BBC News Briefing

17 April, 2026

Sofia has long brown hair and brown eyes and is wearing a green top.

Sofia Lotto Persio

Hello. As a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon appears to be holding, Middle East correspondent Lucy Williamson tells us how President Donald Trump's announcement took Israel by surprise. Senior international correspondent Orla Guerin reports on how Turkey is reckoning with its first deadly mass school shooting. Lastly, watch the moment South Korea's runaway wolf is finally found.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Israel-Lebanon 10-day ceasefire begins

Children make peace signs from a vehicle stuck in a traffic jam of people returning to their homes near Tyre, southern Lebanon.

Iran has been demanding an end to Israeli operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon in its talks with the US. Credit: Reuters

When Trump said there would be a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, even Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's own security cabinet was surprised, writes Lucy Williamson. For many, she notes, the ceasefire is "another example of Netanyahu bowing to Trump's demands to halt fighting, even when the terms or the timing are not what Israel wants". Across Israel, there's scepticism about why Netanyahu has signed up to a truce, Lucy reports. He had been keen to emphasise that the temporary ceasefire between the US and Iran did not mean an end to Israel's operations against Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group over which the Lebanese government has limited influence.

Read Lucy's analysis

Explainer: What to know about the 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.

Watch: Chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet reports that Iranian leaders are unwilling to make a deal on Trump's terms.

Live updates: In Lebanon, our reporters say people are desperate for some respite, while in north Israel locals reportedly feel betrayed. Get the latest.

WORLD HEADLINES

D4VD performing in bright yellow clothing at Coachella festival in 2025

Singer D4vd arrested on suspicion of murder

The singer has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a teenage girl who went missing last year, Los Angeles police said.

Read more >

A crowd of protesters waving anti-ICE signs and wearing winter clothes stand on the stairs of a large concrete building in Minnesota

ICE agent charged for pulling gun on motorists

Officials said it is the first case involving criminal charges for an agent involved in the Minnesota immigration crackdown.

What to know >

The White House with a wrecker machine out front, on a pile of rubble

US judge partially blocks ballroom building work

Work on the above-ground portion of the White House project has been halted, but plans for a bunker can proceed.

More details >

A smartphone screen displaying the name Claude and a drawing of an asterisk. Out of focus in the background the words Project Glasswing are legible.

Bankers raise concern over AI model

Top figures in finance fear that the Claude Mythos model by Anthropic could undermine the security of financial systems.

Here's why >

The Duchess of Sussex meets volunteer first responders from Bondi Surf Bathers' Life Saving Club

Harry and Meghan meet Bondi shooting survivors

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex met volunteer lifeguards and community leader at the beach in Sydney.

What happened >

NEWS FROM THE UK

Ambassador role: The Foreign Office's top civil servant is set to leave over a failure to inform the PM that Lord Mandelson did not pass his vetting.

Pokémon cards: A series of smash-and-grab robberies have hit shops across the UK as the increasingly popular collectibles soar in value.

Freedom of the City: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been invited by London councillors to relinquish his inherited honour.

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

School shootings a new trauma for Turkey

A solemn-looking crowd gathers around a coffin, which has the Turkish flag draped over it, while three women wearing head coverings rest their heads on the coffin.

The attack came just one day after a former student entered another school in the same region, wounding 16 before killing himself.

The city of Kahramanmaras is known for its ice cream. It has now acquired a new and terrible distinction – the location of Turkey's first deadly mass school shooting. Orla Guerin describes heartbreak, anger and concern among mourners at the funeral of some of the young victims.

Read now

An old, black and white image shows a man and a woman sitting in a wooden booth in a bar of restaurant. The man has his back to the camera and the woman is smiling. Their faces are very close together and they appear about to kiss.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Images of a lost Paris

During the 1930s, a photographer captured Paris in all its decadence.

Scroll through

And finally... in South Korea

Neukgu, the two-year-old wolf who broke loose from a zoo and stole South Korea's attention, has finally been found following a nine-day-long search. A video of the capture shows the animal being hauled by rescuers and placed in a carrier. Take a look.

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