|
BBC News with Sue Montgomery.
Hamas has offered to relinquish its administrative authority over the Gaza Strip in its official response to the U.S.-Gaza cease-fire proposal. The militant group suggests handing governance to an independent technocratic committee once a permanent cease-fire has been announced. It's also suggesting the freeing of half of the living and dead Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners during an initial 60-day cease-fire and the rest once Israel fully withdraws. From Jerusalem, here's Barbara Plett Usher. It also listed in detail its reservations about the draft proposed by the U.S. envoy, Steve Witkoff. Hamas repeated the movement's well-known demands - guarantees that the truce would lead to a permanent cease-fire, a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a resumption of unrestricted aid. None of these conditions are in the offer currently on the table. Israel called Hamas's statement a refusal of the proposal and the tone of Mr. Witkoff's response suggested there wasn't room for amendments. Russia says a highway bridge has collapsed onto a moving passenger train in a region close to the Ukraine border. The governor of the Bryansk region said at least seven people were killed and more than twenty injured. David Bamford reports. The governor of Russia's Bryansk region confirmed there'd been casualties when several heavy trucks came crashing down on the Moscow express from Klimova as it passed underneath. Pictures online showed mangled carriages and passengers helping each other climb out of the wreckage in the dark. The incident took place just 100 kilometers from the Ukraine border. Russian rail officials said the bridge had been damaged by "illegal interference", adding to speculation that this was an act of sabotage linked to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. China has protested to Washington over comments by the U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth. He told a security summit in Singapore that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could be imminent. Beijing regards the self-governing island as part of its territory. The British government said it will buy thousands of long-range weapons and build six new munitions factories to produce them in the U.K. London said a $2 billion investment would fund the factories and the purchase of more than 7,000 British-built munitions. Jonathan Beale reports. The war in Ukraine has highlighted serious deficiencies in the West's ability to produce weapons and munitions at speed and scale to feed the front line. Senior British military officers, too, have been ringing the alarm bells about the U.K.S own depleted stockpiles. Ministers say the extra investment, following the government's commitment to spend 2.5% of its GDP on defense, will strengthen the armed forces and boost British jobs. World News from the BBC. Iran has called a critical report by the U.N. nuclear watchdog about the country's uranium enrichment "politically motivated." The IAEA report said significantly increased production of highly enriched uranium by Iran was of serious concern. Separately, the United States says it has sent Tehran a proposal for a nuclear deal between the U.S. and Iran. At least 21 young athletes have been killed in Nigeria when a bus they were travelling in crashed in Kano state. The group was returning home after competing at the National Sports Festival in Ogun state. A former U.N. official, Kamil al-Taib Idris, has been sworn in as Sudan's new prime minister. He was appointed by Sudan's military leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. He is now expected to form a wartime cabinet as the army continues its fight against the paramilitary, Rapid Support Forces. Thousands have marched through Rome to protest against the Italian government's tough new security laws. Under the legislation, illegal squatters will face faster eviction and pregnant women or those with young children will no longer avoid jail if convicted. Police, on the other hand, will be entitled to 10,000 euros in legal aid if facing charges of violence. A leading lawyer called the legislation the biggest attack on the freedom to dissent. Celebrations have erupted across Paris after the French capital's top football team, Paris-Saint-Germain, won their first ever European Champions League final. The match against Inter Milan ended in a 5-0 thrashing. PSG's home stadium has been transformed into a giant fan zone. And the Eiffel Tower is lit up in PSG's blue and red colors. BBC News. |