Ten people, including six children, have been killed in an Israeli air strike while waiting to fill water containers in central Gaza on Sunday, emergency service officials say.
Their bodies were sent to Nuseirat's al-Awda Hospital, which also treated 16 injured people, seven of them children, according to a doctor there.
Eyewitnesses said a drone fired a missile at a crowd of people queuing with empty jerry cans next to a water tanker in the heart of the al-Nuseirat refugee camp.
The Israeli military has been asked to comment.
Unverified footage shared online after the strike showed bloodied children and lifeless bodies, with screams of panic and desperation.
Residents rushed to the scene and transported the wounded using private vehicles and donkey carts.
The strike came as Israeli aerial attacks across the Gaza Strip have escalated.
A spokesperson for Gaza's Civil Defense Agency said 19 other Palestinians had been killed on Sunday, in three separate strikes on residential buildings in central Gaza and Gaza City.
Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas's cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
At least 57,882 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Most of Gaza's population has been displaced multiple times.
More than 90% of homes are estimated to be damaged or destroyed. The healthcare, water, sanitation and hygiene systems have collapsed, and there are shortages of food, fuel, medicine and shelter.
This week, for the first time in 130 days, 75,000 litres of fuel was allowed into Gaza - "far from enough to meet the daily needs of the population and vital civilian aid operations", the United Nations said.
Nine UN agencies warned on Saturday that Gaza's fuel shortage had reached "critical levels", and if fuel ran out, it would affect hospitals, water systems, sanitation networks and bakeries.
"Hospitals are already going dark, maternity, neonatal and intensive care units are failing, and ambulances can no longer move," the UN said.
Alder Hey said it would not officially comment on individual cases to respect patient confidentiality but the death has been confirmed to the BBC.
No details have been released about whether the child was being treated for other health problems or their vaccination status.
It is thought 17 children have been treated at Alder Hey for the virus since June.
The child is believed to be only the second in the UK in a decade to have died after contracting measles, after Renae Archer, of Salford, Greater Manchester, died aged 10 in 2023.
PA Media
There has been a spike in cases at Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital
An Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said: "To respect patient confidentiality, we can't comment on individual cases.
"We are concerned about the increasing number of children and young people who are contracting measles.
"Measles is a highly contagious viral illness which can cause children to be seriously unwell, requiring hospital treatment, and in rare cases, death.".
The hospital warned parents earlier this week that a fall in MMR vaccine uptake was behind the spike in measles cases in the region.
Chief nurse Nathan Askew said he felt misunderstandings around the vaccine were to blame.
"This vaccine's been in use for well over 50 years. It's very safe, tried and tested," he said.
Patients at the site include those with compromised immunity due to other health issues "making them more susceptible to infections, including measles, an Alder Hey spokesperson said.
Watch: New Ofcom rules "foundation" for safer internet but "not end of the conversation" says Heidi Alexander
The government is considering further action to keep children safe online and will not "sit back and wait" on the issue, a cabinet minister has said.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told the BBC new age-verification rules beginning later this month would have a "really important" impact.
She said the regulations, to be overseen by media regulator Ofcom, would not be the "end of the conversation" on online safety.
Ofcom boss Melanie Dawes vowed to rigorously enforce the new requirements, adding the regulator "means business". But she acknowledged Ofcom may require further legal powers in order to keep pace with the rapidly developing impact of artificial intelligence (AI).
Under new powers introduced by the Online Safety Act and passed under the previous Tory government, Ofcom will require internet companies to conduct stricter age verification methods to check whether a user is under 18.
A new code of practice, to apply from 25 July, will also require platforms to change algorithms affecting what is shown in children's feeds to filter out harmful content.
At the last election, Labour committed to "build on" the previous government's law and consider further measures to keep children safe.
But it is yet to publish fresh legislation of its own, with ministers arguing the existing set of new regulations need to be rolled out first.
'Addictive habits'
Speaking to Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Alexander said the new rules would bring in "really robust safeguards" to ensure proper age verification.
But she added: "We are very clear as a government that this is the foundation for a safer online experience for children, but it is not the end of the conversation".
She said Technology Secretary Peter Kyle was looking at further action in a number of areas, including how to address "addictive habits" among children, although she did not provide further details.
"We're not going to be a government that sits back and waits on this, we want to address it," she added.
Ofcom's chief executive told the programme the new rules would mean tech platforms would have to change their content algorithms "very significantly".
Ms Dawes said the regulator would give websites some flexibility when deciding which age-verification tools to use, but pledged that those failing to put adequate checks in place "will hear from us with enforcement action".
However, she acknowledged some newer forms of AI "may not" be covered be powers contained in the existing legislation.
"There may need to be some changes to the legislation to cover that," she added.
Resident doctors took part in 11 separate strikes during 2023 and 2024
Talks between Health Secretary Wes Streeting and the British Medical Association (BMA) will take place next week in a bid to avert strike action in England's NHS, the BBC understands.
Resident doctors, previously known as junior doctors, announced earlier this week that they will walk out for five consecutive days from 25 July until 30 July over a dispute about pay with the government.
The BMA said strikes would only be called off if next week's talks produce an offer it can put to its members.
The government has insisted it cannot improve its offer of a 5.4% increase for this year.
Resident doctors were awarded a 5.4% pay rise for this financial year - which will go into pay packets from August - following a 22% increase over the previous two years.
But they are arguing that pay in real terms is still around 20% lower than it was in 2008 and have called for the government to set out a pathway to restoring its value.
They believe that this year's 5.4% increase doesn't take them far enough down that path.
Health department sources have told the BBC the health secretary is sympathetic to improving working conditions for resident doctors, but he won't budge on salaries.
After the BMA's strike announcement, Streeting called the strike "unnecessary and unreasonable", adding: "The NHS is hanging by a thread - why on earth are they threatening to pull it?"
He said the government was "ready and willing" to work with the BMA, but any further strike action would be a disaster for patients and push back the progress made in reducing waiting lists in England.
BMA resident doctor committee co-chairs, Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt, said on Wednesday they had been left with "no choice" but to strike without a "credible offer to keep us on the path to restore our pay".
Lord Robert Winston, a professor and TV doctor who was a pioneer of IVF treatment, resigned from the BMA on Friday over the planned strikes.
In an interview with The Times, he urged against strike action and said it could damage people's trust in the profession.
Resident doctors took part in 11 separate strikes during 2023 and 2024.
In order to end the previous strikes last year the incoming Labour government awarded a backdated increase worth 22% over two years.
The action in England will not affect resident doctors in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, who negotiate directly with their devolved governments on pay.
Resident doctors' basic salaries in England range from £37,000 to £70,000 a year for a 40-hour week, depending on experience, with extra payments for working nightshifts and weekends.
That does not include the latest 5.4% average pay award for this year which will start to be paid into wage packets from August.
Absorbing Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry set for next chapter
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are meeting for the second successive Grand Slam men's singles final
Published
There are a number of factors which turn an exciting rivalry into an epic, enduring duel that transcends the sport.
The core talent. The blend of personalities. The gripping encounters on the biggest stages.
The tussle between Italy's Jannik Sinner and Spain's Carlos Alcaraz - ranked one and two in the men's game - has all those components.
It also has arguably the most important ingredient: each player being pushed to a greater height by the other.
On Sunday, the pair will meet again in the Wimbledon final - where Sinner aims to win his first title and Alcaraz bids for a rare third in a row.
A renewal of their acquaintance at the All England Club comes just 35 days after Alcaraz beat Sinner in an all-time classic French Open final.
Asked about their rivalry, Alcaraz said: "I'm not going to say I'm feeling like when Rafa [Nadal] and Roger [Federer] are playing.
"But I'm feeling like it is a different energy when we are facing each other than other players."
Sinner, 23, and 22-year-old Alcaraz have created a duopoly in the men's game over the past two seasons.
Because of his brilliance, Sinner has remained the world number one - despite serving a three-month doping ban this year in a case which rocked the sport.
The pair have gained a grip on the Grand Slam tournaments, winning the past six majors between them.
Their epic French Open battle was another demonstration of how the absorbing rivalry - which the ATP Tour has long pinned its hopes on filling the Federer-Nadal-Novak Djokovic void - could be a blockbuster for years to come.
"You cannot compare what the 'Big Three' did for 15-plus years. [Our rivalry] is not that big yet," said three-time Grand Slam champion Sinner, who is aiming for his first non-hard court major.
"This is the second consecutive Grand Slam that we are in the final and playing each other - I believe it's good for the sport.
"The more rivalries we have from now on, the better it is, because people want to see young player going against each other."
The quality, excitement and tension of the recent Roland Garros final accelerated interest in the pair.
Alcaraz fighting back from two sets down - and having saved three championship points - to win a five-setter in over five hours has whetted the appetite for Wimbledon.
The five-time major champion expects to be pushed "to the limit" again at the All England Club.
"It's going to be a great day, a great final. I'm just excited about it," he said.
"I just hope not to be five and a half hours again. But if I have to, I will."
Ice versus fire - the 21st century version
The contrasting personalities are reminiscent of another pair who created a rivalry which continues to endure almost 50 years later.
Bjorn Borg was the 'ice' compared to John McEnroe's 'fire' and there are similar characteristics in Sinner and Alcaraz.
Sinner is ice-cold during matches and little appears to faze the mild-mannered Italian - on or off court.
He was able to stay sanguine during the doping controversy and has also moved on quickly from the brutal nature of his French Open defeat.
"We keep talking about the fact that he's got really good self-awareness and puts everything into perspective," Sinner's coach Darren Cahill told BBC Sport.
"I think that's part of the reason why he's been able to do what he's been able to do here.
"I would have been heartbroken after losing a final where I had match points, but he sees the big picture really well and is why he's able to bounce back so quickly."
Alcaraz is not as combustible as the famously volatile McEnroe. But he does possess a more colourful side than Sinner.
He bellows 'Vamos' when big moments go his way in matches and also regularly shows his emotion by breaking out into beaming smiles.
The natural warmth and authenticity of the Spaniard, plus his array of stunning shot-making, makes him relatable to fans.
"He's got the X-Factor - he's a performer," American great Billie Jean King told BBC Sport.
Who's got the advantage?
Sinner has been the dominant player on the ATP Tour for the past two seasons, winning 98 of his 109 matches (90%) and lifting nine titles.
In the same timeframe, Alcaraz has won 102 of his 120 matches (85%) and claimed nine titles.
But it is the Spaniard who is dominating their head-to-head record.
The triumph on the Paris clay was his fifth straight victory over Sinner, extending his dominance to eight wins from their 12 career meetings.
"When Sinner brings his A game there is no-one that can beat him - other than Alcaraz," said seven-time major champion McEnroe, who is a BBC Sport analyst during the championships.
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Sinner won their only previous meeting at Wimbledon, back in 2022 when he won 6-1 6-4 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 in the last 16
"On the other hand if Alcaraz doesn't bring his A game then Sinner will win every time. So it's going to be extremely interesting."
Alcaraz has moved through the gears nicely at the All England Club and goes into the final - unlike Sinner - having suffered no injury problems over the past fortnight.
After beating Djokovic in the semi-finals, Sinner said the elbow injury he suffered in the fourth round against Grigor Dimitrov would provide "no issues" on Sunday.
"I will give a slight edge to Carlos as a favourite because of the two titles he's won here and the way he's playing and the confidence he has right now," seven-time champion Djokovic said.
"But it's just a slight advantage because Jannik is hitting the ball extremely well.
"It's going to be, again, a very close match-up like we had in Paris."
Attorney General Pam Bondi said she had ordered the charges to be dropped
The US attorney general has ordered charges to be dropped against a doctor accused of destroying Covid-19 vaccines worth $28,000 (£20,742), distributing fake vaccination record cards, and giving children saline shots instead of the vaccine at their parents' request.
Pam Bondi said Dr Michael Kirk Moore Jr. "gave his patients a choice when the federal government refused to do so". He had been indicted by the Justice Department under the Biden administration in 2023.
The plastic surgeon was already on trial in Utah, where he had pleaded not guilty to all charges including conspiracy to defraud the US.
The acting US Attorney for the district of Utah, Felice John Viti, filed to dismiss the charges on Saturday, saying this was "in the interests of justice".
Dr Moore was accused of providing fraudulently completed vaccination certificates for more than 1,900 vaccine doses, the US Attorney's office in Utah said in 2023.
These were allegedly provided, without administering the vaccine, for a charge of $50 (£37), in exchange for direct cash payments or donations to a specific charity.
The government also accused him of giving children saline shots at their parents' request so that the "children would think they were receiving a COVID-19 vaccine," according to the US attorney's office.
He was accused alongside his company - Plastic Surgery Institute of Utah, Inc. - and three others of seeking to defraud the US and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Bondi wrote on X on Saturday that she had ordered the Justice Department to drop the charges because Dr Moore "did not deserve the years in prison he was facing".
She said US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and Senator Mike Lee, both Republicans, had brought the case to her attention, calling them champions for "ending the weaponization of government".
Lee thanked the attorney general for "standing with the countless Americans who endured too many official lies, mandates, and lockdowns during COVID".
Dr Moore and other defendants faced up to 35 years in prison on multiple charges, according to the Associated Press news agency.
The singer and activist Bob Geldof at home in London. The Live Aid shows were seen by about 1.5 billion people in more than 150 countries and would go on to raise more than $140 million.
Eight men sent by the United States to South Sudan could presage a new approach to Trump-era deportations, even as critics say the practice could amount to “enforced disappearance.”
Downtown Juba, South Sudan, last year. Third-country deportations could accelerate under new internal guidance issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Thomas Crooks was a nerdy engineering student on the dean’s list. He stockpiled explosive materials for months before his attack on Donald Trump, as his mental health eroded.
More than 10,000 people work at the Rubaya mine digging up coltan ore
M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo recently allowed the BBC to visit a huge mining site under their control which is vital to the production of the world's mobile phones - and over its vast expanse not one person was idle.
Thousands of miners dotted the landscape covered with pits and tunnels.
Some were deep underground digging up ore with shovels, others then hoisted sacks of the extracted rock containing coltan, which is used to make many electronic devices, on to their shoulders. They then took it to assembly points where others washed and filtered it with spades and by hand.
"We usually have more than 10,000 or more people working here daily," Patrice Musafiri, who has supervised the Rubaya mining site since the rebels took control of it in April last year, told the BBC.
It is tricky terrain to navigate - our team needed the aid of walking sticks, as well as Mr Musafiri's guidance, to stop us falling - yet for most of the men it is the only life they have known. It may be onerous and dangerous, but it allows them to make a small living.
"When we are deep in the mines, temperatures are very high - digging the mineral is also very hard... plus there can be other harmful gases," mineworker Peter Osiasi told the BBC.
"Sometimes cold air is pumped inside so that we can continue working," he said.
But the young man said he was grateful that since he began mining five years ago, he has been able to save a little money for a dowry and is now married with children.
"My life has really changed. Mining has really helped me."
The swathe of golden scarred earth they mine is found in the sprawling, lush Masisi Hills of North Kivu province - around 60km (37 miles) north-west of the city of Goma - and holds 15% of the world's coltan supply and half of the DR Congo's total deposits.
Little wonder that global investors have their eyes on this area.
It has provided immense wealth over the years to the various armed groups that have overseen it at different times, including the army.
Hassan Lali / BBC
The Rubaya mine supervisor said no armed men were allowed at the vast site
We arrived at the mine, which is around 10km outside Rubaya town, several days after a ceasefire deal was signed in Washington by DR Congo and Rwanda as part of the peace process aimed at ending three decades of instability in the region.
The roots of the insecurity in the east of DR Congo are notoriously complicated.
There is an ethnic dimension, with many rebel groups operating here - including an ethnic Hutu militia linked to the Rwandan genocide of 1994, which Kigali believes has Congolese backing.
In Washington both sides committed on 27 June to disarm and disengage their alleged proxies (despite denying having any).
The M23 was not party to the deal. Mainly led by ethnic Tutsis, it controls large parts of eastern DR Congo - and since January has taken control of Goma, the city of Bukavu and two airports. Rwanda has been accused by many — including the UN — of backing the M23. However, the authorities there deny sending military or financial aid.
The US's involvement in the process seems to hinge on getting access to DR Congo's mineral resources - though nothing has so far been specified.
"We're getting for the United States, a lot of the mineral rights from the [DR] Congo," said US President Donald Trump ahead of the signing.
Hassan Lali / BBC
Some women work at Rubaya mine site selling food and water to the miners
During our brief visit - we were allowed access for around 45 minutes - there was no hint that the chain of command was about to change.
The supervisor, appointed by the M23, was keen to explain how the set-up at Rubaya had been reorganised over the last year and how the rebel group had brought security to allow miners to work without fear - specifying that no armed men were allowed on the site.
"We have already solved so many issues," Mr Musafiri said.
"Presently we have a mining department that regulates and monitors safety issues and also resolves internal disputes within the mines. If a tunnel becomes dangerous, people are told to leave to avoid accidents.
"People from different groups come here to mine daily and others to buy the minerals and now we have a huge market in Goma where they can resell what they buy here."
Hassan Lali / BBC
The coltan ore must be washed ready for the buyers who trade it on - and eventually tantalum will be extracted from this for use in electronic devices
In December, a UN experts' report detailed how the M23 makes hundreds of thousands of dollars each month from taxing coltan, much of it was sent directly to Rwanda - allegations both the M23 and Kigali deny.
Surrounded by his colleagues wearing jeans, sweaters and wellington boots, all of whom buy permits to work at the site, Mr Osiasi agreed that conditions were better.
"Business is going on very well here because we have at least some semblance of peace, but the pay is very low. We are paid very little money," the miner said.
Trump's second term coincided with the M23's seizure of much of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces and the humiliating retreat of the Congolese army.
Political analyst Akramm Tumsifu says DR Congo decided to use its rich mineral reserves as a bargaining chip to get US assistance - for months it had sought military support.
With a tentative peace process under way, the Congolese authorities' great hope, he told the BBC, was that American firms would be in a position to make "massive investments" in its mining sector, which is currently dominated by Chinese companies.
US companies are reportedly already looking to cash in on the opportunity to invest in Rubaya's mining sector.
The Rubaya supervisor told us investment would be welcomed, but only initiatives aimed at boosting the local economy - with jobs, schools and hospitals - would be allowed.
"Any foreign investor can come here, as long as they come with development for our people and increase daily wages for the miners," Mr Musafiri said.
Despite the country's colossal natural endowments, most mining communities have little infrastructure, without even accessible roads to the mines where the wealth is scooped from the ground.
Mr Tumsifu reckons the presence of American investors could also act as a "caution against fighting or a resurgence of other armed groups".
But it is not yet clear how or with whom an investor would do business given the M23 is still very much in control in the east.
A parallel mediation effort led by Qatar - which involves direct talks between the armed groups and the Congolese government - may yield more clarity in the coming months.
The M23, which is part of the broader Congo River Alliance, said the Washington-backed deal had fallen short of addressing the causes of the long conflict. It maintains it took up arms to protect the rights of the minority Tutsi group in DR Congo.
While the belligerents try and hammer out their preferred pathways to peace, local people at the Rubaya mine, like elsewhere in eastern DR Congo, only hope for a definitive end to the fighting and bloodshed which has seen hundreds of thousands of people flee their homes.
"My appeal to fellow young men and our leaders is to keep and maintain peace in our area," said Mr Osiasi.
As he prepared to go back to hours of more digging, he added: "I also appeal to the owners of the mines to increase our pay because it's very little."
Additional reporting by the BBC's Robert Kiptoo and Hassan Lali
Attorney General Pam Bondi said she had ordered the charges to be dropped
The US attorney general has ordered charges to be dropped against a doctor accused of destroying Covid-19 vaccines worth $28,000 (£20,742), distributing fake vaccination record cards, and giving children saline shots instead of the vaccine at their parents' request.
Pam Bondi said Dr Michael Kirk Moore Jr. "gave his patients a choice when the federal government refused to do so". He had been indicted by the Justice Department under the Biden administration in 2023.
The plastic surgeon was already on trial in Utah, where he had pleaded not guilty to all charges including conspiracy to defraud the US.
The acting US Attorney for the district of Utah, Felice John Viti, filed to dismiss the charges on Saturday, saying this was "in the interests of justice".
Dr Moore was accused of providing fraudulently completed vaccination certificates for more than 1,900 vaccine doses, the US Attorney's office in Utah said in 2023.
These were allegedly provided, without administering the vaccine, for a charge of $50 (£37), in exchange for direct cash payments or donations to a specific charity.
The government also accused him of giving children saline shots at their parents' request so that the "children would think they were receiving a COVID-19 vaccine," according to the US attorney's office.
He was accused alongside his company - Plastic Surgery Institute of Utah, Inc. - and three others of seeking to defraud the US and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Bondi wrote on X on Saturday that she had ordered the Justice Department to drop the charges because Dr Moore "did not deserve the years in prison he was facing".
She said US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and Senator Mike Lee, both Republicans, had brought the case to her attention, calling them champions for "ending the weaponization of government".
Lee thanked the attorney general for "standing with the countless Americans who endured too many official lies, mandates, and lockdowns during COVID".
Dr Moore and other defendants faced up to 35 years in prison on multiple charges, according to the Associated Press news agency.
Facing growing chaos, the European Union and numerous other countries are seeking to forge a global trading nexus that is less vulnerable to American tariffs.
Most nations are still negotiating in hopes of avoiding punitive import taxes. At the same time, they’re looking for trading partners as a way around the United States.
President Trump has moved aggressively to reopen long-settled issues and to dismantle long-established institutions as he tries to return to what he considers better times.
Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee, has vowed to strictly enforce the measure, Local Law 97, which calls for potentially expensive upgrades to buildings to curb greenhouse emissions.
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