Hey there!
Hard news, three elements: international news, business, and politics
Lead and why it's challenging: They are challenging to write because they must be good enough to give important information but also maintain the reader's interest in the article, so they keep reading.
Soft news story: Not so big stories that could be useful to public or entertaining, rather than important.
I think soft news stories are more effective, because usually they are entertaining and useful, and easier to write.
Have a terrificly amazing day!