another blow to prospects of a middle east peace deal, qatar is suspending its role as a key mediator between israel and hamas. president biden invites donald trump to the white house, as the handover to the new administration begins. buckingham palace announces queen camilla will not attend remembrance events this weekend while she recovers from a chest infection. and in sport, it's a fourth successive defeat in all competitions for manchester city, as they lose to brighton. we start in spain, where more than a hundred thousand people have been demonstrating on the streets of valencia over the authorities�* emergency response to devastating flash floods, which killed at least 217 people.

the protesters, who include members of various civil groups and unions, are demanding accountability, with some chanting "murderer". among their demands is the resignation of valencia's regional head — carlos mazon — who they hold responsible for the perceived mishandling of the disaster. riot police have sealed off the entrance to the city hall where there have been clashes with protesters. that is the scene live at the moment from valencia. that is the scene live at the moment from valencia. visiting a military base in valencia earlier in the day. spain's defence minister, margarita robles, said the army was now present in every town affected by the flooding. she said the armed forces would stay there as long as it was needed: translation: we are aware of what people are suffering, there are no words on these occasions, there is no consolation. but i do want them to know they can count on our armed forces, the royal guard, and we will be in valencia for as long as is necessary. on that, our correspondent

in valencia, guy hedgecoe. well, there are certainly a great deal of anger here. the protest is continuing right behind me in central valencia. although this was initially called as a silent protest, paying tribute to the many people who died in october 29, there has been a huge sense of anger in the air throughout the protest. people do, certainly in this protest, distinctive blame carlos mazon, the regional president, for mismanaging their crisis. they say that he did not respond in time when the floodwaters were already rising. he did not react quickly enough or decisively enough on the day itself. some people also angry with central government as well, the lack of resources being rolled out but today, at this protest, in particular, it

is carlos mazon or between the between the bearing the brunt of peoples anger. find between the bearing the brunt of peoples anger.— of peoples anger. and do we know how — of peoples anger. and do we know how valid _ of peoples anger. and do we know how valid the - of peoples anger. and do we | know how valid the protesters claims are? with the authorities really lacking in not only their response to it in terms of helping with the recovery but also on how much notice they gave people ahead of those devastating floods? welcome in terms of the notice, on the day of the floods, october 29, the national weather agency did issue an alert around 7am in the morning. the criticism of carlos mazon and his administration here in valencia is that they did not issue their own alerts, and a lime to their own alerts, and a lime to the people of valencia's phones, warning them to stay off the streets, for example, to stay at home. they did not do that for another 12 hours or so. also it has emerged that carlos mazon was not present, for example, at a crisis meeting in the afternoon. he was having a long lunch with a

female journalist. was having a long lunch with a femalejournalist. this was having a long lunch with a female journalist. this emerged yesterday. so there is a lot of anger over that and in terms of the respondents out of other people say that the coordination between the central governments and the coordination between the central governments and the regional government here is not regional government here is not what it should have been either central governments and the regic it l government here is not central governments and the regic it should nment here is not central governments and the regic it should have it here is not central governments and the regic it should have been} is not so they say that the central central governments and the regic it should have been either: what it should have been either so they say that the central government could have been more decisive as well so there has been a lot of criticism all decisive as well so there has been a lot of criticism all round. �* ., ,, �*, round. �* ., ,, �*, round. and we had their spain's defence minister _ round. and we had their spain's round. and we had their spain's defence minister _ round. and we had their spain's defence minister talking - round. and we had their spain's defence minister talking about | defence minister talking about the armed forces staying as defence minister talking - round. and we had their spain's defence minister talking about | defence minister talking about the armed forces staying as long as was necessary to help long as was necessary to help with the towns that were with the towns that were affected by the flooding. how affected by the flooding. how much do we know about the scale much do we know about the scale of the recovery and the clear of the recovery and the clear up up of the recovery and the clear of the recovery and the clear up operation that is left? up operation that is left? well, it is enormous, still. well, it is enormous, still. the road surrounding valencia the road surrounding valencia have meant most of them have have meant most of them have been cleared. those cards that been cleared. those cards that were turned over by the flood were turned over by the flood water, many of them have been water, many of them have been cleared up. but the prime cleared up. but the prime minister presented a 10 billion minister presented a 10 billion rescue package last week, an rescue package last week, an

initial package to the initial package to help

rescue package last week, an initial pa( that to help rescue package last week, an initial pa( that the 1elp rescue package last week, an initial pa( that the qataris are reporting that the qataris are no longer going to maintain their mediating role in any sort of deal between hamas and the israelis. there was also suggested that neither of those sides are acting in good faith and, adding on to that, they spending more time there. at the 5 adding :he spending more time there. at the 5 adding on to that, they are also quoted as saying that, and, adding on to that, they are also quoted as saying that, therefore, the mass political office which has been in qatar therefore, the mass political office which has been in qatar since 2012, no longer serves a since 2012, no longer serves a purpose. this follows a report purpose. this follows a report this morning from washington in this morning from washington in which an unnamed official said which an unnamed official said that the us government was no that the us government was no longer happy with how mass longer happy with how mass having a political office in having a political office in gaza and it had been told it gaza and it had been told it needed to leave. that news needed to leave. that news delivered ten days ago. we delivered ten days ago. we should say that a mass told the should say that a mass told the bbc this was not true. they bbc this was not true. they have not responded to these have not responded to these later suggestions so what does later suggestions so what does this all mean? it means that this all mean? it means that firstly, how mass, they are firstly, how mass, they are going to relocate, they will going to relocate, they will have to find a different have to find a different country. the most likely option country. the most likely option seems to be tacky. there has seems to be tacky. there has been reports of facials been reports of facials spending more time there. at spending more time there. at

the start of the the start of the year the then leader went for a visit with the president there and so there is some thought that they could find a new base there are other that has not been confirmed either.

the temperature" following the bitterly partisan election. he said he accepted the results of the election and appealed for unity. the full extent of that victory has seen donald trump and his republican party inch closer to taking control of all the levers of us government. votes are still being counted in some races. but having secured the white house and the senate. republicans are also close to reaching the 218 seats needed to control seats needed to control the house of representatives. the house of representatives. for the defeated democrats, for the defeated democrats, the recriminations the recriminations have already started. have already started. one of the most powerful one of the most powerful politicians in washington, politicians in washington, the former speaker of the us the former speaker of the us house of representatives, house of representatives, nancy pelosi, has nancy pelosi, has put part of the blame put part of the blame for kamala harris's loss for kamala harris's loss on president biden, suggesting of timing and the who, what, on president biden, suggesting that the party would have that the party would have performed better if he'd performed better if he'd left the race earlier. left the race earlier. ms pelosi played a key role ms pelosi played a key role in convincing mr biden in convincing mr biden to end his re—election bid. to end his re—election bid. this is some of what she had this is some of what she had to say, in an interview to say, in an interview with the new york times: with the new york times: there will be many reviews there will be many reviews

of timing and the who, what, when, why and where, as we go forward, and books will be written about it. the fact is, she did a greatjob with the time constraint that she had. had the president gotten out sooner, there may have been other candidates in the race. kamala, i think, would still have won, but she may have been stronger having taken her case to the public sooner. our correspondent in washington, anna foster gave me her thoughts on the interview by nancy pelosi, in the new york times. what was interesting about that wider interview, she was repeatedly questioned by the journalist about what went wrong. as many senior democrats have been doing over the last few days, she wouldn't be drawn on much of it. you do sense that they want to go away and work out what did go wrong, because a lot of things that go wrong. that was the closest

she got to conceding on the point of the timing. what she was being pressed on with whether or not ifjoe biden had withdrawn from the race earlier, that would have been a different process for actually appointing kamala harris as the candidate. nancy pelosi had said before that if kamala harris had been selected through an open primary candidate with other candidates, an opportunity for everyone to put the points forward to the wider party, nancy pelosi considered that might have helped kamala

nancy pelosi considered that might have helped kama the a lot of what they said in the campaign, they said... just some of the key issues, not going hard enough on the economy, for example. they will look back and now that those are things to be considered. those are a range of things which have contributed to a conference of defeat. it is looking like it might well be a clean sweep for the republicans. the european union's foreign policy chief has tried to reassure ukraine of europe's unwavering support, days after donald trump's election victory cast uncertainty over its war effort. josep borrell has been in kyiv meeting ukraine's foreign minister, the first top eu official to visit since the outcome of the us election became clear. support from western allies has been key to ukraine's ability to defend itself against russia's much larger and better—equipped forces. this is what he said

at the joint press conference. the clear purpose of this visit is to stress european union support to ukraine. this support remains unwavering. this support is absolutely needed for you to continue defending yourself against russian aggression. his comments come after russian drones struck ukraine's black sea port, ukraine's black sea port, killing one person and injuring killing one person and injuring 13 others according 13 others according to the regional governor. to the regional governor. several residential several residential and commercial buildings were and commercial buildings were damaged in what was the second damaged in what was the second day in a row of russian drone day in a row of russian drone attacks on the city. attacks on the city. and across the border, and across the border, russia's aleksinsky russia's aleksinsky chemical plant was uk defence secretary chemical plant was struck, in an overnight struck, in an overnight ukrainian drone attack. ukrainian drone attack. the plant in the tula the plant in the tula region produces gunpowder, region produces gunpowder, ammunition and weapons. ammunition and weapons. a source in the security a source in the security service of ukraine told reuters service of ukraine told reuters that the attack was part that the attack was part of a broader strategy to target of a broader strategy to target

russia's munitions factories. russia's munitions factories. earlier i spoke to former earlier i spoke to former uk defence secretary sir michael fallon. i asked him to explain what we understand about trump's approach to ukraine. the first important thing to say is we have to work with donald trump. he is now the elected president. he is going to be there for four years. we had to work with him before. i was the defence secretary in his first year last time, eight years ago. it is much more dangerous world now but we do have to work and cooperate with him and i am sure that will now happen. look, he wants to see the conflict in ukraine ended and i think there is nobody who does not want to see it ended. there are people dying on both sides, all the time put up ukraine has been invaded. it is a desperately difficult decision for ukraine. everybody is looking to see how this might possibly be ended. and i am quite sure now britain, they european countries that have been heavily involved in supporting ukraine will want to work with washington to see

what donald trump's plans are and how he thinks a solution can be found. d0 and how he thinks a solution can be found.— and how he thinks a solution can be found. ., can be found. do you agree with the approach — can be found. do you agree with the approach that _ can be found. do you agree with the approach that has _ can be found. do you agree with the approach that has been - the approach that has been presented by his ally of focusing on, in their words, achieving peace, rather than looking at bringing back territory lost? for example, they have said that crimea is gone. do you agree with their approach? i gone. do you agree with their approach?— gone. do you agree with their a- roach? ~' ., ., approach? i think there are two very important _ approach? i think there are two very important things _ approach? i think there are two very important things here. - very important things here. this is notjust about territory and bits and pieces and who should lay claim to what. it is really about sovereignty. there was a principle at stake it that you should not be able to invade other countries and simply claim other territories. that is against international law and we need to be clear that thatis and we need to be clear that that is recognised. secondly, i think, you know, we ought to be clear that how a peace settlement is device, it is, in the end, for ukraine, it is ukrainian who are losing their

lives day in, day out, defending their frontiers, lives day in, day out, defending theirfrontiers, it is for ukraine to decide exactly what kind of terms on which the war should end. but perhaps i could add just one other thing. perhaps i could add just one otherthing. if perhaps i could add just one other thing. if the war is to end, we do have to make sure it really does end. this is the second time that putin has been there and we have got to make sure whatever settlement there is, that he doesn't come back all over again and simply lay

is, that he doesn't come back all over agai to nd simply lay is, that he doesn't come back all over agai to some ply lay is, that he doesn't come back all over agai to some kind ay is, that he doesn't come back all over agai to some kind of any pathway to some kind of settlement.— any