live from london, this is bbc news. the senate being equally divided, the vice president votes in the affirmative and the nomination is confirmed. donald trump's divisive nominee for secretary of defence, pete hegseth, has been confirmed following a late night vote in the us senate. president trump visits california to survey some of the areas devastated by deadly wildfires that destroyed thousands of homes in los angeles. a powerful atlantic storm batters ireland and parts of the uk leaving nearly a million homes without power. four female israeli soldiers and 180 palestinian prisoners are expected to be freed later on saturday. hello, i'm anjana gadgil.

it's been one of the most controversial nominations made by donald trump since he won the us presidential election, but it looks like he's got his man. pete hegseth has been confirmed as the new defence secretary, but by the narrowest of margins. the vote was fifty—fifty in the senate, with three republicans saying no, including the former senate leader mitch mcconnell. that meant the vice president jd vance had to cast the deciding vote, confirming pete hegseth in his post. this was the moment the tie was broken. on this vote, people voting yes is 50 and no is 50. the senate being divided, the vice president votes in the affirmative and the nomination is confirmed. as that drama was taking place in washington, donald trump was in los angeles to see for himself the devastation caused by the recent wildfires. the president and first lady met with fire officials and also spoke to some of those who lost their homes.

mr trump said he was shocked to see the scale of destruction first hand. i don't think you can realise how rough it is, how devastating it is until you see it. i didn't realise. i saw a lot of bad things on television but the extent of it, the size of it. we flew over in a helicopter, we flew. too a few of the areas and it is devastation. it is an incineration. we're going to work hard with the mayor and the governor and the supervisor, everybody, the resources behind you. we have some amazing people and we have some amazing people and we have some amazing people and we have some amazing fighters things like this. i also had the concept of getting some of the best developers in the country. i've had so many calls from developers and they want to come in. they don't want anything, theyjust want come in. they don't want anything, they just want to come and help and they really know how to get things done and get things built.

let's speak to our senior north america correspondent, gary o'donoghue. we heard sympathy for the residents affected but also some criticism of administrative bodies in california.— administrative bodies in california. , ~ california. he has been kicking lum -s california. he has been kicking lumps out _ california. he has been kicking lumps out of— california. he has been kicking lumps out of the _ california. he has been kicking lumps out of the democratic . lumps out of the democratic leadership in this state for some time now, particularly the governor avenue some and indeed the mayor of la, karen bass. you met both of them today, a briefly on the tarmac when he landed. he didn't invite him to any of the other events. in a sort of roundtable event with the mayor, he took a task over the mayor, he took a task over the time he said residents were being told it would take to rebuild their homes. they set 18 months, she said nothing like it. from the president's point of view it was a pretty effective visit. it was seen out empathising, being the consoler in chief with some of

these people and their affected homes and managed to land a few political blows on local democrats.— political blows on local democrats. ., ., democrats. he also attacked environmentalists _ democrats. he also attacked environmentalists when - democrats. he also attacked environmentalists when he l democrats. he also attacked i environmentalists when he was there, saying, i'm reading your column, gary. you say he attacked environmentalists who he suggested help their beliefs to make themselves "feel good." there is a particular row in this state about the use of water resources and one of the lobbies is the environmental lobby, conservation lobby in particular up on the north of the state and president trump has been fixated on one particular fish that he says they are all worried about becoming extinct called the delta smelt. he has fixated on it so much that even one of his executive orders on day one of the presidency was titled "putting people before fish." he thinks it is all about fish whereas they say, there is enough water to go around for the farmers and for the conservation and also to supply

places like la and there is a sort of battle over the narrative in terms of the water for the fires. was there enough water? local authorities say yes, there was. he says no, there wasn't, it was up in the north to look after the smelt. does any of this make a difference to the people who have lost their homes and need to start rebuilding? i have lost their homes and need to start rebuilding?— to start rebuilding? i think that is a — to start rebuilding? i think that is a good _ to start rebuilding? i think that is a good point - to start rebuilding? i think that is a good point and i to start rebuilding? i think that is a good point and al to start rebuilding? i think. that is a good point and a lot of them will feel... i spoke to one resident who had just gone back to their home, their rental home for the first time right on the coast in malibu and they shrug their shoulders and they shrug their shoulders and said no comment when asked about the president's visit. i think a lot of people feel the same. they are so preoccupied with trying to find somewhere to live and get their belongings sorted out, seeing where they can for their children to school, that this political theatre doesn't really matter to them. for others, they want him to put as

much pressure on the local authorities here and the people who do the zoning and permissions and permits for rebuilding. they want him to put as much pressure on them to make things happen quickly and some of them will like what he did today, i promise you. at did today, i promise you. at the same time, pete hesgeth was confirmed as the new defence secretary. was that ever in doubt? , . , secretary. was that ever in doubt? , , doubt? yes, it was. up until the last few _ doubt? yes, it was. up until the last few minutes - doubt? yes, it was. up until the last few minutes there l doubt? yes, it was. up until. the last few minutes there was a potentialfor another a potential for another republican who a potentialfor another republican who might have decided to vote against him. that would have dipped the veil —— tipped the balance had made impossible by a single vote for him to get through. it was a very close shave and a sign of arnie's amongst some republicans about his nomination. a lot of democrats focused on his private life, his alleged drinking problems, his alleged drinking problems, his alleged drinking problems, his alleged problems with women

in particular. a lot of republicans are more focused on whether he was competent or not for the job and whether he was competent or not for thejob and suddenly whether he was competent or not for the job and suddenly the three that voted against him made that case that they didn't think he had the skill set to be secretary of defence at a time when america is facing so many different threats. it is a rare occurrence, it is only happened once before, be it reasonably recently in 2017 when a nominee for a cabinet role, the top table with the president, had to be decided by the vote, the casting vote of the vote, the casting vote of the vice president. he doesn't go into thejob the vice president. he doesn't go into the job with the ringing endorsement of the senate by any sense.- senate by any sense. gary, thank you _ senate by any sense. gary, thank you very _ senate by any sense. gary, thank you very much, - senate by any sense. gary, - thank you very much, reporting from california. meanwhile, president trump has signed his latest batch of executive orders. one of them is to halt all existing foreign assistance and pause new aid relief. in an internal memo, the secretary of state marco rubio instructed his department to halt all aid grants for 90

days pending a review. the notice appears to affect everything from development assistance to military support, with exceptions only for emergency food aid and military funding for israel and egypt. it could potentially affect ukraine, which received billions of dollars in us military aid and weapons under the previous administration. buildings damaged, trees downed, and nearly a million properties still left without power — the impact of storm eowyn is still being felt. roads and rail lines remain blocked, and with no trains running in scotland until midday at the earliest, many travelling today face significant disruption. storm eowyn battered the uk and ireland with winds of more than 110 miles an hour. weather warnings for remain in place across the country. with the latest, here's joe inwood. when the storm hit, large parts of the country were brought to a shuddering halt. luckily, no—one was hurt here. film

a shuddering halt. luckily, no-one was hurt here. oh my god! some — no-one was hurt here. oh my god! some couldn't _ no-one was hurt here. oh my god! some couldn't believe i god! some couldn't believe their eyes- _ god! some couldn't believe their eyes. the _ god! some couldn't believe their eyes. the whole - god! some couldn't believe their eyes. the whole roofl god! some couldn't believe i their eyes. the whole roofjust their eyes. the whole roof 'ust blow off. others i their eyes. the whole roof 'ust blow off. others took �* their eyes. the whole roof 'ust blow off. others took it h their eyes. the whole roof 'ust blow off. others took it all]. their eyes. the whole roofjust blow off. others took it all in l blow off. others took it all in their stride. _ blow off. others took it all in their stride. that's _ blow off. others took it all in their stride. that's not - blow off. others took it all in their stride. that's not good. it was the — their stride. that's not good. it was the republic _ their stride. that's not good. it was the republic of - their stride. that's not good. j it was the republic of ireland that was the first to feel the force of storm eowyn, where the fastest ever wind gusts were recorded, 114 mph. by the end of the day, around three quarters of a million properties were left without power, around 138,000 people without water. in dublin, almost nothing was left of this ice rink. metalframes and canvas sides no match for the wind. here, it was a costly day for this couple but they know it could have been far worse. we are lucky to be alive and if this had fallen inside we would be buried underneath it. about three o'clock last night, the worst nightmare you can have,

really. worst nightmare you can have, reall . ., ., , ., really. the authorities have said lives — really. the authorities have said lives were _ really. the authorities have said lives were saved - really. the authorities have i said lives were saved because people generally stayed at home although one man was killed by although one man was killed by a falling tree. it was the first time there was a red weather warning for the entire island of ireland and it was the north that was next in storms passed. it rolled over this leisure centre, 90 mph winds reducing it to rubble. all schools were closed. northern ireland was shut for the day. there were rude awakenings in belfast as eowyn hit in the early hours. it awakenings in belfast as eowyn hit in the early hours.— hit in the early hours. it was 'ust hit in the early hours. it was just after— hit in the early hours. it was just after 7am _ hit in the early hours. it was just after 7am in _ hit in the early hours. it was just after 7am in the - hit in the early hours. it was| just after 7am in the morning so we had woken up a bit earlier and it wasjust so we had woken up a bit earlier and it was just a bang, basically. the building, i came and looked out my window and saw a cross and it was just a pile of bricks, masonry on the floor. the whole thing caught in the wind, came down very quickly. ba; in the wind, came down very cuickl . �* , in the wind, came down very cuickl . j ., ., ., quickly. by the afternoon, the cleanun had — quickly. by the afternoon, the cleanup had begun. _ quickly. by the afternoon, the cleanup had begun. while - quickly. by the afternoon, the cleanup had begun. while in l cleanup had begun. while in scotland, some places were still in the eye of the storm.

another leisure centre destroyed. all trains cancelled. flights landing, only just. cancelled. flights landing, onlyjust. on the second attempt. driving conditions maybe shouldn't try driving in. but some decided to brave it to help restore power to their neighbours. help restore power to their neighbours-— help restore power to their neighbours. when we were drivin: neighbours. when we were driving along _ neighbours. when we were driving along the _ neighbours. when we were driving along the coast, - neighbours. when we were driving along the coast, at| neighbours. when we were - driving along the coast, at one point a wave crashed over the side of the van and took me straight over to the curb, it actually hit the curb and then the rain came off the windscreen and i could see i had moved to spaces over. weather warning stayed in place overnight and are only now being lifted. while not facing the full force of storm eowyn, england and wales were not spared the consequences. trees were brought down, trains cancelled, roads blocked and thousands of houses left without power. while storm eowyn may now have passed, the full extent of the damages just

beginning to emerge. the clear up beginning to emerge. the clear up onlyjust under way. hamas is set to release four female israeli soldiers who have been held hostage for over a year in gaza. it's the second exchange between the two sides since the ceasefire came into effect last sunday. the four soldiers who were taken from the nahal oz military base on october 7th. karina ariev, daniella gilboa, naama levy and liri albag. our correspondent nick beake reports from jerusalem. the four hostages are to be released were all serving in nahal oz, a placejust over the fence from gaza and it was overrun by hamas fighters on october the seventh so some videos were taken by those fighters as they seized people, seized hostages and took them to gaza. the four women being released on saturday were part of this unit and they had warned, because they were spotters,

there have been suspicious signs that there was possibly some sort of assault coming and it does seem as those warnings were not acted upon. the four women public families, it is thought they have obviously welcomed the news that they now have this anxious wait to see whether or not their loved ones will actually be released. the choreography will be that a few hours after the release, there will be a number of palestinian prisoners who have been held in israeli jails who will themselves be free. the figure we are looking at is between about 180 and 200. this is all of course part of the ceasefire deal that's been in operation since last sunday. we know it is a very fragile truce but for now, it seems to be holding but i think this is going to be a pivotal weekend because also this weekend, hamas is set to give details of 26 other hostages who were due to be released in this, the first phase of the ceasefire deal. hamas will say whether those people are living or in fact dead.

the british government has said it intends to spearhead talks aimed at ending the crisis in sudan. speaking during a visit to the sudanese border with chad, the foreign secretary david lammy said he would convene a meeting with sudan's neighbours and other international players to try and find a solution to the 21—month civil war. the conflict pitting two generals against each other has resulted in the world's largest humanitarian crisis. our senior africa correspondent, anne soy,has been travelling with mr lammy and sent this report. a long and perilous journey is coming to an end for these families. at least for now. they arrive here weary but