US President Donald Trump has told cheering Israeli lawmakers that "this is the historic dawn of a new Middle East", after helping to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

During the first such address by a US president since 2008, Trump said Monday was a "day of profound joy" after "two harrowing years".

Trump's address to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, comes on the day that the last 20 living hostages held in the Palestinian enclave were released by Hamas.

Israel is releasing 250 Palestinian prisoners and more than 1,700 other Palestinians detained during the two-year military operations in Gaza.

During a whirlwind trip to the region, Trump is also expected to attend a peace summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and other world leaders.

After hearing politicians' chants of "Trump, Trump, Trump" in the Knesset, the American president said the occasion would represent "not only the end of a war" but also the possibility of a new age for "what will soon be a magnificent region".

Trump's suggestion that the region was on the dawn of a new era echoed the words he used when Israel signed landmark deals with several Arab states during his first presidency.

Trump was introduced to parliament by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who saluted his counterpart's various acts of solidarity with Israel.

Trump was the "greatest friend" Israel had ever had in the White House, Netanyahu said.

"Everything changed" in the American attitude to Israel's military campaign in Gaza when Trump was re-elected as US president last year, Netanyahu added.

The Israeli prime minister thanked Trump for his "unremitting help" in securing the return of the remaining hostages - part of a group of 251 people seized during the 7 October 2023 attacks in southern Israel by Hamas.

Trump went on to offer a tribute of his own to his counterpart, saying: "He's not the easiest guy to deal with, but that's what makes him great."

• Follow live updates
• Who are the released hostages?
• What we know about Gaza ceasefire agreement

Earlier, the US president declared the "war is over" in Gaza, after two years of fighting, as he flew to the region from the US on board Air Force One.

The ceasefire in Gaza took effect on Friday morning after Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of Trump's 20-point peace plan. The next phases are still to be negotiated.

Trump told reporters on Air Force One that the ceasefire would hold, and that a "board of peace" he is due to head would quickly be set up to administer the territory.

In his remarks to parliament, Netanyahu said he was "committed to this peace".

Also welcomed to the Knesset alongside Trump were other key US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The names of Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner received particularly loud cheers from Israeli MPs, for their own roles in brokering the ceasefire. Kushner was accompanied by his wife Ivanka Trump.

Members of Trump's audience wore red caps. Instead of Trump's signature slogan "Make America Great Again", they read "Trump the Peace President".

Trump was told by the parliamentary speaker that there was "no-one" more deserving of next year's Nobel Peace Prize.

But some Israeli lawmakers who want the war in Gaza to continue did not attend.

Hundreds of freed Palestinian prisoners and detainees were welcomed with tears and screams of joy as they were released by Israel to be reunited with their families in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

The release involved about 250 prisoners who had been convicted of crimes including murder and deadly attacks against Israelis - and about 1,700 detainees from Gaza who had been held by Israel without trial.

As prisoners exited a Red Cross bus in Ramallah, many draped in traditional Keffiyeh scarves, they looked pale and gaunt, with some struggling to walk.

They were freed as part of an exchange in which 20 Israeli hostages, and the remains of some deceased hostages, were released by Hamas.

"He is ready to embrace freedom," said Amro Abdullah, 24, who was waiting for his cousin Rashid Omar, 48, who was arrested in July 2005 and sentenced to life in prison by an Israeli court after being found guilty murder and other crimes.

"I want peace," Mr Abudullah said. "I want to live a happy life, safe and peaceful, without occupation and without restrictions."

It is thought about 100 prisoners were released into the West Bank, with many others set to be deported and a small number freed into East Jerusalem.

Israel made clear before the release process it wanted to avoid the jubilant scenes that surrounded prisoners arriving in Ramallah during previous hostage deals, when large crowds waved Hamas flags.

Many families were reluctant to speak to the media, saying they had been warned against doing so by the Israeli military.

In Gaza, families gathered at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in hope of being reunited with their loved ones. A field hospital adjacent to the main hospital building was set up to receive them.

"This is a very beautiful feeling - happy, a day of joy," said Muhammad Hasan Saeed Dawood, 50, who told the BBC he was there to collect his son who he says was arrested by Israeli forces at a checkpoint.

"We call it a national holiday, that our detainees are being released despite the cost of the war, the martyrs, the injured, and the destruction in Gaza."

Khalil Muhammad Abdulrahman Al-Qatrous, who was also there to collect his son who he said had been detained for about three months, said: "There is joy, and there is pain, and there is happiness, and there is sorrow."

"We came here waiting for their release. We came here expecting them to arrive at 10:00am, and now it is past 12:00pm, and we are still waiting, on edge."

Ahead of the release in Ramallah, ambulances from the Palestine Red Crescent Society set up in preparation to treat any injured prisoners.

"The crying and the silence, this shows you how the families are feeling," said Ibrahim Ifani, 23, a volunteer nurse for the organisation.

"For all the people in Palestine, it's a deep, deep emotion," he said.

Multiple medics and family members said the prisoners who were released in Ramallah had had faced beatings in recent days prior to their release.

The BBC cannot verify claims of mistreatment in Israeli prisons. But Israel's top court said last month that Palestinian prisoners were not being given adequate food.

The BBC has also previously reported on Palestinians being tortured in Israeli detention.

"Their rights were violated in the most serious ways," said Aya Shreiteh, 26, from the Palestinian Prisoners Club.

"Most of the prisoners in the past year were subjected to deliberate starvation and exposure to illness," she told the BBC.

"Their bodies are frail from starvation, and they've suffered from beatings."

"But today gives us hope that there will always be an inevitable freedom, no matter the circumstances," she added.

The hostage and prisoner exchange formed part of phase one of Donald Trump's peace plan aimed at ending the war in Gaza, which 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.

Israel launched a retaliatory military offensive which saw more than 67,682 Palestinians killed, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

A ceasefire took hold on Friday - and negotiations are now expected to follow over the latter phases of Trump's peace plan.

India and Canada have agreed a host of steps at talks between their foreign ministers in Delhi aimed at restoring ties that plummeted after a Sikh separatist leader was assassinated on Canadian soil.

Canada's Foreign Minister Anita Anand, making her first official visit to India, met her counterpart S Jaishankar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Modi told her the visit would strengthen "efforts to impart new momentum" to the two countries' partnership.

Relations hit rock bottom in 2023 when Canada's then PM Justin Trudeau accused India of being linked to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, claims Delhi denied. Both countries suspended visa services and expelled each other's top diplomats.

Canada is home to nearly 1.7 million people of Indian origin and the developments were being watched anxiously in both countries.

After the meeting of their foreign ministers in Delhi, the two sides announced a series of measures, including starting ministerial-level discussions on bilateral trade and investment.

"Reviving this partnership will not only create opportunities for enhanced economic cooperation but also help mitigate vulnerabilities arising from shifting global alliances," a joint statement said.

Signs of a thaw have appeared this year since Mark Carney took over as Canadian prime minister.

In June, Carney and Modi held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada. Two months later, the countries appointed new high commissioners to each other's countries.

Anand and Jaishankar also met each other on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session in New York in September.

On Monday, Jaishankar said that India-Canada bilateral relations have been steadily progressing in the last few months.

"When we look at Canada, we see a complementary economy. We see another open society. We see diversity and pluralism," he said, adding that this was "the basis for a close sustainable and long-term co-operative framework".

"We are collectively committed to advancing this relationship now and in the long term, particularly when it comes to our mutual priorities in the Indo-Pacific," Anand said.

The two countries will resume the Canada–India CEO Forum, which brings together executives from both countries to increase bilateral trade and investment. The announcement comes as Delhi deals with a punitive 50% tariff imposed by US President Donald Trump on Indian goods.

Anand is also set to meet India's Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to discuss boosting trade ties, before visiting Mumbai to speak to business leaders about investments and economic opportunities.

She will then travel to China and Singapore as part of Canada's Indo-Pacific strategy that focuses on deepening the country's engagement in the region.

Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook

US President Donald Trump has told cheering Israeli lawmakers that "this is the historic dawn of a new Middle East", after helping to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

During the first such address by a US president since 2008, Trump said Monday was a "day of profound joy" after "two harrowing years".

Trump's address to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, comes on the day that the last 20 living hostages held in the Palestinian enclave were released by Hamas.

Israel is releasing 250 Palestinian prisoners and more than 1,700 other Palestinians detained during the two-year military operations in Gaza.

During a whirlwind trip to the region, Trump is also expected to attend a peace summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and other world leaders.

After hearing politicians' chants of "Trump, Trump, Trump" in the Knesset, the American president said the occasion would represent "not only the end of a war" but also the possibility of a new age for "what will soon be a magnificent region".

Trump's suggestion that the region was on the dawn of a new era echoed the words he used when Israel signed landmark deals with several Arab states during his first presidency.

Trump was introduced to parliament by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who saluted his counterpart's various acts of solidarity with Israel.

Trump was the "greatest friend" Israel had ever had in the White House, Netanyahu said.

"Everything changed" in the American attitude to Israel's military campaign in Gaza when Trump was re-elected as US president last year, Netanyahu added.

The Israeli prime minister thanked Trump for his "unremitting help" in securing the return of the remaining hostages - part of a group of 251 people seized during the 7 October 2023 attacks in southern Israel by Hamas.

Trump went on to offer a tribute of his own to his counterpart, saying: "He's not the easiest guy to deal with, but that's what makes him great."

• Follow live updates
• Who are the released hostages?
• What we know about Gaza ceasefire agreement

Earlier, the US president declared the "war is over" in Gaza, after two years of fighting, as he flew to the region from the US on board Air Force One.

The ceasefire in Gaza took effect on Friday morning after Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of Trump's 20-point peace plan. The next phases are still to be negotiated.

Trump told reporters on Air Force One that the ceasefire would hold, and that a "board of peace" he is due to head would quickly be set up to administer the territory.

In his remarks to parliament, Netanyahu said he was "committed to this peace".

Also welcomed to the Knesset alongside Trump were other key US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The names of Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner received particularly loud cheers from Israeli MPs, for their own roles in brokering the ceasefire. Kushner was accompanied by his wife Ivanka Trump.

Members of Trump's audience wore red caps. Instead of Trump's signature slogan "Make America Great Again", they read "Trump the Peace President".

Trump was told by the parliamentary speaker that there was "no-one" more deserving of next year's Nobel Peace Prize.

But some Israeli lawmakers who want the war in Gaza to continue did not attend.

Hundreds of freed Palestinian prisoners and detainees were welcomed with tears and screams of joy as they were released by Israel to be reunited with their families in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

The release involved about 250 prisoners who had been convicted of crimes including murder and deadly attacks against Israelis - and about 1,700 detainees from Gaza who had been held by Israel without trial.

As prisoners exited a Red Cross bus in Ramallah, many draped in traditional Keffiyeh scarves, they looked pale and gaunt, with some struggling to walk.

They were freed as part of an exchange in which 20 Israeli hostages, and the remains of some deceased hostages, were released by Hamas.

"He is ready to embrace freedom," said Amro Abdullah, 24, who was waiting for his cousin Rashid Omar, 48, who was arrested in July 2005 and sentenced to life in prison by an Israeli court after being found guilty murder and other crimes.

"I want peace," Mr Abudullah said. "I want to live a happy life, safe and peaceful, without occupation and without restrictions."

It is thought about 100 prisoners were released into the West Bank, with many others set to be deported and a small number freed into East Jerusalem.

Israel made clear before the release process it wanted to avoid the jubilant scenes that surrounded prisoners arriving in Ramallah during previous hostage deals, when large crowds waved Hamas flags.

Many families were reluctant to speak to the media, saying they had been warned against doing so by the Israeli military.

In Gaza, families gathered at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in hope of being reunited with their loved ones. A field hospital adjacent to the main hospital building was set up to receive them.

"This is a very beautiful feeling - happy, a day of joy," said Muhammad Hasan Saeed Dawood, 50, who told the BBC he was there to collect his son who he says was arrested by Israeli forces at a checkpoint.

"We call it a national holiday, that our detainees are being released despite the cost of the war, the martyrs, the injured, and the destruction in Gaza."

Khalil Muhammad Abdulrahman Al-Qatrous, who was also there to collect his son who he said had been detained for about three months, said: "There is joy, and there is pain, and there is happiness, and there is sorrow."

"We came here waiting for their release. We came here expecting them to arrive at 10:00am, and now it is past 12:00pm, and we are still waiting, on edge."

Ahead of the release in Ramallah, ambulances from the Palestine Red Crescent Society set up in preparation to treat any injured prisoners.

"The crying and the silence, this shows you how the families are feeling," said Ibrahim Ifani, 23, a volunteer nurse for the organisation.

"For all the people in Palestine, it's a deep, deep emotion," he said.

Multiple medics and family members said the prisoners who were released in Ramallah had had faced beatings in recent days prior to their release.

The BBC cannot verify claims of mistreatment in Israeli prisons. But Israel's top court said last month that Palestinian prisoners were not being given adequate food.

The BBC has also previously reported on Palestinians being tortured in Israeli detention.

"Their rights were violated in the most serious ways," said Aya Shreiteh, 26, from the Palestinian Prisoners Club.

"Most of the prisoners in the past year were subjected to deliberate starvation and exposure to illness," she told the BBC.

"Their bodies are frail from starvation, and they've suffered from beatings."

"But today gives us hope that there will always be an inevitable freedom, no matter the circumstances," she added.

The hostage and prisoner exchange formed part of phase one of Donald Trump's peace plan aimed at ending the war in Gaza, which 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.

Israel launched a retaliatory military offensive which saw more than 67,682 Palestinians killed, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

A ceasefire took hold on Friday - and negotiations are now expected to follow over the latter phases of Trump's peace plan.

US President Donald Trump says Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a Gaza peace deal.

It comes two years and two days after Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the 7 October 2023 attack, in which Hamas-led gunmen killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage.

At least 67,183 have been killed by Israeli military operations in Gaza since then, including 20,179 children, the Hamas-run health ministry says.

Here is what we know about the agreement, and what remains unclear:

What has been announced?

After intense negotiations in Egypt, Israel and Hamas have agreed to a first phase of a US peace plan, the US president said.

Announcing the deal on social media, Trump said: "This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line."

"All parties" would be treated fairly, said Trump, who called these the "first steps toward... everlasting peace".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it "a great day for Israel" and said his government would meet on Thursday to approve the agreement and "bring all our dear hostages home".

In confirming the announcement, Hamas said it would "end the war in Gaza, ensure the complete withdrawal of the occupation forces, allow the entry of humanitarian aid, and implement a prisoner exchange".

Israel and Hamas do not speak directly to each other - the negotiations were brokered by Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.

What happens next?

Israel's government is due to vote on the deal on Thursday.

If they formally approve it, Israel must withdraw its troops from Gaza to the agreed line, a senior White House official told BBC's US partner, CBS News. The withdrawal would likely happen within 24 hours, the official said.

After this happens, a 72-hour clock will begin where Hamas must release the living hostages.

The release of the hostages would likely begin on Monday, the senior White House official said.

What do we not know?

What's been announced so far is just the initial phase of Trump's 20-point peace plan, which Israel has accepted and Hamas has partly agreed to.

However the announcements did not cover some thorny issues both sides have not reached a resolution on.

Notably, no details surround the disarmament of Hamas - a key point in Trump's plan. Hamas has previously refused to lay down its weapons, saying it would only do so when a Palestinian state had been established.

The future governance of Gaza is also a sticking point. Trump's 20-point plan states Hamas will have no future role in the Strip and proposes it be temporarily governed by a "technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee", before being handed over to the Palestinian Authority.

Netanyahu appeared to push back on the Palestinian Authority's involvement last week, even as he accepted Trump's plan.

Ultranationalist hardliners within Netanyahu's ruling coalition, many of whom want to reconstruct Jewish settlements in Gaza, are also likely to object to this point.

Hamas, in response, said it still expected to have some role in governing Gaza.

In addition, as of Wednesday night, Hamas had not yet received the final list of Palestinian prisoners that Israel plans to release in exchange for the hostages in Gaza, a Palestinian source told the BBC.

The 20-point plan states that 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1,700 Gazans who were detained after 7 October 2023 will be released.

What's been the reaction?

Relatives of Israeli hostages have welcomed the deal.

Eli Sharabi, whose wife and children were killed, and whose brother Yossi's body is being held by Hamas, posted: "Great joy, can't wait to see everyone home."

The mother of hostage Nimrod Cohen posted: "My child, you are coming home."

Meanwhile in Gaza, celebrations broke out after the announcement. "Thank God for the ceasefire, the end of bloodshed and killing," Abdul Majeed abd Rabbo, a man in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, was quoted as saying by Reuters.

"I am not the only one happy, all of the Gaza Strip is happy, all the Arab people, all of the world is happy with the ceasefire and the end of bloodshed."

World leaders have urged parties to abide by the deal.

"The suffering must end," United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said, adding that the UN would support the "full implementation" of the deal, as well as increase its delivery of aid and its reconstruction efforts in Gaza.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer welcomed the news, saying: "This is a moment of profound relief that will be felt all around the world, but particularly for the hostages, their families, and for the civilian population of Gaza, who have all endured unimaginable suffering over the last two years."

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the agreement a "much needed step towards peace" and urged parties to "respect the terms of the plan".

Lawmakers in the US have struck a cautiously optimistic tone.

"This is a first step, and all parties need to ensure this leads to an enduring end to this war," Democrat Senator Chris Coons said in an X post.

Republican James Risch, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called it a welcome deal and said he "looks forward to learning [its] details".

With reporting by Rushdi Abualouf and Lucy Manning

Far-right activist Tommy Robinson has said that he refused to give police his mobile phone Pin when he was stopped at the entry to the Channel Tunnel because it had "journalist material" on it, a court has heard.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was charged under the Terrorism Act after allegedly failing to comply with counter-terrorism powers in Folkestone in July 2024.

He is on trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court and has pleaded not guilty.

A person who is detained under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act is legally obliged provide the password or Pin for electronic devices.

If found guilty, he could be jailed for up to three months and/or receive a £2,500 fine.

Robinson's trial began on Monday and is expected to last two days. He is charged under his real name and is being referred to as Mr Lennon in court.

The 42-year-old sat in the dock of the court in a navy waistcoat and tie and confirmed his name.

PC Mitchell Thorogood, a counter-terrorism officer with Kent Police, told the court that he was on duty policing vehicles travelling to France at the entrance to the Channel Tunnel near Folkestone on 28 July 2024.

He described seeing a silver Bentley with a lone driver that he said was "an unusual car to come through". The driver was Mr Lennon.

He said that before he stopped the vehicle, he "had a belief that is was Mr Lennon".

PC Thorogood said he asked Mr Lennon where he was going and that he was "unhappy" with the account Mr Lennon gave.

"He was travelling a far distance with a vehicle that wasn't his," PC Thorogood said.

Mr Lennon said he was going to Benidorm and had not bought a ticket in advance, which the officer said was also "unusual". He said Mr Lennon did not make eye contact.

PC Thorogood described detaining Mr Lennon under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act. He said Mr Lennon started filming him, and the officers took away his mobile phone.

"He refused to provide the Pin number, saying there was journalist material in his phone," PC Thorogood said.

Jo Morris, for the prosecution, said that Mr Lennon had used an expletive at officers, who also found a small bag in the Bentley containing £13,370 and €1,910 (£1,660).

District Judge Sam Goozee said Mr Lennon's address should not be published, after the defendant's barrister Alisdair Williamson KC said there were "credible threats against Mr Lennon's life".

The public gallery at the back of court was packed with more than 30 of his supporters, who had queued from early morning. One was wearing a red Mega (Make England Great Again) baseball cap.

The president of Germany will visit the UK later this year, Buckingham Palace has announced.

The visit by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, from 3 to 5 December, will be the first German state visit to the UK in 27 years.

King Charles and Queen Camilla will host the visit at Windsor Castle as Buckingham Palace is undergoing renovations.

Such state visits are used to reinforce alliances and to encourage trade, with the German trip following last month's state visit by US President Donald Trump.

State visits are a mix of political and business meetings, alongside royal pageantry and a diplomatic red-carpet welcome, with a banquet, military parade and carriage rides.

The visit follows a treaty between Germany and the UK signed in the summer, known as the Kensington Treaty, which agreed to create a direct rail link between London and Berlin, as part of measures bringing the countries closer together.

There are plans for more cultural ties such as school exchanges, stronger military links, business investments and joint efforts to tackle illegal migration and people smuggling.

The King and Queen will be returning the hospitality to President Steinmeier and his wife Elke Büdenbender for their own visit to Germany in March 2023, in what was the first overseas state visit of the new reign.

That first visit as King proved to be a diplomatic success, with the King making a well-received speech to the German Bundestag in Berlin, where he spoke about the importance of Germany's efforts in supporting Ukraine after the invasion by Russia.

In a symbolic moment of reconciliation, he also went to Hamburg where he laid a wreath remembering those who had died in the Allied bombing of the city during the Second World War.

The last German state visit to the UK was in December 1998, by President Roman Herzog, where he became the first head of state to visit Windsor Castle after the fire of 1992.

Queen Elizabeth II hosted the visit and her state banquet speech spoke of the importance of both countries belonging to international organisations, "headed by the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation", which helped "to extend our reach and achieve goals which would be impossible on our own".

In that 1998 speech, which would have been written with the advice of the government, she also expressed the hope that Germany would become a permanent member of the UN Security Council - which so far has not happened

The announcement of the 2025 German state visit adds to what is already a busy autumn schedule for the King, who is still undergoing cancer treatment.

The King and Queen will be travelling to meet Pope Leo next week, for a rearranged state visit to the Vatican. A previously planned visit was postponed because of the ill-health of the late Pope Francis.

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

A prisoner has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of a 13-year-old girl who was found dead months after she went missing from her home in 1994.

Lindsay Rimer left her home in Hebden Bridge, near Halifax, on 7 November to buy cornflakes from a nearby shop but never returned. In April 1995, her body was found in the Rochdale Canal, about a mile from the town, weighted down with a stone.

West Yorkshire Police said a man was arrested on Monday at an unnamed UK prison where he was serving a sentence for other offences.

A force spokesperson said officers were "keeping Lindsay's family updated", adding that the arrest was "as a result of our continued focus on progressing the investigation".

The arrested man would be interviewed by police on Monday and Tuesday and was expected to be bailed and returned to prison while inquiries continued, the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, officers were approaching "a number of specific potential witnesses, mainly in the Hebden Bridge and wider Halifax area", who had been identified by the investigation.

West Yorkshire Police confirmed that Monday's arrest was the first in the investigation into Lindsay's murder since 2017.

On the night Lindsay went missing in November 1994, she had left her home in Cambridge Street at about 22:00 GMT before calling in to see her mother at the Trades Club, a members club and music venue in Hebden Bridge.

She was captured on CCTV 20 minutes later as she bought cornflakes from the Spar shop on Crown Street.

• Lindsay Rimer: The girl who went to buy cornflakes and never came home

The last confirmed sighting of Lindsay was not long after this, as she was seen leaning against a wall near the Memorial Garden.

Her body was found by two canal workers the following spring.

The search for the schoolgirl was one of the largest carried out by West Yorkshire Police.

Lindsay's family has described not knowing what happened to her as "like living a life sentence".

Confirming the new arrest, Det Ch Insp James Entwistle, senior investigating officer, said: "We remain very firmly committed to doing everything we can to get justice for Lindsay, and to give her family the answers they still so desperately need after all these years.

"While we appreciate the understandable public interest that today's arrest will bring, we do not anticipate any immediate developments at this stage."

Det Ch Insp Entwistle added: "Although it is now more than 30 years since Lindsay was murdered, we remain convinced there is someone out there who has vital information that could finally help to ease her family's pain.

"We urge them do the right thing and tell us what they know."

Anyone with information that could help the investigation was asked to contact West Yorkshire Police.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.

US President Donald Trump says Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a Gaza peace deal.

It comes two years and two days after Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the 7 October 2023 attack, in which Hamas-led gunmen killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage.

At least 67,183 have been killed by Israeli military operations in Gaza since then, including 20,179 children, the Hamas-run health ministry says.

Here is what we know about the agreement, and what remains unclear:

What has been announced?

After intense negotiations in Egypt, Israel and Hamas have agreed to a first phase of a US peace plan, the US president said.

Announcing the deal on social media, Trump said: "This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line."

"All parties" would be treated fairly, said Trump, who called these the "first steps toward... everlasting peace".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it "a great day for Israel" and said his government would meet on Thursday to approve the agreement and "bring all our dear hostages home".

In confirming the announcement, Hamas said it would "end the war in Gaza, ensure the complete withdrawal of the occupation forces, allow the entry of humanitarian aid, and implement a prisoner exchange".

Israel and Hamas do not speak directly to each other - the negotiations were brokered by Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.

What happens next?

Israel's government is due to vote on the deal on Thursday.

If they formally approve it, Israel must withdraw its troops from Gaza to the agreed line, a senior White House official told BBC's US partner, CBS News. The withdrawal would likely happen within 24 hours, the official said.

After this happens, a 72-hour clock will begin where Hamas must release the living hostages.

The release of the hostages would likely begin on Monday, the senior White House official said.

What do we not know?

What's been announced so far is just the initial phase of Trump's 20-point peace plan, which Israel has accepted and Hamas has partly agreed to.

However the announcements did not cover some thorny issues both sides have not reached a resolution on.

Notably, no details surround the disarmament of Hamas - a key point in Trump's plan. Hamas has previously refused to lay down its weapons, saying it would only do so when a Palestinian state had been established.

The future governance of Gaza is also a sticking point. Trump's 20-point plan states Hamas will have no future role in the Strip and proposes it be temporarily governed by a "technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee", before being handed over to the Palestinian Authority.

Netanyahu appeared to push back on the Palestinian Authority's involvement last week, even as he accepted Trump's plan.

Ultranationalist hardliners within Netanyahu's ruling coalition, many of whom want to reconstruct Jewish settlements in Gaza, are also likely to object to this point.

Hamas, in response, said it still expected to have some role in governing Gaza.

In addition, as of Wednesday night, Hamas had not yet received the final list of Palestinian prisoners that Israel plans to release in exchange for the hostages in Gaza, a Palestinian source told the BBC.

The 20-point plan states that 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1,700 Gazans who were detained after 7 October 2023 will be released.

What's been the reaction?

Relatives of Israeli hostages have welcomed the deal.

Eli Sharabi, whose wife and children were killed, and whose brother Yossi's body is being held by Hamas, posted: "Great joy, can't wait to see everyone home."

The mother of hostage Nimrod Cohen posted: "My child, you are coming home."

Meanwhile in Gaza, celebrations broke out after the announcement. "Thank God for the ceasefire, the end of bloodshed and killing," Abdul Majeed abd Rabbo, a man in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, was quoted as saying by Reuters.

"I am not the only one happy, all of the Gaza Strip is happy, all the Arab people, all of the world is happy with the ceasefire and the end of bloodshed."

World leaders have urged parties to abide by the deal.

"The suffering must end," United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said, adding that the UN would support the "full implementation" of the deal, as well as increase its delivery of aid and its reconstruction efforts in Gaza.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer welcomed the news, saying: "This is a moment of profound relief that will be felt all around the world, but particularly for the hostages, their families, and for the civilian population of Gaza, who have all endured unimaginable suffering over the last two years."

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the agreement a "much needed step towards peace" and urged parties to "respect the terms of the plan".

Lawmakers in the US have struck a cautiously optimistic tone.

"This is a first step, and all parties need to ensure this leads to an enduring end to this war," Democrat Senator Chris Coons said in an X post.

Republican James Risch, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called it a welcome deal and said he "looks forward to learning [its] details".

With reporting by Rushdi Abualouf and Lucy Manning

The US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has praised the "incredible input and tireless efforts" of the UK's National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell in bringing about the ceasefire in Gaza.

In a social media post, Witkoff also said he wanted to "acknowledge the vital role of the UK in assisting and coordinating efforts that have led us to this historic day in Israel".

The comments sharply contrast with those of Mike Huckabee, the US's ambassador in Israel, who said a UK minister was "delusional" for suggesting the UK played a "key role" in the process.

The specific and personal praise for Powell from Witkoff is a boost to the national security adviser at a moment of political vulnerability.

Powell is facing pressure over what role he played in the collapsed court case against two men accused of spying for China.

Sources in government had for some time been emphasising the strength of the relationship between Powell and Witkoff.

The two men are said to be in almost daily contact. Their relationship has become closer through their work on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, with Powell playing an instrumental role in trying to rebuild the US-Ukraine relationship after President Trump and President Zelensky's public confrontation in the Oval Office in February.

Powell was also in Egypt last week as negotiations over the ceasefire were being finalised.

Some in government expect Powell's experience of negotiating the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland will be called upon by the US and others in the coming weeks and months, especially on the issue of decommissioning of weapons.

Powell was instrumental in brokering the 1998 peace deal in Northern Ireland when he was chief of staff to then Prime Minister Tony Blair.

He left Downing Street after 10 years and went on to set up Inter-mediate, a conflict resolution charity which has helped negotiate peace agreements in Colombia, Mozambique and Spain.

Bronwen Maddox, director of the international relations think tank Chatham House told BBC Radio 4's Profile that Powell made the case that to achieve peace people had to talk to their enemies "even if they have blood on their hands".

Talking previously about the process of negotiation, Powell has said: "It's much harder to kill people when you know them.

"You have to get to know people and build a relationship of trust to break out of the cycle of violence."

On Sunday, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told Sky News the UK had "played a key role behind the scenes" in shaping the Gaza peace plan and had been involved in "complex matters of diplomacy".

Responding on the social media platform X, Huckabee said: "I assure you she's delusional. She can thank Donald Trump anytime just to set the record straight."

Israel's deputy foreign minister Sharren Haskel added to Huckabee's criticism arguing that the UK's decision to recognise Palestinian statehood had "actually pushed Hamas to embolden their position".

However, on Monday, Witkoff publicly lauded the UK's involvement and specifically the role of Jonathan Powell.

Asked about his praise, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: "I was not born yesterday.

"I think it is actually very sad that the government is having to beg people to send tweets to say something nice about Jonathan Powell.

"I think that that is quite tragic, the way that the UK's reputation is falling under this Labour government."

Sir Keir Starmer has travelled to Egypt, where US President Donald Trump and negotiators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey will sign the peace plan.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is also expected to attend the international summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, along with world leaders from around 20 countries.

The ceasefire brokered by Trump in Gaza began on Friday morning after Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of the peace plan.

The last 20 of the Israeli hostages have been released and are now back in Israel, and Hamas is due to hand over the remains of up to 28 deceased hostages.

Israel is releasing 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 detainees from Gaza, while increased amounts of aid should enter the Gaza Strip.

Average mortgage rates have risen for the first time month-on-month since February as lenders approach the winter with caution.

Following a series of drops in mortgage interest rates, the picture worsened slightly for new and renewing borrowers over the last month, according to financial information service Moneyfacts.

The average rate for a two, or five, year fixed rate stands at about 5%, much lower than the peak of recent years, but still a stretch for many homeowners.

Analysts suggest imminent, further base rate cuts by the Bank of England appear unlikely, and uncertainty always foreshadows a Budget.

Moneyfacts data shows that mortgage rates only climbed very slightly over the month, by 0.02 percentage points.

That took the rate on an average two-year deal to 4.98%, and to 5.02% for the average five-year mortgage.

More than eight in 10 mortgage customers have fixed-rate deals. The interest rate on this kind of mortgage does not change until the deal expires, usually after two or five years, and a new one is chosen to replace it.

Hundreds of thousands of potential first-time buyers also hope to get a place of their own with their first mortgage. All would welcome low mortgage rates.

Rachel Springall, from Moneyfacts, said that the latest situation might well "disappoint" borrowers.

"Volatile swap rates and a cautionary approach among lenders have led to an abrupt halt in consecutive monthly average rate falls," she said.

Swap rates reflect the market's view of which direction the Bank of England's interest rates will go, so lenders use them to set their own rates.

"Lenders have responded cautiously, with some edging rates higher and the overall average ticking up slightly," said Simon Gammon, managing partner at mortgage advisers Knight Frank Finance.

"This is unlikely to mark the start of a sustained rise in borrowing costs, but rather a prolonged plateau while the outlook becomes clearer."

The rates during this October are much lower than this month two years ago, when the average rate for a two-year deal was 6.67%.

Some homeowners would have become accustomed to much lower rates during the 2010s, so will now be budgeting for bigger monthly repayments, alongside other financial pressures such as the rising cost of food.

The government has said it will support people with the cost of living. The Budget will be delivered by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in November.

Ms Springall, from Moneyfacts, said that borrowers should consider their own circumstances and seek guidance when required.

"It remains essential borrowers seek independent advice to navigate the mortgage maze and not feel pressured to secure a deal because of the Budget rumour mill," she said.

On Monday, the Institute for Fiscal Studies, an independent economic think-tank, said that the chancellor should avoid "directionless tinkering and half-baked fixes" when trying to boost the government's tax take in the Budget.

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.

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."

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".

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.

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 Dutch government said on Sunday that it had taken the "highly exceptional" decision to intervene at Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia over a potential "risk to Dutch and European economic security."

The Netherlands-based firm's owner Wingtech said on Monday that it will take actions to protect its rights and will seek government support.

The development threatens to raise tensions between the European Union and China, which have increased in recent months over trade and Beijing's relationship with Russia.

Nexperia was forced to sell its silicon chip plant in Newport, Wales after MPs and ministers expressed national security concerns. It currently owns a UK facility in Stockport.

The Dutch government said its economic affairs ministry had invoked its Goods Availability Act over "acute signals of serious governance shortcomings" within Nexperia.

The law is designed to allow the Hague to intervene in companies under exceptional circumstances. These include threats to the country's economic security and to ensure the supply of critical goods.

The intervention is meant to prevent a potential situation in which Nexperia's chips would become unavailable in an emergency, said the Dutch government.

It added that Nexperia's operations posed a "threat to the continuity and safeguarding on Dutch and European soil of crucial technological knowledge and capabilities."

The company's production can continue as normal, it added.

Nexperia makes semiconductors used in cars and consumer electronics.

The government statement did not detail why it thought the firm's operations were risky. The BBC has contacted Dutch authorities for clarification.

Shanghai-listed shares in Nexperia's parent company Wingtech fell by 10% on Monday morning.

Wingtech is among the firms the US has placed on its so-called "entity list". Under the regulations, US companies are barred from exporting American-made goods to businesses on the list unless they have special approval.

In September, the US commerce department further tightened its restrictions, adding to the entity list any company that is majority-owned by a Chinese firm.

Forty-two Zimbabwean and Malawian nationals have died after a bus taking them home overturned on a South African road, authorities have said.

The crash happened on Sunday night as the bus was moving through "a mountainous section" of the N1 highway in South Africa's Limpopo province, local transport officials said.

"It [then] veered off the road along a steep mountain pass and plunged down an embankment," they added.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa mourned the high death toll, which includes seven children, and said this was not only a tragedy for the country but for "our sister states of Zimbabwe and Malawi" as well.

The cause of the accident is unknown but an investigation has been launched.

According to reports, the bus was travelling from the city of Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape.

It is not clear how many people were travelling on the bus when it crashed, or its capacity.

As well as the seven children, 18 women and 17 men died, while 49 people were injured, authorities confirmed.

Government officials, including Transport Minister Barbara Creecy, are set to visit the scene of the crash as well as the injured passengers.

More BBC stories on South Africa:

• Top policeman shakes South Africa with explosive allegations about his boss
• Caught in the crossfire - the victims of Cape Town's gang warfare
• On the hunt for fugitive linked to illegal South African gold mine where 78 died

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica

The US has called for the release of 30 leaders of one of China's largest underground church network who were reportedly detained over the weekend in overnight raids in various cities.

The list includes several pastors and Zion Church founder Jin Mingri who was arrested in the early hours of Saturday after 10 officers searched his home, US-based non-profit ChinaAid said.

The Chinese Communist Party promotes atheism and tightly controls religion - still, some Christian groups are calling this the most extensive crackdown against the faith in decades.

Christians have long been pressured to join only state-sanctioned churches that are led by government-approved pastors and toe the party line.

It is unclear if the detainees have been formally charged.

"Such systematic persecution is not only an affront to the Church of God but also a public challenge to the international community," Zion Church said in a statement.

Urging China to release the church leaders, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement on Sunday that "this crackdown further demonstrates how the CCP exercises hostility towards Christians who reject Party interference in their faith and choose to worship at unregistered house churches".

Former US vice-president Mike Pence and former secretary of state Mike Pompeo have also released statements on X condemning the arrests.

When asked about the arrests at a press conference, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said he was not aware of the case.

He added: "The Chinese government governs religious affairs in accordance with the law, and protects the religious freedom of citizens and normal religious activities. We firmly oppose the US interfering in China's internal affairs with so-called religious issues."

This could be yet another source of friction in the US-China relationship with trade tensions once again ramping up between the world's two biggest economies over tariffs and export controls.

Already, there is doubt over whether a summit between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, which was expected to happen in South Korea later this month, will proceed.

Under Xi, Beijing has cracked down even more on religious freedom, especially against Christians and Muslims.

At a national conference on religion in 2016, he called on the party to "guide those [who are] religious to love their country, protect the unification of their motherland and serve the overall interests of the Chinese nation".

Despite this, there has been a growing movement of unregistered house churches in China.

Among them is Zion Church, which Mr Jin started in 2007 with just 20 people. Its network now includes some 10,000 people in 40 cities across the country, making it one of the largest underground churches in China.

In September 2018, the Party officially banned the church after it resisted government pressure to install security cameras at its property in Beijing. Mr Jin and several church leaders were detained briefly.

Many of its branch congregations across the country have since been investigated and shut down. Mr Jin's family relocated to the US for safety, while he remained in China to pastor his flock. Authorities have barred him from leaving the country.

Still the church continued to gather in small groups and shared its sermons online.

ChinaAid has called this roundup of Christian leaders - which involved police across several cities - unprecedented, and the "most extensive and coordinated wave of persecution" against Christians in over four decades.

"This new nationwide campaign echoes the darkest days of the 1980s, when urban churches first re-emerged from the Cultural Revolution," said ChinaAid's founder Bob Fu, referring to a period of mass purges in the 1960s and 1970s which triggered violence and huge upheaval across China.

In a letter seeking prayers, Mr Jin's wife Liu Chunli wrote that her heart is "filled with a mix of shock, grief, sorrow, worry, and righteous anger".

Mr Jin "simply [did] what any faithful pastor would do... He is innocent!" she wrote, adding that her family's hopes for a reunion after being separated for more than seven years have been dashed yet again.

Several house churches in China have also issued statements calling for the release of those detained.

Sean Long, a Zion Church pastor based in the US, said Mr Jin had been prepared for a crackdown of this scale.

In a Zoom call weeks ago between the two pastors, Mr Long had asked what would happen if Mr Jin was put in prison and all the church's leaders detained.

Mr Jin had replied: "Hallelujah! For a new wave of revival will follow then!"

An 11-year-old boy has allegedly shot and killed a farm worker while attempting to shoot at guinea fowls on a farm in South Africa, police say.

According to the police, the child "accidentally discharged" the firearm, though the exact circumstances of the shooting are still under investigation.

His 43-year-old father has been arrested and is expected to be charged with negligent handling of a firearm. The two are due to appear in court on Monday.

Police said they were alerted to the shooting and on arrival at the scene discovered the body of a man believed to be in his 30s lying on his side with a gunshot wound. He was declared dead at the scene.

Saturday's shooting in Thabazimbi, Limpopo province, has renewed concern over firearm safety and parental responsibility in the country. The firearm was seized as evidence.

"This heart-breaking incident serves as a reminder that firearms must be handled with the utmost care and stored securely at all times," Limpopo police chief Thembi Hadebe said.

She added that parents and guardians have a responsibility to ensure that "children do not have access to firearms under any circumstances".

Local media report that the incident has deeply shocked the local farming community and raised public concern about the risks of children accessing weapons in rural households.

Earlier this month, police said they had opened a murder charge against an eight-year-old boy after he fatally shot his seven-year-old cousin with his father's firearm in Eastern Cape province.

His 48-year-old father was charged with failure to safeguard the firearm.

More about South Africa from the BBC:

• South Africa's deadly love affair with guns
• Shamans openly using psychedelic drugs for treatment in South Africa
• South African firebrand MP Malema convicted of firing a gun in public
• Top policeman shakes South Africa with explosive allegations
• South Africa gun crime: 'Every night there are bullets'

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica