an american man is found wandering near damascus. uk prime minister says questions need to be answered after the murder. and these are live pictures from the us stock exchange were in 30 minutes the president elect donald trump will open trading. welcome to bbc news. to make amendments to how the

country is run over a three month transition period. 0ur chief international correspondent has been looking at the picture across the country. she is in the capital damascus. country. she is in the capital damascus-— country. she is in the capital damascu— country. she is in the capital damascus. ~ , damascus. with every day, there is a clear sign — damascus. with every day, there is a clear sign to _ damascus. with every day, there is a clear sign to syrians - damascus. with every day, there is a clear sign to syrians and - is a clear sign to syrians and around the world, what kind of emergence is happening in the country? after decades of real by the assad family, it has been announced in the last hour that the constitution and the parliament will be suspended for three months. another move by the government to see all of this is temporary, which leads syrian people to ask what comes next? they have welcomed the decision by a number of arab states, as well as italy, to reopen their missions here in the capital and also rear assurances from qatar and turkey that they will reopen

embassies. it is a sign to the new authorities, some who are on international sanctions on the terrorism watch list that this is a recognition of their rule. well, this rule is also taking shape across the country. we have coverage from across syria with our correspondence, including in the northern city of aleppo, which is where the rebels began their unlikely advanced across this country before they took power in the capital, but also from the coastal area, a stronghold of the assad family. let's bring our to correspondence in. first to ou, correspondence in. first to you. hug0- _ correspondence in. first to you, hugo. what _ correspondence in. first to you, hugo. what kind - correspondence in. first to you, hugo. what kind of i correspondence in. first to . you, hugo. what kind of order is taking shape in aleppo? fix, is taking shape in aleppo? lot of people would be paying attention to what happens here in aleppo because this was the first major city to be captured by the rebels in that

astonishing offensive earlier this month. it is busy. as you can see, this is the main square in central aleppo. i want to show you the poster here. this is a poster i found across the city. there is a qr code that people can scan with their records to get access to information about public services. so there is an effort from the new authorities here to show that they are very much in power. there are also new signs in the city. i came to aleppo for the first time when i was a student 16 years ago. i remember there were posters and billboards with the face of bashar al—assad in public squares like this one, government buildings, streets and there was a billboard just days ago with the face of bashar al—assad over there. it has now been destroyed. posters are being removed. this is a sign that people want to forget the memories of five decades of

repression, violence, brutality from the assad regime. 0bviously, from the assad regime. obviously, as people here are celebrating, they say they are very happy for the fall of the regime and happy for the future, many are concerned about what is going to happen next. ., ., , next. the old order being brought _ next. the old order being brought down _ next. the old order being brought down and - next. the old order being brought down and a - next. the old order being brought down and a newl next. the old order being i brought down and a new one being built, let's cross to the mediterranean coast, which is the former stronghold not just of the assad family but also of the minority, many who supported the assad family. quentin somerville joins us now. give us a sense of what it looks like on the ground now. well, you are right. this was the heartland of the assad regime. what was interesting as we were driving through here, all over the roads for many, many miles, there were hundreds

of abandoned military vehicles and it appears many of the regimes supporters, many of the henchmen, headed towards here to try and escape and two, i guess, they believed they would be safe here. as we were also making thatjourney, there were lots of hts fighters in vehicles heading towards the city to show their dominance. this was once a regime stronghold and it is not longer a regime stronghold. in the city there will be a lot of nervousness about the consequences that this area will face because of the support for the resume. hts have said there should be no revenge attacks, lynchings or summary executions in response to the resume plasma control. from what we have seen in this

area, we have seen anyone who is carrying out those attacks will be punished. there is a real fear will be punished. there is a realfear here. some people are glad here that assad will be gone but many people fear they will pay the price of supporting the assad family and the regime. we supporting the assad family and the regime-— supporting the assad family and the regime-_ the regime. we can lick a little bit _ the regime. we can lick a little bit more _ the regime. we can lick a little bit more at - the regime. we can lick a little bit more at the - the regime. we can lick a i little bit more at the future now of the justice system. we also spoke to the founder of the syrian network for human rights. the syrian network for human riahts. ~ ., the syrian network for human riahts. ~ . , ., rights. what it is important for us, rights. what it is important for us. the _ rights. what it is important for us, the main _ rights. what it is important for us, the main things - rights. what it is important for us, the main things is l rights. what it is important i for us, the main things is how this new authority will act and behave. especially against the assad lawyers, especially against the assad army. we need them to be subject to a fair trial, not to be tortured or disappeared, as it did with approximately hundred and 36,000 syrians we have reported in the last ia years. for

36,000 syrians we have reported in the last 14 years.— in the last 14 years. for years now, in the last 14 years. for years new. as _ in the last 14 years. for years new. as you _ in the last 14 years. for years now, as you know, _ in the last 14 years. for years now, as you know, groups. in the last 14 years. for years | now, as you know, groups like years have been collecting evidence, names, of the people held responsible for the litany of war crimes here. give us a sense of how many people could have been involved over the decades. have been involved over the decades-_ decades. there are heinous amounts — decades. there are heinous amounts of _ decades. there are heinous amounts of violations, - decades. there are heinous amounts of violations, a . amounts of violations, a tremendous amount, including forced disappearance and others. we have been monitoring over the last ia years from our team inside syria. we used to link there was to the individual. we have a database for approximately 6000 officers who were involved. for sure, i think we need to target the first, or maximum the second rank, from assad hierarchy. to

hold those accountable. bind rank, from assad hierarchy. to hold those accountable. and do ou hold those accountable. and do you exoeet _ hold those accountable. and do you exoeet this _ hold those accountable. and do you expect this kind _ hold those accountable. and do you expect this kind of - hold those accountable. and do you expect this kind of pursuit i you expect this kind of pursuit ofjustice you expect this kind of pursuit of justice will you expect this kind of pursuit ofjustice will be pursued primarily here in syria. there has been evidence deposited in national and international courts around the world. i think it is better to be a mixed court, national and with support with international effort to be in syria. 0ur effort to be in syria. our experience with international court is not encouraging, as it needs a lot of time and years due to bureaucracy. it is better to be a local mixed court inside syria and it is even better to send a message to the syrians themselves. this needs reform, first of all the

constitution, and then we need independentjurisdiction to prosecute also even if someone in this new authority committed violation, this court should hold him accountable, so the accountability is not only for the victorious, for whom he won the victorious, for whom he won the war, no, for all syrians. this is the key message, actually. this is the key message, actually-— this is the key message, actually. this is the key message, actuall . ~ ., ., ., , actually. we are going to be back on the _ actually. we are going to be back on the subject - actually. we are going to be back on the subject in - actually. we are going to be back on the subject in syria | actually. we are going to be | back on the subject in syria in just a moment from someone who returned from the country today. but let's go to the us, donald trump has been named time person of the year for the second time.— second time. you are going to be great- _ second time. you are going to be great- iten _ second time. you are going to be great. ben carson - second time. you are going to be great. ben carson is - second time. you are going to be great. ben carson is your l be great. ben carson is your biggest fan in the world. ben has been with us for a long time and has done a fantastic job. ladies and gentlemen, we

are going to put it straight. we are going to give tremendous incentive, like no other country has. we are cutting your taxes, we got them down to 21% from probably aa%, depending on where you are. we got them down to 21. now everyone said that was a miracle. we are getting it down to 15, only if you make your products here. otherwise, you pay 21. ie: products here. otherwise, you -a 21. ' , , products here. otherwise, you -a 21. , products here. otherwise, you -a 21., ., pay 21. 15 brings you down below. donald _ pay 21. 15 brings you down below. donald trump - pay 21. 15 brings you down j below. donald trump they pay 21. 15 brings you down - below. donald trump they are speaking about his plans for the economy, are some of them when he returns to the white house next month. let's return now to the situation in syria. we can go live to idlib to the north of the country and speak to a humanitarian activist. thank you very much forjoining us on bbc news today. you have literallyjust returned to syria after ten years away. how does it feel to be back?- does it feel to be back? yes, for me. _ does it feel to be back? yes, for me. this _ does it feel to be back? yes, for me, this is _ does it feel to be back? yes, for me, this is my _ does it feel to be back? yes, for me, this is my first - does it feel to be back? yes,

for me, this is my first time | for me, this is my first time going back as a syrian. to my country. i left my city since 201a, it is in syria, the east of syria. i went back many times to syria, but as a humanitarian worker, i was working with the white helmets. i didn't feel like it was my country. this is the way i should live. but now i crossed the border, i saw thousands of refugees and they wantjust the border, i saw thousands of refugees and they want just to go back to their country. for me, this is a huge number of syrians ijust waiting to go back and crossing the border to syria. it is my first time to see the sky without air

strikes. this is my first time to feel safe and feel like i can, there is the ability to go back to syria. i start to believe. i don't want to be too optimistic but i start to believe we are not refugees optimistic but i sta