A new round of Middle East peace talks have begun, despite Hamas’s refusal to send a delegation. The US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says there’s been a “promising start” to the meetings. Delegations are coming together as the Hamas-run health ministry says the Gaza death toll has now reached 40,000. Also on the programme: Five people have been charged in connection with the ketamine-related death of ‘Friends’ actor Matthew Perry; and three years on since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, a UN representative for the country tells us how women’s rights have been affected.

(Photo: Families of Hamas hostages protest for their release, Tel Aviv, Israel, 15th August 2024. Credit: Abir Sultan/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)