by the incoming trump administration to repeal obamacare — president obama's healthcare policy. the republican vice—president—elect, mike pence, had earlier said the process would begin on donald trump's first day in office. israel's prime minister said he supports calls for a pardon for an israeli soldier convicted of manslaughter after he shot a palestinian militant who was lying wounded on the ground. prosecutors said the killing by sergeant elor azaria in the occupied west bank was an act of revenge. police in the indian city of bangalore have arrested at least six people, after several women said they were groped and molested during new year celebrations. the victims claim they were assaulted by mobs, and cctv pictures have emerged of one woman being attacked. stay with us. coming up next, hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk, i'm stephen sackur. after five years of bloodletting and suffering, the syrian war has

a new, potentially game—changing dynamic. a letter has fallen to the assad regime and a ceasefire deal brokered by russia and turkey is just about folding. moscow's dominant role in the diplomatic endgame is now undisputed with an corrupt playing a pivotal role as well. my guess is bassma kodmani of the negotiating tea m bassma kodmani of the negotiating team of the syrian opposition. is it time for the moderate rebels to accept their de facto defeat? bassma kodmani in paris, welcome to

hardtalk. hello, stephen, thank you. it's a pleasure to have you on the programme. let me start with a question that comes directly from the new year. do you see 2017 bringing with it better prospects for the end to the conflict in syria then we have seen at any time in the previous almost six years?” then we have seen at any time in the previous almost six years? i do, carefully optimistic, but i do. i do hope and we are working towards making 2017 the end of the disaster of the tragedy at the beginning of a political transition. that is what we are hoping for in the coming weeks will tell us whether we are moving in that direction but there

is certainly a turning point and it certainly something to build on at the moment with the new players that have asserted themselves and i think there is space for diplomacy now if there is space for diplomacy now if the signals coming out from moscow and from turkey as well as, very carefully, from tehran, if these signals are sincere and we have some hope. some hope for a political settlement, yes. i want to talk about the key players in their signals in a minute butjust taking up signals in a minute butjust taking up your phrase about a turning point. would it be fair to say that the defeat of the anti— assad forces in aleppo was a fundamental turning point? certainly, the military confrontation has turned to the advantage of the assad regime. why? simply because it had the full and

massive support of russian air force on one hand and pro— iranian militia, sectarian militias on the ground as ground forces. very little was done by assad's forces, it was done by one key regional power and one key international power so it was obvious the outcome was not going to be in favour of the opposition. at one needs to look back five years ago or even six yea rs back five years ago or even six years ago when the uprising started. those who rose up against assad had no arms, no military means at all so we are looking at a confrontation thatis we are looking at a confrontation that is ending militarily but the ingredients for a conflict at the confrontation is still there. if we are going to build on the military balance of forces, i don't think we will go very far in either defeating

terrorism in syria or in ending the conflict and having a satisfactory political transition. the conflict and having a satisfactory politicaltransition. the people conflict and having a satisfactory political transition. the people of syria and goodness knows that they have suffered so much. they have seen well over 300 thousand of their people killed, they have seen 12 million and more displaced including 5 million who have left the country altogether. with that in mind, is this the right time for you and the moderate anti— assad opposition who have been aligned with the united states and the saudis in particular, would it be the right time to acknowledge that you have lost out here? he wanted assad to go and those who have prevailed, the russians in particular and the iranians as well, they are the people who are insistent that assad need not and will not go? to be fair to the opposition, it has sought support from democratic countries,

it has received very little support and obviously the assad regime has received massive support. russia was a place it would signal it international power, stature and military might. we have seen it happen on our territorial. it is not because we chose to align ourselves with this or that party. we as syrians are asking for dignity, rights, freedom and security and the rights, freedom and security and the right to life today for every syrian and for that to happen, we will be working with any country serious about organising and facilitating a political transition. we have tried it with assad himself directly for ten yea rs it with assad himself directly for ten years and spend the population rose against assad for six years. did not receive any concession, none whatsoever. we look to all the

powers in this world and if russia is serious about brokering a settle m e nt is serious about brokering a settlement in syria, it will find a partner among the moderate opposition. both military and political. these are people who the moderate political opposition is very clear about. the state needs to remain. there has to be continuity of governance and we need to restore security to syria because we know the international community is worried about international terrorism... coming out of syria. worried about international terrorism... coming out of syrian i may, let me read between the lines. you acknowledge the russians are driving the process, no question. the americans with 0bama in his final days as president, with donald trump singing a very different tune. the syrians aren't really in this game at the moment and as faras really in this game at the moment and as far as you are concerned, you are now ready, are you, to undertake what the russians want? they want to

be placed in kazakhstan with the turks and the iranians playing a key role with no sign of the americans? are you with your team into high negotiations council of the opposition prepared to participate in that process? look, i believe if these talks are to take place in geneva or any other place, if they are placed under the terms of reference, if the terms are clear, if they refer to un resolutions which the russia has voted for, there is no problem in participating for such a process. russia is brokering a cessation of hostilities on the ground. if this holds, the parties will be ready to go whether they are military or political. what we would like to see is certainly the new us administration step in and take some responsibility in brokering this political arrangement. we have russia telling

us arrangement. we have russia telling us it is serious about political settlement. we have turkey playing a positive role but so far we have not had a positive role from iran. let us had a positive role from iran. let us admit that iran has been becky spoiler. sectarian militias on the ground are our key problem today in syria. —— the key spoiler. what we need as a priority is a coalition of countries and the trump administration should be part of that, to push out both sectarian militias who are poisoning the ground inside syria. militias who are poisoning the ground inside syrialj militias who are poisoning the ground inside syria. i will push you wa nt ground inside syria. i will push you want is a little bit. you can say what should happen and what you would like to happen but let's deal with reality, what is happening. the us is not playing a role and the un, frankly, has been sidetracked as well. the russians are dominating the despondency right now and i want a simple yes or no answer. —— diplomacy. you prepare to go to

peace talks that are brokered and controlled by russia ? peace talks that are brokered and controlled by russia? are you prepared to undertake and participate in those talks under russian auspices? the russians are referring to the un resolutions. if thatis referring to the un resolutions. if that is clearly the case, there is no problem in participating. the opposition can go. what i'm saying is the trump administration, the us congress, are is the trump administration, the us congress, a re clearly is the trump administration, the us congress, are clearly coming out against iranian behaviour across the middle least because it has really destabilised the region. that is where we can expect the troubled administration will play a role in pressuring iran to limit its present across the region. —— middle east will stop it is a raack, syria, yemen, everywhere in the region —— make iraq. we have a problem with the shia militias on the ground. we

cannot get rid of sunni jihadi is whether it is harmless raack, is, radical groups. —— iraq. this is where iran needs to come to terms with what needs to happen on the ground in order for syria with what needs to happen on the ground in orderfor syria to with what needs to happen on the ground in order for syria to see our peaceful settlement. on one point of detail, yesterday a coalition of 12 or so detail, yesterday a coalition of 12 orso anti— detail, yesterday a coalition of 12 or so anti— assad forces on the ground said they were going to reject any further diplomacy under the russian tent because of what they described as systematic violations of the ceasefire agreement by assad forces on the ground. if that your position as well or you prepared to say that the ceasefire is holding in a satisfactory way? unfortunately the ceasefire is not holding. these groups are the ones who signed with

russia and russia signed on behalf of the regime, an agreement for cessation of hostilities. the groups by dead and the syrian regime not abiding. what the groups are asking is for our russia to get the assad regime to behave, comply and enforce the cessation of hostilities. if it is credible, a political agreement can happen. these groups are willing to go toa can happen. these groups are willing to go to a stunner, they signed, they said they were going and now we see the other side is not respecting any of that. we want russia to put pressure needed and it can do so, on iran and the syrian regime if it was a political settlement. i believe that russia today has an interest in finding and exit strategy through a political settlement. i would expect it will do so. —— astana.

political settlement. i would expect it will do so. -- astana. have you and other negotiators who have aimed at the un in geneva, have you reached out with key russian officials? through the united nations we have contacts with eve ryo ne nations we have contacts with everyone involved in this crisis. with respect, i don't mean through the un truck. the financial times reported last month that some moderate leaders had covert and secret talks with russian officials posted by the turks in ankara —— un track. have you been involved in that? the turks have hosted talks with military groups and lots of political figures from the opposition have also been in touch directly with russia. some have gone to moscow and some have met them elsewhere. there are many messages passed on to the russians and they know exactly where the opposition stands and what it is willing to

negotiate. really, the problem today is not so much russia and the opposition. they know each other, they understand each other‘s position. we are willing to operate and negotiate under the political transition, fine, we can go to a negotiation... if i may say, transition, fine, we can go to a negotiation... ifi may say, we have talked before and you have always said, you know what? it's quite simple. the removal of assad, no role for us that in the transition. that is a dealbreaker for us. role for us that in the transition. that is a dealbreakerfor us. we cannot sign anything that involves assad. it seems to me that you must be changing your mind. if you say you believe in russia's good faith and believe in their desire to see the conflict ended, we know the russians don't feel that assad has to go so presumably, to have given ground on that, have you? look, can i say very simply, when we read

on the ground. this is what russia is wanting to achieve, a political settlement. along the lines in the un, to talk about political transition. that is fine for us. it is how assad behaves in these negotiations will stop if he position to make concessions, to yield some of his prerogatives? most of his prerogatives? any of his prerogatives? to a transition government. if that is the case then the discussion changes but... but he might be leading the transition. he cannot lead it. what? he obviously cannot lead it, he is not showing any indication other than destroying communities and starving people. we need to see some behaviour that is positive on the other side. then we will have a

partner for peace. if we don't i think russia will come to terms with the fact that it doesn't have another party on the other side and cannot ask the opposition to do much to work with assad if assad doesn't wa nt to to work with assad if assad doesn't want to work with the opposition. so, the equation is fairly easy, you know. we are not asking for assad to go away the day we enter negotiations. we are talking about negotiations. we are talking about negotiations in which their ideas and take. we need prisoners out, we need women and children to be safe and to be released also from prison. we need the disappeared, to have news about them. we need to have the bombings stopped, and barrel bombs stop being thrown at people, at civilians. i am sorry to repeat myself, i don't want to get stuck on this issue but one last time, it seems to me you have given ground on the role of assad. you are now acknowledging to me that assad will bea acknowledging to me that assad will be a key figure in the negotiations. he won'tjust be removed, it will be

assad in many ways who is the figure deciding what he can give. look, the power of assad is very little, he has nuisance power, yes, but those who are negotiating, the decision—making power is in moscow and in tehran. unfortunately, there is no syrian regime that can still decide on a yes or no. that is why we are talking to russia. we will be talking to the countries and the parties that support the assad regime, not so much the regime itself. we need to find some reasonable voices over there. we have not seen them so far. he has prevented them from rising. and if negotiations can bring those reasonable voices out, and if we can talk to them and have them safely talk to them and have them safely talk to them and have them safely talk to us without being themselves punished for showing some reasonable behaviour, then we will have a negotiated process. 0therwise behaviour, then we will have a negotiated process. otherwise i

think russia will understand, iran is more difficult, but russia will understand that it doesn't have a helpful partner altair. and it needs to work differently with the opposition. everything we are talking about is couched in terms of moscow, putin, russia —— out theree. let's look at where we —— how we got to where we are today. do you feel desperately let down, maybe even betrayed by the 0bama administration? i think the obama administration? i think the obama administration has opted out. it should have played the role that was what a us role should be in this region. 0pting out of this region is abandoning certain responsibilities vis a vis syria but also vis a vis the whole region, iraq, the gulf countries, we are in a region where the us was a key player. it cannot just pull out as it did. and in the case of syria it is the syrian population, yes, paying the price.

0bama, you know, he steered away from obviously any significant military action against assad. it looked possible for a while he walked away from it. he taught, at least hillary clinton talked for a while about some sort of aerial intervention to establish safe havens. they walk a very long way from that. they talked about training moderate forces on the ground. well, the training programme turned out to be pitiful. actually farcical. so, when you look at all of those elements of what the administration talked about and didn't deliver, give me your final verdict as a 0bama is about to leave office? well, i believe he should have thought of where security, how to restore security in syria, and today that his our concern. the 0bama administration has decided that there was no possibility to challenge russia. he certainly should have challenged russia at

some point. and at those turning point he failed us, he certainly did. buti point he failed us, he certainly did. but i think what we are looking at today is, can we bring back security to syria? this is the concern of the international community. unfortunately no one is thinking about assad. assad can sit there. they don't see the link and there. they don't see the link and the risk between terrorism rising and assad staying in power. fine, but what we are saying today is, if you want to bring an alternative to the horrible criminal system that we have in syria, then we have to have a security plan for this country. and we need the cooperation of every country. we need the us, we need russia. briefly, your message for donald trump, then, donald trump the man who says vladimir putin is very smart, and who also says that when it comes to analysing the serious situation, his objective and frankly his overriding concern is smashing the jihadists his overriding concern is smashing thejihadists in his overriding concern is smashing the jihadists in so—called his overriding concern is smashing thejihadists in so—called islamic state. it doesn't seem to be in

getting rid of assad whatsoever. so, your message to trump? the message to drum is, get the foreign fighters out of syria. shia militias are pro— iranian, they are iraqi, afghani, iranian, they are iraqi, afghani, iranian, not syrian. and on the other side there are jihadi foreigners and we want them out of the country. this is what the international community needs to help the reasonable syrians to achieve in the coming weeks and months. at least then we can have the ground for a political settlement, yes. we don't have much time left and i want you to reflect on the 60 years that have brought us here. you've been actively involved with the opposition throughout pretty much that entire six—year period and here we are with russia in the ascendancy, with the americans basically opted out and donald trump singing it in which doesn't sound like it will soon be very well, and on the ground the opposition forces defeated in aleppo and on the defensive in the pockets

of territory they still retain, is it time for you to quit, for the opposition to say, we tried, we failed, the country has been ruined and the best thing now is to walk away and accept defeat because that is the only way we can save the life? is the only way we can save the life ? - - is the only way we can save the life? -- save further life? you know, this is our country, we can't give up, giving up makes no sense. what we are looking to do, to achieve... it makes sense if you are saving lives. well, no, it is not, because coming under assad's control tomorrow morning, if that is to happen, is under also under shia militias. again, assad has no capacity to control the country again, has no capacity to govern it, neither legia legitimacy or the military capacity. he needs those foreign troops to be on the ground. so it is too late to imagine a scenario of assad returning and

retaking control of a whole country. that is not going to happen because it cannot do it, even if russia wa nts it cannot do it, even if russia wants him to do it, he cannot achieve it. russia knows it. well, i will tell you what, quickly, russia seems to want, as best as we can understand from what officials have said, is they want a much more federal system, assad to still be president, much more autonomy to the regions of syria, which would recognise the rights of the different ethnic groupings in the country, a loose, looser system, but one which still has assad at its federal centre. could you imagine excepting that? i think the russians will themselves realise that that is not going to work with assad. we wa nt not going to work with assad. we want decentralisation, we want a loose control from the centre, we want, obviously, a democratic party parsi but system so we are on the site of the community of this, is assad on the side of the community?

that is a question to ask. is he willing to fightjihadi groups? the shia groups are asjihadi as al—nusra or daesh. i don't think he has shown indication of that. this is where we believe the opposition is where we believe the opposition is showing every sign that it is pa rt is showing every sign that it is part of the solution and that working with it builds security capacity and governance capacity for a future syria. yes or no, do you think we will be having this conversation again at the beginning of 2018 with syria still at war, or will it be over by then?” of 2018 with syria still at war, or will it be over by then? i think war will it be over by then? i think war will be over by then. i think the parties are exhausted. and i do believe that in 2018 we will be talking about what we have reconstructed so far and how we have brought legitimate governance to the different areas of syria. that is my belief and that is what we are fighting for. we will end on that positive note. bassma kodmani, thank you very much forjoining me from

paris. hello there, good morning. quite a widespread frost to start the day today. most of us are firmly in some really quite cold air coming down from the north. and the cold feel to things is accentuated by the northerly breeze along the eastern coast. but, elsewhere, the winds are a little bit lighter, the skies are clear, allowing temperatures to plummet away, even towns and cities around of below freezing, rural parts in the heart of england —6 or —7 degrees. so, a really cold for most. maybe not quite so cold in southern cornwall, five or six here, but you don't have to go too far inland you find much lower temperatures, —1, —2 at eight o'clock in the morning, so it will be a cold start across the bulk of england and wales. maybe a little ice for some on untreated surfaces in eastern parts of england where we've seen some overnight showers.

some parts of northern ireland seeing a touch of frost, and the frost will be quite widespread for northern england into most of scotland, although the northern and western isles just about escaping. now, we've still have the brisk winds into the afternoon for eastern england. maybe still a shower or two. most places will be fine and dry. a good deal of sunshine and light winds as well. but after that cold start, temperatures will be slow to rise. maybe only two or three degrees for northern areas, fours and fives down towards cardiff and london, but sevens and eights out towards belfast and plymouth. and then early on thursday evening the frost returns for many but, by the end of the night, as cloud and rain and the winds picks up for the north and west of the uk, by the end of the night some frost and fog is confined to the south—eastern corner. but it will be a pretty grey day for many of us on friday. fog slow to clear in the south—eastern corner. it should do eventually. all the rain in the north and west becomes light and patchy with some hill fog to go with that. it's a pretty grey day. that rain eventually gets down into the south—east in the afternoon.

starting to turn a little bit less cold. we get up to, what, 5—7 in norwich and london. but out the west, belfast and plymouth, ten or 11 degrees and a mild air continues to filter its way in through friday night and on into saturday. we start to see the winds coming from the atlantic. always a mild direction. it will bring a fair bit of moisture with it, a lot of cloud and a little bit of rain to start the weekend but the rain will be light and patchy and i think many places will be fine and dry. and those temperatures are back up into double figures in the south of the uk, not too far away from that for some northern areas as well. so, not so cold to start the day on sunday but it will be another cloudy day. the wind still coming in from the west and temperatures will be up to, what, eight or nine degrees quite widely, ten or 11 further south and any rain i suspect will be light and patchy, so it's turning mild into the weekend, but there is a lot of cloud around, not much rain but a little bit of patchy rain and drizzle. welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america

and around the globe. my name is mike embley. our top stories: counting down the final days in office as congress battles over president 0bama's legacy. israel's prime minister calls for the pardoning of a soldier convicted of killing a wounded palestinian militant. after a large crowd of men molest women during new year celebrations — police in southern india arrest six people. and spinning his way through old age — at 105 years old this frenchman has set a new cycling record. in the final days of his administration, the cornerstone of president 0bama's legacy is being fought over by congress.