BBC News (World)

Israeli strike kills dozens sheltering in Gaza school, officials say

At least 54 Palestinians have been killed - most of them in a school building sheltering displaced families - during Israeli air strikes on Gaza overnight, hospital directors have told the BBC.

Fahmi Al-Jargawi School in Gaza City was housing hundreds of people from Beit Lahia, currently under intense Israeli military assault. At least 35 were reported to have been killed when the school was hit.

Gaza's Hamas-run Civil Defence said multiple bodies, including those of children, were recovered – many severely burned, after fires engulfed two classrooms serving as living quarters. read more

Russia launches largest air attack yet on Ukraine

Russia has intensified strikes on Ukraine, with the highest number of drones and missiles launched in a single night yet.

At least 14 people, including three children, were killed and dozens injured in widespread strikes, officials said. The attack came a day after the Ukrainian capital Kyiv suffered one of the heaviest assaults of the war.

Russia has been ignoring calls for a ceasefire. read more

Israeli strike kills nine of Gaza doctor's children, hospital says

An Israeli air strike on Gaza hit the home of a doctor and killed nine of her 10 children, the hospital where she works in the city of Khan Younis says.

Nasser hospital said one of Dr Alaa al-Najjar's children and her husband were injured, but survived.

Graeme Groom, a British surgeon working in the hospital who operated on her surviving 11-year-old boy, told the BBC it was "unbearably cruel" that his mother, who spent years caring for children as a paediatrician, could lose almost all her own in a single missile strike. read more

Trump threatens 50% tariffs on EU and 25% on iPhones

US President Donald Trump has said he is recommending a 50% tariff on all goods from the European Union being imported to the United States.

"Our discussions with them are going nowhere!" he wrote in a post on social media on Friday. He said the new tariffs would kick in on 1 June.

The announcement marks an escalation of Trump's trade war with the EU. He initially proposed a 20% tariff on most EU goods, but halved it to 10% until 8 July to allow time for talks. read more

Two Israeli embassy staff shot dead outside Jewish museum in Washington DC

Two staff members from the Israeli embassy were shot dead outside a Jewish museum in Washington DC on Wednesday night by a gunman who shouted "free Palestine" during his arrest.

Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim were a couple, who the embassy said were in the "prime of their lives". Mr Lischinsky was reportedly about to propose to Miss Milgrim.

The suspect, Elias Rodriguez, 30, is now in custody and the FBI is investigating whether the attack was linked to terrorism or a hate crime. read more

Zelensky accuses Russia of 'buying time' to stall truce talks

Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of "trying to buy time" to continue its war in Ukraine, a day after Donald Trump said progress towards a ceasefire had been made in a call with Vladimir Putin.

"If Russia continues to put forward unrealistic conditions and undermine progress, there must be tough consequences," Ukraine's president wrote on social media, adding that Kyiv was ready to negotiate.

Following separate calls with Zelensky and Putin on Monday, Trump said truce talks between Russia and Ukraine would start "immediately". read more

US 'troubled' by humanitarian situation in Gaza, Rubio tells BBC

The top US diplomat Marco Rubio has said the US is "troubled" by the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

His comments came as at least 114 Palestinians were killed in Israeli air strikes on Thursday, health officials said.

Asked by the BBC if the Trump administration remained fully behind the nature of Israel's military action given the scale of the recent Israeli attacks and its bombing of hospitals, he once again called on Hamas to surrender and release hostages and said there could be no peace so long as the group exists. read more

India disputes Trump claim it is ready to charge US 'no tariffs'

US President Donald Trump's claim that India has offered to drop all tariffs on goods imported from his country has been swiftly disputed by Delhi.

In a statement to local news agencies India's foreign minister S Jaishankar countered the claim saying talks are still going on and "nothing is decided till everything is".

The statement is in stark contrast to comments by Trump to reporters earlier in the day, when he declared Delhi had "offered us a deal where basically they are willing to literally charge us no tariff".

India and the US are currently in talks to negotiate a trade agreement. read more

Israel denying food to Gaza is 'weapon of war', UN Palestinian refugee agency head tells BBC

How do you measure misery? For journalists the usual way is to see it, to feel it, to smell it.

Beleaguered Palestinian colleagues in Gaza are doing that, still doing invaluable reporting at great risk to themselves. More than 200 have been killed doing their jobs.

Israel does not allow international journalists into Gaza.

Denied the chance of eyewitness reporting – one of the best tools of the job – we can study, from a distance, the assessments of aid organisations operating in Gaza. read more

US and China agree to slash tariffs for 90 days

The US and China have agreed a deal that will significantly cut the import tariffs they have imposed on each other, in a major de-escalation of their trade war.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said both countries would lower their reciprocal tariffs by 115% for 90 days.

The announcement came after the two countries held talks in Switzerland, the first between the two countries since US President Donald Trump had levied steep tariffs on Chinese imports last month. read more

Trump says India and Pakistan 'agree to full and immediate ceasefire'

Donald Trump says "India and Pakistan have agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire".

In a post on social media platform Truth Social, the US President says: "After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE.

"Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" read more

How will Pope Leo lead? His first days may yield clues

Not long after greeting crowds from the balcony overlooking St Peter's Square on Thursday evening, Pope Leo XIV returned to the Sant'Uffizio Palace, where he had been living for the last two months.

He was met by a jubilant group of staff and former colleagues, all eager to shake his hand and congratulate him.

A young girl handed him a Bible to bless and sign. "Of course, though I have to try out my new signature," Pope Leo said with a smile. "The old one is of no use anymore." read more

US team headed to Moscow for Ukraine talks as Putin visits Kursk

US officials are headed to Russia to discuss a potential ceasefire in Ukraine, according to President Donald Trump.

The news comes after Ukrainian officials agreed to a 30-day ceasefire following a highly anticipated meeting with American officials in Saudi Arabia.

Earlier, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the "ball is truly in their [Russia's] court" and that the US believes the only way to end the fighting was through peace negotiations. read more

US sides with Russia in UN resolutions on Ukraine

The US has twice sided with Russia in votes at the UN to mark the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the Trump administration's change of stance on the war.

First the two countries opposed a European-drafted resolution condemning Moscow's actions and supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity, which was passed by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

Then they backed a US-drafted resolution at the UN Security Council calling for an end to the conflict but containing no criticism of Russia. read more

All passengers survive crash landing as plane flips at Toronto airport

All 80 people on board a plane which crashed and overturned while landing in Toronto have survived, officials said.

The Delta Air Lines flight from Minneapolis skidded along the runway with flames visible and it came to a halt upside down as firefighters came to the rescue.

Survivors said they were suspended upside down in their seats and had to release themselves, dropping on to the ceiling before clambering out on to the snow-covered tarmac. read more

Ukraine not invited to US-Russia peace talks, source tells BBC

Kyiv has not been invited to talks between the US and Russia aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, a senior Ukrainian government source has told the BBC.

The US special envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg had said Kyiv would be involved in Monday's talks in Saudi Arabia, but the source said no delegation would be present.

European leaders have also not been asked to join the discussions, and are due to meet instead on Monday in Paris at a summit hastily arranged by the French president, as fears grow the continent is being locked out of negotiations. read more

Ukraine war talks start now, Trump says after Putin call

US President Donald Trump has said he had a "lengthy and highly productive" phone call with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday in which the leaders agreed to begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he and the Russian president had "agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately".

Later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had spoken with Trump about a "lasting, reliable peace". read more

Hamas says it will postpone hostage release, blaming Israel

A spokesman for the armed wing of Hamas says the group is postponing the next scheduled release of Israeli hostages, blaming what he says are Israeli violations of the ceasefire deal.

Three hostages held in Gaza are due to be freed on Saturday in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz called the Hamas announcement a "complete violation of the ceasefire agreement". read more

Judge blocks Trump plan to put thousands of USAID staff on leave

A judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump from placing 2,200 workers at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) on paid leave, hours before it was due to happen.

Judge Carl Nichols issued a "limited" temporary restraining order, in response to a last-minute lawsuit filed by two unions trying to save the agency.

The order will remain in place for a week, until 14 February at midnight. read more

Palestinians and Arab states reject Trump's Gaza takeover proposal

The Palestinian president has said he strongly rejects President Donald Trump's proposal for the US to take over Gaza and permanently resettle the 2.1 million Palestinians living there.

"We will not allow the rights of our people... to be infringed on," Mahmoud Abbas stressed, warning that Gaza was "an integral part of the State of Palestine" and forced displacement would be a serious violation of international law.

Hamas, whose 15-month war with Israel has caused widespread devastation, said Trump's plan would "put oil on the fire" in the region. read more