live from london. this is bbc news the syrian army says it has lost control of the key city of hama. police in new york city police in new york continue the hunt for the man — who shot dead the boss — of one of the world's biggest health companies. rebel troops make another dramatic breakthrough, they say they've now captured the key city. and — "country first, party second" — prime minister keir starmer unveils his "plan for change", setting out pledges on extra police officers, more housebuilding and fixing the health system. on live at the elysees where president mack has accepted the resignation of frans's prime

minister and is now under pressure to name a successor fast. we met come with me, to meet the wizard!— meet the wizard! this is your moment! _ meet the wizard! this is your moment! i'm _ meet the wizard! this is your moment! i'm coming! - meet the wizard! this is your moment! i'm coming! its- moment! i'm coming! its fillmore _ moment! i'm coming! its fillmore -- _ film awards season is underway and wicked has been named best movie of the year by the national board of review in the us. police in new york city are still hunting a gunman who shot dead the boss of one of the world's biggest healthca re companies. the face of the government is fully visible for the first time. earlier images showed the gunmen masked. investigators say they found one clue as to might have been responsible for the killing come of the words "denied defendant depose" work

carved into the shell casings that had been recovered at the scene of the attack. this is the moment that 50—year—old brian thompson was fatally shot in the back and the leg in manhattan — close to times square. the suspect appeared to be waiting for thompson, who ran united healthcare, outside the hilton hotel. the suspect then fled the scene on foot and was last seen riding an electric bike through central park. dramatic pictures released of the suspect that the police are looking for. the suspect that the police are looking for-— looking for. grinning in that hoto looking for. grinning in that photo there. _ looking for. grinning in that photo there. this _ looking for. grinning in that photo there. this is - looking for. grinning in that photo there. this is a - photo there. this is a remarkable amount of progress that's been made in the last 2a hours when obviously we saw this murder take place in manhattan. police have been combing through as much video

footage as they could, initially focusing on the area around a hotel in central park and then broadening it out in just a few minutes, hours ago, releasing this footage for the first time, the face they are of who they believe is the killer, unmasked in these photos. putting these out to the public hoping that people will come forward with any kind of clues as to who his identity might be they've also been searching apartment this morning on the upper west side. not much more information about that search or who might have lived at that property. those are the kind of latest details we have at this stage. this is a killing. _ we have at this stage. this is a killing, isn't _ we have at this stage. this is a killing, isn't it, _ we have at this stage. this is a killing, isn't it, that - we have at this stage. this is a killing, isn't it, that has - a killing, isn't it, that has really shocked new york, shocked america, really come although gun violence is quite prevalent to the us, as we know. this is like a targeted assassination of a leading businessman, the chief executive a huge health

insurance company. police at the stage _ insurance company. police at the stage have _ insurance company. police at the stage have not _ insurance company. police at the stage have not provided. insurance company. police at i the stage have not provided any motive for the killing. the fact that head of a huge private american insurer has led to plenty of speculation about which role this job might�*ve played in this. with the bullets with the writing of the bullets with the writing of the words you mentioned, deploy, defend, deny, these are certainly the words, deny and defend, orwords certainly the words, deny and defend, or words that are associated with tactics used by insurance companies to try to put off paying out claims. increasing that speculation that it's connected to his job, again from of the police have not said or provided at this point any motive for the killing in response to the murder of brian thompson. when

you see this kind of gun violence right there in midtown manhattan blocked the christmas tree lighting happening last night. and one that was very busy with lots of tourists and people. busy with lots of tourists and eo - le. ~ . busy with lots of tourists and --eole. ~ . ., ~ busy with lots of tourists and --eole. m ., ~ people. michelle, thank you very much — people. michelle, thank you very much indeed. - people. michelle, thank you | very much indeed. significant developments in syria. islamist rebels have made another breakthrough in their surprise offensive against the government and seized a second major city, hama. this footage shows rebels, entering the city — apparently unopposed. you can see rebels riding through the near—empty streets and being welcomed by cheering local people. the rebels then turn the cameras round and film themselves celebrating. the syrian army says it has now withdrawn

its forces from hama — effectively ceding control there to the rebels. the rebel campaign to seize the city began just two days ago and comes after their suprise capture of aleppo last week, which reignited the war in syria. speaking at the un secretary council in the past hour, secretary—general antonio guterres called to end the violence unfolding in syria. i spoke with president aired one —— i just spoke with president erdogan of turkey to discuss the latest. i emphasised the urgent need for immediate humanitarian access to all civilians in need, and the return to the un facilitated political process to end the bloodshed. all parties are obligated under international law to protect civilians. now, this latest offensive was launched into government controlled areas by tahrir al—sham, a group sanctioned by the security council, along with a broad range of other armed opposition groups.

it has led to significant shifts in the front lines, and tens of thousands of civilians are at risk in a region already on fire. joining me now is our correspondent barbara plett usher in beirut. this was a conflict that seemed to have been frozen, not really on the front page is very much because we were covering the conflict in ukraine, gaza, lebanon so much. but this really has reignited with the sudden surprise offensive by the rebels and they seem to be making real progress, don't they? making real progress, don't the ? , , , . , they? this is the second city they? this is the second city they captured _ they? this is the second city they captured in _ they? this is the second city they captured in about - they? this is the second city they captured in about a - they? this is the second city i they captured in about a week, they captured in about a week, the rebel operations room has noissued the rebel operations room has no issued statement saying that they are in full control of, and in full control of bahama airbase and a nearby mountain,

which is tactically important for maintaining that control. —— hama. the leader has also issued a statement saying that this should be a conquest without an end, reassuring people who might be afraid of the rebels coming in the army had earlier issued that statement saying it redeployed outside of hama in order to protect civilian lives. this all happened after several days of what was described as fierce fighting. the rebels are saying they want to continue along the road towards damascus to the next big city, and we've seen video and posted by pro—government social media which shows this is footage of a mass exodus because they are afraid of what might come next. what might come next? �*s been helped and propped up by allies

like that. i'm just wondering whether people are wondering whether people are wondering whether he can survive all of this. .,, whether he can survive all of this. , , ., , whether he can survive all of this. , ., , ., , this. those questions are being asked the capture _ this. those questions are being asked the capture of _ this. those questions are being asked the capture of hama - this. those questions are being asked the capture of hama by l asked the capture of hama by the rebels first of all so that means it gives you some idea, that means to launch a counter offensive it's that much more difficult. if the rebels do actually move on towards hama, that's a big problem because this is the sort of crossroads city of syria. all the big arteries pastorate. including the main road to the coast, which is a political stronghold, so if the rebels capture or block roads around it, he will not be able to get come of the regime will not be able to get to it stronghold on the coast. as you mentioned,

his allies, russia and iran propping them up with the help of the air force, the help of militias on the ground. they as we know are busy dealing with their own conflicts elsewhere, they have said they will continue to strongly support, in actualfact, we have continue to strongly support, in actual fact, we have seen huge display of the army. there are many questions about his future, whether it will involve more military advances, whether he will be pressured into a diplomatic settlement. it's all in the air at the moment. it’s in the air at the moment. it's fascinating — in the air at the moment. it's fascinating to _ in the air at the moment. it's fascinating to see _ in the air at the moment. it's fascinating to see how it all plays out. for the moment, thank you very much indeed, reporting from beirut. here, the prime minister keir starmer has set out what he's calling labour's "plan for change" — setting out the goals for his government to achieve. it focuses on six specific areas — with promises on improving living standards, shortening healthcare

waiting lists, speeding up the transition to clean energy, housing, policing, and doing more to make children ready for school when they enter their reception year. opposition parties say it's a desperate relaunch, just months into office. our political correspondent iain watson reports. if i keep coming back here, i could be the nextjames bond. well, like 007, the prime minister certainly knows about targets. he was at pinewood film studios where dense, lengthy novels are turned into something altogether more eye—catching. in that spirit, the five sprawling missions for government, which labour set out in opposition, have been condensed into six targets, or milestones, to underline what the government is for. the purpose of this government is to make our public services and our economy work for working people. the job of these milestones is to take our country forward, drive reform through the public sector. it is not about making the government look good.

so, yes, they are risky for us. country first, party second. by focusing on living standards, the health service, policing, housing and early years education, labour insiders say they're prioritising policies which people will be able to feel in their pockets and see in their local communities. but the prime minister also emphasised the government would not let existing planning rules stand in the way of big new projects. we will send a very clear message to the nimbys, to the regulators, blockers, bureaucrats, the alliance of naysayers, the people who say, "no, britain can't do this. "we can't get things done in our country." we say to them, you no longer have the upper hand, britain says yes. keir starmer was asked what had happened to some of his previous pledges, including securing the borders. immigration and control of immigration must be delivered, that is a foundational principle that any government must do.

so that's clear, then. back at westminster, the liberal democrats suggested keir starmer�*s milestones could be on the road to nowhere, while the conservatives said that labour's promises could not be believed. this is a government that broke its promise to pensioners, broke its promises to businesses, to working people, to farmers, the list goes on. it is all very well them coming up with a bunch of pledges today, but they have a track record of not doing what they say they will do, so why should we listen to them now? keir starmer has set out his priorities up until the next election but by implication it means some other policies will now be put in the political slow lane. live to westminster and our political correspondent hannah miller.

why do you think keir starmer is doing this now? i why do you think keir starmer is doing this now?— is doing this now? i think there is _ is doing this now? i think there is an _ is doing this now? i think there is an admission - is doing this now? i think - there is an admission among some people in government that the first five months of keir starmer�*s time as prime minister have gone quite as smoothly as they might initially had hoped. i think they also see this as being an opportunity to set out a measurable goal and to be able to say, look, this is how we will define success. these are the standards by which you should judge us and determine whether or not be delivered. there is a feeling in the deep awareness in government that many people in the wider public have very little confidence in politicians to deliver anything, very little trust in politics and in westminster and it is an attempt to try to wrestle some of that back in some ways by saying, look, this is what we say we are going to do. you judge us by the end of the parliament. the other thing that was really noticeable today was keir starmer�*s

language in relation to the civil service and in relation to whitehall. he said that too many civil servants are in his words, "too comfortable" in the tepid bath of sort of being too mediocre around this kind of thing and managed to decline was the type of language that he used. that is the type of language that you would've probably expected more to hear from the previous conservative government and civil servants, some of the unions have come out and criticised keir starmer for saying things like that one civil servants can't necessarily come out and defend themselves in the way that politicians can. it was as much today about telling whitehall and telling the civil service what the prime minister wants them to be getting on with as it was about a message to the wider public.— wider public. thank you very much indeed, _ wider public. thank you very much indeed, we _ wider public. thank you very much indeed, we will - wider public. thank you very much indeed, we will have l wider public. thank you very - much indeed, we will have much more on that coming up in the next few minutes, but for now, around the world and across the

united kingdom, you are watching bbc news.

the latest now on the political turmoil that has engulfed france where president macron will address the nation in a few hours time. it follows michel barnier�*s resignation as prime minister, after his government was toppled in a no—confidence motion on wednesday evening. this is mr barnier arriving at the elysee palace to see president macron who only appointed him prime minister three months ago. he's the first french prime minister to be forced out like this in more than sixty years. his government collapsed after mps of both left and right voted overwhelmingly in support of the motion against him, after he had had used special powers to force through his budget without a vote. well the constitution means there can't be another general election in france untiljuly

next year, so for the moment politics and government seem to be in a state of some paralysis. live now to paris — and our southern europe correspondent mark lowen. ben, thanks very much indeed, yes, about an hour and a half, a time when president mack rome is due to make a statement to the french public, appearing at 8pm which is the prime time evening news time here. it's going to be his first public statement since his prime minister was toppled in that vote of confidence last night. the president has accepted his resignation and says that he will now stay on and a caretaker capacity to run day—to—day politics. we don't know how long for, we don't know how long for, we don't know whether president background will this 1540 0