Netanyahu says Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal agreed

Hello. Today we're covering Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement that a ceasefire deal has been agreed to end fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon. The agreement is still awaiting approval, but it is expected to be a formality, explains Frank Gardner. We're also diving down China's spectacular sinkholes, whose precious ecosystem is put in jeopardy by growing tourism. Finally, we're reporting from Florida and Namibia.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Netanyahu says Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal agreed

The Israeli prime minister says Hezbollah has been "set back decades" after Israel killed several of its senior commanders. Credit: GPO

Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel has agreed a ceasefire deal to end fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Israeli leader said the deal would allow his country to handle the "Iranian threat", which he did not expand on, to replenish weapon supplies and to "separate the fronts and isolate Hamas".

What's next for the ceasefire deal?

It will now go before the full cabinet whose approval is expected to be a formality. Lebanon’s foreign minister has already said he supports the deal.

What are the terms of the deal?

According to the proposed deal, both Israel and Hezbollah are to withdraw their forces from south Lebanon over a 60-day period, with Hezbollah staying north of the Litani River, around 19 miles (30km) north of the border. To fill the security vacuum, a bolstered Lebanese national army and troops from Unifil, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, are due to fill in behind them.

What could break the ceasefire?

Critically for Israel, the deal allows it to intervene militarily in Lebanon if it detects an immediate threat from Hezbollah. In the case of a less immediate threat, such as the detection of a tunnel south of the Litani, Israel will report this to a five-nation committee, the defacto guarantors, overseen by the US.

THE BIG PICTURE

Sinkhole tourism puts ancient forests at risk

Sinkholes in China's Guangxi province have become a tourist attraction. Credit: BBC

With 30 known sinkholes, Guangxi province in the south of China has more of these geological oddities than anywhere else. These cavities in the earth trap time, preserving unique, delicate ecosystems for centuries. But growing tourism is putting these ancient forests at risk.

And finally... in Namibia

If things work out as Namibia’s long-time governing party hopes, the country will be electing its first female head of state this week. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has been a loyal member of the governing party since she was 14. From Windhoek, Frauke Jensen tells you more about her chances at the ballot box.