gaddafi with us. in georgia, thousands of protesters are in the capital of tiblisi for a fifth night in in a row, crashing with riot police —— clashing releasing tear gas and water cannons, the protesters are furious over what they see as the increasing ties to russia, a country that currently occupies 20% of their land. and earlier this year come the prime minister's party passed a law which critics say are similar to pieces of legislature, russian legislation that suppresses independent journalism legislation that suppresses independentjournalism and targets dissidents, the prime minister said he put the accession talks on hold despite pull suggesting widespread support of membership sparking this latest round of demonstrations. a russian editor sent this report from the capital, tiblisi.

at night, georgia's capital looks and sounds like this. a standoff between the security forces and anti—government protesters. this is happening night after night now in tbilisi, protesters firing fireworks and the riot police responding with tear gas. once again, georgian police dispersed thousands of protesters. earlier, we saw university staff and students gathering for a protest, angry that their government suspended georgia's bid tojoin the european union. georgians see that this way georgia is dragged into russia's orbit, basically, and also becomes a fully autocratic country. so that's a turning point. and now i think there is this feeling of "now or never". they marched through the city... chanting

..calling for others to join them, and they declared that georgia was europe. no one in georgia knows where this confrontation is heading, how it's going to end, and who will tire first, the protesters or the authorities. georgia's prime minister suggested that what was happening on the streets was a foreign—funded revolution that had failed. not everyone has joined the protests. scarf—seller giorgi told me he has friends in europe, but also in russia. but he admits he's shocked by video images of police beating protesters. translation: the way some of the police kicked _ our sons and brothers, how could that happen? but i do have friends in the police. and on the other side there are youngsters whose hearts beat for this country. georgia needs to sort this out on its own without anyone interfering.

the authorities say they will sort this out — their way, but the use of force hasn't kept protesters off the streets or extinguished their hope. steve rosenberg, bbc news, tbilisi. the president hasjust the president has just tweeted about the violent turn in those protests, criticising the police response saying that... the president has been in a standoff with the ruling party and is on the side of the protesters in last month's elections were rigged in the current parliament is vowing to stay in herjob when the term ends in a couple weeks and my colleague spoke to her earlier.

madam president, your calling on western countries to back would you call a national movement in your country, referring to the protesters on the street. what exactly is it that you're asking the eu and the us to do? that you're asking the eu and the us to do?— that you're asking the eu and the us to do? well, what they have been _ the us to do? well, what they have been doing _ the us to do? well, what they have been doing for _ the us to do? well, what they have been doing for more - the us to do? well, what they| have been doing for more than 30 years now since independence of georgia, to support us in our path towards european integration and that is enshrined in our constitution and that has been supported by our partners but also by the georgian population more than 80% of them all over this here whatever is happening in the war of the occupation of our territories and that determination has never flinched and today as we see on the streets, the georgian population wants nothing else and nothing more than its independence and its european paths. that is with the people

on the streets are very calmly and very peacefully demanding and very peacefully demanding and our vote are back, our european future back. madam president. _ european future back. madam president, your _ european future back. madam president, your prime - european future back. madam| president, your prime minister said that there committed... it is not mine, not my prime minister and he is not the prime minister the georgian population because the elections were rigged, the elections were rigged, the elections have not been recognised by any of the democratic countries. nonetheless, he has said that we are continuing on our path to the european dream. he says he is reflecting the wishes of people who as you've said, the majority of which in georgia do you want to see more european integration. what you think of that? ~ ., integration. what you think of that? . ., ~ that? well, what i think the georgian — that? well, what i think the georgian population - that? well, what i think the georgian population thinksl that? well, what | think the | georgian population thinks is that nobody believes that in that nobody believes that in that it that nobody believes that in thatitis that nobody believes that in that it is no longer a dream that it is no longer a dream that people believe and and after the russian law and after

the russian elections that we have had and after the statement by the prime minister once elected said that he was going to suspend the past accession negotiations, nobody believes that he will suddenly turn around and say that he still wants a european future and what is true is that the very vast majority of the georgian population, more than 80% have wanted, wants and will want in the future to stay on the european path. and not diverge in this one rule. you call these — diverge in this one rule. you call these russian _ diverge in this one rule. you call these russian elections and thereby, you are accusing the current prime minister saying he is not the prime minister of ties to the kremlin and that is something he has denied and the former russian president, he has called you in the past, puppet president and said that georgia was moving

rapidly along ukrainian path into the dark abyss and said it would end very badly. what do you think of that?— you think of that? well, i think that _ you think of that? well, i think that is _ you think of that? well, i think that is exactly - you think of that? well, i think that is exactly the l you think of that? well, i - think that is exactly the proof of the links between the current one—party rule and the kremlin is that each time they move further away from the european path and closer to the russians, they receive compliments and lately, these statements of the prime minister saying that he was going to suspend the past towards european negotiations were the complemented by putin. what about the comparison we sought to ukraine in the comparison to the protests. russian propaganda which we do not have to get in, russian propaganda that everything has to be a revolution and everything has to be prepared by the west, there is nothing

of that kind, it is very calm, very peaceful population that wants to have its voice heard and its will is to go towards europe and that is been the case for centuries for georgia. president of georgia they're speaking in that extract from series four interview with her. the present goes on to accuse rush of interfering in european elections, including the ongoing went to romania and can watch the full conversation in the coming hours on bbc news and follow more on our website. syria's residences the united states is behind a rebel offensive that is reignited in the country civil war. claiming that washington and its allies want to redraw the map of the middle east and that the us denies involvement in its week's event in syria. russia are bombarding rebel held positions and this is the aftermath of the russian strike on a hospital. the syrian army since they've killed hundreds of rebels while rebel groups as

well as independent observers say that many of the dead are in fact civilians. rebel groups seized aleppo, the second group in a surprise attack last week in a surprise attack last week in his or international correspondent. the syrian regime is striking back. in the last two days, the humanitarian office says more than 50 air strikes hit idlib, a province that is the powerhouse of the rebels. the hospital in idlib city was among several health care facilities targeted. the un says at least ltlt civilians have been killed in air strikes. air raids, body bags, civilians in another middle eastern country grieving. a renewed syrian war will pour a lot more fuel on the fire that is consuming the middle east. it is the regime's response to the lightning offensive that swept up aleppo, including its ancient citadel. during years of war, the citadel was an impregnable

regime fortress, but these men from hts took it almost without a fight. back in january 2017, i was in aleppo in the days after the assad regime recaptured it from rebels who had held it since the war in aleppo started in 2012. there was massive destruction from russian and regime air strikes. this was all a huge victory for the regime but in the years that followed, the war gradually froze but it never ended. once again, president bashar al—assad's beleaguered. he had an emergency meeting in damascus with the iranian foreign minister. assad's survival will depend again on his allies who are worrying about their own futures. in aleppo, hts fighters

are pulling down portraits of assad, the enemy. they are considered terrorists by his regime and by the un, the us, the uk and the eu because their roots are in al-qaeda. mina followsjihadist media for bbc monitoring. she has seen hts changing its image, as the syrians are mostly repelled by extremist religious rhetoric. in their messaging, they have been trying to portray themselves as more of nationalist rebel group and basically trying to shake off theirjihadist past and prove that they don't have any lasting links with al-qaeda orjihadist groups, and that they are simply after a toppling of the government of bashar al—assad. some food is getting through to civilians in aleppo but this is another humanitarian crisis in the making. the people of this city live at one of the historic crossroads of the middle east, connected to all the regions, political and sectarian fault lines. if the offensive leads to protracted fighting,

it will be a major escalation in the middle east crisis. that is bad news for the whole region notjust the hungry and frightened people on aleppo's streets. kurdish rebels are pulling out of aleppo with other affiliates, comes after turkish proxy forces seized key critters held cities nearby and they felt to turkish backed forces forcing civilians to flee the kurdish held areas of aleppo. seizing most of aleppo on friday and is now taking the remaining strongholds there as well. the syrian observers says that a large convoy of syrian kurds is now fleeing to another kurdish held area 180 km, that's 150 kurdish held area 180 km, that's150 miles to the east and earlier i spoke to clark and earlier i spoke to clark and i spoke to a global

security think tank here in washington. let us begin with taking a look at the map, how significantly do you think the battle lines in syria have shifted in recent days and what does that mean for the border conflict? . ~ does that mean for the border conflict? ., ~ , ., ., ., conflict? thank you for having me. hts conflict? thank you for having me- hts and _ conflict? thank you for having me. hts and other _ conflict? thank you for having me. hts and other rebels - conflict? thank you for having | me. hts and other rebels have certainly pushed quicker and further than i expected and only a couple of days. they have long held this enclave in northwestern syria but many have been surprised by the regime paused by sudden collapse which shows just how much assad and the syrian arab army have been dependent upon external assistance from the iranians, the russians, from various militia groups that have come to support them and without that assistance, there is simply a skeleton crew. the likes of iran _ is simply a skeleton crew. the likes of iran and _ is simply a skeleton crew. the likes of iran and russia have vowed continued support but how realistic do you think that can last? ., ,., ., ., last? for both tehran and moscow. _ last? for both tehran and moscow, their _ last? for both tehran and moscow, their band - last? for both tehran and moscow, their band with l last? for both tehran and i moscow, their band with the stretched, for russians,

they're occupied with ukraine and for the iranians, they have just been at war with the israelis for the better part of a year and several months, they have gotten damaged through their support of hezbollah and they are now concerned about regimes in iran itself and they have lost in gaza. so, iranians of their hands full as well and that leaves assad looking for friends wherever he can find them and this hts let offensive was very well—timed and it happened at a time where the road is been preoccupied and also this transition in the united states for the biden administration to the trump administration to the trump administration and so, really a perfect storm of events here. and as hts continue their sweep, could they face resistance from other civilians? 0ther resistance from other civilians? other people there in these areas, how do they feel about their leadership? they could face resistance and likely will, but at the same time, the leader of hts has

been incredibly pragmatic. he has been looking to provide services, including electricity, sending guards to make sure banks are not looted. they have been doing all of the right things and attempt to assuage the syrian population and to win hearts and minds. the total into the system of what the assad regime has done since the civil war kicked off backin since the civil war kicked off back in 2011. in since the civil war kicked off back in 2011.— back in 2011. in this kind of instability. _ back in 2011. in this kind of instability, could _ back in 2011. in this kind of instability, could it - back in 2011. in this kind of instability, could it have i back in 2011. in this kind ofj instability, could it have an impact or offer an opportunity for groups like isis? do you see them exploiting these shifts? ~ , ,., , , see them exploiting these shifts? ~ , , , shifts? absolutely, this is tailor-made _ shifts? absolutely, this is tailor-made for _ shifts? absolutely, this is tailor-made for the - shifts? absolutely, this is. tailor-made for the islamic tailor—made for the islamic state to regenerate, they have been biding their time and attempting to rebuild their networks. anytime your broader instability, anarchy or chaos instability, anarchy or chaos in the country like syria, it is going to feed into groups like the islamic state. they will actively recruit and likely gone the offensive and so, i'm looking a hornets nest

of state actors, violent non—state actors and will be referred to as great power competition. so, as we approach the incoming trump administration, this is going be pretty high up on the foreign policy agenda in terms of speaking to the other powers involved in this. the turks and others to try to figure out exactly what is going on and how to keep a lid on this to prevent it from spilling over across borders.— prevent it from spilling over across borders. very briefly, if ou across borders. very briefly, if you don't _ across borders. very briefly, if you don't mind, _ across borders. very briefly, if you don't mind, what - across borders. very briefly, if you don't mind, what is i across borders. very briefly, | if you don't mind, what is the possibility that the assad regime will survive this? it is hard to say. _ regime will survive this? it is hard to say, they _ regime will survive this? it is hard to say, they love - regime will survive this? it 3 hard to say, they love backing by moscow and tehran who have invested significantly in propping up the regime. i do not expect the assad regime to fall, but stranger things have happened in the middle east, especially over the past 12 to 18 months. especially over the past 12 to 18 month-— especially over the past 12 to 18 months. �* ., ., ., 18 months. around the world and across the _ 18 months. around the world and across the uk, _ 18 months. around the world and across the uk, this _ 18 months. around the world and across the uk, this is _ 18 months. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc - across the uk, this is bbc news. let's take a look at some

of the other stories making news. the former chairman of the counter chester hospital where lucy let murdered babies has not invited the doctors to, so duncan has spoken publicly about the case for the first time at a public inquiry into what happened and lucy killed seven infants and tried to kill seven infants and tried to kill seven others betweenjune 2015 and june 2016. queen camilla will miss parts of an official visit on tuesday due to a lingering barrel chest infection. 0n the advice of doctors, the 77—year—old will not be there for the arrival but will attend the state bank went in the evening. masterchef presenters apologising for comments to those claiming sexual harassment behaviour sinking is to take some time out and downing street says allegations at the proper language and behaviour come from middle—class women of a

certain age and they were completely inappropriate and misogynistic. you are live with bbc news. facing sharp criticism from across the political spectrum after issuing an official pardon for his son hunter biden was facing a possible prison sentence. the presence of the rest with this decision but ultimately believe that politics infected his son's legal process, leading to a miscarriage ofjustice and hunter biden pleaded guilty to charges earlier in september was found guilty of illegal drug use and possession, becoming the first child of a sitting president to be convicted of a crime. an unconditional pardon grants him a lengthy period of clemency from 2014 to the end of the year. criticising the pardon were many republicans and donald this is been criticised not

surprisingly by the figures in the republican party but also some of the democratic party as well. in their various concerns about the precedent that it might set whether it may undermine her could undermine people's trust in the justice system and is well, should donald trump when he goes back into the white house, should he decide to pardon people involved in the january six storming of the capitol, january six riots. joe biden's decision regarding pardoning his sons, puts them on shaky moral ground if they want to criticise that kind of decision. with the white house is saying is thatjoe biden really wrestled with this decision but they believe that hunter biden, because of who his father is, has been unfairly singled out and prosecuted. but, this has been a difficult and awkward 24

hours, i think, forjoe biden in the white house and it is not long now until he leaves office but he and his team are asked several times, many times whether they were going to do this, whether he was going to pardon his son and they said that wasn't going to happen. and this is going to be a very public high profile and personal u—turn. amid the fallout from his son's pardon, present biden arrived in angola for his first and only trip to africa as president. in the three—day visit he will highlight a us loan for the railway that's going to stretch 835 miles. connected to neighbouring african countries in the project is seen as a direct challenge to china's dominance of the region's infrastructure. the government could be heading for a collapse in the second biggest economy falling into political crisis.

the french prime minister has used a special procedure to force his controversial social security budget through without a vote in parliament. saying that it a vote in parliament. saying thatitis a vote in parliament. saying that it is needed in order to help with the spiralling governments deficit. and in both the hard right and the left—wing parties say they will vote against him. and barring a last—minute surprise, the fragile coalition will be the first french government to be forced out by a no—confidence vote since 1962. he our paris correspondent. this was the moment michel barnier declared that he would haggle no more. france's ice—cool prime minister telling mps that he was forcing through a strict new national budget and they could either back him or vote him out of office. in which case, he warned — to the sound of heckles — france could plunge into financial turmoil. "we'll be entering unknown

territory," said barnier. but the immediate answer from marine le pen was, "bring it on." the leader of the hard right national rally said her party would vote to get rid of the current government. "the french have had enough," she said. "things have gone from bad to worse." france is in a financial pickle with soaring debt. trouble here could spread throughout europe. but the crisis is, at heart, political, sparked by this summer's elections, which resulted in a spectacularly gridlocked parliament unable to agree on anything. marine le pen wants to be france's next president, and she holds some strong cards right now. she's gambling that any fresh chaos here will be blamed on this man, not her — president emmanuel macron. arriving in saudi arabia tonight, he's never looked so politically fragile.

he may cling on to power, but his promise to strengthen the centre ground of french politics is in trouble. andrew harding, bbc news, paris. the us secretary of state has announced more military assistance for ukraine. the package with $725 million, includes finger air defence missiles, ammunition and rocket launchers and antipersonnel mines. and bley considers a part of efforts to ensure ukraine had what he needed to defend itself against russian aggression. president—elect donald trump has tapped warren stevens for one of the most coveted invisible diplomatic posts and ambassador to the united kingdom and mr trump called warren who founded the financial services what are the most successful businessman in the country. president—elect said that warren is thrilled to be represented usa as of america's most cherished and

beloved allies. just down the road, another christmas tree has arrived and knocked down the road from washington but in london, coming from norway and it's a tradition that was started in 1947 to recognise the uk's assistance to norway during the second world war. this tree is 20 metres tall and weighs a tonne, it will be in an official ceremony on the 5th of december. just down the road, the white house christmas secretaries been unveiled and the splendour marking the holidays of peace and light with sparkling with starlight and a gold star tree is dedicated to military families and those lost in action and decorating some 83 christmas trees around the white house including official tree in the blue one is here from north carolina and sitting at the centre of the carousel featuring the name of every state, territory and the

district of columbia. the decorations include 10,000 feet of ribbon and 20,000 ornaments and 65,000 lights and of course, it will be the biden's last holiday season at the white house. will have more news of the top of the hour enjoined me then, if you can. goodbye for now. —— and join me then. hello there. the rest of this week looks like one of two halves. we'll certainly have some quieter, colderweather for the next couple of days with some decent spells of sunshine. could see some snow on the hills across the north through tuesday night, and then as we push towards the end of the week, it turns milder but very much wetter and windier as deep areas of low pressure moving off the atlantic. so we're in this ridge of high pressure, though, for tuesday and this wedge of colder air, as you can see

on the airmass chart, so it will be a colder start for many for tuesday morning. very cold across scotland, perhaps down to —7, —8 celsius over the highlands and the grampians. and there will be some freezing fog patches around. some fog patches further south too, which may lift into low cloud, but for many, it'll be a dry and a sunny day with light winds. but across south—west england, northern ireland, western scotland, we'll start to see a weather front pushing in, bringing outbreaks of rain and increasing breeze here. but for most it, stays dry through the day but a cold one to come. temperatures struggling to get above freezing across scotland, to around 4 or 5 degrees in the south.

but as that rain bumps into the cold air across scotland during tuesday evening, we could see a spell of fairly significant hill snow here, with some accumulations and maybe some for northern england, the cumbrian fells, north wales as we move through tuesday night. but as the weather front moves southwards and eastwards, it tends to fizzle out, so no more than a band of cloud with a few showers across southern areas. but again, it's going to be another cold night to come. a touch of frost in there and possibly some ice too. so wednesday, then, it should be a mostly dry day once again thanks to a ridge of high pressure. so plenty of sunshine around, one or two showers around coastal areas. but later in the day, we'll start to see the next weather front arriving across western areas. that will bring increasing cloud breeze and also some rain with temperatures lifting here, but another chilly day to come elsewhere. it's all change, though, beyond wednesday. thursday, friday, we'll start to see a deep area of low pressure spread across the country, bringing a spell of very wet and windy weather with widespread gales and another one hot on its heels. so we'll see wet, windy weather early on thursday push its way eastwards. a bit of sunshine, then the wind, the rain, the gales start to build up again as another system pushes in from the south—west, but that'll be ushering in some

milder air, with temperatures ranging from 10 to 14 or 15 degrees from north to south across the country. could see a spell of potentially very stormy weather friday night into saturday. this is certainly one to watch. and then for part two of the weekend, it'll turn colder but brighter once again. take care.

this is bbc news. we'll have the headlines for you at the top of the hour, which is straight after this programme. welcome to hardtalk. i'm stephen sackur. germany, europe's most powerful economic and political engine, is misfiring badly. the collapse of chancellor scholz�*s ruling coalition after three torrid years of infighting at home and caution abroad means germans will go to the polls in february. 0pportunity beckons for scholz�*s political opponents, not least in the far—right alternative fur

deutschland party. my guest is senior afd mp peter boehringer. but is his party too extreme to be a serious contender for national power? peter boehringer in berlin, welcome to hardtalk. hello, stephen, and thank you for having me again. it's a pleasure to have you on the show. now, it seems almost certain — not quite official yet, but almost certain — that germans will vote in national elections in february 2025. that poses a challenge for your afd party.

how ambitious are you?