BBC News

Texas legislators have approved new congressional maps designed to give Republicans an edge in next year's elections for the US House of Representatives.

Republicans in the Texas House of Representatives passed the new voting lines in an 88-52 vote, creating five new Republican-leaning seats.

It followed a two-week stand-off in which Democrats fled the state to stall the vote and rally supporters against the redistricting plans.

The maps will now go to the state Senate, where they are expected to be swiftly approved and then signed off by the Texas governor.

President Donald Trump, who backed redrawing the maps to safeguard a Republican majority in the US House, reacted with the words: "Big WIN for Great State of Texas!!!".

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Today, more councils across England say they could take legal action, after the High Court issued a temporary injunction to stop the government from housing asylum seekers at The Bell Hotel in Epping.

Anti-migrant protests and counter protests have been taking place in Epping throughout the summer after an asylum seeker living at the hotel was charged with sexual assault.

Adam is joined by Dominic Casciani, the BBC’s home affairs correspondent, and Joe Pike, political correspondent, to discuss the fallout from the ruling, the response from Reform and Conservative politicians, and what it mean’s for the government’s ability to house asylum seekers.

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Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is prepared to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but only after his country receives security guarantees.

He suggested Switzerland, Austria or Turkey as possible venues, adding he would like to see a strong reaction from the US, if Putin is not ready to meet.

It comes after the latest Russian overnight bombardment, which killed one person in the city of Lviv, and injured several others.

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Palestinians are fleeing parts of Gaza City after the Israeli military began the first stages of a planned ground offensive, officials in the city said.

Israel's troops have established a foothold on the outskirts of the city - which is home to more than a million Palestinians - after days of intense bombing and artillery fire.

It has prompted UN Secretary General António Guterres to renew calls for an immediate ceasefire "to avoid the death and destruction" an assault would "inevitably cause”.

A military spokesman said troops were already operating in the Zeitoun and Jabalia areas to lay the groundwork for the offensive, which Defence Minister Israel Katz approved on Tuesday and which will be put to the security cabinet later this week.

In a statement, Hamas accused the Israeli leader of continuing a "brutal war against innocent civilians in Gaza City" and criticised what it said was his "disregard" for a new ceasefire proposal from regional mediators. Israel has yet to formally respond to the plan.

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In Kibera, located in Kenya's capital, some roadside vegetable stands are accepting an unconventional form of payment.

Residents in the Soweto West area of Kibera, are using Bitcoin as part of a project aimed at bringing financial services to a community that struggles to get access to traditional banking.

However, experts have cautioned that this approach could carry significant risks.

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Nato military chiefs are set to hold a virtual meeting to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a peace deal with Russia.

The Kremlin is playing down the chance of an imminent face-to-face summit between President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, while the UK's military chief, Admiral Tony Radakin, is travelling to Washington for discussions on the deployment of a reassurance force in Ukraine.

But, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said questions of security “cannot be resolved without Russia”, adding that he did not hear any constructive ideas from European leaders from their meeting with US President Donald Trump.

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Councils across England are poised to take legal action to remove asylum seekers from hotels in their areas.

It comes after the High Court granted a district council a temporary injunction to block asylum seekers from lodging at The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex.

Thousands of people have protested near the hotel in recent weeks after an asylum seeker living there was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in the town.

Now, all 12 councils controlled by Reform UK will "do everything in their power to follow Epping's lead", the party's leader Nigel Farage said. A Conservative-run council in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, also said it is considering taking similar action.

Border Security Minister Dame Angela Eagle said the government will "continue working with local authorities and communities to address legitimate concerns".

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Motor neurone disease (MND) left Sarah without a voice and the use of her hands at the age of 34.

It was within months of her becoming a mum for the second time.

As they were growing up, her children Aviva and Eric only ever heard her speak through a machine with an emotionless robotic voice.

But 25 years on, artificial intelligence (AI) has recreated their mum's real voice from just eight seconds of audio on a scratchy VHS tape.

Sarah spoke to the BBC with eye-gaze technology - which uses a camera to track her eyes as she looks at letters on a screen in front of her.

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Israel is demanding the release of all 50 hostages held in Gaza, an Israeli official has said, casting doubt on whether it will accept a new proposal for a 60-day ceasefire that Hamas agreed to on Monday.

The proposal, put forward by Qatar and Egypt, would see the release of around half the hostages and is "almost identical" to a US proposal Israel had previously accepted, according to Qatar.

Israel has not explicitly rejected it - but Israeli government spokesman David Mencer told the BBC that it is not interested in "partial deals".

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President Trump has ruled out sending US troops to Ukraine as part of any possible security guarantee. Speaking to US TV, the president said any boots on the ground would be British, French or German but did suggest they would have US air support.

Adam is joined by BBC diplomatic correspondent James Landale from London plus Vitaliy Shevchenko, host of Ukrainecast and Asma Khalid host of the Global Story in Washington to discuss the latest we’ve learned about how security guarantees for Ukraine might work and when and where a bilateral meeting between Presidents Putin and Zelensky could take place.

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