planning for syria's new future. rebel fighters say they're working to form a transitional government, a day after they toppling bashar al—assad. thousands of syrians queue to return to their country after years in exile in neighbouring countries. israel steps up security in the golan heights — as it confirms it carried out air strikes to target suspected chemical weapons in syria. germany pauses asylum applications for syrians after al—assad s fall police in the us are reported to be questioning a man in connection with the murder of the united healthcare chief executive brian thompson. our other main stories. rapperjay—z is accused of raping a thirteen year old girl. he's named with sean �*diddy�* combs in a civil lawsuit. both deny the claim.

hello, i'm annita mcveigh. now here's all the latest sport. we start with some breaking news from the past couple of hours — premier league official david coote has been sacked by referees�* body pgmol, following an investigation into his conduct. coote was suspended on the 11th of november pending a full investigation after a video allegedly showing him making derogatory comments about liverpool and the club's former managerjurgen klopp. a further investigation was opened two days later after the sun newspaper published photographs it says were taken during this summer's european championship, alleging that they appear to show coote sniffing a white powder through a rolled up us bank note. the pgmol said coote�*s actions made his position "untenable". the final game of the english premier league weekend takes place this evening as west ham face wolves.

west ham s players will show their support for teammate michail antonio at london stadium, following his road traffic accident on saturday. they will warm up in "antonio 9" shirts, as well as walking out in tops with the striker s name. meanwhile the managers of both clubs, julen lopetegui and gary o'neil, have faced criticsm over their teams�* form this season. iam not i am not concerned about my future i am not concerned about my future one bit at all, only the club's future. i knew the size of the task when i took over. it's not often that managers walk out on premier league clubs, and that is what happened here. and since then, it's got even more difficult with players we've lost in the situation that we face and all i'm trying to do is make sure that the group are available to give the best of themselves every week. we are coming up themselves every week. we are coming up short more often than not at this moment but we are giving absolutely everything and we will continue to do so. two former premier league players have told the bbc

of their health fears after years of heading footballs. research has found professional footballers have an increased risk of suffering brain injuries. former england defender steve howey has undergone scans which show his brain is in cognitive decline, while his former england team—mate gary pallister says he experienced sickening migraines during his career. i probably get 3—4 migraines a year, they are _ i probably get 3—4 migraines a year, they are quite debilitating. the vision, — they are quite debilitating. the vision, the speech, the tingling, the violent— vision, the speech, the tingling, the violent headaches. it would be like that _ the violent headaches. it would be like that for hours until eventually i would _ like that for hours until eventually i would throw up. yeah, throughout my career. — i would throw up. yeah, throughout my career, that blighted me. it is enough _ my career, that blighted me. it is enough to— my career, that blighted me. it is enough to know what i did go through with the _ enough to know what i did go through with the migraines and the concussions and being knocked out that the _ concussions and being knocked out that the potential is there for me to have _ that the potential is there for me to have brain damage. more on that story on the bbc

website. south africa top the test cricket world rankings after a comprehensive 109 run win over sri lanka. sri lanka's lower order collapsed on the final day of the second test — keshav maharaj ending with 5—76. so south africa take a two nil whitewash in the series and move ahead of australia in the world standings. baseball starjuan soto is expected to sign — what is reportedly the biggest contract in the history of sport — a deal worth up to 800 million dollars with the new york mets. the contract is expected to last more than 15 years, and will surpass the previous record held by shohay ohtani. multiple sources in the united states have disclosed details of the deal, although the mets have yet to confirm it as he has to undergo a medical. and that's all the sport for now.

returning to take a closer look now at what is happening at the prison outside of damascus, the notorious prison where many of asad's opponents were put into jail, killed there, but while the rebel forces who have toppled the assad regime have released more than three and half thousand prisoners from that jail, many people are converging on it in hopes that they may still find their relatives somewhere inside. there are reported to be cues of traffic and you get an idea of how long those cues are on the screen right now, stretching back some for miles around 7—8 km long from the prison. people converging on it to try to find their relatives. here is an update.

try to find their relatives. here is an update-— try to find their relatives. here is an udate. ., , ., an update. thousands of them here, one of the worst _ an update. thousands of them here, one of the worst in _ an update. thousands of them here, one of the worst in the _ an update. thousands of them here, one of the worst in the middle - an update. thousands of them here, one of the worst in the middle east, | one of the worst in the middle east, notjust in syria, are looking for their beloved ones. they don't know whether they are still alive or killed. ~ ,, �* whether they are still alive or killed-_ my - whether they are still alive or. killed._ my son, killed. translation: my son, son-in-law _ killed. translation: my son, son-in-law and _ killed. translation: my son, son-in-law and sisters - killed. translation: my son, son-in-law and sisters have i killed. translation: my son, i son-in-law and sisters have been son—in—law and sisters have been detained for ten years and we do not know anything. we believe there is a second enterprise, a second location where guards that we are a re, come back guards that we are a second |e back enterprise, a second location where they are indoors and they don't know they are indoors and they don't know where it is, they don't have any where it is, they don't have any idea how to get in there. idea how to get in there. translation: we urged the prison translation: we urged the prison

guards that we are here, come back guards that we are here, come back and and they tell and and they tell us how we can get the detainees out. this and and they tell us how we can get the detainees out.— the detainees out. this is the white helmet organisation _ the detainees out. this is the white helmet organisation from _ the detainees out. this is the white helmet organisation from aleppo . helmet organisation from aleppo to help. translation: we cannot confirm the resence of translation: we cannot confirm the presence of all — translation: we cannot confirm the presence of all detainees. _ translation: we cannot confirm the presence of all detainees. we - translation: we cannot confirm the presence of all detainees. we are - presence of all detainees. we are doing _ presence of all detainees. we are doing what we can through the help available _ doing what we can through the help available to us. that doing what we can through the help available to us.—

you forjoining us on bbc news. remind our audience, first of all, if you would, about us personnel and assets currently in syria. weill. if you would, about us personnel and assets currently in syria.— assets currently in syria. well, the us has about _ assets currently in syria. well, the us has about 900 _ assets currently in syria. well, the us has about 900 troops - assets currently in syria. well, the us has about 900 troops right - assets currently in syria. well, the | us has about 900 troops right now assets currently in syria. well, the i us has about 900 troops right now in syria. most of them are in the northeast of syria, they've been there working with the syrian democratic forces, a british led militia that has tens of thousands, as many as 60,000 that has been tasked by the us and other coalition members to really take on the remnants of the islamic state terror group in syria. they've also been overlooking the idp camps the displaced persons camps, many of the isis families and families displaced by isis across syria years ago and they've been overseeing about 20 prisons that have about 9000 isis fighters, which some us officials have warned is the largest collection of terrorists anywhere in the world. so the us forces have

been there, helping with that mission. they've also been... there is concern the us signalling just yesterday officials saying that it will continue to do whatever he needs to do as these changes take place in syria to protect its forces. , ., , , place in syria to protect its forces. , ., ., forces. obviously a long-standing and close alliance _ forces. obviously a long-standing and close alliance between - forces. obviously a long-standing and close alliance between the i forces. obviously a long-standing| and close alliance between the us and close alliance between the us and those kurdish forces in taking on iss. so how will the us maintain that relationship while also trying to navigate the as of yet undetermined relationship with the new forces in control of syria? that does a good _ new forces in control of syria? twat does a good question it it's something that us officials say they are working on. us officials briefing reporters over the last couple of days have said that they are in touch with all groups across syria, including hts, one of the main rebel group that is an offshoot from an al-qaeda affiliate in syria.

the us is talking to them. they've also been in touch with the sdf because worried about that mission. so they are trying to gauge what is happening. in the meantime, they have offered lots of words of support, saying that they are not going to abandon their partners on the ground in syria, mainly the sdf. almost in a show of force and support, us on sunday announced 75 air strikes support, us on sunday announced 75 airstrikes in support, us on sunday announced 75 air strikes in central syria targeting a range of camps in other locations where islamic state terror group leaders and operatives were meeting and getting together, dropping some 140 munitions, a very large attack and combined air strikes with close air support, long—range bombers which they say, but they are also being very cautious. until now, the warnings we haveis cautious. until now, the warnings we have is the islamic state terror group has been growing, has been more active, has been more willing to plan and try to carry out external operations outside of

syria, so there is a concern that as there is turmoil in syria, as these rebel groups try to gain control and transition from the asad regime to a new government, that the islamic state might be positioned to cause more trouble and perhaps recruit so who are disaffected to these changes to their cause and that could be trouble down the line. just finally, presumably _ trouble down the line. just finally, presumably the — trouble down the line. just finally, presumably the us _ trouble down the line. just finally, presumably the us will _ trouble down the line. just finally, presumably the us will be - trouble down the line. just finally, presumably the us will be hoping | presumably the us will be hoping that this new transitional government and whatever emerges beyond that will work alongside the kurds, but for the moments come and guessing the us is trying to keep a quite light touch in terms of any advice or involvement in those particular negotiations. they have reached out, they have said to all the rebel groups, and especially with hts, which has the historical ties to al-qaeda, _ with hts, which has the historical ties to al-qaeda, intelligence i ties to al-qaeda, intelligence officials say at least for now these groups are saying all the right things, they seem to be doing all

the right things that bode well for syria and the syrian people to move forward, but they are cautious, they know that terror groups in the past have sometimes talked a good game and then not been able to come there and then not been able to come there and make good on the talks. so they are looking at that very carefully. right now they are hopeful but they are also cautious knowing that things can change very rapidly. {lilia things can change very rapidly. ok, jeff. things can change very rapidly. ok, jeff, aood things can change very rapidly. ok, jeff. good to _ things can change very rapidly. 0k, jeff, good to talk to. thank you very much for your time, national security correspondent from voice of america. let's look now and a bit more detail at the news that the uk government in common with a number of governments is saying it is pausing asylum claims from syria as it waits to see what happens with the developing situation in the country. let's talk to our political correspondent, hannah miller in westminster. hello to you. the home secretary has been talking about this, yvette cooper, tell us more about what she has had to say. she has about what she has had to say. swe: has announced about what she has had to say. 5we: has announced that about what she has had to say. 5w9: has announced that they have

about what she has had to say. 5w9 has announced that they have paused those asylum decisions for people from syria. she says the home office monitors the situation. she says thatis monitors the situation. she says that is mainly because assessing the situation in the country would be part of deciding whether an application is approved or not in that situation in the country is clearly moving extremely fast. she also pointed out that we are witnessing some people who had fled syria now returning to the country. the shadow home secretary was in the house of commons and the last hour orso house of commons and the last hour or so pressing the government as well to make sure that no members of the assad regime are 1417 00:13:45,7