The UK is among 27 countries backing a statement calling for Israel to allow immediate independent foreign media access to Gaza.

France, Germany, Australia, and Japan have also signed the text released by the Media Freedom Coalition - an intergovernmental group which advocates for the rights and protection of journalists globally.

The statement also condemned attacks on journalists, saying those working in Gaza must be protected.

International journalists have been banned by Israel from entering the Gaza Strip independently since the start of the war nearly two years ago. Some journalists have been taken into Gaza by the IDF under controlled access.

At least 192 journalists and media workers, the vast majority of them Palestinian, have been killed since then in the deadliest conflict for journalists ever documented, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Thursday's statement, the first of its kind to be made jointly by countries, says their call is in light of "the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe", adding they "oppose all attempts to restrict press freedom and block entry to journalists".

It says that "deliberate targeting of journalists" is unacceptable, calling for all attacks to be investigated and followed up by prosecutions.

The latest such attack occurred earlier this month when four Al Jazeera journalists, including prominent reporter Anas al-Sharif, were killed in a targeted Israeli strike near Gaza City's al-Shifa Hospital.

Sharif and another correspondent, Mohammed Qreiqeh, along with cameramen Ibrahim Zaher and Mohammed Noufal, were in a tent for journalists at the hospital's main gate when it was struck, the broadcaster said at the time.

Two other freelance journalists were killed - Moamen Aliwa and Mohammed al-Khaldi.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed it had targeted Sharif, alleging he had "served as the head of a terrorist cell in Hamas".

However, the CPJ said Israel had failed to provide evidence to back up its allegations. Al Jazeera has also denied Israeli claims.

With no international journalists allowed into Gaza, local reporters have continued throughout the war to provide coverage directly on social media and working for Palestinian or international media organisations.

Israel's High Court of Justice last year ruled that restrictions on entry were justified on security grounds. The Foreign Press Association, which represents journalists operating in Israel, has been petitioning the court to lift the ban, arguing that "unprecedented restrictions" had "hindered independent reporting".

For the journalists still in Gaza, the situation is dire. As well as Israeli air strikes, many have faced the threat of starvation.

Last month, the BBC and three news agencies - Reuters, AP and AFP - issued a joint statement expressing "desperate concern" for journalists in the territory, who they say are increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families.

More than 100 international aid organisations and human rights groups have warned of mass starvation in Gaza.

Israel, which controls the entry of aid supplies into Gaza, has accused the charities of "serving the propaganda of Hamas". But its own government figures show the amount of food it allowed into the territory between March and July was significantly below what the World Food Programme (WFP) says is needed for even basic assistance needs.

There are more fears about Palestinians after the Israeli military began the first stages of a planned ground offensive in Gaza City.

Israel's government announced its intention to conquer the entire Gaza Strip after indirect talks with Hamas on a ceasefire and hostage release deal broke down last month.

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

At least 62,122 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's health ministry. The ministry's figures are quoted by the UN and others as the most reliable source of statistics available on casualties.

Ambitious plans for a bilateral summit between Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia's Vladimir Putin appear to be stalling, only days after Donald Trump expressed confidence that such a meeting could take place within weeks.

Locations from Geneva and Vienna to Budapest or Istanbul have all been mooted as possible venues. Putin and Zelensky have not been in the same room since 2019, three years before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The US president said he had "begun arrangements" for the summit, indicating he believed Putin had agreed to it over the phone on Monday.

This may have been an optimistic reading of the conversation.

Almost at once, the Kremlin shared its own, more vague version of the exchange. Trump and Putin had discussed "the possibility of raising the level of representatives" - said aide Yuri Ushakov – and that could simply mean that ministers, instead of envoys, may take part in the talks.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that a meeting could happen "within the next two weeks". But, he cautioned, "we don't know whether the Russian president will have the courage to attend such a summit" and he pushed for Putin to be "persuaded".

Trump mentioned a "rough" situation for Russia, should Putin not co-operate in the peace process, but declined to be more specific.

Now, as the diplomatic whirlwind dies down, the likelihood of a meeting between Putin and Zelensky seems to be further diminishing.

On the surface, Moscow appears to be open to taking part in bilateral talks between the two presidents. In reality, though, the preconditions it is attaching to a meeting will almost certainly prove unacceptable to the Ukrainian side.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said this week that Putin was ready to meet Zelensky provided that all "issues" that required consideration "at the highest level" were worked out. This vague yet uncompromising language has been used by the Kremlin in the past to resist Ukrainian proposals for a bilateral meeting.

Last week Trump envoy Steve Witkoff said that Russia had accepted security guarantees for Ukraine, calling it "a very significant step".

But it now appears that the guarantees in question would be modelled on those first floated by Moscow and rejected by Kyiv in 2022, which would see Russia join a group of countries wielding a power of veto over military intervention in defence of Ukraine.

That proposal would also see a ban on Western troops being stationed in Ukraine, effectively leaving it defenceless in the event of a fresh Russian invasion. Lavrov said on Thursday that any other security framework would be "an absolutely futile undertaking".

Zelensky, meanwhile, has said any meeting with Putin would need to come after Kyiv's allies agreed on security guarantees – which would undoubtedly involve the support of Western forces and exclude Russia, making it the kind that Moscow would never accept.

As things stand, neither Russia nor Ukraine seem ready to budge from their long-held positions - and each is accusing the other of undermining efforts to reach a peace deal.

The possibility of a Putin-Zelensky summit may for the moment seem remote, but that has not stopped speculation about where it might take place.

In the aftermath of the diplomatic frenzy that followed the talks at the White House, Budapest was mentioned as a location for a potential meeting and the Americans were said to be in favour of it.

"They can come to Hungary at any time," said Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Sizjjarto. "Give us an hour's notice beforehand, and we are ready to guarantee fair, decent, safe, and equal conditions for everyone in Hungary."

But not everybody sees the Hungarian capital as sufficiently neutral ground. Prime Minister Viktor Orban is one of the few European leaders who has maintained ties with Putin. He has also blocked funding for Ukraine and has pledged to veto Ukrainian membership to the EU.

"Let's be honest, Budapest did not support us," Zelensky said on Thursday. "I'm not saying that Orban's policy was against Ukraine, but it was against supporting Ukraine," he told reporters, adding that holding talks in Budapest would be "challenging".

On Wednesday Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk posted on X that he was opposed to Budapest hosting talks. The city was the location of a 1994 summit that resulted in Kyiv surrendering its share of the Soviet nuclear arsenal in return for Russian security assurances. Those were later rendered meaningless by Moscow's illegal 2014 annexation of Crimea and its 2022 full-scale invasion.

"Maybe I'm superstitious, but this time I would try to find another place," quipped Tusk.

France's Emmanuel Macron raised the possibility of the summit being held in Switzerland – a militarily neutral European country with a long history of hosting high-stakes talks. Zelensky also mooted Vienna, the seat of several international organisations.

In 2023 the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for Putin alleging war crimes in Ukraine but Switzerland and Austria – both ICC signatories – have said they would grant immunity to the Russian president if he came for peace talks.

Turkey too has been floated as an option.

There is a precedent, as Istanbul has already hosted three rounds of direct delegation-level talks between Ukraine and Russia since April, although they failed to result in any meaningful progress towards a ceasefire beyond an agreement on exchanging prisoners of war.

The Vatican and Saudi Arabia were also mentioned by Ukraine as possible locations. The Vatican has long put itself forward as a suitable venue, while Saudi Arabia has previously brokered prisoner exchanges between Kyiv and Moscow.

Away from high-level diplomacy, the war shows no sign of abating.

On Thursday Ukraine said its armed forces had struck an oil refinery in Russia's Rostov region, which borders Ukraine's eastern regions of the Donbas.

Russia, meanwhile, launched its biggest wave of strikes on Ukraine for weeks, killing one person and wounding many more.

"There is still no signal from Moscow that they are truly going to engage in meaningful negotiations and end this war," Zelensky said on social media. "Pressure is needed."

McDonald's Japan has postponed a child's menu toy promotion after complaints that a recent Pokémon giveaway led to piles of food being dumped, with the cards then being sold on for profit.

The fast-food giant said on Thursday that its collaboration with the popular pirate-themed manga title "One Piece" would now not run.

Earlier this month, the McDonald's giveaway of limited-edition Pokémon cards with its "Happy Set" meals led to long queues and bulk-buying.

Pictures shared online showed bags of food dumped on the street and complaints that the cards were being sold online for profit. The giveaway was planned to last for three days, but many outlets ran out of cards on the first.

In a statement on its website, McDonald's Japan said that it had "postponed" the One Piece promotion, which was due to start on 29 August, as part of a "review of Happy Set-related initiatives".

Customers would now receive toys that accompanied previous Happy Set meals instead, the company said.

Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency has told McDonald's it must improve its sales strategy and take steps to improve food wastage.

One Piece is a long-running series of comics and an animated programme, in which a pirate boy battles rivals while searching for treasure known as "One Piece". The comics were launched in 1997, with the animated series coming two years later.

Several related games and toys are hugely popular in Japan.

McDonald's has had similar problems with other campaigns in the past, including a collaboration with the "Chiikawa" manga series that was also targeted by online resales.

After the Pokémon debacle, McDonald's Japan issued a public apology and pledged to take steps to prevent similar issues in the future.

Pokémon cards are extremely popular among children but also attract adult fans and collectors, with billions printed and some selling for tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

One of the cards from the recent promotion, featuring the popular character Pikachu, is currently listed on one online auction site for over £25,000 ($33,000).

Last week, McDonald's told local media it was reviewing its giveaways after the Pokémon campaign led to "large-scale purchases for the purpose of reselling, which resulted in store congestion or food being left behind and discarded".

It said it was discontinuing the promotion and would be imposing a cap on the numbers of Happy Set meals that could be bought by customers.

Giraffes are one of the world's most distinct and well-loved creatures, always thought to be one species.

But now scientists at the International Union for Conservation of Nature say we can welcome three more species of the world's tallest mammal.

It's not the first time researchers have suggested there are four species of these giants strolling on our planet, but the latest assessment puts an official stamp on it.

How did scientists work it out? And what does it mean for the future of the animal?

Scientists compared the skull size and head shape of different giraffes and concluded there was enough genetic diversity for four groups to be considered as different species.

The researchers looked at natural features across Africa such as deserts, rivers and valleys that could have separated animals in the past, meaning they evolved separately from each other.

Say hello to the Southern giraffe, one of the newly-recognised species.

This giraffe lives in Angola, southern Botswana, Namibia, southern Zimbabwe, Zambia, and southwestern Mozambique.

Two rivers (the Kunene and Zambezi) and rainforests in the Congo Basin probably separated the animals from overlapping with other giraffes.

The second new species is the Reticulated giraffe.

This giraffe lives in the open savannas and wooded grasslands of Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia.

Scientists think the Tana river, Ethiopia's mountains and towns separated this animal from other giraffes in the north of the region.

It is also a migrating animal, which means it may have passed by other giraffes when it could have cross-bred.

The third species we can officially recognise is the Northern giraffe.

This animal lives in western Ethiopia, central and western Kenya, eastern South Sudan and Uganda.

Scientists say the Nile River and Lake Victoria, as well as its migration pattern, separated this giraffe from others.

The fourth and final species is the beautiful Masai giraffe, with its distinctive leaf-pattern hide.

It lives in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, separated from the Northern giraffe by Lake Victoria and the Nile River.

Although its pattern makes it seem like it could be a marker of being a separate species, the scientists say that the hides vary even within one population of giraffes and as the animals age.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says that identifying genetic difference is "vital" for conservation and managing giraffe populations.

"The more precisely we understand giraffe taxonomy, the better equipped we are to assess their status and implement effective conservation strategies," said co-author of the report Michael Brown of the IUCN.

As a single species, the giraffe was classed as vulnerable to extinction, although some of the sub-species were increasing in numbers.

The IUCN will now re-assess the vulnerability of the four new species and their sub-species and says it hopes to better protect the majestic animals with the new information.

Giraffes are one of the world's most distinct and well-loved creatures, always thought to be one species.

But now scientists at the International Union for Conservation of Nature say we can welcome three more species of the world's tallest mammal.

It's not the first time researchers have suggested there are four species of these giants strolling on our planet, but the latest assessment puts an official stamp on it.

How did scientists work it out? And what does it mean for the future of the animal?

Scientists compared the skull size and head shape of different giraffes and concluded there was enough genetic diversity for four groups to be considered as different species.

The researchers looked at natural features across Africa such as deserts, rivers and valleys that could have separated animals in the past, meaning they evolved separately from each other.

Say hello to the Southern giraffe, one of the newly-recognised species.

This giraffe lives in Angola, southern Botswana, Namibia, southern Zimbabwe, Zambia, and southwestern Mozambique.

Two rivers (the Kunene and Zambezi) and rainforests in the Congo Basin probably separated the animals from overlapping with other giraffes.

The second new species is the Reticulated giraffe.

This giraffe lives in the open savannas and wooded grasslands of Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia.

Scientists think the Tana river, Ethiopia's mountains and towns separated this animal from other giraffes in the north of the region.

It is also a migrating animal, which means it may have passed by other giraffes when it could have cross-bred.

The third species we can officially recognise is the Northern giraffe.

This animal lives in western Ethiopia, central and western Kenya, eastern South Sudan and Uganda.

Scientists say the Nile River and Lake Victoria, as well as its migration pattern, separated this giraffe from others.

The fourth and final species is the beautiful Masai giraffe, with its distinctive leaf-pattern hide.

It lives in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, separated from the Northern giraffe by Lake Victoria and the Nile River.

Although its pattern makes it seem like it could be a marker of being a separate species, the scientists say that the hides vary even within one population of giraffes and as the animals age.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says that identifying genetic difference is "vital" for conservation and managing giraffe populations.

"The more precisely we understand giraffe taxonomy, the better equipped we are to assess their status and implement effective conservation strategies," said co-author of the report Michael Brown of the IUCN.

As a single species, the giraffe was classed as vulnerable to extinction, although some of the sub-species were increasing in numbers.

The IUCN will now re-assess the vulnerability of the four new species and their sub-species and says it hopes to better protect the majestic animals with the new information.

Police in Brazil have accused former President Jair Bolsonaro, 70, and his 41-year-old son Eduardo of obstruction of justice.

They allege that the two tried to interfere in the trial currently under way against the elder Bolsonaro, in which he stands accused of leading an attempted coup after his defeat in the 2022 presidential election.

Police say they have found a document on Jair Bolsonaro's mobile phone which suggests he planned to evade criminal proceedings by seeking asylum in Argentina.

They also accuse Eduardo Bolsonaro of lobbying the Trump administration on behalf of his father - which they say led to the US imposing punitive tariffs on Brazilian goods.

• Why Trump's tariffs on Brazil are more about political retaliation than trade

The 170-page police report comes less than two weeks before the start of the final phase of the coup trial and piles further pressure on the former leader.

Jair Bolsonaro denies conspiring to overturn his 2022 election loss to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

But he has questioned the fairness of the proceedings against him, alleging he is the target of a "political witch hunt".

He told news agency Reuters last month that he had "no doubt" the five Supreme Court justices tasked with delivering the verdict had already made up their mind about convict him.

But at the time, he denied ever having made plans to try to evade the trial.

"I've never considered leaving the country, never," he told Reuters, adding that he believed the coup charges were designed to "eliminate" him from running for president in 2026.

But in their report filed on Wednesday, police say they found a draft letter on Jair Bolsonaro's mobile phone requesting political asylum in Argentina.

The 33-page letter was addressed directly to Argentine President Javier Milei, according to the report. Milei has condemned Bolsonaro's "persecution" and is seen as a political ally of the former leader.

The letter is not dated but police say it was last modified on the phone in February 2024, shortly after Bolsonaro had to surrender his passport to police.

It is not clear whether the draft was ever sent and an Argentine government source has told Reuters that the office of the Argentine president had not received a letter from Bolsonaro.

But police argue the draft shows Bolsonaro's intent to evade justice.

Alexandre de Moraes, the judge overseeing the Bolsonaro trial, has given the ex-president's lawyers 48 hours to provide an explanation for the alleged asylum request.

Jair Bolsonaro is currently under house arrest and is already barred from posting on social media and from contacting his son Eduardo for breaching court restrictions placed on him.

The report also accuses Eduardo Bolsonaro of trying to influence his father's trial by lobbying the Trump administration to lay pressure on the Brazilian government and the Supreme Court.

In July, Trump announced he would raise tariffs on Brazilian imports to 50%, citing Brazil's treatment of Jair Bolsonaro as a trigger for the hike.

In addition to that, the US State Department banned eight Brazilian Supreme Court justices - including Alexandre de Moraes - from travelling to the US.

Eduardo Bolsonaro, who has been in the US for almost six months, took to social media on Wednesday to deny the allegations against him.

He said that his actions in the US had never been intended to influence any ongoing proceedings in Brazil and that his goal had been the "restoration of individual freedoms in the country".

German prosecutors say a Ukrainian man has been arrested in Italy on suspicion of blowing up the Nord Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea, several months after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The man, identified only as Serhii K, was arrested in the province of Rimini and was part of a group who planted explosives under the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines from Russia to Germany, federal prosecutors say.

The Ukrainian is suspected of being one of the masterminds of the operation, which involved charting a yacht and sailing from the German port of Rostock.

Ukraine has denied involvement in the blasts, which severed a key source of natural gas for Europe.

Although Nord Stream 2 never went into operation, Nord Stream 1's two pipelines had provided a steady supply 1,200km (745 miles) under the Baltic from the Russian coast to north-eastern Germany.

Shortly before Russia's invasion, Germany had cancelled its process to approve Nord Stream 2, which was 100% owned by Russian gas giant Gazprom. Months later, Russia shut down Nord Stream 1.

Then, on 26 September 2022, several explosions were recorded close to the Danish island of Bornholm that ruptured three of the four pipelines.

Mystery surrounded the identity of the saboteurs - however last year German reports suggested a team of Ukrainian divers had hired a German yacht and sailed out into the Baltic to attack the pipelines.

German prosecutors issued a warrant for the arrest of a diver named Volodymyr Z last August.

They said the suspect held in Rimini would be brought before an investigating judge after he was extradited from Italy.

The prosecutors said the man was "strongly suspected of jointly causing an explosion and of sabotage undermining the constitution".

There is no evidence so far linking Ukraine, Russia or any other state to the attacks.

The Israeli military says it has begun the "preliminary actions" of a planned ground offensive to capture and occupy all of Gaza City and already has a hold on its outskirts.

A military spokesman said troops were already operating in the Zeitoun and Jabalia areas to lay the groundwork for the offensive, which Defence Minister Israel Katz approved on Tuesday and which will be put to the security cabinet later this week.

About 60,000 reservists are being called up for the beginning of September to free up active-duty personnel for the operation.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza City are expected to be ordered to evacuate and head to shelters in southern Gaza.

Many of Israel's allies have condemned the plan, with French President Emmanuel Macron warning on Wednesday that it "can only lead to disaster for both peoples and risks plunging the entire region into a cycle of permanent war".

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) meanwhile said further displacement and an intensification of hostilities "risk worsening an already catastrophic situation" for Gaza's 2.1 million population.

Israel's government announced its intention to conquer the entire Gaza Strip after indirect talks with Hamas on a ceasefire and hostage release deal broke down last month.

Speaking at a televised briefing on Wednesday, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin said Hamas was "battered and bruised" after 22 months of war.

"We will deepen the damage to Hamas in Gaza City, a stronghold of governmental and military terror for the terrorist organisation," he added. "We will deepen the damage to the terror infrastructure above and below the ground and sever the population's dependence on Hamas."

But Defrin said the IDF was "not waiting" to begin the operation.

"We have begun the preliminary actions, and already now, IDF troops are holding the outskirts of Gaza City."

Two brigades were operating on the ground in the Zeitoun neighbourhood, where in recent days they had located an underground tunnel that contained weapons, and a third brigade was operating in the Jabalia area, he added.

In order to "minimise harm to civilians," he said, Gaza City's civilian population would be warned to evacuate for their safety.

A spokesman for Gaza's Hamas-run Civil Defence agency, Mahmoud Bassal, told AFP news agency on Tuesday that the situation was "very dangerous and unbearable" in the city's Zeitoun and Sabra neighbourhoods.

The agency reported that Israeli strikes and fire had killed 25 people across the territory on Wednesday. They included three children and their parents whose home in the Badr area of Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, was bombed, it said.

Defrin also said the IDF was also doing everything possible to prevent harm to the 50 hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Their families have expressed fears that those in Gaza City could be endangered by a ground offensive.

The ICRC warned of a catastrophic situation for both Palestinian civilians and the hostages if military activity in Gaza intensified.

"After months of relentless hostilities and repeated displacement, the people in Gaza are utterly exhausted. What they need is not more pressure, but relief. Not more fear, but a chance to breathe. They must have access to the essentials to live in dignity: food, medical and hygiene supplies, clean water, and safe shelter," a statement said.

"Any further intensification of military operations will only deepen the suffering, tear more families apart, and threaten an irreversible humanitarian crisis. The lives of hostages may also be put at risk," it added.

It called for an immediate ceasefire and the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance across Gaza.

Mediators Qatar and Egypt are trying to secure a ceasefire deal and have presented a new proposal for a 60-day truce and the release of around half of the hostages, which Hamas said it had accepted on Monday.

Israel has not yet submitted a formal response, but Israeli officials insisted on Tuesday that they would no longer accept a partial deal and demanded a comprehensive one that would see all the hostages released.

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

At least 62,122 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's health ministry. The ministry's figures are quoted by the UN and others as the most reliable source of statistics available on casualties.

Russia has launched hundreds of drones and missiles on western Ukraine overnight in one of the heaviest bombardments in recent weeks, Ukrainian officials have said.

Strikes were reported in Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Lviv, where one person was killed and others injured.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the strikes highlighted why diplomatic efforts to end the war and stronger air defences were "critical".

It comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested Switzerland, Austria or Turkey as possible venues for potential peace talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

The prospect of a trilateral meeting mediated by the US came after US President Donald Trump met Putin in Alaska, before hosting Zelensky and other European leaders at the White House.

Zelensky has stated his willingness to meet Putin in "any format".

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto offered Budapest as a possible venue for such a summit on Thursday.

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban has maintained close ties with Moscow and has frustrated EU efforts to support Ukraine in the war with Russia in the past - so may not be viewed by all as a neutral host.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday morning, Zelensky did not discuss Hungary's offer - but said he had asked Trump to pressure Hungary into unblocking negotiations for Ukraine to join the EU.

"Trump promised that his team would work on this," he said.

The Ukrainian leader also said that Russian forces were massing on the southern front line in the Zaporizhzhia region - one of four regions of Ukraine that Russia now claims as its own.

"We can see that they continue transferring part of their troops from the Kursk direction to Zaporizhzhia."

Ukraine's air force counted 614 aerial vehicles among Russia's overnight attacks, 577 of which it said it had stopped.

Foreign Minister Sybiha said this included a mix of drones, hypersonic, ballistic, and cruise missiles.

"One of the missiles struck a major American electronics manufacturer in our westernmost region, leading to serious damage and casualties," he wrote on social media on Thursday.

Popular Ghanaian musician Shatta Wale has been detained in a tax investigation linked to his purchase of a luxury car, his management has said.

Wale's yellow Lamborghini was seized earlier this month at the request of the US, who alleged that the vehicle was tied to the proceeds of a criminal enterprise.

The network allegedly involved another Ghanaian, Nana Kwabena Amuah, who is serving a seven-year jail term in the US for fraud.

Wale's management did not mention the US' allegations in their statement, saying instead that the artist was detained over "tax obligations".

In a statement posted on social media, Wale's team said he had "presented himself voluntarily" to Ghana's Economic and Organised Crime Office (Eoco) on Wednesday afternoon.

The Eoco has not yet responded to the BBC's request for comment.

Wale, real name Charles Nii Armah, is one of Ghana's best-known stars.

He has built a hugely successful career on Jamaica's dancehall sound, and boosted his global profile by collaborating with Beyonce on her 2019 song Already.

• Shatta Wale: Why Ghana's 'dancehall king' is trying Afrobeats

After his Lamborghini was seized earlier this month in an investigation linked to Nana Kwabena Amuah, Wale denied knowledge or connection with the Ghanaian.

He said he is "third-party owner" of the $150,000 (£110,000) car and that he did not know who had shipped it to the country.

Eoco said the car would be returned to the US to aid in the restitution of Amuah's victims.

Amuah and his co-conspirators had impersonated vendors to defraud nearly 70 public and private organisations across the country, US court records show.

On Wednesday, Wale's management urged fans to remain calm and avoid speculation while the musician remained in detention.

"We want to assure all fans and the general public that his legal team is fully engaged and actively working with the authorities to resolve this matter," the statement said.

The seizure of Wale's Lamborghini is part of a broader operation - Ghana has been working with the US to dismantle an international fraud network that targets Americans.

This month, the FBI and US Justice Department extradited and arrested three Ghanaian nationals alleged to be the masterminds of a $100m fraud scheme, which involved romance scams and phishing attacks.

You may also be interested in:

• WATCH: Why do so many catfishing scams come out of West Africa?
• Ghana's love affair with reggae and Jamaican Patois
• 'I was duped into leaving London for school in Ghana - but it saved me'

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

Russia has launched hundreds of drones and missiles on western Ukraine overnight in one of the heaviest bombardments in recent weeks, Ukrainian officials have said.

Strikes were reported in Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Lviv, where one person was killed and others injured.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the strikes highlighted why diplomatic efforts to end the war and stronger air defences were "critical".

It comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested Switzerland, Austria or Turkey as possible venues for potential peace talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

The prospect of a trilateral meeting mediated by the US came after US President Donald Trump met Putin in Alaska, before hosting Zelensky and other European leaders at the White House.

Zelensky has stated his willingness to meet Putin in "any format".

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto offered Budapest as a possible venue for such a summit on Thursday.

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban has maintained close ties with Moscow and has frustrated EU efforts to support Ukraine in the war with Russia in the past - so may not be viewed by all as a neutral host.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday morning, Zelensky did not discuss Hungary's offer - but said he had asked Trump to pressure Hungary into unblocking negotiations for Ukraine to join the EU.

"Trump promised that his team would work on this," he said.

The Ukrainian leader also said that Russian forces were massing on the southern front line in the Zaporizhzhia region - one of four regions of Ukraine that Russia now claims as its own.

"We can see that they continue transferring part of their troops from the Kursk direction to Zaporizhzhia."

Ukraine's air force counted 614 aerial vehicles among Russia's overnight attacks, 577 of which it said it had stopped.

Foreign Minister Sybiha said this included a mix of drones, hypersonic, ballistic, and cruise missiles.

"One of the missiles struck a major American electronics manufacturer in our westernmost region, leading to serious damage and casualties," he wrote on social media on Thursday.

Texas legislators have approved new congressional maps meant to give Republicans an edge in next year's elections for the US House of Representatives.

After a two-week standoff, where Democrats fled the state to stall the vote and rally supporters against the redistricting plans, Republicans in the Texas House of Representatives passed the new voting lines in an 88 - 52 vote.

The maps will now go to the Texas Senate, where they are expected to be swiftly approved.

The new maps are intended give Republicans five seats that are currently held by Democrats and shore up the party's US House majority. However, Democrat-led states are pushing to redraw their maps to offset those gains.

President Donald Trump backed redrawing the maps to safeguard a Republican majority in the US House, when congressional lawmakers will again be on the ballot in 2026.

The vote followed a dramatic standoff, where state Democrats fled the state to halt the new maps from being voted on.

At least two-thirds of the 150-member state legislative body in Texas must be present to proceed with the vote, called a quorum. It became unreachable in the Texas House of Representatives after Democrats fled.

Texas Gov Greg Abbott issued arrest warrants for members of the group and multiple Democrats said law enforcement had been monitoring their homes while they were gone.

The lawmakers returned this week, saying they believed their stalling helped garner widespread awareness of the redistricting plans and caused multiple states to mull their own plans to counter Republicans.

In an effort to ensure Democrats would not attempt to halt the vote again, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows on Monday ordered the house chamber doors be locked.

He also said Democrats would be "released into the custody" of a designated officer to ensure they return to the statehouse on Wednesday for the redistricting vote.

Several Democrats instead ripped up the written agreements that they were required to sign for the police escort. One lawmaker, state Rep Nicole Collier elected to sleep in the house chamber instead of being escorted by an officer.

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

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US celebrity judge and social media star Frank Caprio has died aged 88, his family has said.

His death following a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer was announced on his official Instagram account, where he was remembered for his "warmth" and "unwavering belief in the goodness of people".

David Caprio, his son, thanked fans for their love and support and urged people to "spread a little kindness" in his father's memory.

Beloved for his compassion and humour in the courtroom, videos of Judge Caprio presiding over cases on his hit show Caught in Providence have had billions of views on social media, earning him the title the "nicest judge in the world".

In an the Instagram statement to his 3.4 million followers, Judge Caprio was remembered for the "countless acts of kindness he inspired".

"His warmth, humour, and kindness left an indelible mark on all who knew him," the statement said.

Judge Caprio had presided over thousands of cases in his hometown of Providence, Rhode Island before embarking on a TV career.

The company behind Caught in Providence, Debmar-Mercury, paid tribute to Judge Caprio's "unique brand of compassion and common sense approach".

"We will miss him dearly," co-presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein said in a statement.

During its run, Caught in Providence was nominated for three Daytime Emmys, with Judge Caprio earning two of his own nominations last year.

His signature courtroom style produced viral clips ranging from him inviting children to sit with him behind the bench during cases, to announcing a "mini-judge" plushie of himself.

A TikTok video showcasing his morning routine - brushing his teeth, signing his book and watching videos of his own show - has had more than 5m views.

In an 2019 interview, Judge Caprio said his courtroom proceedings "show a slice of life of Rhode Island that is very interesting, and it reflects the same issues people are experiencing nationwide".

After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2023, Judge Caprio said he was "fully prepared to fight as hard I can" and thanked followers for their support.

In one of his last social media posts, Judge Caprio announced he was back in hospital after suffering a "setback" in his treatment and asked his followers for their prayers.

Judge Caprio is survived by his wife, Joyce Caprio, of almost 60 years, their five children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

The Philippines' beloved fast-food chain Jollibee said fraudsters rigged the results of its online raffle, following complaints from customers and a brief government investigation.

Jollibee said "fraudulent third parties" placed multiple entries "despite existing safeguards" for a chance to win food items and concert tickets.

The company said it complied with the government investigation and that the situation had been corrected.

Many social media users were in disbelief when the winners' names were posted on Jollibee's Facebook page last week. They said names like Hobby Dynamics, Noble Beer and Alfreda Corkery could have been made up using AI.

Jollibee said it "immediately implemented corrective measures" and disqualified the "invalid major prize winners". It also suspended succeeding draws and said a re-draw would be held.

"We want to assure everyone that we have fully addressed the issues raised and strictly complied with the investigation initiated by the Department of Trade and Industry," Jollibee said in a statement late on Wednesday.

The names on the winners' list baffled social media users as they are uncommon in the country. Filipino first and last names are a mix of English and Spanish inherited from its former colonisers the US and Spain.

The names also include Belle Thompson, Arielle Wintheiser and Gilda Block.

"LIKE SERIOUSLLLLLY?!?!" one Facebook user commented. "Your AI must be too lazy to come up with these kinds of names".

"They probably thought people didn't have time to read," another wrote.

Some drew comparisons to a corruption controversy involving Vice-President Sara Duterte, whose office allegedly paid government funds to individuals with fictitious-sounding names.

The Department of Trade and Industry said on Wednesday that it would "continue to oversee the resumption of the Jollibee Burger Blowout Promo", ensuring "fairness and transparency in all promotional undertakings".

Jollibee started as an ice cream shop in the 1970s before opening its first burger restaurant in downtown Manila in the early 1980s. It has expanded its business rapidly in the last five years, acquiring US cafe chain The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and Michelin-starred Hong Kong dimsum chain Tim Ho Wan.

Its founder, Tony Tan Caktiong, is the son of poor immigrants from southern China. The chain's mascot, a perpetually smiling bee with a red jacket, is a nod to Filipinos' hardworking nature.

Generations of Filipinos see the brand as a part of their national identity, with its signature fried chicken, burgers and spaghetti becoming a staple for family gatherings.

In 2014, a shortage of its Chickenjoy fried chicken led to the #ChickenSad trend on social media.

Jollibee has 1,600 stores in 17 countries, including the UK, the US, Spain and Singapore.

The Israeli military says it has begun the "preliminary actions" of a planned ground offensive to capture and occupy all of Gaza City and already has a hold on its outskirts.

A military spokesman said troops were already operating in the Zeitoun and Jabalia areas to lay the groundwork for the offensive, which Defence Minister Israel Katz approved on Tuesday and which will be put to the security cabinet later this week.

About 60,000 reservists are being called up for the beginning of September to free up active-duty personnel for the operation.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza City are expected to be ordered to evacuate and head to shelters in southern Gaza.

Many of Israel's allies have condemned the plan, with French President Emmanuel Macron warning on Wednesday that it "can only lead to disaster for both peoples and risks plunging the entire region into a cycle of permanent war".

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) meanwhile said further displacement and an intensification of hostilities "risk worsening an already catastrophic situation" for Gaza's 2.1 million population.

Israel's government announced its intention to conquer the entire Gaza Strip after indirect talks with Hamas on a ceasefire and hostage release deal broke down last month.

Speaking at a televised briefing on Wednesday, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin said Hamas was "battered and bruised" after 22 months of war.

"We will deepen the damage to Hamas in Gaza City, a stronghold of governmental and military terror for the terrorist organisation," he added. "We will deepen the damage to the terror infrastructure above and below the ground and sever the population's dependence on Hamas."

But Defrin said the IDF was "not waiting" to begin the operation.

"We have begun the preliminary actions, and already now, IDF troops are holding the outskirts of Gaza City."

Two brigades were operating on the ground in the Zeitoun neighbourhood, where in recent days they had located an underground tunnel that contained weapons, and a third brigade was operating in the Jabalia area, he added.

In order to "minimise harm to civilians," he said, Gaza City's civilian population would be warned to evacuate for their safety.

A spokesman for Gaza's Hamas-run Civil Defence agency, Mahmoud Bassal, told AFP news agency on Tuesday that the situation was "very dangerous and unbearable" in the city's Zeitoun and Sabra neighbourhoods.

The agency reported that Israeli strikes and fire had killed 25 people across the territory on Wednesday. They included three children and their parents whose home in the Badr area of Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, was bombed, it said.

Defrin also said the IDF was also doing everything possible to prevent harm to the 50 hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Their families have expressed fears that those in Gaza City could be endangered by a ground offensive.

The ICRC warned of a catastrophic situation for both Palestinian civilians and the hostages if military activity in Gaza intensified.

"After months of relentless hostilities and repeated displacement, the people in Gaza are utterly exhausted. What they need is not more pressure, but relief. Not more fear, but a chance to breathe. They must have access to the essentials to live in dignity: food, medical and hygiene supplies, clean water, and safe shelter," a statement said.

"Any further intensification of military operations will only deepen the suffering, tear more families apart, and threaten an irreversible humanitarian crisis. The lives of hostages may also be put at risk," it added.

It called for an immediate ceasefire and the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance across Gaza.

Mediators Qatar and Egypt are trying to secure a ceasefire deal and have presented a new proposal for a 60-day truce and the release of around half of the hostages, which Hamas said it had accepted on Monday.

Israel has not yet submitted a formal response, but Israeli officials insisted on Tuesday that they would no longer accept a partial deal and demanded a comprehensive one that would see all the hostages released.

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

At least 62,122 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's health ministry. The ministry's figures are quoted by the UN and others as the most reliable source of statistics available on casualties.

The entire US-Mexico border wall will be painted black to make it hotter and harder to climb, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said, crediting the idea to Donald Trump.

While domestic detentions and deportations have been the primary focus of the current immigration crackdown, Trump's policy bill passed earlier this summer also allocated $46m (£34m) for additional wall construction.

About a half mile (0.8km) of wall is going up each day along the nearly 2,000 mile (3,218km) border, according to Noem.

The number of border crossings has plummeted in recent months, and the Trump administration says sweeping arrests and detentions are acting as a deterrent to illegal migration.

Speaking to reporters along a section of the border in New Mexico, Noem said on Tuesday that the black paint was "specifically at the request of the president".

"[He] understands that in the hot temperatures down here, when something is painted black it gets even warmer and it will make it even harder for people to climb," she added.

Border Patrol officials also say that black paint will help prevent the wall from rusting.

Additionally, Noem said the administration is planning to install more "waterborne infrastructure" along the Rio Grande, which makes up more than half of the border between the two countries.

While Noem did not provide any more details on those projects, Texas authorities have previously installed floating barriers - large orange buoys - and fortified riverbank fencing guarded by state troopers, local police officers and the Texas National Guard along parts of the river.

Crossings and detentions of undocumented immigrants have plummeted since Trump returned to the office, with record lows of approximately 4,600 in July and 6,000 in June - a 92% year-on-year reduction.

During the Biden administration, detentions sometimes spiked to averages of 6,000 per day.

Earlier in August, Noem said that a total of 1.6m undocumented immigrants have left the US during the first 200 days of the Trump administration, although she did not specify how many have been deported and how many left on their own.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier in August that a total of 300,000 undocumented immigrants had been detained in the interior of the US since January.

While the administration continues to say it is prioritising those with criminal histories, immigration advocates have warned that many with no criminal charges or only minor infractions have been caught up in the sweeps.

White House officials also contend that increased border security and mass deportations have been deterrents, saying they are the primary reason for plummeting figures at the US-Mexico border.

US celebrity judge and social media star Frank Caprio has died aged 88, his family has said.

His death following a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer was announced on his official Instagram account, where he was remembered for his "warmth" and "unwavering belief in the goodness of people".

David Caprio, his son, thanked fans for their love and support and urged people to "spread a little kindness" in his father's memory.

Beloved for his compassion and humour in the courtroom, videos of Judge Caprio presiding over cases on his hit show Caught in Providence have had billions of views on social media, earning him the title the "nicest judge in the world".

In an the Instagram statement to his 3.4 million followers, Judge Caprio was remembered for the "countless acts of kindness he inspired".

"His warmth, humour, and kindness left an indelible mark on all who knew him," the statement said.

Judge Caprio had presided over thousands of cases in his hometown of Providence, Rhode Island before embarking on a TV career.

The company behind Caught in Providence, Debmar-Mercury, paid tribute to Judge Caprio's "unique brand of compassion and common sense approach".

"We will miss him dearly," co-presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein said in a statement.

During its run, Caught in Providence was nominated for three Daytime Emmys, with Judge Caprio earning two of his own nominations last year.

His signature courtroom style produced viral clips ranging from him inviting children to sit with him behind the bench during cases, to announcing a "mini-judge" plushie of himself.

A TikTok video showcasing his morning routine - brushing his teeth, signing his book and watching videos of his own show - has had more than 5m views.

In an 2019 interview, Judge Caprio said his courtroom proceedings "show a slice of life of Rhode Island that is very interesting, and it reflects the same issues people are experiencing nationwide".

After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2023, Judge Caprio said he was "fully prepared to fight as hard I can" and thanked followers for their support.

In one of his last social media posts, Judge Caprio announced he was back in hospital after suffering a "setback" in his treatment and asked his followers for their prayers.

Judge Caprio is survived by his wife, Joyce Caprio, of almost 60 years, their five children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has said it "deplores" new US sanctions on its judges and prosecutors.

On Wednesday, the US State Department announced new sanctions on two judges and two prosecutors in the ICC for engaging in efforts to prosecute US and Israeli citizens.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused the ICC of being a "national security threat" and "an instrument of lawfare" against the US and Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has welcomed the US move. The ICC has issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity over Israel's war in Gaza.

France also joined the ICC in denouncing the US move, expressing "dismay" as one of its judges, Nicolas Guillou, was among those sanctioned.

The three other ICC officials named by the US are judge Kimberly Prost of Canada as well as deputy prosecutors Nazhat Shameem Khan of Fiji and Mame Mandiaye Niang of Senegal.

Rubio condemned the court's "politcisation, abuse of power, and illegitimate judicial overreach" in a statement announcing the sanctions.

The ICC is a global court with the power to bring prosecutions for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The court called the latest sanctions "a flagrant attack" against its independence and impartiality.

"They constitute also an affront against... the rules-based international order and, above all, millions of innocent victims across the world," it added.

France's foreign ministry criticised the sanctions as "in contradiction to the principle of an independent judiciary", the AFP news agency reported.

Meanwhile, Israeli PM Netanyahu welcomed the decision, calling it a "firm measure against the mendacious smear campaign against" Israel.

According to the US State Department, Gillou is being sanctioned for authorising arrest warrants against Nethanyahu and Gallant.

The US said Prost, the Canadian judge, is sanctioned for an investigation into US personnel in Afghanistan, adding that Khan and Niang are both responsible for "illegitimate actions against Israel".

The penalties mean any property and interests the four officials hold in the US are blocked.

This latest round of sanctions comes after the US imposed similar restrictions on the ICC's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan KC, along with four other judges earlier this year.

UN's human rights chief previously demanded the US withdraw its sanctions on the four judges, saying the decision runs directly counter to "respect for the rule law".

In July, the US also sanctioned UN Human Rights Council special rapporteur Francesca Albanese, who has been a prominent critic of Israel's military offensive in Gaza.

Rubio cited Albanese's support for the ICC and her participation in the court's decisions to prosecute American or Israeli nationals as justification for the move.

In response, Albanese reposted support for the ICC on social media, saying she came from the court's founding country Italy where lawyers and judges had "defended justice at great cost and often with their own life".

"I intend to honour that tradition," she added in the post.

Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have been sued by passengers who claim they were charged extra for a window seat but found themselves sitting next to a blank wall.

The lawsuits, filed separately against the US carriers, seek millions of dollars in damages for more than a million customers of each airline.

They said the companies do not flag that the seats are windowless during the booking process, even when charging a premium for them.

United declined to comment as it is an ongoing legal matter. The BBC has contacted Delta for comment.

The lawsuits, which are similarly worded, seek refunds of extra fees for passengers who said they had paid for window seats but got windowless ones instead.

Both lawsuits, which have been seen by the BBC, were filed by legal firm Greenbaum Olbrantz.

The complaints said some Boeing and Airbus passenger planes have seats that do not have windows because of the positioning of air conditioning ducts, wiring or other components.

These seats are not flagged by Delta and United during the booking process, according to court documents.

The lawsuits say people buy window seats for various reasons including addressing fear of flying and motion sickness, keeping children occupied or for the view.

Some passengers would not have chosen those seats - or paid more for them - if they had known they did not have windows, according to the complaints.

Both airlines describe every seat along the sides of their planes as a "window seat", even when they know some are not next to a window, the documents said.

Passengers may be charged more to select a window seat compared to a standard seat.

Lawyers representing each case described the practice as "deceptive" and "unlawful".

Other carriers, like American Airlines and Alaska Airlines, operate similar jets but disclose during the booking process if a seat does not include a window, they added.

President Xi Jinping urged unity on a rare visit to Tibet, appearing before 20,000 people to mark 60 years since China created the autonomous region after annexing it.

In his second-ever presidential visit to the tightly-controlled region, Xi praised the local government for "engaging in a thorough struggle against separatism" - a reference to decades-old Tibetan resistance to Beijing.

The visit to Lhasa, which sits at an altitude that could pose health problems for the 72-year-old Xi, suggests a desire to stamp his authority over the region.

Xi's published comments did not mention the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader who has been living in exile in India since he fled in 1959.

"To govern, stabilise and develop Tibet, the first thing is to maintain political stability, social stability, ethnic unity and religious harmony," Xi said, according to an official summary of his speech.

Xi's visit on Wednesday comes just two months after the Dalai Lama announced that his office, not China, would choose his successor. China's leaders, however, claim that only they have the power to oversee that decision.

The 90-year-old has always advocated a "middle way" to resolve the status of Tibet - genuine self-rule within China - but Beijing regards him as a separatist.

China has long maintained that Tibetans are free to practice their faith, but that faith is also the source of a centuries-old identity which human rights groups say Beijing is slowly eroding.

When the BBC visited a Tibetan monastery in Sichuan province in June, monks claimed Tibetans were being denied human rights and that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) continued to "oppress and persecute" them.

Beijing says the standard of living of people in Tibet has greatly improved under its rule and denies suppressing their human rights and freedom of expression.

The party established the Tibet Autonomous Region, or what it calls Xizang, in 1965 six years after a failed uprising against Chinese rule.

The Chinese president's surprise visit was the lead story in every state media newspaper and TV bulletin on Thursday, where Xi's tour of the Tibetan capital of Lhasa was portrayed as a celebration.

Photos published on the front pages showed him being greeted by Tibetan dancers and cheering crowds.

In his meeting with local authorities on Wednesday, which was also attended by senior CCP leaders, the Chinese president encouraged bilateral economic, cultural and personnel exchanges to and from Tibet, as well as well as the popularisation of a national common language and characters.

Xi also outlined the CCP's vision for Tibet and highlighted what it views as the region's four major tasks: ensuring stability, facilitating development, protecting the environment and strengthening borders, said Chinese state media.

The CCP's policies have included new laws governing the education of Tibetan children, who must now attend state-run Chinese schools and learn Mandarin.

Xi also urged stronger regulation of "religious affairs" and a need to "guide Tibetan Buddhism to adapt to socialist society".

The visit also comes a month after the CCP began construction in the region on what will be the world's biggest dam. The dam - also known as the Motuo Hydropower Station - is located on the Yarlung Tsangpo river, which flows through the Tibetan plateau.

When completed, it will overtake the Three Gorges dam as the world's largest, and could generate three times more energy.

Beijing says the scheme, costing an estimated 1.2tn yuan ($167bn; £125bn), will prioritise ecological protection and boost local prosperity.

But experts and officials have flagged concerns that the new dam would empower China to control or divert the trans-border Yarlung Tsangpo, which flows south into India's Arunachal Pradesh and Assam states as well as Bangladesh, where it feeds into the Siang, Brahmaputra and Jamuna rivers.

The Israeli military says it has begun the "preliminary actions" of a planned ground offensive to capture and occupy all of Gaza City and already has a hold on its outskirts.

A military spokesman said troops were already operating in the Zeitoun and Jabalia areas to lay the groundwork for the offensive, which Defence Minister Israel Katz approved on Tuesday and which will be put to the security cabinet later this week.

About 60,000 reservists are being called up for the beginning of September to free up active-duty personnel for the operation.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza City are expected to be ordered to evacuate and head to shelters in southern Gaza.

Many of Israel's allies have condemned the plan, with French President Emmanuel Macron warning on Wednesday that it "can only lead to disaster for both peoples and risks plunging the entire region into a cycle of permanent war".

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) meanwhile said further displacement and an intensification of hostilities "risk worsening an already catastrophic situation" for Gaza's 2.1 million population.

Israel's government announced its intention to conquer the entire Gaza Strip after indirect talks with Hamas on a ceasefire and hostage release deal broke down last month.

Speaking at a televised briefing on Wednesday, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin said Hamas was "battered and bruised" after 22 months of war.

"We will deepen the damage to Hamas in Gaza City, a stronghold of governmental and military terror for the terrorist organisation," he added. "We will deepen the damage to the terror infrastructure above and below the ground and sever the population's dependence on Hamas."

But Defrin said the IDF was "not waiting" to begin the operation.

"We have begun the preliminary actions, and already now, IDF troops are holding the outskirts of Gaza City."

Two brigades were operating on the ground in the Zeitoun neighbourhood, where in recent days they had located an underground tunnel that contained weapons, and a third brigade was operating in the Jabalia area, he added.

In order to "minimise harm to civilians," he said, Gaza City's civilian population would be warned to evacuate for their safety.

A spokesman for Gaza's Hamas-run Civil Defence agency, Mahmoud Bassal, told AFP news agency on Tuesday that the situation was "very dangerous and unbearable" in the city's Zeitoun and Sabra neighbourhoods.

The agency reported that Israeli strikes and fire had killed 25 people across the territory on Wednesday. They included three children and their parents whose home in the Badr area of Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, was bombed, it said.

Defrin also said the IDF was also doing everything possible to prevent harm to the 50 hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Their families have expressed fears that those in Gaza City could be endangered by a ground offensive.

The ICRC warned of a catastrophic situation for both Palestinian civilians and the hostages if military activity in Gaza intensified.

"After months of relentless hostilities and repeated displacement, the people in Gaza are utterly exhausted. What they need is not more pressure, but relief. Not more fear, but a chance to breathe. They must have access to the essentials to live in dignity: food, medical and hygiene supplies, clean water, and safe shelter," a statement said.

"Any further intensification of military operations will only deepen the suffering, tear more families apart, and threaten an irreversible humanitarian crisis. The lives of hostages may also be put at risk," it added.

It called for an immediate ceasefire and the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance across Gaza.

Mediators Qatar and Egypt are trying to secure a ceasefire deal and have presented a new proposal for a 60-day truce and the release of around half of the hostages, which Hamas said it had accepted on Monday.

Israel has not yet submitted a formal response, but Israeli officials insisted on Tuesday that they would no longer accept a partial deal and demanded a comprehensive one that would see all the hostages released.

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

At least 62,122 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's health ministry. The ministry's figures are quoted by the UN and others as the most reliable source of statistics available on casualties.

Texas legislators have approved new congressional maps meant to give Republicans an edge in next year's elections for the US House of Representatives.

After a two-week standoff, where Democrats fled the state to stall the vote and rally supporters against the redistricting plans, Republicans in the Texas House of Representatives passed the new voting lines in an 88 - 52 vote.

The maps will now go to the Texas Senate, where they are expected to be swiftly approved.

The new maps are intended give Republicans five seats that are currently held by Democrats and shore up the party's US House majority. However, Democrat-led states are pushing to redraw their maps to offset those gains.

President Donald Trump backed redrawing the maps to safeguard a Republican majority in the US House, when congressional lawmakers will again be on the ballot in 2026.

The vote followed a dramatic standoff, where state Democrats fled the state to halt the new maps from being voted on.

At least two-thirds of the 150-member state legislative body in Texas must be present to proceed with the vote, called a quorum. It became unreachable in the Texas House of Representatives after Democrats fled.

Texas Gov Greg Abbott issued arrest warrants for members of the group and multiple Democrats said law enforcement had been monitoring their homes while they were gone.

The lawmakers returned this week, saying they believed their stalling helped garner widespread awareness of the redistricting plans and caused multiple states to mull their own plans to counter Republicans.

In an effort to ensure Democrats would not attempt to halt the vote again, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows on Monday ordered the house chamber doors be locked.

He also said Democrats would be "released into the custody" of a designated officer to ensure they return to the statehouse on Wednesday for the redistricting vote.

Several Democrats instead ripped up the written agreements that they were required to sign for the police escort. One lawmaker, state Rep Nicole Collier elected to sleep in the house chamber instead of being escorted by an officer.

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

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A US Navy sailor in California has been convicted of espionage for selling the force's secrets to a Chinese agent who recruited him through social media.

Jinchao Wei, 25, was convicted of six charges, including espionage, conspiracy to commit espionage, and unlawful export of classified data about US Navy ships.

"The defendant's actions represent an egregious betrayal of the trust placed in him as a member of the US military," US Attorney Adam Gordon said in a statement after the verdict was read.

"By trading military secrets to the People's Republic of China for cash, he jeopardised not only the lives of his fellow sailors but also the security of the entire nation and our allies."

Wei, also known as Patrick Wei, was arrested in August 2023 on espionage charges as he arrived for work on the amphibious assault ship, the USS Essex.

A naturalised US citizen, Wei served as a machinist's mate, held a security clearance and had access to sensitive information about the ship and other ships in the Pacific Fleet.

During his weeklong trial, prosecutors presented evidence including phone conversations, electronic messages, and audio messages that Wei had exchanged with his Chinese handler.

Wei called his Chinese contact "Big Brother Andy" and obliged requests to keep their relationship secret by using multiple encrypted apps to communicate and accept payments. Wei also used a new computer and phone provided by his handler.

A text exchange between Wei and his mother was presented to show Wei understood he was committing espionage.

"Other Chinese serving in the US Navy are still trying to figure out how to make extra money, and driving cabs. Whereas I am just leaking secrets," Wei texted his mother.

She responded: "Good job!"

Wei was approached by a Chinese agent in February 2022 while he was going through the process of becoming a US citizen.

He was recruited by the Chinese intelligence officer via social media who at first portrayed himself as a naval enthusiast who worked for the state-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation.

Evidence showed Wei sent photographs and videos of the Essex, advised the officer of the location of various Navy ships, and described the defensive weapons on board the Essex. He also described problems with his ship and other ships based.

In exchange for this information, the Chinese intelligence officer paid Wei more than $12,000 over 18 months. Wei is scheduled to be sentenced on 1 December and could face life in prison.

Wei could not be reached to comment. The BBC has reached out to Wei's lawyer for comments.

Wei was arrested in 2023 alongside Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, who was arrested on charges of accepting more than $14,800 for sending sensitive photos and videos to a Chinese intelligence officer.

Prosecutors said Zhao transmitted "plans for a large-scale maritime training exercise in the Pacific theatre, operational orders and electrical diagrams and blueprints for a Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar system located in Okinawa, Japan".

Zhao was found guilty last year and sentenced to 27 months in prison.

Japanese police have said that an elderly man who they had believed was killed by a bear had in fact been stabbed to death by his son.

Fujiyuki Shindo, 51, was arrested in the northern Akita prefecture on Tuesday for allegedly murdering his 93-year-old father Fujiyoshi, local media reports.

Police sent out a bear attack warning mail after the victim's wife found him collapsed and bleeding on the floor. But it was withdrawn after investigators concluded the wounds were more consistent with knife injuries.

Bear sightings are increasingly common in the northern Japan, where ageing populations and shrinking farmlands have meant the animals are expanding their habitat closer to human populations.

Mr Shindo, who lived with his parents, had initially told police that he did not notice anything unusual at home during the time of the attack, agency Kyodo News reported.

Investigators seized several knives from the family's home and were trying to identify the murder weapon, Jiji Press reported.

They have not given out a motive for the murder.

Bears were initially presumed to be to blame for Fujiyoshi Shindo's death because Japan has seen a rising number of bear attacks in recent years. In the 12 months to March 2024, a record 219 people were attacked by bears - and six of them died, Japan's Environment Ministry said.

In July, a newspaper deliveryman was killed by a brown bear in a residential area.

The rise in bear encounters have also prompted authorities to relax hunting laws to make it easier for people to shoot bears.

Thousands of bears have recently been trapped and killed by hunters.

Sony is PlayStation 5 gaming consoles in the US will jump by around $50 (£37.16) from Thursday as the Japanese technology giant grapples with rising costs and a slowing video game market.

Like many global businesses, the firm faces a "challenging economic environment", Isabelle Tomatis, Sony Interactive Entertainment's vice president of global marketing said in a blog post.

All three PlayStation 5 consoles will see a similar price increase. The most expensive Pro version now has a recommended retail price of $749.99.

The price hikes come after US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on most of America's trading partners, including Japan, which has led to fears of rising costs.

"We've made the difficult decision to increase the recommended retail price for PlayStation 5 consoles in the US starting on 21 August," Ms Tomatis said.

The base model of the PlayStation 5 will cost $499.99 in the US, she added.

The blog post went on to say that the recommended retail prices for PlayStation 5 accessories will remain unchanged and the firm has no other price changes to announce for other countries.

Japan's exporters currently face a 15% tariff on the goods they sell to the US.

Sony raised console prices in the UK and Europe earlier this year, citing high inflation and fluctuating exchange rates.

US gamers have seen similar price hikes from other companies like Nintendo, which recently increased the price of the original Nintendo Switch.

The £75 price tag on titles like Mario Kart World has sparked criticism from players over the rising cost of gaming.

Microsoft also raised the price of its Xbox consoles and accessories in various countries this year.

Major companies have warned in recent months about the impact of tariffs.

This week, US home improvement chain Home Depot said some of its prices could be increased because of the new import taxes.

"For some imported goods, tariff rates are significantly higher today than they were at this time last quarter," the firm's finance chief Richard McPhail told the Wall Street Journal.

"So as you would expect, there will be modest price movement in some categories, but it won't be broad based," he added.

In July, German sportswear giant Adidas warned that US tariffs would cost it a further €200m (£173m;$232.9m) and confirmed that it will raise prices for American customers.

Its rival Nike said in May that it would raise prices on some trainers and clothing for US customers from June, and later warned that tariffs could add about $1bn (£730m) to its costs.

The Trump administration has revoked the security clearances of 37 current and former US officials, accusing them of politicising intelligence for partisan or personal gain.

In a memo posted on social media, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard directed several national security agency heads to immediately strip the officials of their clearances, stating the move was ordered by President Donald Trump.

The officials include several national security staffers who served under former Democratic presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama.

Gabbard offered no evidence to support the accusations in the memo.

Security clearances grant access to sensitive government information, and some former officials retain them to advise successors. Some private sector jobs such as those in defence and aerospace can require access to security clearances as a pre-condition for employment.

It remains unclear whether all 37 individuals listed in the memo still held active clearances.

Gabbard said Trump ordered the revocations because the officials "abused the public trust by politicizing and manipulating intelligence, leaking classified intelligence without authorization, and or committing intentional egregious violations of tradecraft standards".

"Being entrusted with a security clearance is a privilege, not a right," Gabbard wrote on X. "Those in the Intelligence Community who betray their oath to the Constitution and put their own interests ahead of the interests of the American people have broken the sacred trust they promised to uphold."

The memo did not lay out specific charges against specific individuals.

This is not the first time the Trump administration has revoked security clearances for intelligence officials. The administration has previously revoked clearances of Biden, his Vice-President Kamala Harris, and former lawmakers involved in investigations of the 6 January Capitol riot.

In recent weeks, Gabbard has led the charge against intelligence officials under former President Barack Obama who concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 elections, which Trump won.

Trump and Gabbard have described the intelligence community's assessment as a "treasonous conspiracy" to undermine the president's electoral success.

Democrats have dismissed the moves as a political distraction, and accused the White House of deflecting attention from unpopular policies and Trump's alleged ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

"These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction," a spokesman for Obama said last month.

Texas legislators have approved new congressional maps meant to give Republicans an edge in next year's elections for the US House of Representatives.

After a two-week standoff, where Democrats fled the state to stall the vote and rally supporters against the redistricting plans, Republicans in the Texas House of Representatives passed the new voting lines in an 88 - 52 vote.

The maps will now go to the Texas Senate, where they are expected to be swiftly approved.

The new maps are intended give Republicans five seats that are currently held by Democrats and shore up the party's US House majority. However, Democrat-led states are pushing to redraw their maps to offset those gains.

President Donald Trump backed redrawing the maps to safeguard a Republican majority in the US House, when congressional lawmakers will again be on the ballot in 2026.

The vote followed a dramatic standoff, where state Democrats fled the state to halt the new maps from being voted on.

At least two-thirds of the 150-member state legislative body in Texas must be present to proceed with the vote, called a quorum. It became unreachable in the Texas House of Representatives after Democrats fled.

Texas Gov Greg Abbott issued arrest warrants for members of the group and multiple Democrats said law enforcement had been monitoring their homes while they were gone.

The lawmakers returned this week, saying they believed their stalling helped garner widespread awareness of the redistricting plans and caused multiple states to mull their own plans to counter Republicans.

In an effort to ensure Democrats would not attempt to halt the vote again, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows on Monday ordered the house chamber doors be locked.

He also said Democrats would be "released into the custody" of a designated officer to ensure they return to the statehouse on Wednesday for the redistricting vote.

Several Democrats instead ripped up the written agreements that they were required to sign for the police escort. One lawmaker, state Rep Nicole Collier elected to sleep in the house chamber instead of being escorted by an officer.

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The Israeli military says it has begun the "preliminary actions" of a planned ground offensive to capture and occupy all of Gaza City and already has a hold on its outskirts.

A military spokesman said troops were already operating in the Zeitoun and Jabalia areas to lay the groundwork for the offensive, which Defence Minister Israel Katz approved on Tuesday and which will be put to the security cabinet later this week.

About 60,000 reservists are being called up for the beginning of September to free up active-duty personnel for the operation.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza City are expected to be ordered to evacuate and head to shelters in southern Gaza.

Many of Israel's allies have condemned the plan, with French President Emmanuel Macron warning on Wednesday that it "can only lead to disaster for both peoples and risks plunging the entire region into a cycle of permanent war".

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) meanwhile said further displacement and an intensification of hostilities "risk worsening an already catastrophic situation" for Gaza's 2.1 million population.

Israel's government announced its intention to conquer the entire Gaza Strip after indirect talks with Hamas on a ceasefire and hostage release deal broke down last month.

Speaking at a televised briefing on Wednesday, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin said Hamas was "battered and bruised" after 22 months of war.

"We will deepen the damage to Hamas in Gaza City, a stronghold of governmental and military terror for the terrorist organisation," he added. "We will deepen the damage to the terror infrastructure above and below the ground and sever the population's dependence on Hamas."

But Defrin said the IDF was "not waiting" to begin the operation.

"We have begun the preliminary actions, and already now, IDF troops are holding the outskirts of Gaza City."

Two brigades were operating on the ground in the Zeitoun neighbourhood, where in recent days they had located an underground tunnel that contained weapons, and a third brigade was operating in the Jabalia area, he added.

In order to "minimise harm to civilians," he said, Gaza City's civilian population would be warned to evacuate for their safety.

A spokesman for Gaza's Hamas-run Civil Defence agency, Mahmoud Bassal, told AFP news agency on Tuesday that the situation was "very dangerous and unbearable" in the city's Zeitoun and Sabra neighbourhoods.

The agency reported that Israeli strikes and fire had killed 25 people across the territory on Wednesday. They included three children and their parents whose home in the Badr area of Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, was bombed, it said.

Defrin also said the IDF was also doing everything possible to prevent harm to the 50 hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Their families have expressed fears that those in Gaza City could be endangered by a ground offensive.

The ICRC warned of a catastrophic situation for both Palestinian civilians and the hostages if military activity in Gaza intensified.

"After months of relentless hostilities and repeated displacement, the people in Gaza are utterly exhausted. What they need is not more pressure, but relief. Not more fear, but a chance to breathe. They must have access to the essentials to live in dignity: food, medical and hygiene supplies, clean water, and safe shelter," a statement said.

"Any further intensification of military operations will only deepen the suffering, tear more families apart, and threaten an irreversible humanitarian crisis. The lives of hostages may also be put at risk," it added.

It called for an immediate ceasefire and the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance across Gaza.

Mediators Qatar and Egypt are trying to secure a ceasefire deal and have presented a new proposal for a 60-day truce and the release of around half of the hostages, which Hamas said it had accepted on Monday.

Israel has not yet submitted a formal response, but Israeli officials insisted on Tuesday that they would no longer accept a partial deal and demanded a comprehensive one that would see all the hostages released.

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

At least 62,122 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's health ministry. The ministry's figures are quoted by the UN and others as the most reliable source of statistics available on casualties.

Israel has given final approval for a controversial settlement project that would effectively cut off the occupied West Bank from East Jerusalem and divide the territory in two.

Construction in the E1 area has been frozen for two decades amid fierce international opposition. Critics warn it would put an end to hopes for a viable, contiguous Palestinian state.

On Wednesday, a defence ministry committee approved plans for 3,400 homes in E1. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who unveiled them last week, said the idea of a Palestinian state was "being erased".

The Palestinian Authority condemned the move, saying it was illegal and would "destroy" the prospects for a two-state solution.

It follows declarations by a growing number of countries of their intention to recognise a Palestinian state, which Israel has denounced.

Israel has built about 160 settlements housing 700,000 Jews since it occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem - land Palestinians want, along with Gaza, for a hoped-for future state - during the 1967 Middle East war. An estimated 3.3 million Palestinians live alongside them.

The settlements are considered illegal under international law - a position supported by an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice last year - although Israel disputes this.

Successive Israeli governments have allowed settlements to grow. However, expansion has risen sharply since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power in late 2022 at the head of a right-wing, pro-settler coalition, as well as the start of the Gaza war, triggered by Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack on Israel.

The plans for 3,401 housing units in E1 - which covers about 12 sq km (4.6 sq miles) between East Jerusalem and the settlement of Maale Adumim - were approved by the Civil Administration's Higher Planning Council.

The defence ministry body also approved 342 units in the new settlement of Asael, a former outpost in the southern West Bank that was built without government authorisation but was made legal under Israeli law in May.

Smotrich, an ultranationalist leader and settler who oversees the Civil Administration, said: "The Palestinian state is being erased from the table, not with slogans but with actions."

"Every settlement, every neighbourhood, every housing unit is another nail in the coffin of this dangerous idea."

He also urged Netanyahu to "complete the move" and formally annex the West Bank.

Israel effectively annexed East Jerusalem in 1980, in a move not recognised by the vast majority of the international community.

Opponents of the E1 project have warned that it would effectively block the establishment of a Palestinian state because it would cut off the north of the West Bank from the south, and prevent the development in the centre of a contiguous Palestinian urban area connecting Ramallah, East Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

The Israeli anti-settlement watchdog Peace Now warned: "Under the cover of war, Smotrich and his messianic minority are building a settlement doomed for evacuation in any agreement. E1's sole aim is to sabotage a political solution and rush toward a binational apartheid state."

The Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank not under full Israeli control, also condemned the approval of the E1 plans.

"This plan will isolate Jerusalem from its Palestinian surroundings, submerge it in massive settlement blocs" and fragment the West Bank "into disconnected enclaves resembling open-air prisons", the PA's foreign ministry said.

It also alleged that the approval constituted "official Israeli involvement in the crimes of settlement, annexation, genocide, and forcible displacement" – accusations that Israel has long rejected.

The PA's foreign ministry appealed for "genuine international action, including sanctions, to compel Israel to halt its colonial schemes (...) and respect the international consensus on resolving the Palestinian question".

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the E1 plans would, if implemented, "would divide a Palestinian state in two, mark a flagrant breach of international law and critically undermine the two-state solution".

"The Israeli government must reverse this decision," he added.

King Abdullah II of Jordan also rejected the E1 plans, saying: "The two-state solution is the only way to achieve a just and comprehensive peace."

A German government spokesman said settlement construction violated international law and "hinders a negotiated two-state solution and an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank".

There was no immediate comment from the US.

However, when asked by Israel's Army Radio on Monday about the Trump administration's stance on E1, ambassador Mike Huckabee said: "Whether or not there should be massive development in E1 is a decision for the government of Israel to make. So we would not try to evaluate the good or the bad of that."

"As a general rule, it is not a violation of international law. And it is also incumbent on all of us to recognise that Israelis have a right to live in Israel."

The July 2024 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice said Israel's "continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful" and that the country was "under an obligation to bring to an end its unlawful presence... as rapidly as possible".

Israel's prime minister said at the time that the court had made a "decision of lies" and insisted that "the Jewish people are not occupiers in their own land".