Plus: Watch Pope's basketball tricks ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| | | Hello. As Israeli strikes on Lebanon intensify and the death toll increases, fears are growing that the fragile ceasefire agreed between the US and Iran may not hold. A historic war crimes case is challenging the way Australia views itself and its armed forces - we explore why. And finally, watch as Pope Leo shows off some basketball skills. | | | | | | |
| TOP OF THE AGENDA | | More than 200 killed in Israeli strikes, Lebanon says | | | | | Israel said more than 100 air strikes were carried out on what it said were Hezbollah targets in 10 minutes on Wednesday. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock | | Israel's strikes on Lebanon are a "grave violation" of the ceasefire, Iran's deputy foreign minister has told the BBC. Saeed Khatibzadeh accused Israel of a "massacre" in the country after 203 people were killed and more than 1,000 wounded on Wednesday, according to the health ministry. Khatibzadeh also said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen if the US withdraws its "aggression". Israel claims the ceasefire does not include Lebanon and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country will continue to strike Hezbollah "wherever necessary". Middle East correspondent Hugo Bachega reports on a "day of horror" in Beirut and writes that "it's hard to know what Israel's long-term strategy is". | | | | | | | | |
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| | | Chinese researcher dies after questioning in US | | University of Michigan researcher Danhao Wang died shortly after talking to federal investigators, it has been reported. | | More on this > | | | | Germany suspends military approval for stays abroad | | A new law which came into force on 1 January had required men aged 17 and older to get approval for lengthy stays over three months. | | What it means > | | | | Man arrested over woman's Bahamas disappearance | | Lynette Hooker from Michigan vanished while out on a small boat with her husband on Saturday. | | Everything we know > | | | | Artemis crew returning with Moon discoveries | | The astronauts said they have "many more pictures" to share with the world as they prepare for Friday's splashdown. | | What they said > | | | | Fire engulfs roof of Rio's Olympic velodrome | | It's not the first time the building has been on fire. No injuries have been reported in the latest blaze. | | Watch the video > | | | | |
| | | | - Animal rescue: This "shocking" image, taken by one of the rescuers who discovered 250 dogs in the same home, is not AI, the RSPCA has said.
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| | | BEYOND THE HEADLINES | | Why decorated soldier is at centre of historic war crimes case | | | | | | | Roberts-Smith claims the allegations are 'egregious' and driven by spiteful and jealous peers. Credit: Sam Mooy/The Sydney Morning Herald via Getty Images | | The arrest of Ben Roberts-Smith, Australia's most-decorated living soldier who has been charged with five counts of the war crime of murder, is not only unprecedented for the country but an extraordinary moment for the globe. Roberts-Smith - who denies all wrongdoing - has become the face of Australia's reckoning over its alleged conduct in Afghanistan, which has cast a pall over its much-mythologised military legacy, Tiffanie Turnbull reports. | | | | | | |