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At least 29 Palestinians, including children, have been killed in an Israeli air strike on a multi-storey residential building in the east of Gaza City, a local hospital says.

The Hamas-run Civil Defence agency said warplanes targeted the area near al-Hawashi mosque in the Shejaiya neighbourhood on Tuesday morning.

It initially reported that 23 people were killed but warned its first responders were searching for two dozen others under the rubble. In the evening, it announced 15 bodies had been recovered, without giving an updated death toll.

The Israeli military said it had struck a "senior Hamas terrorist" who was responsible for planning and executing attacks in the area.

Numerous steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of "precision weapons", it added.

The military also accused Hamas of violating international law by deliberately using the civilian population as human shields.

Video from Shejaiya showed the dust-covered bodies of small children being carried away from the rubble by distraught relatives and rescue workers.

Ayub Salim, 26, told the AFP news agency the area around the residential building struck on Tuesday morning was "overcrowded with tents, displaced people and homes".

He said it was hit by "multiple missiles" and that "shrapnel flew in all directions".

"Dust and massive destruction filled the entire place, we couldn't see anything, just the screams and panic of the people," he added. "It is truly a horrific massacre."

Hamas also said the Israeli military had "committed a bloody massacre".

Thousands of Shejaiya residents fled last week after the Israeli military ordered the evacuation of much of the neighbourhood, saying it was operating with force to destroy "terrorist infrastructure".

But residents said the area struck on Wednesday was not covered by the evacuation order, so many families had remained there.

"We were told this was a safe area for the displaced, yet they are targeting residential blocks with lethal missiles. What have the children done? Do they fire rockets at the Israeli army?" an elderly man in Shejaiya told BBC Arabic's Gaza Lifeline programme.

Earlier on Tuesday, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said at least 33 people had been killed in Israeli attacks over the previous 24 hours.

That brought the reported total of those killed since Israel resumed its air and ground campaign against Hamas on 18 March to 1,482.

The Israeli military meanwhile said its aircraft had struck more than 45 "terror targets" across Gaza over the past day, including weapons manufacturing sites and rocket launchers.

It also said ground forces were advancing into Shejaiya as well as the so-called "Morag Corridor" in southern Gaza.

The military corridor is being established by seizing territory between the city of Rafah, whose residents have been ordered to evacuate, and neighbouring Khan Younis.

During a visit to the area on Wednesday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said: "We are now slicing through the strip, and we are increasing the pressure step by step, so that they [Hamas] will give us our hostages." ​

"All of Rafah will be evacuated and turned into a security area. This is what we are doing now," he added, according to the Ynet news website.

The BBC has asked the Israeli military for comment.

Another 390,000 people have been displaced over the past three weeks, with two-thirds of the territory now designated by the Israeli military as "no-go" zones or placed under evacuation orders, according to the UN.

A man who killed his friend with a drunken push on a night out has been jailed for five years.

Thomas Tierney, 54, fatally struck his head on the pavement after being shoved by Rhyan Cooper, 29, during an argument in Stockton in September 2023, Teesside Crown Court.

Mr Tierney's sister said he was a "kind and caring soul who wouldn't hurt a fly", adding his family were devastated by his "incomprehensible" death.

Cooper had claimed he was acting in self-defence but was found guilty of manslaughter.

Cooper and Mr Tierney had been out for a meal together in Thornaby before going for a drink at the Blue Post in Stockton at about 23:40 BST on 1 September 2023, prosecutor Michael Bunch said.

Mr Tierney bought drinks for them but Cooper, of Havilland Road in Thornaby, had wanted to leave and go home, with an argument then breaking out, the court heard.

Cooper, who had poured his drink away under the table, wanted Mr Tierney to leave with him so decided to "irritate" and "provoke" him by prodding him and putting his empty glass on his friend's head, Judge Jonathan Carroll said.

It culminated with Mr Tierney pouring his drink over Cooper's head and the pair being removed by bouncers, the court heard.

The judge said Cooper was "petulant" and "not getting [his] own way", ignored a warning to stop by the door staff and still "didn't let it go" after they had been thrown out.

Mr Tierney walked down an alleyway into the High Street followed by Cooper, who then used two hands to push his friend in the chest.

Mr Tierney struck his head on the ground and fractured his skull, dying in hospital on 5 September, the court heard.

Cooper told police and the jury he had acted in self-defence but his claim was rejected.

In a statement read to the court, Mr Tierney's sister said he was a "very gentle man who quietly lived his life" before it was brought to "an abrupt end" by someone who was "supposed to be his friend".

She said her brother had "always been a kind and caring soul who wouldn't hurt a fly", adding he "looked out for others and was always a source of comfort".

Mr Tierney's sister said she could not describe the anguish and devastation his death had caused or the "mammoth void" he had left in their lives.

She said the family's hearts had been broken by an "incomprehensible" act but they took some comfort knowing Mr Tierney "was able to continue his care of others" through the donation of his organs to people "in need".

"Life will never be the same without our gentle, loving brother," she said.

In mitigation, the court heard Mr Tierney had been Cooper's "most important" friend and he found the death "almost impossible to deal with".

Cooper, who had a previous conviction for assaulting his father in 2017, had not drunk a drop of alcohol since Mr Tierney's death, the court heard.

Judge Carroll said both men were drunk and Mr Tierney was in "no fit state" to try and break his fall after being pushed backwards.

He said it should have been an "obvious risk" to Cooper that Mr Tierney could be seriously injured, adding such a scenario had happened "time and again" outside pubs when people had been drinking.

The judge said he accepted Cooper was "genuinely sorry" and "wished he could turn the clock back", but added Mr Tierney's family "wished that even more".

Parents in the Scottish Borders say they feel "elated" after a judge ruled that Scottish schools must provide single-sex toilets for pupils.

The local authority had installed only gender neutral toilets at the new Earlston Primary School, which recently opened.

Sean Stratford and Leigh Hurley complained to the council about the policy at the school their son had previously attended, but it was rejected.

The council conceded that they had a legal obligation to provide male and female facilities at the Court of Session in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

The local authority said it had accepted the argument prior to the hearing and therefore did not defend itself in court.

The move comes after judges at the UK Supreme Court last week unanimously ruled that a woman is defined by biological sex under equalities law.

A town has held its first Pride event in response to a homophobic attack on a man as he was leaving a pub.

Holmfirth Pride 2025 took place on Saturday and Sunday after being organised by residents Hilary Bowyer and Isobel Heely.

The festival included activities such as a rainbow scavenger hunt, drag bingo, and an exhibition of queer art featuring local artists.

Business owner Ms Heely, said the event was organised after a man in his 20s was attacked by five men outside The Old Bridge on Norridge Bottom on 12 April.

She said: "As a close-knit community, we were all horrified when we heard about the incident and did not want anybody to feel like we were not supportive.

"We did not want people to think that this is the sort of thing that happens here and we wanted to show it does not represent us as a community.

"All of the 65 businesses in the town have got bunting up and people are leaving their mark in the streets with chalk to show that there is acceptance and we are welcoming to all."

Ms Heely added the positive response to the event had "had me in tears" as it had shown how the "community has really rallied together".

She said: "It has been heartwarming to see such a positive response to something negative.

"We've had six weeks to pull the project together to make sure it was ready for Pride month and were lucky to get funding from the parish council and Kirklees Council.

"The response has been so great that we're planning to hold the event again next year.

"We just want to send a message that everybody belongs and we will not tolerate hate."

The attack left the victim with facial injuries after being punched and kicked by the group, who had also made offensive slurs to the victim and his partner, and was investigated as a hate crime by West Yorkshire Police.

West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds

A woman who was infected with hepatitis C during the NHS contaminated blood scandal said she doubts she will live to see her compensation.

Sue Wathen, 70, from Raunds, Northamptonshire, contracted the virus from a blood transfusion and her infection went undiagnosed for more than 30 years.

An estimated 30,000 people were infected with HIV or hepatitis through contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s, with more than 3,000 deaths recorded.

Ms Wathen said: "It's far from over – just because the inquiry finished its final report doesn't mean it's over. All of us are frustrated and I'm not convinced I will get any compensation in my lifetime."

The Infected Blood Inquiry, which concluded last May, recommended immediate compensation.

The government established the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) to oversee payments, with nearly £12bn allocated.​

However, by mid-March, only 40 compensation offers had been accepted, totalling more than £44m, according to government figures.

Ms Wathen added: "At the moment, I'm at the stage where I'm waiting to be invited to apply for compensation. The government are telling us it's random choices, a lottery whether you're chosen.​

"The people who are much more seriously ill have no priority over those who aren't seriously ill or much younger. It's all very random and I don't think it's what Sir Brian [Langstaff] intended."​

The IBCA said it would prioritise the claims of people who have been told by a medical professional that they have less than 12 months to live.

Matthew Harris, from Brixworth, Northamptonshire, was also infected with Hepatitis C and echoed the frustration: "I thought by 2025 it would all be done and dusted. I'm OK health-wise, but I get depressed now and again but what can you do?"

The IBCA said it planned to scale up claims processing in 2025 and would prioritise those already registered with support schemes.

It aimed to process the majority of infected individuals' claims by the end of 2027, and affected individuals' claims by the end of 2029, it added.

The infected blood inquiry is holding two more days of hearings amid concerns about the government's response on compensation.

The hearings are scheduled for 7 and 8 May, with minister for the Cabinet Office Nick Thomas-Symonds and senior IBCA officials expected to give evidence.

The government said it was "fully-committed" to cooperating with the inquiry.

A government spokesperson said it was continuing to act on the inquiry's recommendations, adding: "The victims of this scandal have suffered unspeakably."

Israel's military has admitted killing a UN worker with tank fire in an incident in the Gaza Strip last month, having previously denied responsibility.

After Marin Valev Marinov, a Bulgarian employee of the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), was killed when a UN compound in Deir al-Balah was damaged on 19 March, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had not struck the site.

But the IDF said on Thursday that the initial findings of its investigation indicated its troops had in fact killed Marinov after wrongly identifying the building as containing an "enemy presence".

"The building was struck due to assessed enemy presence and was not identified by the forces as a UN facility," it added.

These preliminary findings have been shared with the UN and the full conclusion will also be provided, it said.

It added: "The IDF regrets this serious incident and continues to conduct thorough review processes to draw operational lessons and evaluate additional measures to prevent such events in the future.

"We express our deep sorrow for the loss and send our condolences to the family."

Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev said in a statement: "The Israeli side has apologised to Bulgaria."

He added: "Along with this, we will insist on fair compensation for Captain Marinov's relatives. In addition, we firmly call for such incidents not to be repeated."

Georgiev also stressed that the protection of the humanitarian workers was "of paramount importance".

The incident, which also seriously injured five other UN personnel, came a day after Israel renewed its offensive against Hamas after a two-month ceasefire collapsed.

At the time, UN Secretary General António Guterres called for a full investigation into the incident, while a spokesperson said: "The locations of all UN premises are known to the parties to the conflict, who are bound by international law to protect them and maintain their absolute inviolability."

Following the attack, the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) said that "explosive ordnance was dropped or fired" at a guesthouse, which was in an "isolated" location. Its executive director, Jorge Moreira da Silva, said it was "not an accident".

The IDF said in a statement on the day of the attack: "Contrary to reports, the IDF did not strike a UN compound in Deir al-Balah. The IDF calls on media outlets to act with caution regarding unverified reports."

Footage verified by the BBC showed injured people – two wearing blue UN flak jackets – arriving at a hospital in an ambulance and a UN car.

A teacher who walked into a door after drinking cider in his classroom from cans and a school-branded water bottle has been banned from the profession.

Jon Downs admitted consuming alcohol at Westhoughton High School in Bolton, Greater Manchester, and that it was unacceptable professional conduct.

A Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel hearing on 25 April considered that Downs had "put pupils at risk of harm by consuming alcohol on the school site and being under the influence whilst having pupils in his care".

He was banned from teaching indefinitely, subject to a review after two years, after the panel noted the 36-year-old had acknowledged wrongdoing and shown "some insight and remorse".

'Cans in the bin'

In a written statement, a worker at the school said she "could smell alcohol" coming from Downs on 3 July 2023.

The employee, referred to as Individual B, said she "discreetly removed his wastepaper bin [from his classroom] to review the contents and she saw three cider cans at the bottom".

The witness also said Downs "admitted that he had three cans of cider in his classroom when no students were there, and he put the cans in the bin".

Individual B said another member of staff came to her the following day to raise concerns about alcohol being found in a school-branded plastic bottle.

She said it had been found in Downs' classroom, at the far edge of his desk.

Upon review, she said it contained "around 3cm of cider at the bottom".

'Maintaining public confidence'

Another school employee, Individual A, noted that Downs was not speaking in his usual manner on 3 July 2023, adding that the teacher had "walked into the main building door".

On behalf of the Education Secretary, TRA decision-maker Marc Cavey said: "I have considered whether a two-year review period reflects the seriousness of the findings and is a proportionate period to achieve the aim of maintaining public confidence in the profession.

"In this case, factors mean that allowing such a review period is sufficient."

He said Downs needed "necessary time to develop full insight into his behaviour and, in doing so, demonstrate that he does not pose a risk to the wellbeing of pupils in the future".