The European Commission was wrong to refuse to release text messages sent by Ursula von der Leyen to the head of Pfizer during negotiations to secure Covid-19 vaccines, the EU's top court has ruled.

The General Court said the commission had not given a plausible explanation as to why the exchanges between its president and Pfizer's Albert Bourla could not be made public when an investigative journalist requested them in 2021.

That year, Pfizer signed billions of euros in vaccine contracts with the EU, including a deal for 1.8bn extra doses.

The content of the messages between von der Leyen and Mr Bourla remains secret, in a simmering case that has become known in Brussels as Pfizergate.

Anti-corruption group Transparency International has hailed the European Court's ruling as a "landmark victory for transparency in the EU", adding that it should serve as a catalyst to put an end to a "restrictive attitude to freedom of information".

Von der Leyen became Commission president in 2019, and within a year faced the task of leading the EU's response to the Covid pandemic.

She won a second five-year term late last year. Wednesday's ruling threatens to damage her reputation, because of the apparent lack of transparency surrounding the Pfizer vaccine deal, in which she played such a significant role.

The Commission said it would closely study the ruling and consider its next steps, but it insisted that transparency had "always been of paramount importance".

The controversy erupted in April 2021, when New York Times journalist Matina Stevis revealed how Ursula von der Leyen had negotiated privately with the Pfizer boss after his German partner BioNTech won regulatory approval for its Covid drug.

The article spurred investigative journalist Alexander Fanta, who worked for a German publication, to use a Freedom of Information request to see the exchange of messages between January 2021 and May 2022. But the European Commission turned him down, saying it did not have the documents.

Under the Commission's transparency rules, all staff including the president, have to archive their documents.

However, mobile text messages are a grey area, and the case has largely hinged on whether or not they should be considered as important records.

One EU official argued this week that SMS messages were not "systematically considered public documents" and not recorded as such.

Fanta took the case to the European Ombudsman in 2021, where an inquiry found that the Commission's failure to look for the text messages beyond its usual record-keeping amounted to maladministration.

Stevis and the New York Times followed up, and when the messages were still not released, they took the European Commission to court.

Ruling on Stevis's challenge, the court said on Wednesday that the EU's executive had relied "either on assumptions or on changing or imprecise information", while the journalist and the New York Times had succeeded in rebutting their claims.

The court said that if a presumption was rebutted then it was up to the Commission to prove that documents either did not exist or it did not possess them.

The Commission had not clarified whether or not the text messages had been deleted, the court ruled, and if they had been deleted, whether that was done deliberately or whether von der Leyen had since changed her mobile phone.

At least 48 Palestinians have been killed in a series of Israeli air strikes in northern Gaza overnight, a local hospital says.

The Indonesian hospital reported that 22 children and 15 women were among the dead after a number of homes in Jabalia town and refugee camp were hit. A video shared online appeared to show at least a dozen bodies on the floor there.

The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports. It had warned residents of Jabalia and neighbouring areas to evacuate on Tuesday night after a Palestinian armed group launched rockets into Israel.

It came as the UN's humanitarian affairs chief urged members of the UN Security Council to take action to "prevent genocide" in Gaza.

Speaking at a meeting in New York on Tuesday, Tom Fletcher accused Israel of "deliberately and unashamedly imposing inhumane conditions on civilians".

He called on Israel to lift its 10-week blockade on Gaza and criticised the Israeli-US plan to take over the distribution of humanitarian aid in the territory.

The Israeli ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, told the council that foreign aid was being used to help Hamas's war effort.

Meanwhile, US Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Adam Boehler said they would travel to Qatar for fresh negotiations on a possible ceasefire and hostage release deal.

Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has threatened to expand its military offensive in Gaza this week unless Hamas agrees to release the 58 hostages it is still holding.

On Tuesday, a massive Israeli air strike on the European hospital's compound in southern Gaza killed at least 28 people, according to local officials.

Israeli media reports said the target was Mohammed Sinwar, who is believed to have become the leader of Hamas in Gaza after his brother Yahya was killed by Israeli forces last October.

The Israeli military described it as "a precise strike on Hamas terrorists who were operating in a command-and-control centre" underneath the hospital.

The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 52,908 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

The prime minister of Peru, Gustavo Adrianzén, has resigned hours before he was due to face a no-confidence vote in Congress.

Members of Peru's Congress had called for the no-confidence vote after the recent kidnap and killing of 13 mine workers, which shocked the country.

Adrianzén's resignation is another blow to the embattled president, Dina Boluarte, who has seen her approval ratings plummet as crime rates in the country have soared.

The resignation of the prime minister - the third to serve under Boluarte - forces the president to replace her entire cabinet, adding to Peru's political upheaval.

Under Peru's constitution, all ministers have to step down if the prime minister quits.

While the president can rename the same people to the posts they resigned from, she can only do so once a new prime minister is in place.

The collapse of the cabinet comes at an already rocky time in Peruvian politics.

Shortly before Prime Minister Adrianzén announced his resignation, Boluarte had reshuffled her existing cabinet, announcing new ministers of finance, interior, and transport.

All three will now have to step down, just hours after being sworn in by the president.

The already low approval rating of President Boluarte - who was sworn in when the previous president, Pedro Castillo, was impeached - have fallen further as Peruvians grow increasingly impatient at what they say is her failure to tackle crime.

In recent months, hundreds of people have taken to the streets in protest at the growing problem of extortion, as gangs increasingly demand payments even from the smallest businesses, including transport workers.

Dressed in white, they demanded "an immediate answer to combat extortion and targeted killings".

Actress and singer Halle Bailey has been granted a restraining order against rapper and YouTube star DDG, her former boyfriend and the father of their one-year-old son.

The Little Mermaid star alleges he was repeatedly violent with her and made her fear for herself and their child.

On Tuesday, a Los Angeles judge ordered DDG, whose full name is Darryl Dwayne Granberry Jr, to stay away from Bailey and their son until a hearing on 6 June.

Bailey, 25, alleged there had been "multiple acts of physical violence" from Granberry since their split in October. BBC News has asked representatives for Granberry for comment.

In documents requesting the order, reported by the Associated Press, Bailey said: "Throughout our relationship, Darryl has been and continues to be physically, verbally, emotionally, and financially abusive towards me.

"I am seeking orders to protect myself and our son Halo from his ongoing abuse."

Bailey and Granberry, 27, were in a relationship from 2022 until last year.

In the documents, the actress claims "things got physical between us" after Granberry repeatedly insulted her as she strapped the baby into a seat in his car in January.

"We fought each other, wrestling and tussling," she said. "At one point, Darryl was pulling my hair. He then slammed my face on the steering wheel, causing my tooth to get chipped. I then stopped fighting back as I was in a lot of pain."

Bailey included photos of her tooth and bruises on her arms in her filing, which have since been published by some US media outlets.

Two months after the alleged altercation, Bailey alleges that Granberry entered her house when she wasn't home and texted her a photo of her bed along with a threatening message suggesting she was having sex with other men.

A few days later, she claimed, Granberry berated her when she did not want to send their unwell baby on a visit with him, then smashed the Ring doorbell camera on her porch when he realised it was recording their confrontation.

She further alleged that, when she called a relative for help, he took her phone and slammed a car door on her as she was holding the baby. Bailey filed a police report over the incident.

As part of the restraining order, Granberry was also instructed not to possess any weapons. The judge can extend the order for up to five years at the 6 June hearing.

Bailey also requested that Granberry be ordered to stop using his social media platforms to continue "bad mouthing me to his several millions of fans".

"He claims I am withholding our son and that I am with other men. As a result, I then receive threats and hate on social media," she said in the documents.

Bailey shot to fame as part of Chloe x Halle, a pop duo with her sister, and later released music as a solo artist. She has been nominated for five Grammy Awards.

As an actress, she appeared in sitcom Grown-ish from 2018 to 2022. Her biggest role to date, however, was playing the titular character in Disney's 2023 live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.

DDG rose to fame in the mid-2010s by posting videos on YouTube, and signed a record deal in 2018. He has released four studio albums.

Mali's military junta has dissolved all political parties in the country amid a growing crackdown on dissent since the army seized power.

"All meetings of members of political parties and organisations of a political character are dissolved across the national territory," a statement read on state TV on Tuesday said.

The decision was validated by military leader Assimi Goïta, who seized power after coups in 2020 and 2021 and is due to stay in power for at least another five years despite pledges to hold elections.

The move is expected to spark fresh resistance by political parties who have been demanding the country returns to democratic rule.

Since last year, the military authorities have intensified a crackdown on political activity.

Last week, following a rare pro-democracy protest, two opposition leaders were abducted by armed men saying they were police officers. The authorities have not commented on the reported arrests.

A national conference organised by the regime - but boycotted by leading opposition parties - last month recommended naming Gen Goïta as president until 2030.

The move sparked condemnation from opposition figures and human rights groups. The junta originally committed to holding elections in February 2022.

The presidential decree read on Tuesday evening warned Malians not to ignore the dissolution of political parties but did not outline any penalties.

It said that anyone working in a political or administrative role could "continue their duties without party affiliation".

The main opposition coalition is yet to comment but one of its members, Nouhoum Togo, downplayed the move in a social media post.

"No matter how hard they try to make you invisible, your value doesn't depend on their recognition," Togo, president of the Union for the Safeguarding of the Republic (USR) party, posted.

The latest order follows the suspension of all political activity - another recommendation from the national conference - which sparked uproar from the opposition.

A coalition of a hundred parties had planned a protest against the transitional authorities last week but postponed it following the suspension of political activities.

Since taking power, the junta leader has formed an alliance with coup leaders in neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, pivoting the region towards Russia after drastically reducing ties with former colonial power France.

Gen Goïta has also withdrawn Mali from the regional grouping Ecowas over its demands to restore democratic rule. Burkina Faso and Niger have also left the grouping.

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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 Los Angeles judge has resentenced two brothers who are serving life in prison for the 1989 murders of their parents in a Beverly Hills mansion, making them eligible for parole.

Judge Michael Jesic gave Erik and Lyle Menendez a new sentence of 50 years to life. A decision on their potential release will be made at a parole hearing in June.

The pair have acknowledged killing Kitty and Jose Menendez, but said they acted out of self-defence after years of abuse and have since been rehabilitated.

Prosecutors have argued the brothers meticulously planned the shotgun killings to access their parents' fortune, are yet to take responsibility and should not be released.

The notorious case, which has prompted books, documentaries and dramas, still divides America.

The brothers gave an emotional statement - via video - to the court at Tuesday's hearing.

The court heard relatives detail how the case affected their family, and pleading for the judge to allow the siblings' release from prison.

The brothers' cousin, Anamaria Baralt, who has been close with them since they were children, told the judge they deserved a "second chance at life".

"It's been a nightmare," she said. "I am desperate for this process to be over."

At times, both Erik and Lyle appeared emotional as family recounted how their crimes have impacted them. Both wiped their eyes at times, with Erik covering his mouth or putting his head in his hands at other moments.

Ms Baralt speaks with Erik and Lyle frequently, she told the court, and testified that they've taken "ownership of their actions".

She said they admitted they tried to steer their previous trial - with Lyle telling her he'd asked a witness to lie when testifying.

"They are very different men from the boys they were," she said.

At least 48 Palestinians have been killed in a series of Israeli air strikes in northern Gaza overnight, a local hospital says.

The Indonesian hospital reported that 22 children and 15 women were among the dead after a number of homes in Jabalia town and refugee camp were hit. A video shared online appeared to show at least a dozen bodies on the floor there.

The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports. It had warned residents of Jabalia and neighbouring areas to evacuate on Tuesday night after a Palestinian armed group launched rockets into Israel.

It came as the UN's humanitarian affairs chief urged members of the UN Security Council to take action to "prevent genocide" in Gaza.

Speaking at a meeting in New York on Tuesday, Tom Fletcher accused Israel of "deliberately and unashamedly imposing inhumane conditions on civilians".

He called on Israel to lift its 10-week blockade on Gaza and criticised the Israeli-US plan to take over the distribution of humanitarian aid in the territory.

The Israeli ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, told the council that foreign aid was being used to help Hamas's war effort.

Meanwhile, US Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Adam Boehler said they would travel to Qatar for fresh negotiations on a possible ceasefire and hostage release deal.

Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has threatened to expand its military offensive in Gaza this week unless Hamas agrees to release the 58 hostages it is still holding.

On Tuesday, a massive Israeli air strike on the European hospital's compound in southern Gaza killed at least 28 people, according to local officials.

Israeli media reports said the target was Mohammed Sinwar, who is believed to have become the leader of Hamas in Gaza after his brother Yahya was killed by Israeli forces last October.

The Israeli military described it as "a precise strike on Hamas terrorists who were operating in a command-and-control centre" underneath the hospital.

The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 52,908 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Human rights groups are warning of a "surge" of deaths of migrant construction workers in Saudi Arabia, as it prepares to host the World Cup in 2034.

Labourers are already dying from preventable workplace accidents in the country, according to Human Rights Watch and FairSquare which have both published reports today.

Many such deaths are wrongly classified as having occurred due to natural causes and the families of workers are not compensated, the reports say.

Both groups have called on the Saudi Authorities to ensure basic safety protections for the country's huge migrant work-force.

"The 2034 Saudi World Cup will be the largest and most expensive ever, but it could also have the highest cost in human lives, as millions of migrant workers build infrastructure, including 11 new stadiums, a rail and transit network, and 185,000 hotel rooms," Minky Worden, director of Global Initiatives at Human Rights Watch, said.

The warnings come a day after the President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, visited the country along with Donald Trump - attending a US-Saudi investment forum.

FIFA – football's global governing body - says it has a "steadfast commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights in the context of its operations."

But Human Rights Watch has accused FIFA of failing to learn lessons from migrant worker deaths in the lead-up to the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

Data on migrant deaths is hard to come by in a country where human rights groups have very limited access and labour unions are banned.

But Human Rights Watch interviewed the families of 31 workers from Bangladesh, India and Nepal who fell from heights, were crushed or decapitated by heavy machinery or were electrocuted.

Heat is another major concern, as Saudi Arabia ramps up construction work in preparation for hosting the 2034 tournament.

In March, a Pakistani foreman, Muhammad Arshad, was reported to have fallen from a construction site at a stadium being built in the eastern city of Al Khobar – the first death related to the World Cup.

Last year, the Saudi government said that there had been "tangible achievements" in occupational health and safety, with rates of deaths and injuries decreasing.

FIFA also praised "significant steps" taken by Saudi Arabia to reform its labour laws since 2018.

But the global construction worker's union, BWI, said there had been an "alarming rise" in accidents that could have been prevented.

"These are the result of systematic negligence, corruption and inadequate oversight and accountability," said BWI General Secretary, Ambet Yuson.

And Saudi medical authorities rarely conduct autopsies to establish the exact cause of migrant workers' deaths, according to FairSquare.

"Hundreds of thousands of young men, many of whom have young families, are being pitched into a labour system that poses a serious risk to their lives, a medical system that doesn't have the capacity to determine the cause of their deaths, and a political system that doesn't appear to either protect them or find out how they died, let alone compensate the families shattered by Saudi Arabia's negligence," FairSquare co-director James Lynch said.

He described FIFA's human rights policies as a "sham."

"While FIFA praises Saudi Arabia to the rafters and highly-paid western law firms generate vast profits for curating Saudi's reputation, children in places like Nepal grow up without their fathers and never even learn how they died, he said."

FIFA told Human Rights Watch that it plans to establish a workers' welfare system dedicated to mandatory standards and enforcement mechanisms for World Cup-related construction and service delivery in Saudi Arabia.

In a letter it said: "We are convinced that the measures implemented to ensure construction companies respect the rights of their workers on FIFA World Cup sites can set a new standard for worker protection in the country and contribute to the wider labour reform process, helping to enhance protections for workers on World Cup sites and beyond."

But Human Rights Watch said no further details were provided on how the welfare system would work.

"Saudi authorities, FIFA, and other employers should ensure that all migrant worker deaths, regardless of perceived cause, time, and place are properly investigated and that families of deceased workers are treated with dignity and receive fair and timely compensation," the group said.

The BBC has approached the Saudi authorities for comment.

Svitlana says her daughter loved her school in Poland.

"Even when we moved to another area, she didn't want to change schools," says the 31-year-old Ukrainian mother. "She liked it so much. There was no bullying."

Now she says the atmosphere at the school – and in Poland overall – has changed.

"Two weeks ago, she came home and said "One boy said to me today, 'Go back to Ukraine'." Svitlana was astonished.

She is one of dozens of Ukrainians living in Poland who have told the BBC that anti-Ukrainian sentiment has risen considerably in recent months.

Many described experiencing abuse on public transport, bullying in schools and xenophobic material online.

A polarising presidential election campaign has added to the tension, with the first round of voting taking place on Sunday.

The day after Svitlana's daughter was told to go back to Ukraine, the abuse became even worse.

"Girls from the class above started complaining about her speaking Ukrainian. Then they pretended to fall to the ground shouting 'Missile! Get down!' and laughing," Svitlana says. "She came home crying."

A Russian missile had slammed into Svitlana's hometown in Ukraine days before, killing scores of civilians, including children. Her daughter was traumatised.

Svitlana – not her real name did not want to be identified as she fears reprisals. She showed us screenshots of messages with school staff where she complains about her daughter's treatment.

She said she had noticed attitudes changing towards Ukrainians in other places, too: "At work, many people have been saying Ukrainians come here and behave badly. And my Ukrainian friends say they want to go home because Polish people don't accept us. It's frightening to live here now."

According to government statistics, at least 2.5 million Ukrainians live in Poland, comprising almost 7% of the total population of Poland.

When the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, there was an outpouring of compassion from Poles. "It was amazing. Every day people were calling, asking, 'How can we help?'" says activist Natalia Panchenko, head of the Warsaw-based 'Stand with Ukraine' Foundation.

"Some of them organised humanitarian convoys or brought refugees here. They gave their houses, food, everything they have – and their hearts, too."

Three years later, Natalia says she believes the majority of Poles still support Ukraine. But some don't – and her organisation has noticed an upsurge of anti-Ukrainian online abuse that began several months ago.

"Then it started to come to real life," she says. "Recently, we have more and more of these kinds of situations… xenophobic [abuse] of people working in shops or hotels just because they speak with a Ukrainian accent."

Natalia says that many Ukrainian refugees are traumatised. "These groups of women and children are in Poland because of the war, very often their relatives are on the front line, in captivity or dead... and this is the group of people being targeted."

Research suggests that Poland's public opinion of Ukrainians is indeed worsening. According to a March 2025 poll by the respected CBOS Centre, just 50% of Poles are in favour of accepting Ukrainian refugees, a fall of seven percentage points in four months. Two years ago, the figure was 81%.

Around a million Ukrainians are officially registered as having arrived after the start of the full-scale invasion. Poland spends 4.2% of its GDP on Ukrainian refugees.

Ukraine has become a hot-button political issue in Poland's crucial presidential election campaign.

Far-right populist Slawomir Mentzen, currently polling third, is virulently anti-Ukrainian and supports an "agreement" with Russia's Vladimir Putin.

In second place is conservative Karol Nawrocki, who opposes EU and Nato membership for Ukraine and financial assistance for refugees, but supports the war effort.

The most pro-Ukraine candidate is front-runner Rafal Trzaskowski from Prime Minister Donald Tusk's coalition, although even he has promised a reduction in social welfare for Ukrainians.

Trzaskowski has refrained from espousing his pro-Ukrainian credentials in order to attract the centrist vote in the elections, says political analyst Marcin Zaborowski.

"He's responding to the change in public attitudes. The initial enthusiasm for supporting war victims is disappearing, negative sentiments are taking over and it's not an entirely comfortable issue for him."

Another far-right candidate, Grzegorz Braun, is under investigation by police for tearing down a Ukrainian flag from a city hall building during an election rally in April. Braun, who is polling at just 3%, regularly fulminates against what he calls the "Ukrainisation of Poland".

Last week, the Polish government warned of an "unprecedented attempt" by Russia to interfere in the Polish elections by spreading "false information among Polish citizens online". Moscow denies all allegations of election interference.

Michal Marek, who runs an NGO that monitors disinformation and propaganda in Poland, offers some examples of the anti-Ukraine material being circulated on social media.

"The main narratives are that Ukrainians are stealing money from the Polish budget, that Ukrainians do not respect us, that they want to rob and kill us and are responsible for the war," he says.

"This information starts in Russian-speaking Telegram channels, and, after that, we see the same photos and the same text just translated by Google Translate. And they are pushing [the material] into the Polish infosphere."

Mr Marek links such disinformation directly with the increase in anti-Ukraine sentiment in Poland, and says an increasing number of Poles are becoming influenced by propaganda.

"But we will only see the effect after the election - what percentage of Poles want to vote for openly pro-Russian candidates."

The war's horrors multiply. The dead, the pieces of the dead. The dying. The starving. More and more of them now – all the weight of human suffering witnessed by my brave colleagues in Gaza.

The urge to avert our gaze can be overpowering. But the cameramen who work for the BBC cannot turn away, and on Tuesday one of them became a casualty himself. For their safety we do not reveal the names of our colleagues in Gaza.

Our cameraman was not seriously wounded, but that was a matter of luck. The Israeli bombs launched into the car park of the European Hospital in Khan Younis killed and wounded dozens.

The Israelis say the leader of Hamas was hiding in a command-and-control compound under the hospital. The army said it conducted a "precise strike" - and blamed Hamas for"cynically and cruelly exploiting the civilian population in and around the hospital". Hamas denies such charges.

At the time of the attack, families whose sick children are to be evacuated from Gaza were gathering in the hospital. There were also families waiting to meet children returning from treatment abroad.

One of the fathers was with our BBC colleague and was wounded by the bombs. He has now been discharged from hospital. Harrowing images show our journalist trying to console the man's terrified children.

Warning: This report contains distressing images.

Much of my colleague's work in recent days has focused on the plight of malnourished children.

A short time before the blast, I messaged to thank him for his work filming, with immense sensitivity, the story of Siwar Ashour. This was his response:

"Siwar's story broke something in all of us, and working on it was one of the most painful things I've ever had to do. But I knew her face, her name, and her story had to be seen – had to be heard."

Siwar is five months old and acutely malnourished, a child whose large, brown eyes dominate her shrunken frame. They follow her mother Najwa's every move. On Tuesday Najwa sent us a video message from her room at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza.

She wanted the world to know how much she loves her child. "I wish she could receive the treatment she needs, to recover fully, and return as she was before – to play like other children, to grow and gain weight like other children. She is my first child, and as her mother, I'm deeply heartbroken for her."

In the past few days Siwar has developed a skin infection. Sores have appeared on her hands. She also has a severe gastrointestinal condition. The battle is to keep nourishment inside her. Her immune system is fighting the deprivation caused by the Israeli blockade.

The baby's cry is weak, yet it is full of urgency, the sound of a life struggling for its survival. Siwar can only drink a special milk formula due to severe allergies.

On Tuesday there was some better news. Medics at the nearby Jordanian Field Hospital managed to find some of the formula she needs. It is a small amount but they plan to send more.

In the coming days there are plans to bring sick children to the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. Here in Amman there are already several Gaza families who have children being treated for illness or war injuries in local hospitals. These evacuations are co-ordinated with the Israelis who do background checks on the parents travelling with their children.

In January we filmed the arrival of Abdelrahman al-Nashash and his mum Asma. Abdelrahman lost his leg in an Israeli bombing.

For four months they've lived in a place with food and shelter. A safe place.

When we visited them on Tuesday Asma called her children and their grandmother in Gaza.

Grandmother Najwa spoke of the war all around them. "The rockets are everywhere, firing over our heads. The food. Life is very bad. There is no flour. The prices are very high."

The children waved and blew kisses to their mother.

Afterwards, Asma told us: "I don't know what to say. I am very grateful for my mum for all she is doing for me. I wish I can return back to find them safe and in good health." She broke down and was silent.

It is only through the eyes of a mother who sees her children trapped, frightened and hungry from a safe distance, that it is possible to imagine why anyone would want to go back to Gaza.

With additional reporting by Alice Doyard, Suha Kawar and Nik Millard.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called a group of 59 white South Africans who have moved to the US to resettle "cowards", saying "they'll be back soon".

The group of Akrikaners arrived in the US on Monday after President Donald Trump granted them refugee status, saying they faced racial discrimination.

But Ramaphosa said those who wanted to leave were not happy with efforts to address the inequities of the apartheid past, terming their relocation a "sad moment for them".

"As South Africans, we are resilient. We don't run away from our problems. We must stay here and solve our problems. When you run away you are a coward, and that's a real cowardly act," he added.

Trump and his close ally, South Africa-born Elon Musk, have said there was a "genocide" of white farmers in South Africa - a claim that has been widely discredited.

The US has also accused the South African government of seizing land from white farmers without paying compensation.

More than 30 years after the end of decades of rule by South Africa's white minority, black farmers own only a small fraction of the country's best farmland, with the majority still in white hands, leading to anger over the slow pace of change.

In January President Ramaphosa signed a controversial law allowing the government to seize privately owned land without compensation in certain circumstances, when it is deemed "equitable and in the public interest".

But the government says no land has yet been seized under the act.

• Racially charged row between Musk and South Africa over Starlink
• What's really driving Trump's fury with South Africa?

Trump has offered to resettle the white Afrikaners, descendants of mostly Dutch settlers, saying they were fleeing a "terrible situation" in South Africa.

Speaking on Monday at an agricultural exhibition in the Free State province, Ramaphosa said the Afrikaners were moving to the US because they were not "favourably disposed" to efforts aimed at addressing the country's challenges.

"If you look at all national groups in our country, black and white, they've stayed in this country because it's our country and we must not run away from our problems. We must stay here and solve our problems," Ramaphosa said.

"I can bet you that they will be back soon because there is no country like South Africa," he added.

His "coward" remark angered some social media users, who condemned it as an insult to aggrieved white South Africans.

The group of Afrikaners were welcomed by top US officials who claimed they had been "living under a shadow of violence and terror" in South Africa.

"Welcome to the land of the free," Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau said as he received the South Africans who landed at Dulles airport near Washington DC on Monday.

Some held young children and waved small American flags in the arrival area adorned with red, white and blue balloons on the walls.

Earlier on Monday, President Ramaphosa told an Africa CEO forum in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, that he had recently told Trump during a phone call the US assessment of the situation was "not true".

"We're the only country on the continent where the colonisers came to stay and we have never driven them out of our country," he added, dismissing claims Afrikaners were being persecuted.

Ramaphosa said dozens of white South Africans who arrived in the US on Monday "don't fit the bill" for refugees.

The South African leader said that he is set to meet Trump soon regarding the issue.

Trump has threatened to boycott the forthcoming G20 summit in South Africa unless the "situation is taken care of".

More BBC stories about South Africa:

• Almost 70,000 South Africans interested in US asylum
• Is it checkmate for South Africa after Trump threats?
• US cuts send South Africa's HIV treatment 'off a cliff'

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 Los Angeles judge has resentenced two brothers who are serving life in prison for the 1989 murders of their parents in a Beverly Hills mansion, making them eligible for parole.

Judge Michael Jesic gave Erik and Lyle Menendez a new sentence of 50 years to life. A decision on their potential release will be made at a parole hearing in June.

The pair have acknowledged killing Kitty and Jose Menendez, but said they acted out of self-defence after years of abuse and have since been rehabilitated.

Prosecutors have argued the brothers meticulously planned the shotgun killings to access their parents' fortune, are yet to take responsibility and should not be released.

The notorious case, which has prompted books, documentaries and dramas, still divides America.

The brothers gave an emotional statement - via video - to the court at Tuesday's hearing.

The court heard relatives detail how the case affected their family, and pleading for the judge to allow the siblings' release from prison.

The brothers' cousin, Anamaria Baralt, who has been close with them since they were children, told the judge they deserved a "second chance at life".

"It's been a nightmare," she said. "I am desperate for this process to be over."

At times, both Erik and Lyle appeared emotional as family recounted how their crimes have impacted them. Both wiped their eyes at times, with Erik covering his mouth or putting his head in his hands at other moments.

Ms Baralt speaks with Erik and Lyle frequently, she told the court, and testified that they've taken "ownership of their actions".

She said they admitted they tried to steer their previous trial - with Lyle telling her he'd asked a witness to lie when testifying.

"They are very different men from the boys they were," she said.

Some families of those killed in a Jeju Air plane crash last December have filed a criminal complaint against 15 people, including South Korea's transport minister and the airline's CEO, for professional negligence.

The 72 bereaved relatives are calling for a more thorough investigation into the crash, which killed 179 of the 181 people on board - making it the deadliest plane crash on South Korean soil.

The crash was "not a simple accident", they allege, but a "major civic disaster caused by negligent management of preventable risks".

Nearly five months on, authorities are still studying what may have caused the plane to crash-land at Muan International Airport and then burst into flames.

The police had already opened a criminal investigation before this latest complaint, and barred Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae from leaving the country, but no one has been indicted over the incident.

One of the relatives, Kim Da-hye, denounced the "lack of progress" in investigations.

"We are filled with deep anger and despair. Having taken this extraordinary measure of filing a criminal complaint, we will not give up and will continue to pursue the truth," Mr Kim said in a statement to the media.

Among the 15 people named in the complaint were government officials, airline officials and airport staff responsible for construction, supervision, facility management and bird control.

The complaint filed on Tuesday raises questions around the circumstances of the crash, including whether air traffic control responded appropriately and whether the reinforcement of a mound at the end of the runway violated regulations.

The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, took off from the Thai capital of Bangkok on the morning of 29 December, and was flying to Muan in South Korea.

Five minutes after the pilots made contact with Muan International Airport, they reported striking a bird and declared a mayday signal.

The pilots then tried to land from the opposite direction, during which the aircraft belly-landed without its landing gear deployed. It later overran the runway, slammed into a concrete structure and exploded.

Earlier this year, investigators said they found bird feathers in both engines of the jet, but did not conclude the extent to which the bird strike was a contributing factor.

Since the incident, some bereaved families have also been targeted by a torrent of conspiracies and malicious jokes online.

These included suggestions that families were "thrilled" to receive compensation from authorities, or that they were "fake victims". As of March this year, eight people have been apprehended for making such derogatory and defamatory online posts.

Céline Dion made a rare appearance during the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest with a brief, pre-recorded message.

The star won the contest for Switzerland in 1988, and it had been rumoured she would take the stage as the ceremony returns to the country this year.

"I'd love nothing more than to be with you," she said in a video, apparently ruling out that possibility. "Switzerland will forever hold a special place in my heart. It's the country that believed in me and gave me the chance to be part of something so extraordinary."

The semi-final saw 10 acts qualify for Saturday's grand finale, including Swedish entrants KAJ, whose song Bara Bada Bastu is the runaway favourite.

Their song, an accordion-led comedy number whose title translates to "let's take a sauna", has a 40% chance of winning, according to bookmakers.

If the prediction comes true, it would be Sweden's eighth Eurovision title - making them the most victorious country in the contest's history (they are currently tied with Ireland, on seven wins each).

Fifteen acts performed at Tuesday's semi-final in Basel's St Jakobshalle. These are the ones who made the cut.

• Norway: Kyle Alessandro – Lighter
• Albania: Shkodra Elektronike – Zjerm
• Sweden: KAJ – Bara Bada Bastu
• Iceland: VÆB – RÓA
• Netherlands: Claude – C'est La Vie
• Poland: Justyna Steczkowska – GAJA
• San Marino: Gabry Ponte – Tutta L'Italia
• Estonia: Tommy Cash – Espresso Macchiato
• Portugal: NAPA – Deslocado
• Ukraine: Ziferblat – Bird of Pray

That means that the Eurovision dreams of Azerbaijan, Belgium, Cyprus, Croatia and Slovenia have all ended for 2025.

Of those, the biggest surprise was Belgium's Red Sebastian, whose rave anthem Strobe Lights had been predicted to finish among the top five.

His disqualification came on the day of his 26th birthday.

Ten more acts will progress to the main competition after Thursday's second semi-final.

The "Big Five" countries, who contribute the most financially to the competition (France, Germany, Spain, the UK and Italy) qualify automatically, as do last year's winners, Switzerland.

Dion's video message came during the ceremony's interval, as votes were being cast.

Although she was unable to be there in person, it was a coup for organisers. The singer has stepped away from the limelight in recent years due to health issues related to stiff-person syndrome (SPS), a neurological condition that causes muscle spasms and makes it difficult for her to walk.

After a four-year break, she made an emotional comeback at last summer's Paris Olympics, singing Edith Piaf's classic Hymne à l'Amour from the Eiffel Tower.

Speculation over a potential Eurovision appearance has been mounting since Swiss singer Nemo won the 2024 contest.

In her video, Dion said it was "beautiful and emotional" to see the young singer lift the trophy, and recalled that her victory in 1988 "was a life-changing moment for me".

"To the people of Switzerland, thank you for your love," she continued. "This night is yours and I hope you feel as proud as I do."

After repeating her message in French, several former Eurovision contestants appeared on stage to cover Dion's winning song from 1988, Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi (Don't Leave Without Me).

However, organisers said they had not given up hope of the star appearing at the final this weekend.

"We are still in close contact with her," they said in a statement.

Tuesday's semi-final opened with Icelandic group VÆB, two brothers with the unregulated energy of former Irish entrants Jedward.

They were followed by Polish star Justyna Steczkowska, who hung precariously above the stage on two ropes, as she sang her witchy hymn to mother earth, Gaja.

The acrobatics continued with Slovenian musician Klemen, who was suspended upside down during his ballad How Much Time Do We Have Left?

The song was a tribute to his wife, who has recently recovered from cancer, but the emotional performance wasn't enough to clinch him a position in the final.

Taking a lighter note was Estonia's Tommy Cash, whose quirky anthem Espresso Macchiato was interrupted by a "stage invader" - actually a dancer who replicated his noodle-limbed dance moves.

The arena was awash with Ukranian flags for Ziferblat, whose prog-pop anthem Bird Of Pray is a message of hope and resilience to families separated by the country's ongoing war with Russia.

Italy's Lucio Corsi brought 70s glam rock vibes with his track Volevo Esse Un Duro, which even featured a visual call-back to David Bowie and Mick Ronson's iconic 1972 performance of Starman on Top Of The Pops.

Bosnian singer Marko Bošnjak was all black eyeliner and sinister energy for his kill-your-enemies anthem Poison Cake, while Dutch singer Claude took the opposite approach, brimming with positivity throughout his upbeat performance of C'est La Vie.

And Swiss singer Zoë Më was bathed in a sea of mobile phone lights as she performed Voyage , an understated and rather beautiful plea for kindness and understanding.

However, KAJ were the artists to beat - with the entire audience stomping along to their goofy sauna anthem ("Damn it, turn up the heat!")

The song, performed in the Vörå dialect, is a radical departure from Sweden's tried and tested formula of slick pop anthems.

It was the surprise winner at the Melodifestivalen, the hotly-contested show that selects the country's Eurovision entry, and has gone on to top the Swedish pop charts for 11 weeks.

Speaking to the BBC, the band - who are actually from the Swedish-speaking part of Finland - said it was strange to enter the contest as the presumed favourite.

"We are feeling the pressure a bit," they admitted, "but we're gonna go out there, have fun, bring the steam, bring the sauna culture, and we'll see how far it goes."

The war's horrors multiply. The dead, the pieces of the dead. The dying. The starving. More and more of them now – all the weight of human suffering witnessed by my brave colleagues in Gaza.

The urge to avert our gaze can be overpowering. But the cameramen who work for the BBC cannot turn away, and on Tuesday one of them became a casualty himself. For their safety we do not reveal the names of our colleagues in Gaza.

Our cameraman was not seriously wounded, but that was a matter of luck. The Israeli bombs launched into the car park of the European Hospital in Khan Younis killed and wounded dozens.

The Israelis say the leader of Hamas was hiding in a command-and-control compound under the hospital. The army said it conducted a "precise strike" - and blamed Hamas for"cynically and cruelly exploiting the civilian population in and around the hospital". Hamas denies such charges.

At the time of the attack, families whose sick children are to be evacuated from Gaza were gathering in the hospital. There were also families waiting to meet children returning from treatment abroad.

One of the fathers was with our BBC colleague and was wounded by the bombs. He has now been discharged from hospital. Harrowing images show our journalist trying to console the man's terrified children.

Warning: This report contains distressing images.

Much of my colleague's work in recent days has focused on the plight of malnourished children.

A short time before the blast, I messaged to thank him for his work filming, with immense sensitivity, the story of Siwar Ashour. This was his response:

"Siwar's story broke something in all of us, and working on it was one of the most painful things I've ever had to do. But I knew her face, her name, and her story had to be seen – had to be heard."

Siwar is five months old and acutely malnourished, a child whose large, brown eyes dominate her shrunken frame. They follow her mother Najwa's every move. On Tuesday Najwa sent us a video message from her room at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza.

She wanted the world to know how much she loves her child. "I wish she could receive the treatment she needs, to recover fully, and return as she was before – to play like other children, to grow and gain weight like other children. She is my first child, and as her mother, I'm deeply heartbroken for her."

In the past few days Siwar has developed a skin infection. Sores have appeared on her hands. She also has a severe gastrointestinal condition. The battle is to keep nourishment inside her. Her immune system is fighting the deprivation caused by the Israeli blockade.

The baby's cry is weak, yet it is full of urgency, the sound of a life struggling for its survival. Siwar can only drink a special milk formula due to severe allergies.

On Tuesday there was some better news. Medics at the nearby Jordanian Field Hospital managed to find some of the formula she needs. It is a small amount but they plan to send more.

In the coming days there are plans to bring sick children to the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. Here in Amman there are already several Gaza families who have children being treated for illness or war injuries in local hospitals. These evacuations are co-ordinated with the Israelis who do background checks on the parents travelling with their children.

In January we filmed the arrival of Abdelrahman al-Nashash and his mum Asma. Abdelrahman lost his leg in an Israeli bombing.

For four months they've lived in a place with food and shelter. A safe place.

When we visited them on Tuesday Asma called her children and their grandmother in Gaza.

Grandmother Najwa spoke of the war all around them. "The rockets are everywhere, firing over our heads. The food. Life is very bad. There is no flour. The prices are very high."

The children waved and blew kisses to their mother.

Afterwards, Asma told us: "I don't know what to say. I am very grateful for my mum for all she is doing for me. I wish I can return back to find them safe and in good health." She broke down and was silent.

It is only through the eyes of a mother who sees her children trapped, frightened and hungry from a safe distance, that it is possible to imagine why anyone would want to go back to Gaza.

With additional reporting by Alice Doyard, Suha Kawar and Nik Millard.

US President Donald Trump has said he will lift sanctions on Syria, ahead of an expected meeting with its leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Trump has agreed to "say hello" to Syria's interim president on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia as part of his tour of the Middle East, the White House said.

The announcement of the lifting of sanctions was met with elation in the Syrian capital of Damascus, where cheering, dancing and celebratory gunfire were heard.

The sanctions had previously blocked any foreign financing, including aid, from reaching Syria and were originally intended to put pressure on the dictatorship of now-ousted President Bashar al-Assad.

Trump said the policy change would give Syria "a chance at greatness", telling an investment forum in Saudi Arabia's Riyadh, "it's their time to shine."

Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani celebrated the decision as a "pivotal turning point for the country" in an interview with the country's state news agency, Sana.

The country looks forward to a future of "stability, self-sufficiency and genuine reconstruction after years of a destructive war", he added.

Ninety percent of Syria's population were left under the poverty line at the end of Assad's regime and its new government has been pushing for an end to sanctions since Assad was overthrown in December.

Al-Sharaa told the BBC in an interview late last year that Syria was not a threat to the world and called for sanctions to be lifted.

He also called for Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist group who overthrew Assad, to be de-listed as a terrorist organisation. It is designated as one by the UN, US, EU and UK, among many others, as it started as a splinter group of al-Qaeda, which it broke away from in 2016.

Al-Sharaa repeated these calls at a joint press conference with France's President Emmanuel Macron last week, saying "these sanctions were imposed on the previous regime because of the crimes it committed, and this regime is gone."

The Syrian leader has promised to protect ethnic minorities since his Sunni Islamist group led the rebel offensive that overthrew Bashar al-Assad's regime in December after 13 years of devastating civil war.

However, the mass killings of hundreds of civilians from Assad's minority Alawite sect in the western coastal region in March, during clashes between the new security forces and Assad loyalists, has hardened fears among minority communities.

There have also been deadly clashes between Islamist armed factions, security forces and fighters from the Druze religious minority.

The US's announcement is a major boost for al-Sharaa, and also marks a significant foreign policy shift for the US, which previously said it would not lift sanctions on Syria until issues such as minority rights progressed in the country.

Trump said his announcement followed a request from Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

"Oh, what I do for the Crown Prince," the US leader said, adding, "I like him too much."

The pair met on Tuesday on Trump's first stop of his tour of the Middle East, where they jointly announced a $142bn (£107bn) arms deal.

Former US ambassador to Syria Robert Ford, who served under former President Barack Obama, applauded the Trump administration's move to lift sanctions.

"I visited Syria three months ago and the country is simply devastated after the 13-year civil war. It needs to rebuild, it needs reconstruction, it needs foreign financing to do that," he told the BBC.

"So removing the sanctions, that will enable international capital flows to go into Syria from Gulf states, from other Arab states and from different aid agencies is absolutely vital."

The tour of the Arab Gulf states will also see Trump visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

A Los Angeles judge has resentenced two brothers who are serving life in prison for the 1989 murders of their parents in a Beverly Hills mansion, making them eligible for parole.

Judge Michael Jesic gave Erik and Lyle Menendez a new sentence of 50 years to life. A decision on their potential release will be made at a parole hearing in June.

The pair have acknowledged killing Kitty and Jose Menendez, but said they acted out of self-defence after years of abuse and have since been rehabilitated.

Prosecutors have argued the brothers meticulously planned the shotgun killings to access their parents' fortune, are yet to take responsibility and should not be released.

The notorious case, which has prompted books, documentaries and dramas, still divides America.

The brothers gave an emotional statement - via video - to the court at Tuesday's hearing.

The court heard relatives detail how the case affected their family, and pleading for the judge to allow the siblings' release from prison.

The brothers' cousin, Anamaria Baralt, who has been close with them since they were children, told the judge they deserved a "second chance at life".

"It's been a nightmare," she said. "I am desperate for this process to be over."

At times, both Erik and Lyle appeared emotional as family recounted how their crimes have impacted them. Both wiped their eyes at times, with Erik covering his mouth or putting his head in his hands at other moments.

Ms Baralt speaks with Erik and Lyle frequently, she told the court, and testified that they've taken "ownership of their actions".

She said they admitted they tried to steer their previous trial - with Lyle telling her he'd asked a witness to lie when testifying.

"They are very different men from the boys they were," she said.

Former US President Joe Biden's aides have hit back at a new book that accuses his White House inner circle of covering up his "physical deterioration" during his ill-fated re-election campaign.

According to the book, Original Sin, Biden's condition during his 2024 presidential run was said to be so poor that aides discussed putting him in a wheelchair.

A spokesperson for Biden, 82, said "evidence of aging is not evidence of mental incapacity" and maintained the Democrat had been "a very effective president".

The book, by CNN's Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson of Axios, is due to be released on 20 May.

Biden abruptly ended his re-election campaign last July shortly after his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump, a Republican.

Party insiders blamed him for exiting the race too late, leaving his replacement, Vice-President Kamala Harris, 107 days to challenge Trump, who swept to victory.

Ahead of the book's release, Biden last week gave his first interview since leaving the White House to the BBC, saying: "I don't think it would have mattered" if he had left the race sooner.

While the book largely cites anonymous sources in interviews with more than 200 people, one of the few to be quoted on the record is David Plouffe, who worked on Vice-President Harris's campaign.

"We got so screwed by Biden as a party," the book quotes Plouffe as saying.

The authors write: "Biden's physical deterioration - most apparent in his halting walk - had become so severe that there were internal discussions about putting the president in a wheelchair, but they couldn't do so until after the election.

"Given Biden's age, [his physician Kevin O'Connor] also privately said that if he had another bad fall, a wheelchair might be necessary for what could be a difficult recovery," the book adds.

Biden's physical condition had declined so much, the authors said, that aides had sought to ensure he walked shorter distances, used handrails when mounting stairs, and wore trainers more often.

At the time, Biden aides repeatedly told reporters his altered gait was due to a foot fracture in November 2020 and his subsequent refusal to consistently wear his prescribed surgical boot.

In a statement to Axios, an anonymous Biden aide said: "Yes, there were physical changes as he got older, but evidence of aging is not evidence of mental incapacity."

The spokesperson added: "We are still waiting for someone, anyone, to point out where Joe Biden had to make a presidential decision or make a presidential address where he was unable to do his job because of mental decline.

"In fact, the evidence points to the opposite - he was a very effective president."

Tapper and Thompson's book also says that Biden did not recognise George Clooney at a star-studded California campaign fundraiser last June hosted by the Hollywood star.

"Thank you for being here," Biden told Clooney at the event, apparently unaware he was speaking to the Academy Award winner.

"You know George," an aide reportedly told Biden, as he was struggled to work out Clooney's identity.

Not long after the incident, Clooney wrote an opinion piece in the New York Times calling on Biden to quit the race. The actor was one of the first major donors to publicly withdraw his support.

The book also alleges that Biden forgot the names of veteran aides, including trusted loyalist Mike Donilon, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and White House communications director Kate Bedingfield.

Former world champion cyclist Rohan Dennis has been given a two-year suspended sentence over a car incident in Australia which killed his wife, fellow Olympian Melissa Hoskins.

Dennis pleaded guilty to one aggravated count of creating the likelihood of harm, after Hoskins was struck by the car he was driving during a fight outside the couple's Adelaide home in 2023.

A judge said Dennis had disregarded his wife's safety, but was not criminally responsible for her death.

Hoskins' parents spoke outside the court after sentencing, saying they were "glad" the case was over and they hoped the family could "move on".

The court had previously heard that Dennis and Hoskins were arguing about kitchen renovations shortly before the incident occurred, and Hoskins had held on to the car her husband was driving as he tried to leave.

While sentencing Dennis, Judge Ian Press said calling the incident tragic "really does not do justice to the grief, the anguish and the turmoil those events have brought into the lives of those who knew and loved your wife".

He said he understood that Dennis had tried to "de-escalate the argument" by driving off, but said it did not excuse his actions.

"It was your obligation to stop the vehicle when driving that vehicle became dangerous to her physical wellbeing," he said, according to a report by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

"That you did not stop because you wanted to leave, is a very poor reason for not doing so."

Hoskins was taken to hospital after being struck but later died of her injuries.

Dennis was initially charged with dangerous driving causing death and driving without due care and pleaded not guilty, but he later admitted to a single, lesser charge.

Dennis' lawyer had argued that he had no intention of harming his wife and either did not know or was "reckless to the fact" that Hoskins was holding onto the car.

She told an earlier hearing that despite his "stoic" front, Dennis felt a "deep, deep grief".

On Wednesday, Judge Press emphasised that Dennis was not criminally responsible for causing Hoskins' death, and accepted he was remorseful.

"I accept you have a sense of responsibility for all that occurred. I accept you have anguished over what could have been different if you had acted in some other way," Judge Press said.

In victim impact statements read to the court last month, Hoskins' mother said that while she accepted Dennis wouldn't have intentionally hurt her daughter, his temper was his "downfall" and "needs to be addressed".

Speaking outside court, Peter and Amanda Hoskins said they missed their daughter "terribly".

"She was someone really special," Mr Hoskins said.

He said the family was yet to receive an apology from Dennis, but expected it "will come with time".

"It's now time for us to move on, which would be Melissa's expectations of us," Mr Hoskins said, adding it was important for the couple to have a "well-mannered relationship" with Dennis going forward.

"There are two young children caught up in this tragedy... Clearly, we want to continue to be an integral part of [the] children's lives and their future."

Hoskins was a world champion cyclist in the Australian team pursuit in 2015, and a two-time Olympian. Her death triggered a wave of tributes from around the world.

She and Dennis married in 2018.

Dennis retired at the end of the 2023 season after a cycling career in which he won a silver medal team pursuit at the London 2012 Olympics and a road time trial bronze at Tokyo 2020. He also won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2022.

Chimpanzees in Uganda have been observed using medicinal plants - in multiple ways - to treat open wounds and other injuries.

University of Oxford scientists, working with a local team in the Budongo Forest, filmed and recorded incidents of the animals using plants for first aid, both on themselves and occasionally on each other.

Their research builds on the discovery last year that chimps seek out and eat certain plants to self-medicate.

The scientists also compiled decades of scientific observations to create a catalogue of the different ways in which chimpanzees use "forest first aid".

Researchers say the study, which is published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, adds to a growing body of evidence that primates, including chimps, orangutans and gorillas, use natural medicines in a number of ways to stay healthy in the wild.

• Chimpanzees ‘self-medicate’ with healing plants
• Wounded orangutan seen using plant as medicine

Lead researcher Elodie Freymann explained there was "a whole behavioural repertoire that chimpanzees use when they're sick or injured in the wild - to treat themselves and to maintain hygiene".

"Some of these include the use of plants that can be found here," she explained. "The chimpanzees dab them on their wounds or chew the plants up, and then apply the chewed material to the open injury."

The researchers studied footage of a very young, female chimpanzee chewing plant material and applying it to an injury on its mother's body.

They also found records of chimpanzees tending to the wounds of other animals they weren't related to. This is particularly exciting, explained Dr Freymann, "because it adds to the evidence that wild chimpanzees have the capacity for empathy".

Some of the hundreds of written observations that Dr Freymann and her colleagues studied came from a log book at the field station in the forest site, which is northwest of the capital, Kampala.

This record of anecdotal evidence dates back to the 1990s – local field staff, researchers and visitors have written in, describing any interesting behaviour they have observed.

There are stories in that book of leaf-dabbing on injuries and chimps helping other chimps to remove snares from their limbs.

There are some surprisingly human-like hygiene habits: One note describes a chimpanzee using leaves to wipe itself after defecating.

This team of researchers has previously identified some of the plants that chimpanzees sought out and ate when they were injured. The scientists took samples of those plants, tested them and discovered most had antibacterial properties.

Chimpanzees are not the only non-human apes with apparent knowledge of plant-based medicine. A recent study showed a wild oranguatan using chewed leaf material to heal a facial wound.

Scientists think studying this wild ape behaviour - and understanding more about the plants the chimps use when they are sick or injured - could help in the search for new medicines.

"The more we learn about chimpanzee behaviour and intelligence, the more I think we come to understand how little we as humans actually know about the natural world," Dr Freymann told BBC News.

"If I were plopped down here in this forest with no food and no medicine, I doubt that I'd be able to survive very long, especially if I were injured or sick."

"But chimpanzees thrive here because they know how to access the secrets of this place, and how to find all they need to survive from their surroundings."

Airbnb says users will now be able to book luxury services like personal trainers, massages and chefs on its redesigned app as it continues to expand beyond its main short-term rentals business.

"People choose hotels for their services. People choose Airbnbs for the space... now, we're giving you the best of both worlds", the company's chief executive Brian Chesky said in a statement.

It comes just weeks after the firm signalled bookings may slow in the US as President Trump's unpredictable trade policies hit consumer sentiment.

Despite hosting more than two billion guests since its launch in 2008, Airbnb has also faced challenges in recent years with some cities moving to ban short lets.

Airbnb's new services will initially be available in 260 cities, with the company saying they will cost from below $50 (£37.57).

The luxury offerings, which include spa treatments, photographers and makeup artists, can also be booked by people who are not staying in Airbnbs.

The company's revamped app also includes an updated experiences tab, allowing users to book bespoke tours and activities. That service was first launched in 2016.

The new hotel-like features reflect the changing needs of tourists, Gary Bowerman, director of travel marketing firm Check-in Asia told the BBC.

"Travellers are now thinking much more about how to customise the trip for themselves, not just the actual functional parts of how they get there and where they stay."

Another feature of the new app is an originals tab, which offers exclusive experiences across the world.

This includes playing beach volleyball in Rio de Janeiro with Olympian Carol Solberg or spending a Sunday with National Football League superstar Patrick Mahomes.

Bespoke options like this are part of a wider trend as tourists seek out off-the-beaten path experiences, said luxury travel consultant Anastasia Oriordan.

"There are so many people that have travelled and done so many things, that the benchmark or the goalpost for unique experiences is constantly moving."

Prosecutors' star witness, Sean "Diddy" Combs' ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura, took the stand on Tuesday in the hip-hop mogul's sex trafficking trial, accusing the rapper of controlling her life and coercing her into "humiliating" sex acts.

Mr Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Family and friends have come to court in large numbers to support Mr Combs, whose legal team has not yet questioned Ms Ventura.

Ms Ventura, who is pregnant, told prosecutors about the alleged physical and emotional abuse she endured at the hands of the rapper during so-called "freak-offs", or sexual encounters the couple had with male escorts.

Here are some of the most notable parts of her first five hours of testimony.

Warning: This story contains details that some readers may find distressing.

Ms Ventura fell 'in love' with Mr Combs

Prosecutors began by questioning Ms Ventura - one of their two central witnesses in the case - about her 11-year, on-and-off relationship with Mr Combs.

Now 38 and pregnant in her third trimester with her third child, Ms Ventura met Mr Combs when she was a 19-year-old aspiring singer and he was 37. Mr Combs' record label would later sign Ms Ventura as an artist, and shortly after, their romantic relationship began.

Their relationship progressed over a series of several trips. At the time, she testified, she felt like they were in a monogamous relationship, though she knows now that he had other girlfriends.

She said she "fell in love" with the "larger than life entrepreneur and musician". But it was not long before she noticed another side to him, she said.

Mr Combs wanted to 'control' every part of her life, Ms Ventura says

Mr Combs wanted to "control" her life, Ms Ventura said. She said he paid for her home, her cars, her phone and other technology that he would sometimes take away to "punish" her.

"Control was everything, from the way that I looked ... to what I was working on," Ms Ventura said.

Eventually, she claimed, the control turned violent. Mr Combs would "bash on my head, knock me over, drag me and kick me" frequently, Ms Ventura testified, sometimes through tears.

She alleged that she was left with swollen lips, black eyes and knots on her forehead.

Ms Ventura felt 'humiliated' by 'freak-offs'

Prosecutors spent hours on Tuesday asking Ms Ventura about so-called "freak-offs".

Ms Ventura told the court how Mr Combs introduced her to the sexual events during the first year of their relationship: They would hire a male escort or stripper to have sex with Ms Ventura while Mr Combs watched.

Ms Ventura told the court that she first tried the encounters to make Mr Combs "happy". But she said they humiliated her, and sometimes lasted three to four days.

"I felt pretty horrible about myself," she told the court, wiping away tears. "It made me feel worthless."

Ms Ventura told the court she never wanted to have sex with anyone but Mr Combs, and claimed she would take myriad drugs - marijuana, ecstasy and ketamine - to help her perform to Mr Combs' satisfaction, but also to "disassociate".

The drugs were "a way to not feel it for what it really was", she said, "having sex with a stranger I didn't really want to be having sex with".

Mr Combs flew male escorts in for freak-offs, court hears

As prosecutors pressed Ms Ventura about the "freak-offs", she told the court of how Mr Combs would direct her to find male escorts, strippers or dancers to have sex with while he watched.

She alleged that Mr Combs would pay the men anywhere from $1,500 to $6,000 in cash, depending on their performance.

They found the men through stripper companies and sites like Craigslist. Some of their photos were displayed to the jurors, including Daniel Phillip, who finished his testimony earlier on Tuesday.

Ms Ventura and Mr Combs had the enounters in cities around the world, including Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas and Ibiza, Spain, Ms Ventura testified.

Sometimes, men would be flown in during vacations, she alleged, and Mr Combs would direct her to ask staff to pay for and arrange their travel, calling them new employees.

Among other charges, prosecutors are trying to prove that Mr Combs engaged in sex trafficking - human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation - and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Mr Combs 'directed', Ms Ventura says

As prosecutors pressed Ms Ventura for graphic details, one key element emerged: Ms Ventura claimed that Mr Combs controlled every part of the encounters.

He chose the outfits she wore - down to the extremely high heels she kept on for hours - as well as the sexual acts that transpired and the lighting, Ms Ventura told jurors.

"If Sean wanted something to happen, that was what was going to happen," she said. "I couldn't say no."

Sometimes, Ms Ventura said, she would take the lead on which male escorts to hire because Mr Combs was "very busy", but she only did so at his direction, she said.

She said freak-offs had a very specific "pattern" of sexual acts each time.

"He was controlling the whole situation," she alleged. "He was directing it."

At times, Ms Ventura said, she tried to tell Mr Combs that she felt "horrible". But when he dismissed her concerns, she said, she relented, worried he would get angry or question their relationship.

Ms Ventura is expected to continue her testimony on Wednesday, when she could also face cross-examination.

Former US President Joe Biden's aides have hit back at a new book that accuses his White House inner circle of covering up his "physical deterioration" during his ill-fated re-election campaign.

According to the book, Original Sin, Biden's condition during his 2024 presidential run was said to be so poor that aides discussed putting him in a wheelchair.

A spokesperson for Biden, 82, said "evidence of aging is not evidence of mental incapacity" and maintained the Democrat had been "a very effective president".

The book, by CNN's Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson of Axios, is due to be released on 20 May.

Biden abruptly ended his re-election campaign last July shortly after his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump, a Republican.

Party insiders blamed him for exiting the race too late, leaving his replacement, Vice-President Kamala Harris, 107 days to challenge Trump, who swept to victory.

Ahead of the book's release, Biden last week gave his first interview since leaving the White House to the BBC, saying: "I don't think it would have mattered" if he had left the race sooner.

While the book largely cites anonymous sources in interviews with more than 200 people, one of the few to be quoted on the record is David Plouffe, who worked on Vice-President Harris's campaign.

"We got so screwed by Biden as a party," the book quotes Plouffe as saying.

The authors write: "Biden's physical deterioration - most apparent in his halting walk - had become so severe that there were internal discussions about putting the president in a wheelchair, but they couldn't do so until after the election.

"Given Biden's age, [his physician Kevin O'Connor] also privately said that if he had another bad fall, a wheelchair might be necessary for what could be a difficult recovery," the book adds.

Biden's physical condition had declined so much, the authors said, that aides had sought to ensure he walked shorter distances, used handrails when mounting stairs, and wore trainers more often.

At the time, Biden aides repeatedly told reporters his altered gait was due to a foot fracture in November 2020 and his subsequent refusal to consistently wear his prescribed surgical boot.

In a statement to Axios, an anonymous Biden aide said: "Yes, there were physical changes as he got older, but evidence of aging is not evidence of mental incapacity."

The spokesperson added: "We are still waiting for someone, anyone, to point out where Joe Biden had to make a presidential decision or make a presidential address where he was unable to do his job because of mental decline.

"In fact, the evidence points to the opposite - he was a very effective president."

Tapper and Thompson's book also says that Biden did not recognise George Clooney at a star-studded California campaign fundraiser last June hosted by the Hollywood star.

"Thank you for being here," Biden told Clooney at the event, apparently unaware he was speaking to the Academy Award winner.

"You know George," an aide reportedly told Biden, as he was struggled to work out Clooney's identity.

Not long after the incident, Clooney wrote an opinion piece in the New York Times calling on Biden to quit the race. The actor was one of the first major donors to publicly withdraw his support.

The book also alleges that Biden forgot the names of veteran aides, including trusted loyalist Mike Donilon, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and White House communications director Kate Bedingfield.

A duck has been caught speeding on traffic cameras in the town of Koeniz in central Switzerland.

Local police said the mallard - a wild duck - was snapped on radar images on 13 April clocking in at 52km (32 miles) in a 30km zone.

Adding to the mystery, authorities said the duck was likely a repeat offender and shared an image of a similar looking duck travelling in the same spot, at the same speed and on the same date in 2018.

There has been speculation about whether the "notorious racer" duck incident was a belated April Fool's joke, but the police inspectorate said it is impossible to manipulate images on the radar system.

Authorities said traffic cameras are tested each year by Switzerland's Federal Institute of Metrology and the photos taken are sealed.

In a Facebook post, Koeniz officials wished the public "a lot of fun" in making sense of the "curious coincidences" seven years in the making.

"We wish you a lot of fun sensing about curious coincidences, criminal machinations of animals and the maximum flight speed of ducks," the post read.

Some comments have asked what the penalty will be for the "racer duck's" transgressions.

US President Donald Trump has said the US has "no stronger partner" than Saudi Arabia during his first major foreign trip - a whirlwind visit of Gulf countries mainly focused on shoring up investment.

Day one of the trip saw the two sides announce a $142bn (£107bn) arms deal, as well as a raft of other investments that Saudi Arabia's crown prince said could eventually be worth $1tn.

Trump also made Saudi Arabia the first foreign stop during his first term, in 2017. The rest of his gulf tour will include stops in Qatar and the UAE.

Speaking for nearly an hour in Riyadh, Trump also announced that the US would be lifting sanctions on Syria in order to give the country "a chance at greatness".

In his remarks at a US-Saudi investment forum, Trump lauded the US-Saudi relationship as "more powerful than ever before" and praised his domestic agenda - particularly as it pertains to the economy and foreign investment.

"From the moment we started we've seen wealth that has poured - and is pouring - into America," he said.

The visit comes as Trump continues to try woo foreign investors to the US to boost the US economy, a key focus of his administration in the nearly four months of his second term.

"I like him too much," Trump said of Saudi Arabia's crown prince and de-facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman. "That's why we give so much."

Underscoring his commitment to deal-making, Trump was joined by billionaire ally Elon Musk and other business leaders at a lavish lunch.

During his address, Trump announced he was lifting sanctions on Syria to "give them a chance at greatness" and said it was his "dream" to have Saudi Arabia join the Abraham Accords, a deal brokered in his first administration that saw relations between Israel and some Gulf countries normalised for the first time.

As for other regional issues - Trump only briefly addressed the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. He told those in attendance that people in Gaza deserved a "better future" which had been held back by Hamas choosing "to kidnap, torture and target" for "political ends" - a reference to the 7 October attack on Israel.

The friendly tone of the visit stands in stark contrast to the often-tense relationship between the Saudis and Biden, who in 2023 called on the US to "reassess" its relationship with the kingdom.

As a candidate successfully campaigning against Trump in 2020, Biden had also vowed to make Saudi Arabia a "pariah" in response to the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a US-based journalist killed in Istanbul in 2018.

In 2021, he also stopped sending US offensive weapons to the Saudis, although they resumed last year.

At the time, Biden also said that there was "very little redeeming value" in the Saudi government - although the following year he visited the kingdom on a state visit.

From Saudi Arabia, Trump will head to both Qatar and the UAE, which has already committed to investing $1.4tn in the US over the next decade.

A Los Angeles judge has resentenced two brothers who are serving life in prison for the 1989 murders of their parents in a Beverly Hills mansion, making them eligible for parole.

Judge Michael Jesic gave Erik and Lyle Menendez a new sentence of 50 years to life. A decision on their potential release will be made at a parole hearing in June.

The pair have acknowledged killing Kitty and Jose Menendez, but said they acted out of self-defence after years of abuse and have since been rehabilitated.

Prosecutors have argued the brothers meticulously planned the shotgun killings to access their parents' fortune, are yet to take responsibility and should not be released.

The notorious case, which has prompted books, documentaries and dramas, still divides America.

The brothers gave an emotional statement - via video - to the court at Tuesday's hearing.

The court heard relatives detail how the case affected their family, and pleading for the judge to allow the siblings' release from prison.

The brothers' cousin, Anamaria Baralt, who has been close with them since they were children, told the judge they deserved a "second chance at life".

"It's been a nightmare," she said. "I am desperate for this process to be over."

At times, both Erik and Lyle appeared emotional as family recounted how their crimes have impacted them. Both wiped their eyes at times, with Erik covering his mouth or putting his head in his hands at other moments.

Ms Baralt speaks with Erik and Lyle frequently, she told the court, and testified that they've taken "ownership of their actions".

She said they admitted they tried to steer their previous trial - with Lyle telling her he'd asked a witness to lie when testifying.

"They are very different men from the boys they were," she said.

Former Uruguayan President José Mujica, known as "Pepe", has died at the age of 89.

The ex-guerrilla who governed Uruguay from 2010 to 2015 was known as the world's "poorest president" because of his modest lifestyle.

Current President Yamandú Orsi announced his predecessor's death on X, writing: "thank you for everything you gave us and for your deep love for your people."

The politician's cause of death is not known but he had been suffering from oesophageal cancer.

Because of the simple way he lived as president, his criticism of consumerism and the social reforms he promoted - which, among other things, meant Uruguay became the first country to legalise the recreational use of marijuana - Mujica became a well-known political figure in Latin America and beyond.

His global popularity is unusual for a president of Uruguay, a country with just 3.4 million inhabitants where his legacy has also generated some controversy.

In fact, even though many tended to see Mujica as someone outside the political class, that was not the case.

He said his passion for politics, as well as for books and working the land, was passed on to him by his mother, who raised him in a middle-class home in Montevideo, the capital city.

As a young man, Mujica was a member of the National Party, one of Uruguay's traditional political forces, which later became the centre-right opposition to his government.

In the 1960s, he helped set up the Tupamaros National Liberation Movement (MLN-T), a leftist urban guerrilla group that carried out assaults, kidnappings and executions, although he always maintained that he did not commit any murder.

Influenced by the Cuban revolution and international socialism, the MLN-T launched a campaign of clandestine resistance against the Uruguayan government, which at the time was constitutional and democratic, although the left accused it of being increasingly authoritarian.

During this period, Mujica was captured four times. On one of those occasions, in 1970, he was shot six times and nearly died.

He escaped from prison twice, on one occasion through a tunnel with 105 other MLN-T prisoners, in one of the largest escapes in Uruguayan prison history.

When the Uruguayan military staged a coup in 1973, they included him in a group of "nine hostages" who they threatened to kill if the guerrillas continued their attacks.

During the more than 14 years he spent in prison during the 1970s and 1980s, he was tortured and spent most of that time in harsh conditions and isolation, until he was freed in 1985 when Uruguay returned to democracy.

He used to say that during his time in prison, he experienced madness first hand, suffering from delusions and even talking to ants.

The day he was freed was his happiest memory, he says: "Becoming president was insignificant compared to that."

From guerrilla to president

A few years after his release, he served as a lawmaker, both in the Chamber of Representatives and in the Senate, the country's lower and upper houses respectively.

In 2005, he became minister in the first government of the Frente Amplio, the Uruguayan leftist coalition, before becoming Uruguay's president in 2010.

He was 74 years old at the time, and, to the rest of the world, still unknown.

His election marked an important moment for the Latin American left, which was already strong on the continent at that time. Mujica became leader alongside other left-wing presidents such as Luis Inácio Lula da Silva in Brazil and Hugo Chávez in Venezuela.

However, Mujica governed in his own way, demonstrating pragmatism and audacity on several occasions, political commentators say.

During his administration, amid a fairly favourable international context, the Uruguayan economy grew at an average annual rate of 5.4%, poverty was reduced, and unemployment remained low.

Uruguay also drew global attention for the social laws passed by parliament during those years, such as the legalisation of abortion, the recognition of same-sex marriage, and state regulation of the marijuana market.

While in office, Mujica rejected moving into the presidential residence (a mansion), as heads of state around the world usually do.

Instead, he remained with his wife - politician and former guerrilla Lucía Topolansky - in their modest home on the outskirts of Montevideo, with no domestic help and little security.

This combined with the fact that he always dressed casually, that he was often seen driving his light blue 1987 Volkswagen Beetle and gave away a large portion of his salary, led some media outlets to call him "the world's poorest president".

But Mujica always rejected that title: "They say I'm the poorest president. No, I'm not," he told me in a 2012 interview at his home. "Poor are those who want more [...] because they're in an endless race."

Despite Mujica preaching austerity, his government did significantly increase public spending, widening the fiscal deficit and leading his opponents to accuse him of waste.

Mujica was also criticised for failing to reverse the growing problems in Uruguayan education, despite having promised that education would be a top priority for his administration.

However, unlike other leaders in the region, he was never accused of corruption or of undermining his country's democracy.

By the end of his administration, Mujica had a high domestic popularity rating (close to 70%) and was elected senator, but also spent part of his time travelling the world after he stepped down as president.

"So what it is that catches the world's attention? That I live with very little, a simple house, that I drive around in an old car? Then this world is crazy because it's surprised by [what is] normal," he reflected before leaving office.

Mujica retired from politics in 2020 though he remained a central figure in Uruguay.

His political heir, Yamandú Orsi, was elected president of Uruguay in November 2024 and his group within the Frente Amplio obtained the largest number of parliamentary seats since the country's return to democracy.

Last year, Mujica announced he had cancer and references to his age and the inexorable proximity of death became more frequent - but he always accepted the final outcome as something natural, without drama.

In the last interview he gave the BBC in November last year, he said: "One knows that death is inevitable. And perhaps it's like the salt of life."

US President Donald Trump has said the US has "no stronger partner" than Saudi Arabia during his first major foreign trip - a whirlwind visit of Gulf countries mainly focused on shoring up investment.

Day one of the trip saw the two sides announce a $142bn (£107bn) arms deal, as well as a raft of other investments that Saudi Arabia's crown prince said could eventually be worth $1tn.

Trump also made Saudi Arabia the first foreign stop during his first term, in 2017. The rest of his gulf tour will include stops in Qatar and the UAE.

Speaking for nearly an hour in Riyadh, Trump also announced that the US would be lifting sanctions on Syria in order to give the country "a chance at greatness".

In his remarks at a US-Saudi investment forum, Trump lauded the US-Saudi relationship as "more powerful than ever before" and praised his domestic agenda - particularly as it pertains to the economy and foreign investment.

"From the moment we started we've seen wealth that has poured - and is pouring - into America," he said.

The visit comes as Trump continues to try woo foreign investors to the US to boost the US economy, a key focus of his administration in the nearly four months of his second term.

"I like him too much," Trump said of Saudi Arabia's crown prince and de-facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman. "That's why we give so much."

Underscoring his commitment to deal-making, Trump was joined by billionaire ally Elon Musk and other business leaders at a lavish lunch.

During his address, Trump announced he was lifting sanctions on Syria to "give them a chance at greatness" and said it was his "dream" to have Saudi Arabia join the Abraham Accords, a deal brokered in his first administration that saw relations between Israel and some Gulf countries normalised for the first time.

As for other regional issues - Trump only briefly addressed the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. He told those in attendance that people in Gaza deserved a "better future" which had been held back by Hamas choosing "to kidnap, torture and target" for "political ends" - a reference to the 7 October attack on Israel.

The friendly tone of the visit stands in stark contrast to the often-tense relationship between the Saudis and Biden, who in 2023 called on the US to "reassess" its relationship with the kingdom.

As a candidate successfully campaigning against Trump in 2020, Biden had also vowed to make Saudi Arabia a "pariah" in response to the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a US-based journalist killed in Istanbul in 2018.

In 2021, he also stopped sending US offensive weapons to the Saudis, although they resumed last year.

At the time, Biden also said that there was "very little redeeming value" in the Saudi government - although the following year he visited the kingdom on a state visit.

From Saudi Arabia, Trump will head to both Qatar and the UAE, which has already committed to investing $1.4tn in the US over the next decade.

Prosecutors' star witness, Sean "Diddy" Combs' ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura, took the stand on Tuesday in the hip-hop mogul's sex trafficking trial, accusing the rapper of controlling her life and coercing her into "humiliating" sex acts.

Mr Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Family and friends have come to court in large numbers to support Mr Combs, whose legal team has not yet questioned Ms Ventura.

Ms Ventura, who is pregnant, told prosecutors about the alleged physical and emotional abuse she endured at the hands of the rapper during so-called "freak-offs", or sexual encounters the couple had with male escorts.

Here are some of the most notable parts of her first five hours of testimony.

Warning: This story contains details that some readers may find distressing.

Ms Ventura fell 'in love' with Mr Combs

Prosecutors began by questioning Ms Ventura - one of their two central witnesses in the case - about her 11-year, on-and-off relationship with Mr Combs.

Now 38 and pregnant in her third trimester with her third child, Ms Ventura met Mr Combs when she was a 19-year-old aspiring singer and he was 37. Mr Combs' record label would later sign Ms Ventura as an artist, and shortly after, their romantic relationship began.

Their relationship progressed over a series of several trips. At the time, she testified, she felt like they were in a monogamous relationship, though she knows now that he had other girlfriends.

She said she "fell in love" with the "larger than life entrepreneur and musician". But it was not long before she noticed another side to him, she said.

Mr Combs wanted to 'control' every part of her life, Ms Ventura says

Mr Combs wanted to "control" her life, Ms Ventura said. She said he paid for her home, her cars, her phone and other technology that he would sometimes take away to "punish" her.

"Control was everything, from the way that I looked ... to what I was working on," Ms Ventura said.

Eventually, she claimed, the control turned violent. Mr Combs would "bash on my head, knock me over, drag me and kick me" frequently, Ms Ventura testified, sometimes through tears.

She alleged that she was left with swollen lips, black eyes and knots on her forehead.

Ms Ventura felt 'humiliated' by 'freak-offs'

Prosecutors spent hours on Tuesday asking Ms Ventura about so-called "freak-offs".

Ms Ventura told the court how Mr Combs introduced her to the sexual events during the first year of their relationship: They would hire a male escort or stripper to have sex with Ms Ventura while Mr Combs watched.

Ms Ventura told the court that she first tried the encounters to make Mr Combs "happy". But she said they humiliated her, and sometimes lasted three to four days.

"I felt pretty horrible about myself," she told the court, wiping away tears. "It made me feel worthless."

Ms Ventura told the court she never wanted to have sex with anyone but Mr Combs, and claimed she would take myriad drugs - marijuana, ecstasy and ketamine - to help her perform to Mr Combs' satisfaction, but also to "disassociate".

The drugs were "a way to not feel it for what it really was", she said, "having sex with a stranger I didn't really want to be having sex with".

Mr Combs flew male escorts in for freak-offs, court hears

As prosecutors pressed Ms Ventura about the "freak-offs", she told the court of how Mr Combs would direct her to find male escorts, strippers or dancers to have sex with while he watched.

She alleged that Mr Combs would pay the men anywhere from $1,500 to $6,000 in cash, depending on their performance.

They found the men through stripper companies and sites like Craigslist. Some of their photos were displayed to the jurors, including Daniel Phillip, who finished his testimony earlier on Tuesday.

Ms Ventura and Mr Combs had the enounters in cities around the world, including Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas and Ibiza, Spain, Ms Ventura testified.

Sometimes, men would be flown in during vacations, she alleged, and Mr Combs would direct her to ask staff to pay for and arrange their travel, calling them new employees.

Among other charges, prosecutors are trying to prove that Mr Combs engaged in sex trafficking - human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation - and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Mr Combs 'directed', Ms Ventura says

As prosecutors pressed Ms Ventura for graphic details, one key element emerged: Ms Ventura claimed that Mr Combs controlled every part of the encounters.

He chose the outfits she wore - down to the extremely high heels she kept on for hours - as well as the sexual acts that transpired and the lighting, Ms Ventura told jurors.

"If Sean wanted something to happen, that was what was going to happen," she said. "I couldn't say no."

Sometimes, Ms Ventura said, she would take the lead on which male escorts to hire because Mr Combs was "very busy", but she only did so at his direction, she said.

She said freak-offs had a very specific "pattern" of sexual acts each time.

"He was controlling the whole situation," she alleged. "He was directing it."

At times, Ms Ventura said, she tried to tell Mr Combs that she felt "horrible". But when he dismissed her concerns, she said, she relented, worried he would get angry or question their relationship.

Ms Ventura is expected to continue her testimony on Wednesday, when she could also face cross-examination.