By Gwladys Fouche and Nerijus Adomaitis

OSLO, April 30 (Reuters) - Some 287 candidates will be considered for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, the secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee said on Thursday, with U.S. President Donald Trump likely to be among the nominees.

Of this year's nominations, 208 are individuals and 79 are organisations, said Kristian Berg Harpviken, adding that there were many new nominees compared to last year.

VILNIUS, April 30 (Reuters) - Lithuania's President Gitanas Nauseda said he was supportive of his country joining the U.S. freedom of navigation mission in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that he would present the proposal to the Baltic state's defence council.

The United States is pushing for other countries to help restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a State Department cable seen by Reuters, as oil prices surged to their highest in more than four ​years on fears of longer-term disruptions to global fuel supplies.

By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Haseeb Alwazeer

CAIRO/GAZA, April 30 (Reuters) - Rats and parasites are spreading through Gaza's tent camps for displaced Palestinians, biting children's fingers and toes as they sleep, gnawing through people's few remaining treasured possessions, and spreading disease.

The outbreak is unfolding as most of Gaza's more than 2million people have been displaced, many now living in bombed-out homes and makeshift tents pitched on open ground, roadsides, or atop the ruins of destroyed buildings.

April 30 (Reuters) - Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that a vessel carrying grain that Kyiv says was stolen from its territories occupied by Russia would not unload its cargo in Israel, describing it as a "welcome development" on Thursday.

Ukraine has asked Israel to seize the vessel, amid a diplomatic tussle between the two countries over the shipment.

"This is also a clear signal to all other vessels, captains, operators, insurers, and governments: do not buy stolen Ukrainian grain," Sybiha said in a post on X.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer was booed and heckled with shouts of "Jew harmer" Thursday as the Jewish community in London accused him of doing too little to protect them, a day after a knife attack.

The crowd in Golders Green in north London where two Jewish men were stabbed in broad daylight shouted "Starmer is a coward" and "show your face".

Starmer was visiting emergency services staff following the attacks, the latest in a spate that have targeted the Jewish community. The area has a large Jewish populations.

Tehran's air defences were activated to counter small aircraft and drones late Thursday, as the White House signalled that it will not be reined in by a congressional deadline on the Iran war.

The Tasnim and Fars news agencies reported that air defence systems, heard in some parts of the Iranian capital, were activated "to counter small aircraft and reconnaissance drones" for around 20 minutes but that the situation had returned to "normal".

BEIJING, April 30 (Reuters) - China's military said on Thursday its naval and air forces conducted combat readiness patrols in the Scarborough Shoal and surrounding areas in the disputed South China Sea.

"Such patrols serve as an effective countermeasure to cope with all sorts of rights-violation and provocative acts. They are meant to resolutely safeguard China's territorial sovereignty and uphold peace and stability in the South China Sea," Chinese military's Southern Theater Command said in a statement.

By Naveen Thukral and Panarat Thepgumpanat

SINGAPORE/BANGKOK, April 30 (Reuters) - Rice supply is expected to fall this year as farmers cut planting acreage across Asia because of fertiliser shortages and soaring fuel costs from the Iran war, with an emerging El Nino also set to squeeze output of the world's most consumed staple.

By Alexander Dziadosz

BEIRUT, April 30 (Reuters) - In a parking lot strewn with rubbish near Beirut's Mediterranean coast, Hassan Yahya has taped a cardboard sign to a traffic signal pole beside the tarp tent that now serves as his home.

"Kfar Kila welcomes you," read the lines scrawled in thin pen.

April 29 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will receive a briefing on new plans for potential military action against Iran on Thursday from the leader of the U.S. Central Command, Brad Cooper, Axios reported on Wednesday.

The briefing will take place on Thursday, according to the report which cited unidentified sources. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

CENTCOM has prepared a plan for a "short and powerful" wave of strikes on Iran, likely including infrastructure targets, Axios reported, citing sources.