Standing beside the mound of rubble that was once his home, Ahmed Salim cannot hold back the tears as he struggles to retrieve the bodies of loved ones trapped underneath tonnes of debris.

Over 30 people were killed when his home was struck, he told AFP, among them "my wife, my children, my mother, my father".

"I'm the only one who survived," he told AFP, pointing to the pile of broken concrete and twisted metal that was once a five-storey building in Gaza City's Zeitoun neighbourhood.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's trip to Washington has been a triumph, with Donald Trump rolling out the red carpet for "the future king" and absolving him of the criticism he has faced for years.

The heir to the Saudi throne was given a lavish welcome during his visit to the White House Tuesday on par with what American leaders regularly receive when they visit the kingdom.

The trip marked the first visit by the prince to the US since the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents sparked global outrage and transformed the heir into a pariah.

The head of the UN nuclear agency on Wednesday renewed his call for Iran to allow inspections at key nuclear sites attacked by Israel and the United States in June.

Tensions between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have repeatedly flared in recent years and were further inflamed after a 12-day war in June that saw Israeli and US strikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities.

Since the war, agency inspectors have not been granted access to sites such as Fordo and Natanz, which were hit in the strikes, but they have been able to visit other sites.

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA/CAIRO (Reuters) -Crammed into flimsy tent camps hard up against the seashore, Gazans have been flooded by heavy rain and storm surges in recent days, destroying some shelters, soaking mattresses and blankets and bringing new misery even after a ceasefire.

The Hamas-run Gaza government has estimated losses from the stormy weather at around $4.5 million, including 22,000 tents, spoiled food and medicines and damage to infrastructure, while local aid groups say 300,000 new tents are urgently needed.

GAZA (Reuters) -A Gaza company that operates water desalination plants serving nearly half of the enclave's population said on Tuesday it had resumed operations after Hamas-led security freed a staff member whom they detained on Monday.

A statement issued by the Abdul Salam Yassin Company, whose services reach more than 1 million people, said the decision to resume operations came after the issue was resolved, adding that the staff member was "fine and in good health".

PARIS (Reuters) -The United Arab Emirates has agreed to seize around 40 Dubai apartments and luxury villas suspected of being linked to drug trafficking in France, French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Wednesday.

Darmanin said in a post on X that the seizure of the properties, which had been bought by suspects using cash or cryptocurrencies, was part of broader judicial cooperation on international drug traffic between France and the UAE.

KABUL/NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Afghanistan's Taliban trade minister arrived in India on Wednesday on a maiden visit to draw greater investments and goods as both countries consider ways to enhance their relations in the backdrop of souring relations with neighbouring Pakistan.

India last month upgraded its ties with the Taliban by reopening its embassy in Kabul that was shut after the Islamist group seized power in 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S.-led NATO forces. New Delhi is also ramping up its aid to the country as it competes with China for influence.

By Huseyin Hayatsever and Anastasiia Malenko

ANKARA/KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will hold talks in Turkey on Wednesday and meet U.S. Army officials in Kyiv on Thursday in a new drive to revive peace negotiations with Russia.

No face-to-face talks have taken place between Kyiv and Moscow since a meeting in Istanbul in July and Russian forces have pressed on with Moscow's nearly four-year-old war in Ukraine, killing 19 people in strikes overnight.

By Patricia Zengerle and Simon Lewis

WASHINGTON -U.S. lawmakers are set to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday on the second day of his visit to the United States, aimed at touting stronger-than-ever economic and security ties with Washington while brushing off scrutiny over his human rights record.

(Fixes typo in first paragraph)

BEIRUT (Reuters) -An Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese city of Sidon killed 13people and wounded several others, the Lebanese Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

The Israeli military said that it struck militants whoit said were operating in a training compound in the crowded Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon.

The military said the compound has been used by the Palestinian movement Hamas to carry out attacks against Israel.