Tunisian freediver Walid Boudhiaf, the Arab world's only international champion in the sport and a one-time world record holder at 150 metres, is eyeing new achievements and hopes to expand the sport in his home country, where "thousands practise it without even realising".

During a recent visit to Tunisia, the 46-year-old, who spends half the year in Colombia and the other half training in the Bahamas, shared his remarkable journey with AFP.

Though he grew up in Tunisia, where he spent most of his summers by the sea, Boudhiaf didn't discover freediving until later.

Rescuers in central Gaza said an Israeli strike on Thursday killed at least 17 people at a school-turned-shelter, where the Israeli military said it had targeted Hamas militants.

Al-Shuhada school in Nuseirat refugee camp, where Hamas authorities said displaced Palestinians had sought refuge, was the latest target in a series of attacks on similar facilities across the Gaza Strip in recent months.

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza accused Israeli forces Friday of storming the last functioning hospital in the territory's north in a raid it said left two children dead, while the military told AFP it was unaware of live fire or strikes in the area.

The Israeli military said its forces were operating around Kamal Adwan Hospital in the Jabalia refugee camp in north Gaza, where it launched a major operation earlier this month.

The United States and Qatar on Thursday announced a resumption of negotiations on a Gaza ceasefire, as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said mediators were exploring new options after months of failing to seal a US-led plan.

With less than two weeks before US elections, Blinken is paying his 11th trip to the region since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, which last week killed the militant group's leader Yahya Sinwar.

A Paris conference Thursday on aid for conflict-stricken Lebanon raised around $800 million for humanitarian aid but saw little diplomatic progress as fighting continues between Israel and Hezbollah.

"In total, we have jointly gathered $800 million in humanitarian aid," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told participants as the conference closed.

He added that there were a further "$200 million for the security forces" bringing the total to "almost a billion, even more than a billion... with the latest contributions".

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Thursday against "illusory" attempts to defeat Russia on the battlefield ahead of his first meeting with UN chief Antonio Guterres in more than two years for talks set to focus on the conflict in Ukraine.

Putin was speaking in the Russian city of Kazan on the final day of the BRICS summit, a forum Moscow hopes will help forge a united front of emerging economies against the West.

Russia's opponents "do not conceal their aim to deal our country a strategic defeat", Putin said.

Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler can expect warm personal ties with the White House if Donald Trump is re-elected, but he also knows the risks that come with the unpredictable Republican candidate.

With the Middle East in turmoil and a potential "mega-deal" to recognise Israel hanging in the balance, analysts say Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is clear-eyed about how Trump could undermine his agenda.

After relations with President Joe Biden recovered from a rocky start, the 39-year-old prince knows he can work with Vice President Kamala Harris should she win on November 5.

Iman Beydoun El-sayed is among the thousands of Lebanese-Americans living in and around Detroit, watching with horror the unfolding devastation of the war in the Middle East.

"I've always voted more Democrat. I've always been a Democrat, but with what's going on, I'm not sure how I feel about that anymore," she said.

Like many in her community, she is contemplating denying the Democratic contender for president Kamala Harris her vote to punish her administration for its support of Israel.

A specialist London bookstore is selling an original typescript of Antoine de Saint-Exupery's children's classic "The Little Prince", complete with the author's hand-written corrections and revisions.

The battered book and Saint-Exupery's passport, issued by the French culture ministry, will go on sale at the Abu Dhabi Art 2024 fair which opens on November 20, with an expected price of at least $1.25 million.

It was acquired earlier this year for an undisclosed sum by rare books specialist store Peter Harrington.

Donald Trump boasted on Wednesday of almost daily conversations with Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that he has a very good relationship with the Israeli prime minister.

Trump has previously cast himself as Israel's "protector" and said Netanyahu's government must "finish the problem" in its war against Hamas.

"Bibi called me yesterday, called me the day before," said the Republican candidate, using Netanyahu's nickname.

"We have a very good relationship," Trump said at a campaign rally in the US state of Georgia, adding: "We're going to work with them very closely."