Donald Trump has rejected suggestions that the warming of relations between China, Russia and their allies poses a challenge to the US on the global stage.

The US president told reporters in the Oval Office that he had "a good relationship" with President Xi Jinping and that China "needs us more than we need them".

It comes as Xi prepares to host world leaders at a "Victory Day" parade in Beijing on Wednesday - a showcase of China's military might.

Xi will be joined by North Korea's Kim Jong Un and Russia's Vladimir Putin, viewed by some observers as a message to the Western nations that have shunned them.

• Russia's Putin hails 'unprecedented' ties with China at talks in Beijin
• North Korea's Kim arrives in Beijing with daughter

China has sought to position itself as a possible counterweight to the US since Trump's tariffs rocked the global economic and political order.

Trump has pitched his tariffs as essential to protecting American interests and industry. It appears that any diplomatic cost is something he is willing to pay.

Asked by the BBC if he believed Beijing and its allies were attempting to form an international coalition to oppose the US, Trump said: "No. Not at all. China needs us."

He added: "I have a very good relationship with President Xi, as you know. But China needs us much more than we need them. I don't see that at all."

Separately, in a radio interview on Tuesday, Trump said he was not concerned about the axis forming between Russia and China.

He told the Scott Jennings radio show that America has "the most powerful military forces in the world" and that "they would never use their military forces against us".

"Believe me, that would be the worst thing they could ever do," he said.

Elsewhere in the interview, Trump said he was "very disappointed" in Putin, after they failed to reach a peace deal for Ukraine during their meeting in Alaska last month.

"I'm very disappointed in President Putin, I can say that," Trump said, adding that the US "will be doing something to help people live" in Ukraine. He did not specify.

China has not criticised Putin's full-scale invasion and has been accused by the West of aiding Russia's war effort through its supply of dual-use materials and purchases of Russian oil. Beijing denies this.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia was engaged in a new troop build up along certain sectors of the frontline.

"[Putin] refuses to be forced into peace," Zelensky said in his nightly video address.

Kim Jong Un's arrival in China for his first ever multilateral meeting was always going to make headlines.

But it was the smartly-dressed girl standing just behind him as he exited his armoured train which caught Korea watchers' attention: Kim Ju Ae, the North Korean leader's daughter.

According to South Korea's spy agency, Miss Kim is her father's most likely successor.

But details - including her exact age - are thin on the ground. So what exactly do we know?

Miss Kim has, for a number of years, been believed to be the second of Kim Jong Un's and his wife, Ri Sol-Ju's, three children. The exact number, and their order, is by no means certain however: Kim is very secretive about his family, only introducing his wife to the public after they had been married for some time.

Kim Ju Ae is their only child whose existence has been confirmed by the country's leadership. No other child has been seen in public.

News of her existence first emerged through an unlikely source: the basketball player Dennis Rodman, who revealed to The Guardian newspaper back in 2013 that he "held their baby Ju Ae" during a trip to the secretive state.

Little was then heard about her until November 2022, when she appeared alongside her father at the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

By February the next year, she was appearing on postage stamps and attending banquets for top officials - described as Kim Jong Un's "respected" daughter.

The adjective "respected" is reserved for North Korea's most revered. In her father's case, he was referred to as "respected comrade" only after his status as future leader was cemented.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) provided lawmakers with a few extra details on the little girl at around the same time, according to news agency AP.

They said she enjoyed horse riding, skiing and swimming, and was home-schooled in the capital Pyongyang. They suggested she was around 10 years old.

By January 2024, the NIS had come to another conclusion: that the little girl was the "most likely" successor to Kim Jong Un - although they noted there were "many variables" still in play, not least because of her father's young age.

Since then, she has appeared by her father's side on numerous occasions. Standing next to him at ICBM launches and military parades, she has taken centre stage and received military salutes from senior military commanders.

But Tuesday marked the first time she has been seen outside North Korea, and the trip is likely to further fuel speculation she may succeed her father.

The Kim family, who have ruled North Korea since 1948, tell citizens they hail from a sacred bloodline, meaning only they can lead the country.

However, there is speculation that Kim has introduced his daughter at this point to try to overcome prejudice in the deeply patriarchal state, which has never been led by a woman.

Thousands of reservists have begun reporting for duty as the Israeli military presses ahead with its offensive to conquer Gaza City.

Ground forces are already pushing into the outskirts of Gaza's largest urban area, which the military has said is a stronghold of Hamas.

The city is also coming under heavy Israeli aerial and artillery bombardment, with local hospitals saying that more than 50 Palestinians have been killed there since midnight.

The military has ordered residents to evacuate and head south immediately. The UN says an estimated 20,000 have done so over the past two weeks, but almost a million remain.

UN humanitarian officials have warned that the impact of a full-blown offensive would be "beyond catastrophic", not only for those in the city but for the entire Gaza Strip.

Last month, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said about 60,000 reservists would be called up ahead of "Operation Gideon's Chariots II" – the next phase of the ground offensive that it launched in May and has seen it take control of at least 75% of Gaza.

It also extended the service of 20,000 reservists who had already been mobilised.

On Tuesday, an Israeli military official said thousands had begun reporting for duty.

Israeli media said many of the reservists would be deployed to the occupied West Bank and northern Israel to free up active-duty personnel for the offensive.

They also reported that some combat units were seeing lower turnout than for previous call-ups, with reservists who had already served several tours during the 22-month war requesting exemptions for personal or financial reasons.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel would conquer all of Gaza after indirect talks with Hamas on a ceasefire and hostage release deal broke down in July.

At a government meeting on Sunday, he said the security cabinet had agreed the IDF's objectives were "defeating Hamas and releasing all of our hostages".

The armed group is currently holding 48 hostages, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.

The hostages' families fear the new offensive will endanger them and are demanding the prime minister negotiate an agreement that would secure their release.

"Stop the war and bring all the hostages home in a deal - the living and the dead alike - some for rehabilitation in their families' embrace, others for proper burial on Israeli soil," said the daughter of Ilan Weiss, one of the two hostages whose bodies were recovered by Israeli troops in Gaza last week, at his funeral in Kibbutz Be'eri on Monday.

The IDF's Chief of Staff, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, has urged Netanyahu to accept a current proposal from regional mediators that would see about half of them released during a 60-day truce. However, the prime minister has said Israel will only accept a comprehensive deal that would see all the hostages freed and Hamas disarmed.

There were reportedly angry exchanges between Zamir and ministers at a meeting on Sunday.

The general warned that their Gaza City plan would put the hostages at risk and lead to Israel establishing a military government there, according to Israeli media. One unnamed senior minister was quoted by the Ynet website as saying that the general "did everything to convince against the plan, but made it clear several times that he would carry it out".

In an address to reservists at Nachshonim base in central Israel on Tuesday, Zamir declared that the IDF was preparing for nothing less than "decisive victory".

"We are going to increase and enhance the strikes of our operation, and that is why we called you," he said. "We will not stop the war until we defeat this enemy."

On the ground in Gaza on Tuesday, hospital officials said Israeli strikes and fire had killed at least 95 Palestinians since midnight.

Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City reported 35 of the deaths, including nine people who were killed in an air strike in the southern Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood and seven others killed in a strike on a house in the northern neighbourhood of Sheikh Radwan.

The UN has warned that forcing hundreds of thousands of people to move further south is "a recipe for further disaster and could amount to forcible transfer", which would be a war crime.

Global food security experts have confirmed that a famine is occurring in Gaza City and projected that it will expand to the central city of Deir al-Balah and the southern city of Khan Younis by the end of September.

The UN has also said tent camps for the displaced in the south are overcrowded and unsafe, and that southern hospitals are operating at several times their capacity.

In Khan Younis on Tuesday, Nasser hospital said it had received the bodies of 31 people killed by Israeli fire, including 13 who died in two strikes in al-Mawasi and Khan Younis camp.

Medics in the hospital's emergency department told the BBC that most of the casualties being treated were children and elderly.

"We can't deal with any more cases due to high pressure on us and lack of supplies. The CT [scanner] is now broken down, so we are working blindly," one doctor said. "The current situation is catastrophic."

Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry meanwhile said that 13 Palestinians, including three children, had died as a result of malnutrition across the territory over the past 24 hours. That increased the total reported during the war to 361, including 185 in August alone, it added.

The UN has said the famine is a "man-made disaster" and said Israel is obliged under international humanitarian law to ensure food and medical supplies for Gaza's population.

Israel has said there are no restrictions on aid deliveries and has disputed the health ministry's figures on malnutrition-related deaths.

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 63,633 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's health ministry.

Rescuers on helicopters are searching the ruins of remote villages in eastern Afghanistan for survivors of a powerful earthquake that has killed 800 people and injured 1,800 others.

Many are feared trapped under the rubble of their homes after the magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck on Sunday near the country's border with Pakistan.

Authorities searched by air for the second day on Tuesday as roads blocked with debris and the mountainous terrain in the affected areas made land travel difficult.

The Taliban government has appealed for international help. The UN has released emergency funds, while the UK has pledged £1m ($1.3m) in aid.

Sunday's earthquake was one of the strongest to hit Afghanistan in recent years. The country is very prone to earthquakes because it is located on top of a number of fault lines where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet.

In 2023, more than 1,400 people died after a series of 6.3-magnitude earthquakes hit western Afghanistan, near the city of Herat.

Survivors of Sunday's earthquake were brought to a hospital in Jalalabad, which has been overwhelemed with hundreds of patients daily even before the disaster.

Mir Zaman told the BBC that he pulled his dead children out of the rubble by himself.

"It was dark. There was no light. Someone lent me a lamp, and then I used a shovel and pick axe to dig them out. There was no one to help because everyone was affected. So many people died in my village. Some are still buried. Whole families have died," he said.

Two-and-a-half-year-old Maiwand suffered head injuries and blood loss.

"You can see his situation. It's so tragic. The earthquake was deadly. I want the doctors to treat him, to cure him," said the child's uncle, Khawat Gul.

The most recent earthquake hit Afghanistan when it is reeling under severe drought and what the UN calls an unprecedented crisis of hunger.

The country has also experienced massive aid cuts especially from the US this year which is further reducing the aid that many of these people could have got. This disaster couldn't have come at a worse time.

Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy said aid from the UK will be "channelled through experienced partners", the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the International Red Cross.

India delivered 1,000 tents to Kabul, its foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar wrote on X after speaking to his Taliban counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi.

The Indian mission is also helping to move 15 tonnes of food from Kabul to Kunar province, which has been badly hit by the earthquake, he said, adding that India would send more relief items.

China and Switzerland have also pledged support.

Survivors will need housing, shelter and blankets, said Amy Martin, who leads the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Afghanistan.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has left Pyongyang for China, where he will be attending a military parade in the capital Beijing, media reports say.

The "Victory Day" parade, which takes place on Wednesday, will see Kim rub shoulders with China's President Xi Jinping, Russia's Vladimir Putin and other world leaders - making it his first multilateral international meeting.

Kim left the North Korean capital on Monday evening onboard his armoured train, which is said to include a restaurant car serving fine French wines and dishes like fresh lobster.

The train's heavy protection means it travels slowly, and Kim's journey is expected to take up to 24 hours, according to South Korea's Yonhap agency.

Kim's attendance marks the first time a North Korean leader has attended a Chinese military parade since 1959. He will be among 26 other heads of states - including leaders from Myanmar, Iran and Cuba - in attendance.

His attendance is an upgrade from China's last Victory Day parade in 2015, when Pyongyang sent one of its top officials, Choe Ryong-hae.

The reclusive leader rarely travels abroad, with his recent contact with world leaders limited to Putin, who he's met twice since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

He last visited Beijing in 2019 for an event marking the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the countries. That trip also saw him travel by train.

The tradition of travelling via train was started by Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung - who took his own train trips to Vietnam and Eastern Europe.

Kim's father, Kim Jong Il, travelled by train as well as he was reportedly afraid of flying.

According to one South Korean news outlet, the armoured train has around 90 carriages, including conference rooms, audience chambers and bedrooms.

Tens of thousands of military personnel will march in formation through Beijing's historic Tiananmen Square on the day of the parade, which will mark the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War Two and the end of the conflict.

The 70-minute parade is likely to feature China's latest weaponry, including hundreds of aircraft, tanks and anti-drone systems - the first time its military's new force structure is being fully showcased in a parade.

Most Western leaders are not expected to attend the parade, due to their opposition to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has driven the sanctions against Putin's regime.

But it will see leaders from Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam in attendance - further proof of Beijing's concerted efforts to ramp up ties with neighbouring South East Asia.

Just one EU leader will be attending - Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico - while Bulgaria and Hungary will send representatives.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has left Pyongyang for China, where he will be attending a military parade in the capital Beijing, media reports say.

The "Victory Day" parade, which takes place on Wednesday, will see Kim rub shoulders with China's President Xi Jinping, Russia's Vladimir Putin and other world leaders - making it his first multilateral international meeting.

Kim left the North Korean capital on Monday evening onboard his armoured train, which is said to include a restaurant car serving fine French wines and dishes like fresh lobster.

The train's heavy protection means it travels slowly, and Kim's journey is expected to take up to 24 hours, according to South Korea's Yonhap agency.

Kim's attendance marks the first time a North Korean leader has attended a Chinese military parade since 1959. He will be among 26 other heads of states - including leaders from Myanmar, Iran and Cuba - in attendance.

His attendance is an upgrade from China's last Victory Day parade in 2015, when Pyongyang sent one of its top officials, Choe Ryong-hae.

The reclusive leader rarely travels abroad, with his recent contact with world leaders limited to Putin, who he's met twice since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

He last visited Beijing in 2019 for an event marking the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the countries. That trip also saw him travel by train.

The tradition of travelling via train was started by Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung - who took his own train trips to Vietnam and Eastern Europe.

Kim's father, Kim Jong Il, travelled by train as well as he was reportedly afraid of flying.

According to one South Korean news outlet, the armoured train has around 90 carriages, including conference rooms, audience chambers and bedrooms.

Tens of thousands of military personnel will march in formation through Beijing's historic Tiananmen Square on the day of the parade, which will mark the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War Two and the end of the conflict.

The 70-minute parade is likely to feature China's latest weaponry, including hundreds of aircraft, tanks and anti-drone systems - the first time its military's new force structure is being fully showcased in a parade.

Most Western leaders are not expected to attend the parade, due to their opposition to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has driven the sanctions against Putin's regime.

But it will see leaders from Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam in attendance - further proof of Beijing's concerted efforts to ramp up ties with neighbouring South East Asia.

Just one EU leader will be attending - Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico - while Bulgaria and Hungary will send representatives.

Burkina Faso's unelected transitional parliament has passed a bill banning homosexual acts, a little over a year after a draft of an amended family code that criminalised homosexuality was adopted by the country's cabinet.

The new measure unanimously voted through on Monday imposes punishments of up to five years in jail, and has become part of a broader crackdown on same-sex relationships across the continent.

Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala announced on state-run media that, "the law provides for a prison sentence of between two and five years as well as fines".

He added that foreign nationals caught breaking the law would also be deported.

The next step for the legislation is obtaining the signature of the country's military leader Capt Ibrahim Traoré, the Reuters news agency reports.

Capt Traoré seized power in 2022, after forcing another military ruler, Lt Col Paul-Henri Damiba, from office.

The Sahel nation had previously been among just 22 out of 54 African countries that allowed same-sex relations, which are punishable by death or lengthy prison terms in some states.

After gaining independence from France in 1960, Burkina Faso did not inherit anti-homosexuality laws unlike Britain's former colonies on the continent.

The country is socially conservative and religious with less than 10% of people thought to not follow any faith at all.

Burkina Faso's new law is in keeping with increasing crackdowns on LGBT relationships across the continent.

Last year, neighbouring Mali, an ally of Burkina Faso and also ruled by a junta, adopted legislation criminalising homosexuality.

There has been significant backlash and criticism against countries that have toughened their anti-gay stance in recent years, including from the World Bank that had put in place a ban on loaning money to Uganda due to their anti-LGBT stance.

The ban has since been lifted.

Nigeria is also among the countries on the continent that have enacted laws banning homosexuality. Ghana's parliament passed an anti-homosexuality bill last year, but the then-president did not sign it into law.

Of all the countries, Uganda adopted the toughest provisions, making what it describes as "aggravated homosexuality" a capital offense and imposing life sentences for consensual same-sex relations.

More BBC Africa stories about Burkina Faso:

• Why Burkina Faso's junta leader has captured hearts and minds around the world
• Why 'pan-Africanist' influencers pushed rumours of a coup
• How an al-Qaeda offshoot became one of Africa's deadliest militant groups

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica

A federal judge in California has blocked President Donald Trump's deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles.

Trump deployed the troops this summer, despite opposition from California's governor, in response to protests against immigration raids.

US District Judge Charles Breyer ruled on Tuesday that the government had violated the Posse Comitatus Act, which limits the power of the federal government to use military force for domestic matters.

Judge Breyer has put the ruling on hold until 12 September and Trump will likely appeal.

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

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.

Chloe Malle will become the top editor at American Vogue after Dame Anna Wintour stepped aside as editor-in-chief, the publication has announced.

The 39-year-old, daughter of actress Candice Bergen, worked her way up the fashion magazine ranks over the past 14 years to become editor of Vogue.com and host the magazine's podcast The Run Through.

Malle's appointment marks a new era for the magazine, considered one of the most influential and glamorous fashion publications.

Wintour, the British-born fashion magnate, announced she was leaving the role in June after holding the position for 37 years. The magazine said she would retain senior positions at its publisher.

During her tenure at Vogue, Malle has reportedly been responsible for securing the magazine's photoshoot with Naomi Biden for her 2022 White House wedding, as well as an interview with Lauren Sanchez ahead of her wedding to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

Before she began at Vogue, Malle covered real estate for the New York Observer. Her next gig as a freelance writer led her to Vogue where she began a full time position as the social editor in 2011.

"I was hesitant when I was interviewing, because fashion is not one of my main interests in life, and I wanted to be a writer more than an editor, but I was so seduced by the Vogue machine that I couldn't resist," Malle told the publication Into the Gloss in 2013.

Like her predecessor, Dame Anna, Malle has not shied away from politics while at Vogue.

Both on her social media and on her podcast she has supported Democratic causes and candidates.

During a 2024 episode of her podcast, which aired after Donald Trump was re-elected as US president, Malle expressed her disappointment with the election result.

It is unclear exactly when the transition from Dame Anna to Malle as chief of the magazine will be, but the 75-year-old is not completely leaving the picture.

Dame Anna will remain publisher Condé Nast's chief content officer, a role she was appointed to in 2020, which means she will still oversee Vogue's content, along with the company's other titles such as GQ, Wired and Tatler.

As many as six candidates for Germany's far-right AfD have died in recent weeks ahead of local elections in the big western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Police have made clear there is no evidence of foul play in the deaths, but it means that new ballots will have to be printed and some postal voters will have to recast their ballots.

North Rhine-Westphalia has a population of 18 million and a reported 20,000 candidates will run for office in its 14 September local elections.

The number of deaths has nevertheless raised questions on social media. The state's interior ministry has pointed out that candidates from other parties, including the Greens and Social Democrats, have also died.

The AfD became Germany's second biggest party in February's federal elections, spreading from its eastern heartland to areas of the west too.

The domestic spy agency classified it in May as a right-wing extremist organisation this year, before placing a pause on that description. In three eastern states, its AfD associations are still listed as extremist.

Initial reports centred on news that four of its candidates had died, and then the deaths of two reserve candidates also emerged, prompting a flurry of conspiracy theories on social media.

AfD co-leader Alice Weidel made no effort to quash the speculation, reposting a claim by retired economist Stefan Homburg that the number of candidates' deaths was "statistically almost impossible".

However, asked about the rumours in his party, the AfD's number two figure in North Rhine-Westphalia, Kay Gottschalk, acknowledged on Tuesday that "what I have in front of me - but that's just partial information - that doesn't back up these suspicions at the moment".

He told Politico's Berlin Playbook Podcast that his party wanted the cases to be investigated "without immediately getting into conspiracy-theory territory". He said they had to tread carefully with the families concerned as they had lost a family member.

Police told Germany's DPA news agency that the four initial deaths were either from natural causes or the cause was not being divulged for reasons of family privacy. The two further deaths have been similarly described.

AfD strategists are hoping for gains in North Rhine-Westphalia's local elections, which are seen as the first test of voters since the new federal government came to power.

In the last state elections in May 2022, the AfD polled just 5.4% in a region that is home to Germany's industrial heartland in the Ruhr valley and has suffered from steep job losses.

The AfD polled 16.8% in the state in federal elections last February and polls suggest the party could almost match those numbers.

The party has found support among several leading US figures on the right who have accused the German government of trying to suppress the AfD through bureaucracy.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk, who endorsed the far-right party's migration policies earlier this year, has repeated his support for the AfD in recent days.

"Either Germany votes AfD, or it is the end of Germany," he claimed.

An Australian man is facing theft charges after police uncovered a "significant" trove of Lego and toys worth $250,000 (£120,800; $163,400) allegedly stolen from department stores in Adelaide.

About 2,500 items, including 1,700 unopened boxes of Lego, were found when South Australian police raided a Royal Park home on Saturday.

The haul - which police say was going to be sold online - was the largest seized during an operation targeting retail theft in the state, and so big that extra officers were called in to help remove the loot, which filled three truck loads.

The 41-year-old man charged over the stash will appear in Port Adelaide Magistrates Court on 30 September.

Apart from the Lego, other stolen items included soft toys, water guns and toy trucks with brands such as Pokémon, Barbie, Hello Kitty and Thomas the Tank Engine.

"The size of the haul is significant and indicates the depth of the alleged offending," John De Candia from South Australia Police said.

He said the operation - which sees shops team up with police to catch alleged thieves - targets repeat offenders as well as those who use violence and threats when stealing.

As the stolen items were believed to be bound for online sales, police urged consumers to not buy cheap goods from the web.

"This type of theft is not victimless," De Candia said. "Those who purchase cheap goods from online sites are unwittingly facilitating this crime and we would urge them to consider this.''

Police said the operation has seen a drop in shop thefts in recent months in South Australia, with officers making about 2,500 arrests.

Retail crime across the globe has surged in recent years, with a survey showing reports by retailers of customer theft in the UK rose by 3.7 million to 20.4 million, in the 12 months to September 2024, costing retailers an estimated £2bn.

Thousands of commuters in one of India's wealthiest suburbs were stuck on roads for six to eight hours due to rain-triggered traffic gridlock on Monday.

The incident has sparked outrage online, with many questioning how a place like Gurugram - known for its futuristic skyscrapers and sprawling corporate offices - could have such poor infrastructure.

Disaster management authorities in the suburb, which is located on the outskirts of capital Delhi, have advised offices, schools and colleges to work from home on Tuesday as more rainfall is predicted.

Torrential rains have wreaked havoc in several parts of India this year, killing hundreds of people in floods and landslides.

Many people took to social media to express their frustration with Gurugram's "nightmarish" traffic, which was more than 10km (6.2 miles) long on one road, according to local media.

A viral video shows a never-ending row of cars clogging at least a dozen lanes of a key highway.

"Gurugram is drowning. You pay exorbitant rent to come home to this," one user said on X.

Some users joked about whether they should just sleep in office and others said they'd probably reach faster on foot.

Gurugram is part of Haryana state, which is ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Frustrated residents raised questions about why the state has not been able to improve infrastructure in the city, which houses the regional headquarters of some of the biggest companies, including Google, Meta, American Express and Samsung.

Meanwhile, weather warnings have also been issued in Delhi and surrounding cities.

The Yamuna river, which passes through the city, has crossed the danger mark over the past few days, flooding some low-lying areas. Authorities have been urging people living there to move to safer places.

The Old Railway Bridge, which connects two sides of the river, has been closed due to the rising water level.

In a social media post on Monday, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta assured residents that the situation was being closely monitored.

India regularly witnesses severe floods during the monsoon season, which runs between June and September. But officials say the intensity of rains this season has been significantly higher.

Rains have also battered other states like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, and parts of Indian-administered Kashmir.

At least 29 people have died due to flooding in Punjab where more rains are predicted on Tuesday.

Data released by Himachal Pradesh's disaster management authority shows that 310 people have been killed in rain-related incidents – like flash floods, landslides, and road accidents - in the state since June 2025.

Last month, at least 46 people were killed in a village hosting Hindu pilgrims in Indian-administered Kashmir.

On 5 August, nearly half of the village of Dharali, in Uttarakhand state, was submerged after it was hit by a massive flash flood.

French actor Gérard Depardieu has been ordered to stand trial over allegations of rape and sexual assault in 2018.

His accuser, actor Charlotte Arnould, said she was relieved the case was going to court, seven years after she filed a complaint.

Depardieu, 76, has denied the charges, insisting his relationship with Arnould was consensual.

He was convicted in May of sexually assaulting two members of a film production crew four years ago - and placed on a list of sex offenders, but not jailed. He had denied their allegations.

"Seven years later, seven years of horror and hell... I think I'm having trouble realising how huge this is. I'm relieved," Arnould wrote in a social media post.

Arnould's lawyer, Carine Durrieu Diebolt, confirmed Depardieu had been ordered to stand trial for the alleged assault and rape by digital penetration of Arnould on two occasions at his Paris home in August 2018.

"My client and I are relieved and confident. This is a form of judicial truth for Charlotte while she awaits the criminal trial," she said.

The trial's date has not yet been set.

In a letter published in Le Figaro in 2023, Depardieu denied the allegations, writing: "Never, ever, have I abused a woman."

"There was never any coercion, violence, or protest between us," he said, referring to Arnould.

The case was initially dismissed for insufficient evidence, but after Arnould filed a complaint as a civil party, a judicial investigation was opened in the summer of 2020.

Ghana's President John Mahama has fired the country's Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo following a recommendation by an inquiry.

She had been on suspension since April after complaints were lodged against her in petitions by three individuals, with the president setting up a five-member committee to investigate.

The commission found that "grounds of stated misbehaviour... had been established and recommended her removal from office", the presidency said in a statement on Monday. Ms Torkornoo has dismissed the allegations as unfounded and politically motivated.

The presidency said Mahama was required to act in accordance with the committee's recommendations.

To arrive at its conclusion, the panel reviewed 10,000 pages of evidence from 13 witnesses on behalf of petitioner Daniel Ofori. The chief justice also testified and called 12 other witnesses, including experts.

The two other petitions have not been concluded.

Ms Torkornoo, Ghana's third female chief justice, was nominated in 2023 by former President Nana Akufo-Addo.

She is the first sitting chief justice to be investigated and dismissed.

Chief justices in Ghana enjoy security of tenure - meaning they can only be removed from office on a few grounds, which include incompetence and misbehaviour.

In April, the opposition New Patriotic Party condemned her suspension at the time, describing it as a political witch hunt and an attempt to undermine judicial independence.

Multiple lawsuits challenging the removal process were unsuccessful.

She had previously survived a removal request under Akufo-Addo, who found the petition to have "several deficiencies".

She had been accused of bias in some of her rulings by the current governing party, which was then in opposition.

A former deputy attorney general, Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, has criticised the decision to remove the chief justice saying it set a "dangerous precedent", the AFP news agency reports.

"The petition that I read showed no proper grounds to warrant her removal… If the threshold is what we read in the petition, then I fear for the future of the judiciary," he is quoted as saying.

You may also be interested in:

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A 6.0 magnitude earthquake has struck Afghanistan's mountainous eastern region, with authorities saying hundreds of people have been killed.

The quake hit at 23:47 local time on Sunday (19:17 GMT) with its epicentre 27km (17 miles) away from Jalalabad, the country's fifth-largest city, in eastern Nangarhar province.

It was shallow - only 8km deep - and was felt 140km away in the capital, Kabul, as well as in neighbouring Pakistan. Hundreds of people are thought to have died.

The initial quake was followed by a number of large aftershocks, which are thought to have caused further deaths.

Details are still emerging and it could be some time before the extent of the damage and number of deaths is known.

What we know so far

Initial reports indicate significant casualties and widespread damage across parts of the far western Nangarhar and Kunar provinces of Afghanistan.

These mountainous areas are extremely challenging to reach even at the best of times, which is hampering rescue and relief operations.

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More than 800 people are feared dead, the Taliban's interior ministry has said, but warns that there is still no clear death toll. There are reports that hundreds more have been injured.

The BBC has been told that the road leading to the epicentre has been blocked because of a landslide, so the Taliban government is using helicopters to get people out.

Multiple sources from the government have said that dozens of houses are buried under the rubble. Aid from international organisations has been requested.

Access by road to the worst-hit areas remains blocked, but hundreds of homes are likely to have been destroyed, according to Salam Al Janabi from the UN children's charity Unicef.

The aid organisation World Vision says that entire villages in Chawki and Nurgal regions - both in Kunar province - have been completely or partially destroyed, with homes made of mud and timber collapsing and trapping residents under rubble.

An official in Nurgal told the news agency AFP that many of those living in the quake-hit villages had returned to the country from Iran and Pakistan in recent years. Both nations have stepped up efforts to deport more than a million Afghans - many of whom had initially fled the country to escape violence.

The earthquake came in the wake of flash flooding over the weekend which left at least five dead, according to local media. The flood, which caused landslides and damaged infrastructure, also temporarily disrupted traffic between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Why news is taking time to emerge

As we have reported, the nature of the terrain means it is difficult to access and there are limited communications - meaning it will take longer to get updates on the situation. There is also likely to be damage to infrastructure, making it even harder to reach affected areas.

During previous major earthquakes, the death toll jumped up steeply once access to the affected areas was established.

However, there are other factors that hamper both our ability to get accurate information about the situation and in getting aid into the affected areas.

Since August 2021 the country has been under the control of the Taliban, whose government most of the world does not recognise.

The return of the hardline Islamist group to power sparked an exodus of international journalists, with organisations like the BBC pulling many of their staff from the country.

Several aid agencies and NGOs also suspended their work in Afghanistan as a result - meaning there are fewer ways to verify what is happening there.

However, there are no restrictions on allowing in international aid.

Can Afghanistan cope?

Afghanistan was pushed into economic collapse when the Taliban took over and more than 23 million Afghans are now in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the International Rescue Committee.

Most foreign donations to Afghanistan have been suspended and international sanctions, which date back to when the Taliban were first in power in the 1990s, are still in place - although exemptions have been made for humanitarian relief.

Prior to the Taliban takeover, about 80% of Afghanistan's budget came from foreign donors. This funded nearly all public healthcare, which has since collapsed.

Jalalabad's main hospital - the biggest medical facility close to the epicentre - is already overwhelmed, being right at the centre of the crossing point for the tens of thousands of Afghans being deported from neighbouring Pakistan.

Afghanistan's financial assets abroad (mainly held in the US) have also been frozen, while the abrupt freeze on US Agency for International Development (USAID) earlier this year has significantly affected aid delivery.

Why are women and girls particularly at risk?

There are concerns that the health and safety of women and girls could be at greater risk due to the restrictions placed on them by the Taliban government.

These "continue to limit their access to life-saving services, leaving them [women and girls] among the most vulnerable in the aftermath of the quake", said Graham Davison, head of the Afghanistan branch of the international aid group Care.

Kunar is a very conservative area, so for cultural reasons, women might end up being treated later. It is feared some women may have chosen to stay, or wait for daylight to be taken to hospital by their families.

The powerful earthquake in the Paktika province of 2022 saw the number of injured women in hospitals rise two days after the earthquake.

It is also important to note that there are no female rescuers on the ground.

Why are earthquakes particularly damaging in Afghanistan?

Afghanistan is very prone to earthquakes because it is located on top of a number of fault lines where the Indian and Eurasian plates meet.

Earthquakes happen when there is sudden movement along the tectonic plates which make up the Earth's surface. Fractures called fault lines occur where the plates collide.

In 2023, a series of quakes in Herat province killed more than 1,000 people. In 2022, Paktika province was struck by a quake which also killed more than 1,000.

Shallow earthquakes are common in the country and are more destructive, as seismic waves have less of a distance to travel to the Earth's surface and therefore retain much of their power.

Buildings in Afghanistan also tend to be made of timber, mud brick or weak concrete, which are not quake-resistant.

A lot of damage also comes from landslides caused by earthquakes, which can flatten houses in mountain villages and block rivers, causing flooding.

The price of gold has hit a record high as demand for the precious metal remains strong amid global economic uncertainty.

The spot gold price hit $3,508.50 per ounce early on Tuesday, continuing its upwards trend which has seen it rise by nearly a third this year.

The precious metal is viewed as a safer asset for investors during times of economic uncertainty, and its price rose earlier this year after US President Donald Trump announced wide ranging tariffs which have upset global trade.

Analysts say the price has also been lifted by expectations that the US central bank will cut its key interest rate, making gold an even more attractive prospect for investors.

Adrian Ash, director of research at BullionVault, told the BBC's Today programme that the rise in gold prices over the past few months is really down to Trump and "what he's done to geopolitics [and] what he's done to global trade".

"It was really the US election last year that really put a fire under it," he said.

Analysts also cite worries over the independence of the US central bank, the Federal Reserve, as another factor driving the gold price.

Trump has launched repeated attacks on the Federal Reserve's chair, Jerome Powell, and recently attempted to fire one of its governors, Lisa Cook.

Derren Nathan from Hargreaves Lansdown said it was Trump's "attempts to undermine the independence of the Federal Reserve Bank" that was "driving renewed interest in safe haven assets including gold".

On Monday, the head of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde warned that if Trump were to undermine the independence of the Fed, it would represent a "very serious danger" to the global economy.

She said if the Fed was forced to respond to Trump's politics, it would have a "very worrying" impact on economic stability in the US, and therefore in the rest of the world as well.

Mr Ash added that when the price of gold surges because of investor interest, it was usually tempered by a slowdown in buying from China and India - two of the biggest markets for gold jewellery.

But this time, he said gold was continuing to find demand in China and India as, rather than exiting the market during times of high prices, jewellery buyers turn towards buying investment gold products such as bars or coins.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have kicked off bilateral talks in Beijing, on the eve of a massive military parade in the Chinese capital.

Putin hailed relations between both countries saying they were on an "unprecedented level", adding that their "close communication reflects the strategic nature of Russian-Chinese ties."

"Dear friend, both I and the entire Russian delegation are pleased to meet once again with our Chinese friends and colleagues," Putin told Xi, according to a video published on the Kremlin's official Telegram messaging app.

"Our close communication reflects the strategic nature of Russia-China relations, which are at an unprecedentedly high level."

"We were always together then, and we remain together now," Putin added.

Xi told Putin that "China-Russia relations have withstood the test of international changes" - adding that Beijing was willing to work with Moscow to "promote the construction of a more just and reasonable global governance system".

Xi is set to host China's largest-ever military parade on Wednesday, which will mark the 80th anniversary of the surrender of the Japanese in China at the end of World War Two.

It comes at a time when Xi seeks to project Beijing's power on the international stage - not just as the world's second-largest economy, but also as a diplomatic heavyweight.

He has emphasised China's role as a stable trading partner while US president Donald Trump's tariffs have upended economic relationships.

Xi is now hosting Putin in Beijing while a deal with the Russian leader to end the war in Ukraine continues to elude Trump.

Xi and Putin criticised Western governments during the summit on Monday, with Xi slamming "bullying behaviour" from certain countries - a veiled reference to the US - while Putin defended Russia's Ukraine offensive and blamed the West for triggering the conflict.

The two leaders met in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.

The stage is set in the heart of Beijing for a grand display of power and military might that has been choreographed by President Xi Jinping.

Eight huge Chinese flags flutter and flank the portrait of Mao Zedong, the founder of Communist China, which sits on top of the Gate of Heavenly Peace overlooking Tiananmen Square, one of the largest public squares in the world.

Below are rows of seats reserved for 26 foreign heads of state, including Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un, whose attendance is a diplomatic win for Xi.

Across the road, near the Great Hall of the People, two huge floral arrangements commemorating the end of World War II rise up alongside seating for around 50,000 invitees.

On the last day of preparations - Monday - Chang'an Avenue, the multi-lane road that cuts through the square was once again open to the public. Drivers and cyclists held their phones aloft trying their best to capture the scene.

Ostensibly the parade marks 80 years of Japan's surrender in the war, and China's victory against an occupying force. But it's so much more than that for President Xi.

This is a big week for him, with quite a few firsts. He enticed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit China over the weekend for the first time in seven years, rebooting a key economic and strategic relationship.

More than 20 world leaders attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, which just concluded - its largest ever gathering.

And a North Korean leader will attend a Chinese military parade for the first time since 1959.

The Chinese leader is having his moment in the spotlight.

The SCO summit in Tianjin has allowed him to project power and offer a vision of a new world order which he hopes will challenge the United States. Now attention turns to the parade in Beijing, which will showcase his country's growing ability to rival the US in any conflict.

The leaders of Iran, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mongolia, Indonesia, Zimbabwe and central Asian countries will witness the precise troop formations and get a glimpse of what authorities say will be new hypersonic weapons and unmanned underwater drones. The only western leaders on the guest list are from Serbia and Slovakia.

Kim Jong Un is a surprise addition - his attendance was only announced at the end of last week - and his armoured train and usual motorcade flanked by bodyguards will add to the spectacle.

Xi is expected to have both Kim and Putin by his side which will inevitably lead to western headlines or analysts describing them as the "axis of upheaval".

While the parade is a show of China's strength and Xi's influence as a world leader, there is also a clear domestic message: pride and patriotism.

China describes World War II as the "people's war of resistance against Japanese aggression", although much of the resistance was not from the Communist Party, but from the nationalists who later lost the civil war to Mao and his forces, and have been largely scrubbed from national memory.

In the run-up to the anniversary, several films have been released depicting this struggle, some of which have been box office hits. State media has been publishing reports to "foster a right view of WWII history".

The campaign has caused some friction with Japan. Last week, Beijing lodged a protest with Tokyo over reports that Japan had asked European and Asian governments not to attend the parade.

All of this appears to be part of a rallying cry to the nation, as China struggles with a sluggish economy, youth unemployment and plummeting house prices. Demand is weak and the most recent data suggests Trump's tariffs are hitting factory output. And the "anti-corruption" drive continues, with reports of high-ranking officials being investigated.

There is discontent, even disillusionment, especially among young people and it has seeped through, even on the tightly-controlled Chinese internet.

The fear that this could spill into the real world is partly what has been driving the extra-cautious preparations, which have become a demonstration of the Party's control of a capital city home to more than 21 million people. The city has grown quieter as the parade draws closer.

Airport security scanners have been installed in some office entrances. All drones are banned and international journalists have been visited at home, some on multiple occasions, to ensure they get the message.

Guards have been stationed 24 hours a day at the entrances to overpasses and bridges to prevent any protests, some of them in army uniforms.

Three years ago, when the Party chose Xi as its leader for a historic third term, a protester unfurled a banner over a major highway bridge criticising Xi and calling for his ouster. He was taken away instantly and we still don't know what happened to him.

But that is a moment the Party does not want to relive.

Communist Party officials have spent months planning and preparing for their first military parade in six years. More than 200,000 flags have been put up across the capital.

More floral arrangements depicting China's fight against Japan sit proudly on prominent roadsides and roundabouts. There's even a new city "lightscape" to brighten buildings in the business district.

Officials from the Parade Command Office have said "the overarching principle... is to avoid disturbing the public as much as possible".

But for those living in Beijing, the parade has upturned life.

Tanks could be heard rolling down the streets during weekly overnight rehearsals and the sounds of marching echoed far beyond the parade route.

People living near Chang'an Avenue, which leads to Tiananmen square, were told to stay off their balconies to ensure the rehearsals could be held in secrecy.

Schools, businesses and hotels along the parade route will be closed for the next two days. There are multiple road diversions and subway line closures, which have effectively paralysed transport into and out of the city centre.

Even getting hold of a shared city bike, often the best way to get around Beijing, can now be troublesome. Usually there are hundreds of them lined up outside subway stations, and along pavements. But recently city workers have been scooping them up to move them further away from the parade route. Trying to hire the odd one left behind is not an option: the bike will not move.

There have been reports in the past that China has used its air force to ensure there are blue skies for the parade. The aircraft can manipulate weather to trigger rain through cloud-seeding one or two days in advance, to make sure it's clear afterwards.

It's hard to know if this tactic has been used this year, but forecasters are predicting clear skies. Officials in Beijing are taking no chances on President Xi's big day.

A landslide has killed at least 1,000 people in the remote Marra Mountains in western Sudan, according to the rebel group The Sudan Liberation Movement/Army.

Days of heavy rain triggered the landslide on Sunday, which left just one survivor and "levelled" much of the village of Tarasin, the group said in a statement.

The movement has appealed for humanitarian assistance from the United Nations and other regional and international organisations.

Many residents from North Darfur state had sought refuge in the Marra Mountains region, after war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) forced them from their homes.

Civil war that broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the RSF has plunged the country into famine and has led to accusations of genocide in the western Darfur region.

Estimates for death toll from the civil war vary significantly, but a US official last year estimated up to 150,000 people had been killed since hostilities began in 2023. About 12 million have fled their homes.

Factions of the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army, which controls the area where the landslide occurred, have pledged to fight alongside the Sudanese military against the RSF.

Many Darfuris believe the RSF and allied militias have waged a war aimed at transforming the ethnically mixed region into an Arab-ruled domain.

The stage is set in the heart of Beijing for a grand display of power and military might that has been choreographed by President Xi Jinping.

Eight huge Chinese flags flutter and flank the portrait of Mao Zedong, the founder of Communist China, which sits on top of the Gate of Heavenly Peace overlooking Tiananmen Square, one of the largest public squares in the world.

Below are rows of seats reserved for 26 foreign heads of state, including Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un, whose attendance is a diplomatic win for Xi.

Across the road, near the Great Hall of the People, two huge floral arrangements commemorating the end of World War II rise up alongside seating for around 50,000 invitees.

On the last day of preparations - Monday - Chang'an Avenue, the multi-lane road that cuts through the square was once again open to the public. Drivers and cyclists held their phones aloft trying their best to capture the scene.

Ostensibly the parade marks 80 years of Japan's surrender in the war, and China's victory against an occupying force. But it's so much more than that for President Xi.

This is a big week for him, with quite a few firsts. He enticed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit China over the weekend for the first time in seven years, rebooting a key economic and strategic relationship.

More than 20 world leaders attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, which just concluded - its largest ever gathering.

And a North Korean leader will attend a Chinese military parade for the first time since 1959.

The Chinese leader is having his moment in the spotlight.

The SCO summit in Tianjin has allowed him to project power and offer a vision of a new world order which he hopes will challenge the United States. Now attention turns to the parade in Beijing, which will showcase his country's growing ability to rival the US in any conflict.

The leaders of Iran, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mongolia, Indonesia, Zimbabwe and central Asian countries will witness the precise troop formations and get a glimpse of what authorities say will be new hypersonic weapons and unmanned underwater drones. The only western leaders on the guest list are from Serbia and Slovakia.

Kim Jong Un is a surprise addition - his attendance was only announced at the end of last week - and his armoured train and usual motorcade flanked by bodyguards will add to the spectacle.

Xi is expected to have both Kim and Putin by his side which will inevitably lead to western headlines or analysts describing them as the "axis of upheaval".

While the parade is a show of China's strength and Xi's influence as a world leader, there is also a clear domestic message: pride and patriotism.

China describes World War II as the "people's war of resistance against Japanese aggression", although much of the resistance was not from the Communist Party, but from the nationalists who later lost the civil war to Mao and his forces, and have been largely scrubbed from national memory.

In the run-up to the anniversary, several films have been released depicting this struggle, some of which have been box office hits. State media has been publishing reports to "foster a right view of WWII history".

The campaign has caused some friction with Japan. Last week, Beijing lodged a protest with Tokyo over reports that Japan had asked European and Asian governments not to attend the parade.

All of this appears to be part of a rallying cry to the nation, as China struggles with a sluggish economy, youth unemployment and plummeting house prices. Demand is weak and the most recent data suggests Trump's tariffs are hitting factory output. And the "anti-corruption" drive continues, with reports of high-ranking officials being investigated.

There is discontent, even disillusionment, especially among young people and it has seeped through, even on the tightly-controlled Chinese internet.

The fear that this could spill into the real world is partly what has been driving the extra-cautious preparations, which have become a demonstration of the Party's control of a capital city home to more than 21 million people. The city has grown quieter as the parade draws closer.

Airport security scanners have been installed in some office entrances. All drones are banned and international journalists have been visited at home, some on multiple occasions, to ensure they get the message.

Guards have been stationed 24 hours a day at the entrances to overpasses and bridges to prevent any protests, some of them in army uniforms.

Three years ago, when the Party chose Xi as its leader for a historic third term, a protester unfurled a banner over a major highway bridge criticising Xi and calling for his ouster. He was taken away instantly and we still don't know what happened to him.

But that is a moment the Party does not want to relive.

Communist Party officials have spent months planning and preparing for their first military parade in six years. More than 200,000 flags have been put up across the capital.

More floral arrangements depicting China's fight against Japan sit proudly on prominent roadsides and roundabouts. There's even a new city "lightscape" to brighten buildings in the business district.

Officials from the Parade Command Office have said "the overarching principle... is to avoid disturbing the public as much as possible".

But for those living in Beijing, the parade has upturned life.

Tanks could be heard rolling down the streets during weekly overnight rehearsals and the sounds of marching echoed far beyond the parade route.

People living near Chang'an Avenue, which leads to Tiananmen square, were told to stay off their balconies to ensure the rehearsals could be held in secrecy.

Schools, businesses and hotels along the parade route will be closed for the next two days. There are multiple road diversions and subway line closures, which have effectively paralysed transport into and out of the city centre.

Even getting hold of a shared city bike, often the best way to get around Beijing, can now be troublesome. Usually there are hundreds of them lined up outside subway stations, and along pavements. But recently city workers have been scooping them up to move them further away from the parade route. Trying to hire the odd one left behind is not an option: the bike will not move.

There have been reports in the past that China has used its air force to ensure there are blue skies for the parade. The aircraft can manipulate weather to trigger rain through cloud-seeding one or two days in advance, to make sure it's clear afterwards.

It's hard to know if this tactic has been used this year, but forecasters are predicting clear skies. Officials in Beijing are taking no chances on President Xi's big day.

Rescuers on helicopters are searching the ruins of remote villages in eastern Afghanistan for survivors of a powerful earthquake that has killed 800 people and injured 1,800 others.

Many are feared trapped under the rubble of their homes after the magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck on Sunday near the country's border with Pakistan.

Authorities searched by air for the second day on Tuesday as roads blocked with debris and the mountainous terrain in the affected areas made land travel difficult.

The Taliban government has appealed for international help. The UN has released emergency funds, while the UK has pledged £1m ($1.3m) in aid.

Sunday's earthquake was one of the strongest to hit Afghanistan in recent years. The country is very prone to earthquakes because it is located on top of a number of fault lines where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet.

In 2023, more than 1,400 people died after a series of 6.3-magnitude earthquakes hit western Afghanistan, near the city of Herat.

Survivors of Sunday's earthquake were brought to a hospital in Jalalabad, which has been overwhelemed with hundreds of patients daily even before the disaster.

Mir Zaman told the BBC that he pulled his dead children out of the rubble by himself.

"It was dark. There was no light. Someone lent me a lamp, and then I used a shovel and pick axe to dig them out. There was no one to help because everyone was affected. So many people died in my village. Some are still buried. Whole families have died," he said.

Two-and-a-half-year-old Maiwand suffered head injuries and blood loss.

"You can see his situation. It's so tragic. The earthquake was deadly. I want the doctors to treat him, to cure him," said the child's uncle, Khawat Gul.

The most recent earthquake hit Afghanistan when it is reeling under severe drought and what the UN calls an unprecedented crisis of hunger.

The country has also experienced massive aid cuts especially from the US this year which is further reducing the aid that many of these people could have got. This disaster couldn't have come at a worse time.

Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy said aid from the UK will be "channelled through experienced partners", the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the International Red Cross.

India delivered 1,000 tents to Kabul, its foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar wrote on X after speaking to his Taliban counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi.

The Indian mission is also helping to move 15 tonnes of food from Kabul to Kunar province, which has been badly hit by the earthquake, he said, adding that India would send more relief items.

China and Switzerland have also pledged support.

Survivors will need housing, shelter and blankets, said Amy Martin, who leads the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Afghanistan.

Graham Greene, the Canadian First Nations actor who starred in films including Dances With Wolves, has died aged 73, his manager says.

"It is with deep sadness we announce the peaceful passing of award-winning legendary Canadian actor Graham Greene," Gerry Jordan said in a statement to CBC News. The outlet reported he died of natural causes.

Greene scored an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Kevin Costner's 1990 epic western, where he played Kicking Bird.

He was a member of the Oneida Nation, part of the Six Nations Reserve in southern Ontario.

Greene worked as a draftsman, civil technologist, steelworker and rock-band crew member before starting his career in theatre in the UK in the 1970s.

In a 2012 interview with Canadian publication Playback, he credited theatre with giving him a grounding for acting.

"It helps you build a character. When you get into film you don't have that luxury. The discipline of theatre is what I recommend to all actors."

In the same interview, he said a key moment for him came when he married his wife Hilary Blackmore, which led to "the best time of my life".

His breakthrough came in 1990 when he played Kicking Bird, a Lakota medicine man, in Dances With Wolves. Greene won widespread acclaim for the role.

He also appeared in the 1992 western thriller Thunderheart, playing tribal officer Walter Crow Horse.

In the 1999 fantasy drama The Green Mile, Greene played Arlen Bitterbuck, a Native American man on death row in prison.

He also starred in Die Hard With A Vengeance (1995), Maverick (1994), The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) and Wind River (2017).

He picked up numerous awards through his storied career, including the Earle Grey Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Academy of Canadian Film and Television in 2004.

In 2016, he was inducted into the Order of Canada, the country's second highest civilian honour.

US President Donald Trump says India has offered to cut its tariffs "to nothing" even as he called the current trade stalemate with the country "a totally one sided disaster".

US tariffs of 50% on goods from India - which includes 25% penalty for Delhi's refusal to stop buying oil from Russia - took effect last week.

India has not responded to Trump's latest comment but such war of words over Russian oil has caused Delhi-Washington ties to hit an all-time low.

Trump's comment coincides with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin where he met Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Washington says Delhi has been indirectly funding Russia's war in Ukraine.

"India buys most of its oil and military products from Russia, very little from the US," Trump wrote, adding Delhi should have cut tariffs "years ago".

Delhi has previously said that oil supply from Russia was vital to meet the energy needs of its vast population.

It has also called the tariffs "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable".

Last week, the country's commerce minister, Piyush Goyal, said India "will neither bow down nor ever appear weak" in its economic relationships with other countries.

He also said the country was ready to a have a free-trade agreement with anyone who wanted it.

On Monday, Trump wrote: "What few people understand is that we do very little business with India, but they do a tremendous amount of business with us. In other words, they sell us massive amounts of goods, their biggest "client," but we sell them very little - Until now a totally one sided relationship, and it has been for many decades."

• Modi and Xi meet: Trump as the wildcard and other takeaways
• Reeling from Trump's tariffs, India and China seek a business reboot

The US was, until recently, India's largest trading partner and the tariffs have sparked fears that exports and growth in the world's fifth largest economy could suffer.

At the SCO summit, Modi was seen shaking hands with Putin ahead of a meeting hosted by Xi.

The SCO, whose members include China, India, Iran, Pakistan and Russia, is seen as a challenge to Trump and US dominance on a global level.

Putin and Modi later spent 45 minutes inside the Russian leader's car - after which Modi posted a picture of their journey alongside the compliment to Putin.

The Indian PM said he had an "insightful" exchange with Putin.

The coup trial of Brazil's right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro will enter its final stage on Tuesday.

He is accused of masterminding an attempt to stay in power after losing his bid for re-election in 2022, which culminated in his supporters breaking into and vandalising government buildings in the capital, Brasília.

A panel of five Supreme Court judges is expected to reach a verdict by 12 September.

Bolsonaro has always denied any wrongdoing and said the charges were politically motivated.

His cause has been adopted by US President Donald Trump, who has called the trial a "witch-hunt", using it as justification for imposing 50% tariffs on some Brazilian goods and sanctioning the Supreme Court judge leading the proceedings.

If convicted, Bolsonaro could face more than 40 years in prison. It is expected he could be present in court for at least the first and last day of this final phase of the trial.

He and seven other defendants who worked closely with him in government face five counts, all related to attempting a coup.

Bolsonaro has been charged with leading an armed criminal organisation, attempting the violent abolition of the democratic state of law, an attempted coup, damage to federal property, and the deterioration of listed heritage. Each charge could lead to sentences of multiple years.

The allegations date back to before his supporters stormed government buildings on 8 January 2023.

Following an extensive investigation, police alleged that he and other officials had been planning acts to abolish the democratic rule of law and keep him in power as early as 2019.

Police say he had "full knowledge" of a plan to assassinate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva - who at the time was the president-elect - along with Lula's running mate and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.

The investigators cited a dialogue captured between the alleged conspirators and meetings at the presidential residence that they say support the charges.

Jair Bolsonaro is also accused of calling a meeting with top commanders of the armed forces in December 2022, in which he allegedly presented them with a proposed coup plan and asked them to join.

The army and air force commanders refused, but Navy Commander Almir Garnier Santos – a co-defendant in the trial – expressed support, according to police. The commander has denied the allegations.

Bolsonaro and his allies, including his former defence minister Walter Braga Netto, are also accused of encouraging Bolsonaro's allies to attack the armed forces commanders on social media for not joining in the coup plan. Braga Netto has denied any wrongdoing.

Bolsonaro is already banned from running for re-election in Brazil's next elections in 2026 after using social media and state television to cast doubt on Brazil's electoral system and electronic voting machines without evidence.

After Bolsonaro very narrowly lost the 2022 election to Lula, his supporters staged protests and roadblocks across the country.

In the months before the election, he had sowed doubt without evidence on the electoral process, and after the results he did not concede defeat.

On January 8th 2023, a week after Lula's inauguration, crowds of his supporters wearing yellow Brazil football shirts marched through Brasília. They broke into and vandalised Congress, the Supreme Court and the Presidential Palace. It included vandalising statues, smashing glass and setting the chief justice's chair on fire. It led to clashes with police.

Bolsonaro distanced himself from the riots at the time and criticised the methods on social media, but continued to claim the election had been stolen.

He is currently under house arrest, banned from travelling and wears an ankle tag – after authorities expressed concern he may try to flee the country or seek political asylum in an embassy.

Justice Cristiano Zanin, a former lawyer for Lula who is now chairman of the Supreme Court panel tasked with the Bolsonaro trial, will open proceedings at 09:00 local time (12:00 GMT).

He will call on Justice Alexandre de Moraes – whom Mr Bolsonaro sees as his main opponent – to read out a report outlining the case.

The prosecutor general, Paulo Gonet, is expected to then read the charges against Bolsonaro and his co-defendants.

One of the eight men on trial, Bolsonaro's former aide Mauro Cid, has signed a plea deal in exchange for providing evidence and his lawyer will be the first to speak.

The remaining defendants' lawyers will then take their turns to speak on behalf of their respective clients, all of whom have denied the charges against them.

The justices will then cast their votes one by one. A majority of three out of the five votes is needed to find a defendant guilty.

Each judge can recommend a sentence for those found guilty.

Bolsonaro and his co-defendants can appeal to the full Supreme Court if found guilty.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have kicked off bilateral talks in Beijing, on the eve of a massive military parade in the Chinese capital.

Putin hailed relations between both countries saying they were on an "unprecedented level", adding that their "close communication reflects the strategic nature of Russian-Chinese ties."

"Dear friend, both I and the entire Russian delegation are pleased to meet once again with our Chinese friends and colleagues," Putin told Xi, according to a video published on the Kremlin's official Telegram messaging app.

"Our close communication reflects the strategic nature of Russia-China relations, which are at an unprecedentedly high level."

"We were always together then, and we remain together now," Putin added.

Xi told Putin that "China-Russia relations have withstood the test of international changes" - adding that Beijing was willing to work with Moscow to "promote the construction of a more just and reasonable global governance system".

Xi is set to host China's largest-ever military parade on Wednesday, which will mark the 80th anniversary of the surrender of the Japanese in China at the end of World War Two.

It comes at a time when Xi seeks to project Beijing's power on the international stage - not just as the world's second-largest economy, but also as a diplomatic heavyweight.

He has emphasised China's role as a stable trading partner while US president Donald Trump's tariffs have upended economic relationships.

Xi is now hosting Putin in Beijing while a deal with the Russian leader to end the war in Ukraine continues to elude Trump.

Xi and Putin criticised Western governments during the summit on Monday, with Xi slamming "bullying behaviour" from certain countries - a veiled reference to the US - while Putin defended Russia's Ukraine offensive and blamed the West for triggering the conflict.

The two leaders met in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Warning: Contains images some may find upsetting

A computer scientist at a university in the north of England is studying an image of a corpse - attempting to solve a mystery that has gripped the Middle East for nearly 50 years.

"This is what he looks like now?" asks Bradford University's Prof Hassan Ugail doubtfully.

The digitised photo is of a decomposed face and it is about to be run through a special algorithm for our BBC investigation.

The original photo was taken by a journalist who saw the body in a secret mortuary in the Libyan capital in 2011. He was told then that it could be charismatic cleric Musa al-Sadr, who vanished in Libya in 1978.

Sadr's disappearance has spawned endless conspiracy theories. Some people believe he was killed, while others claim he is still alive and being held somewhere in Libya.

For his ardent followers, his disappearance holds the same level of intrigue as the 1963 killing of US President John F Kennedy. Such is the sensitivity of our long investigation that my BBC World Service team and I even found ourselves detained in Libya for several days.

Emotions run high because Sadr is so revered by his followers - both for his political reputation, having advocated on behalf of his native Lebanon's then-marginalised Shia Muslims, and as a wider religious leader.

His followers gave him the title of imam, an unusual honour for a living Shia cleric and one bestowed on him in recognition of his work on behalf of the Shia community.

His mysterious disappearance has added to his emotional power because it echoes the fate - according to the largest branch of Shia Islam, known as Twelvers - of the "hidden" 12th imam, who disappeared in the 9th Century. Twelver Muslims believe the 12th imam did not die and will return at the end of time to bring justice to Earth.

And Sadr's disappearance also arguably changed the fate of the world's most politically, religiously and ethnically volatile region - the Middle East. Some believe the Iranian-Lebanese cleric was on the verge of using his influence to take Iran - and, as a result, the region - in a more moderate direction when he disappeared on the eve of the Iranian revolution.

So there was a lot riding on Bradford University's identification efforts. The journalist who took the photo told us the body was unusually tall - and Sadr was said to be 1.98m (6ft 5in). But the face had barely any identifiable features.

Could we finally solve the mystery?

I am from the village of Yammouneh, high in the mountains of Lebanon, where stories have long been told of the terrible winter of 1968 when, after the community was devastated by an avalanche, Musa al-Sadr waded through deep snow to come to the village's aid.

The wonder with which the villagers share this story today reflects just how mythologised he has become. One told me, referring to his memories as a four-year-old: "It was like a dream… He walked across the snow, followed by all the villagers… I followed him just to touch the Imam's robe."

Back in 1968, Sadr wasn't well known in an isolated village like Yammouneh, but he was slowly garnering a national reputation. By the end of that decade he had become a major figure in Lebanon, known for advocating for interfaith dialogue and national unity.

His status was reflected in the honorary title "imam" bestowed on him by his followers. In 1974, Sadr launched the Movement of the Deprived, a social and political organisation which called for proportional representation for the Shia and social and economic emancipation for the poor, regardless of their religion. So determined was he to avoid sectarianism that he even gave sermons in Christian churches.

On 25 August 1978, Sadr flew to Libya, invited to meet the country's then leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

Three years earlier, Lebanon had erupted into civil war. Palestinian fighters became involved in the sectarian conflict, with many based in Lebanon's south, where most of Sadr's followers lived. The Palestinians had begun exchanging fire with Israel across the border, and Sadr wanted Gaddafi, who supported the Palestinians, to intervene to keep Lebanon's civilians safe.

On 31 August, after six days spent waiting for a meeting with Gaddafi, Sadr was seen being driven away from a Tripoli hotel in a Libyan government car.

He was never seen again.

Gaddafi's security forces later claimed he had left for Rome, though this was proved false by the investigations that followed.

Independent journalism was impossible in Gaddafi's Libya. But in 2011, when Libyans rose against him during the Arab Spring, the door of probity opened a crack.

Kassem Hamadé, a Lebanese-Swedish reporter who covered the uprising, was told about a secret mortuary in Tripoli that, a source had said, might contain the remains of Sadr.

There were 17 bodies refrigerated in the room he was shown - one was of a child, the rest were all adult men. Kassem was told the bodies had been dead for about three decades - which would fit with Sadr's timeline. Only one corpse resembled Sadr.

Kassem told me: "This one drawer, [the mortuary staff member] opens it, he reveals the corpse, and two things struck me immediately."

Firstly, Kassem said, the look of the body's face, skin colour and hair still resembled Sadr's, despite the passage of time.

And secondly, he said, the person had been executed.

Or at least that was Kassem's assumption, based on the skull. It looked as if it had either suffered a heavy blow to the forehead or been pierced by a bullet above the left eye.

But how could we know for sure this was Sadr?

So we took the photo that Kassem had taken in the mortuary to a team at Bradford University which, for the past 20 years, has been developing a unique algorithm called Deep Face Recognition. It identifies complex similarities between photos, and has been shown to be extremely reliable in tests, even on imperfect images.

Prof Ugail, who leads the team, agreed to compare the image from the mortuary with four photos of Sadr at different stages of his life. The software would then give the mortuary image an overall score out of 100 - the higher the number, the more likely it was to be either the same person, or a family member.

If the image scored below 50, the person was probably unrelated to Sadr. Between 60 and 70 meant it was him or a close relative. Seventy or higher would be a direct match.

The photo scored in the 60s - a "high probability" it was Sadr, Prof Ugail told us.

To test this conclusion, the professor used his same algorithm to compare the photo with six members of Sadr's family, and then with 100 random images of Middle Eastern men who all resembled him in some way.

The family photos scored much better than the random faces. But the best result remained the comparison between the mortuary image and the images of Sadr alive.

It showed there was a strong probability that Kassem had seen Sadr's body. And the fact he found it with a damaged skull suggested that, in all probability, Sadr had been killed.

In March 2023, some four years after I first came across Kassem's photo, we were able to travel to Libya to talk to possible witnesses and to look for the body ourselves. We had always known the story was sensitive but even so, we were surprised by the Libyan reaction.

We were on the second day of our deployment in Tripoli, looking for the secret mortuary. Kassem, who was accompanying the BBC team, couldn't remember the name of the area he had visited in 2011, except that it had been near a hospital.

We were told there was a hospital within walking distance and headed off to find it.

Suddenly, Kassem said: "This is it. I'm sure of it. This is the building that contained the morgue."

The building's exterior was the last thing we were able to film. We sought permission to film inside, but our permits were cancelled. The next day, a group of unidentified men - who we would later learn were Libya intelligence service officers - seized us without explanation.

• Outside of the UK, watch on YouTube

We were taken to a prison run by Libyan intelligence, where we were held in solitary confinement, and accused of spying. We were blindfolded, repeatedly interrogated, and told that no-one could help us. Our captors said we would be there for decades.

We spent a traumatic six days in detention. Finally, after pressure from the BBC and the UK government, we were released and deported.

It was disturbing to feel we had become part of the story. Libya is still divided into two rival administrations with competing militia, and staff at the prison had indicated Libyan intelligence was being run by former Gaddafi loyalists who would not want the BBC investigating Sadr's disappearance.

Some people have long believed Sadr was murdered.

Dr Hussein Kenaan, formerly a Lebanese academic working in the US, says he visited the State Department in Washington the week Sadr disappeared in 1978 and was told it had received a report that he had been killed.

This account is backed up by the former Libyan Minister of Justice, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, who told Kassem in 2011: "The second or third day, they forged his papers, that he's going to Italy. And they killed him inside Libyan prisons."

He added: "Gaddafi has the first and the last word in all decisions."

So if Gaddafi did order Sadr's killing, then why?

One theory, says Iran expert Andrew Cooper, is that Gaddafi was influenced by Iranian hardliners, alarmed that Sadr was about to obstruct their objectives for the Iranian Revolution.

Sadr supported many Iranian revolutionaries who wanted an end to then-ruler Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's regime. But his moderate vision of Iran strongly differed from the ideas of Islamic hardline revolutionaries and was disliked and even resented by them.

A week before his disappearance, according to Cooper, Sadr had written to the Shah offering assistance.

Cooper interviewed Parviz Sabeti, a former director of counter espionage for the Shah's secret police, as part of his research for a biography of the Shah. Sabeti told him that Sadr's letter offered to help defuse the power of Islamic hardliners by working towards introducing policy changes that would appeal to more moderate elements of the opposition.

A former Lebanese ambassador to Iran confirms the existence of Sadr's letter. Khalil al-Khalil told us he understands it requested a meeting with the Shah scheduled for 7 September 1978.

Cooper believes this information was leaked to Iranian hardline revolutionaries.

But the Iranians are not the only people who might have wanted Sadr dead.

Gaddafi had been militarily supporting Palestinian fighters attacking Israel from southern Lebanon - and Sadr is quoted in interviews from the time explaining his attempts to find a solution with the Palestine Liberation Organisation [PLO].

The PLO may have believed Sadr, fearing they were endangering the Lebanese population, might have convinced Gaddafi to rein them in.

While there are many who believe Sadr to be dead, others are adamant he is still alive.

These include the organisation Sadr founded in the 1970s, now a powerful political party of the Lebanese Shia called Amal.

The head of Amal - and parliamentary Speaker - Nabih Berri, maintains there is no proof Sadr, who would now be 97, has died. But there had been an opportunity to prove whether he had or not.

Back in 2011 when Kassem visited the secret mortuary, he had not only photographed the body.

He had also managed to pull out some hair follicles, with a view to them being used in a DNA test. He had given them to senior officials in Berri's office so they could have them analysed.

A match with a member of the Sadr family would prove beyond doubt whether the body was that of Musa sl-Sadr. However, Berri's office never got back to Kassem.

Judge Hassan al-Shami, one of the officials appointed by Lebanon's government to investigate Sadr's disappearance, says Amal told him the follicle sample had been lost because of a "technical error".

We presented our facial recognition results to Sadr's son Sayyed Sadreddine Sadr. He brought senior Amal official Hajj Samih Haidous and Judge al-Shami to our meeting.

They all said they did not believe our findings.

Sadreddine said it was "evident" from the look of the body in the photo that it was not his father. He added that it also "contradicts the information we have after this date [2011, the year the photo was taken]", that he is still alive, held in a Libyan jail.

The BBC has found no evidence to support this view.

But during our investigation it became clear to us that the belief Sadr is still alive holds great power as a unifying creed for many Lebanese Shia. Every 31 August, Amal marks the anniversary of his disappearance.

We repeatedly approached Berri's office for an interview, and asked for comment on our findings. It did not reply.

The BBC also asked the Libyan authorities to comment on our investigation and to explain why the BBC team was seized by the Libyan intelligence service. We received no response.

Protesters have been killed, buildings torched and politicians' houses looted as anti-government unrest spreads across Indonesia - and the authorities respond with force.

Mass demonstrations, fuelled by cost-of-living woes and public frustration with the political elite, first erupted in Jakarta on 25 August to condemn what many viewed as excessive pay and housing allowances for parliamentarians.

By the end of the week, things had boiled over into violence. On Thursday night, following escalating clashes between demonstrators and authorities, police in Jakarta ran over and killed 21-year-old motorcycle rideshare driver Affan Kurniawan.

President Prabowo Subianto and the chief of police apologised for his death - but it fuelled further discontent that has now spread to various corners of the archipelago, from West Java to the islands of Bali and Lombok.

At least seven people had died in the protests by Monday, according to Indonesia's co-ordinating minister for economic affairs.

The perks that sparked a protest

The primary trigger for the protests was the Indonesian government's decision to raise the allowance for national parliamentarians.

Local media last month reported that they were paid upwards of 100 million rupiah (£4,499; $6,150) a month - more than 30 times the average national income - including a substantial housing allowance.

Meanwhile, everyday Indonesians were struggling because of a cost-of-living crisis.

"As the government is undertaking austerity measures, and at a time when citizens are feeling economically insecure, the notion that Indonesia's already wealthy political class would see their incomes rise filled people with rage, and they spilled onto the streets to express that rage," Dr Eve Warburton, director of the Indonesia Institute at the Australian National University, told the BBC.

These protests spiralled after Affan's death, and have since grown to encompass issues of police brutality and accountability.

But there are other systemic issues driving the public anger: political corruption, social inequality and economic headwinds from which the rich and powerful seem unfairly insulated.

"Elites seem cloistered in a life of luxury – as seen in the exorbitant perks received by parliamentarians – grating people's sense of justice," Vedi Hadiz, professor of Asian Studies at the University of Melbourne's Asia Institute, explained.

In an attempt to quell the nationwide protests, President Prabowo announced on Sunday that several state-funded perks given to politicians would be reined in, including the size of some allowances.

While the move was welcomed by protesters, some suggest it doesn't go far enough.

Herianto, a former central co-ordinator for the All-Indonesian Students' Union, told the BBC that the announcement was "a step in the right direction, but it does not address the root causes of discontent".

"It is not only about one issue, but about long-standing concerns with inequality, governance and accountability," he explained. "Symbolic changes are important, but people expect deeper reforms, particularly in areas that affect ordinary citizens such as agricultural policy, education and fair economic opportunities.

"The ultimate goal is to push for a more accountable, transparent, and people-centred governance."

The crackdown

At the same time as winding back politicians' benefits, Prabowo also ordered the military and police to take stronger action against rioters, looters and arsonists after homes of political party members and state buildings were ransacked and set ablaze.

Protesters torched regional legislative council buildings across multiple Indonesian provinces.

In the city of Makassar, a local parliament building was set on fire, killing at least three people and injuring several others after people reportedly became trapped inside the burning building.

Meanwhile, in Jakarta, angry mobs raided and looted luxury items from the homes of several members of the regional legislative assembly, who previously made unsympathetic remarks about protesters who had criticised their high salaries.

The unrest prompted Prabowo to cancel a visit to China, promising to monitor the situation directly and find a solution.

TikTok has also suspended its live streaming feature in Indonesia "for the next few days", in a bid to limit potentially inflammatory content amid concerns about live mass mobilisation.

Herianto says that authorities' handling of the situation overall has been "mixed".

"On the one hand, there have been some attempts to maintain dialogue, but on the other hand, the use of excessive force has raised concerns," he said. "Authorities should protect the right to peaceful protest, not suppress it."

Prabowo's instruction to authorities to intensify crackdowns – including turning off lights in protest areas and using rubber bullets – has further stoked Herianto's concerns, raising fears of police brutality.

"History has shown us that when the state prioritises security measures over dialogue, the risk of excessive force and human rights violations increases," he says.

"We hope the authorities act with restraint and prioritise de-escalation rather than confrontation."

An opportunity for change

It is unclear where the protests will go from here – whether they will continue to spiral into further violence and repression or force the government to cede more ground.

But whatever the outcome, the situation represents Prabowo's most serious leadership challenge since becoming president in 2024.

"It's a major test," said Dr Warburton. "Can he placate the protesters and bring an end to rolling demonstrations, while not resorting to excessive state violence or repression? This is the question."

An ex-special forces commander accused of serious human rights violations, Prabowo reinvented himself through "cute" TikTok videos to win over younger voters.

But many Indonesians remember him as the son-in-law of the military dictator Suharto, who swiftly rose through the ranks of an authoritarian regime.

His victory in the election last year was greeted with some disquiet, and he faced the anger of student protesters over budget cuts to health and education in February this year.

Prabowo certainly knows the power of student protests - they were instrumental in bringing down Suharto's regime. So how he responds will be critical.

Monday saw a brief lull, as some Indonesian students and civil society groups cancelled protests in Jakarta, citing "impossible conditions" after the authorities escalated security measures in the capital.

Police had set up checkpoints across the city, while officers and the military conducted city-wide patrols and deployed snipers in key locations.

Some experts warn that recent escalations could be the tip of the iceberg, however, as many fundamental economic issues remain unresolved.

It is the depth and breadth of these issues that has given the current anti-government rallies such force, and set them apart from the many others that Indonesians have launched in recent years – making them, in Mr Hadiz's views, "among the most significant outbreak of protests since the advent of reformasi".

That's a reference to the reforms that followed Suharto's downfall in 1998, ushering in an era of democracy and stability.

Dr Warburton also agrees that the significance of these protests is "very different to what we've seen over the past two decades".

"There have been waves of popular protest in recent years, often led by progressive students and activists," she explained.

"The current demonstrations are different – the grievances run deeper and are likely more broadly felt. The protests reflect people's sense of economic insecurity and pent-up resentment toward the greed and excesses of their elected officials."

Even as Prabowo responds to the demands that spurred the demonstrations – winding back parliamentary benefits and launching an investigation into the incident that caused Affan's death – protest organisers are hoping to seize on the momentum for a broader systemic overhaul.

"This feels significant," says Herianto. "Social movements often emerge in response to accumulated grievances, and moments like this can become turning points.

"Whether it leads to meaningful change depends on the willingness of leaders to listen and act in the interest of the people, rather than merely defending political or elite interests."

Additional reporting by BBC Indonesia

A flotilla of boats headed for Gaza carrying 350 pro-Palestinian activists - including climate change campaigner Greta Thunberg - has departed from Barcelona.

Around 20 vessels displaying Palestinian flags left the Spanish port at 19:00 local time on Monday, stocked with medical and food supplies.

The flotilla first attempted to set sail on Sunday, but had to return to port due to stormy weather.

The aim of the mission is to "break Israel's illegal siege on Gaza", the organisers said - though a previous attempt to reach Gaza by sea was intercepted by Israeli forces.

The Global Sumud Flotilla Mission plans to launch in two waves - the first from Barcelona and the second from Tunis on 4 September.

Activists hope the boats will converge in the Mediterranean before sailing towards Gaza, a trip that is estimated to take seven or eight days.

"We are sailing again to break the siege and open up a humanitarian corridor," Thunberg said in a video message.

Punk singer Bob Vylan - who provoked controversy for leading a chant of "death to the IDF [Israel Defence Forces]" at Glastonbury - spoke at the flotilla's departure on Sunday.

He called the activists as "brave individuals" who were "attempting to do what should have been done by government intervention a long time ago".

Israeli authorities have characterised a previous attempt to sail aid to Gaza as a publicity stunt that offered no real humanitarian assistance.

In March, Israel introduced a nearly three-month total blockade on goods entering Gaza, before allowing a limited amount of goods back into the territory in late-May following international pressure. a UN-backed body has since declared there is a famine in parts of Gaza.

Israel has since tried to impose its own distribution system through the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has been criticised by aid agencies.

In June, a yacht carrying Thunberg and several other activists - and a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid - was intercepted by Israeli forces as it tried to reach Gaza.

Israeli authorities escorted the activists to the port of Ashdod before deporting them from the country.

In 2010, Israeli commandos killed 10 people when they boarded Turkish ship Mavi Marmara which was leading an aid flotilla towards Gaza.