this is the scene live in damascus as regional and international powers step up engagement with syria's new rulers. those displaced begin returning home and with a hope to rebuild. many have already crossed the borders from different borders to come back and settle here, but for this to be rebuilt, it needs international support, not the syrian one only. the archbishop of york apologises for not acting sooner in a sex abuse case — as pressure grows for him to resign, days before he's set to take temporary charge of the church of england. hello, i'm lucy hockings. welcome to bbc news now, three hours of fast—moving news, interviews and reaction.

let's take you live to the bundestag in berlin as germany's political and economic crisis deepens. chancellor olaf scholz faces a vote of no confidence — it's a vote he wants to lose so as to trigger the process towards an early election in february, in the hope that he can weather a political crisis and win a second term. germany's coalition government collapsed last month after a row about spending, which led to the chancellor sacking his finance minister christian lindner. chancellor scholz is speaking now ahead of that vote. we'll bring the result live to you here on bbc news. and ahead of that, we'll get more analysis on the significance of this — notjust for germany, europe's largest economy, but on the impact for the continent.

we will be talking about that throughout the day. let's now bring you right up to date about what is happening in mayotte. it's taken more than a day — but the scale of the disaster brought to the french overseas territory by cyclone chido is starting to emerge — �*and the reports and the reports are horrifying. senior officials say they fear hundreds are dead — and over the next few days, as they try to reach devastated areas — they say that figure could rise to several thousand. roads have been cut, shanty towns flattened, the main airport is closed and supplies of electricity and fresh water have been cut. that's all the result of the 140 miles per hour winds which the cyclone brought to the territory over the weekend. to make things worse, the central hospital has suffered what's described as significant damage — making it harder to care

for injured survivors. only small parts of it are operational at the moment. they are still struggling as well to reach those who have been injured and the scale of this is only really started to emerge at the moment. mayotte is a french overseas territory — an island in the indian ocean. with has a population of around 300,000 people. it lies in the north of the mozambique channel off the coast of south east africa, between madagascar and mozambique. the french interior minister, bruno retailleau, arrived on the island earlier, and briefed the staff on the relief efforts sent to mayotte. it was a pretty moving briefing that he gave. have a listen. translation: we have mountains to move ahead of us. _ this task, i know it, will be daunting. it will be very

emotionalfor many of you here. so please, do not panic. stay professional, focused and communicate with one another. the key here in our relief operation is to coordinate in the best way possible to make sure we are the most efficient to help those who need it the most. icoming i coming message there, speaking to those involved in trying to look for survivors and also begin the clean—up and help people there. —— a calming message. let's give you some background information about mayotte. mayotte is one of the poorest parts of french territory. around three quarters of the island's population live below the french poverty line. the unemployment rate is about one in three. at least a third of the territory's 320,000 residents live in shantytowns. john balloz is a 39—year—old musician and composer. he's from comoros in east africa, and is seeking

asylum in mayotte. here's his experience of the cyclone. translation: it was - the wind, the wind blowing and i was panicked. i screamed, "we need help, we need help!" i was screaming because i could see the end coming for me. we have to tell you, it is very difficult to get through to mayotte at the moment. a lot of lines are down, as you can imagine. we are getting a little bit of information here and there that describe how bad things are. let's speak to jean—francois corty, president of medecins du monde who has visited mayotte before. he is in close contact with people there. just tell us what you are hearing from mayotte at the moment? it you are hearing from mayotte at the moment?— the moment? it is a huge catastrophe. _ the moment? it is a huge catastrophe. our - the moment? it is a huge i catastrophe. our coordinator the moment? it is a huge - catastrophe. our coordinator do not have the capacity to reach all of the members of our teams

so we are still very confused about what is happening for our friends on the field. it is a huge emergency because as you said, the majority of it has been destroyed because of the violence of the cyclone. we are in the context where access is a chronicle issue and now it has increased because of the catastrophe cyclone. it will be difficult because this island needs importation. also, because of the health system being completely destroyed apart from the hospital in the capital, where people can reach some medicalfacility capital, where people can reach some medical facility but it is a very poor place. the majority of people are without legal papers, they are afraid to move because of the risk of expulsion so the humanitarian contacts is very tense. we expulsion so the humanitarian contacts is very tense.- contacts is very tense. we are caettin contacts is very tense. we are getting different _

contacts is very tense. we are getting different figures - contacts is very tense. we are getting different figures of. getting different figures of those who have may have died, from a few hundred to some fear it may be a few thousand force of that is a massive number. many people have been displaced. what is your main concern for them? is it very basic things that there is no access to clean water? yes, the fact is that _ access to clean water? yes, the fact is that we _ access to clean water? yes, the fact is that we have _ access to clean water? yes, the fact is that we have to - access to clean water? yes, the fact is that we have to respond l fact is that we have to respond today and we will send a few teams on the field. we have to respond to the emergency situation through providing clean water and also food and also respond to the emergency medical issue like helping people and also providing support to people with chronic diseases like diabetes and cancer. and also the risk of epidemic problem. in most natural disasters, there are not every time some epidemic issues but in this place, that issues but in this place, that is cholera, which is a disease

which had an epidemic abs are not so long ago. —— an epidemic episode. many times, this island has faced a cholera issue. because of this catastrophic event, the access to clean water is more difficult and so there is a real risk of cholera epidemic issue because of the difficulty to have access to clean water to have access to clean water to drink but also for sanitation and to clean yourself. so we are also very concerned about the food access, the water access, that will deal with patients who are afraid to move because of the expulsion but also afraid of the real risk of epidemic cholera issue.— the real risk of epidemic cholera issue. , ., ., , ., cholera issue. just to ask you as well, cholera _ cholera issue. just to ask you as well, cholera was - cholera issue. just to ask you as well, cholera was alreadyl as well, cholera was already there, obviously concerns now

that could be exacerbated because of what is happening as a result of the cyclone. but what about that main hospital? do you know if any of any other hospital are still operational and functioning?— and functioning? yes, the hospital— and functioning? yes, the hospital is _ and functioning? yes, the hospital is still _ and functioning? yes, the l hospital is still functioning, evenif hospital is still functioning, even if a part of it has been destroyed by the cyclone but it is still functioning. it is a place where there are a lot of maternity issues and a lot of delivery. but all around, we talk about something like 20 or 30 health posts and the majority of them have been destroyed but we don't have all the information already. so as i told you before, we are also concerned about how we will deal with the clinical diseases the patients that are far from the patients that are far from the hospital, which is based in the hospital, which is based in the centre of the capital so

there is a real concern about continuing the risk of epidemic which is a real risk for the island. , . ., _, , which is a real risk for the island. . ., , ., , island. jean-francois corty, thank you — island. jean-francois corty, thank you so _ island. jean-francois corty, thank you so much - island. jean-francois corty, thank you so much for- island. jean-francois corty, i thank you so much forjoining us and good luck to your teams in the coming days. with me is our news reporter marina daras, from bbc africa. there is a lot that people don't know about what happened in mayotte and one of them is that there are 300,000 people who live there, many refugees and who make their way there. this is something you have done quite a lot of work on for the bbc. tell us about the people who have made their way to the island and what conditions they face? �* ,., j~ island and what conditions they face? ~ j~ ., ::f ., island and what conditions they face? j~ ., ::f ., , face? about 48 to 5096 of people on the island _ face? about 48 to 5096 of people on the island were _ face? about 48 to 5096 of people on the island were not _ face? about 48 to 5096 of people on the island were not born - on the island were not born there so they came in a lifetime to the island. it is about boat crossing is the most of them. so they come from madagascar but also come from

the drc so much further afield, and sometimes even somalia which is really far away. when ou look which is really far away. when you look at — which is really far away. when you look at this _ which is really far away. when you look at this map, - which is really far away. when you look at this map, that - which is really far away. when you look at this map, that is l you look at this map, that is an extraordinary distance that they are travelling. why are they are travelling. why are they coming to mayotte? aha, they are travelling. why are they coming to mayotte? a lot of them have _ they coming to mayotte? a lot of them have been _ they coming to mayotte? int of them have been promised europe, which is a forced promise because a the laws have been changing. but that is what is happening. they are being promised to go to europe. i have spoken to a lot of them who did not even know where mayotte was, but they didn't even know it existed or that it was french and they were trafficked just under the promise of reaching europe and they ended up in mayotte. find they ended up in mayotte. and amonust they ended up in mayotte. and amongst those _ they ended up in mayotte. and amongst those who are arriving, amongst those who are arriving, a lot of women are pregnant, hoping that the babies will get french passports.— french passports. yes, it was the case _ french passports. yes, it was the case at — french passports. yes, it was the case at ewood _ french passports. yes, it was the case at ewood have - the case at ewood have birthright citizenship if you are delivering a baby on the

island. this has now changed, the laws have changed over time and they were even were supposed to get more difficult this year but the fall of the government has delayed a little bit. it is back on the agenda, i believe, because one of the mps wants a change that law. but people still think that they can deliver their babies on the island and get a french passport and may be travel to mainland europe, which is not the case at all. 50 mainland europe, which is not the case at all.— the case at all. so they have this dangerous _ the case at all. so they have this dangerous journey - the case at all. so they have this dangerous journey from j the case at all. so they have i this dangerous journey from a long way away, often on small boats when they arrive on mayotte and what conditions do they face once they are on the island? , ., ., ,, ., island? they do have access to certain parts — island? they do have access to certain parts of— island? they do have access to certain parts of the _ island? they do have access to certain parts of the welfare - certain parts of the welfare system, so that children can go to school, they can get some sort of health through the main hospital which we have had as been —— we have heard has been badly damaged. they are at risk of being deported while they are sorting out the paperwork

or while they are asking for asylum. or while they are asking for as lum. ., ~ ,, or while they are asking for as lum. ., ~' ,, , or while they are asking for as lum. ., ~ ,, , . asylum. thank you very much. there is more _ asylum. thank you very much. there is more on _ asylum. thank you very much. there is more on the - asylum. thank you very much. there is more on the bbc- asylum. thank you very much. | there is more on the bbc news website on this story. we have a live page up and running just detailing all the bits of information we are getting from mayotte. as i mentioned, very difficult to contact people there directly because of the telecommunication systems being down after the cyclone. we will stay across the story for you as well. one of the worst cyclone to hit the island in 90 years. the waves were eight metres high. we'll be talking to our meteorologists coming up so do stay with us.

let's return to live events on germany this hour, where the parliament is due to hold a vote of confidence, in the government of chancellor olaf scholz. he called for the vote himself, after his governing coalition collapsed — he expects to lose the vote, which would pave the way for early elections in february. our correspondent damien mcguinnessjoins us now from berlin.

what exactly are we watching in the bundestag at the moment? behind me right now, olaf scholz has been speaking then there will be a debate between parliamentarians. he will have to justify his decision to request and hold a vote of confidence in his government and then the mps will vote. it will be named, which means that we pretty much know along party lines what mps will vote for and i think what is expected is that olaf scholz will lose this vote and as you said, counterintuitively, there is in fact is what he wants to do because he currently leads a minority government after his government collapsed in november, which means he can't do anything without the help of the opposition. it means effectively you can't pass any needles accepted the —— you can't pass any new 1530 00:15:59,790 -->