BBC News Briefing

8 April, 2026

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

Sofia Lotto Persio

Hello. As Iran, the US and Israel appear at odds over some of the terms of the two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan, international editor Jeremy Bowen looks at whether the truce can last, and what it could mean for the Middle East. In Cambodia, my colleagues take you inside a seized scam compound. And finally, watch police in Florida catch a cold-blooded intruder.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Truce brings respite, but it might not last

Tankers are seen on the horizon off the coast of Oman,overlooking the strait of Hormuz.

Iran has warned ships need permission to pass through the Strait or be "targeted and destroyed". Credit: Reuters

One of the conditions of the temporary ceasefire agreed on Tuesday is guaranteed "safe passage" through the Strait of Hormuz. A BBC Verify analysis shows only a few vessels have crossed in the hours since the truce was announced. Iranian state media report that the Strait was closed after Israel carried out a large wave of air strikes in Lebanon. Israel and the US say Lebanon was not part of the truce. The White House has also said US Vice-President JD Vance will lead the country's delegation to the Islamabad talks with Iran. Whether or not a lasting peace deal can be reached, the war and its consequences are reshaping the Middle East, writes Jeremy Bowen.

Read Jeremy's analysis

GET UP TO SPEED

Rex Heuermann alongside attorney in court

New York architect pleads guilty to eight murders

The Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect, Rex Heuermann, has told a New York judge that he killed eight women.

What happened >

Man with curly hair wearing a black sweatshirt and beige pants runs away from police officers as smoke rises

Suspects in NYC bomb plot 'wanted to kill 60 people'

An indictment details charges against two teenagers accused of trying to bomb a protest outside mayor Mamdani's home.

Read more >

Pam Bondi looks into the distance wearing a light blue blazer and white shirt. In the background there is a white book shelf with blue and yellow books on it.

Pam Bondi no longer testifying on Epstein

The former US attorney general will no longer appear before a congressional committee, the justice department said.

What to know >

NEWS FROM THE UK

Pastor charged: Cheryl Bartley has been accused of gross negligence manslaughter after a man drowned during a baptism ceremony.

Bitcoin creator: A British crypto entrepreneur has told the BBC he is not the digital currency's mysterious inventor named in a New York Times article.

WW2 ordnance: About 150 of what police believe are phosphorus-based grenades used in the conflict have been found at a beach in County Durham.

AT THE SCENE

O Smach, Cambodia

Inside a seized scam compound

Rows of booths lined with sound-proof foam

A new law in Cambodia aims to severely punish those involved in scamming. Credit: Jonathan Head/BBC

In December, the Thai air force bombed the Royal Hill casino in Cambodia during the brief war between the two countries – the Thais say Cambodian drones were being launched from the casino. The Thai military now occupies a nearby building that used to be a massive scam compound.

Jonathan Head, Lulu Luo and Thanyarat Doksone

Wandering down the unlit corridors of a six-storey building behind the Royal Hill casino, each door opens onto a different world. In one there is a perfect replica of a Vietnamese bank. In another, you're in an Australian police station. Motivational messages have been painted on the walls. "Money Coming From Everywhere", read the Chinese characters on one sign.

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Thousands of people from different countries worked here, under a harsh regime that strictly regimented their lives, defrauding thousands of others across the world of their savings. We saw documents in Chinese, recovered from the rubble, detailing the punishments for failing to meet targets.

Keep reading

Chen Zhi: Correspondent Jonathan Head has profiled the 37-year-old accused of being "the mastermind" behind a scam empire.

A man with brown hair and a beard wears glasses and is reclining on a bed. He is wearing a navy blue shirt and holding a phone in one hand which he is looking at, and a mug in the other

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