There's been a breakthrough overnight with Israel and Lebanon agreeing to a ceasefire. The truce, which initially lasts for 10 days, has taken effect about an hour ago, according to US President Donald Trump. The deal pauses Israel's conflict with Iran-backed Hezbollah that has raged in parallel to the war on Iran. Jamie Clarke reports.

A 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel has come into effect, while US President Donald Trump says the next meeting between the Washington and Tehran may take place over the weekend, fuelling optimism that the Iran war could be over soon. Our US correspondent, Simon Marks spoke to Ben Tse.

Iran's distrust of the US and Israel is seen as an obstacle to diplomatic efforts for peace. Einar Tangen, Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Governance, spoke on RTHK's Backchat programme about the state of affairs.

Dozens of Palestinian children have been unable to go to school in the Israeli-occupied West Bank this week because of barbed wire erected by Israeli settlers across the path they normally used. Jamie Clarke reports.

China's economy has made a robust start to the year with first-quarter growth topping expectations. The strong performance came even as the global economy reeled from the fallout of the war in the Middle East. Tony Sabine reports.

Economist Intelligence Unit Senior Economist Tianchen Xu said China's economic growth came on the back of strong exports, which rose by nearly 15 percent year-on-year despite geopolitical uncertainties. He played down concerns that the Iran war might weigh on growth, saying the weak performance in March was partly due to delayed factory production as many workers had not yet returned after the Lunar New Year break.

The war in the Middle East continues to have a ripple effect. Cathay Pacific joined dozens of other Asian airlines in cancelling some flights because of rocketing fuel prices. Steven Cheung, chairman of the Hong Kong Professional Airline Pilots' Association, explained on RTHK's Backchat programme how airlines make some tough decisions.

HSBC says it remains committed to operating in the Middle East despite conflicts in the region. The bank also expressed an interest in other digital assets after acquiring a stablecoin issuer licence. Tony Sabine reports.

A panel investigating the cause of the Wang Fuk Court inferno has heard a first-hand account of how a resident had broken through cordon lines to seek help for his household trapped in one of the burning buildings. But he was told by firefighters that the situation was too difficult to launch any rescue attempt. Damon Pang reports.

The Public Light Bus Owner and Driver Association says fuel subsidies set to be offered to commercial vehicles and vessels that run on diesel will help alleviate their burden, particularly for red minibus drivers. Marcus Lum reports.

University of Hong Kong researchers have found a helping hand in hip replacement surgeries. They say the use of robotic arms will produce better results than conventional surgery. Amy Cheung, honorary clinical assistant professor, told Henry Siu about the difference.

The Office of the Ombudsman says there's significant room for improvement in the way the authorities handle animal cruelty cases. In announcing the findings of a direct investigation, ombudsman Jack Chan made 45 recommendations to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. Hailey Yip has the details.

Customs officers say they have seized around 63 kilograms of silver ingots with an estimated market value of HK$1.2 million. The haul was confiscated during an anti-smuggling operation at the Lok Ma Chau checkpoint. Marcus Lum reports.

Researchers at Polytechnic University say a robot co-developed with CLP is reducing the time required to inspect electricity generators by almost a week. Previously, inspections involved deploying a team of 30 people and removing a rotor inside the generators that is as heavy as two double-decker buses combined. Tam Hwa-Yaw, chair professor of photonics at the university's department of electrical and electronic engineering, spoke to Natasha Ho.

The Hospital Authority has pledged to tighten security measures and conduct a holistic review of its vendor management to reduce risks of data breach. This follows the recent arrest of a contract worker on suspicion of accessing the personal data of more than 56,000 patients before leaking them online. Hailey Yip reports.

Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest are set to face each other in an all-English affair, after both sides advanced to the semi-finals of the Europa League. Villa romped to a four-nil victory over Bologna, while Forest eked out a one-nil win over Porto in their quarter-final. Nazvi Careem has more.

The Hong Kong Bulls are one step closer to securing a third straight championship after defeating the Shanghai Blackbird in Game 1 of the National Basketball League, or NBL finals. Hailey Yip reports.