Valerie Sanderson

Here's our correspondent in Paris, Hugh Schofield.

So this was for a domestic audience, but do you also think that President Macron was sending messages to other European leaders that they have to, everybody has to pull together ahead of the summit in Brussels?

So this was for a domestic audience, but do you also think that President Macron was sending messages to other European leaders that they have to, everybody has to pull together ahead of the summit in Brussels?

Hugh Schofield. The White House has confirmed that a US envoy spoke directly to Hamas in recent weeks about securing the release of American hostages held in Gaza. A little later, in a post on his Truth social platform, President Donald Trump issued a warning to Hamas. Release the hostages now or they'll be hell to pay later.

Hugh Schofield. The White House has confirmed that a US envoy spoke directly to Hamas in recent weeks about securing the release of American hostages held in Gaza. A little later, in a post on his Truth social platform, President Donald Trump issued a warning to Hamas. Release the hostages now or they'll be hell to pay later.

Our diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams told the BBC's James Menendez what we know about the meetings.

Our diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams told the BBC's James Menendez what we know about the meetings.

Police say they fear that a Chinese PhD student who's been convicted of drugging and raping 10 women in London and China could potentially be one of the most prolific sexual predators the UK has ever seen. 28-year-old Zhenhao Zhou secretly filmed the attacks and kept the videos as souvenirs. Officers say the material they uncovered suggests Zhou could have raped many other people.

Police say they fear that a Chinese PhD student who's been convicted of drugging and raping 10 women in London and China could potentially be one of the most prolific sexual predators the UK has ever seen. 28-year-old Zhenhao Zhou secretly filmed the attacks and kept the videos as souvenirs. Officers say the material they uncovered suggests Zhou could have raped many other people.

Our UK correspondent Daniel Sanford found this report.

Our UK correspondent Daniel Sanford found this report.

Daniel Sanford. The United Nations has warned it will have to halve monthly food rations to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh as a result of dwindling international donations. About a million Rohingya are currently living in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh after fleeing years of violence in neighboring Myanmar. Andarasan Ethirajan is our South Asia regional editor.

Daniel Sanford. The United Nations has warned it will have to halve monthly food rations to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh as a result of dwindling international donations. About a million Rohingya are currently living in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh after fleeing years of violence in neighboring Myanmar. Andarasan Ethirajan is our South Asia regional editor.

And how much are the recent USAID cuts to blame for this?

And how much are the recent USAID cuts to blame for this?

Still to come in the Global News Podcast, new work by the late author Harper Lee, who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird, is being published.

Still to come in the Global News Podcast, new work by the late author Harper Lee, who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird, is being published.

The foreign ministers of the UK, France and Germany have urged Israel to allow the resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza. In a joint statement they described the situation there as catastrophic and expressed deep concern at Israel's decision to halt the entry of goods and supplies to the Strip. Israel has been asked to comment. Nick Erdly from BBC Verify has more.

The foreign ministers of the UK, France and Germany have urged Israel to allow the resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza. In a joint statement they described the situation there as catastrophic and expressed deep concern at Israel's decision to halt the entry of goods and supplies to the Strip. Israel has been asked to comment. Nick Erdly from BBC Verify has more.

Nick Herdley. In Romania, two Russian diplomats, military attaché Viktor Markovsky and his deputy, have been declared persona non grata. The move comes amid tension with Russia, after security services accused Moscow of interference in a presidential election last year.