as strong winds are forecast to return in los angeles, nine people are charged in connection with looting. a british prisons watchdog warns that drones delivering drugs and weapons to maximum security facilities could threaten national security. the latest phase of the uk's covid inquiry begins, with a focus on treatments and the vaccine rollout. hello, i'm lauren taylor. a us department ofjustice reportjust released to congress says donald trump took part in an "unprecedented criminal effort" to overturn his defeat in the 2020 presidential election. the report was written by jack smith, the lawyer appointed to investigate the case, and it says mr trump would have been convicted if he hadn't won re—election. the incoming president has responded by calling mr smith deranged and desperate, describing the findings as fake.

let's speak to dr steven hurst, who is an expert in us politics at manchester metropolitan university. thanks for being with us. if the case was closed, why was this decision made to release the evidence of the report to congress. i the evidence of the report to congress-— the evidence of the report to concress. , , ., , , congress. i guess that depends on our congress. i guess that depends on your point — congress. i guess that depends on your point of— congress. i guess that depends on your point of view. - congress. i guess that depends on your point of view. on - congress. i guess that depends on your point of view. on the l on your point of view. on the one hand i would say it is standard procedure to do this, it is normal, on the other hand if you are a republican this is no doubt part of the deep state conspiracy to get donald trump. that is the world we live in now where there are two versions of the truth for everything in us politics but i think it is normal, nothing particularly strange about it. what will congress do with it now it has it?— what will congress do with it now it has it? nothing, there is nothing — now it has it? nothing, there is nothing to _ now it has it? nothing, there is nothing to be _ now it has it? nothing, there is nothing to be done. - now it has it? nothing, there is nothing to be done. we . now it has it? nothing, there l is nothing to be done. we can't prosecute a sitting president.

i get the democrats will use it as political ammunition to try to attack trump, republicans will do what donald trump has done this morning and dismiss it as fake news, a political vendetta and so on and so forth. , w ., , vendetta and so on and so forth. , ., , forth. his reaction is saying jack forth. his reaction is saying jack smith _ forth. his reaction is saying jack smith is _ forth. his reaction is saying jack smith is deranged, - jack smith is deranged, president trump's reaction, there are still cases pending against him at his aides accused of aiding him to hide documents, will they still go ahead? it is documents, will they still go ahead? it i— documents, will they still go ahead?|ti-,,,, , ahead? it is possible the cases auainst ahead? it is possible the cases against his _ ahead? it is possible the cases against his aides _ ahead? it is possible the cases against his aides would - ahead? it is possible the cases against his aides would still. against his aides would still go ahead, but trump would probably pardon them which would neutralise the effect of the process. would neutralise the effect of the process-— would neutralise the effect of the rocess. ~ ., , ., ., ~ the process. what did you make ofthe the process. what did you make of the report? — the process. what did you make of the report? was _ the process. what did you make of the report? was there - of the report? was there anything you thought was striking? anything you thought was strikin: ? ., ., striking? no, nothing particularly _ striking? no, nothingi particularly surprising striking? no, nothing. particularly surprising in this. jack smith says trump

would have been convicted, we do not know that, but he is saying the evidence is that you convict him but i do not think thatis convict him but i do not think that is particularly surprising. you could argue different ways about trump's behaviour relating to the riots on capitol hill but somebody who phones a pun election officials asks them to find me more votes, that is pretty blatant evidence of somebody trying to steal an election —— who phoned up an election official and ask them. it is pretty clear trump tried to steal the election, that is not controversial unless you are a republican so committed to donald trump us might cause that you are prepared not to believe it. that you are prepared not to believe it— that you are prepared not to believe it. given that nothing will be done _ believe it. given that nothing will be done about _ believe it. given that nothing will be done about this - believe it. given that nothing will be done about this on . believe it. given that nothing | will be done about this on the politicisation of these issues, why does this leave the us justice system? why does this leave the us justice system?— why does this leave the us justice system? when it comes to prosecuting _ justice system? when it comes to prosecuting presidents - justice system? when it comes to prosecuting presidents or i to prosecuting presidents or

politicians, in a fairly parlous state, i think. it is clearly deeply politicised and the supreme court gave a decision last year effectively protecting trump from prosecution as long as he was president. it isn't a bad way, no two ways about it. it is politicised and it will be difficult for people to get justice if they are a politician one way or the other in the system. idr politician one way or the other in the system.— politician one way or the other in the system. dr steven hurst from the university _ in the system. dr steven hurst from the university of- from the university of manchester, thank you very much. after more than a year of bloodshed, a ceasefire agreement between israel and hamas appears close. outgoing us presidentjoe biden said an agreement was on the brink. the deal would see israel remove its troops from the most populated parts of gaza in return for the gradual release of israeli hostages. a palestinian official has told the bbc that the terms of the deal were being finalised with negotiations continuing in qatar — both sides working in the same building for the first time. let's speak to emir nader,

our correspondent injerusalem. talk us through the main planks of this agreement if it goes ahead. ~ ., of this agreement if it goes ahead. ~ . , ., ., ahead. what we understand from ahead. what we understand from a palestinian _ ahead. what we understand from a palestinian official— ahead. what we understand from a palestinian official talking - a palestinian official talking to the bbc is that would be a first initial stage of around six weeks where israeli hostages being kept in gaza would be exchanged with palestinian prisoners kept in prisons in israel. that would also happen as israeli troops begin to withdraw from some of the main population centres, cities in gaza and palestinians have been displayed throughout the gaza strip, they would be able to return home. while such is happening a second stage of negotiations would be going on, perhaps more critical, where negotiations will be taking place to guarantee the second phase where a permanent ceasefire and a full withdrawal of israeli troops from the gaza strip would take place. that is

an element of the negotiations which is more tricky and for prime minister benjamin netanyahu he faces pushback from the members of his own cabinet here in israel who do not want that to happen. itruiitli not want that to happen. with that pushback, _ not want that to happen. with that pushback, what - not want that to happen. with that pushback, what does it mean for him politically, can he go ahead with the deal in spite of that pushback? irate he go ahead with the deal in spite of that pushback? we have heard in the _ spite of that pushback? we have heard in the past _ spite of that pushback? we have heard in the past few _ spite of that pushback? we have heard in the past few hours - heard in the past few hours from some of prime minister benjamin netanyahu's cabinet ministers who are seen to be more of the radical flank of his government. what a fun this morning calling on his colleague to resign if the ceasefire deal goes ahead, calling it a surrender deal —— one of them this morning calling on his colleague. they want to defeat hamas and what if i want to really settle to establish israeli settlements in gaza. if they pull out of the coalition it could lead to the coalition it could lead to the government being a minority government, it could collapse, it would make life very

difficult for prime minister benjamin netanyahu. thanks very much indeed. _ benjamin netanyahu. thanks very much indeed, emir _ benjamin netanyahu. thanks very much indeed, emir nader. - let's speak to fawaz gerges, professor of international relations at the london school of economics. thank you forjoining us. it has been close in the past, how confident are you a deal will be reached this time? you are riaht, be reached this time? you are right. we _ be reached this time? you are right, we have _ be reached this time? you are right, we have been _ be reached this time? you are right, we have been here - right, we have been here before, haven't we? but i think the odds are for a ceasefire and the first phase, all sides basically... the interests of all sides converged to really bring about a breakthrough in the next few hours or days. i think the new variable in the equation is the inauguration of president trump. president trump has made it very clear he wants the war to end before his inauguration next week, and i think it's middle eastern envoy has been actively involved

coordinating with the biden administration and using leveraged with the israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu. my take on it, i think this time it is much more serious and the momentum, there has been a great deal of momentum in the past few days. one of the sticking points in the past with the degree of permanence to a ceasefire, with israel wanting an ability to go back if they need to hunt him as saying it needed to move towards a permanent one. what is your take on how they have managed to resolve that? the most important _ managed to resolve that? tie: most important point, you managed to resolve that? ti2 most important point, you have put your finger most important point, you have put yourfinger on the most important point, you have put your finger on the pulse of the problem, hamas wants a comprehensive end to the war which has devastated gaza and killed tens of thousands of palestinians and displaced 2 million palestinians. israeli prime minister and his coalition wants a partial ceasefire, to get the hostages home and resume the war nay few

weeks or months. that is why i think the second phase is very tricky because the question, will benjamin netanyahu wanted coalition really accept to end the war? even though i would argue they have achieved most of their goals in the sense of destroying gaza, and hamas has been weakened considerably, the devil is in the details and thatis devil is in the details and that is why hamas has been dragging its feet, because they realised once israeli hostages go home, and they should go home today, not tomorrow, benjamin netanyahu wanted benjamin neta nyahu wanted coalition benjamin netanyahu wanted coalition will be free to continue the war as they have donein continue the war as they have done in the past 15 months. you mention netanyahu's coalition partners, the israeli finance minister described the emerging deal is a catastrophe for the national security of israel and said he would not support it. where does that leave mr netanyahu if that flank of his party decides not to support

him? it party decides not to support him? . , , party decides not to support him? ., , , ., ., him? it has been one of the ma'or him? it has been one of the major problems, _ him? it has been one of the major problems, why - him? it has been one of the major problems, why has i major problems, why has benjamin netanyahu been dragging his feet the past 15 months, the collapse of his government, his political future. but even if two of his most radical extremist coalition leave the coalition, netanyahu will likely survive. neta nyahu will likely survive. polls netanyahu will likely survive. polls in israel show if elections were to take place in israel, benjamin netanyahu would be re—elected because many israelis want their hostages back. he met with his coalition partners in the past few days trying to convince them of the deal, he wants to give president trump a gift because trump does not really want to see the war after he reaches the white house next week. all in all it seems to me netanyahu week. all in all it seems to me neta nyahu wants to week. all in all it seems to me netanyahu wants to satisfy donald trump, hamas wants to end the catastrophic nightmare of gaza and the united states,

both trump and biden, have been pushing very hard and that is why i think we might see a breakthrough in the next few hours and days. if breakthrough in the next few hours and days.— hours and days. if there is a breakthrough, _ hours and days. if there is a breakthrough, what - hours and days. if there is a breakthrough, what is - hours and days. if there is a breakthrough, what is the i breakthrough, what is the future of gaza? it is largely destroyed, is despised, how do you see the political future all the rebuilding effort is going after this? tia all the rebuilding effort is going after this?- all the rebuilding effort is auoin after this? ., ., ~ ., , going after this? no one knows. you are talking _ going after this? no one knows. you are talking about _ going after this? no one knows. you are talking about 70% - going after this? no one knows. you are talking about 70% of. you are talking about 70% of the infrastructure has been destroyed. all the universities, most of the schools, most of the hospitals, the cultural fabric of gaza, where do you begin, you need several decades to reconstruct gaza, and what about the political future in gaza the morning after? there are many questions, you had tens of thousands of tonnes of rubble, how do you get rid of it, not to mention the deep scars. more

than 100,000 people have been killed, it is a catastrophe. 1524 00:12:05,648 --> 00:12: