France prison van attack: Manhunt for escaped prisoner enters second day

Hundreds of police officers have been deployed in Normandy in the search for Mohamed Amra, who escaped a police van transporting him to jail on Tuesday.

Known as "The Fly", Amra was being transported back from a court hearing in Rouen when a car rammed the prison van at a toll booth.

Armed men then opened fire on the vehicle, killing two prison officers.

"All means are being used to find these criminals," French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said. read more

France prison van attack: Two French prison officers killed in ambush

Two French prison officers have been killed in an ambush on a prison van near Rouen in Normandy.

Reports in French media say an inmate who was being transported in the van has escaped together with the attackers.

Several hundred police officers and gendarmes have reportedly been deployed to carry out a manhunt.

French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X that "everything is being done to find the perpetrators". read more

Vladimir Putin set to transfer Sergei Shoigu from Russian defence ministry

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to replace his long-standing ally Sergei Shoigu as defence minister, the Kremlin has announced.

The 68-year-old has been in the role since 2012 and is to be appointed the head of Russia's Security Council.

Papers published by the upper chamber of the Russian parliament said Mr Shoigu will be replaced by Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov.

Mr Shoigu has played a key role in Russia's war with Ukraine. read more

Secret classes to counter Russian brainwashing in occupied Ukraine

Like millions of other Ukrainians, in the early weeks of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Nataliia (not her real name) was forced from her home.

She couldn't tolerate living under Russian occupation in her southern hometown of Melitopol, and felt she would be more useful in territory still controlled by Ukraine.

But Nataliia didn't just leave her home and relatives behind, she also surrendered her profession, giving up her job of 20 years as a teacher.

Now she spends her time giving online classes to hundreds of her former students.

The risks for her, and her remote class, are huge. read more

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Gaza aid reaches shore in first sea delivery

The first ship towing a barge of humanitarian aid to Gaza has unloaded supplies on to the shore.

The Spanish ship Open Arms left Cyprus on Tuesday with 200 tonnes of food desperately needed for Gaza, which the UN says is on the brink of famine.

Videos posted online show a crane moving crates from the barge to lorries waiting on a purpose-built jetty.

It marks the start of a trial to see if sea deliveries are effective, after air and land deliveries proved difficult. read more

**Israel Gaza war: Hamas video claims to show dead hostages

Hamas** has issued a new video purporting to show the bodies of two Israeli hostages, with the militants claiming that they died in air strikes on Gaza.

It comes a day after Hamas released another video of the hostages when they were alive, but warning they could die if Israel continued its bombardment.

Israel denied they were killed by strikes. Its defence minister accused the militants of "psychological abuse". read more

**They were Israel's 'eyes on the border' - but their Hamas warnings went unheard

They** are known as Israel's eyes on the Gaza border.

For years, units of young female conscripts had one job here. It was to sit in surveillance bases for hours, looking for signs of anything suspicious.

In the months leading up to the 7 October attacks by Hamas, they did begin to see things: practice raids, mock hostage-taking, and farmers behaving strangely on the other side of the fence. read more

**Taiwan election: China says US 'gravely wrong' to congratulate new leader

China** has accused the US of sending "a gravely wrong signal" to those pushing for Taiwan's independence after Saturday's election result.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken sent Taiwanese president-elect William Lai a message of congratulations following the result.

Beijing called the message aviolation of Washington's commitment to maintain only unofficial ties with Taiwan.

Mr Lai has vowed to protect Taiwan from an increasingly aggressive China. read more

**Hamas command in north Gaza destroyed, Israel says

The** Israeli army says it has "completed the dismantling" of Hamas's command structure in the northern Gaza Strip.

Army spokesman Daniel Hagari told reporters that Palestinian militants are now operating in the area only sporadically and "without commanders".

He said Israel had killed around 8,000 militants in north Gaza. The BBC cannot independently verify this number.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) are now focused on dismantling Hamas in south and central Gaza, he said. read more