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Thousands of civilians in Myanmar have fled their homes in recent weeks after the Burmese military launched a series of air strikes.

The junta has also launched a ground offensive in rebel-held areas, aiming to recapture territory ahead of phased elections that start on 28 December.

The election is widely criticised as a sham put on by the junta to legitimise its grip on power. It seized control of the country in a coup in February 2021 and since then Myanmar has been plunged into a civil war with rebel groups trying to overthrow the junta.

The BBC’s Yogita Limaye, Sanjay Ganguly and Aamir Peerzada gained exclusive access to civilians and rebel fighters ahead of the election.

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Nearly 600 people have been arrested in 19 African countries in an anti-cybercrime operation coordinated by Interpol.

Interpol said it took down more than 6,000 malicious links - which criminals send to people via emails or texts and can infect their devices. Three million dollars have been recovered.

We speak to our correspondent in Johannesburg, Mayeni Jones.

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Items from the Epstein files, including a photo containing US President Donald Trump, were removed by the justice department from its website because of concerns raised by victims, the deputy attorney general has said.

The image featuring Trump was later reinstated after review, said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.

Mr Blanche rejected criticisms that the removal was related to the US president and said the photo that included him also showed unredacted images of women.

At least 13 files - from thousands released on Friday related to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein - had disappeared from the website without explanation by Saturday.

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A Russian general has been killed in a car bombing in Moscow, officials have said.

Russia's Investigative Committee said Lt Gen Fanil Sarvarov died on Monday morning after an explosive device planted under a car detonated.

Sarvarov, 56, was the head of the armed forces' operational training department, the committee added.

It said one theory being investigated was that the bomb was planted with the involvement of Ukrainian intelligence services. Ukraine has not commented.

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The suspected gunmen in the Bondi Beach attack threw explosives at the start of the deadly incident and had practised shooting weeks before, according to new court documents.

They allege the pair "meticulously" planned the attack for several months and, two days prior to the shooting, visited Bondi for reconnaissance.

Fifteen people were killed and dozens more injured when two gunmen opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration on 14 December. Explosives, including a "tennis ball bomb", failed to detonate, according to the documents.

Naveed Akram, 24, has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and one of terror. A second gunman - his father, Sajid Akram - was shot dead by police at the scene.

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Israel's security cabinet has approved the recognition of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank as the government continues its settlement expansion push.

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a settler who proposed the move alongside Defence Minister Israel Katz, said the decision was about blocking the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law.

Since taking office in 2022, the current Israeli government has significantly increased the approval of new settlements. The most recent decision brings the total number of settlements approved over the past three years to 69, according to Smotrich.

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The US has seized an oil tanker that had recently departed from Venezuela, according to the US Department of Homeland Security.

It is the second time this month that an oil-carrying ship has been seized off the country's coast.

The move comes after President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he was ordering a "blockade" of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.

Venezuela has described the latest US move as "theft and kidnapping". It has previously accused the Trump administration of trying to steal its resources.

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Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a review into the police and national intelligence agencies after the Bondi Beach attack in Sydney.

The shooting, in which 15 people were killed after two gunmen opened fire at a Jewish festival, has been declared a terrorist incident. Police say the attackers were inspired by "Islamic State ideology".

A national day of reflection is being held on Sunday, and a minute's silence was observed at 18:47 (07:47 GMT) - the time when the attack began.

Albanese looked startled as he arrived at the event in Sydney as he was met with a loud chorus of boos and jeers, and at least one member of the crowd shouted "blood on your hands" while another was tackled by police after moving towards the prime minister.

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The US Department of Justice has released a batch of some of the so-called Epstein files, including photos of the interiors of Jeffrey Epstein's homes, his overseas travels and celebrities.

But, a new data set shared publicly this morning contain redacted court documents and testimonies from alleged victims of the disgraced financier.

The extensive redactions have been criticised by Democrats for violating the transparency law, but the justice department says it has "erred on the side of redacting to protect victims".

Bill Clinton, Michael Jackson, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Richard Branson are among the famous faces in the files - being named or pictured in the files is not an indication of wrongdoing.

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Today, Chris Mason is joined by Ailbhe Rea from the New Statesman and Tim Shipman from the Spectator to review the year in politics and hazard a guess at what to expect in 2026.

They discuss a shaky year for Keir Starmer’s leadership, the (almost) welfare rebellion and the rise of the “funky fringe”. Plus what can this year tell us about next year's local elections?

You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.

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