Israeli forces launched fresh attacks throughout the night across the Gaza Strip, residents said on Monday, as the United Nations Security Council looked set to vote on a demand that Israel and Hamas allow aid access to the Palestinian enclave.

One Israeli strike on the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza on Sunday killed 90 Palestinians, Gaza’s health ministry spokesperson told Reuters.

Another missile attack on a house belonging to the Shehab family killed 24 people, Hamas Aqsa radio said.

A medic said dozens of people had been killed or wounded in the Shehab family home and nearby buildings.

“We believe the number of dead people under the rubble is huge but there is no way to remove the rubble and recover them because of the intensity of Israeli fire,” he said by telephone on Sunday.

In Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza, medics said 12 Palestinians had been killed and dozens wounded, while in Rafah in the south, an Israeli air strike on a house left at least four people dead.

People rushed to the building to rescue those trapped under the rubble.The sound of the explosion was “as powerful as an earthquake,” Mahmoud Jarbou, who lives nearby, told Reuters.

The Israeli government said it operated against militant targets and that it takes extraordinary measures to avoid hitting civilians.

An Israeli tank shell hit the maternity building inside the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, killing a 13-year-old girl named Dina Abu Mehsen, according to Gaza health ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qidra.

Al-Qidra said that Abu Mehsen had previously lost her father, mother, two of her siblings, and one of her legs during the shelling of a house in the Al-Amal neighbourhood in Khan Younis a few weeks ago.

Pope Francis on Sunday again suggested Israel was using “terrorism” tactics in Gaza, deploring the reported killing by the Israeli military of two Christian women who had taken refuge in a church complex.

At his weekly blessing, Francis referred to a statement about an incident on Saturday by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Catholic authority in the Holy Land.

Around 19,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza health officials, since October 7, when Hamas militants killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli authorities, and captured 240 hostages in their surprise raid.

The Israeli military released the names of four more soldiers who had died in combat in Gaza, bringing to 126 the number of soldiers killed in the strip since Israel launched a ground invasion in late October.

Israel’s war on Hamas has razed large parts of Gaza and displaced the majority of its 2.3 million residents, many now living in makeshift shelters without clean water and food and fighting diseases.

Human Rights Watch said on Monday that Israel was using starvation as a weapon by deliberately blocking the delivery of water, food, fuel and razing agricultural areas.

“For over two months, Israel has been depriving Gaza’s population of food and water … reflecting an intent to starve civilians as a method of warfare,” Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.

The Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza opened for aid trucks on Sunday for the first time since the outbreak of war, officials said, in a move to double the amount of food and medicine reaching Gazans.

The United Nations Security Council could vote as early as Monday on a proposal to demand that Israel and Hamas allow aid access to the Gaza Strip – via land, sea, and air routes – and set up UN monitoring of the humanitarian assistance delivered.

Diplomats said the fate of the draft Security Council resolution hinges on final negotiations between Israel’s ally and council veto power, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates, which has drafted the text.

“The UAE knows exactly what can pass and what cannot — it is up to them if they want to get this done,” said a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Hopes for another ceasefire and hostage releases had been raised on Saturday when a source said Israel’s spy chief had spoken on Friday with the prime minister of Qatar, which has previously mediated hostage releases in return for a week-long ceasefire and the freeing of Palestinian prisoners.

Two security sources from Egypt – another mediator – said on Sunday Israel and Hamas were both open to a renewed ceasefire and hostage release, though disagreements remained on how it would be implemented.

“We are open to any efforts aimed at ending the Israeli aggression. This is the ground for any discussion,” Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said when asked for comment on the Egyptian statement.

But Israeli authorities said they were determined to fight on to eliminate Hamas, which has run Gaza since 2006 and is sworn to Israel’s destruction.

A church in Kenya has survived for the last decade by operating discreetly. It does not publicise its services in this very religious country because it welcomes gay worshippers.

“The first time I entered the church I cried,” John, a pastor initially ordained in a mainstream church, told the BBC. He left his parish because church leaders told him his sexuality was sinful and that he needed to remain celibate.

“I never imagined in my life as a priest, I would be in a space where I would say three words that people think are conflicting. That I am black, I am gay, I am a priest.

“He found out about the church, where he now preaches, on social media – though most find their way there via word of mouth. Like all those interviewed at the church, his name has been changed to protect this identity.

Its members are very guarded too about sharing details of their gatherings – those wishing to join are carefully vetted before being invited in, to make sure it is not a trap or someone malicious.

The understanding with all congregants is that security and safety are paramount.

Gay sex is illegal in Kenya, a socially conservative society, though this year the Supreme Court overturned a ban on gay and lesbian organisations being able to register as non-governmental organisations.

When I join a service on a warm and breezy Sunday, music drifts from the room of a nondescript building. People begin trooping in and it fills with 30 or so people.

“We are about to begin. Shall we close our eyes and meditate,” says Pauline, a minister in a long black robe and crimson red scarf. The whole room hushes.

Pauline is an openly non-binary lesbian, who uses “they” and “them” as personal pronouns, and is one of the church’s founders. Initially it was just a few friends coming together to offer each other support.

“When you are removed from a space [church], there is an urge to know if anyone else has been excommunicated,” says Pauline, who was not excommunicated but never felt accepted at mainstream churches.

“We wanted to meet other queer Christians who affirm themselves.”

A feeling of alienation had dominated Pauline’s life, especially since their father died of HIV/Aids when they were 12.

“After my dad died, people started treating us differently. They thought we all had HIV. My mum would be served in different cups and plates and we stopped being allowed into some spaces. Church was one of the places we couldn’t visit because people believed my mum was ‘dirty’,” says Pauline.

Such ostracisation became a pattern, with every church seeming to question some aspect of Pauline’s life – whether it be how they dressed or why they chose not to be perceived as being in a conventional relationship.

So Pauline and their friends started meeting on Sundays to watch sermons on YouTube while reaching out to other LGBT Kenyans as well.

It was at the time that anti-gay rhetoric was growing in East Africa. Neighbouring Uganda was beginning to debate introducing a draconian new anti-homosexuality law – that has since been further tightened.

Little did they imagine that, 10 years on, their little gathering would have grown to include more than 200 members.

Most of them have felt obliged to leave their previous places of worship.

For Regina, it followed a dramatic confrontation with a fellow volunteer – part of a team that organised events at her church.The team gave her an ultimatum when the volunteer found out that she had a girlfriend: her or them.

“It felt like betrayal. I had mentored some of them and now, I couldn’t be a part of them any more. Here were people who couldn’t extend grace for people to be different,” she says.

Regina chose her girlfriend. A decade later, yearning to reconnect with her Christian faith and a community, her journey led her to the queer-affirming church.

“There was a time I felt like I had no access to God. All I’d ever heard was that I was a sinner. If prayer is a way of talking to God, how then could I pray? Coming back into a community of faith has allowed me to let go of past hurt,” she says.

Yet it is not always easy for the congregation, which has faced numerous attacks – for instance when a landlord or those in the surrounding community are not happy with the fact they accept LGBT worshippers.

They have been locked out of premises despite paying rent, their compound ransacked, members attacked and police have asked for bribes to offer them “protection”, or threatened to beat and arrest them.

They have changed locations nine times in their 10 years of existence, partly to keep their location a secret.

Arguably, however, one of the hardest hoops to jump through has been helping members reconnect with their faith and a liturgy that they feel has sought to exclude them.

The church, for instance, has its own version of the Apostles’ Creed, which is recited by the congregation during a service, usually starting with the words: “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.” It goes on to detail the tenets of their faith.

“We all loved the normal creed, but there were things that were missing,” says Pauline.

“Women are not recognised and as queer children, we also had to put ourselves in the creed. We see God the father as well as the mother. It affirms everyone.

“The first line of their creed reads: “We believe in one God, our creator, the source of our being as queer and beloved children.”

The church’s schedule is also flexible, as some worshippers are not open about their sexuality to family and friends, so attend mainstream churches before joining its service later.

“When we started out, everybody was insecure and silent about their traumas,” says Pauline.This inspired “Chat and Chew”, a discussion forum that allows worshippers to unburden themselves about navigating life as LGBT Kenyans.

“After the service, many people would seek out the pastors to vent about relationships, rejection by families, homelessness and so many other challenges people face as a result of being queer. So we started ‘Chat and Chew’ to share, cry, hug, motivate each other and heal.

“But with life in Kenya becoming more openly homophobic, Pauline says some members have considered going back into the closet for their safety – though most want the church to keep going.

“When we started, we didn’t think that this space would become so important. But we cannot give up, we have to think of a way forward.

“I want this space to be open to everyone and find a balance where we all respect each other despite our beliefs and traditions.”

The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has formally suspended the Republic of Niger from all sub-regional bodies until constitutional order is restored in the country.

This is contained in a statement by the regional organization, following the decisions taken at the summit of heads of state and government held on Sunday in Abuja.

The statement said, “Until the 64th ordinary session held on Dec. 10, 2023, the Conference of Heads of State and Government considered the situation in Niger as a coup attempt and continued to consider Mohamed Bazoum the President of the Republic of Niger, Head of State.”

“Due to this position, Niger was not suspended from ECOWAS’ decision-making bodies and members of Bazoum’s government were authorized to represent Niger in ECOWAS’ statutory meetings.”

The Dec. 10 summit acknowledged that Mohamed Bazoum’s government had effectively been ousted by a military coup.

The statement added, “Accordingly, beginning from Dec. 10, 2023, Niger is suspended from all decision-making bodies of ECOWAS, until constitutional order is restored in the country.”

The ECOWAS leaders’ meeting in Abuja on Sunday asked the military junta of Niger, which came to power in a coup on July 26, to free the ousted president Mohamed Bazoum in exchange for the lifting of the sanctions imposed on the country.

The proposal was, however, rejected by the leader of the junta, Omar Abdourahmane Tchiani, who reiterated that Bazoum would not be released.

A Chinese former bank manager has been jailed for life over one of the country’s biggest corruption cases.

Xu Guojun, the head of a Bank of China branch in Southern China from 1993 to 2001, was convicted of embezzling 2.3 billion yuan ($325m; £255m).

The case is the latest development in President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption programme that is focussed on the country’s $60tn financial industry.

Many banking officials and executives have been caught up in the crackdown.

According to statements from the court, Xu and two other former Bank of China employees took advantage of loopholes in the lender’s fund management system to obtain false loans.

Xu’s two accomplices were previously sentenced to 12 and 13 years in prison. More than 2 billion yuan of the stolen money has now been recovered, according to local media reports.

Xu, who fled to the US in 2001 but was forcibly repatriated two years ago, has said he would not appeal the conviction.

He has also been deprived of political rights for life with all his assets being confiscated.

Other high profile financial executives from Chinese state-owned banks have also been fined, jailed, or are currently under investigation.

President Xi has said that Beijing needs to crack down on the “hedonistic” lifestyles of bankers.

In October, a former chairman of the Bank of China was arrested over suspicion of bribery and giving illegal loans.

Liu Liange, chairman of the state-owned bank from 2019 to 2023, had resigned from his position in March this year.

Former chairman of China Life Insurance Wang Bin was sentenced to life in prison without parole for bribery in September.

The push to weed out corruption in the country’s financial industry appears to be ramping up, with officials in April warning that the crackdown was far from over.

English-language universities in Quebec are pushing back on a plan that will raise tuition fees and mandate French proficiency for out-of-province students.

McGill University in Montreal called the move “catastrophic”, while Concordia University said it was “disappointed” in the changes.

Both universities are concerned they will lose students.The plan by Quebec’s government is set to take effect next year.

The changes, made public in a letter published Thursday by Quebec’s higher education minister Pascale Dery, will hike tuition for out-of-province students by 33%.

They will also require that 80% of students from outside Quebec reach an intermediate level of French by the time they graduate, and universities would face financial penalties if that target is not met.

Universities will also see a larger chunk of international student fees going directly to the province instead of their operating budget.

In the letter, Ms Dery told Quebec’s three English-language universities – McGill and Concordia in Montreal, and Bishop’s in Sherbrooke – that the changes are designed to balance funding received by English and French universities in the province.

She said it would also mean Quebec would spend less money subsidising students from the rest of Canada and help preserve the French language.

McGill University’s President Deep Saini criticised the plan at a news conference on Thursday. He said it was “incoherent” and based on “impressions and emotions, rather than evidence-based decision-making”.

He added his university had not ruled out moves like opening another campus outside of Quebec or filing a potential lawsuit.

Meanwhile, Concordia University President Graham Carr told the Montreal Gazette that he believed the plan would shrink the size of its student body and hurt Quebec’s reputation.

Both universities said the changes could cost them C$150m ($111m; £88m) annually. McGill University added it may have to cut up to 700 jobs as a result.

The overhaul to higher education in Quebec comes amid other policies aimed at preserving the province’s French heritage and language, which Quebec has long-sought to protect as the French language declines in the rest of Canada.

In June, Quebec passed a law called An Act respecting French, which established the language as the sole official and common language in Quebec.

Egypt will increase the volume of fuel sent daily to the Gaza Strip from 129,000 to 189,000 litres as agreed with the Israeli side, said Egypt’s State Information Service chairman on Wednesday.

Diaa Rashwan said in a statement that since October 21, 4,057 humanitarian aid trucks have been sent from Egypt to the besieged Palestinian enclave via the Rafah border crossing.

“This includes 3,866 tons of medical supplies, 22,799 tons of food, 13,936 tons of water, 5,073 tons of other relief materials, and 2,678 tons of fuel, besides 48 ambulances and 222 tents and pieces of tarpaulins.

Egypt is continuing its intense efforts to ensure the constant entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza,” the Egyptian official said.

The Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza has been the only lifeline to provide the enclave with relief supplies donated by Egypt and other countries and local and international organisations.

Gaza has been under massive Israeli siege and bombardment since October 7, which has killed over 18,600 Palestinians and wounded 50,594 others, Gaza’s Health Ministry stated on Wednesday.

,The Israeli escalation came in retaliation for an attack by the Gaza-ruling Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) that killed about 1,200 in Israel, with Hamas taking more than 200 as hostages, according to Israeli reports.

Egypt has worked with Qatar and the United States to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that lasted for one week, from November 24 to November 30, during which the two sides swapped detainees.

Fighting resumed shortly after the collapse of the truce.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said on Wednesday that the Gaza-ruling Palestinian faction is ready to discuss with Israel any arrangement or initiative that could lead to a ceasefire in Gaza.

“We are open to discuss any arrangement or initiative that could end the (Israeli) aggression,” Mr Haniyeh, head of the Hamas political bureau, said in a televised speech aired on Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV.

He added that without Hamas, any arrangement regarding the future of Gaza would not succeed.

Mr Haniyeh said Hamas welcomed the United Nations General Assembly’s resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and applauded the efforts of Saudi Arabia and the ministerial committee assigned by the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit to end the Gaza conflict.

He confirmed Hamas’s rejection of any post-war political arrangements that exclude Hamas and other Palestinian factions and urged for increased international pressure to halt Israeli attacks on Gaza.

Earlier, Israeli media reported several Hamas leaders’ departure from Qatar to undisclosed destinations, suggesting potential relocations to countries such as Lebanon, Iran, or Algeria.

No confirmation from Hamas has been obtained regarding these reports.

Israel’s conflict with Hamas since October 7 has resulted in extensive casualties.

At least 18,608 Palestinians have been killed and 50,594 others wounded in the Israeli attacks on Gaza, and about 1,200 people have died in the Hamas attacks on Israel.

Myanmar is now the world’s largest producer of opium, overtaking Afghanistan, a UN report says.

It estimates that this year Myanmar will have increased production by 36% to 1,080 tonnes of opium – the key ingredient for the hard drug heroin.

The main factors are domestic instability and a 95% drop in poppy cultivation in Afghanistan after a drug ban by the ruling Taliban last year.

Afghanistan is estimated to have produced 330 tonnes of opium this year.

The report by the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) says Myanmar’s economy has been badly affected by conflict and instability since the military seized power in 2021.

“Limited availability of legitimate economic opportunities, constrained access to markets and state infrastructure, and a worsening economic climate brought on by inflation and monetary depreciation can make opium, as well as other illicit commodities, an attractive alternative or for subsistence livelihoods.

“In Myanmar, this appears to have played a significant role in farmers’ decisions in late 2022 to cultivate more poppy,” the report says.

The average prices at harvest time of fresh and dry opium have risen to $317 and $356 per kilogram.

In 2023, the document adds, the area under poppy cultivation in Myanmar (also known as Burma) is estimated to be 47,000 ha (116,140 acres) – an 18% rise compared with last year.

The region where the borders of Myanmar, Thailand and Laos meet – the so-called Golden Triangle – has historically been a major source of opium and heroin production.

Myanmar and Afghanistan are the source of most of the heroin sold around the world.

Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of a roofed theatre, market and river port at the site of a Roman town.

The Cambridge University-led study suggested that Interamna Lirenas, in central Italy, was a thriving town.

Finds at the site have suggested its decline began about 300 years later than experts previously thought.

Analysis of excavated pottery indicated the town in southern Lazio resisted decline until the later part of the 3rd Century AD.

At its peak, the settlement, which is now largely crop fields, would have housed about 2,000 people, according to the study.

“We started with a site so unpromising that no-one had ever tried to excavate it – that’s very rare in Italy,” Dr Alessandro Launaro, the study’s author said.

“There was nothing on the surface, no visible evidence of buildings, just bits of broken pottery. But what we discovered wasn’t a backwater, far from it.

“We found a thriving town adapting to every challenge thrown at it for 900 years. We’re not saying that this town was special, it’s far more exciting than that.

“Dr Launaro, who is the Interamna Lirenas project lead at Cambridge’s Classics faculty, said archaeologists had previously assumed the town was a declining backwater.

The research team conducted a series of digs and carried out a magnetic and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey of about 60 acres (24 hectares).

The survey, near the River Liri, revealed the presence of a large warehouse, a temple and a bath complex, with the researchers confident these structures served a river port between the late 1st Century BC and the 4th Century AD.

The team also discovered the remains of a roofed theatre, which could have seated 1,500 people.

It displayed the town’s wealth, power and ambition, Dr Launaro said.

The archaeologists also found 19 courtyard buildings and land they believed served as a cattle and sheep market.

They did not find a layer of ash or any other evidence to suggest the town was violently destroyed.

Dr Launaro argued that inhabitants deserted the town amid growing insecurity before the Lombard invasion of the late 6th Century AD, because they knew they were on a direct route which marauding armies were bound to use

Justice Olukayode Adeniyi of a Federal Capital Territory High Court on Monday fixed January 8 to deliver judgement in the enforcement of a fundamental rights suit filed by the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.

The judge fixed the date after listening to arguments by parties in the suit.

He equally reserved ruling in the preliminary objections filed by all four respondents in the suit, marked FCT/HC/CV/040/2023.

The embattled Emefiele had dragged the Federal Government, the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the commission before the court to enforce his fundamental rights to life, personal liberty, a fair hearing, and freedom of movement.

Emefiele sought a declaration from the court that his continued detention by the agency of the first and second respondents since June 10, 2023, and subsequent transfer to the custody of the third and fourth respondents on October 26, 2023, without being arraigned in court is unlawful.

He said the respondents’ defiance of several valid court orders for his release is tantamount to a grave violation of his fundamental rights to life and personal liberty as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Emefiele, therefore, among others, sought an injunction restraining the respondents from further arresting and/or further detaining him on his release by the court without proffering a criminal charge against him.

He also sought damages in the amount of N1 billion in his favour for the violation of his fundamental rights.

Maiduguri is in a festive mood as residents await the arrival of President Bola Tinubu on a one-day official visit to Borno.

The Monday visit is the first presidential outing in the state since Mr Tinubu assumed office on May 29.

Mr Tinubu will be in Maiduguri to declare the opening of the Chief of Army Staff Conference and unveil 107 vehicles procured by the Borno government for the state-owned mass transit company Borno Express.

The vehicles comprise 10 luxurious buses, 35 coaster buses, 12 Hummer buses and 50 electric taxis.

On arrival, Mr Tinubu is also expected to pay homage to the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Umar Garbai El-Kanemi.

The Australian government says it will halve the migration intake within two years in a bid to fix the country’s “broken” immigration system.

The annual intake will be slashed to 250,000 – roughly in line with pre-pandemic levels – by June 2025.

Visa rules for international students and low-skilled workers will also be tightened under the new plan.

Migration has climbed to record levels in Australia, adding pressure to housing and infrastructure woes.

But there remains a shortage of skilled workers, and the country struggles to attract them.

Unveiling a new 10-year immigration strategy at a media briefing on Monday, Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said the migration system had been left “in tatters” by the previous government.

A review earlier this year found the system was “badly broken” – unnecessarily complex, slow and inefficient – and in need of “major reform”.

A record 510,000 people came to Australia in the year to June 2023, but the minister said her government would “bring numbers back under control” and reduce the annual migration intake by around 50%.

Among the new measures are tougher minimum English-language requirements for international students, and more scrutiny of those applying for a second visa – they must prove that any further study would advance their academic aspirations or their careers.

There are some 650,000 foreign students in Australia, with many of them on their second visa, according to official data.

The visa pathways for migrants with “specialist” or “essential” skills – like highly-skilled tech workers or care workers – have also been improved to offer better prospects of permanent residency.

The new policies will attract more of the workers Australia needs and help reduce the risk of exploitation for those who live, work and study in the country, Ms O’Neil said.

Opposition migration spokesman Dan Tehan has said that the government was too slow to adjust migration policies designed to help Australia recover from the pandemic.

“The horse has bolted when it comes to migration and the government not only cannot catch it but cannot find it,” he said on the weekend.

In recent weeks, the government has been under pressure from some quarters to temporarily reduce migration as Australia struggles with a housing crisis driven by a lack of supply.

However others, like the Business Council of Australia, have said migrants are being used as a scapegoat for a lack of investment in affordable housing and decades of poor housing policy.

Two rocket salvos were fired at the U.S. embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Friday, according to a U.S. embassy spokesman.

An embassy spokesman said there were no casualties and said they were investigating the incident.

There are indications that pro-Iranian militias were behind the attack.

So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

“We again call on the Iraqi government to do everything in its power to protect the personnel and facilities of diplomats and coalition partners,” the spokesman said. He referred to the right to self-defence.

The US State Department in Washington also condemned the attack and called on the Iraqi security forces to immediately investigate who was behind it and bring the perpetrators to justice.

“The many Iran-aligned militias operating freely in Iraq threaten the security and stability of Iraq, our people and our partners in the region,” a ministry spokesman said.

Iraqi security sources had previously reported that several rockets had been fired at the area surrounding the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.

According to reports from the Arabic television station Al Arabiya, up to 14 rockets were fired.

Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, pro-Iranian militias in Iraq have increasingly attacked U.S. military bases in Syria and Iraq in response to the Israeli military operation.

The U.S. Department of Defence said there have been at least 78 attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria since mid-October.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani condemned the act.

He said the attackers were jeopardising Iraq’s internal security.

He gave the order to search for the perpetrators.

Six teenagers have been found guilty by a French juvenile court on Friday for their roles in the beheading of a teacher by an Islamic extremist.

Samuel Paty, a 47-year-old history teacher, was assassinated in 2020 outside his classroom during a free speech argument in which he displayed caricatures to his pupils of the prophet Muhammad.

The teacher was tracked down and identified for the assailant by five of the defendants, who were 14 and 15 years old at the time of the attack, according to CBS news.

The teacher was stabbed by Abdoullakh Anzorov, a radicalised 18-year-old who arrived in France at age six with his Chechen parents near his secondary school in the Paris suburb of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine.

Mr Anzorov who had been granted asylum with his parents to stay in France was subsequently fatally shot by police on the spot.

And a separate defendant, a 13-year-old girl at the time, was found guilty of levelling unfounded allegations.

Five more people, aged 14 to 15, were convicted of criminal conspiracy with the intent to inflict harm.

According to the report, the juvenile court trial of the teenagers took place in private, without the presence of the media.

The home of a former South African President, Nelson Mandela, where he lived before his demise has been abandoned.

According to a South African journalist, Silindelo Masikene, in a tweet on Friday, the ex-President’s grandchildren, who were the home’s last occupants, left due to unpaid electricity bills.

Sharing photos of the house,  Masikane wrote, “EXCLUSIVE: The last place former president #NelsonMandela called home has been abandoned.

“The mansion on 12th Avenue in Houghton was being occupied by Mandela’s grandchildren but they moved out after the lights were cut due to unpaid utility bills – which according to his grandchildren are supposed to be paid by the Nelson Rolihlala Mandela Trust.

“10 years after the statesman’s death and his estate has still not been wind up.”

The UK has given Rwanda a further £100m this year as part of its deal to relocate asylum seekers there.

The payment was made in April, the Home Office’s top civil servant said in a letter to MPs, after £140m had already been sent to the African nation.

Sir Matthew Rycroft said another payment of £50m was expected next year.

The revelation came hours after Rishi Sunak vowed to “finish the job” of reviving the plan after the resignation of his immigration minister this week.

The scheme to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing, in order to deter people from crossing the English Channel in small boats, was first announced by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson in April 2022.

But it has been repeatedly delayed by legal challenges and no asylum seekers have been sent from the UK so far.

Until now it was known that the government had spent at least £140m on the policy. Sir Matthew had previously refused to disclose updated figures, saying ministers had decided to set out the costs annually.

But in a letter published on Thursday to Dame Diana Johnson, chairwoman of the Home Affairs Committee, and Dame Meg Hillier, chairwoman of the Public Accounts Committee, he disclosed the full cost of the policy so far.

Sir Matthew stressed that the extra payments were not linked to the new treaty signed this week between UK and Rwanda as part of the government’s attempt to amend the policy, which was ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court last month.

A Home Office spokesperson would not go into specifics on what the money would be spent on but said it was going towards the economic development and growth of Rwanda.

The payment was made when Suella Braverman was home secretary, though allies of hers say it was signed off by the prime minister.

Labour branded the revelation of the extra costs “incredible”, with shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper adding: “How many more blank cheques will Rishi Sunak write before the Tories come clean about this scheme being a total farce?” she said.

Earlier on Thursday, Mr Sunak held a press conference on Thursday where he urged Tory MPs to back his plan.

The prime minister was speaking a day after immigration minister Robert Jenrick resigned over the government’s revised policy, saying he believed it was destined for failure.

Mr Sunak insisted the new emergency legislation set out by the government would end the “merry-go-round of legal challenges” over the flights of some asylum seekers to Rwanda.

The bill compels judges to treat Rwanda as a safe country and gives ministers the powers to disregard sections of the Human Rights Act. But it does not go as far as allowing them to dismiss the European Convention on Human Rights, as some on the right of the Conservative Party have called for.

The bill faces opposition from MPs in different factions of the Conservative Party when it returns to Parliament next week.

Earlier on Thursday, former Home Secretary Suella Braverman reiterated that it would fail to “stop the boats” and called on the government to fully exclude international law.

The task of steering the bill through Parliament falls to Michael Tomlinson, who was appointed illegal migration minister on Thursday.

He will work alongside Tom Pursglove, the minister for legal migration, after the prime minister split Mr Jenrick’s vacant role in two.