Newshour

Pakistan has said it is confident that talks between Iran and the United States will begin on Saturday in Islamabad as planned, despite both sides complaining of ceasefire violations.

Also on the programme: Melania Trump makes a rare statement to reporters, denying she had a relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein; and Hip-hop pioneer, Afrika Bambaataa, dies aged 68.

(Photo: Pakistani security officials stand guard at a checkpoint as security has been intensified ahead of the visit of US and Iranian delegations in Islamabad, Pakistan on April 9, 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)

The Israeli prime minister says he's ready for direct negotiations with Lebanon, as Iran says the continuing Israeli attacks on Lebanon violate Iran's ceasefire with the US. We hear the latest from Israel, Lebanon and the US.
Also in the programme: the UK says three Russian submarines have conducted a "covert" operation over Britain's vital underwater cables and pipelines; and as the crew of the Integrity spacecraft on the Artemis II mission around the Moon hurtle back towards Earth, we hear from the wife of the Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
(IMAGE: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Jerusalem, March 19, 2026. CREDIT: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/Pool TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY/File Photo)

A top Iranian official has told the BBC the US must choose war or peace, as the ceasefire appears compromised. Iran's deputy foreign minister said Tehran had warned Washington, after Israel's massive strikes on Lebanon, that it could not have it both ways. Saeed Khatibzadeh accuses Israel of a "massacre" in Lebanon - 203 people were killed on Wednesday, according to the health ministry.
Also, Argentina's Congress has passed a controversial amendment making it easier to mine in glacier regions, a move environmentalists say weakens protections for crucial water sources.
And a Los Angeles woman dubbed the "Ketamine Queen" has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for selling drugs that led to the death of Friends actor Matthew Perry.
(Photo: Aftermath of an Israeli strike carried out on Wednesday, in Ain Al Mraiseh in Beirut. Credit: Reuters)

Israel and the US say Lebanon is not included in a two-week ceasefire deal with Iran. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps says it will deliver a “regret-inducing response” if Israeli strikes on Lebanon don’t stop immediately, according to Iran’s state media. American Vice-President JD Vance is expected to lead a US negotiating team at peace talks in Pakistan this weekend.
Also in the programme: we hear more about one of the fastest growing disability sports around the world, powerchair football.
(Photo shows civilians and emergency responders standing amid rubble at the site of an Israeli strike in Tyre, southern Lebanon, April 8, 2026. Adnan Abidi/Reuters)

The US and Iran have agreed a two-week ceasefire and as part of the agreement Iran says it will reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Both sides have claimed victory, with the US defense secretary saying it "offers chance at real peace".
Also in the programme: Despite the ceasefire, Israel has continued pummelling what it says are dozens of command centres belonging to Hezbollah, Iran's proxy force in Lebanon; and we'll hear more about the impact of powerchair football for participants with life-limiting disabilities.
(Photo shows U.S. President Donald Trump at a press conference at the White House in Washington, D.C. on 6 April 2026. Evan Vucci/Reuters)