Return of Palestine Marathon attracts thousands of runners

Thousands of people have taken part in the Palestine Marathon and Half Marathon which returned to the West Bank city of Bethlehem after a two-year pause because of restrictions over the Gaza War. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Runners taking a selfie at the start of the marathon Return of Palestine Marathon attracts thousands of runners The event, which attracted runners and spectators from across the West Bank and overseas, happened in conjunction with a race in Gaza, as a fragile ceasefire in the Palestinian Territory continues to hold. Wyre Davies reports from the event in Bethlehem. There was a nail-biting sprint finish to the 2026 Belfast City Marathon, with the winner pipping his nearest rival to the post by one second. The BBC News NI team gives their best advice ahead of Sunday's marathon BBC reports from Kenya, home to Sabastian Sawe, the first man to run a marathon in under two hours. Emily and Simion Sawe share their pride at the runner's historic sub-two-hour marathon win. The BBC spoke to Boston marathon runner, Ajay Haridasse, who was helped over the finish line by two strangers. The dramatic end to the Delaware Marathon occurred when the lead runner slowed in celebration before a trailing marathoner sprinted toward the finish line . Violence began after a teenage settler was killed, reportedly after being hit by a vehicle driven by a Palestinian. Displaced Palestinians were told to secure their tents to prevent them being blown away as a storm swept through the enclave. More aid has been allowed into Gaza since the ceasefire began three months ago, but the UN says it is nowhere near enough. John Sudworth says the sounds of heavy machinery can be heard echoing around the neighbourhood. The Kenyan marathoner has all the running accolades he needs but is now focusing on new goals. Hundreds gathered in Manger Square to bask in the festivities that included music, dancing and Santas bearing sweet treats. The Radio 2 presenter completes her epic run, which has raised more than £7.6m for Children in Need. Israel is releasing 250 Palestinian prisoners as part of the ceasefire deal with Hamas. Palestinians in the West Bank say they hope the deal could lead to a united Palestinian future. Prime Minister Starmer says the move will "revive the hope of peace" but Israel says it is "nothing but a reward for jihadist Hamas". The BBC's Lucy Williamson says the incident near Nablus was "completely unprovoked". Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the UN, and Jonathan Miller, Deputy Permanent Representative for Israel to the UN, address a UN Security Council meeting. Dalia Cusnir tells the BBC "the only way of securing the future of the region" is to return the hostages and force Hamas to down weapons. Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the plan will go ahead unless the Israeli government takes "substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza". President Trump has suspended anoperation to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz - BBC Verify explains the timeline. The BBC’s Nawal Al-Maghafi has been piecing together what happened on 8 April 2026, after one of the deadliest chapters in the country’s recent history. Capt Raman Kapoor's ship is one of several to be stranded in the strait in the midst of the power struggle between the US and Iran. Israel and Hezbollah are still fighting in Lebanon despite a US-brokered ceasefire that began 12 days ago. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is quitting oil cartel Opec after nearly 60 years of membership. The US president says he saved eight Iranian women from execution, but Iran says otherwise. The 300 couples were selected in a draw of nearly 2,000 people to be a part of the joint celebration. The US and Iran's rival blockades of the Strait of Hormuz have become a "test of wills", says Lyse Doucet. Analysis indicates that parts of the video appear to have been filmed hours after the ships were reportedly seized. BBC Arabic's correspondent Carine Torbey reports from the border town of Khiam, as the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon goes into its second day. Eyewitnesses captured the moment a burning fuel tanker drove through the centre of Hasakah, Syria, leaving a trail of fire behind it. Lyse Doucet says Iranians want a solution to the long-running animosity with the US, but leaders is not willing to make a deal on Washington's terms. While military targets have been struck in Iran, civilian areas have too, showing the stark reality of the war. The BBC's chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet arrived in Tehran to what she described as 'life on pause'. BBC foreign correspondent Nick Beake visits Metula, an Israeli town surrounded on three sides by Lebanon. BBC Middle East correspondent Hugo Bachega joins paramedics on duty in Nabatieh - a city that was once vibrant, but is now abandoned. BBC Middle East Correspondent Hugo Bachega hears from people affected by this week's attacks. Pro-government demonstrators poured onto the streets of the Iranian capital after the announcement of the two-week conditional ceasefire between the US and Iran. The BBC's Nick Marsh takes a look at whether fuel costs will get cheaper now the US and Iran have agreed a ceasefire. More than one million people in Lebanon have been displaced since the start of the war as Israel expands its ground operation there.