♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ announcer: funding for presentation of this program

is provided by... woman: two retiring executives turn their focus to greyhounds, giving these former race dogs a real chance to win. a raymond james financialad, your purpose, and the way you give back. life well planned. erika: i love seeing interns succeed, i love seeing them come back and join the engagement teams and seeing where they go from there, i get to watch their personal growth, it makes my heart happy. (laughs) announcer: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. announcer: and now, "bbc news" n washington. n this is "bbc world news america." a ukrainian source tells the bbc

they were responsible for a bomb attack that killed a senior russian general in moscow. the u.s. has talks on a cease-fire bill in gaza in the release of hostages are making progress. syrian rebels ask for sanctions to be lifted as the country starts to rebuild. ♪ welcome to "world news america." ukraine says it is responsible for a bomb attack that killed a senior russian general in moscow. lieutenant general igor kirillov was leaving his home in southeastern moscow on tuesday when he and his aide were killed by explosives planted in an electric scooter. bbc verify has been looking at the images and found an improvised explosive device was used in the attack. the incident comes a day after ukraine accused mr. kirillov of coordinating the use of banned chemical weapons on ukrainian

forces. the kremlin deny those allegations. russia's investigative committee says it has opened an investigation into the murder. the kremlin called the bombing an attack of terror and is vowing revenge. our russia editor steve rosenberg has the latest from moscow. reporter: being filmed from a car opposite, a russian general and his assistant here, what appears to be a scooter. we will come back to that. what followed was a giant explosion. with deadly consequences. the two men were killed. they moscow apartment block was now a crime scene. investigators sifted through the debris, searching for clues. later, a spokesperson for russia's investigative committee revealed the bomb had been hidden on that scooter. a terrorist attack, she called it. it was the targeted assassination of this man. left -- lieutenant general igor kirillov was chief of russia's radiation, chemical, and

biological protection forces. only yesterday, ukraine had reportedly charged him in absentia, the alleged use of chemical weapons in the war. the general was known for making wild accusations ainst the west. he once claimed america was plotting to infect russian troops with malaria by releasing mosquitoes from drones. in october, the foreign office sanction him, calling him a significant mouthpiece for kremlin disinformation. russian state tv said with today's attack, president zelenskyy had signed his own death sentence. the former kremlin leader called for the killers to be tracked down in russia. we must do everything, he said, to destroy the people who are in kyiv. for local residents who may have heard the blast, there is a

sense of shock. for many muscovites, even after three years of war, moscow -- moscow's war in ukraine is something that is happening a long way away from here. something they see on tv or on their phone. the killing of a general in moscow, that is a wake-up call and a sign that this war is very real. and very close to home. lisa, who lives close by, says she is scared. when this kind of thing happens, not just in your hometown, she says, or your own neighborhood, but in the building opposite, that is shocking. there has been no reaction yet from president putin. but the expectation is that after such a high-profile lling in the russian capital, moscow will retaliate. steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow. sumi: let's speak to former u.s. ambassador to ukraine, bill taylor. good to see you again. ukrainian sources who spoke to

the bbc say this general was a legitimate target. do you agree? amb. taylor: absolutely. this was a general who was responsible for some 4800 uses of a banned chemical weapon against ukrainian soldiers, putting them in the hospital, forcing them out of their trenches, and attacking them with drones. yes, this was a clear military target that was legitimate. sumi: the kremlin does say it denies any use of chemical weapons the front lines. if we look at what has been happening in recent weeks, ukraine's security services appear to be stepping up their targeting of russian individuals. we saw prominent weapons expert who was shot dead near moscow. a senior russian naval officer who died in a car bombing. is this a concerted strategy we are seeing from ukraine? amb. taylor: i think it is. i think it is a concerted strategy, to put pressure on the russians. they have to know that they are not going to win this war.

and in the short-term, they are feeling the pressure. your reporter had a good comment from people in wasco. they are now vulnerable the military is vulnerable. the military tgets that the ukrainians go after are being attacked in a way that puts pressure on the russians. the strategy is to get the russians to recognize that they will not to win, and for then, the russians, to ask to come to the table. sumi: if the russians and in particular, president putin, are feeling under pressure and nervous, is the word use, what could that mean for possible retaliation? fmr. amb. taylor: they shoot all the time. they fire at civilian tarts, unlike the ukrainians who go after military targets. the russians go after civilian targets, energy, apartment buildings, schools and hospitals. they do that all the time. if they say they are going to respond, they respond every day, whether or not there is an attack on russians.

sumi: i do want to ask you about changes we might see in the coming months to u.s. policy in ukraine. we know the incoming president, donald trump, said he disagreed with the policy to let ukraine use u.s. weapons deep into russian territory. . he is calling for negotiations. what kind of pressure do you think that puts on ukraine in the situation, but also on russia? fmr. amb. tayloralso on russia, you are exactly right. the new administration has indicated that it is going to put pressure on both. yes, it will push the ukrainians to the bargaining table. but they are also saying that they will pushhe russians to the bargaining table. the new administration may have leverage over the russians. the ukrainians are employing these tactics to put some pressure on. but the new administration can do the same. they have said if the russians don't come to the table, the new administration will arm ukraine and take off the restrictions that now prohibit them from firing deep into russia, in some

circumstances. i think there will be pressure on the russians to come. we should see some kind of negotiations, if the pressure on the kremlin is adequate. sumi: what about the situation on the battlefield? it is complicated at the moment. if there were to be negotiations in the coming month or two, who would have leverage between ukraine and russia? fmr. amb. taylor: there is no doubt that the russian military is pushing gradually, grinding forward in both kursk where the ukrainians hold russian territory, but also in donbass where the russian military has been pushing at great expense. 1000, 1500 soldiers, russian soldiers, a day die in these. but they are taking it little by little. there is some advantage, militarily, to the russians on the battlefield. again, this is why the pressure on the russians is so important. sumi: one more question for you before we let you go.

is there anything you think the current biden administration still should be doing in terms of supporting ukraine? we have seen another aid package passed in recent weeks for ukraine. fmr. amb. taylor: that is exactly right. the ukrainians need the weapons. they need to support. they need the ammunition. they also need the funds. one thing the biden administration has been considering doing is seizing the $300 billion worth of russian assets that are in european banks. that could be done, i'm hoping that they will be in coronation, that the biden administration is coordinating with the incoming administration to make these steps permanent. sumi: always good to speak with you. thank you for joining us on bbc news. fmr. amb. taylor: thank you. sumi: cease fire talks between israel and hamas are reported to be gaining momentum with official saying both sides are inching toward strikina deal. earlier, u.s. state department spokesperson matthew miller said the u.s. is cautiously optimistic about a possible cease-fire deal, following

months of deadlock. but after many failed attempts to reach an agreement, he says the u.s. will not get its hopes up until israel and hamas agreed to a final deal. for more on the cease fire talks, gaza -- our gaza correspondent us this update. he is currently in istanbul. reporter: after six months of a complete deadlock in talks between hamas and israel, the senior palestinian officials have told the bbc that there is a significant progress in the way to achieve a cease-fire after 14 months of fighting between hamas and israel. he said the cease-fire proposal is three stages. the first stage, hamas will have to release all of the civilian hostages, including the female soldiers and the bodies of those who were killed during the fighting. in exchange, israel would withdraw from -- allowing hundreds of thousands of people to go back. but israel has the condition

that they need to be screening everybody, going back to the north, to make sure none of the hamas fighters or hamas militants, or any militants from any other group, would allow -- would be allowed back to gaza. sumi: for more, we have the middle east portfolio manager at the critical project, the ameran enterprise institute, brian carter. thank you for joining us. we have heard often this cautious optimism from the u.s. about the prospects of successful cease fire and hostage slop deal. how close to an agreement do you think negotiators are right now? brian: i think for the longest time, we have seen a lot of reports about this cautious optimism like you say. i think now, we are starting to see actual movement towards a cease-fire deal, and willingness on both sides to accomplish one. for the longest time, hamas has maintained its cease-fire demands and it is starting to relax on some of these key demands that it has held,

including an israeli presence in the gaza strip. sumi: what has caused that change? is it dependent on the fact that there is an incoming u.s. administration, the trump administration, that has used a language on this conflict? brian: perhaps. i think a lot of it has to do with the military dynamics on the ground. hamas has been getting hit over and over again by these israeli defense forces. i think they are really getting grounded down and are unable to carry on the fight effectively. sumi: you cast about an israeli presence in gaza. we saw the israeli foreign minister saying, we will not allow terrorist activities against israeli citizens from gaza. we will not allow a return to the reality before october 7. practically, what would that look like? brian: i think with the israelis want to do is keep a hold of their two primary corridors that prevent movement of hamas militants and supplies through the gaza strip, including one on thegyptian border, and the other in the middle of the gaza strip. i think they would also do

limited rates to disrupt hamas activity when they see it. i think you would be seeing more consistent military activity, but it would not be at the same large-scale we see today. sumi: would represent the palestinians in accepting that arrangement? brian: i think hamas wants to position itself to accept that arrangement. but i don't think it will be willing to accept those raids. i think that is part of what we still need to work out. sumi: i want to ask about syria, the other major story in the middle east, and the u.n. special envoy has said unless the country gets urgent support, it could be plunged back into conflict. how tenuous is syria's transition? brian: i think it is pretty tenuous. not in all of the areas. i think there is cautious optimism among syrians now because of the fall of the regime. they fought a horrible war for many years, over a decade. if we look at plac like north syria, where you have turkiye threatening another offensive, that is one of those things that

could change the environment in syria in scary ways, and plunge at least certain regions of syria back into civil war. sumi: you have various armed factions but the leading rebel group that led to the fall of the assad regime has said it will disarm its military wing first. do you think you will see these other groups follow suit? brian: i think so. i should say, i'm not sure i buy what hts is saying off the bat. i think hts wants to try to transition its military wing into the syrian ab army, or a successor organization to the syrian arab army. i think that they are going to try to pull the other groups along with them in that process. sure, they will disarm, in a sense that hts's military wing may not exist any longer and h fighters may not be part of the hts organizations. i think they will then be pushed into the future syrian army. sumi: and a future syrian government possibly as well? would you imagine that would be the model for them in an

inclusive syrian government? brian: i think what hts wants to do is it wants to consolidate its own control over the government. we have seen nothing that would indicate that they are willing to give up control willingly over that government. i think there are still open questions of how willing the leader of hts is to give up what hts has gained in the last couple weeks. sumi:sumi thank you for you analysis. good to have you with us. brian: thank you. sumi: the leader of the rebel group that ousted president bashar al-assad is calling on the west to lift all sanctions imposed on syria under the assad regime, including the designation of the terrorist organization. in its first interview since taking of the country, mod all shot, told the times of israel that the west should lift all restrictions which were imposed on the flog her and the victim. the flog her is gone now. saying this issue is not up for

negotiation. he warned israel it must end its airstrikes in syria withdraw from syrian territory. this comes as british diplomats meet with the syrian leader to ensure a smooth transition of power. outside of the capital damascus, there are reports more mass graves have been found, as syria charts a new way forward. as c9's rebuild, our chief international correspondent has been speaking to residents in homes. she sent this report. reporter: into any 14, we reported on the end of the old city siege. 1000 starving civilians rescued in a temporary truce, including a little girl. >> [speaking another language] reporter: we have stayed in touch from afar since then. >> nice to see you. >> they were the hardest times. even now, when i think back, i wonder, how did we survive?

it was a nightmare and it ended, thank god. reporter: but they're did not stop. their father raised his daughters on his own. their mother was killed when a rocket slammed into their kitchen. all of them have been striving for a better future. the starving girl we met is now studying food science at university. >> i never thought i would find a job here in the days of the regime. i always thought i would go to europe to work. but now, there is a chance to live here with dignity. >> we want a civilian government. not even any islamic one. we want to live together to coexist. we want whoever the president is to pack up and leave at the end of their term. we don't want another president for life. someone that they build statues of. reporter: the -- they insist we must visit their place of refuge in the siege. the monastery which opened its

doors. a nativity scene now. the new syrian pastor finds christmas hope in their story. >> this is what is about the grotto, where jesus and the holy family, they find refuge. this comes to something very beautiful, a beautiful story. reporter: it's the story of homes. the city they call the capital of the revolution. now a crucible for syria's new start. sumi: at least six people have died from a powerful earthquake off the coast of the southern pacific. the capital was the hardest hit at the epicenter of the 7.3 magnitude quake -- quake and in a intense aftershock continued through the evening. authorities are beginning

recovery operations at several damaged buildings, including the american embassy. officials say it was the strongest earthquake in decades in nearby australia says it will provide whatever help is needed. is home to more than 300,000 residents across 80 islands. a bbc investigation has found reports of at least 565 children being killed, maimed, or injured by crude bombs in the indian state of westbank all the last ree decades. the homemade devices have been used by political activists during electoral violence, as a tool of intimidation to silence opponents, especially during elections. the bbc's correspondent reports from west bengal. some viewers may find some scenes distressing. reporter: crude bombs are homemade explosives packed with shrapnel. they have become a regular feature of election violence in west bengal. >> [speaking another language] reporter: in 2018, her hand was

blown off by a crude bomb. she was seven years old. >> that day, i woke up in the morning and went to pick flowers to offer to god. thanks to a neighbors water pump, i saw a ball lying on the ground. i brought it home thinking it was a ball. >> grandfather came and said, what is that in your hand? it's a long, it's a bomb. throw it. she couldn't throw it. it exploded in her hands. i was crying. i yelled, where are you all, do something. i saw her hand was gone and i pressed her stomach with my hand. reporter: there is no publicly available data on crude bomb child casualties in west bengal. the bbc went to the archives of two newspapers since 1996. reports of 565 children killed, maimed, or injured. on average, one child every 18 days. cases do go unreported, so the

actual number is likely to be higher. >> the enduring image, unfortunately, of west bengal elections. >> bombs, attacks, clashes among political parties seem commonplace. >> welcome to west bengal's, doing brisk business once again as voting nears. >> during any major election here, you will see the rampant use of bombs. the sole purpose of this use is for dominance and political dominance. reporter: in the late 1960's, crude bombs became commonplace as rebels fought for control of the state. since then, bomb making skills have been passed down for generations. >> new sophisticated plant, new laboratory, no safety gear. sitting crosslegged on the floor of his home building that lee devices with his bare hands. reporter: the raw materials are plenty here. if you look at our markets, you will find gredients to make

bombs. and if you pay the bomb makers, they will make bombs. reporter: in the middle of the 2024 election, and other west bengal family mourns a child killed by a crude bomb. 9 -- the nine-year-old was playing near a pond when he found the explosives. the bbc asked west bengal's four main political parties whether they commissioned crude bombs for electoral gain. the party of india and the indian national congress strongly denied doing so. the congress and the party did not respond. as it leads to arrests, chanting from a political -- can be heard on the wind. sumi: let's take a look at other headlines from around the world.

luigi mangione was indicted in the killing of health executive brian thompson. manhattan district attorney alvin bragg announced on tuesday. mangione faces elevated charges in the indictment including murder as a "act of terrorism." the 26-year-old is fighting extradition to new york after a multi-day manhunt ended with his arrest in pennsylvania. he is next due in pennsylvania court on tuesday. presidential electors are gathering across state capitals to formalize donald trump's victory in the u.s. presidential election. it is a largely ceremonial ballots that confirm each state's electoral college votes which are sent to congress. a joint session with the house and senate on january 6 will certify the election results ahead of inauguration on january 20. donald trump is suing a pollster and newspaper claiming ants ulcers final paul was "election interfering fiction." released three days before the election, her poll showed kamala harris leaving by three points

in the republican stronghold. trump won by double digits, a difference his legal team argues misled the public. the founder of the notorious drug cartel has been quickly rearrested by authorities in mexico after being depted from the u.s. he was arrested on charges of murder and organized crime after serving a lengthy jail sentence in the u.s.. under his leadership, it became one of the most powerful and brutal hit squads in the mexican drug wars. more than 100 italian rescuers are making slow progress in their efforts to fleet -- to free an explorer trapped underground. a spokesman for the operation said it was impossible to know how long it would take to free him. the explorer had fallen into an unexplored section of the cave, suffering fractures to her legs, chest and face. before we go, the duke and duchess of sussex shared a rare photo of their two children on their christmas card. their faces remain out of sight in this photo, but we do see prints archie, age five, and his

little sister, princess lilibet, facing away from the camera as they run towd their parents. it is among a series of six photos on the card from prince harry and meghan, which features the message "we wish you a very happy holiday season." that is our program at this hour. you can always get more on the days news on our website, bbc.com/news. plus to see what we are working on at any time, check us out on your favorite social media site. don't forget you can download the bbc news app for all of the latest analysis and news from our correspondents around the world. for all of us here in washington and world news america team, i am sumi somaskanda. thank you for watching and stay with bbc news. ♪ announcer: funding for presentation of this program is provided by... financial services firm, raymond james.

announcer: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ announcer: get the free pbs app now and stream the best of pbs.

geoff: good evening. i'm geoff bennett. amna: and i'm amna nawaz. on the “news hour” tonight, the man accused of killing united healthcare's ceo is charged with murder as an act of terrorism. geoff: displaced syrians return to their homes after the fall of