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.

Two men have been charged with the murder of paedophile singer Ian Watkins, who was killed in Wakefield Prison.

The former Lostprophets frontman, who was serving a 29-year jail sentence, was fatally injured in an incident at the prison just after 09:30 BST on Saturday.

Rashid Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, have both been charged with murder and will appear before Leeds Magistrates' Court on Monday morning, West Yorkshire Police said.

Watkins was jailed in 2013 for a string of child sex offences, including the attempted rape of a baby.

Watkins, who also faced a further six years on licence if he was ever released, admitted the attempted rape and sexual assault of a child under 13 but pleaded not guilty to rape.

He also admitted conspiring to rape a child, three counts of sexual assault involving children, seven involving taking, making or possessing indecent images of children and one of possessing an extreme pornographic image involving a sex act on an animal.

During sentencing, Mr Justice Royce said the case broke "new ground" and "plunged into new depths of depravity".

Watkins was previously attacked at Wakefield Prison in 2023, although his injuries were not life-threatening on that occasion

Formed in Pontypridd in 1997, Lostprophets became one of the UK's biggest bands, securing 11 top 40 hits and a number one album between 2002 and 2010.

In a statement released after his conviction, the band's remaining members said they were "heartbroken, angry, and disgusted" at his crimes, adding that their "hearts go out" to his victims.

A high-security prison housing some of the UK's most notorious offenders, Wakefield Prison currently holds more than 600 inmates.

A report on conditions within the facility, which was published last month, said violence had "increased markedly" since a previous inspection in 2022.

It also said the prison's "infrastructure was in a poor state", citing "repeated breakdowns of essential equipment" and "some significant elements of the prison's perimeter security systems".

Among those currently serving time at the prison are believd to be Roy Whiting, who murdered eight year-old Sarah Payne in 2000, and Reynhard Sinaga, who was convicted of 159 sexual offences against 48 men in 2020.

Both men have reportedly been attacked at the jail in recent years.

Harold Shipman, Ian Huntley and Piran Ditta Khan are also among the former inmates to have served time in Wakefield.

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When I was asked to give an impromptu five-minute speech and then to count backwards in intervals of 17 - all in front of a panel of three strangers - the acute stress was written on my face.

That is because psychologists from the University of Sussex were filming this somewhat terrifying experience for a research project that is studying stress using thermal cameras.

Stress alters the blood flow in the face, and scientists have discovered that the drop in temperature of a person's nose can be used as a measure of stress levels, and to monitor recovery.

Thermal imaging, according to the psychologists behind the study could be a "game changer" in stress research.

The experimental stress test that I subjected myself to is carefully controlled and deliberately designed to be an unpleasant surprise. I arrived at the university with no idea what I was in for.

First, I was asked to sit, relax and listen to white noise through a set of headphones.

So far, so calming.

Then, the researcher who was running the test invited a panel of three strangers into the room. They all stared at me silently as the researcher informed that I now had three minutes to prepare a five minute speech about my "dream job".

As I felt the heat rise around my neck, the scientists captured my face changing colour through their thermal camera. My nose quickly dropped in temperature - turning blue on the thermal image - as I considered how to bluster my way through this unplanned presentation. (I decided I would take the opportunity to make my pitch to join the astronaut training programme!)

The Sussex researchers have carried out this same stress test on 29 volunteers. In each, they saw their nose dip in temperature by between three and six degrees.

My nose dropped in temperature by two degrees, as my nervous system pushed blood flow away from my nose and to my eyes and ears - a physical reaction to help me to look and listen for danger.

Most participants, like me, recovered quickly; their noses warmed to pre-stressed levels within a few minutes.

Lead researcher, Prof Gillian Forrester explained that being a reporter and broadcaster has probably made me "quite habituated to being put in stressful positions".

"You are used to the camera and talking with strangers, so you're probably quite resilient to social stressors," she explained.

"But even someone like you, trained to be in stressful situations, shows a biological blood flow shift, so that suggests this 'nasal dip' is a robust marker of a changing stress state."

Stress is part of life. But this discovery, the scientists say, could be used to help manage harmful levels of stress.

"The length of time it takes someone tor recover from this nasal dip could be an objective measure of how well somebody regulates their stress," said Prof Forrester.

"If they bounce back unusually slowly, could that be a risk marker of anxiety or depression? Is it something that we can do anything about?"

Because this technique is non-invasive and measures a physical response, it could also be useful to monitor stress in babies or in people who can't communicate.

The second task in my stress assessment was, in my view, even worse than the first. I was asked to count backwards from 2023 in intervals of 17. Someone on the panel of three impassive strangers stopped me every time I made a mistake and asked me to start again.

I admit, I am bad at mental arithmetic.

As I spent an embarrassing length of time trying to force my brain to perform subtraction, all I could think was that I wanted to flee the increasingly stuffy room.

During the research, only one of the 29 volunteers for the stress test did actually ask to leave. The rest, like me, completed their tasks - presumably feeling varying degrees of humiliation - and were rewarded with another calming session of white noise through headphones at the end.

Anxious apes

Prof Forrester will demonstrate this new thermal stress-measuring method in front of an audience at the New Scientist Live event in London on 18 October.

Perhaps one of the most surprising aspects of the approach is that, because thermal cameras measure a physical stress response that is innate in many primates, it can also be used in non-human apes.

The researchers are currently developing its use in sanctuaries for great apes, including chimpanzees and gorillas. They want to work out how to reduce stress and improve the wellbeing of animals that may have been rescued from traumatic circumstances.

The team has already found that showing adult chimpanzees video footage of baby chimpanzees has a calming effect. When the researchers set up a video screen close to the rescued chimps' enclosure, they saw the noses of animals that watched the footage warm up.

So, in terms of stress, watching baby animals animals playing is the opposite of a surprise job interview or an on-the-spot subtraction task.

Using thermal cameras in ape sanctuaries could prove to be valuable in helping rescued animals to adjust and settle in to a new social group and strange surroundings.

"They can't say how they're feeling and they can be quite good at masking how they're feeling," explained Marianne Paisley, a researcher from the University of Sussex who is studying great ape wellbeing.

"We've [studied] primates for the last 100 years or so to help us understand ourselves.

"Now we know so much about human mental health, so maybe we can use that and give back to them."

So perhaps my own minor scientific ordeal could contribute, in a small way, to alleviating distress in some of our primate cousins.

Additional reporting by Kate Stephens. Photography by Kevin Church

A 43-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the deaths of two children.

Emergency services were called to a home in Corporation Street, Stafford, at about 07:30 BST, where the two children were pronounced dead.

"We are working hard to understand more about what happened leading up to these two children tragically losing their lives," said Det Insp Kirsty Oldfield of Staffordshire Police.

"We ask that people do not speculate at this stage as it is distressing for family and friends and could hinder our inquiries."

Officers were called to the home by West Midlands Ambulance service, the force added.

The children's next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers, it said.

A cordon is currently in place at the home.

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A mother has warned about the perils of modified e-bikes after a fire left her family homeless and killed one of her kittens.

Emma Wills, from Chilworth in Surrey, moved in to the property five months before a modified e-bike charging in her living room caught fire at the end of January.

"To go from a fresh start to losing everything so quickly has been devastating," she said.

The e-bike, which belonged to a family friend, had recently been modified using a conversion kit bought online.

According to new research from consumer safety charity Electrical Safety First, a total of 23% of UK push-bike owners surveyed were considering turning their push-bike into an e-bike.

Conversion kits are cheaper to buy than a fully manufactured e-bike but come with huge risks, the charity has said.

Giuseppe Capanna, its product safety engineer, said: "Kits made up of substandard components can cause devastating fires.

"At present, technology has outpaced regulation meaning there are no existing safety standards for conversion kits."

Mrs Wills, who has three children, said: "I lost my mum in 2021, so all the memories and sentimental keepsakes I had of her are gone.

"They can never be replaced, and that breaks my heart."

She added: "It's had a huge impact on my two youngest children. They don't want to go out anymore.

"It doesn't just affect one part of your life, it affects everything."

Mrs Wills said losing the kitten, which had been hand-reared by the family from four-weeks-old, was "heartbreaking".

In 2024, the Office for Product Safety and Standards received 170 reports of e-bike fires, with 45% confirmed to be from converted e-bikes.

The actual number is expected to be much higher as not all fire and rescue services notify OPSS of blazes involving consumer products.

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Lloyds Banking Group is setting aside an additional £800m for car finance compensation claims, bringing the total amount allocated by the bank for redress to nearly £2bn.

The company said that the number of eligible claims is expected to be higher than previously thought.

Millions of drivers who bought cars on finance with hidden commission payments between 2007 and 2024 may be eligible for redress.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published details of its proposed compensation scheme last week.

The FCA said payouts could be due on around 14 million unfair deals, averaging at about £700 each.

This could result in lenders paying out a total of £8.2bn in compensation.

The payouts are over commission arrangements between lenders and dealers, unfair contracts, and inaccurate information given to car buyers.

Lloyds said in a statement: "Based on the FCA proposals in their current form, the potential impact is at the adverse end of the range of previous expected outcomes."

It said it was setting aside an additional £800m for redress based on "the increased likelihood of a higher number of historical cases... being eligible for redress".

It said its "best estimate" of the total cost of redress was £1.95bn.

The proposed scheme would be free to access for consumers, although the interest they receive on redress will be much lower than that paid following the payment protection insurance (PPI) scandal.

That scandal cost Lloyds £22bn.

The FCA estimates that 44% of all motor finance agreements made since 2007 will be eligible for payouts.

But a ruling at the Supreme Court in August limited the breadth of these cases.

The FCA advises anyone who wants to make a complaint to get in touch with their lender or broker, and has this guidance on how to complain.

But the Finance and Leasing Association, the body that represents the lending industry, has said the FCA is "overcompensating".

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.

Underwhelming first performances

Rashford's influence increases

A point to prove

Barcelona's leading goal contributor

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A major lawsuit against five leading carmakers accused of cheating on emissions tests is set to begin at the High Court on Monday.

The trial is the latest chapter of what has become known as the "dieselgate" scandal, with the companies facing allegations they used software to allow their cars to reduce emissions of harmful gases under test conditions.

Lawyers say the case is the largest class action in English and Welsh legal history, and could eventually involve 1.6 million car owners.

The five carmakers - Mercedes, Ford, Peugeot/Citroën, Renault and Nissan - all deny the accusations.

The five have been chosen by the court as lead defendants to be tried first as the case is so big.

Mercedes, Ford, Peugeot/Citroën, Renault and Nissan have been accused by 220,000 car owners of misleading them over emissions tests.

But depending on the outcome of this case, nine other carmakers are facing similar claims.

The dieselgate scandal first emerged in September 2015, when the US Environmental Protection Agency accused Volkswagen of installing software - known as "defeat devices" - on diesel cars to lower readings of the cars' nitrogen oxide emissions.

In 2020, the High Court ruled that Volkswagen had used defeat devices in breach of European Union rules to pass emissions tests.

Volkswagen settled a class action out of court, paying £193m to 91,000 British motorists.

The company has so far paid out more than €32bn (£27.8bn) over the scandal, mostly in the US.

The High Court will decide whether systems installed in diesel cars by the five carmakers were designed to cheat clean air laws.

It is alleged the "defeat devices" allowed a car to identify when it was in a test scenario. It would then run its engine at below normal power and performance levels in order to record lower readings of nitrogen oxides.

Lawyers for the motorists will claim they were deceived about how environmentally friendly the vehicles were, and that the cars still on the road are continuing to emit dangerous levels of pollution.

Although the trial begins on Monday, a judgement is not expected until summer 2026. If the court finds against the carmakers, a further trial to determine levels of compensation is expected to begin in autumn 2026.

Martin Deigh of Leigh Day, which is one of the 22 law firms representing drivers, said: "A decade after the Dieselgate scandal first came to light, 1.6 million UK motorists now get their chance to establish at trial whether their vehicles contained technology designed to cheat emissions tests."

He said that if the allegations against the car firms are upheld in court it "would demonstrate one of the most egregious breaches of corporate trust in modern times".

"It would also mean that people across the UK have been breathing in far more harmful emissions from these vehicles than they were told about, potentially putting the health of millions at risk."

The companies involved have said the claims against them are without merit.

A spokesperson for Mercedes said the mechanisms used in tests were "justifiable from a technical and legal standpoint".

Renault and Stellantis, which owns Peugeot and Citroen, said the vehicles it sold were compliant with regulations at the time.

Ford said the claims had "no merit" and Nissan said it was "committed to compliance in all markets in which we operate".

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US President Donald Trump is considering sending Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, saying it would provide "a new step of aggression" in its war with Russia.

When asked on Air Force One if he would send Tomahawks to Ukraine, Trump replied "we'll see... I may".

It follows a second phone call at the weekend between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who pushed for stronger military capabilities to launch counter-attacks against Russia.

Moscow has previously warned Washington against providing long-range missiles to Kyiv, saying it would cause a major escalation in the conflict and strain US-Russian relations.

Tomahawk missiles have a range of 2,500 km (1,500 miles), which would put Moscow within reach for Ukraine.

Trump spoke to reporters as he flew to Israel. He said he would possibly speak to Russia about the Tomahawks requested by Ukraine.

"I might tell them [Russia] that if the war is not settled, that we may very well, we may not, but we may do it."

"Do they [Russia] want Tomahawks going in their direction? I don't think so," the president said.

Kyiv has made multiple requests for long-range missiles, as it weighs up striking Russian cities far from the front lines of the grinding conflict.

In their phone calls Zelensky and Trump discussed Ukraine's bid to strengthen its military capabilities, including boosting its air defences and long-range arms.

Ukrainian cities including Kyiv have come under repeated heavy Russian bombardment with drones and missiles. Russia has particularly targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure, causing power cuts.

Last month, Trump's special envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg suggested the US president had authorised strikes deep into Russian territory, telling Fox News "there are no such things as sanctuaries" from attacks in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Russia, which launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, downplayed the chances of Tomahawks changing the course of the war.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said last month: "Whether it's Tomahawks or other missiles, they won't be able to change the dynamic."

"We must catch up soon!"

It's a phrase near universal in adult friendships - a text we've likely both sent and received.

We mean it in the moment, with the best of intentions. But between work, family and endless to-do lists, a simple catch-up can become a logistical nightmare.

Yes, we must. But we rarely do.

It explains why research finds we lose around half of our friends every seven years.

It's not that we're suddenly "fundamentally incompatible", says psychologist Dr Marisa Franco, but because relationships shift as life stages change.

Be it moving in with partners, getting married, focusing on our careers or starting a family, friendships become "the easiest place for collateral damage" for both men and women explains author Dolly Alderton.

The question becomes how to maintain the same closeness with less time together.

Relationship expert Claire Cohen, author of BFF? The Truth About Female Friendship, who recently had a son is experiencing this first hand.

She's found herself in "identity limbo" between her old friends and the new group of mums she's met through antenatal classes.

Claire says she wants a fully rounded group, not just people who know the "new me".

To fix this, she's become more transparent, vulnerable, and creative in her approach to friendships during this challenging life transition.

When Claire recently discovered she hadn't been invited to a social event, for example, she gently reached out and explained she would still love invites despite being busy with motherhood.

Her honesty opened up the conversation. Claire says the friend was "reassuring", explaining that she thought she was "being kind" by giving space, unaware of the hurt caused.

Friendship reaffirmed, they then made time to hang out, even through the "mundane connection" of tidying together.

Claire's experience shows how communicating honestly is key.

Science underlines the importance of friendships. A broad social circle is thought to reduce the risk of death by 45%, about the same as the impact of diet and exercise combined.

It combats what Dr Franco calls "relational loneliness" - the loss of deeper platonic bonds needed for healthy human connection.

"Even if you're around one person and you really like that person, you can still feel lonely without having friends," Dr Franco says.

Embrace mess

Making space for friendships as our life changes requires us to accept our changing circumstances and feel the discomfort.

This means welcoming our friends into our messy lives, rather than waiting for perfect moments, says psychologist Julia Samuels.

Going to the gym, running errands or doing a food shop with a new baby? Take a friend along.

For friendships to exist, we need to give them space, however short or unusual the setting. "If they can't do it, they can't do it. But have it in the diary," adds Samuels.

Doing so allows us to meet in person, which experts agree should be the priority - even more so in our age of instant messaging.

Claire agrees, particularly since giving birth. While Whatsapp messages undoubtedly help us touch base and tell people we're thinking of them, she's found them a wholly "unsatisfactory" catch-up replacement during maternity leave.

It's a trap more of us have fallen into since the pandemic, says Dr Franco. Lockdowns normalised "learned loneliness" - seeing isolation as an acceptable default - alongside an over reliance on virtual communication.

To avoid this, she says we need to remember that socialising is like a muscle - the more we do it, the easier it becomes.

For those having to push themselves out the door, Dr Franco advises trying to reframe toward thinking about how happy our future selves will be, rather than pre-meet fears.

"When it comes to social connection, we underestimate just how happy it makes us, just how much value it brings," she explains.

Best friends forever?

So, what should you do if you want to rekindle a relationship?

Dr Franco suggests a text message or voice note as an initial olive branch, perhaps highlighting a specific memory to revive the connection.

When doing so, she says it's important to remember the "liking gap" - the negative disconnect between how we think others perceive us and their actual opinion.

We need to think of friendships as "flexible and not fragile" and trust that feelings do not diminish in busy or challenging times.

As for meetings themselves, Claire says "organised fun" such as book clubs or pottery classes can alleviate the stress of hosting and make it a communal occasion.

Ultimately, we need to trust that friends really will be there for us. Or, as Samuels puts it:

"Trust that you're more liked than you think you are and take a risk".

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In Bucksnort, Tennessee, residents have spent a chilly autumn night heeding a simple message spraypainted on a concrete barrier by the side of the road: "Pray for the AES families".

Community members gathered on Saturday for a candlelit vigil outside the Maple Valley Baptist Church after a blast at local explosives factory Accurate Energetic Systems (AES) left 16 people presumed dead.

This community of Hickman and Humphreys Counties is "not huge, so that's a lot of people to lose in an instant," Deacon Danny Bates said to the approximately 40 attendees, who comforted each other and sang hymns such as "It Is Well With My Soul".

"It was just another day at work, and then in an instant, they were gone. We have unanswered questions".

Vigil-goer Jerri Newcombe said her friend of more than 20 years was among the victims. The two met when Newcombe's granddaughter and the victim's daughter became close as little girls.

"They grew up together - we were in each other's homes," Newcombe told the BBC at the vigil. "We celebrated birthdays together. It's just surreal, because she's gone and her babies are hurting," she said, referring to the victim's children and grandchildren.

Local police have not publicly identified any of the unaccounted-for victims, who authorities presume have all been killed.

Her friend was "full of life", Ms Newcombe said. "She was the type of person that could make you laugh over anything, but you didn't cross her either, or she would tear into you," Ms. Newcombe added amid tears and laughter, as her granddaughter comforted her.

Bucksnort is a close-knit town where the cell service is spotty and a gas station - adorned with a Confederate flag centrepiece - is the local watering hole, residents say. This tragedy has hit the area hard as the community mourns family, friends, neighbours and coworkers.

The town had been holding out hope for good news after the explosion on Friday morning shook homes across the area, clouded the skies with smoke and drew a surge of hundreds of state and national first responders to an otherwise sleepy community tucked behind forests along a busy motorway.

But after nearly two days with no sign of survivors and the explosion site still considered dangerous for first responders, even the previously optimistic Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said the time had come to switch to a recovery - rather than rescue - strategy.

"At some point in time, we have got to rip off the Band-Aid," Davis, who has held back tears at news conferences, said. "We are dealing with remains."

Hickman County Sheriff Jason Craft told the BBC on Saturday night that rapid DNA analysis was still ongoing, but that after a search by 300 first responders, authorities had enough confidence in their assessment of the scene to notify families that their loved ones were likely deceased.

No cause of the blast has yet been identified, and agents from the national Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are investigating. It could take as long as a month for federal investigators to reach the main site of the explosion, ATF official Brice McCracken told the BBC.

The volatile nature of the explosive materials has also hampered the emergency response, officials said, as controlled detonations to render the site safe are also expected in the coming days.

Tiffany Story says her cousin was also among the victims, along with four other people that she knew, including someone she once used to babysit for.

"Everybody knows everybody here," an emotional Mrs Story told the BBC. "With everybody being so close, it's very comforting to have family. That's what we are - whether [by] blood, not blood, this whole community is family."

"There's probably never gonna be any answers" to the tragedy, she said.

Janie Brown said she also knew victims at the site. "They were loved by their families and by the community," she said outside another prayer vigil at the Hurricane Chapel Free Will Baptist Church in nearby McEwen.

"It's just a sad, sad day," she said.

Residents told the BBC the Accurate Energetic Systems (AES) company employed about 80 workers, and is one of the only private well-paying jobs around in these counties. For many here, the plant was known as a reliable first job for themselves or close friends.

A recent job opening advertised a $19-per-hour salary for an entry-level manual labour job, more than double the state's minimum wage of $7.25.

The factory has seen other difficulties, but none at such a scale as this.

In 2014, an explosion at the company killed one person, and a 2019 workplace safety inspection led to relatively minor financial penalties, which the company settled, according to online records.

Residents who spoke to the BBC had mostly positive feelings towards the company, and local police say they had no previous reports of unsafe working conditions.

Hurricane Chapel Free Will Baptist Church Pastor Tim Ferris praised his congregation's response to the tragedy.

"One thing about a small community is that when something like this happens, they rally around each other, and they come close to be the hands and the feet of Jesus, to administer to these people, to care for them, provide for them.

And that's a wonderful thing," he said.

A mass shooting at a crowded bar in the southern US state of South Carolina has left four people dead and at least 20 injured, officials said.

Hundreds of people were gathered at the popular bar on St Helena Island in the early hours of Sunday morning when gunfire broke out, leading multiple victims and witnesses to run to nearby businesses for shelter, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff's office.

Four people were declared dead at the bar and at least 20 were injured, including four who were sent to local hospitals in critical condition, the sheriff's office said.

The incident is still under investigation, and the sheriff's office is looking into possible suspects, it said.

When police and first responders arrived, they found several people suffering from gunshot wounds, the sheriff's office said in a statement.

It's not clear if the shooting was random or targeted, and a spokesperson for the sheriff's office declined to share more details.

The bar where the shooting took place, Willie's Bar and Grill, offers Gullah-inspired cuisine and says on its website that it aims to spread the "heartwarming spirit of the Gullah Geechee culture". The Gullah Geechee people are descendants of Africans who were enslaved on plantations along the south-eastern US coast, including in South Carolina.

"COMPLETELY HEARTBROKEN to learn about the devastating shooting in Beaufort County," South Carolina Republican Representative Nancy Mace wrote on X.

"Our prayers are with the victims, their families, and everyone impacted by this horrific act of violence."

Willie's did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the BBC.

US Vice-President JD Vance has warned of further workforce cuts in addition to the thousands of jobs already axed if the government shutdown is not resolved.

"The longer this goes on, the deeper the cuts are going to be," Vance told Fox News. "To be clear, some of these cuts are going to be painful."

Democrats said Republicans were punishing people by refusing to attach health insurance subsidies to the spending bill.

Hundreds of thousands of federal employees are already on leave without pay as the shutdown approaches its third week. No congressional vote is scheduled that could reopen the government.

The standoff began on 1 October after Democrats rejected a short-term funding bill. They want the budget to include an extension of federal subsidies for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

The Trump administration announced on Friday that seven agencies, including the CDC, had started firing over 4,000 staff.

But some of those CDC layoff notices were sent in error, a spokesman for the US health department, which oversees the CDC, told the BBC.

Those CDC employees "have all been notified that they are not subject to the reduction in force", Andrew Nixon said.

Out of about 1,300 CDC workers who were fired on Friday, around 700 were reinstated on Saturday, the employees' union told CNN.

Essential workers like federal law enforcement officers and air traffic controllers are required to continue working without pay.

But the Trump administration is making an exception for some essential workers: US service members.

Trump directed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to find available funds to get troops their wages this week - and Hegseth delivered.

The Department of Defence is taking about $8bn (£6bn) from "unobligated research development testing and evaluation funds" to pay military personnel on 15 October if the funding lapse is not resolved, a Pentagon official told the BBC.

Senator Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat, stood by the Democratic line on Sunday, saying on NBC's Meet the Press that he won't back down from his party's demand to reinstate federal healthcare subsidies in the budget now, not later.

And as for the layoffs, Kelly said Republicans "don't have to do this, they don't have to punish people".

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told NBC's Meet the Press that he will not vote to extend the subsidies.

Vance blamed the Democrats when speaking to Fox, saying: "This is not a situation we relish, [these layoffs] are not something we're looking forward to, but the Democrats have dealt us a pretty difficult set of cards."

As lawmakers continue battling over the budget, more government services are feeling the effect of the shutdown.

Several Smithsonian museums, research centres and the National Zoo in Washington DC closed on Sunday after funding to keep them open ran out.

A ceasefire deal has taken effect in Gaza that should see Hamas release all the 48 Israeli and foreign hostages it is still holding after two years of war, 20 of whom are assumed to be alive.

All but one were among the 251 people abducted during the Palestinian group's attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, during which about 1,200 other people were killed.

Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 67,000 people have been killed, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Hostages who are thought to be alive

Ariel Cunio, 28, was abducted in the attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz on 7 October. Ariel's brother Eitan, who escaped the Hamas-led gunmen, said the last message from Ariel said: "We are in a horror movie." Ariel's partner, Arbel Yehud, was freed in January 2025 under a deal that saw Hamas hand over 25 living and eight dead hostages during a two-month ceasefire.

David Cunio, 35, another of Ariel's brothers, was also kidnapped from Nir Oz. David's wife Sharon Aloni Cunio and their then-three-year-old twin daughters Ema and Yuly were among the 105 hostages released during a week-long ceasefire in November 2023. Sharon's sister Danielle Aloni and her daughter Emilia were also freed. In February 2025, David's family said released hostages had told them that had recently seen him alive.

Gali and Ziv Berman, 28-year-old twin brothers, were abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza with their neighbour, Emily Damari. Ziv was held with Emily for 40 days before they were separated. She was released in January 2025 during the last ceasefire. Gali and Ziv's family said they had been informed by other hostages released in early 2025 that they were still alive.

Matan Angrest, a 22-year-old Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier, was in a tank that was attacked near the Gaza perimeter fence on 7 October. One video showed a crowd pulling him from the tank unconscious and injured. Earlier this year, his family said they had been told by released hostages that he was suffering from chronic asthma, untreated burns and infections.

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 prime minister will attend an international peace summit in Egypt on Monday where the peace plan for Gaza will be signed, Downing Street has said.

Sir Keir Starmer will pay "particular tribute" in Sharm El-Sheikh to US President Donald Trump, No 10 added.

A ceasefire in Gaza took effect on Friday morning after Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire agreement and hostage return deal brokered by Trump, with the next phases still to be negotiated.

The US president will lead the summit alongside Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi with leaders from more than 20 countries in attendance, a spokesman for al-Sisi said.

Under the deal, Hamas has until 12:00 (09:00 GMT) on Monday to release all Israeli hostages - including 20 who are believed to be alive, and the remains of up to 28 deceased hostages.

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

Many details for the later phases, which would be negotiated after the successful completion of phase one, could be hard to reach agreement on - such as the governance of Gaza, the extent of Israeli troop withdrawal, and the disarming of Hamas.

Downing Street said Monday's summit would involve a "signing ceremony" for the peace plan, "marking a historic turning point for the region after two years of conflict and bloodshed".

Sir Keir will thank Egypt, Qatar and Turkey for "bringing us to this point" as well as Trump, before calling for continued coordination to secure "swift progress towards phase two" of the truce.

No 10 added in its statement: "He will offer the UK's steadfast support and engagement with international partners as we look to secure the ceasefire, get urgently needed humanitarian assistance into Gaza and secure a basis for a lasting peace and security."

French President Emmanuel Macron will also attend, the Elysee Palace confirmed on Saturday, where he will "express his full support for the implementation of the agreement".

Confirming the summit late on Saturday, a spokesperson for Egypt's presidency said it was intended to "end the war in the Gaza Strip, strengthen peace and stability efforts in the Middle East, and open a new page in regional security and stability".

Trump had told reporters at the White House on Friday that he would be travelling to the region on Monday, addressing Israel's parliament the Knesset, before heading to Egypt.

He said: "We have a lot of leaders from all over the world coming too, they've been invited."

Egypt's foreign ministry had also said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed arrangements for the summit with Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.

The ceasefire came into effect after the Israeli government approved the first phase of Trump's ceasefire and hostage return deal on Thursday, following three days of indirect talks in Egypt.

The Israeli military said it had partially withdrawn troops from parts of Gaza and pulled back to an agreed position within the territory - though troops still occupy half of the Strip.

The UK has already said it has "no plans" to send British troops to be part of a multinational force that will monitor the latest ceasefire from Israel.

The US is moving up to 200 troops already based in the region to what it is calling a civil-military coordination centre in Israel, officials have said, alongside forces from Arab and Muslim countries including Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Friday the UK would continue to support the peace process in other ways, including looking at getting private finance into Gaza.

Israel's war on Gaza was triggered by the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.

Since then, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 18,000 children, the Hamas-run health ministry says.

A previous ceasefire agreement that began in January collapsed after two months when Israel resumed its military offensive, having never got past the first stage of a three-stage plan.

US President Donald Trump is considering sending Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, saying it would provide "a new step of aggression" in its war with Russia.

When asked on Air Force One if he would send Tomahawks to Ukraine, Trump replied "we'll see... I may".

It follows a second phone call at the weekend between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who pushed for stronger military capabilities to launch counter-attacks against Russia.

Moscow has previously warned Washington against providing long-range missiles to Kyiv, saying it would cause a major escalation in the conflict and strain US-Russian relations.

Tomahawk missiles have a range of 2,500 km (1,500 miles), which would put Moscow within reach for Ukraine.

Trump spoke to reporters as he flew to Israel. He said he would possibly speak to Russia about the Tomahawks requested by Ukraine.

"I might tell them [Russia] that if the war is not settled, that we may very well, we may not, but we may do it."

"Do they [Russia] want Tomahawks going in their direction? I don't think so," the president said.

Kyiv has made multiple requests for long-range missiles, as it weighs up striking Russian cities far from the front lines of the grinding conflict.

In their phone calls Zelensky and Trump discussed Ukraine's bid to strengthen its military capabilities, including boosting its air defences and long-range arms.

Ukrainian cities including Kyiv have come under repeated heavy Russian bombardment with drones and missiles. Russia has particularly targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure, causing power cuts.

Last month, Trump's special envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg suggested the US president had authorised strikes deep into Russian territory, telling Fox News "there are no such things as sanctuaries" from attacks in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Russia, which launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, downplayed the chances of Tomahawks changing the course of the war.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said last month: "Whether it's Tomahawks or other missiles, they won't be able to change the dynamic."

US Vice-President JD Vance has warned of further workforce cuts in addition to the thousands of jobs already axed if the government shutdown is not resolved.

"The longer this goes on, the deeper the cuts are going to be," Vance told Fox News. "To be clear, some of these cuts are going to be painful."

Democrats said Republicans were punishing people by refusing to attach health insurance subsidies to the spending bill.

Hundreds of thousands of federal employees are already on leave without pay as the shutdown approaches its third week. No congressional vote is scheduled that could reopen the government.

The standoff began on 1 October after Democrats rejected a short-term funding bill. They want the budget to include an extension of federal subsidies for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

The Trump administration announced on Friday that seven agencies, including the CDC, had started firing over 4,000 staff.

But some of those CDC layoff notices were sent in error, a spokesman for the US health department, which oversees the CDC, told the BBC.

Those CDC employees "have all been notified that they are not subject to the reduction in force", Andrew Nixon said.

Out of about 1,300 CDC workers who were fired on Friday, around 700 were reinstated on Saturday, the employees' union told CNN.

Essential workers like federal law enforcement officers and air traffic controllers are required to continue working without pay.

But the Trump administration is making an exception for some essential workers: US service members.

Trump directed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to find available funds to get troops their wages this week - and Hegseth delivered.

The Department of Defence is taking about $8bn (£6bn) from "unobligated research development testing and evaluation funds" to pay military personnel on 15 October if the funding lapse is not resolved, a Pentagon official told the BBC.

Senator Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat, stood by the Democratic line on Sunday, saying on NBC's Meet the Press that he won't back down from his party's demand to reinstate federal healthcare subsidies in the budget now, not later.

And as for the layoffs, Kelly said Republicans "don't have to do this, they don't have to punish people".

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told NBC's Meet the Press that he will not vote to extend the subsidies.

Vance blamed the Democrats when speaking to Fox, saying: "This is not a situation we relish, [these layoffs] are not something we're looking forward to, but the Democrats have dealt us a pretty difficult set of cards."

As lawmakers continue battling over the budget, more government services are feeling the effect of the shutdown.

Several Smithsonian museums, research centres and the National Zoo in Washington DC closed on Sunday after funding to keep them open ran out.

When I was asked to give an impromptu five-minute speech and then to count backwards in intervals of 17 - all in front of a panel of three strangers - the acute stress was written on my face.

That is because psychologists from the University of Sussex were filming this somewhat terrifying experience for a research project that is studying stress using thermal cameras.

Stress alters the blood flow in the face, and scientists have discovered that the drop in temperature of a person's nose can be used as a measure of stress levels, and to monitor recovery.

Thermal imaging, according to the psychologists behind the study could be a "game changer" in stress research.

The experimental stress test that I subjected myself to is carefully controlled and deliberately designed to be an unpleasant surprise. I arrived at the university with no idea what I was in for.

First, I was asked to sit, relax and listen to white noise through a set of headphones.

So far, so calming.

Then, the researcher who was running the test invited a panel of three strangers into the room. They all stared at me silently as the researcher informed that I now had three minutes to prepare a five minute speech about my "dream job".

As I felt the heat rise around my neck, the scientists captured my face changing colour through their thermal camera. My nose quickly dropped in temperature - turning blue on the thermal image - as I considered how to bluster my way through this unplanned presentation. (I decided I would take the opportunity to make my pitch to join the astronaut training programme!)

The Sussex researchers have carried out this same stress test on 29 volunteers. In each, they saw their nose dip in temperature by between three and six degrees.

My nose dropped in temperature by two degrees, as my nervous system pushed blood flow away from my nose and to my eyes and ears - a physical reaction to help me to look and listen for danger.

Most participants, like me, recovered quickly; their noses warmed to pre-stressed levels within a few minutes.

Lead researcher, Prof Gillian Forrester explained that being a reporter and broadcaster has probably made me "quite habituated to being put in stressful positions".

"You are used to the camera and talking with strangers, so you're probably quite resilient to social stressors," she explained.

"But even someone like you, trained to be in stressful situations, shows a biological blood flow shift, so that suggests this 'nasal dip' is a robust marker of a changing stress state."

Stress is part of life. But this discovery, the scientists say, could be used to help manage harmful levels of stress.

"The length of time it takes someone tor recover from this nasal dip could be an objective measure of how well somebody regulates their stress," said Prof Forrester.

"If they bounce back unusually slowly, could that be a risk marker of anxiety or depression? Is it something that we can do anything about?"

Because this technique is non-invasive and measures a physical response, it could also be useful to monitor stress in babies or in people who can't communicate.

The second task in my stress assessment was, in my view, even worse than the first. I was asked to count backwards from 2023 in intervals of 17. Someone on the panel of three impassive strangers stopped me every time I made a mistake and asked me to start again.

I admit, I am bad at mental arithmetic.

As I spent an embarrassing length of time trying to force my brain to perform subtraction, all I could think was that I wanted to flee the increasingly stuffy room.

During the research, only one of the 29 volunteers for the stress test did actually ask to leave. The rest, like me, completed their tasks - presumably feeling varying degrees of humiliation - and were rewarded with another calming session of white noise through headphones at the end.

Anxious apes

Prof Forrester will demonstrate this new thermal stress-measuring method in front of an audience at the New Scientist Live event in London on 18 October.

Perhaps one of the most surprising aspects of the approach is that, because thermal cameras measure a physical stress response that is innate in many primates, it can also be used in non-human apes.

The researchers are currently developing its use in sanctuaries for great apes, including chimpanzees and gorillas. They want to work out how to reduce stress and improve the wellbeing of animals that may have been rescued from traumatic circumstances.

The team has already found that showing adult chimpanzees video footage of baby chimpanzees has a calming effect. When the researchers set up a video screen close to the rescued chimps' enclosure, they saw the noses of animals that watched the footage warm up.

So, in terms of stress, watching baby animals animals playing is the opposite of a surprise job interview or an on-the-spot subtraction task.

Using thermal cameras in ape sanctuaries could prove to be valuable in helping rescued animals to adjust and settle in to a new social group and strange surroundings.

"They can't say how they're feeling and they can be quite good at masking how they're feeling," explained Marianne Paisley, a researcher from the University of Sussex who is studying great ape wellbeing.

"We've [studied] primates for the last 100 years or so to help us understand ourselves.

"Now we know so much about human mental health, so maybe we can use that and give back to them."

So perhaps my own minor scientific ordeal could contribute, in a small way, to alleviating distress in some of our primate cousins.

Additional reporting by Kate Stephens. Photography by Kevin Church

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