Bernadette Keogh

Authorities in Guatemala say they have rescued 160 children from a religious sect.

Authorities in Guatemala say they have rescued 160 children from a religious sect.

It's Lebanon now, and it's almost a month since the ceasefire was agreed between Hezbollah and Israel. Hezbollah had been trading attacks across the southern Lebanese border with Israel in response to Israel's bombardment of Gaza following the October 7 attacks by Hamas.

It's Lebanon now, and it's almost a month since the ceasefire was agreed between Hezbollah and Israel. Hezbollah had been trading attacks across the southern Lebanese border with Israel in response to Israel's bombardment of Gaza following the October 7 attacks by Hamas.

Now, as part of the truce deal, the Lebanese army is tasked with ensuring there are no armed militias, principally Hezbollah, in the south of the country bordering with Israel, a duty it has never undertaken before. Our Middle East regional editor, Sebastian Usher, who is in Beirut, told me more.

Now, as part of the truce deal, the Lebanese army is tasked with ensuring there are no armed militias, principally Hezbollah, in the south of the country bordering with Israel, a duty it has never undertaken before. Our Middle East regional editor, Sebastian Usher, who is in Beirut, told me more.

Sebastian, you arrived in Beirut a short while ago. What's the mood of the people there? What have people been saying to you?

Sebastian, you arrived in Beirut a short while ago. What's the mood of the people there? What have people been saying to you?

Sebastian Usher. The authorities in Guatemala say they've rescued 160 children from a farm used by an ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect which is under investigation for alleged child sex abuse. The group, Lev Tahor, moved to Guatemala a decade ago from Canada. The Lev Tahor sect accused the Guatemalan authorities of religious persecution. Jodi Garcia is a freelance journalist from Guatemala.

Sebastian Usher. The authorities in Guatemala say they've rescued 160 children from a farm used by an ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect which is under investigation for alleged child sex abuse. The group, Lev Tahor, moved to Guatemala a decade ago from Canada. The Lev Tahor sect accused the Guatemalan authorities of religious persecution. Jodi Garcia is a freelance journalist from Guatemala.

She told Owen Bennett-Jones more about the group.

She told Owen Bennett-Jones more about the group.

Freelance journalist Jody Garcia in Guatemala. It's become a familiar ritual in Washington in recent years. Politicians in the US Congress trying to come up with a last-minute deal to agree a budget in order to avoid a partial government shutdown. After two failed attempts and with a Friday night deadline fast approaching, Republicans and Democrats finally voted to pass a spending plan.

Freelance journalist Jody Garcia in Guatemala. It's become a familiar ritual in Washington in recent years. Politicians in the US Congress trying to come up with a last-minute deal to agree a budget in order to avoid a partial government shutdown. After two failed attempts and with a Friday night deadline fast approaching, Republicans and Democrats finally voted to pass a spending plan.

Shortly after it was passed, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said he'd been keeping in close contact with Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

Shortly after it was passed, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said he'd been keeping in close contact with Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

After the agreement in the House of Representatives, the budget was also passed by the Senate. Here's the Senate Democrat leader, Chuck Schumer.

After the agreement in the House of Representatives, the budget was also passed by the Senate. Here's the Senate Democrat leader, Chuck Schumer.

While the immediate crisis has probably been averted, all the scrapping and the scraping together of a compromise has also raised pressing questions about who wields real political power in Washington. My colleague Paul Moss got more details about the passing of the bill from our North America correspondent Peter Bowes.

While the immediate crisis has probably been averted, all the scrapping and the scraping together of a compromise has also raised pressing questions about who wields real political power in Washington. My colleague Paul Moss got more details about the passing of the bill from our North America correspondent Peter Bowes.