to prepare for the threat of a conflict with russia. and scientists discover how neanderthals played a key role in the survival of early humans a8,000 years ago. hello and welcome to bbc news. i'm lukwesa burak. syria's new administration in damascus has announced a 3—month transition period during which parliament and the constitution will be suspended. meetings will start next week between the newly appointed cabinet and former ministers of the assad regime to smooth the transfer of power. meanwhile the us secretary of state, antony blinken, has held talks in turkey with president erdogan on establishing stability in syria. officials said the two men

supported a syrian—led political transition leading to an accountable and inclusive government. it comes as syrians continue to search prisons and hospitals for news of missing loved ones, who disappeared during assad's repressive rule. from damascus, our international editor jeremy bowen reports — and a warning there are some details you may find distressing. they have to find the missing and identify the dead before they can build a new syria. 35 more bodies of men killed in prison have arrived at the mortuary, and the hospital mortuary is full. the only way to find a missing son, father, or brother is to look for yourself. translation: it is painful. at the same time we have hope. even if we find him between the bodies, anything, as long as he is not missing.

we want to find something of him. we want to know what happened to him. we need an end to this. the examination room is full of bodies too. if they can't be identified easily the medics take tissue samples, building up evidence for dna tests and future prosecutions. have you managed to find out how these men died? most of... sometimes because of fractures, the bodies are not good shape, hard to say the exact reasons, but they have suffered from fractures. so, they have been beaten? yes, we think so. i came here yesterday. this was very difficult for me. what future... we hope it will be better, but this is really hard. the presidential palace built high on a crag above damascus

where it can be seen across the city embodies the arrogance of the assads who broke syria to try to save their regime. it might not be possible to put this fractured country back together. in 2015, i met bashar al—assad at guest palace in the presidential compound. his successors need to act fast to undo the legacy of the war he chose to fight. the same corridor is now a patch of quiet, in a country full of weapons, anger, poverty and calls for vengeance with dozens of armed groups who want their own slice of the syria assad left in pieces. he was extravagantly polite in quite an old—fashioned way. coming into the room, he would leap up off the sofa, then on the way out he would say "after you", then they would hold back the door and walk out first. he didn't seem to be a guy

who would be at home in a torture centre, but he certainly seemed to be a guy who would be very happy giving the orders to get people tortured and killed. on a wall outside mustahed hospital in damascus, the photos of dead men. it is hard to see the person they knew in a gallery of smashed and decomposing faces. the families of the missing get as close as they can, and often all they have are the names and places where they were last seen. mahmoud... sabar, 2012. ahmed, raqqa, 2013. ali, damascus, 2015. 50 years of the assads,

50 years of incarceration, of disappearances, of executions. 50 years of cruelty to the families, the prisoners, to the syrian people. these people want information. they want a body to bury, and they want a reckoning. "my husband ibrahim", she's saying, "taken in 2012." everyone had a photo, name and a date. the regime drilled so much pain into syrians that some here are terrified assad could even return. a new syria needs to deliver lives without fear. jeremy bowen, bbc news, damascus. with me is mohamed taha from bbc arabic. hello. hello, welcome back. 0h, hello. hello, welcome back. oh, thank ou! hello. hello, welcome back. oh, thank ou!| hello. hello, welcome back. oh, thank ou! iwonder hello. hello, welcome back. oh, thank ou! iwonder if hello. hello, welcome back. oh, thank ou! iwonderifwe hello. hello, welcome back. oh, thank ou! i wonder if we could thank you! i wonder if we could start off first with — what more can you tell us about this new transition period? the new

administration? the new administration in syria, the new rulers are trying to advance into having a civil authority in the country. they suspended the constitution, which is the constitution, which is the constitution of the assad regime, and also they suspended the parliament in the hope in the parliament in the hope in the three coming months that they would a new constitution, and having establishing a kind of democratic rule, democratic institutions instead. the challenge here that all the forces, all of the neighbours of syria are warning of and they are trying to see that. they want to see that this new constitution and the new institutions would include everyone. so the question is — would the new constitution would the new constitution would be applied to the areas

that are controlled by the kurdish troops in northern syria — would be applied to the areas that are controlled where the troops are loyal to turkey. would it be applied also to the russian air bases that are in syria? what this constitution would address and to what extent it would be inclusive. and i'm sure that these are questions that antony blinken is also addressing. he's been holding talks with turkey, but also jordan? holding talks with turkey, but alsojordan? at}! holding talks with turkey, but also jordan?— holding talks with turkey, but also jordan? of course, antony blinken, the — also jordan? of course, antony blinken, the region, _ also jordan? of course, antony blinken, the region, jack - blinken, the region, jack sullivan, the advisor in the white house in israel — this american moves in the region at the moment are trying to end the moment are trying to end the rule or the... for biden�*s time in the white house in a calm situation at least in the middle east. they are trying to

make sure to be in communication with the new rulers in syria to make sure that the situation would advance in a stable way, and they want to ensure also that they want to ensure also that the ceasefire with hezbollah is holding, and they are hoping to do a ceasefire also in gaza. figs do a ceasefire also in gaza. as ever, thank you very much indeed. lovely to see you again. let's speak to sahar razavi, director of the iranian and middle eastern studies center at california state university. hello and welcome to the programme. many people are starting to look at what a new syria will look like. i mean, where are we? what are the main priorities that are going to have to be put in place? the to have to be put in place? the tap priority _ have to be put in place? the top priority right _ have to be put in place? tue: top priority right now have to be put in place? tte: top priority right now for the group that is governing syria very tenuously at the moment is legitimacy. at this moment, everyone knows how split syria

has been. everyone knows how many groups have been vying for power. many of them, of course, sharing the ultimate goal of toppling the assad regime, which they havefully done. but at this point, the goalfor them to to establish legitimacy internally and externally. they know that they need backing, not only from the domestic population, but from the international community in order to transition to what is a viable government in the long—run. a viable government in the long-rum— a viable government in the long-run. a viable government in the iona-run. ., ., long-run. 0k, and the role, i sunspose. _ long-run. 0k, and the role, i sunspose. of— long-run. 0k, and the role, i suppose, of the _ long-run. 0k, and the role, i suppose, of the likes - long-run. 0k, and the role, i suppose, of the likes of - long-run. 0k, and the role, i. suppose, of the likes of turkey - i suppose, of the likes of turkey — i mean, they have so far played a very prominent role in this. certainly, the us in talks about what happened next? absolutely. turkey has been in the past a sporadic supporter of this group, and this group itself, hayat tahrir al—sham, is a very — it's a conglomerate of a bunch of different groups who have merged together. so we have sometimes some tensions within the group for that

reason as well. and those tensions play out in its alliances with other countries. they also know very well that external forces like israel, which is currently engaging in a bombing campaign of damascus and other sites in syria, and the united states and ukraine — there are many different external forces that have backed their opposition in the past. so it's really important for them now to make sure that they are creating a unifieded kind of space domestically, as well as to try to create a buffer around themselves so that they can marshal their allies in support of the new government.— government. and 'ust very . uickl government. and 'ust very quickly - h government. and 'ust very quickly-youh government. and just very quickly - you have - government. and just very quickly - you have alluded| government. and just very i quickly - you have alluded to quickly — you have alluded to just how complicated it is in terms of the political side of things, and the sheer number of groups and actors in syria. just give us a brief

description.- just give us a brief descri tion. ~ , . description. well, since the beginning _ description. well, since the beginning of— description. well, since the beginning of the _ description. well, since the beginning of the sirian - description. well, since the beginning of the sirian civil| beginning of the sirian civil war, there have been dozens of groups, dozens of opposition groups, dozens of opposition groups — notjust opposition groups, including groups that were aligned to the assad regime. so this is one of the reasons that it has been so deeply complex and difficult for people to navigate — not only observers but also those external actors that up mentioned. any time — for example, i'm in the united states, so it's an easy example to give. any time the united states wanted to put their thumb on the scale and create a force toward a particular outcome — any time they would support one group, there were at least two other nodes — not necessarily a group in particular, but there were always three nodes. it was a sort of triangular conflict where you had the regime

loyalists,s assad forces and then islamist opposition and then islamist opposition and then secular nationalist opposition. and within those three nodes, there were many, many different groups within each of those nodes. so each time, just as an example, the united states would try to support one node, it would inadvertently, or against its own interests, it would be supporting one of its enemies by weakening the opposition of its enemies. does that make sense? so this is why it has always been very difficult conflict for people to navigate, and this is why various political leaders over the years have said that a military solution was not really feasible — that it would have to be a political solution in the end. abs, have to be a political solution in the end-— in the end. a difficult question _ in the end. a difficult question to - in the end. a difficult question to answer i in the end. a difficult| question to answer in in the end. a difficult l question to answer in a in the end. a difficult - question to answer in a small amount of time, but thank you very much indeed for that. thank you. my thank you. my pleasure, thank you for talking to me. the head of nato, has warned the alliance isn't ready for the threats it will face from russia — and called for a shift

to a wartime mindset. mark rutte said future spending would need to be considerably higher than the current target of 2% of national wealth. our europe editor, katya adler, has been speaking to mr rutte — and sent us this update from brussels. the timing of this speech has also got to do with donald trump being re—elected to the white house. he's known at not being a fan of nato's, and that is putting it politely. he views some european countries as freeloader, and he knows that this content still relies heavily on us for its security. my heavily on us for its security. my plea here is — if you have children and grandchildren, if you think our way of life should be preserved, democracy, our values, then we have to priorityise defence. the united states, donald _ priorityise defence. the united states, donald trump - - priorityise defence. the united states, donald trump - he - priorityise defence. the united| states, donald trump - he says states, donald trump — he says europe has to pay its way. are you worried if europe doesn't up you worried if europe doesn't up its spending that he could turn his back on this transatlantic alliance? but, we

will spend _ transatlantic alliance? but, we will spend more _ transatlantic alliance? but, we will spend more are _ transatlantic alliance? but, we will spend more are you - transatlantic alliance? but, we i will spend more are you worried that he might — will spend more are you worried that he might turn _ will spend more are you worried that he might turn his _ will spend more are you worried that he might turn his back, - that he might turn his back, though? that he might turn his back, thou~h? ., �* ., though? no, i'm not. because it won't come _ though? no, i'm not. because it won't come to — though? no, i'm not. because it won't come to that. _ though? no, i'm not. because it won't come to that. and - though? no, i'm not. because it won't come to that. and i - though? no, i'm not. because it won't come to that. and i don'tl won't come to that. and i don't want to spend more because of donald trump. so he's right, we have to spend more. absolutely. he was right. he is still right. so it's not just right. so it's notjust about conventional warfare or ukraine for mark rutte. it's about cyber attacks. for mark rutte. it's about cyberattacks. it's for mark rutte. it's about cyber attacks. it's about disinformation. it's about attacks on critical infrastructure like energy or the underwater cables that are used for billions of pounds of transactions a day. his basic message — cough up a bit more now or risk paying dearly now if we don't protect ourselves. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news.

president biden has issued a raft of pardons and sentence commutations — the biggest single day act of clemency in modern us history.

1,500 people saw their sentences downgraded. nearly a0 non—violent criminals had theirs written off. the decision to grant mass clemency follows a backlash over the pardon the outgoing president gave to his son, hunter, for gun and tax offences. here's our north america correspondent david willis. not sincejimmy not since jimmy carter on not sincejimmy carter on his first full day in office granted a blanket pardon to those found guilty of evading the vietnam war draft have so many people been granted clemency on the same day. the 39 people pardoned by president biden were all found guilty of individual offences — all nonviolent, and in many cases, marijuana related. and a statement quoted president

biden as saying "america was built on the promise of second chances." adding that all those who had been granted clemency had been successfully rehabilitated and had proven that they were deserving of a second chance. all of this comes, of course, just over a week after president biden issued an unconditional pardon to his son, hunter, who had been found guilty of tax evasion and gun charges — a move that sparked condemnation from even several in his own party as well, of course, as the republicans. now, the white house has said that it is, in its words, "continuing to review claims for clemency". the suggestion being that more pardons could be issued in the five or so weeks thatjoe biden has left in the white house. the man who will be taking over

from him, president—elect donald trump, has said that he intends to pardon many of those who were involved in the insurrection at the us capitol building onjanuary six, 2021, within hours of taking office. mr trump has within hours of taking office. mrtrump has taken within hours of taking office. mr trump has taken to calling them thej6 hostages and said that he believes that many of them do not deserve to be in jail. the leading french fashion house chanel has appointed a new creative director in what's described as the hottest role in the industry. the top job has gone to matthieu blazy, the current design chief of italian luxury fashion house, bottega veneta. the high—profile role at chanel has been left vacant sincejune, after the abrupt departure of virginie viard. many say this choice signals a new aesthetic for the privately—owned brand , which is famous for tweed jackets, double—c logos

and the iconic no 5 perfume. for more on this, let's speak to sarah ball, she's editor in chief of wsj magazine at the wall street journal. hello, sarah. first off, just tell us about matthieu? tell us about matthieu ? matthieu tell us about matthieu? matthieu is there, but he's had an outstanding run in bottega veneta where he's been a real critic's darling. especially for trick of the eye a fabrications with leather. so chanel being obviously hugely i willed —— premised around accessories and he showed huge flare one it comes to leather. he is a ao—year—old obsessed with craft — a true artistic soul. so an unusual choice, perhaps, for an absolute

megabrand like chanel — the second biggest luxury brand in the world. t second biggest luxury brand in the world-— second biggest luxury brand in the world. ., ., _, , the world. i mean, chanel comes with a certain _ the world. i mean, chanel comes with a certain heritage, _ with a certain heritage, doesn't it. does this mark a new direction for the brand? could there be some pit falls there? t could there be some pit falls there? ~ ., . ., there? i think a new direction, certainly- _ there? i think a new direction, certainly- i _ there? i think a new direction, certainly. i think _ there? i think a new direction, certainly. i think that - there? i think a new direction, certainly. i think that people l certainly. i think that people are looking already excitedly, in a kind of veryjaded crowd thatis in a kind of veryjaded crowd that is fashion, looking very excitedly to see what he does with the signatures of the chanel house. the camillia, the tweed, the crossed cs. what will they that be like in the hands of a craftman's craftsman like matthieu. but in terms of pit falls? i think that people are excited to see it. it represents a serious investment and a risky and exciting choice by the house and this is somebody that they think that they can cultivate for decades in the likes of karl lagerfeld

who was appointed in the 1980s but passed away. this is someone who could have a similar career arc, provided things go well. 50 similar career arc, provided things go well.— similar career arc, provided things go well. so what did he do? what _ things go well. so what did he do? what did _ things go well. so what did he do? what did he _ things go well. so what did he do? what did he achieve - things go well. so what did he do? what did he achieve at i do? what did he achieve at bottega? what are they losing? i think that he made signature motifs of that brand new and interesting. they're known for the —— interwoven motifs but he reignited the craftsmanship. and they're gaining a very exciting creative director with louise trotter and people are again celebrating that appointment. so what they lose in momentum — i don't know. i think that there is a feeling that the momentum continues. certainly, i know carrying as a parent company will feel the loss of him significantly. he is a very exciting artistic director, matthieu.-

is a very exciting artistic director, matthieu. you said that it is _ director, matthieu. you said that it is a — director, matthieu. you said that it is a very _ director, matthieu. you said that it is a veryjaded - director, matthieu. you saidi that it is a veryjaded crowd. yes. that it is a very 'aded crowd. yes. , , that it is a very 'aded crowd. yes. �* , , . , that it is a very 'aded crowd. yes. , ,. , ., yes. just describe the fashion environment _ yes. just describe the fashion environment for _ yes. just describe the fashion environment for us _ yes. just describe the fashion environment for us at - yes. just describe the fashion environment for us at the - environment for us at the moment, particularly at the top level? . �* , moment, particularly at the top level? . v . moment, particularly at the top level? ., �* , ., ., level? that's a wonderful question- _ level? that's a wonderful question. so _ level? that's a wonderful question. so this - level? that's a wonderful question. so this is - level? that's a wonderful- question. so this is considered one of the most volatile times in the fashion upper echelons in the fashion upper echelons in decades. there are seven open positions, or have been seven open positions — chanel being the most notable. and there's a kind of a jaded air that fashion people have taken on in discussing the vacancies and the appointments. but i think that the matthieu appointment really speaks to igniting that child—like enthusiasm and excitement for what could this incredible legacy house married with this young, this millenial artistic director really produce? i think that that is an exciting collision of forces that really disrupts that kind ofjaded side that the fashion classes might give. side that the fashion classes might give-— might give. fascinating conversation. - might give. fascinating conversation. yeah, . might give. fascinating l conversation. yeah, we'll might give. fascinating - conversation. yeah, we'll see what happens. conversation. yeah, we'll see what happens-— conversation. yeah, we'll see i what happens._ thank what happens. thank you. thank ou ve what happens. thank you. thank you very much- _

scientists say they've discovered that inter—breeding between neanderthals and early humans — while migrating from africa to europe around a8,000 years ago was critical to the success of our species. the study suggests the genes modern humans inherited from neanderthals, may have helped our ancestors adapt to life away from africa. pallab ghosh, has the details. our kind evolved into various different types of human, but why were we the only ones to survive? the answer lies in the dna scientists extracted from ancient fossil remains. they show that our species, modern humans, died out several times. so, often, we are seeing ourselves — modern humans — as a big story of success, coming out of africa 50,000 years ago, moving all over the world, expanding into all kind of ecosystems and really being the kind of, like, most successful mammal on the planet. but that actually shows that at that time, we were not, right?

we got extinct multiple times in different ecosystems or areas, continents like europe that we moved into. our species, homo sapiens, evolved in africa around 200,000 years ago. a large wave began to leave the continent around 60,000 years ago, running into the neanderthals on the way, and began to spread across the globe. the new research shows that around a8,000 years ago, those leaving africa interbred with the neanderthals who lived in the middle east and europe, and their offspring also migrated. the scientists found that those who arrived before the interbreeding went extinct. you can see straight away the shape of the skull is different. the results, which have been in the journals nature and science, have surprised independent experts. perhaps getting neanderthal dna was even part of the success, because it gave us better adaptive capabilities outside of africa because we had

evolved in africa in an african environment. these other populations, like neanderthals, had evolved outside of africa and they had, for example, immune defences to the local diseases and pathogens. by interbreeding with the neanderthals, we got a quick fix to our immune systems. the analysis of ancient dna has lifted a veil on the mysterious story about evolution. that story has today been rewritten. pallab ghosh, bbc news. isn't that fascinating. business news coming up shortly right here on bbc news. hello. thursday was a very grey, gloomy day, really — a lot of low cloud, some mist, some hill fog and some drizzle. in fact, during thursday, we actually had a weak warm front that moved across england, introducing some more

humid air — and that's what resulted in the drizzle. at the moment, the computers are underdoing the amount of drizzle out there as well. it's pretty extensive, really, across much of england, into parts of eastern wales, and we've got mist and fog patches around as well. frost is relatively rare but there are a few patches in scotland — that's where the lowest temperatures are heading into friday. now, the next 36 hours sees this cold front dive southwards. that's going to introduce some patches of rain and again, some slightly colder air following that feature through for a time. here's the weather picture, then, into friday. we start off grey and gloomy with some low cloud, some hill fog patches and remember that extensive drizzle — england, eastern areas of wales, there'll be a few patches elsewhere, too. now, through the day, we get this weather front move into the northwest of scotland. that will bring some heavier rain and the winds will tend to pick up here. for most, temperatures will range between six and eight celsius but there will be some colder spots in scotland. heading into the weekend, we'll get this cold front move southwards. it's going to be very weak, bringing some patches of rain, some colder air following that through during saturday.

but as the front pushes southwards, taking the patchy rain with it, actually, behind that feature, it'll be a much brighter kind of day with a slice of sunshine for a time before we see the next system start to move into western scotland and northern ireland with cloudier weather returning back into the afternoon, so grab the sunshine when it does appear in the sky. now, heading into sunday, we see a big change in the weather patterns as these milder southwesterly winds start to move in off the atlantic — and these are here to stay for quite some time. now, sunday itself will probably have quite a lot of cloud, still with some bits and pieces of rain left over across western areas of the country. there'll be a few breaks here and there, so you might see some glimpses of sunshine but overall, it looks like it'll be turning cloudier and we've got some heavy rain that will end up across the northwest of scotland. temperatures, though, much, much higher — 11—13 degrees, turning a great deal milder. and that milder weather is here to stay next week as well but often, as we see at this time of year with these kind of mild weather spells,

we often have a lot of cloud and bits and pieces of rain and that's certainly in the forecast next week.

the united kingdom will join the cp—tpp trade block this weekend — but what benefits will it bring?

ringing in a new era — president elect donald trump opens the us stock market. india is considering imposing a temporary tax on imported steel, to counter cheap chinese import. and time for a drink? we talk to the man who built a hospitality empire without any previous experience in the trade. hello there. live from london, this is business today. i'm lukwesa burak. and we start here in the uk because this weekend britain will join the comprehensive and progressive agreement for trans—pacific partnership — or cptpp for short. quite a mouthful. this means it will be able to trade, tariff—free, with japan, singapore, chile, new zealand, vietnam, peru, malaysia and brunei. later in this month australia

will also be added to the list.