Daily News updates

  Israel's PM Netanyahu lays out Gaza plan for after the war Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has laid out his vision for a post-war Gaza. Under his plan Israel would control security indefinitely, and Palestinians with no links to groups hostile to Israel would run the territory. The US, Israel's major ally, wants the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA) to govern Gaza after the war. But the short document - which Mr Netanyahu presented to ministers last night - makes no mention of the PA. He has previously ruled out a post-war role for the internationally backed body. He envisages a "demilitarised" Gaza; Israel would be responsible for removing all military capability beyond that necessary for public order. There would be a "Southern Closure" on the territory's border with Egypt to prevent smuggling both under- and overground. And "de-radicalisation" programmes would be promoted in all religious, educational and welfare instit...

  Israeli report says Hamas sexual violence 'systematic and intentional' The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel says it has gathered evidence Hamas gunmen "systematically and intentionally" committed sexual crimes during the 7 October attacks. A report by the umbrella organisation  describes "identical patterns" of sexual violence at multiple locations. These allegedly included violent rapes of women conducted "collectively" or "in front of an audience". Hamas has denied its gunmen sexually assaulted women during the attacks. On 7 October, hundreds from the Palestinian armed group infiltrated southern Israel, where they killed about 1,200 people and took 253 others hostage. Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which 29,300 people have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Warning: Contains graphic descriptions of rape and sexual violence Reports of sexual violence carri...

  Jesse Baird: Policeman charged with murder of missing Sydney couple A 28-year-old police officer has been charged with murdering missing Australian TV personality Jesse Baird and his boyfriend Luke Davies. Detectives launched a frantic search on Wednesday after the couple's bloodied items were found in a bin near Sydney. Beaumont Lamarre-Condon, Baird's ex-boyfriend, was being sought by police and handed himself in on Friday. Detectives say they are yet to locate the men's bodies or confirm their cause of death. Police allege the couple were killed on Monday inside Jesse Baird's house in Paddington, an inner Sydney suburb, before their bodies were moved in a white van. Witnesses told investigators they heard "shouting" and a "verbal argument" that morning, and the rented van was captured at the scene on CCTV footage that evening. The van was found in Sydney's south on Friday morning. New South Wales Police have said a bullet matching Beaumont ...

  Cotton candy: Pink sugary sweet sets off alarm bells in India Can cotton candy give you cancer? Some Indian states think so and have banned the sale of the pink, wispy, sugary-sweet treat. Last week, the southern state of Tamil Nadu  implemented the ban after  lab tests confirmed the presence of a cancer-causing substance, Rhodamine-B, in samples sent for testing. Earlier this month, the union territory of Puducherry banned the sweet treat while other states have begun testing samples of it. Cotton candy, also called buddi-ka-baal (old woman's hair) in India because of its appearance, is popular with children the world over. It's a fixture in amusement parks, fairs and other places of entertainment frequented by children, who like it because of its sticky, melt-in-the-mouth texture. But some Indian officials say that the candy is more sinister than it seems. P Satheesh Kumar, food safety officer in Chennai city in Tamil Nadu,  told The Indian Express newspap...