after a judge grants us special counseljack smith's request. to end his prosecution. and supporters ofjailed former prime minister imran khan clash with police during their march to the pakistan capital. welcome to newsday. i'm steve lai. there has been significant progress towards a ceasefire deal between hezbollah and israel. the israeli security cabinet is expected to meet in the next few hours to discuss approval of a draft agreement. prime minister benjamin netanyahu is said to have agreed to the deal "in principle". the latest developments are largely due to

pressure from the us, which is serving as a key mediator, in an effort to prevent the conflict in the middle east from expanding. the truce that's on the table would see a 60—day pause in fighting, during which israeli troops would withdraw from southern lebanon, and hezbollah would move further north in—country, so that civilians may return back home in their respective areas. in their absence, the lebanese army would deploy in areas close to the border. earlier, the us state department emphasized that the deal was close. this has been an incredibly frustrating process, both getting to a ceasefire and diplomatic resolution to the conflict in lebanon. and also, the many rounds of negotiations to get a ceasefire in gaza. there are any number of stages where we have hoped that the parties would get to an agreement. and remember, that's what it requires in these cases, it's not the united states, but the parties to the agreements to say yes. there have been many times where we thought we would be getting to yes and in both cases, for

various reasons, the parties didn't get there. that said, we believe we are close here, but that is whye you had me come out and say nothing is final until everything is final because we know we don't have a deal until there is one that has been fully agreed to by both sides. t) our correspondent frank gardner is in israel with more. so there are quite a few optimistic voices coming out about the chances of getting a ceasefire deal coming out of washington, coming out of beirut and in some cases coming coming out ofjerusalem here. but i think it is not there yet. there was festival the israeli security cabinet has got to ratify it and there are voices within the government here in israel who are opposed to this deal. so for example, itamar ben—gvir, who is the national security minister in israel, and ultranationalist, he has taken to social media to say that this is a bad deal. it is not too late to stop it. his view is that israel has got hezbollah on the back foot, but they are really weakened militarily and now is the time

not to give them breathing space, but to finish them off. there are those in the north of israel who are in rocket range of hezbollah�*s rockets who worry that hezbollah�*s armoury, its armoury is not sufficiently depleted, they don't trust this deal anything that is simply going to be a matter of time before they start getting rocketed again. iamjoined by i am joined by javid i am joined byjavid ali, formerly with the us security council. always good to speak to about this. what is your read on the prospect of a ceasefire, or the circumstances right? it ceasefire, or the circumstances riuht? , , right? it definitely sounds like things _ right? it definitely sounds like things are _ right? it definitely sounds like things are very - right? it definitely sounds like things are very close | right? it definitely sounds i like things are very close to right? it definitely sounds . like things are very close to a deal getting done, with the us having led a series of negotiations over the past several months. amos hochstein it'll lead us negotiatorfor

these conversations. and now it seems like we are on the brink of a deal that may materialise over the next couple of days, some of the media reports suggest by thanksgiving here in the united states. and if so, then at least it would put a 60 day pause, if not permanent. hostilities between israel and hezbollah and lebanon. there is still obviously the fight between israel and hamas. but this deal does not deal with the israel hamas issue. yes, we will aet the israel hamas issue. yes, we will get to _ the israel hamas issue. yes, we will get to hamas _ the israel hamas issue. yes, we will get to hamas in _ the israel hamas issue. yes, we will get to hamas in gaza - the israel hamas issue. yes, we will get to hamas in gaza in - the israel hamas issue. yes, we will get to hamas in gaza in a i will get to hamas in gaza in a moment. ijust want will get to hamas in gaza in a moment. i just want to stay with hezbollah. what you think are the key sticking points between both sides that could derail this?— derailthis? well, part of it is the threat _ derailthis? well, part of it is the threat that _ derailthis? well, part of it| is the threat that hezbollah still poses to israel. and because there is no ceasefire, then even as events of today, i believe, hezbollah fired over a couple of hundred rockets and short—range missiles and other project at different targets in israel and israel has been

hitting hezbollah positions repeatedly to include several today. so both sides continue today. so both sides continue to fight. and if a ceasefire continues —— comes into play, how will the terms of a ceasefire be enforced, he will be responsible for monitoring and making sure that hezbollah doesn't build the same infrastructure south of the litani river line, the line too much by un security council 1701 from 2006 to make sure hezbollah doesn't five years from now do the same thing that it has done after october the 7th last year. and how is this connected to hamas and gaza. hezbollah did attack israel in the first place in support of palestinians in gaza. well, israel and hezbollah have been fighting each other for a0 years, but in different cycles of conflict, and a majority of that conflict was kind of like with a run in the shadow. sometimes, it would spill out

into the open like the conflict into the open like the conflict in 2006 and certainly in the aftermath of october the 7th —— kind of like with iran in the shadows. hezbollah became more aggressive with israel after october the 7th because of the israeli response to the hamas tax and that conflict between hezbollah and israel has been linked to the fight between israel and hamas. so if there is a ceasefire now, whether it is a ceasefire now, whether it is 60 days or something more enduring, that at least removes one of the fronts that israel has been fighting, or certainly lessen the potential for it. but there is still the ongoing war between israel and hamas. and it seems like the netanyahu government is less likely or less willing to agree to a ceasefire versus what may materialise very soon between israel hezbollah. find materialise very soon between israel hezbollah.— materialise very soon between israel hezbollah. and what role does iran israel hezbollah. and what role does iran play _ israel hezbollah. and what role does iran play in _ israel hezbollah. and what role does iran play in this _ does iran play in this potential ceasefire with

hezbollah?— potential ceasefire with hezbollah? ~ ., �* ~' hezbollah? well, i don't think a ceasefire — hezbollah? well, i don't think a ceasefire would _ hezbollah? well, i don't think a ceasefire would be - hezbollah? well, i don't think a ceasefire would be on - hezbollah? well, i don't think a ceasefire would be on the i a ceasefire would be on the table if iran has not had strong conversations with its partner, if not proxy of hezbollah, in getting what remains of the hezbollah leadership. they have a new secretary general after the death of hassan nasrallah in september. they will have told them, you have been hit very hard by israel, if you want to preserve what is left of your military and other capabilities, a ceasefire is the best bet. that is the role that i believe iran has played in the next few weeks, if not longer, with hezbollah basically telling them preservation is the goal at this point, instead of continuing to try to fight israel. ., continuing to try to fight israel. . ~', ., continuing to try to fight israel. . ., israel. thanks for your perspective. _ israel. thanks for your perspective, as - israel. thanks for your| perspective, as always. israel. thanks for your - perspective, as always. javid perspective, as always. javid ali, from the university

michigan. the chief prosecutor in that case jack smith as fought the case jack smith as fought the case to be close following donald trump ultimate victory because of the justice department's policy that bans the prosecution of a sitting president. sarah smith has more. this was the first time america had had a president—elect who had already been indicted and was facing trial. but the justice department has decided that constitutional protection does apply to donald trump in this case as well. he had been facing four separate charges relating to january 6th, when he summoned his supporters to washington and told them to fight againstjoe biden�*s victory and that violent riot ensued at the capitol. but that case has been

completely dismissed by the judge who was in charge of it. and in some other legal cases, charges have been dropped for him hiding classified documents at his residence in mar—a—lago. and in the hush—money case where he has already been convicted, that sentencing has been delayed indefinitely. since he has been re—elected, his legal troubles are pretty much melting away. his team have responded saying this is a major victory and that they want to see the end of the weaponisation of the justice department for political means. but donald trump himself, during the campaign, said numerous times that he wanted to use the justice department to prosecute and investigate the people he sees as his political enemies. so we'll see once he takes office whether or not there are going to be other cases coming up through thejustice richard painter is now a law professor at university minnesota. he explained more about the position.

it's important to realise that there is no provision in the united states constitution that says a sitting president is immune from criminal prosecution. this is a position that the justice department has taken as a matter of policy since 1973. and this is the justice department's interpretation of the constitution under president nixon in 1973, under president clinton in 2019 — sorry, 1999 — and again, under president trump 2019 and today, but there is no provision in the us constitution or constitutional history supporting this provision that a sitting president cannot be indicted or is taken to trial. it's really a matter of convenience or inconvenience for the president, thejustice department doesn't want to do it. there's also nothing in the constitution that says a president is not criminally liable for his official acts. that was a decision of the us supreme court this summer. but putting those

two together, we have very broad immunity for the president of the united states, whether or not the frameworks of our constitution intended it, and these cases are not going to go to trial. they very likely will never go to trial, even after president trump finishes his term. and this is not only a consequence of the re—election of donald trump, but of the decisions made in the department of justice back in 2021, when many of us were encouraging a special prosecutor to be appointed right away to deal with this case, particularly the insurrection of january 6th, and thejustice department waited almost two years, until november 2022, to appoint jack smith. and it was a race against the clock. and the justice department lost, the cases have now been dismissed. trump has always maintained, for his part,

these cases against him were politically motivated. will this strengthen his case towards that thinking? no, jack smith was an independent prosecutor, appointed by the justice department pursuant to the independent prosecutor of rules, the same rules that were used to appoint an independent prosecutor to investigate president biden�*s mishandling of classified documents. and also, hunter biden. we have independent prosecutors appointed pursuant to the justice department rules for exactly these types of cases. robert mueller was an independent prosecutor. so the idea that somehow, this prosecution was flat—out wrong. it is enforceable by elected district attorneys in district situations. but on the federal side, with independent regulations. and hopefully, the trump administration will continue to allow independent prosecutors to be appointed whether it is to investigate people who may have committed crimes during the biden administration or during the trump administration.

we absolutely cannot have a politicisation, weaponisation of the justice department. no democracy can tolerate that type of abuse. in the highest levels of our government. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. the director of nursing at the hospital where lucy letby killed seven babies and tried to kill seven others said she had good intentions, despite failing to escalate concerns about the nurse. alison kelly denied being dismissive of doctors' worries about unexplained deaths on the unit in 2016. do you think there's any possibility that things had become so acrimonious, doctors v nurses, with you backing the nurses, that a culture of fear had developed? i wouldn't say i a culture of fear. i think there were challenges with the relationships. - i think the trust .

had broken down. and i think, on reflection, we could have done more to support the clinicians. i ms kelly was speaking at the thirlwall inquiry, which is examining how lucy letby was able to commit her crimes. the public inquiry is now in its 11th week and is expected to sit until early 2025. its findings will likely be published in autumn next year. you are live with bbc news. russian missile attacks have left dozens injured across ukraine including 25 in a strike monday morning on kharkiv. ukraine said russia used a walt nauta, causing significant damage. 11 were injured in 0desa in a strike that damage residential buildings, school and a gym. the president of ukraine says

russia has made close to 1,500m strikes on the country since sunday. translation: ~ , translation: we will definitely res - ond translation: we will definitely resond to translation: we will definitely respond to russia _ translation: we will definitely respond to russia for _ respond to russia for everything it does. it is crucial that these attacks, each one of them, do not go unanswered, not only by us. there must not even be a hint of normalising russian terror or becoming desensitised to it. european defence ministers have met in berlin agreeing to step up met in berlin agreeing to step up support for ukraine, including poland's defence chief who said the eu is doing too little and is running out of time. warsaw has long argued its neighbour should have the right to fire western supplied missiles into russia. poland plays host to several us military facilities, including one that russian officials have identified as a possible key target if the war escalates. uk foreign minister david lammy has announced sanctions against russia's so—called shadow

fleet, targeting 30 russian vessels accused of avoiding western restrictions on russian oil. it brings the number of oil. it brings the number of oil tankers under you uk sanctions to 73. we are determined to ensure that both the ships, the enablers of those ships thwarting european and uk sanctions are hurt at this time. thousands of protesters calling for the release of pakistan's jailed ex prime minister imran khan defied robots and tear gas to continue their march to the gates of the nation's capital in the early hours of tuesday. imran khan because my wife has told thousands of supporters their march will not end until her husband is freed from jail. there is tight security in islamabad, which has in effect been sealed off by authorities as the march approaches. at least one police officer has been killed and nine others injured during classes. fresh clashes. the us has called for

calm from protesters and authorities. a new zealand citizen has suffered a suspected methanol poisoning in laos and has left the southeast asian nation and returned home. the new zealand government has told the bbc. the unnamed individual was one of a large group of backpackers from —— that fell ill from suspected methanol poisoning after apparently drinking tainted alcohol. six tourists have died. hong kong's top court has upheld a granting housing and inheritance rights to same—sex couples. the court heard the final appeal cited against the government which brought the appeal is against the rulings, unanimously dismissing them. it marks the end of a six—year legal battle started when one man took the government to court over a policy that excluded him and his partner from public rental housing on the