A major lawsuit against five leading carmakers accused of cheating on emissions tests is set to begin at the High Court on Monday.
The trial is the latest chapter of what has become known as the "dieselgate" scandal, with the companies facing allegations they used software to allow their cars to reduce emissions of harmful gases under test conditions.
Lawyers say the case is the largest class action in English and Welsh legal history, and could eventually involve 1.6 million car owners.
The five carmakers - Mercedes, Ford, Peugeot/Citroën, Renault and Nissan - all deny the accusations.
The five have been chosen by the court as lead defendants to be tried first as the case is so big.
Mercedes, Ford, Peugeot/Citroën, Renault and Nissan have been accused by 220,000 car owners of misleading them over emissions tests.
But depending on the outcome of this case, nine other carmakers are facing similar claims.
The dieselgate scandal first emerged in September 2015, when the US Environmental Protection Agency accused Volkswagen of installing software - known as "defeat devices" - on diesel cars to lower readings of the cars' nitrogen oxide emissions.
In 2020, the High Court ruled that Volkswagen had used defeat devices in breach of European Union rules to pass emissions tests.
The company has so far paid out more than €32bn (£27.8bn) over the scandal, mostly in the US.
The High Court will decide whether systems installed in diesel cars by the five carmakers were designed to cheat clean air laws.
It is alleged the "defeat devices" allowed a car to identify when it was in a test scenario. It would then run its engine at below normal power and performance levels in order to record lower readings of nitrogen oxides.
Lawyers for the motorists will claim they were deceived about how environmentally friendly the vehicles were, and that the cars still on the road are continuing to emit dangerous levels of pollution.
Although the trial begins on Monday, a judgement is not expected until summer 2026. If the court finds against the carmakers, a further trial to determine levels of compensation is expected to begin in autumn 2026.
Martin Deigh of Leigh Day, which is one of the 22 law firms representing drivers, said: "A decade after the Dieselgate scandal first came to light, 1.6 million UK motorists now get their chance to establish at trial whether their vehicles contained technology designed to cheat emissions tests."
He said that if the allegations against the car firms are upheld in court it "would demonstrate one of the most egregious breaches of corporate trust in modern times".
"It would also mean that people across the UK have been breathing in far more harmful emissions from these vehicles than they were told about, potentially putting the health of millions at risk."
The companies involved have said the claims against them are without merit.
A spokesperson for Mercedes said the mechanisms used in tests were "justifiable from a technical and legal standpoint".
Renault and Stellantis, which owns Peugeot and Citroen, said the vehicles it sold were compliant with regulations at the time.
Ford said the claims had "no merit" and Nissan said it was "committed to compliance in all markets in which we operate".
Blowing whistle on racism killed my career - Burrell
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Burrell: 'I wanted to carry on playing'
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Warning: This article contains details of racially offensive language and behaviour
Former England centre Luther Burrell says going public to reveal racism in rugby union brought his career to an early end.
In a June 2022 interview with the Mail on Sunday, external, Burrell described racism as being "rife" in the game, showing Whatsapp messages and recalling training ground "jokes" he had been subject to while playing for Newcastle.
Then 34 and out of contract, Burrell's only professional rugby since has been three appearances with invitational side the Barbarians.
"I have absolutely had to retire because of what went on," he told BBC Sport.
"I wanted to carry on playing, of course I did. I pursued that, and it fell through when word came out that there were investigations going on.
"That was difficult - I had to just accept the fate and accept that this whole process is a lot bigger than me."
Luther Burrell started all of England's Six Nations games in 2014 and 2015, but was controversially overlooked for their squad for the 2015 World Cup
Burrell told BBC Sport he also faced prejudice within the England set-up, during a Test career that saw him win 15 caps after his debut in February 2014.
"I've had several traumatic experiences within England camp," he said.
"Some discrimination and some just old-school mentality that's really unacceptable."
Racism had become normalised in dressing rooms, in Burrell's experience.
"It's something that has been dressed up as banter and that's been the problem that I've personally suffered and seen," said Burrell, who is of Jamaican descent.
"Over a period of time you just learn to believe that it's the norm and that is fine and that it's not malicious, but that's nonsense."
Burrell says he was eventually spurred to speak out after a team-mate at Newcastle referred to him as a "slave" and told him to put sun cream on his wrists and ankles "where your shackles were".
The RFU said Burrell's revelations had led to "a deeper look at the culture within the elite game and to the implementation of an action plan for the professional game".
"The RFU has placed significant focus on inclusion and diversity in rugby union and a great deal of work undertaken both before and since Luther Burrell came forward and shared his experiences of racism and classism," it added.
"We are continuing work with clubs and stakeholders in the professional game to strive for a culture of inclusivity but acknowledge this takes time and is an ongoing process."
Every Prem and PWR club now has face-to-face education on building inclusive cultures, with its success monitored via individual reports and surveys.
All England players, including age-grade squads, are trained in being "active bystanders" to intervene and protect others from harmful behaviour.
"You should be so proud of what you have done," Burrell's mother Joyce told him as part of the BBC iPlayer documentary Luther Burrell - Rugby, Racism and Redemption.
"I know it has had this effect on you and finished your career, but in our eyes, you have done so well. We are so proud of you and to have you as a son."
Burrell's father Geoff died shortly after the filming of the documentary, and his sister died earlier this year.
Burrell, who grew up on a council estate in Huddersfield, continues his work to make the game more open.
His 12 Foundation aims to reach children in under-served communities and help them thrive on and off the pitch with free sports coaching, mentoring and nutrition education.
"My intentions are pure, I want to see the evolution of the game and if nobody else is prepared to share their story then I'll continue to fight that fight because I'm not just doing this for myself," he said.
"We have an obligation to make the sport as great as it can be and the more I talk about it hopefully the more comfortable others will feel about sharing their own stories as well.
"I need to grab the bull by the horns and keep carrying this flag and keep carrying this weight and do what I can to create opportunities and make the sport more attractive and more inclusive.
"There's a lot of underprivileged children and a lot of poverty and I honestly believe that rugby has the ability to transform their lives, just as it did for me."
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Burrell scored for the Barbarians on a return to former club Northampton in November 2022
If you are affected by any of the issues in this article you can find details of organisations that can help via the BBC Action Line.
Tomahawk missiles would boost Ukraine's ability to strike targets deep inside Russia
US President Donald Trump is considering sending Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, saying it would provide "a new step of aggression" in its war with Russia.
When asked on Air Force One if he would send Tomahawks to Ukraine, Trump replied "we'll see... I may".
It follows a second phone call at the weekend between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who pushed for stronger military capabilities to launch counter-attacks against Russia.
Moscow has previously warned Washington against providing long-range missiles to Kyiv, saying it would cause a major escalation in the conflict and strain US-Russian relations.
Tomahawk missiles have a range of 2,500 km (1,500 miles), which would put Moscow within reach for Ukraine.
Trump spoke to reporters as he flew to Israel. He said he would possibly speak to Russia about the Tomahawks requested by Ukraine.
"I might tell them [Russia] that if the war is not settled, that we may very well, we may not, but we may do it."
"Do they [Russia] want Tomahawks going in their direction? I don't think so," the president said.
Kyiv has made multiple requests for long-range missiles, as it weighs up striking Russian cities far from the front lines of the grinding conflict.
In their phone calls Zelensky and Trump discussed Ukraine's bid to strengthen its military capabilities, including boosting its air defences and long-range arms.
Ukrainian cities including Kyiv have come under repeated heavy Russian bombardment with drones and missiles. Russia has particularly targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure, causing power cuts.
The time pressures of adult life can make it difficult to maintain the friendships we hold close
"We must catch up soon!"
It's a phrase near universal in adult friendships - a text we've likely both sent and received.
We mean it in the moment, with the best of intentions. But between work, family and endless to-do lists, a simple catch-up can become a logistical nightmare.
Yes, we must. But we rarely do.
It explains why researchfinds we lose around half of our friends every seven years.
It's not that we're suddenly "fundamentally incompatible", says psychologist Dr Marisa Franco, but because relationships shift as life stages change.
Be it moving in with partners, getting married, focusing on our careers or starting a family, friendships become "the easiest place for collateral damage" for both men and women explains author Dolly Alderton.
The question becomes how to maintain the same closeness with less time together.
Relationship expert Claire Cohen, author of BFF? The Truth About Female Friendship, who recently had a son is experiencing this first hand.
She's found herself in "identity limbo" between her old friends and the new group of mums she's met through antenatal classes.
Claire says she wants a fully rounded group, not just people who know the "new me".
To fix this, she's become more transparent, vulnerable, and creative in her approach to friendships during this challenging life transition.
When Claire recently discovered she hadn't been invited to a social event, for example, she gently reached out and explained she would still love invites despite being busy with motherhood.
Getty Images
Research shows platonic bonds are needed for healthy human connection
Her honesty opened up the conversation. Claire says the friend was "reassuring", explaining that she thought she was "being kind" by giving space, unaware of the hurt caused.
Friendship reaffirmed, they then made time to hang out, even through the "mundane connection" of tidying together.
Claire's experience shows how communicating honestly is key.
Science underlines the importance of friendships. A broad social circle is thought to reduce the risk of death by 45%, about the same as the impact of diet and exercise combined.
It combats what Dr Franco calls "relational loneliness" - the loss of deeper platonic bonds needed for healthy human connection.
"Even if you're around one person and you really like that person, you can still feel lonely without having friends," Dr Franco says.
Embrace mess
Making space for friendships as our life changes requires us to accept our changing circumstances and feel the discomfort.
This means welcoming our friends into our messy lives, rather than waiting for perfect moments, says psychologist Julia Samuels.
Going to the gym, running errands or doing a food shop with a new baby? Take a friend along.
For friendships to exist, we need to give them space, however short or unusual the setting. "If they can't do it, they can't do it. But have it in the diary," adds Samuels.
Doing so allows us to meet in person, which experts agree should be the priority - even more so in our age of instant messaging.
Claire agrees, particularly since giving birth. While Whatsapp messages undoubtedly help us touch base and tell people we're thinking of them, she's found them a wholly "unsatisfactory" catch-up replacement during maternity leave.
It's a trap more of us have fallen into since the pandemic, says Dr Franco. Lockdowns normalised "learned loneliness" - seeing isolation as an acceptable default - alongside an over reliance on virtual communication.
To avoid this, she says we need to remember that socialising is like a muscle - the more we do it, the easier it becomes.
For those having to push themselves out the door, Dr Franco advises trying to reframe toward thinking about how happy our future selves will be, rather than pre-meet fears.
"When it comes to social connection, we underestimate just how happy it makes us, just how much value it brings," she explains.
Best friends forever?
So, what should you do if you want to rekindle a relationship?
Dr Franco suggests a text message or voice note as an initial olive branch, perhaps highlighting a specific memory to revive the connection.
When doing so, she says it's important to remember the "liking gap" - the negative disconnect between how we think others perceive us and their actual opinion.
We need to think of friendships as "flexible and not fragile" and trust that feelings do not diminish in busy or challenging times.
As for meetings themselves, Claire says "organised fun" such as book clubs or pottery classes can alleviate the stress of hosting and make it a communal occasion.
Ultimately, we need to trust that friends really will be there for us. Or, as Samuels puts it:
"Trust that you're more liked than you think you are and take a risk".
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Mourners gather for a vigil at the Maple Valley Baptist Church in Tennessee in memory of 16 people presumed dead after a blast at an explosives factory
In Bucksnort, Tennessee, residents have spent a chilly autumn night heeding a simple message spraypainted on a concrete barrier by the side of the road: "Pray for the AES families".
Community members gathered on Saturday for a candlelit vigil outside the Maple Valley Baptist Church after a blast at local explosives factory Accurate Energetic Systems (AES) left 16 people presumed dead.
This community of Hickman and Humphreys Counties is "not huge, so that's a lot of people to lose in an instant," Deacon Danny Bates said to the approximately 40 attendees, who comforted each other and sang hymns such as "It Is Well With My Soul".
"It was just another day at work, and then in an instant, they were gone. We have unanswered questions".
A concrete barrier on the side of a road reads "Pray for AES families".
Vigil-goer Jerri Newcombe said her friend of more than 20 years was among the victims. The two met when Newcombe's granddaughter and the victim's daughter became close as little girls.
"They grew up together - we were in each other's homes," Newcombe told the BBC at the vigil. "We celebrated birthdays together. It's just surreal, because she's gone and her babies are hurting," she said, referring to the victim's children and grandchildren.
Local police have not publicly identified any of the unaccounted-for victims, who authorities presume have all been killed.
Her friend was "full of life", Ms Newcombe said. "She was the type of person that could make you laugh over anything, but you didn't cross her either, or she would tear into you," Ms. Newcombe added amid tears and laughter, as her granddaughter comforted her.
Bucksnort is a close-knit town where the cell service is spotty and a gas station - adorned with a Confederate flag centrepiece - is the local watering hole, residents say. This tragedy has hit the area hard as the community mourns family, friends, neighbours and coworkers.
The town had been holding out hope for good news after the explosion on Friday morning shook homes across the area, clouded the skies with smoke and drew a surge of hundreds of state and national first responders to an otherwise sleepy community tucked behind forests along a busy motorway.
But after nearly two days with no sign of survivors and the explosion site still considered dangerous for first responders, even the previously optimistic Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said the time had come to switch to a recovery - rather than rescue - strategy.
"At some point in time, we have got to rip off the Band-Aid," Davis, who has held back tears at news conferences, said. "We are dealing with remains."
Hickman County Sheriff Jason Craft told the BBC on Saturday night that rapid DNA analysis was still ongoing, but that after a search by 300 first responders, authorities had enough confidence in their assessment of the scene to notify families that their loved ones were likely deceased.
No cause of the blast has yet been identified, and agents from the national Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are investigating. It could take as long as a month for federal investigators to reach the main site of the explosion, ATF official Brice McCracken told the BBC.
The volatile nature of the explosive materials has also hampered the emergency response, officials said, as controlled detonations to render the site safe are also expected in the coming days.
Watch: Tennessee town comes together to confront tragedy
Tiffany Story says her cousin was also among the victims, along with four other people that she knew, including someone she once used to babysit for.
"Everybody knows everybody here," an emotional Mrs Story told the BBC. "With everybody being so close, it's very comforting to have family. That's what we are - whether [by] blood, not blood, this whole community is family."
"There's probably never gonna be any answers" to the tragedy, she said.
Janie Brown said she also knew victims at the site. "They were loved by their families and by the community," she said outside another prayer vigil at the Hurricane Chapel Free Will Baptist Church in nearby McEwen.
"It's just a sad, sad day," she said.
Residents told the BBC the Accurate Energetic Systems (AES) company employed about 80 workers, and is one of the only private well-paying jobs around in these counties. For many here, the plant was known as a reliable first job for themselves or close friends.
A recent job opening advertised a $19-per-hour salary for an entry-level manual labour job, more than double the state's minimum wage of $7.25.
The factory has seen other difficulties, but none at such a scale as this.
In 2014, an explosion at the company killed one person, and a 2019 workplace safety inspection led to relatively minor financial penalties, which the company settled, according to online records.
Residents who spoke to the BBC had mostly positive feelings towards the company, and local police say they had no previous reports of unsafe working conditions.
Hurricane Chapel Free Will Baptist Church Pastor Tim Ferris praised his congregation's response to the tragedy.
"One thing about a small community is that when something like this happens, they rally around each other, and they come close to be the hands and the feet of Jesus, to administer to these people, to care for them, provide for them.
A mass shooting at a crowded bar in the southern US state of South Carolina has left four people dead and at least 20 injured, officials said.
Hundreds of people were gathered at the popular bar on St Helena Island in the early hours of Sunday morning when gunfire broke out, leading multiple victims and witnesses to run to nearby businesses for shelter, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff's office.
Four people were declared dead at the bar and at least 20 were injured, including four who were sent to local hospitals in critical condition, the sheriff's office said.
The incident is still under investigation, and the sheriff's office is looking into possible suspects, it said.
When police and first responders arrived, they found several people suffering from gunshot wounds, the sheriff's office said in a statement.
It's not clear if the shooting was random or targeted, and a spokesperson for the sheriff's office declined to share more details.
The bar where the shooting took place, Willie's Bar and Grill, offers Gullah-inspired cuisine and says on its website that it aims to spread the "heartwarming spirit of the Gullah Geechee culture". The Gullah Geechee people are descendants of Africans who were enslaved on plantations along the south-eastern US coast, including in South Carolina.
"COMPLETELY HEARTBROKEN to learn about the devastating shooting in Beaufort County," South Carolina Republican Representative Nancy Mace wrote on X.
"Our prayers are with the victims, their families, and everyone impacted by this horrific act of violence."
Willie's did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the BBC.
US Vice-President JD Vance has warned of further workforce cuts in addition to the thousands of jobs already axed if the government shutdown is not resolved.
"The longer this goes on, the deeper the cuts are going to be," Vance told Fox News. "To be clear, some of these cuts are going to be painful."
Democrats said Republicans were punishing people by refusing to attach health insurance subsidies to the spending bill.
Hundreds of thousands of federal employees are already on leave without pay as the shutdown approaches its third week. No congressional vote is scheduled that could reopen the government.
The standoff began on 1 October after Democrats rejected a short-term funding bill. They want the budget to include an extension of federal subsidies for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
The Trump administration announced on Friday that seven agencies, including the CDC, had started firing over 4,000 staff.
But some of those CDC layoff notices were sent in error, a spokesman for the US health department, which oversees the CDC, told the BBC.
Those CDC employees "have all been notified that they are not subject to the reduction in force", Andrew Nixon said.
Out of about 1,300 CDC workers who were fired on Friday, around 700 were reinstated on Saturday, the employees' union told CNN.
Essential workers like federal law enforcement officers and air traffic controllers are required to continue working without pay.
But the Trump administration is making an exception for some essential workers: US service members.
Trump directed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to find available funds to get troops their wages this week - and Hegseth delivered.
The Department of Defence is taking about $8bn (£6bn) from "unobligated research development testing and evaluation funds" to pay military personnel on 15 October if the funding lapse is not resolved, a Pentagon official told the BBC.
Senator Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat, stood by the Democratic line on Sunday, saying on NBC's Meet the Press that he won't back down from his party's demand to reinstate federal healthcare subsidies in the budget now, not later.
And as for the layoffs, Kelly said Republicans "don't have to do this, they don't have to punish people".
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told NBC's Meet the Press that he will not vote to extend the subsidies.
Vance blamed the Democrats when speaking to Fox, saying: "This is not a situation we relish, [these layoffs] are not something we're looking forward to, but the Democrats have dealt us a pretty difficult set of cards."
As lawmakers continue battling over the budget, more government services are feeling the effect of the shutdown.
Several Smithsonian museums, research centres and the National Zoo in Washington DC closed on Sunday after funding to keep them open ran out.
A ceasefire deal has taken effect in Gaza that should see Hamas release all the 48 Israeli and foreign hostages it is still holding after two years of war, 20 of whom are assumed to be alive.
All but one were among the 251 people abducted during the Palestinian group's attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, during which about 1,200 other people were killed.
Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 67,000 people have been killed, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
Hostages who are thought to be alive
Ariel Cunio, 28, was abducted in the attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz on 7 October. Ariel's brother Eitan, who escaped the Hamas-led gunmen, said the last message from Ariel said: "We are in a horror movie." Ariel's partner, Arbel Yehud, was freed in January 2025 under a deal that saw Hamas hand over 25 living and eight dead hostages during a two-month ceasefire.
David Cunio, 35, another of Ariel's brothers, was also kidnapped from Nir Oz. David's wife Sharon Aloni Cunio and their then-three-year-old twin daughters Ema and Yuly were among the 105 hostages released during a week-long ceasefire in November 2023. Sharon's sister Danielle Aloni and her daughter Emilia were also freed. In February 2025, David's family said released hostages had told them that had recently seen him alive.
Gali and Ziv Berman, 28-year-old twin brothers, were abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza with their neighbour, Emily Damari. Ziv was held with Emily for 40 days before they were separated. She was released in January 2025 during the last ceasefire. Gali and Ziv's family said they had been informed by other hostages released in early 2025 that they were still alive.
Matan Angrest, a 22-year-old Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier, was in a tank that was attacked near the Gaza perimeter fence on 7 October. One video showed a crowd pulling him from the tank unconscious and injured. Earlier this year, his family said they had been told by released hostages that he was suffering from chronic asthma, untreated burns and infections.
Reuters
Matan Zangauker, 25, was taken with his partner Ilana Gritzewsky from Nir Oz. Ilana was released during the November 2023 ceasefire. In December 2024, Hamas released a video showing Matan in captivity. He said he and his fellow hostages were suffering from skin ailments, shortages of food, water and medicine.
Eitan Horn, 38, an Israeli-Argentine dual national, was kidnapped along with his elder brother Yair from Nir Oz. Yair was freed in February 2025 during the last ceasefire. Hamas released a video at the time showing Eitan and Yair hugging and breaking down in tears ahead of the latter's release. "Every day we imagined what we'd do if we were freed," Yair recalled recently.
Nimrod Cohen, 21, was serving as an IDF soldier when his tank was attacked by Hamas at Nahal Oz. In February 2025, his family were told by one of the released hostages that he was still alive in captivity but in poor physical and mental shape. After the new ceasefire was agreed, his mother Viki posted on social media: "My child, you are coming home."
Omri Miran, 48, was abducted from his home in Nahal Oz. His wife, Lishay, said she last saw him being driven away in his own car. She and their two young daughters, Roni and Alma, were not taken with him. In April 2025, Hamas released a video showing Omri marking his 48th birthday. In response: Lishay said: "I always said and I always knew, Omri is a survivor."
Reuters
Dozens of people were taken hostage during the attack by Hamas gunmen on the Nova music festival. Among those believed to be still alive in captivity are:
Yosef-Chaim Ohana, 25, had been at the festival with a friend, who said they had remained to help people escape the gunfire before running themselves. In May 2025, Hamas published a video showing Yosef and another hostage, Elkana Bohbot. Yosef is seen sitting beside Elkana, who is lying on the ground. An intravenous drip is hooked up to the wall next to Elkana.
Elkana Bohbot, 36, was working at the festival when he was abducted. "In our last conversation on the morning of the massacre at 07:00, I told him, 'It's not just missiles, come home,' and he promised he would return," his wife Rikva said in March 2025. The previous month, Israeli media cited a released hostage as saying Elkana, who has asthma, was being held in inhumane conditions and had developed a severe skin disease.
Avinatan Or, 32, was kidnapped at the festival along with his girlfriend, Noa Argamani, but they were immediately separated. Noa and three other hostages were rescued in an Israeli military operation in central Gaza in June 2024. In March 2025, Avinatan's family said they had received a sign that he was still alive. His British-Israeli mother, Ditza, has said she just wants to put her ear to his chest and hear his heartbeat again.
Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 24, attended the festival with his brother, Gal, who said the last time they saw each other was just before Hamas launched its first barrage of rockets into Israel at the start of the attack. Gal evaded the gunmen on the ground, but Guy was kidnapped. Last month, Hamas released a video showing Guy and another hostage, Alon Ohel, being driven around Gaza City in late August as the Israeli military prepared to launch an offensive there.
Alon Ohel, 24, has Israeli, German and Serbian citizenship. Hamas footage showed him being taken away as a hostage from the Nova festival. Alon was not seen in another video until August 2025, when he was filmed being driven around Gaza City with Guy Gilboa-Dalal. Last month, Alon's family approved the publication of a still from a new video which they said showed he had gone blind in one eye.
Eitan Mor, 25, was working as a security guard at the festival. His father Mor said he saved dozens of people before being kidnapped by Hamas gunmen. In February 2025, Eitan's family said they had received a sign of life from him. Three months later, they said a released hostage who spent time with him in a tunnel had told them how he had acted as a "spokesman to the captors" and "lifted everyone's spirits".
Maxim Herkin, 37, is an Israel-Russian dual national who was invited to the festival at the last moment. His two friends were among the 378 people killed in the attack. In April 2025, Maxim appeared in a Hamas video along with Bar Kupershtein - the first signs of life from either man since they were taken hostage. The following month, Maxim was seen alone in another video and appeared to be bandaged up. Hamas said was the result of an Israeli air strike.
Bar Kupershtein, 23, was working at the festival and stayed behind during the attack to help treat casualties. He told his grandmother that he would head home as soon as they were finished. But he was later identified him in a video of hostages. They heard no further information about him until April 2025, when he was seen in a video with Maxim Herkin.
Segev Kalfon, 27, was running away from the festival with a friend when he was taken hostage by Hamas gunmen. Two months later, the Israeli military found a video of the abduction. In February 2025, released hostage Ohad Ben Ami told Segev's father, Kobi, that they had been held captive with four other men in a tunnel in "terrible conditions".
Evyatar David, 24, was at the festival and on the morning of the attacks. He texted the family to say "they are bombarding the party". His family say they later received a text from an unknown number, containing video footage of Evyatar handcuffed on the floor of a dark room. In August 2025, Hamas published a video of an emaciated and weak Evyatar in a tunnel. The footage caused outrage in Israel and deep concern among his family. "He's a human skeleton. He was being starved to the point where he can be dead at any moment," said his brother Ilay.
Rom Braslabski, 21, was working on security for the festival. According to an account published by Hostages and Missing Families Forum, he was trying to rescue an injured person in the attack when he was caught in a volley of fire. In August 2025, Palestinian Islamic Jihad published a video of Rom, in which he is seen crying as he says he has run out of food and water. He says he is unable to stand or walk, and "is at death's door". Medical experts said he was suffering from "deliberate, prolonged, and systematic starvation".
EPA
Hostages whose conditions are unknown
Bipin Joshi, 24, a Nepalese agriculture student, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Alumim. Footage from 7 October 2023 showed him walking inside al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. His family received no signs of life for a year, until the Israeli military shared a video showing him in captivity around November 2023. The family released the footage just before the new ceasefire was announced, describing it as "proof of life".
Tomer Alon Nimrodi, 20, was an education officer in the IDF at the Erez Crossing on 7 October. The last time his mother, Herut, saw him was in a video of his abduction posted on social media that day. Since then, she has received no signs of life and his fate is unknown.
Hostages who are confirmed dead
Tamir Adar, 38, was a member of Nir Oz's community security squad who was killed while fighting Hamas gunmen during the 7 October attack, his kibbutz announced in January 2024. The body of the farmer and father-of-two is being held by Hamas in Gaza.
Sonthaya Akrasri, 30, was a Thai agricultural worker killed in the attack on Kibbutz Be'eri, Thailand's foreign ministry said in May 2024, citing the available evidence. His body is being held by Hamas in Gaza.
Muhammad al-Atarash, 39, was a sergeant-major in the IDF and served as a tracker. In June 2024, the IDF confirmed the father-of-13 from the Bedouin village of Sawa was killed while fighting Hamas gunmen near Nahal Oz on 7 October and that his body was being held in Gaza.
Sahar Baruch, 24, was kidnapped from Be'eri. In January 2024, the IDF announced that he had been killed during a rescue attempt by Israeli forces in Gaza. It was not clear whether he was killed by Hamas or Israeli gunfire.
Uriel Baruch, 35, was abducted from the Nova festival. In March 2024, the father-of-two's family said they had been informed by the IDF that he was killed in captivity in Gaza.
Itay Chen, 19, was an Israeli-American who was serving as a soldier in the IDF on 7 October. The IDF said he was killed during Hamas's attack on Nahal Oz base and that his body was taken back to Gaza as a hostage.
Amiram Cooper, 85, was abducted from Nir Oz. The IDF said in June 2024 that he had been killed along with three other hostages - Nadav Popplewell, Chaim Peri and Yoram Metzger - during military operations in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza.
Oz Daniel, 19, was a sergeant in the IDF's 7th Armoured Brigade and was killed during a battle with Hamas gunmen near the Gaza perimeter fence on 7 October. His body was taken to Gaza as a hostage, according to the IDF.
Ronen Engel, 54, was kidnapped from Nir Oz on 7 October along with his wife, Karina Engel-Bart, and their daughters, Mika and Yuval. Karina, Mika and Yuval were released during the ceasefire in November 2023. The following month, the IDF confirmed that Ronen has been killed in captivity.
Meny Godard, 73, was killed during the attack on Be'eri with his wife, Ayelet, and his body was taken to Gaza as a hostage, his family said in February 2024. In March 2025, the IDF said some of Meny's remains had been found at a Palestinian Islamic Jihad outpost in Rafah, but that the group was believed to be holding the rest.
Ran Gvili, 24, was a sergeant in the Israel Police who was killed while fighting Hamas-led gunmen in Kibbutz Alumim on 7 October. His body was subsequently taken to Gaza as a hostage, according to the IDF.
Tal Haimi, 41, was part of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak's rapid response team and was killed during the attack there on 7 October. The father-of-four's body was taken to Gaza, where it is still being held.
Asaf Hamami, 41, was a colonel in the IDF and commander of the Gaza Division's Southern Brigade. He was killed near Kibbutz Nirim on 7 October and his body is being held in Gaza, according to the IDF.
Inbar Hayman, 27, was kidnapped during the attack on the Nova festival and was killed by Hamas in captivity, her family said. She is the last female hostage being held.
Guy Illouz, 26, was shot twice during the attack on the Nova festival and died of his wounds after being taken hostage, his family said. Released hostages are said to have confirmed his death.
Reuters
Eitan Levi, 53, was a taxi driver who was killed by Hamas gunmen on a road close to the Gaza perimeter on 7 October. His body was then taken to Gaza, where Palestinians were filmed beating and kicking it.
Eliyahu Margalit, 75, was killed by Hamas fighters in Nir Oz on 7 October, the IDF confirmed in December 2023. His body is being held in Gaza.
Joshua Mollel, 21, was a Tanzanian student who was undertaking an agricultural internship at Kibbutz Nahal Oz when it was attacked on 7 October. The Tanzanian government confirmed in December 2023 that he was killed that day and that his body was being held by Hamas.
Omer Neutra, 21, an Israeli-American and grandson of Holocaust survivors, was serving as an IDF tank commander near Gaza when Hamas attacked on 7 October. The IDF later said he was killed that day and his body taken to Gaza.
Dror Or, 48, and his wife, Yonat, were killed in the attack on Be'eri, the kibbutz confirmed in February 2024. Two of his three children, Noam and Alma, were taken hostage and were released as part of the November 2023 ceasefire deal. Dror's body is being held in Gaza.
Daniel Peretz, 22, was a captain in the IDF's 7th Armoured Brigade. Originally from South Africa, he was killed in an attack on his tank near Nahal Oz on 7 October and his body was taken to Gaza, the IDF said.
Suthisak Rintalak, 43, was a Thai agricultural worker killed in the attack on Kibbutz Be'eri, Thailand's foreign ministry said in May 2024, citing the available evidence. His body is being held by Hamas in Gaza.
Lior Rudaeff, 61, was killed while attempting to defend Nir Yitzhak from attack on 7 October, the kibbutz said. His body is being held as a hostage.
Yossi Sharabi, 53, was kidnapped from Be'eri along with his brother, Eli. In January 2024, the kibbutz announced that the father-of-three had been killed in captivity in Gaza. The following month, the IDF said an investigation had found that he was likely to have been killed when a building collapsed following an Israeli strike on another building nearby. His body is being held by Hamas. Eli, who was released in February 2025, told the BBC last week how important it was for the family to have a funeral and closure.
Arie Zalmanowicz, 85, was abducted from Nir Oz on 7 October. In November 2023, Hamas released a video showing him saying he felt unwell. The following month his kibbutz said he had died in captivity.
Hadar Goldin, 23, was a lieutenant in the IDF's Givati Brigade who was killed in combat in Gaza in 2014. His body has been held hostage by Hamas since then.
The prime minister will attend an international peace summit in Egypt on Monday where the peace plan for Gaza will be signed, Downing Street has said.
Sir Keir Starmer will pay "particular tribute" in Sharm El-Sheikh to US President Donald Trump, No 10 added.
A ceasefire in Gaza took effect on Friday morning after Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire agreement and hostage return deal brokered by Trump, with the next phases still to be negotiated.
The US president will lead the summit alongside Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi with leaders from more than 20 countries in attendance, a spokesman for al-Sisi said.
Under the deal, Hamas has until 12:00 (09:00 GMT) on Monday to release all Israeli hostages - including 20 who are believed to be alive, and the remains of up to 28 deceased hostages.
Israel should also release around 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 detainees from Gaza, while increased amounts of aid should enter the Strip.
Many details for the later phases, which would be negotiated after the successful completion of phase one, could be hard to reach agreement on - such as the governance of Gaza, the extent of Israeli troop withdrawal, and the disarming of Hamas.
Downing Street said Monday's summit would involve a "signing ceremony" for the peace plan, "marking a historic turning point for the region after two years of conflict and bloodshed".
Sir Keir will thank Egypt, Qatar and Turkey for "bringing us to this point" as well as Trump, before calling for continued coordination to secure "swift progress towards phase two" of the truce.
No 10 added in its statement: "He will offer the UK's steadfast support and engagement with international partners as we look to secure the ceasefire, get urgently needed humanitarian assistance into Gaza and secure a basis for a lasting peace and security."
French President Emmanuel Macron will also attend, the Elysee Palace confirmed on Saturday, where he will "express his full support for the implementation of the agreement".
Confirming the summit late on Saturday, a spokesperson for Egypt's presidency said it was intended to "end the war in the Gaza Strip, strengthen peace and stability efforts in the Middle East, and open a new page in regional security and stability".
Trump had told reporters at the White House on Friday that he would be travelling to the region on Monday, addressing Israel's parliament the Knesset, before heading to Egypt.
He said: "We have a lot of leaders from all over the world coming too, they've been invited."
Egypt's foreign ministry had also said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed arrangements for the summit with Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.
The ceasefire came into effect after the Israeli government approved the first phase of Trump's ceasefire and hostage return deal on Thursday, following three days of indirect talks in Egypt.
The Israeli military said it had partially withdrawn troops from parts of Gaza and pulled back to an agreed position within the territory - though troops still occupy half of the Strip.
The UK has already said it has "no plans" to send British troops to be part of a multinational force that will monitor the latest ceasefire from Israel.
The US is moving up to 200 troops already based in the region to what it is calling a civil-military coordination centre in Israel, officials have said, alongsideforces from Arab and Muslim countries including Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Friday the UK would continue to support the peace process in other ways, including looking at getting private finance into Gaza.
Israel's war on Gaza was triggered by the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.
Since then, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 18,000 children, the Hamas-run health ministry says.
A previous ceasefire agreement that began in January collapsed after two months when Israel resumed its military offensive, having never got past the first stage of a three-stage plan.
The conference was billed as a celebration of China’s achievements in supporting women. But the government has mostly wiped out independent advocacy groups.
The conference was billed as a celebration of China’s achievements in supporting women. But the government has mostly wiped out independent advocacy groups.
Mourners gather for a vigil at the Maple Valley Baptist Church in Tennessee in memory of 16 people presumed dead after a blast at an explosives factory
In Bucksnort, Tennessee, residents have spent a chilly autumn night heeding a simple message spraypainted on a concrete barrier by the side of the road: "Pray for the AES families".
Community members gathered on Saturday for a candlelit vigil outside the Maple Valley Baptist Church after a blast at local explosives factory Accurate Energetic Systems (AES) left 16 people presumed dead.
This community of Hickman and Humphreys Counties is "not huge, so that's a lot of people to lose in an instant," Deacon Danny Bates said to the approximately 40 attendees, who comforted each other and sang hymns such as "It Is Well With My Soul".
"It was just another day at work, and then in an instant, they were gone. We have unanswered questions".
A concrete barrier on the side of a road reads "Pray for AES families".
Vigil-goer Jerri Newcombe said her friend of more than 20 years was among the victims. The two met when Newcombe's granddaughter and the victim's daughter became close as little girls.
"They grew up together - we were in each other's homes," Newcombe told the BBC at the vigil. "We celebrated birthdays together. It's just surreal, because she's gone and her babies are hurting," she said, referring to the victim's children and grandchildren.
Local police have not publicly identified any of the unaccounted-for victims, who authorities presume have all been killed.
Her friend was "full of life", Ms Newcombe said. "She was the type of person that could make you laugh over anything, but you didn't cross her either, or she would tear into you," Ms. Newcombe added amid tears and laughter, as her granddaughter comforted her.
Bucksnort is a close-knit town where the cell service is spotty and a gas station - adorned with a Confederate flag centrepiece - is the local watering hole, residents say. This tragedy has hit the area hard as the community mourns family, friends, neighbours and coworkers.
The town had been holding out hope for good news after the explosion on Friday morning shook homes across the area, clouded the skies with smoke and drew a surge of hundreds of state and national first responders to an otherwise sleepy community tucked behind forests along a busy motorway.
But after nearly two days with no sign of survivors and the explosion site still considered dangerous for first responders, even the previously optimistic Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said the time had come to switch to a recovery - rather than rescue - strategy.
"At some point in time, we have got to rip off the Band-Aid," Davis, who has held back tears at news conferences, said. "We are dealing with remains."
Hickman County Sheriff Jason Craft told the BBC on Saturday night that rapid DNA analysis was still ongoing, but that after a search by 300 first responders, authorities had enough confidence in their assessment of the scene to notify families that their loved ones were likely deceased.
No cause of the blast has yet been identified, and agents from the national Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are investigating. It could take as long as a month for federal investigators to reach the main site of the explosion, ATF official Brice McCracken told the BBC.
The volatile nature of the explosive materials has also hampered the emergency response, officials said, as controlled detonations to render the site safe are also expected in the coming days.
Watch: Tennessee town comes together to confront tragedy
Tiffany Story says her cousin was also among the victims, along with four other people that she knew, including someone she once used to babysit for.
"Everybody knows everybody here," an emotional Mrs Story told the BBC. "With everybody being so close, it's very comforting to have family. That's what we are - whether [by] blood, not blood, this whole community is family."
"There's probably never gonna be any answers" to the tragedy, she said.
Janie Brown said she also knew victims at the site. "They were loved by their families and by the community," she said outside another prayer vigil at the Hurricane Chapel Free Will Baptist Church in nearby McEwen.
"It's just a sad, sad day," she said.
Residents told the BBC the Accurate Energetic Systems (AES) company employed about 80 workers, and is one of the only private well-paying jobs around in these counties. For many here, the plant was known as a reliable first job for themselves or close friends.
A recent job opening advertised a $19-per-hour salary for an entry-level manual labour job, more than double the state's minimum wage of $7.25.
The factory has seen other difficulties, but none at such a scale as this.
In 2014, an explosion at the company killed one person, and a 2019 workplace safety inspection led to relatively minor financial penalties, which the company settled, according to online records.
Residents who spoke to the BBC had mostly positive feelings towards the company, and local police say they had no previous reports of unsafe working conditions.
Hurricane Chapel Free Will Baptist Church Pastor Tim Ferris praised his congregation's response to the tragedy.
"One thing about a small community is that when something like this happens, they rally around each other, and they come close to be the hands and the feet of Jesus, to administer to these people, to care for them, provide for them.
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