major statement" on Russia on Monday, but did not say what it would be about.

He said "Nato is going to reimburse the full cost" for the weapons sent on to Ukraine. Nato is funded through the contributions of its members, including the US.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Friday that he had urged countries including Germany and Spain to hand over some of their existing Patriot batteries, as they could reach Ukraine faster.

"We have continued to encourage our Nato allies to provide those weapons... since they have them in their stocks, then we can enter into financial agreements... where they can purchase the replacements."

The US defence department halted some shipments of critical weapons last week, raising concerns in Kyiv that its air defences could run low in a matter of months.

Among the armaments reported to have been placed on pause were Patriot interceptor missiles and precision artillery shells.

Then, as Ukraine was pounded by record numbers of drone attacks this week, Trump said more weapons would be sent: "We have to... They're getting hit very hard now."

Zelensky had appealed for the shipments to resume, describing the Patriot systems as "real protectors of life".

On Tuesday night, Ukraine was hit by a record 728 drones, and the Ukrainian president warned that Russia wanted to increase that to 1,000.

June saw the highest monthly civilian casualties in Ukraine in three years, with 232 people killed and more than 1,300 injured, according to the UN.

Since re-entering the White House in January, Trump has pushed to scale back US support for Ukraine.

The US was the biggest source of military aid to Ukraine between the start of 2022 and the end of 2024, giving $69bn (£54.6bn) in that time period, according to German think tank the Kiel Institute.

Trump has also pressed Nato allies to pledge more of their GDP to the security alliance. Last year, all European Nato members pledged to spend 2% of GDP on defence.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The US has been urging the two countries to reach an agreement to end the war.

Rubio told reporters that he and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had a "frank" conversation on the sidelines of a meeting in Malaysia on Thursday.

Rubio echoed Trump's "frustration at the lack of progress at peace talks", including "disappointment that there has not been more flexibility on the Russian side to bring about an end to this conflict".

He said the two had shared some new ideas about how the conflict could conclude, which he would take back to Trump.

Rubio declined to elaborate on what Trump said would be a "major" announcement about Russia on Monday.

Two care home residents have died after a car crashed into the building following a police chase in Sunderland, Northumbria Police has said.

The crash happened at about 21:40 BST on Wednesday when a blue BMW hit Highcliffe Care Home in Witherwack, causing structural damage.

The vehicle had been reported stolen from the Fenham area of Newcastle earlier that evening, police said.

A woman in her 90s and another in her 80s died on Thursday, and eight other residents were taken to hospital with injuries. Two people have been arrested.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

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Unite says it has suspended Angela Rayner from her membership of the union, amid a deepening row over the long-running bin strikes in Birmingham.

The deputy prime minister has been urging striking bin workers to accept a deal to end the dispute, which has seen mountains of rubbish pile up in the city.

The union said it would also re-examine its relationship with Labour after an emergency motion at its conference in Brighton.

Bin collection workers walked out in January, with an all-out strike going on since March. Unite is a major donor to the Labour Party, and has previously donated to Rayner herself.

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Doctors have warned of an imminent disaster at Gaza's largest functioning hospital because of critical shortage of fuel and a widening Israeli ground offensive in the southern city of Khan Younis.

Nasser Medical Complex was forced to stop admitting patients on Thursday, when witnesses said Israeli troops and tanks advanced into a cemetery 200m (660ft) away and fired towards nearby camps for displaced families. The forces reportedly withdrew on Friday after digging up several areas.

Medical staff and dozens of patients in intensive care remain inside the hospital, where the fuel shortage threatens to shut down life-saving services.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

However, it said on Friday morning that an armoured brigade was operating in Khan Younis to dismantle "terrorist infrastructure sites" and confiscate weapons> It has previously issued evacuation orders for the areas around the hospital.

A witness told the BBC that Israeli tanks accompanied by excavators and bulldozers advanced from the south of the cemetery near Nasser hospital on Thursday.

The tanks fired shells and bullets as they moved into an area, which was previously farmland, and several tents belonging to displaced families were set on fire, the witness said. Video footage shared online showed a plume of dark smoke rising from the area.

The witness added that Israeli quadcopter drones also fired towards tents in the Namsawi Towers and al-Mawasi areas to force residents to evacuate. Another video showed dozens of people running for cover amid as gunfire rang out.

One or two civilians standing near the hospital's gates were reportedly injured by stray bullets.

Medical staff inside Nasser hospital meanwhile sent messages to local journalists expressing their fear. "We are still working in the hospital. The tanks are just metres away. We are closer to death than to life," they wrote.

On Friday morning, locals said the Israeli tanks and troops pulled out of the cemetery and other areas close to the hospital.

Pictures shared online later in the day appeared to show deep trenches dug into the sandy ground, flattened buildings, burnt tents, and crushed vehicles piled on top of each other.

Staff at Nasser hospital said they were assessing if they could resume admitting patients.

On Wednesday, they warned that the hospital was very close to a complete shutdown due to a critical fuel shortage.

They said electricity generators were expected to function for one additional day despite significant efforts to reduce power consumption and restrict electricity to only the most critical departments, including the intensive care and neonatal units.

If the power went out completely, dozens of patients, particularly those dependent of ventilators, would "be in immediate danger and face certain death", the hospital added.

An Israeli military official told Reuters news agency on Thursday that around 160,000 litres of fuel destined for hospitals and other humanitarian facilities had entered Gaza since Wednesday, but that the fuel's distribution around the territory was not the responsibility of the army.

There is a shortage of critical medical supplies, especially those related to trauma care.

During a visit to Nasser hospital last week, the Gaza representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) described it as "one massive trauma ward".

Dr Rik Peeperkorn said in a video that the facility, which normally has a 350-bed capacity, was treating about 700 patients, and that exhausted staff were working 24 hours a day.

The director and doctors reported receiving hundreds of trauma cases over the past four weeks, the majority of them linked to incidents around aid distribution sites, he added.

"There's many boys, young adolescents who are dying or getting the most serious injuries because they try to get some food for their families," he said.

Among them were a 13-year-old boy who was shot in the head and is now tetraplegic, and a 21-year-old man who has a bullet lodged in his neck and is also tetraplegic.

On Friday, 10 people seeking aid were reportedly killed by Israeli military fire near an aid distribution site in the nearby southern city of Rafah. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has not commented.

Meanwhile, in northern Gaza, a senior Hamas commander was among eight people who were killed in an Israeli air strike on a school sheltering displaced families in Jabalia, a local source told the BBC.

Iyad Nasr, who led the Jabalia al-Nazla battalion, died alongside his family, including several children, and an aide when two missiles hit a classroom at Halima al-Saadia school, according to the source.

Another Hamas commander, Hassan Marii, and his aide were reportedly killed in a separate air strike on an apartment in al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City.

It comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a new Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal could be just days away, after concluding his four-day trip to the US.

Before flying back from Washington on Thursday night, he told Newsmax that the proposal would supposedly see Hamas release half of the 20 living hostages it is still holding and just over half of the 30 dead hostages during a 60-day truce.

"So, we'll have 10 living left and about 12 deceased hostages [remaining], but I'll get them out, too. I hope we can complete it in a few days," he added.

However, a Palestinian official told the BBC that the indirect negotiations in Qatar were stalled, with sticking points including aid distribution and Israeli troop withdrawals.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 57,762 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

A 24-year-old man who died in a stabbing outside a five-star hotel in west London has been named by police as Blue Stevens.

Emergency services were called to the Park Tower Hotel on Seville Street, Knightsbridge, just before 21:30 BST on Wednesday.

Paramedics treated Mr Stevens for knife wounds but he died at the scene, the Metropolitan Police said.

No arrests have been made but officers are working "to establish the circumstances of what happened".

Author Raynor Winn's new book has been delayed because questions about her bestselling work The Salt Path have caused her and her husband "considerable distress", her publisher has said.

Penguin Michael Joseph said the decision to postpone the publication of her fourth book, On Winter Hill, had been made with Winn.

It comes after an investigation by the Observer claimed the writer had misrepresented some of the events in her 2018 book. Winn has called the report "highly misleading" and refuted many of the newspaper's claims.

On Winter Hill, about a solo coast-to-coast walk Winn completed without husband Moth, had been scheduled to be published in October.

"Given recent events, in particular intrusive conjecture around Moth's health condition which has caused considerable distress to Raynor Winn and her family, it is our priority to support the author at this time," Penguin Michael Joseph said in a statement.

"With this in mind, Penguin Michael Joseph, together with the author, have made the decision to delay the publication of On Winter Hill from this October."

A new release date will be announced in due course, the publisher added.

• Raynor Winn hits back at claims she misled readers
• Penguin says it did 'all necessary due diligence' with The Salt Path

On Sunday, the Observer reported Winn had misrepresented the events that led to the couple losing their house and setting off on the 630-mile walk that was depicted in The Salt Path.

The paper's investigation also cast doubt on the nature of her husband's illness. Winn denied the allegations and said she was taking legal advice.

On Wednesday, she posted a more extensive statement, responding in detail to each of the claims made in the Observer's article.

The newspaper said it had spoken to medical experts who were "sceptical" that Moth had corticobasal degeneration (CBD), given his lack of acute symptoms and apparent ability to reverse them via walking.

In response, Winn provided documents that appeared to confirm he had been diagnosed with CBD. One letter suggested Moth may have an "atypical form" of the condition, or perhaps "an even more unusual disorder".

The Observer also said the couple had lost their home after Winn took out a loan to cover money she had been accused of stealing from a previous employer, and not in a bad business deal as Winn described in her book.

In her statement, Winn said the two cases were separate. She stood by her description of how the couple came to lose their home and wrote in detail about an investment in a property portfolio that left the couple liable for large sums of money.

However, in relation to the Observer's accusation that she had defrauded her previous employer of £64,000, Winn acknowledged making "mistakes" earlier in her career, and said it had been a pressured time.

"Any mistakes I made during the years in that office, I deeply regret, and I am truly sorry," she said.

But she added the case had been settled between her and her ex-employer on a "non-admissions basis", and although she was questioned by police, she was not charged.

Winn also said the couple did not have any outstanding debts, and clarified that a house in France that the Observer said they also owned was "an uninhabitable ruin in a bramble patch", which an estate agent had advised was not worth selling.

The Salt Path has sold more than two million copies since its publication in March 2018, and a film adaptation starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs was released earlier this year.

Winn has written two sequels, The Wild Silence and Landlines, which also focus on themes of nature, wild camping, homelessness and walking.

Parliament's standards commissioner has launched an investigation into ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe.

The BBC understands it is for allegedly failing to register hundreds of thousands of pounds raised in donations to fund his independent "Rape Gang Inquiry".

More than £600,000 has been donated to a Crowdfunder started by Lowe in March to support a national inquiry into gang-based sexual exploitation across the UK. So far, Lowe has not declared any of the money on his MPs' register.

Lowe started the project before the PM announced a government-backed national inquiry into grooming gangs last month. He has since said his investigation will continue regardless. Lowe has been approached for comment.

The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards has confirmed they are investigating whether Lowe breached parliamentary rules on declaring donations within the 28-days - as set out in the MPs' Code of Conduct.

Under parliamentary rules, MPs must declare any donation from a single source over £1,500 - or over £300 in earnings or gifts.

Lowe's Crowdfunder includes a statement that donors giving above the parliamentary limit will have their names published in the Commons register.

Most of the £600,000 came in small sums - but records show over a dozen donations exceeded £1,500, none of which have appeared in Lowe's register of financial interests.

Lowe was elected as a Reform UK MP for Great Yarmouth in 2024 but was suspended by the party in March, amid claims of threats towards the party's chairman, Zia Yusuf.

In May, the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to press charges over threats he was alleged to have made. Lowe claimed in a BBC Newsnight interview that he had been the victim of a "political assassination attempt".

Not long after his suspension from Reform, Lowe set up his Crowdfunder - accusing ministers of failing victims and saying: "Our gutless political class is too cowardly to even start to process what has truly happened."

Lowe's Rape Gang Inquiry has set up a board, including Conservative MP Esther McVey.

According to the inquiries social media page it has sent "hundreds and hundreds of FOI requests to every local council, police force, NHS trust and more in order to uncover vital information relating to the rape gangs".

Lowe has promised to stream hearings online and insisted his private investigation will continue to push for accountability.

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For Gazans, a 60-day ceasefire being negotiated between Israel and Hamas would be a lifeline.

A window to bring in large quantities of desperately needed food, water and medicine after severe – and at times total - Israeli restrictions on aid deliveries.

But for Israel's defence minister Israel Katz a two-month pause in military operations would create an opportunity to build what he has called a "humanitarian city" in the ruins of the southern city of Rafah to contain almost every single Gazan except those belonging to armed groups.

According to the plan, Palestinians would be security screened before being allowed in and not permitted to leave.

Critics, both domestically and internationally, have condemned the proposal, with human rights groups, academics and lawyers calling it a blueprint for a "concentration camp".

It's unclear to what extent it represents a concrete plan of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government or whether it is a negotiating tactic to put more pressure on Hamas in the talks on a ceasefire and hostage release deal.

In the notable absence of any Israeli plan for Gaza after the war ends, this idea is filling the strategic vacuum.

Katz briefed a group of Israeli reporters that the new camp would initially house about 600,000 Palestinians - and eventually the whole 2.1 million population.

His plan would see the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) securing the site from a distance while international bodies managed the area. Four aid distribution sites would be established in the area, he said.

Katz also restated his desire to encourage Palestinians to "voluntarily emigrate" from the Gaza to other countries.

But it has not gained traction or support among other senior figures in Israel, and according to reports the proposal even triggered a clash between the prime minister and the head of the IDF.

Israeli media say the office of the chief of the general staff, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, made clear the army was not obligated to forcibly transfer civilians, as the plan would require.

It's claimed Gen Zamir and Netanyahu were involved in an angry exchange during a recent war cabinet meeting.

Tal Schneider, a political correspondent at the centrist Times of Israel, said Zamir would be in a strong position to push back because the government "practically begged him to take the job" six months ago – and Netanyahu strongly endorsed his appointment.

It's not only the top military brass that is opposed to the idea. There is also consternation among rank and file too.

"Any transfer of a civil population is a form of war crime, that's a form of ethnic cleansing, which is also a form of genocide," IDF reservist Yotam Vilk told the BBC at his home in Tel Aviv.

The 28-year-old former officer in the Armored Corps is refusing to serve any longer in the army following 270 days of active combat in Gaza.

He describes himself as a patriot and argues Israel must defend itself but that the current war has no strategy nor end in sight.

Vilk is also part of Soldiers for the Hostages, a group calling for an end of the war to secure the release of the 50 Israelis still being held captive by Hamas in Gaza, up to 20 of whom are believed to be alive.

Meanwhile 16 Israeli experts in international law issued a joint letter on Friday denouncing the plan, which they said would constitute a war crime. The letter urged "all relevant parties to publicly withdraw from the plan, renounce it and refrain from carrying it out".

The plan has unsurprisingly dismayed Palestinians in Gaza.

"We completely reject this proposal, and we reject the displacement of any Palestinian from their land," Sabreen, who had been forced to leave Khan Younis, told the BBC. "We are steadfast and will remain here until our last breath."

Ahmad Al Mghayar from Rafah said: "Freedom is above everything. This is our land, we should be free to move wherever we want. Why are we being pressured like this?"

It's not clear how much support Katz's plan has among the general public, but recent surveys have indicated the majority of Jews in Israel favour the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza.

One poll published in the left-wing daily newspaper Haaretz claimed as many as 82 per cent of Jewish Israelis supported such a move.

But there has been curious lack of public support for the proposal among the far-right, including prominent ministers in the coalition Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

Both have been vocal proponents of Palestinians leaving Gaza and Jewish settlers returning.

Tal Schneider said both ministers may still be weighing up giving their backing to the proposal for a mass camp.

"Maybe they're waiting to see where the wind blows to see if it's serious. Both Smotrich and Ben-Gvir are cabinet members and have more access to internal discussions. Maybe they think this is just to put political pressure on Hamas to come to the table."

Outside Israel, the proposal for a new camp for all Gazans has attracted widespread criticism.

In the UK, minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer posted on social media that he was "appalled" by the plan.

"Palestinian territory must not be reduced," he wrote. "Civilians must be able to return to their communities. We need to move towards a ceasefire deal and open a pathway to lasting peace."

British human rights lawyer Baroness Helena Kennedy KC told the BBC the project would force Palestinians into a "concentration camp".

The description, which other critics including academics, NGOs and senior UN officials have used, holds considerable resonance in light of the role of concentration camps in the Holocaust.

Baroness Kennedy said the plan - as well as the latest actions of Israel - has led her to conclude Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.

"I was very reluctant to go there, because the threshold has to be very high. There has to be specific intent for genocide. But what we're now seeing is genocidal behaviour," she said.

Israel has vehemently rejected the charge of genocide and says it does not target civilians.

The Israeli foreign ministry also told the BBC that "the notion that Israel is creating concentration camps is deeply offensive and draws parallels with the Nazis". Israel "adheres to the Geneva Convention", it added, referring to the international regulations governing the treatment of civilians in occupied territories.

Aside from grim warnings about what might happen, the prospect of a new camp is having an impact on efforts to end the Gaza war.

Palestinian sources at the ceasefire talks grinding on in the Qatari capital Doha have told the BBC the plan has alarmed the Hamas delegation and has created a new obstacle to a deal.

Additional reporting by Joyce Liu and John Landy

Doctors have warned of an imminent disaster at Gaza's largest functioning hospital because of critical shortage of fuel and a widening Israeli ground offensive in the southern city of Khan Younis.

Nasser Medical Complex was forced to stop admitting patients on Thursday, when witnesses said Israeli troops and tanks advanced into a cemetery 200m (660ft) away and fired towards nearby camps for displaced families. The forces reportedly withdrew on Friday after digging up several areas.

Medical staff and dozens of patients in intensive care remain inside the hospital, where the fuel shortage threatens to shut down life-saving services.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

However, it said on Friday morning that an armoured brigade was operating in Khan Younis to dismantle "terrorist infrastructure sites" and confiscate weapons> It has previously issued evacuation orders for the areas around the hospital.

A witness told the BBC that Israeli tanks accompanied by excavators and bulldozers advanced from the south of the cemetery near Nasser hospital on Thursday.

The tanks fired shells and bullets as they moved into an area, which was previously farmland, and several tents belonging to displaced families were set on fire, the witness said. Video footage shared online showed a plume of dark smoke rising from the area.

The witness added that Israeli quadcopter drones also fired towards tents in the Namsawi Towers and al-Mawasi areas to force residents to evacuate. Another video showed dozens of people running for cover amid as gunfire rang out.

One or two civilians standing near the hospital's gates were reportedly injured by stray bullets.

Medical staff inside Nasser hospital meanwhile sent messages to local journalists expressing their fear. "We are still working in the hospital. The tanks are just metres away. We are closer to death than to life," they wrote.

On Friday morning, locals said the Israeli tanks and troops pulled out of the cemetery and other areas close to the hospital.

Pictures shared online later in the day appeared to show deep trenches dug into the sandy ground, flattened buildings, burnt tents, and crushed vehicles piled on top of each other.

Staff at Nasser hospital said they were assessing if they could resume admitting patients.

On Wednesday, they warned that the hospital was very close to a complete shutdown due to a critical fuel shortage.

They said electricity generators were expected to function for one additional day despite significant efforts to reduce power consumption and restrict electricity to only the most critical departments, including the intensive care and neonatal units.

If the power went out completely, dozens of patients, particularly those dependent of ventilators, would "be in immediate danger and face certain death", the hospital added.

An Israeli military official told Reuters news agency on Thursday that around 160,000 litres of fuel destined for hospitals and other humanitarian facilities had entered Gaza since Wednesday, but that the fuel's distribution around the territory was not the responsibility of the army.

There is a shortage of critical medical supplies, especially those related to trauma care.

During a visit to Nasser hospital last week, the Gaza representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) described it as "one massive trauma ward".

Dr Rik Peeperkorn said in a video that the facility, which normally has a 350-bed capacity, was treating about 700 patients, and that exhausted staff were working 24 hours a day.

The director and doctors reported receiving hundreds of trauma cases over the past four weeks, the majority of them linked to incidents around aid distribution sites, he added.

"There's many boys, young adolescents who are dying or getting the most serious injuries because they try to get some food for their families," he said.

Among them were a 13-year-old boy who was shot in the head and is now tetraplegic, and a 21-year-old man who has a bullet lodged in his neck and is also tetraplegic.

On Friday, 10 people seeking aid were reportedly killed by Israeli military fire near an aid distribution site in the nearby southern city of Rafah. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has not commented.

Meanwhile, in northern Gaza, a senior Hamas commander was among eight people who were killed in an Israeli air strike on a school sheltering displaced families in Jabalia, a local source told the BBC.

Iyad Nasr, who led the Jabalia al-Nazla battalion, died alongside his family, including several children, and an aide when two missiles hit a classroom at Halima al-Saadia school, according to the source.

Another Hamas commander, Hassan Marii, and his aide were reportedly killed in a separate air strike on an apartment in al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City.

It comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a new Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal could be just days away, after concluding his four-day trip to the US.

Before flying back from Washington on Thursday night, he told Newsmax that the proposal would supposedly see Hamas release half of the 20 living hostages it is still holding and just over half of the 30 dead hostages during a 60-day truce.

"So, we'll have 10 living left and about 12 deceased hostages [remaining], but I'll get them out, too. I hope we can complete it in a few days," he added.

However, a Palestinian official told the BBC that the indirect negotiations in Qatar were stalled, with sticking points including aid distribution and Israeli troop withdrawals.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 57,762 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

The UK economy shrank unexpectedly in May, according to latest official figures.

The economy shrank by 0.1%, the Office for National Statistics said, the second month in a row it has contracted.

Economists had expected GDP to grow by 0.1%.

The fall in economic output was mainly driven by a drop in production, the ONS said.

Unite says it has suspended Angela Rayner from her membership of the union, amid a deepening row over the long-running bin strikes in Birmingham.

The deputy prime minister has been urging striking bin workers to accept a deal to end the dispute, which has seen mountains of rubbish pile up in the city.

The union said it would also re-examine its relationship with Labour after an emergency motion at its conference in Brighton.

Bin collection workers walked out in January, with an all-out strike going on since March. Unite is a major donor to the Labour Party, and has previously donated to Rayner herself.

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Two care home residents have died after a car crashed into the building following a police chase in Sunderland, Northumbria Police has said.

The crash happened at about 21:40 BST on Wednesday when a blue BMW hit Highcliffe Care Home in Witherwack, causing structural damage.

The vehicle had been reported stolen from the Fenham area of Newcastle earlier that evening, police said.

A woman in her 90s and another in her 80s died on Thursday, and eight other residents were taken to hospital with injuries. Two people have been arrested.

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