the death that shocked the nation — the chidren's commissioner for england says the murder of sara sharif by her father and step—mother shows �*profound weaknesses�* in the child protection system. nasa's james webb space telescope has captured an image of a brightly—coloured galaxy, that offers a glimpse into how the universe was formed. we speak to colman domingo about his journey from grassroots to being nominated for a golden globe best actor award. hello, i'm sally bundock. the new islamist authorities in syria say they plan to close the notoriously harsh prisons run by the ousted president, bashar al—assad, and dissolve his security forces. they've also said they're working with international organisations to secure possible chemical weapons

sites, a move which has been welcomed by the united states. earlier rebel fighters broke into the tomb of the former president, hafez al—assad, bashar�*s father — in the family's hometown in northwestern syria. images showed a coffin and parts of the mausoleum on fire. the new authorities have also said anyone involved in torturing or killing detainees would be hunted down. large crowds formed in a suburb of the capital damascus, for what they believed would be a public execution of one of the former president's henchmen. there are some disturbing images injeremy bowen's report. if only moving from dictatorship to freedom was as simple as climbing onto an abandoned tank and posing for pictures. but the assad family was in power in syria long before these children's parents were even born.

over more than half a century, a lot of anger built up, and it is being released. sometimes politely by quiet families at the former president's home. it was looted after the assads fled — the end of what must have been an elegant lifestyle. now the house is secured by victorious fighters from hayat tahrir al—sham, hts. they borrowed the fighters�* guns for photos. until a few days ago, they wouldn�*t have dared to look through the gate. the visitors were still getting used to living without fear of the regime. translation: people were living in hell- and he was in his palace. he didn�*t care about what they were going through. he made them live in fear, hunger and humiliation. even after we entered damascus, people would only whisper to us because they were still afraid. anger at the assads is a family affair. much stronger revenge

was on the minds of the crowd in tadamon, a quarter of damascus that suffered grievously. their fury against bashar al—assad deepened in 2013, when military intelligence operatives forced at least 41 local men into a mass grave and shot them dead. there�*s a video. that�*s one of the killers. another, abu muntajab, is being held near here, and the people had come to watch him being hanged. imagine if someone knocked on your door and brought you by force, and didn�*t tell you anything, the reason of why you are getting killed. throughout the afternoon, more and more people arrived until thousands blocked the streets. when rumours flew around that the execution was starting, the crowd surged back and forth, jostling for the best position,

not wanting to miss a thing. the man they wanted hanged had been the local boss, a thief as well as a killer. "he stole my house and money," said muna. translation: of course i want him dead. - i would have done it myself with my own hands, but i couldn�*t find a way. i wanted to kill him! somehow, they decided the execution was happening down the street, and stampeded. if syria�*s new rulers do not want change to be measured in blood, they will need to control the desire for revenge. there�*s a real strong sense of excitement, expectation, anger, as well. they want to see this man dead. they don�*t just want justice to be done, they want to see it being done — notjust because of his crimes, but because of the boundless cruelty of the assad regime. the revolution won! after 14 years...

we just want justice! in the end, there was no execution — at least not yet. it was probably a rumour, but thousands wanted it to be true. when the weight of dictatorship is lifted, powerful forces are unleashed. how they�*re dealt with shapes what comes next. jeremy bowen, bbc news, damascus. with me is mohamed taha from bbc arabic. good morning. so what is happening at the moment on the ground? what are you hearing? now the hts, which used to be an armed opposition to the rule of bashar al—assad — now they are turning to be a civil authority in syria. they formed authority in syria. they formed a government with the leadership of mohammed bashir. this civil government is trying to return life back to normal

in syria as you can see. they are trying to close the prisons, the notorious prisons. they are trying to reorganise damascus airport which was closed for a long time. and they already decided to remove they already decided to remove the curfew from damascus. and my syrian colleagues at bbc arabic are happy that they can move freely in the city. previously, there were barriers everywhere. now they can move freely. the prices are a little bit high but they are trying to deal with it. so this government is trying to return life back to normal. figs government is trying to return life back to normal.— life back to normal. as you sa , life back to normal. as you say. as _ life back to normal. as you say. as this _ life back to normal. as you say, as this government i life back to normal. as you - say, as this government forms, it�*s still very, very early days. the un is warning that it must be inclusive — otherwise there will be terrible consequences.- there will be terrible consequences. there will be terrible conseuuences. , ., , consequences. yes, of course. so the consequences. yes, of course. 50 they are — consequences. yes, of course. so they are saying _ consequences. yes, of course. so they are saying that - consequences. yes, of course. so they are saying that if - consequences. yes, of course. so they are saying that if this | so they are saying that if this government wouldn�*t be inclusive, that could create

differences and these differences and these differences might cause a return of a civil war. these are the strong words that are used, and if you think about it, sadly, islamists when they had the power in many other countries in the middle east like indonesia, and egypt, and in gaza, and i did myselfan academic research about that, this government didn�*t survive. so, ger pederson is really warning that this government should be inclusive. they are trying to form the government. the government wasn�*t fully formed at the moment but the indications are saying that this government is formed from islamists, from the opposition. we are not sure if it is including the shi�*ah or christians or other factions. thank you so much as ever. let�*s speak to journalist edmund bower, who is currently in damascus.

when did you enter damascus? well, we managed to be one of the first people to come in the evening after the morning of the fall of damascus. so saying that it has changed a lot since then. and as things have developed, it is starting to get back to some sense of normality for the first few days and there was a very heavy military presence. and as things went along, we began to see people come out after a couple of days and people open their shops for the first time. and areas of the city, predominantly, by minority groups, christians, allawites. even those people were telling

me cautiously, people are starting to re—emerge. but they�*re unsure with that. and what damascus is there. and what damascus is there. and what syria will look like in the weeks and months and what changes will bring to their lives. ,., changes will bring to their lives. n, , ., changes will bring to their lives. ,., , ., ., changes will bring to their lives. . , , changes will bring to their lives. , ., lives. do you get a sense that --eole lives. do you get a sense that peeple feel — lives. do you get a sense that people feel some _ lives. do you get a sense that people feel some confidence l people feel some confidence about this new government as it comes together each day. there�*s new elements for them to try to digest? fist there's new elements for them to try to digest?— to try to digest? at this very early stage. _ to try to digest? at this very early stage, there _ to try to digest? at this very early stage, there is - to try to digest? at this very early stage, there is a - early stage, there is a palpable excitement. it is very difficult not to get caught up in it. i am not difficult not to get caught up in it. iam notjust difficult not to get caught up in it. i am notjust speaking just for the syrians but for us as visitors. the suffering which is caused under the assad regime has continued to come to light after its fall, and we�*ve

seen bodies emerge. we�*ve seen perhaps worse than that, we�*ve seen bodies not emerge and thousands of people have remained missing. and in aim that, people were allowed to do all sorts of things that they weren�*t allowed to. right now, i�*m speaking to people and they said that they could never speak to journalists before. said that they could never speak tojournalists before. so i�*m pleased to have the chance. you know, what is useful. and there are other benefits to this. and i think that the sense right now is one of excitement, one of change. but let�*s not and what they�*re worried about with the fall of damascus. we are still in the early stages. and it is difficult to touch people�*s excitement. and i think they

have confidence.— excitement. and i think they have confidence. yes, which is completely _ have confidence. yes, which is completely understandable - have confidence. yes, which is| completely understandable and we do get a real sense that people, as you say, are celebrating, but at the same time, very nervous about what is ahead. there is so much unknown. thank you for talking to us live from damascus, a journalist who was able to enter dam on the weekend. —— damascus on the weekend. let�*s look at other stories. the director of the fbi has said he will step down from hisjob before donald trump takes over the presidency in january. christopher wray will be leaving his post two—and—a—half yea rs early. he�*s faced criticism during his tenure from republicans due to the fbi�*s investigations into mr trump after he left office. let�*s speak to our north america correspondent rowan bridge who�*s in washington for us. it's it�*s interesting, actually. i understand that donald trump has already said how pleased he is about this news.— is about this news. yes, i mean. — is about this news. yes, i mean. he _ is about this news. yes, i mean, he put _ is about this news. yes, i mean, he put a _ is about this news. yes, i mean, he put a post- is about this news. yes, i mean, he put a post on l is about this news. yes, i i mean, he put a post on his social media site, truth

social, saying that how it was a great day for america, and talking about what he called the us department of injustice, which i think gives you a sense of his frustration with the fbi and christopher rey over the way he feels he�*s been dealt with by the organisation. he talked about the weaponisation of the fbi. what is really wrangled donald trump was the role the fbi played in a raid on mar—a—lago — his home in florida, over the investigation into the allegations of the retention of classified documents by donald trump after he left the white house. he was subsequently charged with offences relating to that. it�*s been through a long process, but effectively what happened ultimately was that the special prosecutor in the case has put those charges aside, because you cannot prosecute a sitting president. and donald trump was clearly going to take office on january 20. but that left a lingering resentment over those fbi actions with donald trump and his view of christopher

wray. and his view of christopher wra . ., , , ., and his view of christopher wra . ., , , and his view of christopher wra. ., and his view of christopher wra. wray. now, this is a big 'ob. a lot of powerfi wray. now, this is a big 'ob. a lot of power in i wray. now, this is a big 'ob. a lot of power in the fi wray. now, this is a big job. a lot of power in the hands - wray. now, this is a big job. a lot of power in the hands of. lot of power in the hands of who�*s in charge of the fbi. so who�*s in charge of the fbi. so who might take his place? who's in charge of the fbi. so who might take his place? well, donald trump — who might take his place? well, donald trump says _ who might take his place? well, donald trump says that - who might take his place? well, donald trump says that he - who might take his place? well, | donald trump says that he wants to dominate a guy called kash patel to take over. kash patel started the career as a public defender and then prosecuted terrorism cases and held various behind the scenes roles within the last trump administration. ultimately, he ended up as chief of staff to the acting defence secretary. but i think what his critics would say about kash patel is that the defining characteristic as far as they�*re concerned is that he is seen as a trump loyalist and someone who in their view will do trump�*s bidding. and the concern amongst the critics of kash patel is what will he do with the fbi? how will he use it? there are concerns that kash patel might use the fbi as a political tool. the fbi director is appointed for ten years. the idea is that that

lifts him above the cut and thrust of politics and insulates the fbi and it is able to operate on an independent basis. kash patel�*s critics are concerned that he may use that in a much more politically motivated way than the fbi has been in the past 50 years. the fbi has been in the past 50 ears. , ., ~ years. 0k, interesting, thank ou ve years. 0k, interesting, thank you very much _ years. 0k, interesting, thank you very much for _ years. 0k, interesting, thank you very much for that - years. 0k, interesting, thank you very much for that from i you very much for that from washington. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news.

the children�*s commissioner for england, dame rachel de souza, has said the murder of sara sharif by her father and step—mother highlights the "profound weaknesses" in the child protection system. the 10—year—old had been physically abused for years and social services and the police had been aware of concerns about her family. helena wilkinson reports. sara sharif loved to sing

and play the guitar. she was kind and caring. confident and chatty. but in august last year, she was murdered after months of brutal violence. after a trial at the old bailey, herfatherand her bailey, her father and her stepmother were bailey, herfatherand her stepmother were found guilty of her murder. after sara died, they abandoned her body at the family�*s surrey home and fled to pakistan. it was from there where sara�*s father called the police. where sara's father called the olice. ., ., ., , where sara's father called the olice. ., . ., , police. your daughter has died? yes, my daughter. _ police. your daughter has died? yes, my daughter. i— police. your daughter has died? yes, my daughter. i killed - police. your daughter has died? yes, my daughter. i killed my. yes, my daughter. i killed my daughteh _ yes, my daughter. i killed my daughter. it yes, my daughter. i killed my daughter-— daughter. it was that call which led _ daughter. it was that call which led police - daughter. it was that call which led police to - daughter. it was that call which led police to the i daughter. it was that call - which led police to the family home where upstairs, in a bunk bed covered in a blanket, they found sara�*s body. herfather had left this note. it said, "it's had left this note. it said, "it�*s me, who killed my daughter by beating." after a month on the run in pakistan

sara�*s father and stepmother and uncle returned to the uk and uncle returned to the uk and were arrested. they all gave no comment interviews to police. gave no comment interviews to olice. ~ ., ., ., ., police. who did that to sara? no comment. _ police. who did that to sara? no comment. did _ police. who did that to sara? no comment. did you - police. who did that to sara? no comment. did you love i police. who did that to sara? i no comment. did you love sara? no comment. did you love sara? no comment- — no comment. did you love sara? no comment. did _ no comment. did you love sara? no comment. did you _ no comment. did you love sara? no comment. did you love i no comment. did you love sara? no comment. did you love her. no comment. did you love sara? no comment. did you love her at all? no comment. _ no comment. did you love her at all? no comment. a _ no comment. did you love her at. all? no comment. a post-mortem examination _ all? no comment. a post-mortem examination found _ all? no comment. a post-mortem examination found that _ all? no comment. a post-mortem examination found that sara i all? no comment. a post-mortem examination found that sara had i examination found that sara had around 100 injuries, including broken bones, bruising, burns and bite marks. during searches, police found this cricket bat with sara�*s blood on it, and this white metal pole which sara�*s father hit her with as she lay dying. during the trial, irfan sharif dramatically changed the evidence in the witness box. he ended up admitting to beatening his daughter repeatedly and 1526 00