hello. you're watching bbc world news. i'm james menendez. our top story this hour: donald trump, at odds with some of his key cabinet nominees. his choice to lead the cia praises us intelligence agencies hours after mr trump attacked them, while his choice for defence secretary comes out much stronger against russia. welcome to the programme. our other main stories this hour: a big change for cubans trying to flee. the us ends its long—standing open—door policy. hamas breaks upa protest by thousands demanding an end to power cuts. i'm aaron hesslehurst. in business. a "dodgy" situation. "dieselgate two?" or just a misunderstanding? us watchdogs accuse fiat chrysler over its emissions software. the boss calls it "absolute nonsense." plus, is it a console,

ora hand—held? nintendo takes on sony and microsoft with its new hybrid device. but can it convince gamers... ..to switch? donald trump seems to be at odds with some of his key cabinet nominees on some of the vital questions facing the new administration. his choice for new head of the cia, mike pompeo, has strongly endorsed the work of the us intelligence community, hours after it was criticised by the president—elect. and generaljames mattis, nominated for defence secretary, accused russia of trying to break up nato and of being a threat to europe. that's in contrast to mr trump's wish for closer ties with president putin. our correspondent, laura bicker, reports from washington. the nation's capital awaits a new

commander—in—chief. but as the gates go commander—in—chief. but as the gates 9° up commander—in—chief. but as the gates go upfor commander—in—chief. but as the gates go up for expectant crowds, donald trump is still facing questions about intelligence, suggesting moscow's tried to put him in charge. the president elect‘s choice for cia directors that he values the staff he hopes to lead. it is clear there was russian involvement in efforts to hack information and have an impact on american democracy. i am clear about what the intelligence report says. that view on russia is more hawkish than what donald trump has done so far. criticism has been aimed at spy agencies. he accused us intelligence agencies of leaking unverified reports that russia had compromise and material on donald trump. the dossier is supposed to come from a british spy. donald trump announced it as they can use.

but christopher steele's former colleague says he is reliable. strong middle ranking sas 5.5. officer. i do not agree this was a subpar report. he has been careful to find as many sources to back it up, but also to make it clear these are stories and the intelligence report lacks evidence. this controversy is likely to continue long after inauguration day, and has cast a shadow over donald trump's administration before he has even taken the oath of office. laura bicker, bbc news, washington. as if there wasn't enough happening in washington. thejustice department is opening an investigation into the fbi's activities in the run—up to the election. in particular, they will look into directorjames comey‘s decision to re—open an inquiry into hillary clinton's e—mails just 11 days before polling. democrats believe that helped hand donald trump his victory.

the president—elect maintains it had no impact. for more than 20 years, cubans who've fled the communist island for the united states have been granted an automatic right to remain without a visa. it's become known as "wet foot, dry foot. " but now, the white house has announced it's to end. the decision comes after obama administration reinstated diplomatic ties with cuba 18 months ago. from cuba, will grant reports. four decades, washington's policy towards cuba was based on two things, the carrot and stick. —— for. the stick is the us economic embargo which can only be lifted by congress. the carrot was the tantalising wet foot, dry foot policy, a measure which allowed cu ba ns policy, a measure which allowed cubans who made it on to us soil the right to stay without a visa. tens of thousands of cubans made the journey every year, with many risking their lives in the florida

straits. since it was introduced, it has been blamed on the brain drain on the island. when president obama reinstated diplomatic ties with cuba and visited the country last year, we can safely say the castro government would have urged him to lift the policy. despite the temptation of free entry to the us, the decision to remove it was broadly welcomed by some in havana. translation: on the one hand it is good because we as cubans are more certain we cannot go through this route and there will not be as much loss of human life and as much blood spilling in the sea. for every boat that goes there, there are thousands and thousands of cubans who take crazy and blind risks without knowing if they can survive or not. >> it was hurting our young people, especially the majority those who

lost their lives on the way. the cuban lost their lives on the way. the cu ban authorities echoed lost their lives on the way. the cuban authorities echoed the statement from the white house and applauded the move, especially the decision to lift the policy encouraging doctors and nurses to abandon the country. translation: what we are seeing in this joint declaration is an important step for cuba's national declaration is an important step for cu ba's national interest, declaration is an important step for cuba's national interest, but also for the national interest of the us. that said, i think this question of whether the donald trump administration will support the new administration will support the new a cordon must be answered by the new government of the united states. there has been a statement from the white house. by taking this step we are treating cu ban white house. by taking this step we are treating cuban migrants the same way it we treat migrants from other countries. now that is something that the government of raul castro has been calling for for decades. but there are many who want to use the wet foot, dry foot policy one

day, and on hearing this news, had their hopes dashed for a future in their hopes dashed for a future in the united states. will grant, bbc news, havana. and aaron is here with all the business news. many car experts have said they have been waiting for something like this to happen. just when we thought it was safe to go backin when we thought it was safe to go back in the water, hey! 7 we start in the us, where car giant, fiat chrysler, is denying it faces its own "diesel—gate" scandal, just a day after volkswagen was fined more than $4 billion dollars for cheating emissions tests. the us regulator, the environmental protection agency, is accusing fiat chrysler of failing to disclose emissions software, at least eight different types, installed in thousands of its diesel vehicles. it says the software allowed the cars to exceed pollution limits, and pump out higher levels of harmful nitrogen dioxide. but the company's boss says it

did nothing illegal. so, how big could this be? let me show you here. the investigation involves thejeep grand cherokee suv and dodge ram pickup made in the last three years. that adds up to more than 100,000 vehicles, the vast majority sold in the us. the epa says fiat chrysler could be liable for fines of up to $44,000 per vehicle. that would be $4.6 billion in total. but fiat chrysler's boss sergio marchionne called the investigation "absolute nonsense," he says there was never an intention to cheat emissions tests. still, investors aren't so sure. the company's stock plunged as much as i6% on the news. although, it did recover after mr marchionne gave a conference call to reassure them, ending about 10% down. there we go. look at that. we'll have more in 20 minutes' time. stay

tuned for that. i have a car expert joining me at this horrid hour. we are also looking at this. it has just been unveiled by nintendo in the last couple of hours, and it's called the switch. it can work as a hand—held gaming device, or plug into your tv and be used as a regular games console. nintendo hope they can cash in on the surge in mobile gaming. remember the success of their own pokemon go? they also want to take on the microsoft xbox and sony playstation at the same time. and, hopefully, make everyone forget about the disastrous flop that was the wii u. will it work? we will be consulting a tech guru shortly. that is coming up on world business report very shortly. i will put me teeth in. that is it. see you later. there has been a power crisis in

gaza. it the demonstration began in the jabalia refugee camp, and quickly grew in size. protesters chanted we want electricity. and the crowd marched towards the headquarters of the state—run electricity company in northern gaza. tension mounted, stones were thrown, and then the sound of gunshots. gunfire. followed by panic. with just two or three hours of electricity a day, people here have learnt to improvise, stocking up on wood in this bakery. translation: they used to come here for eight hours. now we don't even get two hours. and it's inconsistent.

this demonstration is a rare sign of dissent in the territory. the hamas militia group has ruled it for the past decade. translation: the electricity crisis in gaza has been worsening for ten years. year after year, due to the population growth and increasing demand on electricity, the power is the same and has not changed for more than 16 years. for weeks, local people have been enduring cold wintry conditions. for this man, no power means his utility scooter, his only way of getting around, is useless. the local power plant was damaged during fighting with israel, and is only working at half capacity. for gaza's 2 million residents, this crisis shows no sign of easing. sarah corker, bbc news. syrian state tv is reporting a suspected suicide bombing in the capital, damascus, killing at least six people. it's believed the blast was in a neighbourhood that is home to ministries and buildings used by the security services. syrian state media are also reporting that israeli airstrikes have targeted a military airport on the outskirts of damascus.

no comment on this from israel, which the syrian authorities also blamed for an attack on the airport last month. for what's thought to be the first time in two years, the central american country of el salvador appears to have had 24 hours without any murders. el salvador has one of the highest murder rates in the world. wednesday was unusual, police say more than 100 people have already been killed since the start of the year. a hungarian camerawoman who gained notoriety after being filmed kicking a migrant child has been sentenced to three year's probation for disorderly conduct. petra laszlo was filming refugees on the border with serbia in 2015 as they broke through a police cordon. she was captured on video kicking two people as they fled, including a young girl. later she appeared to trip a man carrying a child. she says she will appeal against her conviction. stay with us on bbc news. special events get under way to mark the extraordinary life of pocahontas who died 400 years ago.

day one of operation desert storm to force the iraqis out of kuwait has seen the most intense air attacks since the second world war. tobacco is america's oldest industry, and it's one of its biggest, but the industry is nervous of this report. this may tend to make people want to stop smoking cigarettes. there is not a street that is unaffected. huge parts of kobe were simply demolished as buildings crashed into one another. this woman said she'd been given no help and no advice by the authorities. she stood outside the ruins of her business. tens of thousands of black children in south africa have taken advantage of laws, passed by the country's new multiracial government, and enrolled at formerly white schools. tonight sees the 9,610th performance of her long—running play, the mousetrap. when they heard about her death today, the management considered whether to cancel tonight's performance, but agatha christie would have been the last person to want such a thing. this is bbc world news. i'm james menendez. the latest headlines: donald trump's choice to lead the cia has praised us intelligence

agencies hours after mr trump attacked them. the obama administration has announced a big change in the rules for cubans fleeing, they'll no longer have the automatic right to remain in the us. russia says a significant american military build—up in poland is a threat to russia's national security. more than 3,000 troops together with tanks and armoured vehicles are being deployed along nato's eastern front in the biggest us military reinforcement in europe for decades. our defence correspondent jonathan beale has been watching the american contingent arrive. the americans are coming, back in europe in force. we joined an armoured convoy as it crossed from germany into poland, nearing the end of theirjourney that started in colorado. eagerly awaited in a nation that's been waiting for us support. what signal do you think it

will send to moscow? that we are ready to do everything. it's a normal militaryjob to defend a country, to defend family, to defend the world. they came by road and by rail, an entire armoured brigade of 3,500 troops and hundreds of vehicles. three years ago, in less tense times, the last american tanks left europe. now they've brought more than 80 of them back. but, while they've been welcomed with open arms, the decision to send them was taken by president obama and, as he prepares to hand over power, the question — will the next president soon be telling them to return home? you don't expect to get an order to turn round from the new president? no, sir, we're focused here on this mission right now and we're very proud to be here. the soldiers are very proud to be here and the formation is great, very strong.

it's going great and we're going to remain committed to that because it's important. over the next few days, the steady stream of trains carrying us heavy armour will be arriving here in western poland, all part of the largest us military build—up in europe since the end of the cold war. and, while america says this is all about reassuring nato allies, russia sees it as a direct threat. translation: it is obvious that the goal of these efforts, as well as hasty deployment of heavy military assets in europe, is an attempt of the outgoing obama administration to complicate as much as possible these bilateral relations. britain, too, is boosting its defence of eastern europe, taking command of nato's high readiness force and with plans to send hundreds of troops to estonia and poland. the nato alliance wants to send a strong message to russia,

but that will largely depend on donald trump. jonathan beale, bbc news, western poland. thousands of saudis have signed an online petition calling for the government to abolish the country's guardianship system, which prevents women from doing many things without the permission of men. the bbc‘s hanan razek has been speaking to one woman campaigning for it to be abolished and another who says desperately poor women will become worse off if the duty to care for them is not mandatory. when all men disappear, they sing. in this viral video, a group of artists highlight the frustration felt by many women in the male dominated kingdom. women here have always been in the passenger seat and despite all the campaigning, saudi's still the only

country in the world that doesn't allow women to dry. but now many women here have started a campaign for them to take control of their own lives. they're calling to end the male guardianship. 10,000 tweets have been published every day over the last six months to talk about the last six months to talk about the difficulties women face because of men being in control. if a saudi woman wants to travel, study or even be released from prison, she first has to get the permission of her male guardian. that is usually the father, brother and sometimes the sun. sarah, which is not her real name, says the guardianship stop her from pursuing her dreams. translation: i wanted to study law abroad but my father refused because people will talk about us. i was so sad. but it was his decision, not mine. my brother is now planning to

continue his studies abroad. they are proud of him while they stopped mejust are proud of him while they stopped me just because are proud of him while they stopped mejust because i'm a woman. are proud of him while they stopped me just because i'm a woman. this prompted 15,000 women to sign a petition. but it didn't go quietly. the grand mufti, the top cleric in the country, described the campaign asa the country, described the campaign as a crime against religion. but it's not only religious leaders who oppose it. some women believe the status quo is best for them. translation: our culture is not the western culture, we' re translation: our culture is not the western culture, we're not american 01’ western culture, we're not american or european, we western culture, we're not american 01’ european, we are western culture, we're not american or european, we are muslim women, we enjoy rights under the umbrella of oui’ enjoy rights under the umbrella of ourfamily. this enjoy rights under the umbrella of our family. this campaign enjoy rights under the umbrella of ourfamily. this campaign is aimed at making saudi women the same as western women, who have more dignity. in the last few years, women have been allowed to work without needing a male guardian

permission but now there seems to be a growing push in saudi forfurther reform and the question remains whether it will go anywhere or whether it will go anywhere or whether change is still far away in the conservative kingdom. hanan razek, bbc. you can join the discussion and find out more on the bbc website and our facebook page. the former england manager graham taylor has died at the age of 72. he's thought to have suffered a heart attack. taylor took on thejob after the 1990 world cup and led england forjust over three years. at club level he was best known for title challenges with watford and aston villa, leading both to second—place finishes in the top division. he was later a popular and respected pundit here at the bbc. snow white, cinderella, sleeping beauty, disney animated films have brought many a fairy tale to life. but one disney heroine was based on an actual person. the film pocahontas, released in 1995, was inspired by a native american woman

who died 400 years ago. this week special events marking her extraordinary life have got under way, although the location might surprise you. tim muffett reports. boko haram test was a native american who married an english settler called john wolfe. —— poker hunters. they became virginia's first tobacco farmers. they mixed with the movers and shakers of the day, including king james and queen anne. but on their return, as their ship passed through gravesend, rebecca rolfe as she was now known to kill and died. this is where she is buried and this is her great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandson, also called john roles. i'm very proud to be a descendant of

pocahontas 17 times down the line. very frustrating at times. many people growing up of course had never heard of pocahontas, it was like saying i'm related to cinderella or sleeping beauty. it's the 400 anniversary of her death and it's a chance to honour her brief but extraordinary life. it's one of the first recorded incidences of two very different cultures were formally married and formally celebrated. and they were celebrities? indeed, very much so, many people had never met a native american soap pocahontas was slated asa american soap pocahontas was slated as a celebrity, she died with king james and queen anne and i'm proud legacy lives on and proud to be part of this amazing and very true story and this powerful woman. the pocahontas 2017 festival is under way at stjohn's school in gravesend, and special lessons and a special visitor. i'm gravesend, and special lessons and a specialvisitor. i'm an gravesend, and special lessons and a special visitor. i'm an art

historian and a cultural ambassador my tribal nation. i definitely feel a connection with pocahontas. ifeel like i'm part of her story. i'm following in her footsteps. like i'm part of her story. i'm following in herfootsteps. i married an english person, i changed my culture, i became an ambassador for my people, which is really what i think she was. she was such a strong lady and she did lots of things before she died. she influences most of us in how she lived and how brave she was. some historians believe poker hunters pocahontas heard this song during her trip to england. special performances in schools are planned. a remarkable life, a remarkable story, but no fairytale. tim muffet, bbc news. scientists have identified the parts of the brains of mice that control the instinct to kill and how

to switch them on and off. the yale university researchers pinpointed two sets of neurons that co—ordinate the pursuit of prey and the muscles used for biting. these were modified so that they could be triggered by laser light. when activated, the mice launched frenzied attacks on anything in their path, including fake insects and even bottle tops. finally, the internet is full of memes celebrating and sending up their bromance, and there's been a real touching moment in washington, as president obama caught his vice presidentjoe biden by surprise at a white house ceremony. for the final time as president, i'm pleased to award our nation's highest civilian honour, the presidential medal of freedom. you can see mr biden having trouble holding things together there. it is the highest civilian honour and it was, clearly, an emotional moment.

the pair have served together for eight years, and now refer to each other as brothers. as they prepare to step down, president obama said he was bestowing the honour for mr biden's faith in his fellow americans and a lifetime of service. business in a moment but first, the weather. there always was the prospect on thursday of seeing wintry conditions more widely across the country and for many late in the day we saw a conversion of snow. a lot of the rain was converted into snow as the temperatures fell away through the late afternoon and through the evening. all the while we had a bit of shower activity and a mix of rain, sleet and snow in many

northern and western parts. it looks like friday will start on a really cold note again, so whatever fell from the sky is will undoubtedly have frozen. that's the sort of service you could be venturing out on in the first part of friday. that is in the end of the concerns because yes, more wintry showers in northern scotland, it's the strength of the wind coming right down along the seized endures, particularly through the eastern side of england from yorkshire down towards north norfolk where we will get something ofa norfolk where we will get something of a storm surge, high spring tides combining with the stronger winds could mean problems with coastal flooding. in the flow there will also be another band of rain, sleet and snow to content with. might be close by to you for your morning commute but when that's away a decent day, a lot of sunshine around but as you'll see in a second it does nothing for the temperatures at all and there will be further showers of rain, sleet and snow depending on your location in northern and western parts of britain. once we get out of friday

into saturday, another icy start for some underneath those clear skies but at least that converts into another gloriously sunny day for many, although a peppering of showers again in northern and western parts if you're fully exposed to that north—westerly then you will pick up on few showers, not many concerns about the premier league football or the top flight in scotland, but it's the lower league matches that may have an issue with frosted pitches and that goes for other sports as well. saturday into sunday, no more north westerlies, a bit of a change, something slightly milder than we've seen over the past couple of days, the westerly, but it comes at a price with more cloud around and it will produce a fair amount of rain for many. take care. goodbye. this is bbc world news. the headlines: two key members of the incoming trump administration have strongly backed us intelligence agencies, a day after they were lambasted by the president—elect.

mike pompeo and generaljames mattis have also come out much stronger against russia. the united states has ended a long—standing policy that granted special status to cuban immigrants, allowing them to enter and remain in the country without a visa. president obama said it marked an important step in the normalisation of relations with cuba. moscow says the build up of american military in poland is a threat to russia's national security. more than 3,000 us troops are being deployed along nato's eastern front. the hamas security forces in gaza have broken up a protest by thousands of people demanding an end to chronic power cuts.