Plus: Celebrations fit for an exiled king ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has begun in Lebanon. Our correspondents explain the deal's ramifications. In Ghana, Barnaby Phillips reports from a ceremony marking 100 years since the return of an exiled Asante king. In the US, Natalie Sherman speaks to American businesses trying to get ahead of possible new trade tariffs. And finally, a painting of a Māori elder fetches a record price in New Zealand. | |
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TOP OF THE AGENDA | Thousands return home to south Lebanon | | The war has been Lebanon's deadliest in decades, killing more than 3,823 people, according to local officials. Credit: Getty Images | A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon began at 04:00 local time on Wednesday, halting a 13 month-long conflict following Hamas's attack on southern Israel in October 2023. Israel intensified air strikes and launched a ground invasion against Hezbollah in September. Attacks by both sides were recorded until shortly before the ceasefire started. By morning, thousands of Lebanese civilians began returning to their homes in the south, despite Israeli and Lebanese authorities warning that certain areas are not yet safe. Under the deal brokered by the US, Israel has 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon and Hezbollah is expected to remove fighters and weapons from the area in the same period. Lebanese soldiers will be deployed in the area south of the Litani River, a boundary established at the end of the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.
Israeli's anger: Political rivals of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have criticised him over the deal - and some of his political allies too, reports Lucy Williamson from Jerusalem.
Hezbollah's future: The group has been severely weakened - some would say humiliated - but it has not been destroyed, writes Middle East correspondent Hugo Bachega from Beirut.
Get the latest: We are covering what happens next, including reactions to the ceasefire deal and what it all means for Gaza. | |
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| Celebrating a king's return from exile | | Current monarch Osei Tutu II has been on the throne since 1999. Credit: Barnaby Phillips | The 19th Century Asante King Prempeh resisted British demands that his territory be swallowed up into the expanding Gold Coast protectorate. The British army forced him into exile until 1924. A ceremony last weekend marked 100 years since he returned home to the Ghanaian city of Kumasi. |
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| | Barnaby Phillips, BBC News |
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| | It is a tragic story, but also one of pride and resistance. "The British did all they could but they couldn’t break the spirit of Asante," shouted the master of ceremonies. The current monarch, Osei Tutu II, was paraded on his palanquin through the crowd, weighed down by magnificent gold jewellery, amid a glorious cacophony of musket explosions, drum beats and the blare of horns made from elephant tusks. |
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BEYOND THE HEADLINES | Companies race to get ahead of tariffs |
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| | | Firms like Sherrill Mosee's MinkeeBlue are starting to stockpile, shifting supply chains are re-working contracts. Credit: BBC | US President-elect Donald Trump has promised to impose stiff new tariffs on all goods coming into the country on day one of his administration. Business correspondent Natalie Sherman reports on how American firms are preparing for the tariffs' potential impact. |
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SOMETHING DIFFERENT | Sounding human | Distinguishing AI-generated speech from real human voices is increasingly difficult. | |
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And finally... | An oil painting of a Māori elder has become the most valuable artwork of its kind in New Zealand history after fetching a record price at an auction. The painting by famed local artist Charles Frederick Goldie, Thoughts of a Tohunga, shows a portrait of Wharekauri Tahuna, a priest who is believed to be one of the last tattooed men of his generation. | |
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Six Steps to Calm | Discover a calmer future with this course of six science-backed techniques, weekly to your inbox. | |
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