Six O'Clock News

Delegations from America and Iran have been holding direct talks in Pakistan aimed at ending the war. The US military says it's begun work to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz. Police have made more than two hundred arrests at a rally in support of the banned group Palestine Action, in London.

The US Vice President is heading to Islamabad for peace talks with Iran but there's no confirmation yet that the Iranian delegation is on its way. Also: In the Republic of Ireland there are warnings that hundreds of fuel pumps could run dry as protests continue against rising prices. And the astronauts of Artemis prepare for their homecoming.

The Israeli Prime Minister says he's instructed his cabinet to open direct negotiations with the Lebanese government as soon as possible. Also: The Defence Secretary warns Moscow against the sabotage of undersea cables and pipes, after revealing the Navy and RAF had uncovered a covert Russian submarine operation. And Doug Allan, the man who shot some of the most memorable footage used in Sir David Attenborough's wildlife programmes, has died.

A day after threatening to annihilate a whole civilisation, Donald Trump has hailed an agreement with Iran under which both sides will observe a ceasefire for the next two weeks. Also: Israel has carried out its biggest airstrikes on Lebanon since the start of the Middle East war. And Tehran has said it will reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but has warned ships waiting to pass through the waterway that they need Iranian permission, or they will be destroyed.

Kanye West has been blocked from entering the UK because of a backlash against anti-Semitic and neo-Nazi comments he'd made in the past -- forcing the cancellation of a music festival he had been due to headline. The Home Office told BBC News his application had been refused because his presence "would not be conducive to the public good". In other news: President Trump has increased the pressure on Iran's leaders -- warning that a "whole civilisation will die" if Tehran doesn't agree to a deal to end the war. And the health secretary, Wes Streeting, has said a six-day doctors' strike, which began this morning, will leave some patients "waiting in pain or anxiety".

Astronauts on board the Artemis II mission are set to break a record, travelling further than anyone has before as they loop around the far side of the Moon. President Trump claims proposals from Iran represent 'a very significant step' towards ending the war. Kanye West's right to enter the UK is reportedly under review after an outcry over his planned appearance at a festival -- despite his anti-Semitic comments.

Iran has escalated its own attacks on Gulf States, targeting power stations and desalination plants. Also: Dame Sarah Mullally holds her first Easter sermon as Archbishop of Canterbury, calling for Middle East peace. Pope Leo also makes his first Easter address. And: the astronauts on board NASA's Artemis II mission are entering the Moon's sphere of influence.

Donald Trump tells Iran to make a deal.Also: A fourth person has been arrested in connection with an arson attack on four ambulances in London. Preparations for Storm Dave begin.

US media are reporting that one crew member from an American fighter jet downed in Iran has been rescued. Also: Executives at Marks and Spencer have called on the Government and local mayors to do more about retail crime. And the astronauts on NASA's Artemis lunar mission have described the spectacular experience of looking back at Earth after leaving orbit.

A former funeral director in Hull has pleaded guilty to 30 counts of preventing a lawful and decent burial, after police found dozens of bodies stored in an unrefrigerated warehouse. Also: Reform UK's housing spokesman has been sacked because of comments he made about the Grenfell Tower fire. And the BBC's science team watches the Artemis Mission set off on its journey around the Moon.

Iran has dismissed President Trump's latest claim that it's asked for a ceasefire as "baseless". Also: Sir Keir Starmer has warned that resolving the economic consequences of the war "will not be easy". And the presenter, Carol Kirkwood, has delivered her final weather forecast on BBC Breakfast.

President Trump has launched another social media attack on allies of the United States accusing them of not doing enough to assist with the conflict in Iran. Also: Buckingham Palace confirms details for the King's state visit to the United States in April. And the British Medical Association has said it will ballot senior doctors over strike action.

The presenter of BBC Radio 2's breakfast show, Scott Mills, has been fired, following allegations about his personal conduct. Also: President Trump has insisted the US has made "great progress" in negotiations with what he called a "new and more reasonable" regime in Iran. And: millions of motorists who were mis-sold car loans have been told that they should receive compensation this year.

Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, says he's ordered the military to expand its operation in southern Lebanon. Also: the British government is urging people to buy fuel as normal, despite the Middle East conflict. And: after 67 years, the final voyage across the Mersey for the Royal Iris ferry.

Attacks across the Middle East have continued, with three journalists reported dead in an Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon. Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has accused Russia of helping Iran attack the UK-US base on Diego Garcia. And: an 18 year old man is arrested after a historic mill building in Staffordshire is gutted by fire.

The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has told a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in France that the war with Iran will continue for another two to four weeks. Also: The conflict in the Middle East has pushed the average price of a litre of petrol in the UK above 150 pence for the first time in nearly two years. And the competition watchdog begins a probe into fake and misleading online reviews.

The state-owned National Savings and Investments bank has announced plans to reunite tens of thousands of people with their money, after a fault with its bereavement claim process. Also: Reports from Iran say it has responded through intermediaries to a US plan to end the conflict in the Middle East. And the International Olympic Committee has introduced a ban on transgender women taking part in female categories across all sports.

A jury in California has found the owners of Instagram and YouTube liable for a young woman's addiction to social media from early childhood. Also: Iran appears to have rejected a US proposal to end the war, with a senior security official saying the fighting would stop only when its conditions were met. And Dame Sarah Mullally is officially installed as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury.

The owner of Royal Mail, Daniel Kretinsky, has apologised for the late arrival of millions of letters, but has denied that the business is in decline. Also: China's foreign minister has joined efforts to broker talks between Iran and the United States. And the Snooker World Championship will stay at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre until at least 2045.

President Trump has said the US and Iran have found "major points of agreement" and he's called off the immediate threat of strikes on Iranian power plants. Also: The Governor of the Bank of England joins Sir Keir Starmer at emergency Cobra talks to discuss how to tackle the rising cost of living. And trains on the new HS2 rail line between Birmingham and London may run slower than planned.

Iran has warned it will completely close the key Strait of Hormuz shipping route -- if President Trump follows through on his threat to bomb the country's power plants. A Cabinet Minister has said there is "no assessment to substantiate" a claim by Israel that Iran has long-range missiles capable of reaching London. One of the UK's largest energy suppliers, Centrica, has said an increase in household bills is "inescapable" if oil prices remain high due to the Iran war.

The UK has criticised Iran after it fired missiles towards Diego Garcia. Farmers say the war will increase food prices. The former FBI Chief, Robert Mueller, has died.

Three victims of IRA bombings in England have ended their civil court case against the former Sinn Féin leader, Gerry Adams. Also: The government has given its approval for UK bases to be used by the US to launch strikes on Iranian sites targeting the Strait of Hormuz. And Nasa's huge Moon rocket has completed its four mile journey to the launchpad at Cape Canaveral in Florida.

Iran has warned it will show "zero restraint" if its energy facilities are again hit by airstrikes, as the focus of the war shifts to key oil and gas infrastructure across the Middle East. Also: The BBC finds multiple reports of sexual abuse of children taking place in minimarts in the West Midlands. And the King goes for a walk on England's new coastal path named after him.

Iran has threatened to attack key energy sites belonging to its Gulf neighbours, after refineries on a gas field it shares with Qatar were hit with air-strikes. Also: UK health officials put out an urgent public health alert because of the meningitis outbreak in Kent. And the government of Senegal calls for an investigation after its football team was stripped of its Africa Cup of Nations title.

A senior US counter-terrorism official has resigned from President Trump's government saying he cannot in good conscience support the war in Iran. Also: Some students at the University of Kent are to be offered the meningitis B vaccine, in response to the outbreak in the county. And the spy novelist, Len Deighton, has died at the age of 97.

President Trump has criticised the UK's response to the Iran war and the reluctance of some allies to help break the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Also: Hundreds of students queue at the University of Kent for antibiotics after two people die in a meningitis outbreak. And the government outlines more help for companies to take on young people.

The Iranian Foreign Minister says Tehran has "never asked for a ceasefire" in the war with Israel and America. Yesterday, President Trump said that Iran wanted to make a deal, but that he felt the terms were "not good enough". In Israel, an Iranian missile hits residential areas near Tel Aviv. Also: The government announces police-style measures to tackle fly tipping in England. And: Hollywood rolls out the red carpet ahead of the Oscars.

President Trump urges the UK to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, to help defend the vital shipping route from Iranian attacks. Israel says it's hit more than a-hundred Hezbollah command centres in the Lebanese capital Beirut. The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, says she has found extra money to offer support to people struggling with higher heating oil costs. Also: The public is invited to vote an new artwork to remember Northumberland's Sycamore Gap tree.

The US has confirmed that all six members of the crew on board a military refuelling aircraft were killed when it crashed in western Iraq. European leaders have criticised the Trump administration for easing sanctions on Russian oil to curb price rises caused by the conflict. UK Petrol prices surpass £1.40 a litre - the highest in 18 months. Also: John Lennon's piano fetches nearly £2.2 million at auction.

Iranian state television has broadcast a statement attributed to the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei – in which he pledges to maintain his country's blockade of the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway.Israel is ramping up its offensive against the Iran-backed group Hezbollah – telling many more people in southern Lebanon to evacuate their homes. In other news: a woman from Tewkesbury has been jailed for 13 years for keeping a vulnerable woman as a slave, and Lloyds Banking Group is investigating after customers reported seeing other users' transactions on their apps.

Documents released by the government show that Sir Keir Starmer was warned that Lord Mandelson's links to Jeffrey Epstein posed a "general reputational risk" if he was appointed as the UK's ambassador to the US. The Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Darren Jones, told MPs that the due diligence process had "fallen short of what was required". The BBC understands that Lord Mandelson maintains he did not act criminally or for personal gain.

The US Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, has said that air strikes on Iran today will be the 'most intense' so far of the eleven-day war. In a news conference at the Pentagon, Mr Hegseth said America was achieving its war goals and winning with 'brutal efficiency' - and that Iran would be 'decisively defeated'. Also: Some local commuter services are expected to resume at Glasgow Central station tomorrow -- three days after a large fire in a neighbouring building forced it to close. And: On the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, Lossiemouth -- trained by the leading Irish trainer, Willie Mullins -- stormed to victory in the Champion Hurdle, the first big race of the meeting.

Ministers from the G7 group of leading industrialised nations have said they are ready to take "necessary measures" to support the global supply of energy after the US-Israel war with Iran led to a big increase in the international price of oil. At one point this morning, it reached nearly $120 a barrel before falling back to less than $100. Also: Investigations have begun into what caused yesterday's fire in Glasgow city centre, which destroyed a Victorian building and forced the neighbouring Central Station to close. And: King Charles has attended the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey along with other senior royals.

More than a week after the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran's clerics choose a new supreme leader. Tehran is covered in black smoke, as US-Israeli strikes continue. More attacks in the Gulf and Lebanon. Kurdish forces in Iraq prepare to cross border to fight the Iranian regime. Also: Figures for small boat crossings down so far this year, and pitch invasion at Celtic-Rangers match in Glasgow.

Tehran's neighbours targeted with missiles and drones again despite the promise the attacks would stop. Trump says Iran is being "beat to hell" and threatens to widen air strikes. The UK places aircraft carrier on advanced readiness. Also: One of Britain's most notorious child killers, Ian Huntley dies after he was attacked in prison. And: Former rapper and Gen Z protest figure wins Nepal's election.

The US and Israel have carried out a fresh wave of strikes on Tehran, after what some of the city's residents described as the worst night of the war so far. Also: The Metropolitan Police arrest four people on suspicion of helping Iran spy on the Jewish community in London. And Russian soldiers wounded in the conflict in Ukraine could take part in future Paralympic Games.

Sir Keir Starmer, who's been criticised for his response to the crisis, insists he is providing calm level-headed leadership in the face of chaos in the Middle East. Also: The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has unveiled plans to offer families whose asylum claims have failed up to 40 thousand pounds to leave the UK voluntarily. And the BBC says it's prepared to consider reducing the cost of the licence fee, in return for getting more people to pay.

The US Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, said America was winning the war "decisively, devastatingly, and without mercy". Also: The Iranian president has told neighbouring states his country had to defend itself from US and Israeli attacks. And the warship the UK is deploying to the region, HMS Dragon, is not expected to head to Cyprus until next week.

President Trump has again criticised Sir Keir Starmer for not initially allowing the US to use British military bases to attack Iran. Also: Thousands of people are trying to flee Tehran. And Britain is sending a Royal Navy warship to help protect UK military personnel in Cyprus.

As the US-Israeli war against Iran continues to widen, President Trump's defence secretary has declared the American military action the "most lethal, most complex and most precise aerial operation in history". Also: Iran launches fresh attacks on targets across the Gulf. And the Iranian Red Crescent says more than 550 people have been killed in Iran.

Iran has fired hundreds of missiles and drones at targets across the Middle East, after announcing that its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been killed in US-Israeli attacks. At least 200 people -- most of whom were at a girls' school in the country's south -- have been reported killed in Iran. Three US service personnel have been killed in Iran's response, as well as ten people in Israel. Donald Trump has suggested that Iran's new leadership wanted to talk. Meanwhile, UK government officials are understood to be working on plans to potentially evacuate British nationals from the Middle East.