everything in their path. also on the programme tonight... there are reports that a deal may be close to reach a ceasefire in gaza and return the israeli hostages. pressing hard to close this. the deal— pressing hard to close this. the deal we — pressing hard to close this. the deal we have structured would free the hostages, halt the fighting. the young mother who took her own life and blamed her abusive boyfriend in a suicide note — he is jailed for assault. and the prime minister sets out plans to boost public services on newsnight at 10:30 tonight we'll bring you fresh insight on the stories of the day with big interviews and our regular panel of newsnighters. and of course, look at what the papers are saying about tomorrow's news.

hello to you from los angeles, where it's two in the afternoon and the round—the—clock battle to tackle wildfires that have devastated this area continues. we're in the suburb of altadena, about 1k miles from downtown la, and this, frankly, is a hellish landscape of wreckage of cinders. the fire chief says la itself is still at risk, wildfires continue to burn not farfrom us here, and strong winds that fuelled the flames last week are expected to pick up again from tomorrow morning. the number of people wo've died, currently stands at 24. well, we arrived here last night and as dawn broke we were struck by the scale and extent of the tragedy here. this is a landscape reminiscent of a war zone. take a look at this.

just here on ventura street, burnt—out cars, incinerated in a driveway. blackened trees. the debris of a home. but it used to look like this. a bungalow with a neat front garden, set against the backdrop of lush green trees. nowjust its chimney still stands and the garden covered in the wreckage ofa ruined building. fires are still burning in a number of areas — the largest, the palisades fire, is just 14% contained. president biden says he's directed hundreds of federal personnel, aerial and ground support to california, and his team will "respond promptly" to any more requests for help. it's estimated at least $250 billion worth of damage,

that's £206 billion, has been caused. let's go live to emma vardy on the pacific coast highway one of the aresa so badly hit by the fires. we are at a large beach—side car park here, usually filled with cars and surfboards on their roofs, the quintessential image of california. now it is more like an army camp as hundreds of national guard troops have been rushed in here to help the city fight crime and support communities who have lost everything. the debris still smoulders. thousands of acres of damage still untouched by recovery teams. today, road blocks and patrols by the national guard have visibly increased. there have now been more than 60 arrests in evacuated areas, mainly for looting and burglary. 0ne one of endacott was disguised as a firefighter. —— one offender court

was disguised as a firefighter. —— one offender caught was disguised as a firefighter. the criminals have decided this is an opportunity, and i am here to tell you, that this is not an opportunity. you will be arrested, you will be prosecuted, and you will be punished to the full extent of the law. some have lost more than possession. one of the victims of the palisades fire was 32—year—old rory sykes, a child actor from the 90s british tv show kiddy kapers. he lived with cerebral palsy, and his mother said she escaped but she could not eave him. the biggest fear i had was he might burn and hurt, because i think burning must be the most painful death, and the fire department chiefs said "no, he will have died of carbon monoxide poisoning first." ijust can't believe my baby's not going to be here. the clean—up task is so vast it will stretch on for months. there have been promises by officials that the rebuilding process will be made as quick as possible, by cutting red tape, to help people

put their lives back together. but there is frustration that in many places it is still too dangerous to start. and the job of rehousing people will take time. it will take months, if not years. i know that in hawaii it took at least temporary housing for a year, so we don't know what the situation will be here. all around, signs of the trauma the city has suffered, as the fires overwhelmed communities. as people tried to escape from the oncoming flames, in this part of pacific palisades manyjust abandoned their cars, and you can imagine the sense of panic, manyjust appearing to have crashed into each other as they tried to flee. and you can see why they ran. because here is what is left, after the fire reached this spot not long after. 23 people are still missing, and many addresses are still to be searched for human remains.

help continues to arrive. today the national guard set up a guard for incoming troops on the seafront. they will provide security and logistics support to the city as it reels from disaster. emma vardy, bbc news, los angeles. emma with the very latest on the pacific coast highway. here in altadena, you get a sense of the scale of the damage from these photographs. before... ..and after the fires. well, the emergency crews have been working round the clock to calm the blazes, and the danger still hasn't passed. los angeles, the city of angels, is still threatened by fiery demons. in the hills above,

a taste of what might come. and in the thick of it, fire officer erin alexander. the wind and the... i mean, that the kind of stuff we were dealing with. wow. is that you? that was me. there's certain weather factors that we can't control. obviously, the winds were some like i've never seen. and we put one fire out and another one right down the down the way is starting again. you have these houses that catch fire, that send off embers, that catch other houses on fire. and we didn't have enough water to put the fires out. and it was, you know, there's only so much you can do. here is erin with colleagues on the day she became a firefighter, saving lives in people's homes her calling. but the scale of this disaster has been tough for all the emergency crews.

can't even imagine what you would do if everything, your house, and it burned to the ground like there's nothing left. and sometimes fast moving fires, even if house catches on fire, we can get in there and put it out at some point and then they have something to go home to. but this fire burned so hot and so fast that it burned everything to the ground, and they have absolutely nothing to come back to. and in the cold light of day, a wasteland. lives, livelihoods, homes, destroyed. the winds are pretty light at the moment, but the fear is they could pick up in the next couple of days. that's what everyone is worried about, that those hurricane force winds could bring about even more of a calamity than we've already seen. they're trying to rebuild.

these crews are working to get the power back on, but it'll be some time before residents are allowed to return to this corner of greater los angeles. the authorities aren't convinced they've recovered the bodies of all those still missing, now presumed dead. it really is shocking. los angeles used to be my home. i was the bbc corresponded here in the 1990s and i have never seen anything like this. all eyes will be on the wind speeds tomorrow. the fear is they could top 50, 60 mph, tomorrow. the fear is they could top 50,60 mph, and that tomorrow. the fear is they could top 50, 60 mph, and that would prevent planes... studio: i am so sorry, we have lost the connection to clive there. let me bring you some of today's other news. after over a year of bloodshed, there are reports tonight that a deal may be close to reach a ceasefire in gaza

and to return israeli hostages home. this evening, president biden has said an agreement is on the brink. in a moment we'll talk to sarah smith in washington, but first our middle east correspondent lucy williamson is injerusalem. lucy, what are you hearing? it is clear negotiations are at an advanced stage. senior officials from both sides are now still inside the same building in doha discussing through mediators and one palestinian described it to the bbc is putting the finishing touches to a deal. this deal was outlined eight months ago but what has changed is the wider context, notjust incoming president donald trump whose support israel is keen to keep and has threatened all hell will break loose if the hostages are not released by the time he takes office, but also the time he takes office, but also the weakening of hamas with the erosion of its leadership and also of its allies across the region. it is not finalised yet. we have been

down this road before. but there are growing signs tonight that the two sides are very close to a deal, that if it stays on track could end the gaza more. k. if it stays on track could end the gaza more-— if it stays on track could end the gaza more. , ., ~' ,, gaza more. k, lucy, thank you. -- it could end — gaza more. k, lucy, thank you. -- it could end the _ gaza more. k, lucy, thank you. -- it could end the gaza _ gaza more. k, lucy, thank you. -- it could end the gaza war. _ tonight president biden has been talking about the potential for a peace deal. we're pressing hard to close this deal. we have a structure which 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. let's speak to our north america editor sarah smith in washington. president biden has talked of the possibility of a deal before but does it sound different this time? yes. i think he sounds more optimistic this time, and as you said there is a real chance this could be done before he leaves the white house a week today. he said he

has been talking on the phone to leaders in the region and that he intends to continue working on this if there is any chance he can reach an agreement, and we heard also today from his national security adviser, jake sullivan, who said he wasn't promising predicting anything but he thinks there is a distinct possibility this deal could happen this week. the timing is obviously fascinating with joe this week. the timing is obviously fascinating withjoe biden just about to leave office. of course he would love to announce a deal, that hostages had been released while he was still president. as lucy mentioned we heard from donald trump a few there ago that if they are not released by the time he is sworn into office all hell would break loose and he didn't explain what he meant by that, but he made it clear he wants to see this happen. what we did learn today, very interesting, was that as joe did learn today, very interesting, was that asjoe biden�*s team are in the middle east taking part in these negotiations they are talking very closely to the incoming administration of donald trump's team so that if this is not achieved

by monday when donald trump is sworn into office, seamlessly, his team can pick up with the negotiations and try to get this deal over the line. k. and try to get this deal over the line. .. ., and try to get this deal over the line. ., . ., , ., ., ~ line. k, sarah, in washington, thank ou. and line. k, sarah, in washington, thank yom and as— line. k, sarah, in washington, thank you. and as sarah _ line. k, sarah, in washington, thank you. and as sarah was _ line. k, sarah, in washington, thank you. and as sarah was saying, - and as sarah was saying, saying, and this time next week joe biden will have bid goodbye to the white house. we'll bring you special coverage as the next president is sworn in. donald trump returns to the white house. what will the next chapter bring? join us live on the bbc as he is inaugurated for a second term. make america great again! watch from midday on bbc news and from 3:30pm on bbc one. here, the boyfriend of a young mother who left a suicide note blaming him directly for her death has been cleared of manslaughter. ryan wellings, who's from bispham in lancashire, was found guilty of assault and domestic violence. a jury at preston crown court

cleared him of the unlawful killing of his partner kiena dawes — who'd suffered two years of violent abuse before she took her own life. a warning — this report from fiona trott contains graphic details of domestic abuse. kiena dawes. how could this fun—loving woman, this happy—looking mum, be so unhappy and so unsafe behind closed doors? sobbing. right, just try and take a breath, 0k? we're here to help. it was all down to this man, ryan wellings. he swept her off her feet, the court heard, but was in fact an abuser. this was another time that the police were called to kiena's home. she was so used to the violence. listen to how calmly she described what happened. the other night i got absolutely leathered around this house, while she was in her bedroom. i was strangled after that. and ten days before she died, another cry for help. my phone's going to end up breaking because it's covered in blood. i'vejust woken up, i was unconscious.

it's absolutely, it's pouring down my face. ryan wellings was then arrested for assault. he was released without charge. just over a week later, kiena left their nine—month—old baby at a friend's house. she then took her own life. later, details of her abuse were found on her mobile phone. "he had a drill in my face, and wanted to drill the teeth out of my mouth. i was murdered, slowly. ryan wellings killed me." thejury disagreed. something that her family are now coming to terms with. and i will fight for herjustice. i truly hope that no other young lady or child has to go through what he did to my daughter and her baby, and ijust wish with all my heart that i could bring her back and say "it's ok, you're safe now." but ultimately what caused kiena's death? that's what the jury had to decide. and they were told she had attempted suicide before she met

wellings. as for the police investigation, three officers now face disciplinary hearings. ryan wellings will be sentenced for his abusive behaviour at a later date. fiona trott, bbc news, preston. if you suffer domestic abuse, details of help are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline, or you can call forfree, at any time to hear recorded information on 0800 888 809. the prime minister has set out plans to use artificial intelligence to drive economic growth and improve public services. sir keir starmer says he wants to make the uk an ai "super power". the measures include:changing planning rules to build more ai infrastructure and a pledge to build a new supercomputer — despite ditching a previous one — to boost the uk's computing power by 2030. the prime minister says public services

would become �*more human�*, because — for example — ai could free up teachers from administrative tasks, allowing them to spend more time with pupils. and a national data library will be set up that could collect information for use in al such as anonymised health data. our political editor chris mason has more. artificial intelligence in our hands, helping with our travel plans... in ourlabs... exploring treatments for cancer quicker than any human could. and on our streets, well, one or two driverless cars. when a political lectern meets a robot, you can expect a prime minister not far away. the thing is, al is one of those things we hear a lot about. it has an impact here and there. butjust how big a deal will it be? this is absolutely another industrial revolution. ai is going to transform not just any industry, but all industries, all human endeavours.

economics. finance. health. medicine. politics. talking of which, sir keir starmer, consciously leaning away from talk of its threats, leaning in to talk of its opportunities. this is the global race of our lives. now some countries are going to make ai breakthroughs and export them. others will end up buying those breakthroughs and importing them. the question is, which of those will britain be, ai maker or ai taker? you're saying today full steam ahead. i wonder what you would say directly to those who were worried, who were perhaps worried about their data, worried about theirjobs, worried about computers taking a decision that perhaps a human being should? i think we have to look at this through the lens of opportunity. so when it comes to jobs,

the question isn't the loss ofjobs, it's the changing jobs. obviously, we need to stay in control of the data, and we will stay in control of the data. but it's very important, whether it's jobs or data, to see these as great opportunities. if you have a touch of digital deja vu, yes, the last prime minister talked up ai too, hosting a safety summit. so what is the conservative critique of all this? let's be clear if labour party are serious about growing the economy, they need to improve investment sentiment, which is dire at the moment. and if ai is going to grow the economy, they're going to need a lot more investment because labour pulled out the £1.3 billion for the supercomputer. so they say one thing, but frankly, they're doing another. the government says there wasn't the money for that computer. ai will be central to the economy, society of tomorrow. but what about today? as the markets charge the government more to borrow and the economy flatlines. the country is in

a hole economically. bluntly, the government looks to be in a hole economically. are we looking increasingly inevitably at further government spending cuts? yes. we've inherited a real mess in the economy by the last government. same with public services. we've got to turn it around. mhm. not really an answer. so sky and itv had a go at similar questions. and he said.... we do have in place fiscal rules which we will absolutely stick to. translation — yes, ministers are likely to be told they'll have less to spend. and as for the chancellor... rachel reeves is doing a fantasticjob. she has my full confidence and she has the full confidence of the entire party. a stuttering economy, spiralling government borrowing costs, plummeting approval ratings. little wonder smiles in government take a bit more work these days. chris is here along with our economics editor faisal islam.

the prime minister is placing a lot of hope in this to boost economic growth? it of hope in this to boost economic urowth? . , , of hope in this to boost economic i rowth? ., , , ., of hope in this to boost economic urowth? ., , , ., , growth? it has been a dizzying turn around to seeing _ growth? it has been a dizzying turn around to seeing it _ growth? it has been a dizzying turn around to seeing it as _ growth? it has been a dizzying turn around to seeing it as the - growth? it has been a dizzying turn around to seeing it as the saviour l around to seeing it as the saviour of the economy and the prime minister was leaning into this. right now he faces economic wobbles and you can expect to see this in classrooms and gp surgeries and that should help to save money for the but also as a kind of silver bullet to help with long—term growth productivity and you could imagine that happening as well. i think the truth is that we are pretty well positioned in this area is perhaps the third or fourth positioned in this area is perhaps the third orfourth power after the us and china because of the amazing work of our scientists and entrepreneurs and some credit should go to the previous government. but if this is to be transformative then ai would require the best scientists

and entrepreneurs and cheap electricity and perhaps some changes to the net zero targets. it will cause mountains of data which could require a different and more flexible relationship with our privacy potentially. if it is going to work in the way that he says then it will be controversial. you mentioned _ it will be controversial. you mentioned government - it will be controversial. you mentioned government borrowing costs rising and the value of the pound has fallen again how much difficulty is the prime minister and the chancellor in?— is the prime minister and the chancellor in? they are in a bind and we should _ chancellor in? they are in a bind and we should remember- chancellor in? they are in a bind and we should remember that i chancellor in? they are in a bind i and we should remember that they personified together with the labour project of the 20 20s and right at the heart of that in opposition was being trusted on the economy. and right now of the markets is passing a verdict that says that they and their strategy is something that the markets are not giving a ringing endorsement two. wobbly markets can cause wobbly politicians. we should not ignore this, they are fretting about becoming unpopular, people

grumbling about what the government is doing and the prospect that ministers would have less money to spend on priorities than they hoped. and today number ten ended up having to say that they committed to keeping rachel reeves as chancellor for the entirety of the parliament after the prime minister had not quite gone so far when that question was put to me a news conference for shows how the political share price of the chancellor and prime minister are intertwined and little wonder in that context that the prime minister was sounding as bullish as he was about artificial intelligence. that is the revolution of tomorrow but not the solution of today to the market wobbles and economic growth. thank you both. newsnight is on bbc two shortly. let's hear more of what's on tonight's programme with victoria derbyshire. tonight we have a special on the post of a scandal, one year on from the itv drama shining a light on one the itv drama shining a light on one the most widespread miscarriages of justice in british history we speak

to five former sub postmasters including 92 euros betty brown who still have not received full compensation and we ask why. that is on bbc two in around five minutes. see you then. a ferry at the centre of a long—running political row in scotland has entered service at last, sailing to arran in the firth of clyde. the glen sannox should hav