A frantic search for survivors is under way in central Texas after flash floods killed at least 32 people, including 14 children.

Many were asleep when the Guadalupe River rose more than 26 ft (8m) in less than an hour in the early hours of Friday.

Officials in Kerr County have said 27 children are missing from a Christian youth camp located along the river. Some 850 people were rescued.

Weather forecasts suggest that more rain and, potentially, more flooding could be on the horizon for the area.

Among the areas most severely hit by the floods were mobile homes, summer camps and camping sites where many had gathered for 4 July holiday celebrations.

At a press conference on Saturday afternoon, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he had signed an expanded disaster declaration to boost search efforts.

• Texas flood victims: Girl 'living her best life' and 'heart and soul' of camp

He said officials would be relentless in ensuring they locate "every single person who's been a victim of this event", adding that "we will stop when job is completed".

It remains a search and rescue mission, officials said, not a recovery effort.

They said rescuers were going up and down the Guadalupe River to try to find people who may have been swept away by the floods.

Much of the rescue has focused on a large all-girls Christian summer camp called Camp Mystic.

The camp, where 27 remain missing, is on the banks of the Guadalupe River near Hunt, Texas.

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick told the BBC's Radio 4 PM programme that of the 27 children missing from Camp Mystic "many of these girls are younger girls under the age of 12".

He also said that many more people were likely to remain unaccounted for across the region, because some were visiting for the holiday weekend.

In an email to parents of the roughly 750 campers, Camp Mystic said that if they haven't been contacted directly, their child is considered missing.

Some of the families have already stated publicly that their children were among those who were found dead.

US President Donald Trump has said his administration is working closely with local authorities to respond to the emergency.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the president was "devastated" by the loss of life and promised full federal support.

Noem joined Governor Abbott at Saturday afternoon's press conference and said the federal government would soon be deploying the Coast Guard to help search efforts.

Elsewhere in central Texas, in Travis County, officials say another two people have died and 10 are missing because of the flooding.

Forecasters have warned that central Texas may see more flooding this weekend.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said the area could see 2 to 5in (5cm to 12cm) of rain on Saturday.

Up to 10in of rain was possible in some areas that are still reeling from Friday's deluge.

Elon Musk says he is launching a new political party, weeks after a dramatic falling out with US President Donald Trump.

The billionaire announced on his social media platform X that he had set up the America Party and billed it as a challenge to the Republican and Democratic two-party system.

However, it is unclear whether the party has been formally registered with US election authorities, and Musk has not provided details about who will lead it or what form it will take.

He first raised the prospect of launching a party during his public feud with Trump, which saw him leave his role in the administration and engage in a vicious public spat with his former ally.

During that row, Musk posted a poll on X asking users if there should be a new political party in the US.

Referencing that poll in his post on Saturday, Musk wrote: "By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!

"When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy.

"Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom."

As of Saturday, no documents indicating the party had been registered with the Federal Electoral Commission.

Musk was a key Trump advocate during the 2024 election and spent $250m (£187m) to help him regain office.

After the election, he was appointed to lead the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), which was tasked with identifying swingeing cuts in the federal budget.

His fallout with Trump began when he left the administration in May and publicly criticised Trump's tax and spending plans. The legislation - which Trump has called his "big, beautiful bill" - was narrowly passed by Congress and signed into law by the president this week.

The massive law includes huge spending commitments and tax cuts, and is estimated to add more than $3tn to the US deficit over the next decade.

Israel has decided to send a delegation to Qatar on Sunday for proximity talks with Hamas on the latest proposal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he had accepted the invitation despite what he described as the "unacceptable" changes that Hamas wanted to make to a plan presented by mediators from Qatar, the US and Egypt.

On Friday night, Hamas said it had delivered a "positive response" to the proposal for a 60-day ceasefire and that it was ready for negotiations.

However, a Palestinian official said the group had sought amendments including a guarantee that hostilities would not resume if talks on a permanent truce failed.

In Gaza itself, the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency said Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least 35 Palestinians on Saturday.

Seven people were killed, including a doctor and his three children, when tents in the al-Mawasi area were bombed, according to a hospital in the nearby city of Khan Younis.

Meanwhile, two American employees of the controversial aid distribution organisation backed by Israel and the US - the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) - were wounded in what it said was a grenade attack at its site in the Khan Younis area.

The Israeli and US governments both blamed Hamas, which has not commented.

Late on Saturday, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said in a statement that "the changes that Hamas is seeking to make" to the ceasefire proposal were "unacceptable to Israel".

But it added: "In light of an assessment of the situation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed that the invitation to proximity talks be accepted and that the contacts for the return of our hostages - on the basis of the Qatari proposal that Israel has agreed to - be continued. The negotiating team will leave tomorrow."

Earlier, an Israeli official had briefed local media that there was "something to work with" in the way that Hamas had responded.

Mediators are likely to have their work cut out to bridge the remaining gaps at the indirect talks in Doha.

Watching them closely will be President Trump, who has been talking up the chances of an agreement in recent days.

On Friday, before he was briefed on Hamas's response, he said it was "good" that the group was positive and that "there could be a Gaza deal next week".

Trump is due to meet Netanyahu on Monday, and it is clear that he would very much like to be able to announce a significant breakthrough then.

The families of Israeli hostages and Palestinians in Gaza will also once again be holding their breath.

Hostages' relatives and thousands of their supporters attended a rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday night to call for a comprehensive deal that would bring home all of the hostages.

Among those who spoke was Yechiel Yehoud. His daughter Arbel Yehoud was released from captivity during the last ceasefire, which Trump helped to broker before he took office and which collapsed when Israel resumed its offensive in March.

"President Trump, thank you for bringing our Arbel back to us. We will be indebted to you for the rest of our lives. Please don't stop, please make a 'big beautiful hostages deal'," he said.

On Tuesday, the US president said that Israel had accepted the "necessary conditions" for a 60-day ceasefire, during which the parties would work to end the war.

The plan is believed to include the staggered release of 10 living Israeli hostages by Hamas and the bodies of 18 other hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Fifty hostages are still being held in Gaza, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive.

The proposal also reportedly says sufficient quantities of aid would enter Gaza immediately with the involvement of the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

A senior Palestinian official familiar with the talks told the BBC on Friday that Hamas was demanding aid be distributed exclusively by the UN and its partners, and that the GHF's operations end immediately.

Another amendment demanded by Hamas was about Israeli troop withdrawals, according to the official.

The US proposal is believed to include phased Israeli pull-outs from parts of Gaza. But the official said Hamas wanted troops to return to the positions they held before the last ceasefire collapsed in March, when Israel resumed its offensive.

The official said Hamas also wanted a US guarantee that Israeli air and ground operations would not resume even if the ceasefire ended without a permanent truce.

The proposal is believed to say mediators will guarantee that serious negotiations will take place from day one, and that they can extend the ceasefire if necessary.

The Israeli prime minister has ruled out ending the war until all of the hostages are released and Hamas's military and governing capabilities are destroyed.

Far-right members of his cabinet have also expressed their opposition to the proposed deal.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on Saturday that the only way to secure the return of the hostages was the "full conquest of the Gaza Strip, a complete halt to so-called 'humanitarian' aid, and the encouragement of emigration" of the Palestinian population.

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

At least 57,338 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has made his first public appearance since the start of Iran's conflict with Israel, according to state media.

State television footage showed him greeting worshippers at a mosque on Saturday during a ceremony a day before the Shia festival of Ashura.

Khamenei's last appearance was in a recorded address during the conflict with Israel, which began on 13 June and during which top Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists were killed.

Israel launched a surprise attack on nuclear and military sites in Iran, after which Iran retaliated with aerial attacks targeting Israel.

• When Iran's supreme leader emerges from hiding he will find a very different nation

During the 12-day war with Israel, Khamenei appeared on TV in three video messages and there was speculation that he was hiding in a bunker.

On Saturday Iranian media coverage was dominated by Khamenei's appearance, with footage of supporters expressing joy at seeing him on television.

Khamenei is seen turning to senior cleric Mahmoud Karimi, encouraging him to "sing the anthem, O Iran". The patriotic song became particularly popular during the recent conflict with Israel.

State TV said the clip was filmed at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Mosque, named after the founder of the Islamic republic.

Iranian TV has invited people to send in videos sharing their reactions to Khamenei's return to the public eye.

His appearance comes as the predominantly Shia Muslim country observes a period of mourning during the month of Muharram, traditionally attended by the Supreme Leader.

Ashura is held on the 10th day of Muharram - this year falling on 6 July - during which Shia Muslims commemorate the death of Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Hossein.

On 26 June, in pre-recorded remarks aired on state television, Khamenei said Iran would not surrender to Israel despite US President Donald Trump's calls.

The US joined the war with strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities on 22 June.

The operation involved 125 US military aircraft and targeted three nuclear facilities: Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan.

Iran's judiciary said more than 900 people were killed during the 12-day war.

A frantic search for survivors is under way in central Texas after flash floods killed at least 32 people, including 14 children.

Many were asleep when the Guadalupe River rose more than 26 ft (8m) in less than an hour in the early hours of Friday.

Officials in Kerr County have said 27 children are missing from a Christian youth camp located along the river. Some 850 people were rescued.

Weather forecasts suggest that more rain and, potentially, more flooding could be on the horizon for the area.

Among the areas most severely hit by the floods were mobile homes, summer camps and camping sites where many had gathered for 4 July holiday celebrations.

At a press conference on Saturday afternoon, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he had signed an expanded disaster declaration to boost search efforts.

• Texas flood victims: Girl 'living her best life' and 'heart and soul' of camp

He said officials would be relentless in ensuring they locate "every single person who's been a victim of this event", adding that "we will stop when job is completed".

It remains a search and rescue mission, officials said, not a recovery effort.

They said rescuers were going up and down the Guadalupe River to try to find people who may have been swept away by the floods.

Much of the rescue has focused on a large all-girls Christian summer camp called Camp Mystic.

The camp, where 27 remain missing, is on the banks of the Guadalupe River near Hunt, Texas.

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick told the BBC's Radio 4 PM programme that of the 27 children missing from Camp Mystic "many of these girls are younger girls under the age of 12".

He also said that many more people were likely to remain unaccounted for across the region, because some were visiting for the holiday weekend.

In an email to parents of the roughly 750 campers, Camp Mystic said that if they haven't been contacted directly, their child is considered missing.

Some of the families have already stated publicly that their children were among those who were found dead.

US President Donald Trump has said his administration is working closely with local authorities to respond to the emergency.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the president was "devastated" by the loss of life and promised full federal support.

Noem joined Governor Abbott at Saturday afternoon's press conference and said the federal government would soon be deploying the Coast Guard to help search efforts.

Elsewhere in central Texas, in Travis County, officials say another two people have died and 10 are missing because of the flooding.

Forecasters have warned that central Texas may see more flooding this weekend.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said the area could see 2 to 5in (5cm to 12cm) of rain on Saturday.

Up to 10in of rain was possible in some areas that are still reeling from Friday's deluge.

Israel has decided to send a delegation to Qatar on Sunday for proximity talks with Hamas on the latest proposal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he had accepted the invitation despite what he described as the "unacceptable" changes that Hamas wanted to make to a plan presented by mediators from Qatar, the US and Egypt.

On Friday night, Hamas said it had delivered a "positive response" to the proposal for a 60-day ceasefire and that it was ready for negotiations.

However, a Palestinian official said the group had sought amendments including a guarantee that hostilities would not resume if talks on a permanent truce failed.

In Gaza itself, the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency said Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least 35 Palestinians on Saturday.

Seven people were killed, including a doctor and his three children, when tents in the al-Mawasi area were bombed, according to a hospital in the nearby city of Khan Younis.

Meanwhile, two American employees of the controversial aid distribution organisation backed by Israel and the US - the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) - were wounded in what it said was a grenade attack at its site in the Khan Younis area.

The Israeli and US governments both blamed Hamas, which has not commented.

Late on Saturday, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said in a statement that "the changes that Hamas is seeking to make" to the ceasefire proposal were "unacceptable to Israel".

But it added: "In light of an assessment of the situation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed that the invitation to proximity talks be accepted and that the contacts for the return of our hostages - on the basis of the Qatari proposal that Israel has agreed to - be continued. The negotiating team will leave tomorrow."

Earlier, an Israeli official had briefed local media that there was "something to work with" in the way that Hamas had responded.

Mediators are likely to have their work cut out to bridge the remaining gaps at the indirect talks in Doha.

Watching them closely will be President Trump, who has been talking up the chances of an agreement in recent days.

On Friday, before he was briefed on Hamas's response, he said it was "good" that the group was positive and that "there could be a Gaza deal next week".

Trump is due to meet Netanyahu on Monday, and it is clear that he would very much like to be able to announce a significant breakthrough then.

The families of Israeli hostages and Palestinians in Gaza will also once again be holding their breath.

Hostages' relatives and thousands of their supporters attended a rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday night to call for a comprehensive deal that would bring home all of the hostages.

Among those who spoke was Yechiel Yehoud. His daughter Arbel Yehoud was released from captivity during the last ceasefire, which Trump helped to broker before he took office and which collapsed when Israel resumed its offensive in March.

"President Trump, thank you for bringing our Arbel back to us. We will be indebted to you for the rest of our lives. Please don't stop, please make a 'big beautiful hostages deal'," he said.

On Tuesday, the US president said that Israel had accepted the "necessary conditions" for a 60-day ceasefire, during which the parties would work to end the war.

The plan is believed to include the staggered release of 10 living Israeli hostages by Hamas and the bodies of 18 other hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Fifty hostages are still being held in Gaza, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive.

The proposal also reportedly says sufficient quantities of aid would enter Gaza immediately with the involvement of the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

A senior Palestinian official familiar with the talks told the BBC on Friday that Hamas was demanding aid be distributed exclusively by the UN and its partners, and that the GHF's operations end immediately.

Another amendment demanded by Hamas was about Israeli troop withdrawals, according to the official.

The US proposal is believed to include phased Israeli pull-outs from parts of Gaza. But the official said Hamas wanted troops to return to the positions they held before the last ceasefire collapsed in March, when Israel resumed its offensive.

The official said Hamas also wanted a US guarantee that Israeli air and ground operations would not resume even if the ceasefire ended without a permanent truce.

The proposal is believed to say mediators will guarantee that serious negotiations will take place from day one, and that they can extend the ceasefire if necessary.

The Israeli prime minister has ruled out ending the war until all of the hostages are released and Hamas's military and governing capabilities are destroyed.

Far-right members of his cabinet have also expressed their opposition to the proposed deal.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on Saturday that the only way to secure the return of the hostages was the "full conquest of the Gaza Strip, a complete halt to so-called 'humanitarian' aid, and the encouragement of emigration" of the Palestinian population.

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

At least 57,338 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Elon Musk says he is launching a new political party, weeks after a dramatic falling out with US President Donald Trump.

The billionaire announced on his social media platform X that he had set up the America Party and billed it as a challenge to the Republican and Democratic two-party system.

However, it is unclear whether the party has been formally registered with US election authorities, and Musk has not provided details about who will lead it or what form it will take.

He first raised the prospect of launching a party during his public feud with Trump, which saw him leave his role in the administration and engage in a vicious public spat with his former ally.

During that row, Musk posted a poll on X asking users if there should be a new political party in the US.

Referencing that poll in his post on Saturday, Musk wrote: "By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!

"When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy.

"Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom."

As of Saturday, no documents indicating the party had been registered with the Federal Electoral Commission.

Musk was a key Trump advocate during the 2024 election and spent $250m (£187m) to help him regain office.

After the election, he was appointed to lead the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), which was tasked with identifying swingeing cuts in the federal budget.

His fallout with Trump began when he left the administration in May and publicly criticised Trump's tax and spending plans. The legislation - which Trump has called his "big, beautiful bill" - was narrowly passed by Congress and signed into law by the president this week.

The massive law includes huge spending commitments and tax cuts, and is estimated to add more than $3tn to the US deficit over the next decade.

Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath have gone out with a bang at what they say will be their final gig, in front of 40,000 fans and supported by an all-star line-up of rock legends who have been influenced by the founding fathers of heavy metal.

Ozzy, 76, who has Parkinson's disease, sang while seated on a black throne - clapping, waving his arms and pulling wild-eyed looks, just like old times.

He appeared overwhelmed at times. "You have no idea how I feel. Thank you from the bottom of my heart," he told the crowd at Villa Park in Birmingham.

He was joined by the original Sabbath line-up for the first time in 20 years.

The show's bill also included fellow rock gods Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Slayer, the Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler.

Wearing a long leather robe and gold armband bearing his name, Ozzy rose from below the stage in his throne to a huge roar from the crowd.

"Are you ready? Let the madness begin," he called.

"It's so good to be on this stage. You have no idea," he told the crowd, who responded by chanting his name.

After playing five songs from his solo career, Ozzy was joined by his Sabbath bandmates - guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist and lyricist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward - for four more tunes, finishing with 1970 classic Paranoid.

The Parkinson's, other health problems and age have taken their toll, meaning he performed sitting down. His wavered a bit but still packed a fair punch.

Fans came from all over the world - if they could get tickets - for the all-day Back to the Beginning gig at Aston Villa's football stadium, a stone's throw from Ozzy's childhood home.

The star-studded show was dubbed the "heavy metal Live Aid", and profits will go to charity.

The pitch was a sea of Black Sabbath T-shirts and rock hand signs, with some areas becoming a melee of moshing. One person waved an inflatable bat, a reference to the infamous 1982 incident when Ozzy bit the head off a live bat on stage - the most notorious moment of many in the rock star's wild career.

The day's other performers paid homage to him and the other band members.

"Without Sabbath there would be no Metallica," the band's frontman James Hetfield told the crowd during their set. "Thank you for giving us a purpose in life."

Guns N' Roses' set included a cover of Sabbath's 1978 song Never Say Die, with frontman Axl Rose ending with the words: "Birmingham! Ozzy! Sabbath! Thank you!"

A series of star-studded supergroups saw Tyler, who has suffered serious vocal problems in recent years, sound back on form as part of a band including Ronnie Wood, Blink-182's Travis Barker and Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello.

Another version of the band included Smashing Pumpkins singer Billy Corgan and KK Downing from Judas Priest, another of the West Midlands' original metal heroes.

Battle of the drummers

Younger performers included Yungblud, who sang one of Sabbath's more tender songs, Changes, originally released in 1972, and which Ozzy took to number one as a duet with daughter Kelly in 2003.

Yungblud was part of another supergroup whose revolving cast of musicians included members of Megadeth, Faith No More and Anthrax.

A titanic battle of three drummers in a "drum-off" between Barker, Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Danny Carey of Tool.

Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo told the crowd the artists on the bill "would all be different people" without Black Sabbath. "That's the truth. I wouldn't be up here with this microphone in my hand without Black Sabbath. The greatest of all time."

Momoa in the moshpit

Hollywood actor Jason Momoa was the show's compere and while introducing Pantera, told fans he was joining the moshpit, saying: "Make some space for me, I'm coming in."

At another point, he told the crowd: "The history of Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne is to look back at the best who've ever done it. We have some of the greatest rock and metal musicians ever here today on this stage."

Momoa's Minecraft Movie co-star Jack Black sent a video message, as did other big names ranging from Billy Idol to Dolly Parton.

"Black Sabbath really kind of started all this, the metal era," former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar told BBC News backstage. "Everyone looks at them like the kings, and if the kings are going to go out then we're going to go honour them.

"Everyone that was asked to do this, shoot, you drop everything and do this. This is going to go down in history as the greatest metal event of all of all time."

Ozzy said beforehand that the show would be "a goodbye as far as my live performances go, and what a way to go out".

The line-up of legends "means everything", he said in an interview provided by organisers.

"I am forever in their debt for showing up for me and the fans. I can't quite put it into words, but I feel very emotional and blessed."

Ticket prices ranged from about £200 to £2,000, with profits being shared between Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice.

Back to the Beginning line-up:

• Black Sabbath
• Ozzy Osbourne solo
• Metallica
• Guns N' Roses
• Slayer
• Tool
• Pantera
• Supergroup including Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), Ronnie Wood (the Rolling Stones), Steven Tyler (Aerosmith), Adam Jones (Tool), KK Downing (Judas Priest), Vernon Reid (Living Colour), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Sammy Hagar (Van Halen), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Travis Barker (Blink-182) and Tobias Forge (Ghost)
• Drum-off - Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Travis Barker (Blink-182) and Danny Carey (Tool)
• Gojira
• Alice in Chains
• Anthrax
• Supergroup including Lizzy Hale (Halestorm), David Ellefson (Megadeth), Mike Bordin (Faith No More), David Draiman (Disturbed), Scott Ian (Anthrax), Yungblud and Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme)
• Lamb of God
• Halestorm
• Rival Sons
• Mastodon

Foreign Secretary David Lammy has become the first UK minister to visit Syria since the uprising that led to the country's civil war began 14 years ago.

Lammy met Syria's interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa eight months after the collapse of the Assad regime and as the new Islamic-led government continues to establish control within the country.

Alongside the visit, the UK government announced an additional £94.5m support package to cover humanitarian aid and support longer-term recovery within Syria and countries helping Syrian refugees.

Lammy told the BBC the purpose of his meeting was to promote inclusivity, transparency and accountability with the new government.

"I'm here to speak to this new government, to urge them to continue to be inclusive, to ensure that there's transparency and accountability in the way that they govern," he said.

"But [also] to stand by the Syrian people and Syria as it makes this peaceful transition over the coming months."

Syria is in a fragile situation with a new Islamic-led government in charge.

In December, rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group which has been proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK, UN and US, stormed Damascus, toppling the Assad regime which had ruled the country for 54 years.

Since then, Western countries have sought to reset relations with the country.

At the end of June, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order ending sanctions against the country.

The White House said at the time it would monitor the new Syrian government's actions including by "addressing foreign terrorists" and "banning Palestinian terrorist groups".

The UK has also lifted sanctions.

Al-Sharaa met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris in May while other foreign officials, including Ukraine's foreign minister, have visited Syria.

Many members of Syria's new government, including the interim president, were members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

Asked how the government deals with a group it had listed on the proscribed terror group as a pseudonym for al-Qaeda, Lammy said he recognised the country has a bloody recent history associated with terrorism and war, but said the UK is looking "to the future" and engaging with the new government.

Various violent attacks against minority groups have been committed in Syria in recent months.

Hundreds have been killed from the Alawite minority, there were violent attacks on the Druze community, and recently a brutal attack on peaceful worshippers inside a church in Damascus.

Internationally, these attacks have prompted concern about how much Syria's new government can protect minorities but also provide safety and stability.

Almost every day, there are reported cases of killing or kidnapping.

Lammy said: "It's important that the UK lean in to ensure that the balance is tipped in the right direction, a balance towards accountability, transparency, inclusivity for all of the communities that make up this country, a prosperous one and a peaceful one."

Within Syria, many people are worried the government is slipping towards a new form of dictatorship.

There are restrictions on social freedoms, the role of women is being marginalised in the government, and there is more and more enforcement of Islamic practices rather than a clear governance based on civic codes representing the whole society.

In these early days of the government there are also fears around how it is being formed.

Only one female minister has been appointed and al-Sharaa has made almost every other appointment - with no election, referendum or opinion polls.

Many appointments in the government are reported to be based on connections rather than qualifications, and most of those in charge have a radical Islamic agenda and are enforcing it.

Lammy said the UK wants Syria to "move in the direction of peace, of prosperity, of stability for the people and an inclusive country" and will use humanitarian aid to help that.

He added the UK would monitor the situation to ensure the new government ruled the population in an inclusive manner.

The UK government is also supporting the Organisation of the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to help dismantle Assad's chemical weapons in Syria.

A further £2m was committed to the organisation this financial year in addition to around £837,000 provided since the fall of Assad.

Challenges ahead for new government

There are many challenges ahead of Syria - both internally and in the region.

Israel has invaded parts of Syria and carried out hundreds of air strikes, and continues to hold hundreds of square kilometres inside Syrian territory.

Lammy said he "urged the Israeli government to think again about some of their actions" to avoid undermining "the progress that could be made in this new Syria".

Hundreds of foreign fighters and their families have been held in detention camps in north-west Syria for years, including dozens from the UK.

Asked whether the UK was going to take them back home, Lammy did not give a clear answer.

He said he had discussed the issue of camps with Syria's president, as well as how to help the country deal with counterterrorism and irregular migration.

The situation in Syria remains precarious, and its security is at risk with threats from the Islamic State group and radical jihadist fighters who have joined the government.

While international support will certainly help the war-torn country recover, it could also help pressure the government to be a representative of a diverse and open society.

Colombian police have arrested the alleged mastermind of the assassination attempt against a presidential hopeful during a rally last month.

Miguel Uribe, a conservative senator, was twice shot in the head in the capital, Bogotá, as he was campaigning for his party's nomination in the 2026 presidential election.

Police arrested a suspected criminal, Élder José Arteaga Hernandez, who they say persuaded a 15-year-old to carry out the attack. Four other people had already been arrested, including the teenager charged with shooting Uribe.

Uribe remains in a critical condition. The motive for the attempt on his life on 7 June is unclear.

• Colombia presidential hopeful shot in head at rally

Colombian police chief Carlos Fernando Triana said on Friday that Arteaga had a long criminal history and was wanted for "aggravated attempted homicide" and "use of minors for the commission of crimes" over the attack on Uribe.

Police say he co-ordinated the assault, hired the gunman and provided him with a weapon.

Authorities had previously accused Arteaga, who uses the aliases Chipi and Costeño, of being near the Bogotá park where Uribe was shot.

The 15-year-old suspect was arrested as he was fleeing the scene. He subsequently pleaded not guilty, the prosecutor's office said.

Uribe, a critic of left-wing President Gustavo Petro, announced his candidacy for next year's presidential election last October. The 39-year-old has been a senator since 2022.

He is from a prominent political family, with links to Colombia's Liberal Party. His father was a union leader and businessman.

His mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was killed in 1991 in a rescue attempt after she was kidnapped by the Medellin drugs cartel.

The 7 June attack prompted silent protests attended by tens of thousands of Colombians.

More than 20 people have been arrested in London after a protest in support of the banned group Palestine Action, the Metropolitan Police has said.

Pictures from the demonstration showed a small group holding placards reading "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action" in Westminster.

As of Saturday, the group is proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000, after lawyers acting on its behalf failed with a court bid to block the ban on Friday.

The designation means that being a member of, or showing support for Palestine Action, is a criminal offence and could lead to up to 14 years in prison.

In an earlier statement, the Met said: "Officers are responding to a protest in support of Palestine Action in Parliament Square.

"The group is now proscribed and expressing support for them is a criminal offence."

The government moved to ban the group after an estimated £7m of damage was caused to planes at RAF Brize Norton last month during a protest Palestine Action said it was behind.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced plans to proscribe the group last month, calling damage to two military aircraft "disgraceful" and claiming the group had a "long history of unacceptable criminal damage".

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Colombian police have arrested the alleged mastermind of the assassination attempt against a presidential hopeful during a rally last month.

Miguel Uribe, a conservative senator, was twice shot in the head in the capital, Bogotá, as he was campaigning for his party's nomination in the 2026 presidential election.

Police arrested a suspected criminal, Élder José Arteaga Hernandez, who they say persuaded a 15-year-old to carry out the attack. Four other people had already been arrested, including the teenager charged with shooting Uribe.

Uribe remains in a critical condition. The motive for the attempt on his life on 7 June is unclear.

• Colombia presidential hopeful shot in head at rally

Colombian police chief Carlos Fernando Triana said on Friday that Arteaga had a long criminal history and was wanted for "aggravated attempted homicide" and "use of minors for the commission of crimes" over the attack on Uribe.

Police say he co-ordinated the assault, hired the gunman and provided him with a weapon.

Authorities had previously accused Arteaga, who uses the aliases Chipi and Costeño, of being near the Bogotá park where Uribe was shot.

The 15-year-old suspect was arrested as he was fleeing the scene. He subsequently pleaded not guilty, the prosecutor's office said.

Uribe, a critic of left-wing President Gustavo Petro, announced his candidacy for next year's presidential election last October. The 39-year-old has been a senator since 2022.

He is from a prominent political family, with links to Colombia's Liberal Party. His father was a union leader and businessman.

His mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was killed in 1991 in a rescue attempt after she was kidnapped by the Medellin drugs cartel.

The 7 June attack prompted silent protests attended by tens of thousands of Colombians.

The UK's biggest LGBTQ+ event took place on Saturday, with tens of thousands of people on the streets of central London.

The Pride in London parade featured dancing and rainbow flags as the celebration began at noon under cool and cloudy conditions.

Organisers estimate more than 30,000 participants from across 500 organisations will take part in the capital's annual Pride Parade.

Large crowds watched the brightly-coloured procession as it passed from Hyde Park Corner to its destination in Whitehall.

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