welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is reged ahmad. our top stories: wildfires burning out of control in california claim nine lives. tens of thousands of people are forced to evacuate. we're hearing disturbing reports from inside paradise itself about many deaths and injuries there. yemeni forces attack key positions in a major port city. aid agencies say the increased fighting could trigger a famine. anda moving remembrance in london, marking 100 years since the end of the first world war. hello and welcome. wildfires in california have claimed the lives of nine people as they continue to burn out of control. officials say at least five people

were found dead in their cars in butte county, where an 80 square kilometre blaze has devastated the town of paradise, leaving very few buildings standing. it's now threatening areas to the north of the town. further south, more than 150,000 people have been forced to leave their homes. residents of malibu, home to some of hollywood's biggest stars, have also been ordered to leave. one of the towns at risk is thousand oaks, the scene of a mass shooting on wednesday in which twelve people were killed. correspondent james cook has the latest from northern california. heavenly father, please help us. please help us to be safe. it was a desperate dash for survival, pursued by a wildfire devouring the equivalent of 80 football pitches a minute. paradise sits on a ridge, and the few roads down quickly became choked with traffic. some motorists abandoned their cars

and ran for their lives, with children and pets in their arms. the hardest thing about this all is the people that may not have had the benefit that i had to get out when i got out. i started crying. the extent of the disaster here is not yet clear, but what we know already is grim. bodies have been found in the charred remains of vehicles. the magnitude of the destruction that we are seeing is really, again, unbelievable and heartbreaking, and our hearts go out to everybody who has been affected by this and impacted. we know that there have been injuries, and we know that there has been loss of life. well, we're just driving into paradise now, and it's really a frightening scene. there are telegraph poles on fire, electricity has been cut.

we've been driving past some houses which have been burned, and we're hearing disturbing reports from inside paradise itself about many deaths and injuries there. this is what we found. paradise not just lost, but annihilated. 27,000 people lived here. little remains. in southern california, two big blazes raged toward the pacific ocean. tens of thousands of people in their path had to flee. this fire burned on the edge of thousand oaks, a city already reeling from a mass shooting in a bar. the communities of calabasas and malibu have also been evacuated. the fire, which consumed paradise,

was driven by hot, desert winds rushing down to the sea. it was an inferno. the air here is acrid. you can actually taste the chemicals as they smoulder. and it is eerie, and frankly, pretty awful to walk here in the ashes of people's lives. james cook, bbc news, paradise, in california. brenda lee rogers lives in thousand oaks, california, and was evacuated last night to camarillo, one town over. earlier she described what happened when she got the call to leave. last night, we were at the vigil because we have a friend that was killed at the borderline, and my daughter and i came back from that and got back quite late, and we could see the fires growing

on the hills near our house. my husband and my son were home and when we came in, i said "i think we need to start packing." we hadn't got any alerts yet but ijust was really nervous, so we started putting things in that we cared about. my children went off to get those things that they cared about and i my photo albums and the work my kids had made and, of course, passports and necessary documents, and got everything sort of packed up, and my children, my daughter brought down her books and my son brought down his collection of cards because that's what they valued. we had all our things lined up by the door. we decided to pack up our cars and then at that point, we were under voluntary evacuation but we didn't want to make our kids leave yet. we had all had a terrible day but we were not sure if we needed to go or not. my husband and i decided that we just needed to go. we went upstairs and woke them and were bringing them down stairs.

when the alarm started going off telling us we were now under. mandatory evacuation. it is a very distinctive, blaring alarm sound when those alerts go off. i have to say that my hands started shaking and we said we are going out right now and between the alert going off, and the mandatory, and the time we left, it was maybe five minutes. we struggled to get our cat in his carrier, we had a cat and a dog. we had a friend that we could stay with. we were not really sure how to get there because the main freeway was shut down, so we had ask her to give us a back way to go. of course, it was miserably dark because of the smoke. we decided that we needed a safe

place away from our house and then figure out where to go from there. once we started, she sent us directions and we realised it was before our safe spot, so we called my husband and just kept the phone line open, so we were all in touch and knew that we were safe as we are driving. and we navigated our way, we turned around just once because my daughter was so nervous and me too, reading the directions and not being familiar with where we were, but it was a safe route. the night was so dark and on the route, we could just see the flames, this horrible, horrible glow, and they were shooting high. it was terrifying. you have given us such an evocative description of what it is like to have two evacuate during these fires. i know many others, thousands have been evacuated.

where are people going? are they at multiple evacuation centres? so i can only commend, and say how much i love my town in thousand oaks in the city officials, the first responders and community officials were so quick to put our local community centre, a local senior centre, make it available for evacuees. once that field, they opened up the high school and the community centre nearby. they were constantly updating the information for people. roads were getting blocked by fire, trees that were down. who in the middle of a windstorm, we were having gusts of 70 mph, and they are chaotic gusts, they go in every direction, you can't really know what way the flames are going to go and you find

roads blocked off. it is part of why we left so fast, we did not want to get caught in traffic of trying to evacuate, but i know that people kind of went any direction they could to find safe harbour. so some people went south and some went north and east. more about the californian fires coming up in the programme. and there's more about the operation to evacuate over 100,000 people from the path of the californain fires on the bbc website. you'll also find background detail on the state's long battle against wildfires. that's all at bbc.com/news. let's get some of the day's other news. sri lanka's president, maithrapala sirisena, has dissolved parliament and announced a snap election, in an apparent attempt to avoid a damaging parliamentary vote next week.

the election will take place on the fifth of january. it's the latest twist in a political crisis which erupted last month when the president tried to replace the prime minister. the australian authorities say a fatal stabbing in melbourne on friday is linked to the islamic state group. one person was killed and two others were wounded by a man before he was shot by officers. he died in hospital. federal police say the attack had been inspired by the extremist group. flash—flooding south of thejordanian capital amman has killed at least four people, including a child. according to local reports, helicopters and armoured vehicles have been deployed to search for five other people whose car was swept away by the rising waters. nearly 4,000 tourists have been evacuated from the ancient city of petra and a state of emergency has been declared in the red sea port city of aqaba. other news now: yemeni forces, backed by the saudi—led coalition which is supported by the us and the uk, have launched a major offensive to take full control of yemen's port city of hodeidah.

aid agencies have been warning that an all—out attack on the city, which is the entry point for 80 percent of the country's food imports and aid relief, could triggerfamine. 0ur international correspondent, 0rla guerin has recently returned from yemen. she told us the situation in the port city is now critical. it's clear that the worst fears of the aid agencies have been realised, that the strategic red sea port of hodeidah has become a major battleground. what happens here could determine the outcome of the conflict, which has now dragged on for almost four years. and critically, it could be the trigger for a famine in yemen. about 20 million yemenis, that's two thirds of the population, are entirely reliant on humanitarian supplies that come in through this one port.

about 80% of the supplies come through hodeidah. last month, when we were in yemen, the un was already warning that even a short disruption to the operation of the port caused by fighting would have an impact that would be immediate and catastrophic. within days, hundreds of thousands of people wouldn't have enough food, within weeks, that would escalate into the millions. added to that, grave concern tonight about the fate of hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in that city, caught between air strikes by the saudi—led coalition and mortar fire and shelling by the houthi rebels. we know the fighting is getting closer not only to the port but also to the major hospital where we filmed last month. we know the un has been warning that at least 60 children who are getting life—saving treatment, some of them in danger of starving, are trapped in that hospital. their lives are now being put at risk not only by hunger but by the escalation in the conflict. there is a major strategic objective here by the government of yemen and its saudi allies. it's trying to take back this port from the houthis, trying to ensure that if peace talks take place before the end of the year, than the houthi revels

are brought to the table in a much weakened position. earlier i spoke with stacey philbrick yadav, chair of the department of political science at hobart and william smith colleges. she explained what the effect of food not coming in to that area would be. i think the effect is going to be catastrophic. i was happy when i was there last summer, when the dramatic and organisational pressure was able to delay this offensive. but in the months since then, coalition forces have been tightening around the port and throughout the province of hodeidah, and we have already seen a rapid deterioration in humanitarian conditions over the past several months. so already, before the attack on hudaydah, 8.4 million people

were at risk of immediate starvation in yemen. in terms of how food will get into the country, food has — food gets into yemen. i think one of the perversities of the war is that even with the experience of partial blockade at various points and largely closed borders, food gets in because as it circulates, it gets taxed by militias on the ground. so not government taxes but informal taxes by militias, which drives the prices well beyond what ordinary yemenis can afford. which is why today they're starving in their homes and the attack on the port will escalate their humanitarian suffering. the humanitarian situation has focused minds. there have been recent efforts to try to forge some sort of ceasefire, some sort of peace, there's a suggestion that there is some sort of pressure on saudi arabia. but given what we're saying, have the peace talks really failed? i think that there has been a diplomatic impasse for years now as the war has continued.

this isn't a two party war and, in fact, even within the coalition, there are divergent interests on the ground and divergent local alliances. so the diplomatic framework that is really focused on the houthis versus the government isn't really productive. i hope that in any future peace process — that will include the voices of women. 0r back channel negotiations in oman or elsewhere. i would like to see the special envoy more thoroughly integrate independents and noncombata nts in that process. that said, i don't find it that unusual that there is a sharp escalation in violence just after the intention to hold peace talks is announced. i think that's reasonably common

that in circumstances like this, both parties want to change facts on the ground and push for maximum advantage before any negotiated settlement. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: a moving remembrance in london, marking 100 years since the end of the first world war. the bombastic establishment outsider donald trump has defied the pollsters to take the keys to the oval office. i feel great about the election results. i voted for him because i genuinely believe that he cares about the country. it's keeping the candidate's name always in the public eye that counts. success or failure depends not only on public display, but on the local campaign headquarters, and the heavy, routine work of their women volunteers. berliners from both east and west

linked hands and danced round their liberated territory. and with nobody to stop them, it wasn't long before the first attempts were made to destroy the structure itself. yasser arafat, who dominated the palestinian cause for so long, has died. the palestinian authority has declared a state of mourning. after 17 years of discussion, the result was greeted with an outburst ofjoy. women ministers, who'd long felt only grudgingly accepted among the ranks of clergy, suddenly felt welcomed. this is bbc world news. the latest headlines: firefighters in california are battling huge wildfires that have caused thousands of people to flee their homes. nine people are now known to have died. let's stay with our top story now.

alex hoon is an incident meteorologist working closely with firefighters and advising them on how to tackle the wildfires. he told me the weather conditions had recently changed. in the winds. the wins have come down quite a bit today. expect them to be fairly light as we go in tomorrow is all —— wins. it is a great opportunity for the firefighters to take advantage of the lighter winds. the fire, when it first erupted, was under an extreme wind event, blowing very fast winds across the landscape and wishing that fire through the town of piti paradise, california. you have been advising the firefighters

ona have been advising the firefighters on a particularfire. what have been advising the firefighters on a particular fire. what can they do to try to protect homes and lives when you see flames this vicious? —— paradise. that is a great question. we have these extreme weather conditions. there is a pointer to where the fire becomes almost undecidable, if that makes sense —— point. it becomes so extreme so that instead of directly fighting the fire, which would be putting their lives in direct danger and, because we don't want the firefighters to die either, and so they shift and just begin to evacuate people, it is just begin to evacuate people, it is just lifesaving, pulling people out of their homes, getting people to safety when these extreme conditions occui’. safety when these extreme conditions occur. we hear a lot about climate change and the influence it might

have on some weather events, are using fire behaviour that california just hasn't seen before? so the fire conditions have changed. there are a lot of things that go into it. climate change being one of them. but just the amount climate change being one of them. butjust the amount of people, as the population continues to grow, california's population, there are a lot more people who live in california and across the western united states, it you know, in places where it wildfire is normal for the landscape and a lot of people are living in places, you know, further into the wild lands, further into the forests, where wildfire begins to burn more homes. and, you know, rather than 50 or 100 yea rs and, you know, rather than 50 or 100 years ago where people were living more concentrated in less of the

wild land and further into more populated areas. meteorologist alex hoon they're talking about the wildfires. diplomatic ties between cuba and the united states may be strained but the two countries are standing shoulder to shoulder to fight a common enemy — cancer. the first biotechnical collaboration between the two countries is under way, testing a cuban treatment for lung cancer to see if it could be used for us patients. lebo diseko reports. testing what could be a lifesaving treatment, scientists in cuba working on a vaccine to help fight lung cancer. it's the first such collaboration between the us and cuba. the aim —— to see if the medication used on the island could be made for people in america. translation: cuban scientists have found there is a protein in lung cancers which has developed abnormally. we mix this protein with

the agent is stimulating the immune system to activate it against lung cancer. relations between the communist island and its larger neighbour might be frosty, but it is hoped this new partnership will lead toa hoped this new partnership will lead to a positive result. if all goes well in cuba, bigger and more conflicts clinical tests will take place in the us —— more complex. translation: it's another weapon in the fight against cancer and it is combined with other therapeutic weapons such as chemotherapy. tests on the first 30 american patients we re on the first 30 american patients were said to be encouraging, but a wider sample group is still needed. the cu ban treatment wider sample group is still needed. the cuban treatment is already available in five other countries and it is hoped the us will be next. labour dzeko, bbc news. president trump has arrived in france to take part in events commemorating the centenary of the end of the first world war. as he arrived, he tweeted a stinging rebuke of the french president, emmanuel macron, who'd called for a european army, to protect the eu from china,

russia — and even the united states. earlier, the british prime minister, theresa may and the french president, emmanuel macron, laid a wreath at the thiepval memorial in france. the two leaders honoured more than 72,000 men from britain and the commonwealth, who died at the somme and have no known grave. lucy williamson reports. last post plays buried in the soil of europe is part of britain's past, its sacrifices and its souls. in belgium today, the prime minister laid wreaths at the graves of two british soldiers. the first and last of their countrymen to die in the first world war. waiting for mrs may at the town of albert in the somme, the french president told schoolchildren, "never forget your history." before commemorating the past, the two leaders met for talks on present—day challenges. as the prime minister was greeted with a reserved and formal handshake, someone in the crowd shouted, "stay with us." this visit is a reminder

of the shared military history that unites france and britain. today, they're divided by a political conflict over brexit, but their joint commitment to europe's defence won't change, they say, no matter how tough the negotiations or the terms of their future relationship. at the thiepval memorial in the somme, the two leaders walked through a cemetery honouring their dead. beneath the arches of the monument, they laid a wreath of poppies and cornflowers, the national blooms of remembrance in britain and france. the building here carved with the names of 72,000 british and commonwealth soldiers lost is a symbol of anglo—french cooperation. a place to remember shared sacrifice and shared values. a moment for their leaders, amid the tensions over their future relations, to recognise and honour their past. finally, as the world commemorates

the centenary of the end of the first world war, a new installation at the tower of london has been captivating thousands of people all this week. it's called beyond the deepening shadow: the tower remembers. 10,00 individualflames have filled the moat — it's a public act of remembrance for the lives of the fallen, honouring their sacrifice. the installation, which unfolds each evening until sunday, takes place over the course of four hours — with each flame lit by members of the armed forces and volunteers. no doubt a very moving sight. much more on the website. hello.

with the weekend now upon us, the weather is looking rather mixed the next few days. we had heavy rain around during the day on friday. this was taken by a weather watcher in warwickshire. big shower clouds around there. through the weekend we keep that unsettled theme to things. the most persistent rain is clearing, but it will be a weekend of sunny spells and blustery showers, which at times will bring the threat of hail and thunder. the reason things are so unsettled is the area of low pressure sitting to the north—west of the uk. showers feeding in a round that. fairly tightly spaced isobars leads to a blustery feel to the weather on saturday. the most persistent rain on this front will clear away towards the east. a chilly, fresh start to the day with sunny spells. plenty of scattered showers moving in on that south—westerly wind. there will be affecting parts of southern and south—western england, wales, north—west england into southern scotland as well. nowhere really immune to catching a shower through the day on saturday. pretty mild still with the southerly or south—westerly winds. 11—14 degrees. the showers is a little bit

through saturday evening, but then the next lot feeding in again as we head into the early hours of sunday morning. plenty of across southern and south—eastern england and across the irish sea coast as well. remembrance sunday, of course, will bring us a mixed picture. low pressure sitting to the north—west of the uk for remembrance day on sunday, we will see further showers. it won't be a washout. there will be sunshine in between. it's parts of the west that will be more prone to seeing the showers. western scotland, north—west england, scotland, wales, southern parts of england at times. sunday should be a drier day compare to the showers we will see on saturday. temperatures are reasonably mild, 10—14 degrees. onto monday, a quick look into next week, we have those south—westerly winds. another day of sunny spells and some scattered showers, particularly affecting coastal areas for southern england and around these irish sea coasts as well. there will be some sunshine for east of scotland on the north—east of england, it will be quite mild. a frost free start to the day on monday. temperatures by the afternoon up to 11— 1a degrees. the outlook further ahead through the course of next week, we will continue with the unsettled thing for a time. sunny spells are around, showers into the middle of the week, temperatures should stay on the mild side, 111—15 degrees. bye— bye.

this is bbc news, the headlines: wildfires burning out of control in california have killed nine people. five of them died in butte county, where a massive blaze has devastated the town of paradise. their bodies were found in burnt—out cars. tens of thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes. yemeni forces, backed by the saudi—led coalition which is supported by the us and the uk, have launched a major offensive to take full control of yemen's port city of hodeidah. aid agencies say it could trigger a famine. britain's prime minister theresa may and the french president, emmanuel macron, have laid a wreath at the thiepval memorial in france as part of ceremonies marking 100 years since the end of the first world war. the two leaders honoured more than 72,000 men from britain and the commonwealth who died at the somme and have no known grave. those are the headlines. jo johnson, the former transport minister

and boris johnson's brother, has resigned from the government,