More than 60,000 people have fled the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, which was captured by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over the weekend, according the UN refugee agency.

There have been reports of mass executions and crimes against humanity as the RSF fighters stormed the city after an 18-month siege marked by starvation and heavy bombardment.

The flow of those fleeing the violence towards the town of Tawila, about 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, had increased in the past few days, the UNHCR's Eujin Byun told the BBC.

They were narrating horrendous stories of atrocities, including rape, and the agency was struggling to find enough shelter and food for them, she said.

Every child was suffering from malnutrition, she added.

It is estimated that more than 150,000 people are still trapped in el-Fasher, which had been the army's last stronghold in the western region of Darfur.

The RSF has denied widespread allegations that the killings in el-Fasher are ethnically motivated and follow a pattern of the Arab paramilitaries targeting non-Arab populations.

• 'We saw people murdered in front of us' - siege survivors speak to the BBC
• New videos show executions after RSF militia takes key Sudan city
• A simple guide to what is happening in Sudan

But the RSF has detained one of its militiamen, Abu Lulu, who has been accused of summary executions.

The group shared footage showing the fighter's arrest after BBC Verify identified him as being responsible for the execution of multiple unarmed men near el-Fasher.

TikTok has confirmed to the BBC that it has banned the account associated with Lulu. It is not clear whether he had controlled the account in his name.

Sudan was plunged into a civil war in April 2023 after a vicious struggle for power broke out between its army and the RSF.

It has led to a famine and claims of a genocide in the western Darfur region.

More than 150,000 people have died in the conflict across the country, and about 12 million have fled their homes in what the UN has called the world's largest humanitarian crisis.

The takeover of el-Fasher reinforces the geographic split in the country, with the RSF now in control of western Sudan and much of neighbouring Kordofan to the south, and the army holding the capital, Khartoum, central and eastern regions along the Red Sea.

The two warring rivals had been allies - coming to power together in a coup in 2021 - but fell out over an internationally backed plan to move towards civilian rule.

Additional reporting by Merlyn Thomas

More BBC stories on the Sudan crisis:

• Reports of mass killings in Sudan have echoes of its dark past
• My son's whole body is full of shrapnel
• Rare footage shows plight of civilians in besieged Sudan city
• Last surgeons standing in city's only hospital
• BBC smuggles in phones to reveal hunger and fear

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 South African government has criticised the US's decision to prioritise refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a white genocide have been widely discredited and lack reliable evidence.

It highlighted an open letter published by prominent members of the Afrikaner community earlier this week rejecting the narrative, with some signatories calling the relocation scheme racist.

The limited number of white South African Afrikaners signing up to relocate to the US was indication that they were not being persecuted, it added.

On Thursday, the administration of US President Donald Trump announced its lowest refugee annual cap on record to just 7,500.

The exact figures of the number of white South Africans who have been admitted through the US scheme are not available.

South Africa's latest crime statistics do not indicate that more white people have fallen victim to violent crime than other racial groups.

Earlier this year President Trump offered refugee status to Afrikaners - who are mostly descendants of Dutch and French settlers - after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a law allowing the government to seize land without compensation in rare instances.

• Is there a genocide of white South Africans as Trump claims?
• Unpacking the South African land law that so inflames Trump
• On the road incorrectly identified as a 'burial site' by Trump

Most private farmland is owned by white South Africans who make up just over 7% of the population.

Several months ago, South Africa's ambassador to Washington, Ebrahim Rasool, was expelled after accusing Trump of "mobilising a supremacism" and trying to "project white victimhood as a dog whistle".

In the Oval Office in May, Trump confronted South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa and claimed white farmers in his nation were being killed and "persecuted".

President Trump held up a photo purporting to show body bags containing the remains of white people in South Africa, but the Reuters news agency later identified the photo as one of their own - taken thousands of miles away in the war-struck Democratic Republic of Congo.

Washington did not comment on the claim that they had misidentified the image.

The White House also played a video which they said showed burial sites for murdered white farmers. It later emerged that the videos were scenes from a 2020 protest in which the crosses represented farmers killed over multiple years.

Additional reporting by Natasha Booty

More BBC stories from South Africa:

• Apartheid police assault killed Nobel laureate Luthuli, South Africa court rules
• 'I eat 6000 calories a day' – The South African 'Rhino' who became World's Strongest Man
• Anti-migrant movement blocks foreigners from South African healthcare
• South Africa debates changing 'colonial' name of world-famous Kruger park
• Steve Biko's new inquest should lead to justice, family tells BBC

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

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney accepted an invitation to visit China extended by President Xi Jinping, signalling a "turning point" in the countries' relationship.

The invite came after the two leaders met for 40 minutes on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit on Friday. It was the first meeting between a Canadian prime minister and the Chinese president since 2017.

The countries have had a strained relationship since a diplomatic row in 2018 and been locked in a trade dispute since 2024.

But as trade tensions between Canada and the US continue to rise, Carney has said the country will turn to strengthening its ties with other major economies.

He has signalled his desire to double Canada's non-US exports in the next decade, in response to President Donald Trump placing punishing tariffs on Canadian goods and some of its critical sectors.

That includes closer trade ties with "the economic giants of Asia", Carney said last week.

Speaking briefly to reporters after his meeting with Xi on Friday, Carney said he believes Canada and China have hit a "turning point" in relations that will yield positive developments for the Canadian economy.

"Distance is not the way to solve problems, not the way to serve our people," the prime minister said.

In his own remarks, Xi said "China is willing to work with Canada to push China-Canada relations back onto a healthy, stable, and sustainable correct track" that benefits both countries.

The two leaders directed their officials "to move quickly to resolve outstanding trade issues and irritants," according to a readout released by Carney's office after the meeting.

A 'two-front trade war' with China and the US

A trade dispute has been escalating since Canada placed a 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) in October 2024, mirroring similar action by the US. Later that same month, Canada placed a 25% tariff on Chinese steel and aluminium.

China retaliated in March by imposing tariffs on several Canadian agricultural products, including a 76% levy on Canadian canola seed imports and a 100% levy on canola oil, meal and peas.

These measures have hurt farmers in the western part of the Canada, as China is by far the largest importer of the country's canola seeds.

Some western provincial premiers, including Wab Kinew of Manitoba and Scott Moe of Saskatchewan, have since called on the federal government to drop tariffs on Chinese EVs. Kinew said earlier this month that Canada has now found itself in a "two-front trade war" with its two largest trading partners — the US and China.

Separately, the US has imposed a 35% tariff on all Canadian goods not covered by an existing free trade agreement, as well as a 50% levy on steel and aluminium and a 25% levy on automobiles.

• Ontario premier demands apology from US ambassador over tariff 'tirade'
• What tariffs has Trump announced and why?

Last week, US-Canada relations hit a new low after Trump suspended all trade talks over an anti-tariff advertisement run by Ontario Premier Doug Ford that featured an address on free trade by former US president Ronald Reagan.

On Friday, Trump said the two countries will not restart trade talks.

Trump has also threatened to raise tariffs on Canada another 10%, though it is unclear if and when that would come into effect.

Prior to the tariffs, Canada-China relations were already reeling from a diplomatic row that resulted in Beijing detaining two Canadian citizens, Michael Spavor and Michael Kovring.

The two were accused by China of espionage and were taken into custody in 2018. Their arrest came days after Canada detained Meng Wanzhou, a Chinese technology executive and chief financial officer of Huawei, at the request of the US.

All three were subsequently released in 2021 after the US Department of Justice dropped an extradition request for Ms Wanzhou on charges of fraud.

China was also one of the countries called out for possibly meddling in Canada's 2019 and 2021 elections, prompting a Canadian public inquiry into foreign interference. That inquiry concluded that attempts by foreign states to meddle in recent elections were "troubling" but had "minimal impact".

China has denied any allegations of meddling.

Carney's APEC meeting with Xi in South Korea comes one day after the Chinese president met with Donald Trump - the first between the two in six years.

In that Thursday meeting, Xi and Trump agreed to dial back their countries' trade war. No formal agreement has been signed, but the two signalled they are closer to a deal that would lower tariffs.

Latvian MPs have voted to withdraw from an international accord aimed at protecting women from violence, including domestic abuse, after a long and intense debate in parliament.

Several thousand people protested against the vote this week in Riga. It is now up to President Edgars Rinkevics to decide whether to approve the law or not.

Known as the Istanbul Convention, the 2011 treaty only came into force in Latvia last year, requiring governments to develop laws and support services to end all violence.

Latvia is the first EU country to move towards pulling out of the treaty. Turkey withdrew in 2021, a move described as a huge setback by top human rights body the Council of Europe.

The treaty was ratified by the EU in 2023, however ultra-conservative groups have argued that the accord's focus on gender equality undermines family values and promotes "gender ideology".

After a 13-hour debate in the Saeima, Latvian MPs voted by 56 to 32 to withdraw from the treaty, in a move sponsored by opposition parties but backed by politicians from one of the three coalition parties, the Union of Greens and Farmers.

The result is a setback for centre-right Prime Minister Evika Silina, who joined protesters outside parliament earlier this week. "We will not give up, we will fight so that violence does not win," she told them.

One of the main political groups behind the withdrawal is Latvia First, whose leader Ainars Slesers has called on Latvians to choose between a "natural family" and a "gender ideology with multiple sexes".

Latvia's ombudswoman Karina Palkova called for the treaty not to be politicised, and the group Equality Now said it was "not a threat to Latvian values, it was a tool to realise them".

Thursday's vote has prompted an outcry both within Latvia and beyond.

Twenty-two thousand people have signed a Latvian petition not to drop the treaty. Women's rights group Centrs Marta has called a protest next Thursday, accusing MPs of not listening to the Latvian people.

The head of the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly, Theodoros Rousopoulos, said Latvia had made a hasty decision fuelled by disinformation. It was, he said, an "unprecedented and deeply worrying step backwards for women's rights and human rights in Europe".

Since Turkey abandoned the treaty four years ago, femicide and violence against women had risen sharply, he added.

As the vote did not win a two-thirds majority, it means the president could return the bill for another reading, if he has objections.

President Rinkevics said on X that he would assess the decision under the constitution, "taking into account state and legal, rather than ideological or political, considerations".

Last week another member of the ruling coalition, the Progressives, said it would not rule out appealing to the Constitutional Court.

"It's not something you expect," says Franz Zehetner, who opened a parcel addressed to Vienna's St Stephen's Cathedral to discover a skull inside.

The cathedral archivist admits to being taken aback by the package, but alongside the skull was a letter of explanation.

A man in northern Germany said he had stolen the skull as a young tourist about 60 years before and now wanted to hand it back.

He had taken it while on a guided tour of the catacombs beneath St Stephen's which contain the remains of about 11,000 people buried during the 18th Century.

In his letter, the tourist with the guilty conscience described how he wanted to make peace with himself as he came towards the end of his life.

"After his clarification of the matter, it was touching that someone would wish to make amends for an act of youthful exuberance," Franz Zehetner told the BBC. "Also that he had carefully preserved the skull over the years - even it was not according to the rules - instead of carelessly getting rid of it."

It is unclear whose skull the tourist had taken home with him all those years ago, and it has now been re-interred.

Although many of the remains date back to a 40-year period in the 18th Century, members of high-ranking Viennese families were also buried beneath the Cathedral earlier.

A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from halting food aid used by more than 40 million low-income Americans amid the ongoing US government shutdown.

A Rhode Island judge said on Friday that the plan to suspend the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or Snap, is likely unlawful, and issued a retraining order at the behest of the plaintiffs.

The US Department of Agriculture said this week that the food assistance money will not be distributed in November and moving forward due to the shutdown, arguing the "the well has run dry".

The Snap programme works by giving people reloadable debit cards that they can use to buy essential grocery items.

A family of four on average receives $715 (£540) per month, which breaks down to a little less than $6 (£4.50) per day, per person.

The states administer the programmes, with much of the funding coming from the federal government, which has been unfunded and shut down since the beginning of October.

Several states have pledged to use their own funds to cover any shortfall, however the federal government has warned that they will not be reimbursed.

Republicans and Democrats have traded blame for the federal shutdown, which will soon enter its second month, and there has not been any meaningful progress toward a deal.

Subscribers to YouTube TV have lost access to ESPN, ABC and other Disney channels, as the two companies struggle to negotiate a licensing deal.

Disney said the online pay-TV platform, which is owned by the tech giant Google and available only in the US, had refused to pay fair rates for the content, which also include National Geographic and the Disney channel.

In its own statement, YouTube TV said that Disney's proposed terms "disadvantage our members while benefiting Disney's own live TV products".

After tense negotiations, the channels vanished from YouTube TV just before midnight on Thursday - the deadline to reach a new deal. The blackout affects roughly 10 million subscribers.

If Disney channels remain suspended for an "extend period of time", YouTube TV said it would offer subscribers a $20 credit.

YouTube and Disney-owned Hulu are among the biggest online TV platforms in the US.

Their stand-off follows similarly contentious talks this year between YouTube and other media companies, which had also threatened to limit the shows available to YouTube TV subscribers.

Google struck a deal at the last minute with Comcast-owned NBCUniversal earlier this month to keep shows like "Sunday Night Football" on YouTube TV. It has also reached agreements with Paramount and Fox in recent months.

In separate statements, both Google and Disney said they were working toward a resolution to restore Disney content to YouTube TV.

Still, the companies remain divided on fees.

"With a $3 trillion market cap, Google is using its market dominance to eliminate competition and undercut the industry-standard terms we've successfully negotiated with every other distributor," a Disney spokesperson said in a statement.

But YouTube said in a statement that Disney was proposing "costly economic terms" that would lead to higher prices for YouTube TV customers and limit their options for content, benefiting Disney's own live TV offerings like Hulu+ Live TV.

More than 60,000 people have fled the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, which was captured by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over the weekend, according the UN refugee agency.

There have been reports of mass executions and crimes against humanity as the RSF fighters stormed the city after an 18-month siege marked by starvation and heavy bombardment.

The flow of those fleeing the violence towards the town of Tawila, about 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, had increased in the past few days, the UNHCR's Eujin Byun told the BBC.

They were narrating horrendous stories of atrocities, including rape, and the agency was struggling to find enough shelter and food for them, she said.

Every child was suffering from malnutrition, she added.

It is estimated that more than 150,000 people are still trapped in el-Fasher, which had been the army's last stronghold in the western region of Darfur.

The RSF has denied widespread allegations that the killings in el-Fasher are ethnically motivated and follow a pattern of the Arab paramilitaries targeting non-Arab populations.

• 'We saw people murdered in front of us' - siege survivors speak to the BBC
• New videos show executions after RSF militia takes key Sudan city
• A simple guide to what is happening in Sudan

But the RSF has detained one of its militiamen, Abu Lulu, who has been accused of summary executions.

The group shared footage showing the fighter's arrest after BBC Verify identified him as being responsible for the execution of multiple unarmed men near el-Fasher.

TikTok has confirmed to the BBC that it has banned the account associated with Lulu. It is not clear whether he had controlled the account in his name.

Sudan was plunged into a civil war in April 2023 after a vicious struggle for power broke out between its army and the RSF.

It has led to a famine and claims of a genocide in the western Darfur region.

More than 150,000 people have died in the conflict across the country, and about 12 million have fled their homes in what the UN has called the world's largest humanitarian crisis.

The takeover of el-Fasher reinforces the geographic split in the country, with the RSF now in control of western Sudan and much of neighbouring Kordofan to the south, and the army holding the capital, Khartoum, central and eastern regions along the Red Sea.

The two warring rivals had been allies - coming to power together in a coup in 2021 - but fell out over an internationally backed plan to move towards civilian rule.

Additional reporting by Merlyn Thomas

More BBC stories on the Sudan crisis:

• Reports of mass killings in Sudan have echoes of its dark past
• My son's whole body is full of shrapnel
• Rare footage shows plight of civilians in besieged Sudan city
• Last surgeons standing in city's only hospital
• BBC smuggles in phones to reveal hunger and fear

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

Andrew Mountbatten Windsor is expected to be dependent on his brother, King Charles III, for his home and money after being stripped of his "prince" title and asked to leave his mansion.

The King is understood to be funding Andrew's new accommodation himself and to be making "appropriate private provision" as he moves from Royal Lodge.

The Royal Family receives tens of millions of pounds each year from the Sovereign Grant and uses it to cover the cost of official duties, but this is not the King's only source of income.

How much is the Sovereign Grant?

In 2025-26, the Sovereign Grant, which provides state funding for the monarchy, increased to £132.1m, following a sharp rise in profits for the Crown Estate.

The figure in 2024-25 was £86.3 million, for the fourth consecutive year.

That included £51.8 million for the core Sovereign Grant and £34.5 million towards the modernisation of Buckingham Palace, a 10-year £369m project.

The Royal Household's annual financial statement said additional income increased to £21.5m, following a record number of visitors to Buckingham Palace.

Public funding for the Royal Household has tripled in real terms since 2012, official figures show. The Sovereign Grant was £31m per year when it was introduced in 2012.

A report by the House of Commons Library said much of the increase had been driven by the Buckingham Palace project.

A Palace spokesperson said: "It has always been anticipated that the level of the Sovereign Grant will drop once the project is completed."

How is the Sovereign Grant worked out?

Profits of the Crown Estate - a property business owned by the monarch but run independently - go to the Treasury.

The level of profit is used to calculate the funding given by the government to the Royal Family.

The Crown Estate had assets worth £15bn in 2023-24, with billions of pounds worth of properties in London, including Regent Street, as well as nearly half the land along the coast of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The estate is not the King's private property - it merely belongs to the monarch for the duration of their reign. The King cannot sell its assets or keep any profits for himself.

The Sovereign Grant was initially worth 15% of the Crown Estate profits generated two years previously. That increased to 25% in 2017-18, to help pay for the Buckingham Palace repairs, before reducing to 12% since 2024-25.

However, soaring profits from the Crown Estate due to six new offshore wind farms still led to the £45m increase in the Sovereign Grant in 2025-26.

Under the Sovereign Grant Act 2011, if the Crown Estate's profits fall, the monarch still receives the same amount as the previous year, with the government making up the difference.

The UK government said that over the last 10 years, the revenue received from the Crown Estate was £5bn, which was used for public spending.

What is the Sovereign Grant spent on?

The King and other working members of the Royal Family use the money to pay for expenses related to their official duties.

The vast majority is spent on the upkeep of properties and staffing, but it also covers costs such as travel to royal engagements.

Members of the Royal Family carried out 1,900 engagements across the UK and abroad during 2024-25.

More than 93,000 guests attended 828 events at official Royal palaces, including receptions, award investitures and garden parties.

• What does the King do?
• Why did Harry and Meghan leave the Royal Family?

How else does the Royal Family receive money?

The King also receives money from a private estate called the Duchy of Lancaster, which is passed down from monarch to monarch.

It covers more than 18,000 hectares of land in areas such as Lancashire and Yorkshire, as well as property in central London.

At the end of March 2025, it was worth £679m and had made £24.4m in annual profits.

Whoever holds the title of Duke of Cornwall (currently the Prince of Wales) benefits from the Duchy of Cornwall.

It mainly covers land in south-west England. In the year to the end of March 2025 it had assets worth £1.1bn and had made annual profits of £22.9m.

The King and Prince William receive the profits from the duchies personally, and can spend them as they wish. However, they are not entitled to any proceeds from the sale of any estate assets, which must be reinvested.

The monarch also owns the royal palaces (which are not part of the Crown Estate) and part of the Royal Collection of art, but these do not generate income.

Some palaces are looked after and funded by the Royal Family itself. Others - such as the Tower of London - are managed by Historic Royal Palaces, an independent charity.

The Royal Collection is also run by a charity, the Royal Collection Trust, which reinvests income received from ticket sales and retail outlets.

The King also privately owns properties such as Balmoral and Sandringham.

It is understood Andrew will be relocated to the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, but details about his housing have not been released. The estate covers approximately 8,100 hectares with 242 hectares of gardens.

In addition, some Royal Family members have private art, jewellery and stamp collections which they can sell or use to generate income as they wish.

Do members of the Royal Family pay tax?

In 1992, Elizabeth II volunteered to pay income tax and capital gains tax on her personal income, and the King does the same.

The two duchies are exempt from corporation tax, but the King and Prince William voluntarily pay income tax on the revenue they generate. However, the amount of tax they pay is not made public.

They do not pay capital gains tax because they do not benefit personally from any increase in the duchies' assets.

Members of the Royal Family pay tax on any income generated from privately-owned assets.

King Charles does not have to pay inheritance tax on the money he received when the late queen died, under the "sovereign to sovereign" exemption agreed in 1993 by then Prime Minister John Major.

What about security and other costs?

The Sovereign Grant does not cover the Royal Family's security arrangements, which are usually paid for by the Metropolitan Police, although the cost is not disclosed.

Some major events are also not included. The late queen's funeral in 2022 cost the government an estimated £162m.

The Coronation of the King cost taxpayers £72m, including £22m for policing.

Republic, a group campaigning for an elected head of state, have argued that factors such as security need to be included in the cost of the Royal Family.

The group claims that the total cost of the monarchy is about £510m per year.

Newly stripped of his "prince" title, Andrew is moving from his Windsor mansion, Royal Lodge, to the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, it is understood.

Formal notice was given to surrender the lease at the Royal Lodge on Thursday, and the move will take place as soon as possible.

The historic, sprawling estate covers approximately 20,000 acres (8,100 hectares) with 600 acres (242 hectares) of gardens, and is home to several properties.

The Palace has not yet said exactly where on the estate he will live - here is a look at some of the options.

• Follow live updates on this story
• Everything we know about Andrew losing titles and Windsor mansion
• Virginia Giuffre's family speak to BBC: "She'd be so proud"
• Read the King's statement in full
• Watch: Question Time audience reacts to news
• Is this finally rock bottom for Andrew Mountbatten Windsor?

York Cottage

Originally known as Bachelor's Cottage, York Cottage is about a quarter of a mile from the main house - where the Royal Family traditionally gather at Christmas.

It has its own set of stables and kennel buildings, according to Historic England, and overlooks one of two man-made lakes on the estate.

There were reports ahead of Prince Harry's marriage to the Duchess of Sussex that the pair might have been gifted the use of York Cottage by Elizabeth II for use as a country home, but no such plan was ever confirmed and the move never materialised.

It has reportedly been used as an office and accommodation for staff in recent years.

Park House

The birthplace of Diana, Princess of Wales and her childhood home, Park House was rented by the Spencer family for many years.

In 1983 it was gifted to Leonard Cheshire, a disability charity, which used it to run a 16-bedroom hotel for the disabled, their carers and family.

The charity planned a £2.3m refurbishment before the pandemic hit, but announced in 2020 it would not go ahead with the proposal and said instead that it was working with the Sandringham estate to exit the lease.

Gardens House

Another option is the Gardens House, which was once the residence of the head gardener on the Sandringham estate.

The Edwardian house has six bedrooms and three bathrooms - and is one of two properties on the estate available to the general public as a holiday let.

It was put on the market in July at a weekly price of £4,110. It is not unusual for royal residences to rent out property to holidaymakers - with eight cottages and lodges available for hire at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

Wood Farm

This is one option that is understood to have been ruled out.

The farmhouse, described as "small and intimate" by former housekeeper Teresa Thompson, has strong associations with Andrew's parents.

His father, the late Duke of Edinburgh, chose the secluded property as his permanent home when he retired from public life in 2017.

He and the late Queen already regularly stayed there in preference to opening up Sandringham House when it was just the two of them.

Anmer Hall

Anmer Hall was gifted to the Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales as a wedding present by the late queen in 2013 - so this may be an unlikely choice.

They spend much of the school holidays in the 10-bedroom, Grade II*-listed house, which is about 2 miles (3km) east of the main Sandringham house.

The Georgian property dates back to about 1802, but some parts are much older - and it has formed part of the Sandringham estate since 1898.

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At least 19 people have died in Jamaica as a result of Hurricane Melissa, Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon has said, as search and rescue efforts continue and authorities try to get aid to hard-hit areas.

The hurricane, one of the most powerful to strike the Caribbean, has also killed at least 30 people in Haiti, officials said.

In Jamaica, "there are entire communities that seem to be marooned and areas that seem to be flattened," Dixon said, adding there are "devastating" scenes in western regions.

Electricity remains out to most of the island and as people try to salvage damaged homes and belongings from floodwaters and mud, many thousands are growing increasingly desperate for aid.

There are parts of the country that have been without water for several days and food is growing increasingly scarce.

Aid supplies are starting to arrive more rapidly with the main airport in the Jamaican capital, Kingston, largely back to normal.

But smaller regional airports, some of which are located near to where humanitarian assistance is most needed, remain only partly operational.

As such, aid agencies and the military are bringing in the urgently needed supplies from Kingston via road, many of which remain unpassable in places.

Satellite imagery shows nearly all buildings in some Jamaican villages have been destroyed by the hurricane.

Residents of towns in western Jamaica told the BBC on Thursday that "words can't explain how devastating" the storm has been on the country.

"No one is able to get through to their loved ones," Trevor 'Zyanigh' Whyte told the BBC from the town of White House in Westmoreland parish.

"Everyone is just, you know, completely disconnected... Every tree is on the road, right, so you can't get too far with the cars, not even a bicycle," he said.

In Haiti, many of the victims in the storm died when a river overflowed in Petit-Goave. A full assessment is ongoing, as there are still areas that authorities have not been able to access.

Around 15,000 people were staying in more than 120 shelters in Haiti, interim UN co-ordinator for the country Gregoire Goodstein said.

In Cuba, more than 3 million people were "exposed to life-threatening conditions" during the hurricane, with 735,000 people "safely evacuated", according to the UN's resident co-ordinator for Cuba Francisco Pichon.

No fatalities have been reported so far in Cuba, but almost 240 communities have been cut off due to flooding and landslides, Cuban authorities said.

Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Tuesday in Jamaica as a category five storm, packing winds of up to 185 mph (295 km/h), before impacting other countries in the Caribbean.

Governments, humanitarian organisations and individuals around the world are pledging support for the nations hardest hit by the storm.

The World Food Programme said it is collaborating with partners to coordinate logistics, cash and emergency supplies across Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

The US State Department said it is deploying a disaster response team to the region to help with search and rescue operations, and assisting in efforts to provide food, water, medical supplies, hygiene kits and temporary shelters.

The UK government said it is sending £2.5m ($3.36m) in emergency humanitarian funding to support recovery in the Caribbean.

While Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti assessed the damage left in Melissa's wake, Bermuda braced for impact.

The Bermuda Weather Service expected Melissa to be a category two hurricane when it passed the British overseas territory on Thursday night.

Government offices in Bermuda will close until Friday afternoon and all schools will shut on Friday.

"Until the official 'All Clear' is issued, residents are urged to stay off the roads so Government work crews can safely assess and clear debris," a public alert from the government said.

Protesters have taken to the streets in Tanzania for a third day, defying warnings from the country's army chief to end the unrest.

Demonstrations have been taking place in major cities with young protesters denouncing Wednesday's election as unfair as key opposition figures were excluded from contesting against President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

An internet shutdown remains in place, making it difficult to confirm reports of deaths, and the authorities have extended a curfew in a bid to quell the protests.

The UN has called on the East African nation's security forces to refrain from using unnecessary or disproportionate force.

"We are alarmed by the deaths and injuries that have occurred in the ongoing election-related protests in Tanzania. Reports we have received indicate that at least 10 people were killed," Reuters quoted the UN human rights spokesperson Seif Magango as saying, citing "credible sources".

Amnesty International in Kenya told the BBC that with communications down in neighbouring Tanzania the rights group was not able to confirm reports of deaths.

Hospitals in the country are refusing to give information to journalists or human rights groups when asked about causalities.

The government has sought to play down the scale of the violence.

The electoral commission has announced results from more than half of the country's total 100 constituencies, the state broadcaster, TBC, shows.

• A coronation not a contest - Tanzania's first female president faces little opposition
• Why elections are a time of fear for albino Tanzanians
• How Samia's hesitant reforms are fuelling Tanzanian political anger

President Samia is expected to win the vote under the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, which has governed the country since independence in 1961.

Official results are expected on Saturday.

Tanzania's chief Muslim cleric - Sheikh Abubakar Zubeir bin Ally - has urged Muslims to perform Friday prayers at home amid fears of escalating violence.

On Thursday, army chief Gen Jacob John Mkunda ordered the protesters off the streets, saying the military would work with other security agencies to contain the situation.

"Some people went to the streets on 29 October and committed criminal acts. These are criminals and the criminal acts should be stopped immediately," Gen Mkunda said on state TV, adding that the army had "controlled the situation".

But the protesters have again taken to the streets of the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam.

On Tanzania's semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar - which elects its own government and leader - the CCM's Hussein Mwinyi, who is the incumbent president, has won with nearly 80% of the vote.

The opposition in Zanzibar said there had been "massive fraud", the AP news agency reported.

Tourists on the archipelago are also reported to be stranded at the airport, with flight delays because of the protests, which have been on the mainland.

The protesters accuse the government of undermining democracy, as the main opposition leader is in jail and another opposition figure was disqualified from the election, bolstering Samia's chances of winning.

Tundu Lissu, the main opposition leader, is in jail on treason charges, which he denies, and his party boycotted the vote.

The only other serious contender, Luhaga Mpina of the ACT-Wazalendo party, was disqualified on legal technicalities.

Sixteen fringe parties, none of whom have historically had significant public support, were cleared to contest the elections.

Samia took office in 2021 as Tanzania's first female president following the death of President John Magufuli.

She was initially praised for easing political repression, but the political space has since narrowed, with her government accused of targeting critics through arrests and a wave of abductions.

More about Tanzania from the BBC:

• 'A bullet went through my skull': Tanzania abduction survivor
• Top opposition politician arrested days before Tanzania election
• 'I want my son back, dead or alive' - mother of missing Tanzanian ex-diplomat

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 Dutch centrist liberal party of Rob Jetten has won Wednesday's neck-and-neck election race, according to vote analysis indicating it cannot be beaten by anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders.

Jetten's D66 currently has a narrow lead of 15,000 votes over Wilders' Freedom Party, and Dutch news agency ANP says even though the vote count is not complete, Wilders can no longer win.

Projections from almost 99% of the vote put both parties on 26 seats in the 150-seat parliament - but ANP says Jetten's centrists could win a 27th seat.

Victory will mean Jetten will be able to start work on forming a coalition.

Wilders had led opinion polls going into Wednesday's election, but Rob Jetten, 38, succeeded in winning in some of the main Dutch cities including Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht with a positive campaign using a catchphrase of "Yes, we can".

He has been careful not to declare victory until all votes are in, but ANP said based on figures from the postal voters he could now be declared the winner.

Although his path to forming a coalition is not straightforward, he is tipped to become the youngest prime minister in modern Dutch history.