Caroline Hepker

And I'm Caroline Hepker.

After a week that saw a surge in hostilities between the United States and Iran, there are still no signs of progress in ceasefire talks there.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group has rejected a US-brokered truce between Israel and Lebanon.

Tehran says Israel's military operations in Lebanon must end before any deal can be reached with Washington.

Yesterday, President Trump again wrote on social media that ceasefire talks are in the final stages.

That's after Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Foreign Minister Abbas Rakhi said that negotiations had stalled.

OK, well, to some politics now.

Andy Burnham says that he intends to challenge Keir Starmer for his job as prime minister.

It's the first time that the UK politician has signalled that he wants to oust the Labour leader, despite weeks of campaigning on a platform of change.

Burnham told a BBC Question Time panel that he needs to win his election first.

Andy Burnham on the BBC there answering questions from people in Makerfield where he is running to be an MP.

Selma's spokesperson says that he will not walk away and that he wants the party to focus on governing, not internal fights.

Now, the rapid spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo is exposing the impact of aid cuts across the globe.

Former U.S.

officials have told Bloomberg the challenges have been exacerbated by a foreign aid freeze announced by the Trump administration.

U.S.

annual global development assistance dropped by 57% in 2025, according to figures from the OECD.

Other G7 countries have also cut foreign aid cuts.

For last year, including Germany, France, Japan and the UK, microbiologist Peter Piot first discovered Ebola in 1976.

Peter Piot speaking there to Bloomberg's Michelle Hussain on her podcast.