which has been taking place in qatar. we want a deal, we work hard to have this deal. we have a huge effort done by our american friends. we're pressing hard to close this. - the deal we have structured. would free the hostages, halt the fighting, provide security to israel, and allow us- to significantly surge - humanitarian assistance to the palestinians. joining me tonight are guto harri, former downing street director of communications for prime minister borisjohnson, bassima alghussein, executive director, the middle east policy council and former congressional advisor in the obama administration. first, the latest headlines...

president biden says negotiators are on the brink of a deal to secure the release of hostages and achieve a ceasefire in gaza. israeli and hamas negotiating teams are reportedly working in the same building in guha. firefighters are preparing for wind gusts to pick up again in los angeles, with fears they could spread devastating fires further into residential areas. sir keir starmer says artificial intelligence will boost economic growth and deliver public services more efficiently. he's been outlining his government's plans to make the uk a world leader in the field. the bbc finds some workers in china making clothes forfast fashion brand, shein, are labouring more than 75 hours a week. factory workers said most had just one day off a month. shein — one of the world's biggest fashion retailers — says it's committed to ensuring the fair and dignified treatment of all workers.

three wildfires are still burning in los angeles, with 2a people now known to have died. there's a warning that death toll is likely to increase and 23 people are still missing. this is the scene live in la — where high winds are forecast to return until wednesday, with fears they will help the fires to spread again. la city mayor karen bass says authorities are getting ready. the national weather service is predicting close to hurricane—force level winds, and so we are making urgent preparations. my top priority, and the priority of everyone else, is to do everything we can to protect lives. in the areas affected by the remaining three fires — the palisades, eaton and hurst fires — more than 92,000 people are under evacuation orders, and 89,000 more under evacuation warnings. firefighters made progress

tackling some of the fires over the weekend — but more than 12,000 structures have been destroyed. and preliminary estimates suggest there could have been up to $150 billion of damage. 0ur correspondent, helena humphrey, sent this update from a donation centre in la. in the past few hours that i've been here, just more and more people coming, either donating things or people needing to pick things up — either they have lost their homes, lost everything, or they're in evacuation centres right now with very little. i just want to show you some i just want to show you some of the things that we do of the things that we do have here for people. have here for people. as you can imagine, as you can imagine, so many of them fleeing so many of them fleeing in the dead of night, in the dead of night, really, when they get really, when they get those evacuation orders. those evacuation orders. they need things like clothes, they need things like clothes, shoes, basic essentials, water. shoes, basic essentials, water. beyond that, we've got beyond that, we've got an ultrasound van, perhaps an ultrasound van, perhaps for women who had to flee for women who had to flee who still need pregnancy who still need pregnancy care, for example. care, for example. the needs are just so great. the needs are just so great.

joining me now is david ortiz, from the la city fire department. thank you for your time, really appreciated. give us your eye view from the last week and how challenging it has been. late challenging it has been. we were very — challenging it has been. - were very challenged by

challenging it has been. - were v each allenged by challenging it has been. - were v each ofenged by challenging it has been. - were v each of the ad by challenging it has been. - were v each of the various to. for each of the various fires we have a lot of resources. we were successful in extinguishing a canyon fire. there are trucks ready to fight hot spots. we feel very confident with the support that we have, all of these firefighters that have come to los angeles. we are ready. that su ort los angeles. we are ready. that support is _ los angeles. we are ready. that support is going _ los angeles. we are ready. that support is going to _ los angeles. we are ready. that support is going to be _ los angeles. we are ready. that support is going to be needed as those winds strengthen again, with the worry that might fan the flames and potentially start a new fires.

the chief of the la fire department earlier today was talking about strategically repositioning rapid response teams and wildfire patrols. just tell us how those will work. , , ~ ., , ., work. these strike teams are basically engage _ work. these strike teams are basically engage the - work. these strike teams are basically engage the fires. i work. these strike teams are l basically engage the fires. the fires move kang into a canyon. we have evacuated all these different neighbourhoods to give us flexibility, to give us agility to be able to enter into a canyon and move other people strategically to engage this fire in every canyon. the aircraft, we have fixed wing aircraft, we have fixed wing aircraft dropping, and also helicopters are dropping on this fire, so that will make a difference and be effective. we

are feeling very optimistic. i've never seen so many helicopters flying to fight fire and i've never seen so many firefighters. that is an army of firefighters here. based on what you have seen, since early last tuesday, what do you think la needs to do differently to prepare itself for the next wildfire? because inevitably that will come. the last fire we — inevitably that will come. the last fire we heard _ inevitably that will come. tue: last fire we heard was inevitably that will come. tte: last fire we heard was a inevitably that will come. t"te: last fire we heard was a one off, it was basically the perfect firestorm. everything that could go wrong went against us. we had super strong winds, twice as strong as we normally expect during a bushfire. we have a drought and all the vegetation is super dry and ready to ignite immediately. you don't need a

fighter to a slightly bonfire here, you could just drop a spark. the potentialfor new fires to start is still there. the winds were in alignment, the challenge of having adequate water pressure was a challenge. we were deploying so much water that we ran our hydrants drive. all the challenges that could go wrong did go wrong. the support from the reaching into that neighbourhood came to light. in hindsight, a lot of things we could do better, absolutely. there is a lot that could be learned. things that we have shared with the community, we were ready, we had resources and staff in the area before the fire hit. but unfortunately this fire was just incredibly strong, incredibly fierce. that

type of energy was just of a magnitude that overcame the resources. magnitude that overcame the resources-_ magnitude that overcame the resources. ., ~ , ., resources. david, thank you so much for _ resources. david, thank you so much for talking _ resources. david, thank you so much for talking with - resources. david, thank you so much for talking with others. l much for talking with others. good luck to you and your colleagues in the days ahead. let'sjoin let's join the panel now. guto harri, former downing street director of communications for prime minister borisjohnson, bassima alghussein, executive director, the middle east policy council and former congressional advisor in the obama administration. a perfect firestorm, my last guest was describing the last week as. a huge amount of pressure on the authorities here as they face this new round of higher windsors to actually keep things under

control. it is an immense task, pitted against the forces of nature. it pitted against the forces of nature. , ., . ., nature. it is horrific, and the superhuman _ nature. it is horrific, and the superhuman efforts - nature. it is horrific, and the superhuman efforts leave i nature. it is horrific, and the superhuman efforts leave us nature. it is horrific, and the i superhuman efforts leave us all in total awe of the great bravery, the great courage, the great ingenuity of those trying to fight these fires. we have seen that mother nature does not make life easier for them this weekend. there was a moment and all seem to be starting to get political and that seemed unseemly. but i think when you seen the scale of the devastation, the blanket of the devastation, the blanket of destruction, california alone is one of the biggest economies in the world, then that has got to be questions when it comes to rebuilding. how do you rebuild things differently to take account of what nature is clearly capable of doing pairs bassima, the

firefighter talking about hindsight.— firefighter talking about hindsiaht. ~ . ., hindsight. we have heard authorities _ hindsight. we have heard authorities talking - hindsight. we have heard authorities talking about| authorities talking about aggressively rebuilding. it seems to me that you cannot properly rebuild until you have a proper thing about how to do this differently.— this differently. exactly. first, this differently. exactly. first. you _ this differently. exactly. first, you have - this differently. exactly. first, you have to i this differently. exactly. i first, you have to analyse the situation _ first, you have to analyse the situation and figure out how you can _ situation and figure out how you can build back in a way that— you can build back in a way that will— you can build back in a way that will not be so conducive to rampant fire. first, really, you _ to rampant fire. first, really, you need _ to rampant fire. first, really, you need money. unfortunately, we have — you need money. unfortunately, we have the republicans are now in congress threatening to hold the money hostage, which is something unprecedented and unfortunate. we something unprecedented and unfortunate.— unfortunate. we will see if president-elect _ unfortunate. we will see if president-elect trump i unfortunate. we will see if| president-elect trump this unfortunate. we will see if. president-elect trump this is president—elect trump this is the region. there have been invitation certainly for him to do that and see the fire damage for himself. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc

news.

president biden says a deal to secure the release of hostages and achieve a ceasefire in gaza is on the brink of coming to fruition. a palestinian official familiar with negotiations has told the bbc that terms of a deal between israel ands hamas are being finalised. an israeli official told news agency reuters that negotiations are in "advanced stages", with a deal possible in "hours, days or more". white house national security adviserjake sullivan also said a truce and hostage deal could be done "this week". this is what president biden had to say about a potential deal. we're pressing hard to close this. the deal we have structured would free the hostages, halt the fighting, provide security to israel, and allow us to significantly surge humanitarian assistance to the palestinians,

who have suffered terribly in this war that hamas started. 0ur middle east correspondent, jonah fisher, has more details of the israeli response to the negotiations. we've heard some pretty strong voices against this deal, - here in israel, including some prominent members of- benjamin netanyahu's cabinet. one of them came out this morning with a tweet, i saying he thought it would be a catastrophe for israeli - national security if. this deal went ahead. clearly, mr netanyahu has a job to do. - there was also a letter written to him by ten members- of his own coalition urging him not to make that deal. - 0ur gaza correspondent, rushdi abualouf, has been speaking to a palestinian source close to the negotiations. they said it is almost done. i have seen one time, maybe twice, before where the israeli and hamas delegations

are in the same building. the egyptians, the americans, the qataris, and everybody involved, are in the same building, trying to put the final touches — as this official told me. we have very exclusive information about this deal. the israeli army will remain in the area called the buffer zone, something like 800 metres to the border. gaza's hamas—run health ministry says more than 46,500 people have been killed during the war. israel says 94 hostages remain in gaza, of whom 3a are presumed dead, as well as another four israelis who were abducted before the war, two of whom are dead. let's return to our panel, guto

and bassima. bassima, based on the information we have about the information we have about the state of these negotiations and all the caveats, what do you think the prospects are right now for a deal to finally get across the line? h right now for a deal to finally get across the line?- right now for a deal to finally get across the line? i am very ho eful get across the line? i am very hopeful that _ get across the line? i am very hopeful that a _ get across the line? i am very hopeful that a deal— get across the line? i am very hopeful that a deal will- get across the line? i am very hopeful that a deal will get i hopeful that a deal will get across the line, but i am doubtful that netanyahu would doubtful that neta nyahu would give doubtful that netanyahu would give biden that political winds. so i think we will see down to the very last hour before the presidential inauguration of donald trump. we have the presence of president—elect trump's middle east envoy, along with president biden�*s envoy, if not already in doha, certainly heading to do half. what do you read into that? i heading to do half. what do you read into that?— read into that? i don't know, that have — read into that? i don't know, that have been _ read into that? i don't know, that have been so _ read into that? i don't know, that have been so many i read into that? i don't know, that have been so many full| that have been so many full storms _ that have been so many full storms about the idea of a piece _ storms about the idea of a piece here. we have been told

very— piece here. we have been told very times —— many times that a victory— very times —— many times that a victory as— very times —— many times that a victory as is— very times —— many times that a victory as is around the corner _ victory as is around the corner. credit to those who have — corner. credit to those who have kept both parties talking, credit— have kept both parties talking, credit to — have kept both parties talking, credit to those who have developed the momentum and goodwill. but i don't see what is fundamentally different, other— is fundamentally different, other than an old man who will soon _ other than an old man who will soon he — other than an old man who will soon be out of power trying desperately to close a deal when — desperately to close a deal when two that he failed to do when — when two that he failed to do when he _ when two that he failed to do when he had more power than now, _ when he had more power than now. and _ when he had more power than now, and try not to leave the hanging _ now, and try not to leave the hanging when he leaves office. i hanging when he leaves office. i see _ hanging when he leaves office. i see it — hanging when he leaves office. i see it is — hanging when he leaves office. i see it is unlikely there will be i see it is unlikely there will he a — i see it is unlikely there will be a major breakthrough at this 11th be a major breakthrough at this iith hour, — be a major breakthrough at this 11th hour, you know, when there is a clapped—out president about— is a clapped—out president about to _ is a clapped—out president about to leave the scene. i�*m about to leave the scene. i'm sure bassima _ about to leave the scene. ii�*tii sure bassima would perhaps disagree with that characterisation ofjoe biden? i agree with the analysis that he probably unlikely will be able to negotiate a ceasefire.

i think very much as a ceasefire does come to fruition, it will be the cause of the pressure of president trump, because president trump has a very close relationship with benjamin netanyahu. 50. with ben'amin netanyahu. so, not with benjamin netanyahu. so, not down to — with benjamin netanyahu. so, not down to those multiple visits by antony blinken? trio. not down to those multiple visits by antony blinken? no, i don't think— visits by antony blinken? no, i don't think so. _ visits by antony blinken? no, i don't think so. i _ visits by antony blinken? no, i don't think so. i think- visits by antony blinken? no, i don't think so. i think they i don't think so. i think they haven't made very much progress. we keep hearing the same thing, that they are on the brink of a ceasefire, and thenit the brink of a ceasefire, and then it has never happened. it becomes like the boy who cried wolf. if we look slightly more broadly at this in terms ofjoe biden's legacy. he is now in the last week of his presidency. obviously, one could see, were it not for the fact that all of these people involved in these talks are in or heading to doha, one could say that this is what jake sullivan, his national security

advisor, which they are not briefing earlier, because they would want to put this on the best possible terms, that they are putting a deal on at the table that is there for the taking. t table that is there for the takina. ~ . , table that is there for the takina. ~' ., , , taking. i think the reality is that he is _ taking. i think the reality is that he is going _ taking. i think the reality is that he is going out - taking. i think the reality is that he is going out with i taking. i think the reality is that he is going out with al that he is going out with a bang. _ that he is going out with a bang, not with a whimper. it is early— bang, not with a whimper. it is early days. _ bang, not with a whimper. it is early days, but already the legacy _ early days, but already the legacy is that he is a bridge between the first trump presidency and the second. not somebody who ended the threat of a second trump presidency. but somebody who was a brief diversion — but somebody who was a brief diversion there. i have to say, for all— diversion there. i have to say, for all the _ diversion there. i have to say, for all the good will and the clever— for all the good will and the clever people around him, i do not think— clever people around him, i do not think of the last four years— not think of the last four years that president biden has provided — years that president biden has provided the sort of leadership that the — provided the sort of leadership that the western world needed and most situations. it is sad to say— and most situations. it is sad to say so. _ and most situations. it is sad to say so, there is a lot of pathos _ to say so, there is a lot of pathos in _ to say so, there is a lot of pathos in there, but frankly i don't — pathos in there, but frankly i don't think he was physically,

mentaily— don't think he was physically, mentally capable don't think he was physic