US President Donald Trump says "great progress" was made during a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, with the pair agreeing to face-to-face talks in Hungary.

He said the call, the first with Putin since mid-August, was "very productive", adding that teams from Washington and Moscow will meet next week.

Trump did not confirm a date for his meeting with Putin in Budapest. The Kremlin said work on the summit would begin "immediately" after the "extremely frank and trustful" call.

The talks came a day before Ukraine's President Zelensky was to visit the White House, and with Trump weighing whether to arm Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles capable of striking deep into Russia.

As he arrived in the US, Zelensky said Moscow was "rushing to resume dialogue as soon as it hears about Tomahawks".

Writing on his Truth Social platform after the call concluded, Trump said he and Putin "spent a great deal of time talking about Trade between Russia and the United States when the War with Ukraine is over".

He said "high level advisors" from both countries would meet at an unspecified location next week, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio leading the American delegation.

Trump also said he would update Zelensky on his talks with Putin on Friday, adding: "I believe great progress was made with today's telephone conversation."

He later told reporters he expected to meet Putin "within two weeks".

Asked about the prospect of giving the missiles to Ukraine after his call with Putin, Trump said "we can't deplete" the US stockpile of Tomahawks, adding "we need them too... so I don't know what we can do about that".

Ukraine's ambassador to the US, Olga Stefanishyna, said Russia launching overnight strikes on Ukraine "hours before" Putin's call with Trump "exposes Moscow's real attitude toward peace".

In a statement to the BBC's US partner CBS, she added: "These assaults show that Moscow's strategy is one of terror and exhaustion. The only effective response is pressure - through tougher sanctions, reinforced air defense, and the supply of long-range capabilities."

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on X the planned Budapest meeting was "great news for the peace-loving people of the world".

Earlier, he also said: "Peace requires patience, strength, and humility. Europe must shift its stance. Instead of arrogance and fanning the flames of endless war, we need negotiations with Russia. Only dialogue can bring peace to our continent."

Trump has taken a much tougher line towards Putin over the Ukraine war since a face-to-face summit in Alaska in August failed to produce a decisive breakthrough in attempts to broker a peace deal.

The pair met on US soil on 15 August for a summit which the US president hoped would help convince the Russian president to enter comprehensive peace talks to end the Ukraine war. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

They spoke again days later when Trump interrupted a meeting with Zelensky and European leaders to call Putin.

Since then, neither the White House or Kremlin have public confirmed any communications between the two.

During his presidential election campaign, Trump claimed he would be able to end the war in Ukraine within days but has since admitted resolving the conflict has been more challenging than any he has been involved in since returning to power.

Trump had been seen as more sympathetic to Russia than his predecessor Joe Biden, and strained relations with Zelensky came to a head on 28 February when he and Vice-President JD Vance berated the Ukrainian president in the Oval Office on live television.

But public relations with Zelensky have vastly improved in recent months.

In September, Trump signalled a major shift in his view of the conflict, saying he believed Kyiv could "win all of Ukraine back in its original form", a far cry from his public calls for Kyiv to cede territory occupied by Russia.

During Zelensky's upcoming visit to Washington on Friday, his third since January, the subject of Tomahawk missiles is likely to be high on the agenda.

Zelensky has called on the US to provide Ukraine with the advanced missiles, which have a range of 2,500 km (1,500 miles).

Asked earlier this week if he was considering giving Ukraine the missiles, he said: "We'll see... I may."

In late July, Trump set Putin a deadline of less than a fortnight to agree to a ceasefire or face sweeping sanctions, including measures against countries which still trade with Russia.

But he did not follow through the threat after Putin agreed to meet Trump in Alaska, which the US president hailed as a significant diplomatic success at the time, despite it not producing any tangible outcome.

Earlier on Thursday, India's foreign ministry cast doubt on a claim made by Trump a day earlier saying Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed to stop purchasing Russian oil.

An Indian government spokesman said he was "not aware of any conversation between the two leaders" taking place the previous day, after Trump said Modi had assured him purchases would stop "within a short period of time".

The US has pushed for countries - in particular India, China and Nato members - to stop buying Russian energy in an effort to increase economic pressure on the Kremlin. Zelensky has also repeatedly echoed those calls.

Live from New York: It's mayoral debate night.

The three leading candidates for New York City mayor took the stage at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan Thursday night to make a case to lead America's biggest city.

Early voting in the race is set to begin next week, and the most recent polling, suggests Zohran Mamdani has widened his lead to 46 percent, while Andrew Cuomo stands at 33 percent.

The outcome of the race could have political implications beyond the Empire State as President Donald Trump looms large, and whoever wins will likely face pressure from Washington in some form.

The Democratic Party nationally also is likely watching to see if the America's biggest Democratic stronghold chooses an establishment, centrist Cuomo, who is running as an independent or the progressive Mamdani. The winner could help determine the kind of candidate and platform Democrats choose in the future following their staggering 2024 loss to Trump.

Republicans also will watch to see if their candidate, Curtis Sliwa, continues to make inroads with his public safety platform.

Here are five big takeaways from tonight's debate.

Mamdani addresses his support for Palestinians

Mamdani's past statements on Israel and Palestinians came up several times during the night in questions from moderators and opponents' criticisms.

The candidate has stressed his support for Palestinians and statehood, and has criticized Israel's military operation in Gaza.

He also was criticized for declining to condemn the phrase "globalise the intifada" when probed by interviewers, but has said he would seek to serve as a mayor for all New Yorkers, including its large and ideologically diverse Jewish population.

Cuomo, however, attacked Mamdani for his views, calling the New York state assemblyman a "divisive personality across the board."

The fourth man: Donald Trump

Although there were three candidates at tonight's debate, another name kept coming up: Donald Trump.

President Trump has implied he wants to send the National Guard into cities controlled by Democrats - in spite of resistance - and has moved to withhold government funds for infrastructure projects in New York City. Trump also has prioritized New York City for his mass deportation policy, and the mayor — who has little power over federal immigration enforcement — will likely have to weigh the city's response.

Sliwa, the Republican, noted that the mayor would need to get along with Trump regardless of political views. But Mamdani made his opposition to Trump explicit from his very first response, promising to "take on Trump."

Cuomo positioned himself as the only candidate experienced enough to deal with the current White House, warning "it will be Mayor Trump" if Mamdani is elected.

"I fought Donald Trump," he told voters. "When I'm fighting for New York, I am not going to stop."

Affordability front and center

As large as Trump looms, the biggest policy issue around this mayoral election is affordability. New Yorkers face high costs of living on everything - especially rent and groceries.

In his opening statement, Sliwa acknowledged the "really serious issues of affordability" facing the city. He called for the next mayor to free up vacant apartments in NYCHA - New York's public housing programme — and allow people to move in.

The moderators directly asked each candidate how much they paid for rent, groceries and whether they paid off credit card debt monthly. The candidates pitched a volley of proposals, including Mamdani's plan to make buses free and Cuomo's proposal to place income limits on people who resided in rent-stabilized apartments.

He criticised Mamdani for living in a rent-stablised apartment, even though his parents are wealthy (his mother is the filmmaker Mira Nair).

"If you think that the problem in this city is that my rent is too low, vote for him," Mamdani said. "If you know the problem in this city is that your rent is too high, vote for me."

Cuomo also opposed Mamdani's proposed rent freeze on stabilized apartments, saying it would only postpone future increases, force building owners into bankruptcy, and fail New Yorkers who don't live in rent-stabilized apartments.

• Former Governor Andrew Cuomo announces run for New York City mayor
• FULL COVERAGE: Mamdani, Cuomo, Sliwa debate
• Who is Zohran Mamdani?
• How Mamdani stunned New York - and what Democrats can learn from his win

Cuomo's controversies still loom

Cuomo touted his decades of experience in office, rising from federal housing secretary during President Bill Clinton's administration to New York's governor.

But his controversies while governor have shadowed his campaign and Cuomo came prepared for a fight.

He resigned as governor in 2021 after an investigation by the state attorney general found he had sexually harassed 11 women. Cuomo apologised for acting "in a way that made people feel uncomfortable" but denied allegations.

The New York attorney general also investigated his administration for undercounting nursing home deaths during the Covid-19 pandemic, finding he understated the actual number of deaths.

Mamdani attacked Cuomo on these matters, accusing him of "sending seniors to their death in nursing homes," and accused him of lacking integrity.

Cuomo said the allegations about harming seniors in nursing homes was "totally false."

"During Covid, everyone did whatever they could in this state, and there have been numerous investigations where they've gone through it, and they said we followed federal guidance," Cuomo said. "But yes, people died during Covid. And my heart breaks for everyone that broken, that died in this state and across this nation."

Sliwa, too, attacked Cuomo for the "lawsuits filed against you for sexual harassment." The former governor rebutted that the case brought New York attorney general Letitia James, who investigated the misconduct claims, "was political."

Curtis Sliwa makes his mark

Sliwa held his own as the only Republican on stage.

His voting bloc might be in the minority in New York City, but the 2024 presidential election revealed that residents prioritise public safety issues and Sliwa hammered that repeatedly. As the founder of the Guardian Angels, a New York City organization devoted to crime prevention, he seized the opportunity to connect with voters.

The longtime New York media and political personality also knew how to make himself heard. He frequently interjected, telling moderators he wanted to speak, and elbowing his way into the debate's most heated moments. From centre stage, he took swings at both opponents in equal measure.

He felt confident after the debate, saying his night went "extraordinarily well" and likening his opponents to "two kids in the schoolyard.

Baek Se-hee, the South Korean author of the bestselling memoir I Want to Die but I Want To Eat Tteokbokki has died at the age of 35.

Her 2018 book, a compilation of conversations with her psychiatrist about her depression, was a cultural phenomenon with its themes of mental health resonating with readers across the world.

Originally written in Korean, it found international acclaim after its English translation was published in 2022.

The details surrounding her death are unclear.

Baek donated her organs - her heart, lungs, liver and kidneys - which have helped to save five lives, the Korean Organ Donation Agency said in a statement on Friday.

The statement also included comments from her sister, which said that Baek had wanted to "share her heart with others through her work, and to inspire hope".

I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki, published in 2018, has sold more than a million copies worldwide and been translated in 25 countries.

The runaway bestseller was celebrated for normalising mental health conversations and its nuanced take on inner struggles - most notably, the author's personal conflict between depressive thoughts and her appreciation for simple joys.

"The human heart, even when it wants to die, quite often wants at the same time to eat some tteokbokki, too," goes the book's most famous line.

Born in 1990, Baek Se-hee took creative writing in university and worked for five years at a publishing house, according to her short biography on Bloomsbury Publishing, which produced the English version of her 2018 memoir.

For a decade she received treatment for dysthymia, a mild but long-lasting type of depression, which formed the basis of her bestseller, said her Bloomsbury bio.

A sequel, I Want to Die but I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki, was published in Korean in 2019. Its English translation was published in 2024.

A list of organisations in the UK offering support and information with some of the issues in this story is available at BBC Action Line. If you are outside of the UK, you can visit the Befrienders website.

Thousands of mourners have gathered at a national stadium in the Kenyan capital for the state funeral of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Many carried national flags, portraits of the late leader, and wore T-shirts printed with his image to pay their final respects.

Security remains tight in and around the stadium, with police and military officers deployed to prevent a recurrence of the unrest witnessed on Thursday during the body-viewing ceremony.

At least three people died after police fired gunshots and tear gas in an attempt to contain the huge crowds who had turned out to escort Odinga's body from the country's main airport after it arrived from India where he died.

The presidents of Somalia and Ethiopian are among regional leaders attending the funeral service at the Nyayo National Stadium.

• Obituary: A founding father of Kenya's multi-party democracy
• How Odinga's court challenges have improved Kenya's elections

Earlier on Friday morning, Odinga's body was taken to parliament, where MPs and selected dignitaries viewed it.

Odinga, a giant figure on Kenya's political scene, died on Wednesday aged 80 in India, where he had been receiving medical treatment.

Mourners have been carrying branches and palm fronds, a symbol of mourning and grief among the Luo ethnic group to which Odinga belonged.

On Saturday his body will be transported to Kisumu, a city in western Kenya on the shores of Lake Victoria - his political stronghold.

Members of the public will get a chance to view the body before he is buried on Sunday at his farm in Bondo, about 60km (40 miles) west of Kisumu.

According to the family, it was Odinga's wish to be laid to rest within the shortest time possible, ideally within 72 hours.

A seven-day period of mourning has been declared.

He was a towering figure in Kenyan politics and for many years was the country's main opposition leader, losing five presidential campaigns, most recently three years ago.

Odinga repeatedly said he was cheated of victory, citing the manipulation of votes.

You may also be interested in:

• How a handshake changed Odinga's heartland
• 'They aimed to kill' - BBC identifies security forces who shot Kenya anti-tax protesters
• The ever-shifting alliances that fuelled Kenya's impeachment drama
• Behind the fallout between Kenya's president and his deputy

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

The family of a British girl who disappeared in Australia more than 50 years ago has threatened to name a key person of interest unless he comes forward to answer their questions.

Authorities believe three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer was abducted from Fairy Meadow beach in Wollongong in January 1970.

A suspect was charged with her abduction and murder, but his 2019 trial collapsed after a detailed confession made when he was teen was ruled inadmissible. He denies any wrongdoing.

Known only as Mercury, the man's identity is protected as he was a minor at the time, but a politician has offered to name him under parliamentary privilege as the family pushes for a fresh investigation.

"[Mercury]'s got until Wednesday night," Cheryl's brother Ricki Nash told reporters on Friday.

Jeremy Buckingham, a New South Wales parliamentarian who has been supporting the Grimmer family, said he's prepared to use parliamentary privilege to name the man when state parliament resumes sitting on Thursday.

Mr Nash wants Mercury to explain to the family how he knew information contained in his confession - and if it was true or not.

"Enough is enough," he said, at times on the verge of tears. "We want the truth to come out."

Cheryl had been on the beach at Fairy Meadow with her family on 12 January 1970. When the family decided to pack up, Mr Nash, as the eldest brother, had been put in charge of his siblings and told to go to the bathroom block.

Cheryl ran giggling into the ladies' changing rooms and refused to come out. Too embarrassed to enter himself, Mr Nash went back to the beach to tell his mother to help. When they returned, 90 seconds later, the toddler was gone.

The family had only recently migrated to Australia from Bristol as so-called Ten Pound Poms.

Despite extensive searches, there were no leads. Then in 2017, a man in his 60s was charged with Cheryl's abduction and murder after officers discovered a confession made to police by a teenage boy in 1971.

A judge later ruled the confession could not be presented as trial evidence and the charges against him were dropped.

On Friday, the family released a lengthy document detailing the missteps they say were made by authorities in NSW in the search for Cheryl, and called for more answers.

"We've made various requests to NSW authorities for a fresh prosecution or a fresh inquest but to no avail," the family said in the letter.

"We feel that we have been fobbed off numerous times by the police, saying that they're conducting reviews of the case or exploring leads that make no sense to us. The incompetence and negligence in the NSW police investigation of this case over much of the past 55 years is unfathomable."

NSW Police have defended their conduct, reiterating that homicide detectives are still investigating Cheryl's disappearance - and that a A$1m reward for information remains on offer.

"Police continue to examine every line of inquiry and search for answers into Cheryl's death," NSW Police said in a statement.

Three potential eyewitnesses came forward after the BBC aired the Fairy Meadow true crime podcast in 2022, which has since been downloaded five million times. Their contacts were passed on to investigators.

But the family was recently told that a four-year-long review of the case found there was no new evidence that could lead to a conviction - even though the new potential eyewitnesses were not formally interviewed by officers.

The family, alongside a volunteer team using cadaver detection dogs, also searched an "area of interest" they hoped would be a breakthrough in the case earlier this month. But police said that a subsequent search of the area only found animal bones.

Cheryl's family disputes the police's response and said volunteers were back in the area on Friday, collecting soil samples to be sent to the UK and the US for further analysis.

"Cheryl disappeared more than 55 years ago. It's time for answers, it's time for accountability," the family said.

It comes as the NSW parliament announced an inquiry into long-term missing persons cases in the state - including Cheryl's. It will look into how investigations have been carried out and ways of improvement.

Live from New York: It's mayoral debate night.

The three leading candidates for New York City mayor took the stage at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan Thursday night to make a case to lead America's biggest city.

Early voting in the race is set to begin next week, and the most recent polling, suggests Zohran Mamdani has widened his lead to 46 percent, while Andrew Cuomo stands at 33 percent.

The outcome of the race could have political implications beyond the Empire State as President Donald Trump looms large, and whoever wins will likely face pressure from Washington in some form.

The Democratic Party nationally also is likely watching to see if the America's biggest Democratic stronghold chooses an establishment, centrist Cuomo, who is running as an independent or the progressive Mamdani. The winner could help determine the kind of candidate and platform Democrats choose in the future following their staggering 2024 loss to Trump.

Republicans also will watch to see if their candidate, Curtis Sliwa, continues to make inroads with his public safety platform.

Here are five big takeaways from tonight's debate.

Mamdani addresses his support for Palestinians

Mamdani's past statements on Israel and Palestinians came up several times during the night in questions from moderators and opponents' criticisms.

The candidate has stressed his support for Palestinians and statehood, and has criticized Israel's military operation in Gaza.

He also was criticized for declining to condemn the phrase "globalise the intifada" when probed by interviewers, but has said he would seek to serve as a mayor for all New Yorkers, including its large and ideologically diverse Jewish population.

Cuomo, however, attacked Mamdani for his views, calling the New York state assemblyman a "divisive personality across the board."

The fourth man: Donald Trump

Although there were three candidates at tonight's debate, another name kept coming up: Donald Trump.

President Trump has implied he wants to send the National Guard into cities controlled by Democrats - in spite of resistance - and has moved to withhold government funds for infrastructure projects in New York City. Trump also has prioritized New York City for his mass deportation policy, and the mayor — who has little power over federal immigration enforcement — will likely have to weigh the city's response.

Sliwa, the Republican, noted that the mayor would need to get along with Trump regardless of political views. But Mamdani made his opposition to Trump explicit from his very first response, promising to "take on Trump."

Cuomo positioned himself as the only candidate experienced enough to deal with the current White House, warning "it will be Mayor Trump" if Mamdani is elected.

"I fought Donald Trump," he told voters. "When I'm fighting for New York, I am not going to stop."

Affordability front and center

As large as Trump looms, the biggest policy issue around this mayoral election is affordability. New Yorkers face high costs of living on everything - especially rent and groceries.

In his opening statement, Sliwa acknowledged the "really serious issues of affordability" facing the city. He called for the next mayor to free up vacant apartments in NYCHA - New York's public housing programme — and allow people to move in.

The moderators directly asked each candidate how much they paid for rent, groceries and whether they paid off credit card debt monthly. The candidates pitched a volley of proposals, including Mamdani's plan to make buses free and Cuomo's proposal to place income limits on people who resided in rent-stabilized apartments.

He criticised Mamdani for living in a rent-stablised apartment, even though his parents are wealthy (his mother is the filmmaker Mira Nair).

"If you think that the problem in this city is that my rent is too low, vote for him," Mamdani said. "If you know the problem in this city is that your rent is too high, vote for me."

Cuomo also opposed Mamdani's proposed rent freeze on stabilized apartments, saying it would only postpone future increases, force building owners into bankruptcy, and fail New Yorkers who don't live in rent-stabilized apartments.

• Former Governor Andrew Cuomo announces run for New York City mayor
• FULL COVERAGE: Mamdani, Cuomo, Sliwa debate
• Who is Zohran Mamdani?
• How Mamdani stunned New York - and what Democrats can learn from his win

Cuomo's controversies still loom

Cuomo touted his decades of experience in office, rising from federal housing secretary during President Bill Clinton's administration to New York's governor.

But his controversies while governor have shadowed his campaign and Cuomo came prepared for a fight.

He resigned as governor in 2021 after an investigation by the state attorney general found he had sexually harassed 11 women. Cuomo apologised for acting "in a way that made people feel uncomfortable" but denied allegations.

The New York attorney general also investigated his administration for undercounting nursing home deaths during the Covid-19 pandemic, finding he understated the actual number of deaths.

Mamdani attacked Cuomo on these matters, accusing him of "sending seniors to their death in nursing homes," and accused him of lacking integrity.

Cuomo said the allegations about harming seniors in nursing homes was "totally false."

"During Covid, everyone did whatever they could in this state, and there have been numerous investigations where they've gone through it, and they said we followed federal guidance," Cuomo said. "But yes, people died during Covid. And my heart breaks for everyone that broken, that died in this state and across this nation."

Sliwa, too, attacked Cuomo for the "lawsuits filed against you for sexual harassment." The former governor rebutted that the case brought New York attorney general Letitia James, who investigated the misconduct claims, "was political."

Curtis Sliwa makes his mark

Sliwa held his own as the only Republican on stage.

His voting bloc might be in the minority in New York City, but the 2024 presidential election revealed that residents prioritise public safety issues and Sliwa hammered that repeatedly. As the founder of the Guardian Angels, a New York City organization devoted to crime prevention, he seized the opportunity to connect with voters.

The longtime New York media and political personality also knew how to make himself heard. He frequently interjected, telling moderators he wanted to speak, and elbowing his way into the debate's most heated moments. From centre stage, he took swings at both opponents in equal measure.

He felt confident after the debate, saying his night went "extraordinarily well" and likening his opponents to "two kids in the schoolyard.

John Bolton, who served as Donald Trump's national security adviser before becoming a vocal critic of the president, has been criminally indicted on federal charges.

The Department of Justice presented a case to a grand jury in Maryland on Thursday, and they agreed there was enough evidence to indict Bolton.

It comes after FBI agents searched Bolton's home and office in August as part of an investigation into the handling of classified information.

The indictment makes Bolton, 76, the third of the US president's political opponents to face charges in recent week, after former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Bolton has not yet commented, but he has denied any wrongdoing. His lawyer, Abbe Lowell, earlier said Bolton had handled records appropriately.

He was fired from Trump's first administration in 2019. His 2020 memoir, The Room Where It Happened, recounted his time working under Trump and portrayed him as a president who was ill-informed about geopolitics and whose decision-making was dominated by a desire to be re-elected.

The White House filed a lawsuit to block the book from being published, arguing it contained classified information and had not been properly vetted. A judge denied the request and the book was released days later.

The US Department of Justice then opened an investigation into whether Bolton had mishandled classified information by disclosing certain information in the book.

Asked about the indictment on Thursday at the White House, Trump said he did not know about it, but added that Bolton was "a bad guy".

Trump has previously described Bolton as "grossly incompetent" and "a liar". He has also called for him to be prosecuted.

Asked in August about the investigation into Bolton, Trump said he did not "want to get involved" and had not directly ordered the searches of Bolton's home and office, but referred to Bolton as a "sleazebag".

Around the time the searches began, FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X: "NO ONE is above the law." The post did not name Bolton.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi shared the post and added: "America's safety isn't negotiable. Justice will be pursued. Always."

Bolton, who served as George W Bush's UN ambassador, was among former officials critical of Trump who had their Secret Service protection stripped by the Trump administration in January.

He is the third Trump critic to be criminally charged since September.

New York City Attorney General Letitia James was criminally indicted on bank fraud charges in October.

Former FBI director James Comey was indicted in late September on charges of lying to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding.

The indictments followed a social media post from Trump, where he called on US Attorney General Pam Bondi, who leads the justice department, to prosecute his political opponents.

The post named Comey, James and Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, who oversaw Trump's first impeachment trial.

"We can't delay any longer, it's killing our reputation and credibility," he wrote.

Growing up, Reese Witherspoon's dad was a huge James Bond fan - which meant she also watched a lot of 007 films.

But she questioned why the girls all wore bikinis, with the young Reese asking herself what their revealing attire had to do with solving a crime.

The Oscar-winning actress - and now novelist - says that's why she wanted her new thriller to centre on a woman who has a unique skill, rather than being about her sex appeal.

Witherspoon, 49, is best known for roles in Legally Blonde and The Morning Show, but has now written her first adult fiction book.

Gone Before Goodbye, co-written with bestselling author Harlan Coben, tells the story of a talented surgeon called Maggie, who is trapped in a deadly conspiracy.

Speaking exclusively to BBC News, she admits that part of her was worrying, "Oh God, why did I do this?" - but says she also felt excited to see her idea come to life.

Witherspoon, who already runs an influential book club that's picked out hits like Where the Crawdads Sing, adds that she mainly cares about how other writers will receive it. "I have so much reverence for authors," she says.

Witherspoon was born in New Orleans to a medical doctor father and a mother who worked as a nurse.

Her breakthrough role came with the 1999 teen drama Cruel Intentions, alongside her now-ex husband Ryan Phillippe.

Legally Blonde, released in 2001, made her a major star, and was followed by roles including country singer June Carter Cash in Walk The Line, which earned her an Academy Award in 2006.

Witherspoon says her parents' line of work helped inspire the characters in her new novel.

"I grew up in a medical military family and I grew up on a military base, so I was surrounded by other mums and dads who were medical military people," she says.

"There was this sense of service, and that what they were doing was an important service to humanity, but also to their country."

"We both have the viewpoint that doctors are heroic," adds Coben, who is married to a pediatrician. "They really are. I mean, it's a cool profession."

In the book, Maggie has lost her medical licence after a series of tragedies, but is thrown a lifeline by a former colleague.

The theme of career setbacks is familiar to Witherspoon, who starred a string of poorly received films in the years after her Oscar win and her 2008 divorce from Phillippe, with whom she shares two children.

In 2014, she opened up in an interview about how her marriage breakdown affected her career.

"You can't really be very creative when you feel like your brain is scrambled eggs," she told CBS's 60 Minutes. "I was just kind of floundering career-wise. I wasn't making things I was passionate about."

Asked whether her personal experience of a career setback inspired her book's plotline, Witherspoon says: "I think every great story has a character who is taken to their knees. We just happen to start the story with her on her knees."

It was "a great place to start" the book, she adds, "because it can really only go up from there".

Witherspoon's acting career has bounced back. And through her production company Hello Sunshine, she has made a point of celebrating strong female characters through films and TV series including The Morning Show and Big Little Lies, which she produced and starred in.

'Skills more important than sex and violence'

I ask Witherspoon how rare it is to see a female character like Maggie, who is not about her sex appeal but rather about her particular skill.

"Growing up, I always saw James Bond movies, my dad was obsessed with them, but I was like, why are [the girls] all in bikinis, and I don't understand what that's got to do with solving the crime," she replies.

"If I was going to do a thriller, I wanted the woman to be at the centre of it. I wanted her to have a unique skillset everybody in the world wanted, but she didn't even realise it, and that she doesn't have to shoot guns or punch bad guys. She's actually just very smart and very intuitive and an incredible surgeon."

But the film industry still has further to go in creating such roles for women, Witherspoon suggests.

When I ask whether Hollywood still suffers from a lack of strong female leads, the A-lister says: "I always see the gap, I see the white space.

"I started Hello Sunshine in 2011 because I just wasn't seeing complex storytelling for women in the movie space.

"So, in a way, I was just taking the relationships I've had from 30 years of being an actor and just helping shine a light on women who were ready for those opportunities."

Entertainment journalist Lauren Morris believes Witherspoon has been "quite clever" in the way she's built her business empire.

"She has her book club, where she publicises books, often centring female stories. Then she has her production company, where she adapts it for TV or film, and she often stars in it herself too," she says.

"It's a good business model and it's working well for her."

'I'm really enjoying this moment'

Celebrity novels have been all the rage in recent years, with stars such as Keanu Reeves and Millie Bobby Brown among those releasing books.

Often, collaborations involve a ghostwriter or co-author who does the majority of the writing, with minimal input from the celebrity. Reeves admitted as much to BBC News last year, when he said his novel had been mostly written by British science fiction author China Miéville.

But both Witherspoon and Coben insist that wasn't the case for them. Witherspoon originally brought the idea to Coben, and the pair say they were both involved in the writing, to the point that - according to Witherspoon - "we couldn't figure out who wrote what".

A number of Coben's books have recently been adapted for the small screen, with mystery thriller Fool Me Once becoming one of Netflix's most-watched dramas last year.

So will Gone Before Goodbye get the same treatment? For Coben, the answer is yes.

"I think one day it'll be adapted. I think I have somebody in mind who I think would like to play Maggie, but I'm not going to say anything," he says.

Is he thinking about Witherspoon by any chance? He laughs. "Yeah."

I ask Witherspoon whether she sees herself in Maggie.

"Every character I play is some part of my personality," she responds. "My personality is a big pie. Each character is a piece of the pie."

So, having conquered film, TV, book clubs and now novels, what's next?

"Wow, when you put it like that, I want to lie down," Witherspoon laughs.

"I'm just really enjoying this moment. This is a big new frontier for me. And it just made me feel like, gosh, creativity doesn't stop at any one age. It just goes on and on."

Gone Before Goodbye is published on 23 October in the UK.

Australian police have called off a search for a four-year-old boy who has been missing in the outback for almost three weeks, after fresh efforts failed to find any traces of the child.

Gus Lamont was last seen playing outside his home on a remote sheep station near Yunta, about 300km (186 miles) from Adelaide, on 27 September.

His grandmother left him alone for about half an hour before checking on him, only to find the boy missing, prompting one of the largest land and air searches in South Australian history.

Police - who do not suspect foul play - say they will continue investigating, but that the case has become a "recovery operation".

Last week, authorities briefly wound down the search, only to restart it on Tuesday alongside 80 Australian Defense Force personnel.

Commissioner Grant Stevens said authorities were searching a wider area based on updated assessments from survivability, medical and search specialists, rather than any new information.

On Friday, police confirmed that the new search had not uncovered any signs of Gus.

"The fact Gus is a small child, the terrain is extremely rugged, harsh and subject to changing weather conditions has made the searching difficult and more challenging for those involved," police said in a statement.

About 470 sq km - an area roughly twice the size of Edinburgh - has now been covered, and a 12-person taskforce set up earlier this week is expected to continue investigating. Police have not ruled out more searches of the property in the future.

Gus, who has been described as an adventurous but shy boy, was last seen wearing a grey hat, light grey long pants, boots and a blue long-sleeve T-shirt featuring a yellow Minion character. Police believe he wandered off.

The case has sparked huge interest across Australia, with images of the blond, curly-haired boy featured across local media and speculation running rife online.

It prompted police to ask that members of the public stop calling them with their "opinions", and appeal for them to source information from credible places.

Their warning came after fake AI-generated images of the child spread on social media, which the BBC's Verify team investigated.

Police earlier this week said the boy's family remain "stoic" despite the tragic circumstances.

"You can imagine just how they are feeling... without having answers as to exactly where Gus is and what's happened to him. This would be traumatic for any family," Commissioner Stevens said.

Through a spokesperson, the Lamont family has previously said they are "devastated" by Gus's disappearance.

"This has come as a shock to our family and friends, and we are struggling to comprehend what has happened," Bill Harbison said, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

"Gus's absence is felt in all of us, and we miss him more than words can express."

Toting sub-machine guns and sometimes wearing masks as they drive along the streets of Uganda, members of an elite military unit are increasingly viewed as a private army to keep 81-year-old President Yoweri Museveni in power - along with his ever-growing family dynasty.

Museveni has led Uganda since 1986, when his rebel forces marched into the capital, Kampala. He has since won four elections - all marred by allegations of violence and rigging.

But this is nothing new in the country - since Uganda gained independence in 1962, power has only ever changed hands through rebellions or military coups.

Museveni is seeking re-election next year and the opposition fears that the Special Forces Command (SFC) could be used to prevent it from campaigning, as it says was the case in 2021.

But the SFC, which for years was commanded by Museveni's son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has been accused by government critics of abducting, torturing and killing opposition activists all year round, not just during elections. The SFC denies these allegations.

"It's like a shadow army within the army which is only answerable to the president and his son. Its rise and influence is causing resentment among senior generals," one military source told the BBC.

This is compounded by the fact that Gen Kainerugaba, 51, who is now the army chief, and has said he wants to succeed his father one day, has enlisted his own son into the army.

Gen Kainerugaba has also been contemptuous of some long-serving generals, calling one a "buffoon".

His remarks sent shockwaves through military and political circles, but the government downplayed them as "mere social-media banter" - something for which Gen Kainerugaba is well known.

Several years ago he made a joke remark about invading neighbouring Kenya, to the dismay of generals.

Analysts say the unit has become so influential that it rivals the power of the regular army, which still has commanders who fought in the guerrilla war that brought Museveni and his National Resistance Movement (NRM) to power.

These observers have raised fears that the two could clash one day - as in Sudan where a civil war has broken out following a power struggle between the army and a paramilitary group once allied with it, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The unit now known as the SFC was established when Museveni first took office, and has a motto stating "there is no substitute for loyalty".

"The SFC is the most powerful unit within the Ugandan military, comprising the [most] highly trained, best-equipped, and best-funded officers in the country," Dr Gerald Bareebe, a Uganda-born academic based at Canada's York University, told the BBC.

Both the Ugandan army and the SFC declined to comment when approached by the BBC.

Museveni has previously defended the SFC, saying it was formed for Ugandans. He said that only people who did not wish Uganda well could be unhappy with such a force.

But Museveni's critics see it differently - arguing that the president has ruled with an iron fist since seizing power, and has turned the country into his family's fiefdom.

They note that the president's wife, Janet, is the education minister and Gen Kainerugaba is the army chief. His grandson's enrolment into the army - announced in July - is seen as perpetuating the family dynasty.

Gen Kainerugaba has twice led the SFC and is credited with expanding it into a force with an estimated membership of more than 10,000. The regular army is thought to have around 40,000 active members.

"They go through specialised training. And also they have sophisticated weapons, unlike the regular army," a former senior military officer told the BBC.

Although his father promoted him to chief of the defence forces in March last year, Gen Kainerugaba is said to have maintained de facto control over the SFC, with its current commander, Maj Gen David Mugisha, reporting to him.

Gen Kainerugaba mostly operates from the unit's headquarters - in a building named after his father - in Entebbe, about 34km (21 miles) south of the capital, Kampala.

The SFC boasts on its website that it carries out specialised missions "at a moment's notice", and is assigned to secure critical installations such as the main airport and oil fields.

It is widely suspected to have crossed into Kenya last November to capture opposition politician Kizza Besigye, once Museveni's doctor, and take him back to Uganda to face trial for treason, which has yet to start. The army's prosecutor has acknowledged the involvement of the Ugandan security forces.

Analysts like Dr Bareebe feel the SFC's core function "is to guarantee regime survival" by fending off threats - not only from the opposition but also army generals.

"It plays a disproportionately central role in suppressing anti-regime mobilisation and shielding the ruling NRM from both internal dissent and external threats," Dr Bareebe said.

Although the SFC has denied involvement in the wave of abductions and torture of opposition members, some of its officers have been convicted of abusing their power.

The most prominent case was that of a 32-year-old SFC soldier, who was court-martialled and sentenced to death last November for shooting dead three people and injuring two others, including a one-year-old child.

In May, the presidency said it was investigating a reported incident where SFC soldiers were accused of torturing the driver of a boda boda - as motorbike taxis are known locally. The rider had been rushing to reach his pregnant wife when he got caught up in a presidential convoy.

In the same month, Gen Kainerugaba sparked public outrage after he confirmed the detention of an opposition leader's bodyguard, who had been missing for days.

He said his "boys" were holding Edward Sebuufu, alias Eddie Mutwe, "in my basement", and in a social media post, attached a photograph of the bodyguard with a clean-shaven head.

Gen Kainerugaba mocked Mr Sebuufu, saying he was "looking very smart these days" as his beard had been shaved by "my boy", referring to a junior soldier.

The Uganda Law Society said Mr Sebuufu's ordeal had not been an isolated case, but was "part of a systematic campaign to silence dissent and crush the aspirations of people yearning for freedom".

It added that the incident underscored "a dangerous nexus of military power and political oppression".

The shadowy nature of the unit and its operations have often led to accusations that its existence was illegal.

But in June, parliament passed a controversial legislative amendment, recognising the SFC as one of four official military services - along with the land forces, air force and reserve force.

Opposition MPs criticised the move, saying the unit should not be given such legitimacy and should instead be disbanded.

"The new law validates an entity that has been operating illegally," said opposition MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda.

For Dr Bareebe, the SFC's "elevation in law merely reflects its already dominant position within Uganda's militarised power structure and reinforces its role as the cornerstone of regime security".

This concern was shared by respected Ugandan analyst Godber Tumushabe. He recently warned that despite the country's apparent stability, "all that we have is the absence of war".

A senior army officer, who preferred not to be named for fear of repercussions, told the BBC that there has been growing discontent within the military about the unit's recruitment process as it appeared to be along ethnic lines.

Various sources, including those in the military, told the BBC that the SFC was heavily dominated by officers from President Museveni's Banyankore ethnic group, and related communities, in order to guarantee loyalty.

"If you look at all SFC commanders since its inception, they come from Museveni's ethnic group," says Nganda, the opposition MP.

Of the six commanders who have held the position since 2007, only one does not hail from the west country, where the Banyankore live.

Given these competing interests, analysts fear that a power struggle could break out between rival military factions in the post-Museveni era.

"My greatest fear is that we don't know what will happen when Museveni goes and there is dissent within the army," Nganda said.

Dr Bareebe echoed this concern: "A stand-off between the SFC and the regular army - each with its own loyalties, interests, and command structures - could trigger significant political instability and even violence, especially in the absence of a clear succession plan."

But other analysts disagree, saying that this is where Gen Kainerugaba will come into his own given his long career with both the army and SFC.

They argue he is well placed to hold the rival factions together and ensure that the Museveni dynasty continues, guaranteeing stability in Uganda.

Such an outcome would of course be seen as undemocratic by the opposition.

Robert Kyagulanyi, a former pop star better known as Bobi Wine who is running against President Museveni for a second time next year, describes the unit as a "torture squad".

Earlier this year Gen Kainerugaba threatened to behead the opposition leader, though he later deleted the "joke" tweet and apologised.

Bobi Wine told the BBC he and his colleagues were often targeted and beaten up by SFC officers - and he wants the squad disbanded.

"This is largely seen as the section in the military that is responsible for regime survival through brutality," he said. "They operate with impunity and they operate under the protection of General Museveni and his son."

More about Uganda from the BBC:

• Are East African governments uniting to silence dissent?
• How Besigye disappeared in Kenya and ended up in military court
• Muhoozi Kainerugaba - Uganda's ambitious tweeting general
• How an ex-rebel has stayed in power
• Bobi Wine - Uganda's 'ghetto president'

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

US President Donald Trump says "great progress" was made during a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, with the pair agreeing to face-to-face talks in Hungary.

He said the call, the first with Putin since mid-August, was "very productive", adding that teams from Washington and Moscow will meet next week.

Trump did not confirm a date for his meeting with Putin in Budapest. The Kremlin said work on the summit would begin "immediately" after the "extremely frank and trustful" call.

The talks came a day before Ukraine's President Zelensky was to visit the White House, and with Trump weighing whether to arm Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles capable of striking deep into Russia.

As he arrived in the US, Zelensky said Moscow was "rushing to resume dialogue as soon as it hears about Tomahawks".

Writing on his Truth Social platform after the call concluded, Trump said he and Putin "spent a great deal of time talking about Trade between Russia and the United States when the War with Ukraine is over".

He said "high level advisors" from both countries would meet at an unspecified location next week, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio leading the American delegation.

Trump also said he would update Zelensky on his talks with Putin on Friday, adding: "I believe great progress was made with today's telephone conversation."

He later told reporters he expected to meet Putin "within two weeks".

Asked about the prospect of giving the missiles to Ukraine after his call with Putin, Trump said "we can't deplete" the US stockpile of Tomahawks, adding "we need them too... so I don't know what we can do about that".

Ukraine's ambassador to the US, Olga Stefanishyna, said Russia launching overnight strikes on Ukraine "hours before" Putin's call with Trump "exposes Moscow's real attitude toward peace".

In a statement to the BBC's US partner CBS, she added: "These assaults show that Moscow's strategy is one of terror and exhaustion. The only effective response is pressure - through tougher sanctions, reinforced air defense, and the supply of long-range capabilities."

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on X the planned Budapest meeting was "great news for the peace-loving people of the world".

Earlier, he also said: "Peace requires patience, strength, and humility. Europe must shift its stance. Instead of arrogance and fanning the flames of endless war, we need negotiations with Russia. Only dialogue can bring peace to our continent."

Trump has taken a much tougher line towards Putin over the Ukraine war since a face-to-face summit in Alaska in August failed to produce a decisive breakthrough in attempts to broker a peace deal.

The pair met on US soil on 15 August for a summit which the US president hoped would help convince the Russian president to enter comprehensive peace talks to end the Ukraine war. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

They spoke again days later when Trump interrupted a meeting with Zelensky and European leaders to call Putin.

Since then, neither the White House or Kremlin have public confirmed any communications between the two.

During his presidential election campaign, Trump claimed he would be able to end the war in Ukraine within days but has since admitted resolving the conflict has been more challenging than any he has been involved in since returning to power.

Trump had been seen as more sympathetic to Russia than his predecessor Joe Biden, and strained relations with Zelensky came to a head on 28 February when he and Vice-President JD Vance berated the Ukrainian president in the Oval Office on live television.

But public relations with Zelensky have vastly improved in recent months.

In September, Trump signalled a major shift in his view of the conflict, saying he believed Kyiv could "win all of Ukraine back in its original form", a far cry from his public calls for Kyiv to cede territory occupied by Russia.

During Zelensky's upcoming visit to Washington on Friday, his third since January, the subject of Tomahawk missiles is likely to be high on the agenda.

Zelensky has called on the US to provide Ukraine with the advanced missiles, which have a range of 2,500 km (1,500 miles).

Asked earlier this week if he was considering giving Ukraine the missiles, he said: "We'll see... I may."

In late July, Trump set Putin a deadline of less than a fortnight to agree to a ceasefire or face sweeping sanctions, including measures against countries which still trade with Russia.

But he did not follow through the threat after Putin agreed to meet Trump in Alaska, which the US president hailed as a significant diplomatic success at the time, despite it not producing any tangible outcome.

Earlier on Thursday, India's foreign ministry cast doubt on a claim made by Trump a day earlier saying Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed to stop purchasing Russian oil.

An Indian government spokesman said he was "not aware of any conversation between the two leaders" taking place the previous day, after Trump said Modi had assured him purchases would stop "within a short period of time".

The US has pushed for countries - in particular India, China and Nato members - to stop buying Russian energy in an effort to increase economic pressure on the Kremlin. Zelensky has also repeatedly echoed those calls.

US President Donald Trump says "great progress" was made during a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, with the pair agreeing to face-to-face talks in Hungary.

He said the call, the first with Putin since mid-August, was "very productive", adding that teams from Washington and Moscow will meet next week.

Trump did not confirm a date for his meeting with Putin in Budapest. The Kremlin said work on the summit would begin "immediately" after the "extremely frank and trustful" call.

The talks came a day before Ukraine's President Zelensky was to visit the White House, and with Trump weighing whether to arm Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles capable of striking deep into Russia.

As he arrived in the US, Zelensky said Moscow was "rushing to resume dialogue as soon as it hears about Tomahawks".

Writing on his Truth Social platform after the call concluded, Trump said he and Putin "spent a great deal of time talking about Trade between Russia and the United States when the War with Ukraine is over".

He said "high level advisors" from both countries would meet at an unspecified location next week, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio leading the American delegation.

Trump also said he would update Zelensky on his talks with Putin on Friday, adding: "I believe great progress was made with today's telephone conversation."

He later told reporters he expected to meet Putin "within two weeks".

Asked about the prospect of giving the missiles to Ukraine after his call with Putin, Trump said "we can't deplete" the US stockpile of Tomahawks, adding "we need them too... so I don't know what we can do about that".

Ukraine's ambassador to the US, Olga Stefanishyna, said Russia launching overnight strikes on Ukraine "hours before" Putin's call with Trump "exposes Moscow's real attitude toward peace".

In a statement to the BBC's US partner CBS, she added: "These assaults show that Moscow's strategy is one of terror and exhaustion. The only effective response is pressure - through tougher sanctions, reinforced air defense, and the supply of long-range capabilities."

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on X the planned Budapest meeting was "great news for the peace-loving people of the world".

Earlier, he also said: "Peace requires patience, strength, and humility. Europe must shift its stance. Instead of arrogance and fanning the flames of endless war, we need negotiations with Russia. Only dialogue can bring peace to our continent."

Trump has taken a much tougher line towards Putin over the Ukraine war since a face-to-face summit in Alaska in August failed to produce a decisive breakthrough in attempts to broker a peace deal.

The pair met on US soil on 15 August for a summit which the US president hoped would help convince the Russian president to enter comprehensive peace talks to end the Ukraine war. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

They spoke again days later when Trump interrupted a meeting with Zelensky and European leaders to call Putin.

Since then, neither the White House or Kremlin have public confirmed any communications between the two.

During his presidential election campaign, Trump claimed he would be able to end the war in Ukraine within days but has since admitted resolving the conflict has been more challenging than any he has been involved in since returning to power.

Trump had been seen as more sympathetic to Russia than his predecessor Joe Biden, and strained relations with Zelensky came to a head on 28 February when he and Vice-President JD Vance berated the Ukrainian president in the Oval Office on live television.

But public relations with Zelensky have vastly improved in recent months.

In September, Trump signalled a major shift in his view of the conflict, saying he believed Kyiv could "win all of Ukraine back in its original form", a far cry from his public calls for Kyiv to cede territory occupied by Russia.

During Zelensky's upcoming visit to Washington on Friday, his third since January, the subject of Tomahawk missiles is likely to be high on the agenda.

Zelensky has called on the US to provide Ukraine with the advanced missiles, which have a range of 2,500 km (1,500 miles).

Asked earlier this week if he was considering giving Ukraine the missiles, he said: "We'll see... I may."

In late July, Trump set Putin a deadline of less than a fortnight to agree to a ceasefire or face sweeping sanctions, including measures against countries which still trade with Russia.

But he did not follow through the threat after Putin agreed to meet Trump in Alaska, which the US president hailed as a significant diplomatic success at the time, despite it not producing any tangible outcome.

Earlier on Thursday, India's foreign ministry cast doubt on a claim made by Trump a day earlier saying Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed to stop purchasing Russian oil.

An Indian government spokesman said he was "not aware of any conversation between the two leaders" taking place the previous day, after Trump said Modi had assured him purchases would stop "within a short period of time".

The US has pushed for countries - in particular India, China and Nato members - to stop buying Russian energy in an effort to increase economic pressure on the Kremlin. Zelensky has also repeatedly echoed those calls.

The controversial US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has confirmed it suspended operations in Gaza after the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas came into effect on 10 October.

Despite being funded until November, the organisation said its final delivery was on Friday.

The GHF has been heavily criticised after hundreds of Palestinians were killed while collecting food near its distribution sites. Witnesses say most were killed by Israeli forces.

Israel has regularly denied that its troops fired on civilians at or near the sites and the GHF has maintained that aid distribution at its sites has been carried out "without incident".

The group's northernmost aid distribution site, known as SDS4, was shut down because it was no longer in IDF-controlled territory, said a spokesman.

Satellite imagery revealed it was dismantled shortly after the 10 October ceasefire came into effect. Images show tyre tracks, disturbed earth and detritus strewn across the former compound.

"Right now we're paused," the GHF spokesman said. "We feel like there's still a need, a surge for as much aid as possible. Our goal is to resume aid distribution."

Despite the group's apparent desire to continue there has been speculation the final terms of the ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel would exclude them.

Meanwhile, analysis of UN-supplied data shows little change in aid collected from crossings after the ceasefire deal came into effect last Friday.

The average amount of aid "collected" - defined by the UN as when it leaves an Israeli-controlled crossing - each day has increased slightly compared with the previous week, but it remains in line with September figures.

UN data shows about 20% of aid leaving a crossing has made it to its intended destination since 19 May. More than 7,000 aid trucks have been "intercepted" either "peacefully by hungry people or forcefully by armed actors", according to UN data.

Aid sources told the BBC they hoped looting would subside in coming weeks as law and order is re-established and the populace is given assurances the ceasefire would hold.

A spokesperson from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said while it was critical for the ceasefire to allow for an increase in aid and other essential supplies, it was important to reach vulnerable Gazans, including in areas that were inaccessible until recently.

OCHA has hundreds of community and household service points involved in distributing aid. It lost access to many, sometimes due to conflict and sometimes due to Israel denying it access.

"We need to re-establish our service points, we need looting to reduce, we need roads to be cleared of unexploded ordnance and we need safety assurances," the OCHA spokesperson said.

Wilder Fernández has caught four good-sized fish in the murky waters of a small bay north of Lake Maracaibo.

The contents of his net will serve as dinner for his small team before they set out to go fishing again in the evening.

But this daily task is a job he has recently become scared of doing.

After 13 years as a fisherman, Mr Fernández confesses that he now fears his job could turn lethal.

He is afraid he could die in these waters not at the hands of a night-time attacker - a threat fishermen like him encountered in the past - but rather, killed in a strike launched by a foreign power.

"It's crazy, man," he says of the deployment of US warships, fighter jets, a submarine and thousands of US troops in waters north of Venezuela's coast.

The US force patrolling in the Caribbean is part of a military operation targeting suspected "narco-terrorists", which according to the White House have links to the Venezuelan government led by Nicolás Maduro.

Since 2 September, the US has carried out a number of strikes against what it labelled "narco-boats", in which at least 27 people have been killed.

The US has accused those killed of smuggling drugs but has so far not presented any evidence. Experts have suggested the strikes could be illegal under international law.

Tensions between the US and Venezuela escalated further on Wednesday when US President Donald Trump said that he was considering strikes on Venezuelan soil.

He also confirmed that he had authorised the CIA to carry out covert operations inside Venezuela.

Mr Fernández is across the latest news.

Even though the strikes are said by the US to have happened thousands of kilometres from where he fishes, his wife has been trying to convince him to leave Lake Maracaibo.

Every day she begs him to leave his fishing job. "She tells me to look for another job, but there's nowhere to go," he explains.

He does not rule out that his boat could be hit "by mistake".

"Of course it worries me, you never know. I think about it every day, man," the father of three says.

One day after BBC Mundo spoke to Mr Fernández, Trump announced that "six narco-terrorists" had been killed in the latest US strike in international waters off the Venezuelan coast.

Trump added that "intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics, was associated with illicit narcoterrorist networks".

The Trump administration accuses Maduro of leading the Cartel of the Suns drug trafficking gang and is offering a $50m (£37m) reward for information leading to his capture.

Maduro, whose legitimacy as Venezuela's president is internationally contested after disputed elections last year, has denied the cartel accusations. He has dismissed them as an attempt by the White House to oust him from office.

In his most recent statement, he appealed on TV for peace with the US.

Meanwhile, Venezuela's Defence Minister General Vladimir Padrino has warned Venezuelans to prepare "for the worst".

Speaking after the incursion on 2 October of five F-35 fighter jets in Venezuelan airspace, Gen Padrino said that his nation was facing a "serious threat" which he warned could involve "aerial bombings, naval blockades, undercover commandos landing on Venezuelan beaches or in the Venezuelan jungle, swarms of drones, sabotage, and targeted killings of leaders".

Venezuela also denounced the "mounting threats" from the US at the United Nations Security Council last week.

In response, the US representative at the UN meeting, John Kelley, stressed that his country "will not waver in our action to protect our nation from narcoterrorists".

Meanwhile, the attacks in the Caribbean have undermined the security of the fishermen in Venezuela, laments Jennifer Nava, spokeswoman for the Council of Fishermen in El Bajo, in Venezuela's Zulia state.

Ms Nava tells BBC Mundo that people employed in the fishing industry fear being hit in the crossfire between US forces and alleged drug traffickers.

Ms Nava argues that the added risks fishermen are facing could drive some of them into the arms of drug and arms smugglers looking to recruit people to transport their illicit shipments.

"Some of these guys are approached by traffickers," she explains, adding that a downturn in the fishing industry could leave fishermen more vulnerable to those approaches.

There is certainly a sense of nervousness among the fishermen of Lake Maracaibo.

Most of the crew of two small fishing boats owned by Usbaldo Albornoz refused to work when news of the US strikes broke.

Mr Albornoz, who has been in the fishing business for 32 years, describes the situation as "worrying".

"The guys didn't want to go out to sea to fish," he told BBC Mundo on the beach in San Francisco de Zulia, which sits at the northern shore of Lake Maracaibo where it meets the Gulf of Venezuela.

The fear of being hit by a US strike is the the latest of a long list of risks he and his men face, including pirates, oil spills and a decline in earnings in recent years, Mr Albornoz explains.

In a leaked memo recently sent to US lawmakers, the Trump administration said it had determined it was involved in a "non-international armed conflict" with drug-trafficking organisations.

The White House described the attacks on the boats in the Caribbean as "self-defence" in response to criticism by legal experts who said they were illegal.

But beyond the fear many are experiencing, there is also a feeling of defiance.

At the end of September, hundreds of fishermen on dozens of boats took to Lake Maracaibo in a show of support for the Maduro government and in protest at the US military deployment.

José Luzardo was one of them. A spokesman for the fishermen of El Bajo, he has been fishing for almost 40 years and accuses the US of "pointing its cannons towards our Venezuela".

He says he is not afraid and would give his life to defend his homeland.

"The Trump administration has us cornered. If we have to lay down our lives to defend the government, then we'll do it, so that this whole shebang is over," he says.

He insists that what the fishermen want is "peace and work", not war, but gets visibly angry when he refers to the "military barrier" he says the US has deployed in the Caribbean.

Last month, the Venezuelan government mobilised members of the militia and called on those who had not signed up to the civilian force to do so.

More than 16,000 fishermen followed his call, according to fisheries minister Juan Carlos Loyo.

Luzardo, who has been fishing since he was 11 years old says he will "be ready for battle, wherever needed".

"If they [the US] want to kill us, then so be it, but we're not afraid."

Operations have been suspended at Kenya's main airport after thousands of mourners turned out to receive the body of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, a day after he died in India.

Large crowds of mourners carrying twigs and palm branches breached security at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) immediately after the body of the former leader arrived on Thursday morning.

Authorities said mourners gained access to restricted areas, prompting a "precautionary closure" to allow security teams to restore order and ensure safety.

"Members of the public and travellers are advised to remain calm and avoid the airport area until further notice," the aviation agency said.

Because of the unexpectedly huge crowds, the public viewing ceremony for his body has been moved to Nairobi's Moi International Sports Centre, rather than inside Parliament.

• Obituary: A founding father of Kenya's multi-party democracy
• How Odinga's court challenges have improved Kenya's elections

The 80-year-old former prime minister collapsed during a morning walk in India on Wednesday morning and he was taken to Devamatha Hospital, about 50km (30 miles) east of the port city of Kochi.

The hospital said he had suffered a cardiac arrest, did not respond to resuscitation measures and was "declared dead at 09:52" local time (04:22 GMT).

Kenyan politicians and world leaders have been sending their condolences, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who described Odinga as a "towering statesman and a cherished friend of India".

Kenya's President William Ruto said the veteran politician was a "beacon of courage" and "father of our democracy".

A seven-day period of mourning has been declared. Odinga will also be accorded a state funeral with full military honours, Ruto said.

Odinga spent many years as an opposition leader, losing five presidential campaigns, most recently three years ago.

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

Israel's prime minister has told a memorial for victims of the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023 that he is "determined" to secure the return of the dead hostages still inside Gaza, and that the country will continue to fight terrorism with "full force".

Benjamin Netanyahu made the comments hours after Hamas returned the bodies of another two hostages but said it was not able to access the remaining 19.

There has been fury in Israel that Hamas has not yet returned all the bodies in line with last week's Gaza ceasefire deal, though the US has downplayed the suggestion that it amounts to a breach.

Israel has responded to the delay by threatening to restrict the amount of aid flowing into Gaza.

Earlier on Thursday, the Israeli government confirmed that two bodies handed over by Hamas to the International Committee of the Red Cross on Wednesday night had been identified as Inbar Hayman and Sgt Maj Muhammad al-Atarash.

Their return, which was overseen by masked Hamas gunmen in Gaza City, took the number of dead hostages returned since Monday to nine out of 28.

All 20 living hostages were released on Monday, in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and 1,718 detainees from Gaza.

Hamas's military wing said on Wednesday that it would continue to search for the remaining bodies, but that it would require major efforts and specialist equipment.

On Thursday, Netanyahu addressed an official memorial ceremony at the Mount Herzl national cemetery in Jerusalem, two days after the Hebrew calendar anniversary of the 7 October attack.

The prime minister said he remained committed to securing the return of all the dead Israeli and foreign hostages, and reiterated his government's willingness to return to military action if Israel was attacked again.

He said: "Our fight against terrorism will continue with full force. We will not allow evil to raise its head. We will exact the full price from anyone who harms us."

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

At least 67,967 people have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory's health ministry, whose figures are seen by the UN as reliable.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum in Israel said Netanyahu's government should "immediately halt the implementation" of the ceasefire deal until the 19 bodies were returned.

After Hamas said it was unable to retrieve all the bodies, two senior advisers to US President Donald Trump said preparations to move to the next phase of the ceasefire deal were continuing.

The advisers told reporters that the US government did not so far believe Hamas had broken the agreement by not retrieving more remains, and said the group had acted in good faith by sharing information with interlocutors.

While the full text of the agreement between Israel and Hamas has not been made public, a leaked version which appeared in Israeli media appeared to allow for the possibility that not all of the bodies would be immediately accessible.

One senior US adviser pointed to the level of destruction in Gaza as one reason the search might be slowed, and said rewards could be offered to civilians with information about the location of remains.

Hamas has complained to mediators that more than 20 people have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect on Friday.

Israel's military, which still controls more than half the territory, has said that it opens fire to remove threats to its troops.

Meanwhile in Gaza, work is under way to identify the bodies of Palestinians returned by Israel in recent days in exchange for the hostages' bodies. A further 30 were returned on Thursday, taking the total to 120.

There had been some reports that the Rafah crossing with Egypt would reopen on Thursday, having been shut since the Gaza side was seized by Israeli forces in May 2024.

The ceasefire deal specifies its reopening would be "subject to the same mechanism implemented" during a temporary ceasefire earlier this year, when wounded Palestinians were briefly allowed to pass through to receive medical treatment.

On Thursday, an official from Israeli military body Cogat said: "The date for the opening of the Rafah crossing for the movement of people only will be announced at a later stage, once the Israeli side, together with the Egyptian side, completes the necessary preparations."

The official also stressed that "aid will not pass through the Rafah crossing". Instead, they said, it would continue to enter Gaza through the nearby Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel and other crossings following Israeli security inspections.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said a planned anti-drone system should be "fully operational by the end of 2027", as part of a drive to toughen defences against Russia and be fully prepared for possible conflict by 2030.

"Drones are already redefining warfare. Having drone defences is no longer optional for anyone," Kallas said, referring to Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine and fears that Moscow may attack the EU.

The "defence roadmap" by the European Commission also proposes strengthening the EU's eastern borders and creating European air and space "shields".

Several European countries have faced repeated incursions into their airspace and US President Donald Trump has urged the EU to do more to defend itself.

Several Western intelligence agencies have warned that Russia could continue its westward aggression after the war in Ukraine is over.

"Danger will not disappear even when the war in Ukraine ends. It is clear we need to toughen our defences against Russia," Kallas told reporters in Brussels.

Although there seems little chance of the war ending soon, Trump was due to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin later on Thursday, ahead of talks with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday.

Trump has indicated that if Putin does not not move to end the war, the US could send Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles.

Standing alongside Kallas, European Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius stressed that "our roadmap shows all the major milestones to achieve defence readiness by 2030, so we can deter Russian aggression, prevent war and preserve peace".

The EU's executive Commission said the 27-member union should be ready by 2030 to "respond to any crisis, including high-intensity conflict".

It also urged the bloc to "close critical capability gaps" - including in air and missile defence, and artillery systems - "through joint development and procurement".

Many EU countries are also members of Nato and its chief, Mark Rutte, said they were working together to protect member states on the eastern flank from aerial threat.

The EU stressed its "flagship" projects would be developed in "close co-ordination" with Nato, and would not duplicate the Western defensive alliance's work.

No estimates were given to the overall cost, but Kubilius said "we're not talking here about hundreds of billions".

The "defence roadmap" still needs to be approved by member states at a leaders' summit next week.

However, a number of EU states have already backed plans for a multi-layered "drone wall" to quickly detect, then track and destroy Russian drones.

In recent weeks, tensions have escalated between the EU and Russia, after Poland and Romania - both Nato members - said Russian drones had breached their airspace.

And Estonia - another Nato member - in September requested urgent consultations with other alliance members after saying that Russian warplanes had violated its airspace and stayed there for 12 minutes.

Russia, which launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, said its planes were on a "scheduled flight... in strict compliance with international airspace regulations and did not violate the borders of other states".

A number of European politicians and military experts have said that Russia's aim is to test Nato's capabilities and and try to sow discord within the alliance.

Several Nato members reacted to the reported Russian incursions by sending troops, artillery, and air defence systems to secure the alliance's eastern flank.

Operations have been suspended at Kenya's main airport after thousands of mourners turned out to receive the body of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, a day after he died in India.

Large crowds of mourners carrying twigs and palm branches breached security at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) immediately after the body of the former leader arrived on Thursday morning.

Authorities said mourners gained access to restricted areas, prompting a "precautionary closure" to allow security teams to restore order and ensure safety.

"Members of the public and travellers are advised to remain calm and avoid the airport area until further notice," the aviation agency said.

Because of the unexpectedly huge crowds, the public viewing ceremony for his body has been moved to Nairobi's Moi International Sports Centre, rather than inside Parliament.

• Obituary: A founding father of Kenya's multi-party democracy
• How Odinga's court challenges have improved Kenya's elections

The 80-year-old former prime minister collapsed during a morning walk in India on Wednesday morning and he was taken to Devamatha Hospital, about 50km (30 miles) east of the port city of Kochi.

The hospital said he had suffered a cardiac arrest, did not respond to resuscitation measures and was "declared dead at 09:52" local time (04:22 GMT).

Kenyan politicians and world leaders have been sending their condolences, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who described Odinga as a "towering statesman and a cherished friend of India".

Kenya's President William Ruto said the veteran politician was a "beacon of courage" and "father of our democracy".

A seven-day period of mourning has been declared. Odinga will also be accorded a state funeral with full military honours, Ruto said.

Odinga spent many years as an opposition leader, losing five presidential campaigns, most recently three years ago.

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

The number of people killed by bears in Japan this year has reached a record high, the country's environment ministry has said.

Seven people have died since April - the highest since 2006 when data was first recorded - with fatalities mostly in north-eastern regions and the northern prefecture of Hokkaido.

A 60-year-old man cleaning an outdoor hot spring bath has gone missing what is suspected to be the latest incident.

Attacks by bears tend to surge in autumn before bears hibernate, with experts saying low yields of beech nuts because of climate change could be driving hungry animals into residential areas. Depopulation has also been cited as a factor.

The environmental ministry figures show the seven fatalities this year surpassed the five recorded in the year to April 2024.

About 100 other people have also been injured so far this year, up from 85 injuries and three fatalities, in the previous 12 months.

Investigators found human blood and bear fur at the scene of the latest suspected bear attack in the city of Kitakami in Iwate prefecture on Thursday.

It comes after it was confirmed that a man found dead last week in Iwate was killed by a bear.

Another recent incident took place in Numata, Gunma, north of Tokyo, when a 1.4m (4.5ft) adult bear entered a supermarket, lightly injuring two men, one in his 70s and another in his 60s.

The store is close to mountainous areas, but has never had bears come close before.

According to local media, the store's manager said about 30 to 40 customers were inside, and the bear became agitated as it struggled to find the exit.

The same day a farmer in Iwate region was scratched and bitten by a bear, accompanied by a cub, outside his house.

And earlier this month a Spanish tourist was attacked by a bear at a bus stop in the village of Shirakawa-go in central Japan.

Two types of bear are found in Japan - Asian black bears, and bigger brown bears which are found on the island of Hokkaido.

Greece's parliament has approved a contested labour bill that would allow 13-hour workdays, despite fierce opposition and nationwide strikes.

The government said it will modernise Greek labour laws, but a spokesperson for the left-wing opposition Syriza party called the bill a "legislative monstrosity".

Under the new law, annual overtime is also capped at 150 hours, and the standard 40-hour week remains in place.

The government insists that the longer workday is optional, only affects the private sector, and can only be applied up to 37 days a year.

Thursday's vote was backed by MPs from the ruling centre-right New Democracy party, with centre-left Pasok party - now the main opposition - voting against the bill, while the left-wing Syriza party abstained.

Unions have staged two general strikes demanding the bill's withdrawal this month that brought public transport and services to a standstill.

Labour Minister Niki Kerameus defended the bill, saying the reforms align Greek legislation with modern labour-market realities, and accused opposition leaders of misleading the public.

The laws will give workers the option to take on additional hours with the same employer for 40% higher pay, while ensuring they cannot be dismissed for refusing overtime.

This complies with European Union working-time rules, which limit the average week to 48 hours including overtime but allow flexibility over 12 months, the government said.

According to officials, the law gives employees the option to work longer for one employer rather than hold multiple part-time jobs, and that participation will remain voluntary.

But opposition parties have accused the government of eroding workers' rights and "pushing the country back to a labour middle age". They say Greek employees already work longer hours than most Europeans while earning less and still "struggle to make ends meet."

The public-sector union ADEDY said flexible working hours in practice mean "the abolition of the eight-hour day, the destruction of family and social life and the legalisation of over-exploitation," the AFP news agency reports.

In 2024, Greece introduced a six-day working week for certain industries in a bid to boost economic growth.

New legislation, which came into effect at the start of July, allows employees to work up to 48 hours in a week as opposed to 40.

Across the EU in 2024, the longest working weeks in 2024 were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania (38.8).

The shortest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands (32.1), according to Eurostat.

As of January 2025, Greece's national minimum wage stood at €968 (£839, $1127) a month, placing it in the lower tier among EU countries.

Unemployment, which had peaked at 28% during the financial crisis, was 8.1% in August compared with an EU average of 5.9%, figures from Eurostat show.

Greece is recovering since its decade-long debt crisis, which ended in 2018, but wages and living standards remain among the lowest in the EU.

France's new prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, has bought himself breathing space after winning two no-confidence motions tabled by the opposition.

In the tightest vote, a motion sponsored by the far left fell 18 votes short of the 289 needed to bring him down.

It means that after just five days in office, Lecornu has survived a first major ordeal in parliament and can now focus on the task of passing the 2026 budget.

Any relief for the prime minister is likely to be short-lived, with the far left and far right still gunning to bring him down. And the Socialists, who threw a lifeline in the no-confidence motions, have made clear they will not be so indulgent next time round.

Also, any tactical victory enabling the government to endure for now is more than offset by the huge damage to France's reputation caused by weeks of confusion and capitulation.

Appointed by President Emmanuel Macron four weeks ago, then re-appointed in chaotic scenes on Friday after he resigned on Monday, Lecornu only survives thanks to major concessions made to the left.

To buy the support of the Socialist Party, which has 65 or so MPs, the prime minister promised to freeze Macron's most important economic reform of his second term – the raising of the retirement age to 64.

But he also made another, possibly more important, gift to the opposition, which has big implications for the chances of obtaining a budget in time for the end-of-year deadline.

By pledging not to resort to the constitutional device known as the 49:3 – which lets governments force through laws without a vote – Lecornu handed ultimate control over the budget to the parties in parliament.

It is a huge shift in power, reflecting the decline of presidential authority since Macron's botched parliamentary dissolution of July 2024. For many observers it heralds a return, for good or ill, to the party politicking that was a hallmark of the pre-1958 Fourth Republic.

By assuring MPs that they and not the government would have the last word on the future budget, Lecornu managed to convince the Socialists that he was serious about marking a real "rupture" from previous Macronite administrations.

But he may also have surrendered any prospect of the kind of belt-tightening debt reduction that the money markets and the European Union are demanding.

Read more: Macron reappoints Lecornu as French PM after days of turmoil

• Time may be running out for master of clocks Macron: What next for France?

The draft budget tabled by Lecornu on Tuesday aims to reduce the deficit to 4.7% of economic output (GDP) by making savings of €30bn (£26bn), with a squeeze on spending in the health sector and local administration.

But the Socialists have joined the rest of the left and the far-right in denouncing the text as a betrayal of the less well-off.

Party leader Olivier Faure said that he would have no compunction about supporting a new vote of censure, if offending parts of the budget are not removed.

France's National Assembly has been split three ways for the last 15 months, with a centre-right bloc of under 200 MPs facing a left-wing alliance of about the same size and a far-right bloc of about 140, plus some independents.

None of the three prime ministers since then has been able to find a reliable majority.

Weeks of bickering in Paris have triggered warnings about the public's growing disillusionment with politics - the spectacle appearing to confirm the notion that the prime aim of most politicians is simply to stay in power.

President Macron, who is blamed for the crisis by most French voters, has seen his popularity ratings slump to just 14%. He has been in office for eight years, and the far right and far left have called for his resignation before his second term ends in 18 months.

According to his one-time adviser, the veteran essayist and confidant of presidents Alain Minc, Macron "must now go down as the worst president of the Fifth Republic".

Minc said Macron had come to office promising to act as a bulwark against the far right but he had left National Rally at the gates of power.

"If you look around us," said Minc, "the Germans are petrified about what a French collapse will do to the economy. The British are petrified about the strategic implications. The Italians are laughing at us, because we always laughed at them."

"In America, President Trump is saying that smooth-talker Macron has got what he deserves. Only in Russia are they smiling."

The most prominent Palestinian prisoner, Marwan Barghouti, was beaten unconscious by Israeli prison guards on 14 September, his family has said.

The 66-year-old - serving life for planning deadly attacks against Israelis - was allegedly assaulted by eight guards during a transfer between Ganot and Megiddo prisons.

The Israel Prison Service told the BBC: "These are false claims (fake). The Israel Prison Service operates in accordance with the law, while ensuring the safety and health of all inmates".

Barghouti's son, Arab, told the BBC the family had received testimony from five separate detainees who were released this week who heard Barghouti's account of the attack. He said the family was "horrified".

Barghouti was allegedly handcuffed by the guards, put on the floor, kicked and beaten.

"They focused on the head area, they focused on the chest area and also on the legs," he said. "He stayed unconscious for hours, he was bleeding, and he could hardly walk."

Arab said he believed the attack took place as his father was transferred between the two prisons, which are in southern and northern Israel, because there were no surveillance cameras to capture it.

Barghouti is serving five life sentences plus 40 years after being convicted by an Israeli court in 2004 of planning attacks in which five civilians were killed.

The detainees who told the family of the attack had been released as part of Monday's hostage and prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas, Arab said.

Barghouti's name was at the top of a list of seven high-profile prisoners whose release Hamas had sought in return for the 20 living Israeli hostages the group was holding in Gaza - but Israel refused to include him.

He is seen by many as the one man who could unite Palestinians - and the various Palestinian political factions - across both Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Opinion polls have consistently indicated that he is the most popular Palestinian leader, and that Palestinians would vote for him in a presidential election ahead of the current Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas or Hamas leaders.

Barghouti remains a senior figure in the Fatah faction that dominates the PA, which governs parts of the occupied West Bank not under Israeli control. He has been held in solitary confinement since October 2023.

Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who is in charge of the prison service, denied Barghouti had been assaulted, but said he was "proud" Barghouti's prison conditions had worsened.

In August, a video emerged showing Ben Gvir taunting Barghouti in his cell.

The 13-second-long video clip was the first time he had been publicly seen in years. He appeared aged and gaunt.

In the clip, Ben Gvir tells him: "You will not win. He who messes with the people of Israel, he who will murder our children, he who will murder our women, we will wipe him out".

As Barghouti tries to interject, Ben Gvir adds: "You need to know this, throughout history."

The PA condemned the video. Its Vice-President Hussein al-Sheikh described it as "the epitome of psychological, moral and physical terrorism."

India's foreign ministry has said it is "not aware" of a phone call in which US President Donald Trump claimed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to stop purchasing Russian oil.

On Wednesday, Trump said his Indian counterpart had "assured me today" that it would end Russian oil imports, a move the US has pushed for in a bid to increase economic pressure on the Kremlin to end the war in Ukraine.

But asked about the call on Thursday, an Indian government spokesman cast doubt on Trump's account, saying he was "not aware of any conversation between the two leaders" taking place the previous day.

The Indian government had earlier said discussions were still "ongoing" with the US over its Russian oil purchases.

India has become a key energy customer for Russia since the outbreak of the war, partly allowing the Kremlin to withstand the impact of Ukrainian allies slashing oil and gas imports, the country's biggest export market.

The Trump administration has put public and diplomatic pressure on India to end its support for the Russian energy market as it seeks to increase the Kremlin's economic isolation and force an end to the war. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said he had received assurances from Modi on Wednesday that India would halt its purchases "within a short period of time".

In its initial response, the Indian government did not directly dispute that the call between Trump and Modi had taken place. It read: "Our consistent priority to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario. Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective."

The Indian government's second response on Thursday raises further questions over whether a deal has been struck between Washington and Delhi.

BBC News has contacted the White House and State Department for comment.

Delhi's continued reliance on Russian crude oil, which it imports at a discount, have become a key source of contention in US-India relations under the Trump administration, which has taken a tougher line on the Ukraine war after Russian President Vladimir Putin failed to agree a peace deal with the White House.

India is second only to China for how much Russian energy it imports, funding which helps to prevent the collapse of Russia's critical fossil fuel industry.

Modi's government has accused Ukraine's allies of hypocrisy, pointing to ongoing trade with Russia, including energy imports to the European Union, albeit at reduced levels.

In its latest round of sanctions unveiled this week, the UK government said it would target a major Indian oil refinery as it "continue(s) to get facilitate getting Russian oil onto global markets". Officials said India's Nayara Energy Limited imported 100 million barrels of Russian crude oil worth more than $5bn (£3.75bn) in 2024 alone.

The British Library has honoured late Irish writer Oscar Wilde by reissuing a reader's card in his name, 130 years after his original was revoked following his conviction for "gross indecency".

The celebrated novelist, poet and playwright was excluded from the library's reading room in 1895 over his charge for having had homosexual relationships, which was a criminal offence at the time.

The new card, which will be collected by his grandson, author Merlin Holland, on Thursday, is intended to "acknowledge the injustices and immense suffering" Wilde faced, the library said.

Mr Holland said the new card is a "lovely gesture of forgiveness and I'm sure his spirit will be touched and delighted".

The decision to revoke Wilde's pass for the library - then the British Museum reading room - was recorded without comment in the trustees' minutes for 15 June 1895.

He had been in prison for three weeks at the time after being handed a two-year prison sentence with hard labour.

The author was convicted after he lost a libel trial against Lord Queensberry, who had accused him of being homosexual after discovering that his son, Lord Alfred Douglas, aka Bosie, was Wilde's lover.

The library regulations at the time said anyone convicted of a crime should have their card revoked.

'Letter from prison meant so much'

The British Library holds handwritten drafts of some of Wilde's most famous plays including The Importance of Being Ernest, An Ideal Husband, A Woman of No Importance and Lady Windermere's Fan.

Its collection also includes De Profundis, the letter he wrote to Bosie from Reading Gaol.

Mr Holland, the only living descendant of Wilde, will collect the new card at a ceremony at the venue on what would have been his grandfather's 171st birthday.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Thursday, Mr Holland said he felt both "proud" of his grandfather and slightly burderened by the responsibility of handling his legacy.

"People will so often write in to me and say, 'I cannot tell you how much your grandfather's De Profundis meant to me'," he explained.

"It has a note of positivity at the end... he's going to come out of prison and do something again.

"And people have written to me saying, 'In a moment of terrible depression about my own life I read De Profundis, and I just wanted you to know that your grandfather's letter from prison meant so much to me'."

Dame Carol Black, chair of the British Library, described Wilde as "one of the most significant literary figures of the nineteenth century".

She said that by reissuing his library card, "we hope to not only honour Wilde's memory but also acknowledge the injustices and immense suffering he faced as a result of his conviction".

She added that they were "delighted" to welcome his grandson - who is the author of a new book, After Oscar: The Legacy of a Scandal - to receive the library card on his behalf.

Clashes between anti-government protesters and riot police in the Peruvian capital, Lima, have left a 32-year-old man dead and more than 100 people injured, including many police officers.

The protests come less than a week after José Jerí was sworn in as the interim president following the impeachment of his predecessor in office, Dina Boluarte.

Wednesday's demonstrations were organised by mainly young Peruvians who demand that the country's political class do more to combat high levels of crime and corruption.

President Jerí said the protest had been infiltrated by criminals set on causing chaos and launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the protester's death.

He wrote on X that he "regretted the death" of Eduardo Ruiz Sáenz, but did not give further details as to what caused it.

Ruth Luque, a left-wing member of Congress, meanwhile said that "preliminary information" indicated the hip hop artist had been killed by a bullet wound to the chest.

Luque posted a photo of herself on social media in which she can be seen speaking to a member of staff at the hospital to which many of those injured in the clashes were taken.

Local media quoted witnesses who said they saw the musician being shot by a man they accused of being a plainclothes police officer.

President Jerí said an investigation would be launched "to determine objectively what happened and who is responsible".

Jerí of the conservative Somos Perú party was sworn into office on Friday last week after the then-President, Dina Boluarte, was impeached on grounds of "permanent moral incapacity".

Jerí is the seventh president to lead Peru in the space of eight years.

As head of parliament, he was next in line to fill the post left vacant following Boluarte's ouster, to serve out the remainder of her term until the presidential election scheduled for April of next year.

But within days of him taking office, anger at what protesters call the "political class" has spread with thousands taking to the streets to demand "a clean slate".

The protesters also demanded that the government do more to combat corruption and crime, specifically a wave of extortions which has seen bus and taxi drivers threatened by gangs.

Young activists organised protests in several major cities and demanded that Jerí step aside in favour of an independent lawmaker.

In a message uploaded to TikTok, one of them calling himself "Lando" accused Jerí's party of having propped up Boluarte, whose popularity rates were in the single figures before her removal.

Somos Perú, which in the past had backed Boluarte, switched sides last week and joined the chorus of those demanding she be impeached.

Analysts say that the armed attack by gunmen on a band on 8 October and the outcry it triggered meant that lawmakers who had previously supported Boluarte felt her position had become untenable.

The ex-president remains in Peru and said earlier this week that she would stay in the country pending several investigations into alleged abuses of power, which she denies.

Operations have been suspended at Kenya's main airport after thousands of mourners turned out to receive the body of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, a day after he died in India.

Large crowds of mourners carrying twigs and palm branches breached security at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) immediately after the body of the former leader arrived on Thursday morning.

Authorities said mourners gained access to restricted areas, prompting a "precautionary closure" to allow security teams to restore order and ensure safety.

"Members of the public and travellers are advised to remain calm and avoid the airport area until further notice," the aviation agency said.

Because of the unexpectedly huge crowds, the public viewing ceremony for his body has been moved to Nairobi's Moi International Sports Centre, rather than inside Parliament.

• Obituary: A founding father of Kenya's multi-party democracy
• How Odinga's court challenges have improved Kenya's elections

The 80-year-old former prime minister collapsed during a morning walk in India on Wednesday morning and he was taken to Devamatha Hospital, about 50km (30 miles) east of the port city of Kochi.

The hospital said he had suffered a cardiac arrest, did not respond to resuscitation measures and was "declared dead at 09:52" local time (04:22 GMT).

Kenyan politicians and world leaders have been sending their condolences, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who described Odinga as a "towering statesman and a cherished friend of India".

Kenya's President William Ruto said the veteran politician was a "beacon of courage" and "father of our democracy".

A seven-day period of mourning has been declared. Odinga will also be accorded a state funeral with full military honours, Ruto said.

Odinga spent many years as an opposition leader, losing five presidential campaigns, most recently three years ago.

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

Operations have been suspended at Kenya's main airport after thousands of mourners turned out to receive the body of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, a day after he died in India.

Large crowds of mourners carrying twigs and palm branches breached security at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) immediately after the body of the former leader arrived on Thursday morning.

Authorities said mourners gained access to restricted areas, prompting a "precautionary closure" to allow security teams to restore order and ensure safety.

"Members of the public and travellers are advised to remain calm and avoid the airport area until further notice," the aviation agency said.

Because of the unexpectedly huge crowds, the public viewing ceremony for his body has been moved to Nairobi's Moi International Sports Centre, rather than inside Parliament.

• Obituary: A founding father of Kenya's multi-party democracy
• How Odinga's court challenges have improved Kenya's elections

The 80-year-old former prime minister collapsed during a morning walk in India on Wednesday morning and he was taken to Devamatha Hospital, about 50km (30 miles) east of the port city of Kochi.

The hospital said he had suffered a cardiac arrest, did not respond to resuscitation measures and was "declared dead at 09:52" local time (04:22 GMT).

Kenyan politicians and world leaders have been sending their condolences, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who described Odinga as a "towering statesman and a cherished friend of India".

Kenya's President William Ruto said the veteran politician was a "beacon of courage" and "father of our democracy".

A seven-day period of mourning has been declared. Odinga will also be accorded a state funeral with full military honours, Ruto said.

Odinga spent many years as an opposition leader, losing five presidential campaigns, most recently three years ago.

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 posthumous memoir by Virginia Giuffre accuses the Duke of York of being "entitled - as if he believed having sex with me was his birthright", according to extracts published in the Guardian newspaper.

The book, Nobody's Girl, written by the prominent accuser of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, is due to be published next week, almost six months after Ms Giuffre took her own life.

Her book, which calls Epstein a "master manipulator", describes three occasions where she alleges Prince Andrew had sex with her, including at Ghislaine Maxwell's house in London.

It's further embarrassment for Prince Andrew, who reached a financial settlement with Ms Giuffre in 2022, and has always denied any wrongdoing.

Nobody's Child: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice, is the testimony of Ms Giuffre, who died by suicide in Australia in April, in a book co-written with author Amy Wallace.

Ms Giuffre, who met Jeffrey Epstein through Ghislaine Maxwell, claimed that she was one of many vulnerable girls and young women who had been sexually exploited by Epstein and his circle of wealthy connections.

The powerful friends were claimed to include Prince Andrew and the extract published in the Guardian gives her account of when they met in London in March 2001, when she was aged 17.

She says the day began by being woken by Ghislaine Maxwell: "It was going to be a special day, she said. Just like Cinderella, I was going to meet a handsome prince!"

When Andrew arrived later she claims that he was asked to guess her age.

"The Duke of York, who was then 41, guessed correctly: 17. 'My daughters are just a little younger than you,' he told me, explaining his accuracy. As usual, Maxwell was quick with a joke: 'I guess we will have to trade her in soon.'," says her memoir.

Like Epstein, she said she called him "Andy".

There is also an account of the notorious photograph from that evening.

"My mom would never forgive me if I met someone as famous as Prince Andrew and didn't pose for a picture.

"I ran to get a Kodak FunSaver from my room, then returned and handed it to Epstein. I remember the prince putting his arm around my waist as Maxwell grinned beside me. Epstein snapped the photo," she writes.

They went to dinner and then Tramp nightclub, she recalls, saying Andrew was a "bumbling dancer, and I remember he sweated profusely".

"On the way back, Maxwell told me, 'When we get home, you are to do for him what you do for Jeffrey'."

She says of what happened next: "He was friendly enough, but still entitled – as if he believed having sex with me was his birthright."

As has been reported before, she claimed he was "particularly attentive to my feet, caressing my toes and licking my arches". And that later Epstein gave her $15,000 for her time with Andrew.

The book also reports two other occasions on which she alleges she had sex with Andrew - in Epstein's townhouse in New York and on Epstein's private island in the US Virgin Islands.

All three of the claimed meetings with Andrew have been reported in detail before, including in her previous witness statements and accounts, but this brings them together and provides her own perspective.

"Don't be fooled by those in Epstein's circle who say they didn't know what he was doing. Epstein not only didn't hide what was happening, he took a certain glee in making people watch," she writes.

The book also reveals that she was taking tranquilisers to cope with her life working for Epstein.

"Sometimes, when I was really struggling, I took as many as eight Xanax a day," she writes.

She also explained why she didn't leave "Epstein's lair even after we knew what he wanted from us."

"How can you complain about being abused, some have asked, when you could so easily have stayed away? But that stance discounts what many of us had been through before we encountered Epstein, as well as how good he was at spotting girls whose wounds made them vulnerable," she writes.

"Several of us had been molested or raped as children; many of us were poor or even homeless. We were girls who no one cared about, and Epstein pretended to care."

After leaving Epstein, Ms Giuffre had settled in Australia where she lived with her husband and three children. She took her own life at the age of 41.

Epstein had killed himself in jail in New York in while awaiting trial. Ghislaine Maxwell was jailed on charges related to sex trafficking.

Prince Andrew made a financial payment to Ms Giuffre in an out-of-court settlement, after she had brought a civil case against him, and he denies all the accusations made against him.

He refutes Ms Giuffre's claims about having sex with him at the three locations: "I can absolutely categorically tell you it never happened," Andrew said in his BBC Newsnight interview.

"I can tell you categorically I don't remember meeting her at all. I do not remember a photograph being taken and I've said consistently and frequently that we never had any sort of sexual contact whatever," he said.

Prince Andrew has faced challenges over aspects of his own account.

He said he had cut all links with Epstein after seeing him in New York in December 2010, but an email later emerged from February 2011 which suggested Andrew was still in touch, with the promise to "play some more soon".

The Duke of York's office has been contacted for comment.

Sign up here to get the latest royal stories and analysis every week with our Royal Watch newsletter. Those outside the UK can sign up here.

Operations have been suspended at Kenya's main airport after thousands of mourners turned out to receive the body of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, a day after he died in India.

Large crowds of mourners carrying twigs and palm branches breached security at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) immediately after the body of the former leader arrived on Thursday morning.

Authorities said mourners gained access to restricted areas, prompting a "precautionary closure" to allow security teams to restore order and ensure safety.

"Members of the public and travellers are advised to remain calm and avoid the airport area until further notice," the aviation agency said.

Because of the unexpectedly huge crowds, the public viewing ceremony for his body has been moved to Nairobi's Moi International Sports Centre, rather than inside Parliament.

• Obituary: A founding father of Kenya's multi-party democracy
• How Odinga's court challenges have improved Kenya's elections

The 80-year-old former prime minister collapsed during a morning walk in India on Wednesday morning and he was taken to Devamatha Hospital, about 50km (30 miles) east of the port city of Kochi.

The hospital said he had suffered a cardiac arrest, did not respond to resuscitation measures and was "declared dead at 09:52" local time (04:22 GMT).

Kenyan politicians and world leaders have been sending their condolences, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who described Odinga as a "towering statesman and a cherished friend of India".

Kenya's President William Ruto said the veteran politician was a "beacon of courage" and "father of our democracy".

A seven-day period of mourning has been declared. Odinga will also be accorded a state funeral with full military honours, Ruto said.

Odinga spent many years as an opposition leader, losing five presidential campaigns, most recently three years ago.

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