The World Tonight

In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective.

The leader of the main Islamist rebel group in Syria has met the former prime minister to coordinate the transfer of power, a day after President Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia. At the same time, desperate families of political prisoners detained in one of Syria's most notorious prisons flooded the facility to find their loved ones. The BBC's Barbara Plett Usher was among them. The British government says it'll follow the lead of European countries and pause asylum applications for Syrians. And police in the United States have arrested a man in connection with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Syria's rebels claim to have reached the city limits of Homs in their lightning offensive south from Idlib which has already seen them capture the country's second city Aleppo as well as Hama. Capturing Homs would isolate the regime stronghold of Latakia on the Mediterranean coast. Meanwhile the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says an uprising of militias in the south of the country has forced President Assad's forces to withdraw from Daraa. In Romania, the constitutional court has annulled the first round of the Presidential elections, which saw an outsider claim the most votes amid allegations of a foreign-backed influence campaign. And as France prepares to reopen a restored Notre Dame cathedral, we hear some of the music that has resonated within its walls throughout its more than 800-year history.

A defiant President Emmanuel Macron has told the French people that he won't stand down - and has blamed an "anti-republican front" for toppling the government. We're live in Paris with reaction to the his prime-time TV address. Also tonight: Rebels in Syria have been celebrating the capture of the key city of Hama, in a fresh blow to President Assad. We ask whether the rebels are one step closer to bringing down his regime. After Sir Keir Starmer accuses Whitehall of becoming comfortable with failure - we hear how his comments are going down with civil servants. And we talk to the amateur fossil hunter who's made a remarkable discovery - which has shown that a cousin of the T-rex roamed southern England more than 100 million years ago.

French MPs have voted to oust the government of Michel Barnier. The left-wing coalition of parties labelled the New Popular Front joined forces with Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally to vote through a motion of no-confidence. It follows Prime Minister Barnier forcing through a social security budget without a vote earlier in the week. Here in the UK, the Scottish government pledged to end the two-child benefit cap north of the border in a move that would require coordination with the Labour government in London. And we explore the rise of “trad wives” in the egalitarian culture of Sweden.

There's been a night of chaos - and confusion - in South Korea. Over the space of a few hours, the country's president declared - then lifted - martial law. We're live in Seoul with the latest. Also tonight: The French prime minister has insisted he can survive tomorrow's no-confidence vote. We ask a former European Central Bank chief how serious the crisis is for the French economy - and what it means for Europe. We hear some rare voices of Israeli soldiers who are refusing to serve in Gaza. And a teacher-turned-TikTok star on the platform's pedagogical strengths.

French opposition parties say they'll back a no-confidence motion in the government of Michel Barnier, after the Prime Minister forced through a social-security budget without a parliamentary vote. Barnier was appointed less than three months ago by President Macron, but his government relies on votes from both the far-right National Rally of Marine Le Pen as well as a coalition of left-wing parties. In Syria, there are signs the government of Bashar al-Assad is gathering forces to push back a rebel offensive that captured the city of Aleppo. Russian and Syrian jets have launched air strikes against rebel-held areas and there are reports of Iranian-backed militias from Iraq crossing the border into Syria. And a new absurdist comedy set at the G7 summit stars Cate Blanchett as a Merkel-like German Chancellor, we spoke to the Oscar-winning actress about her new film alongside director Guy Maddin.

MPs have voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at second reading, meaning it will advance to being scrutinised in Parliamentary committees. In this special edition of The World Tonight we explore what it means for the House of Commons to back the principle of assisted dying, what happens to the Bill next, and what changes it could lead to in society.

After weeks of public debate, the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will be voted upon in its second reading in the House of Commons tomorrow. The Bill was introduced to Parliament last month by backbench Labour MP Kim Leadbeater. We brought together three MPs: one who backs a change in the law, one who opposes it, and one who remains undecided. The dormant Syrian Civil War sprang back into life today as rebel forces in the country's northwest launched an offensive against the government-held city of Aleppo. And as Asako Yuzuki's novel 'Butter' is named Waterstones' Book of the Year, we ask what lies behind the surging popularity of Japanese literature in Britain.

The US envoy who brokered the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah tells us it opens the door for a broader peace in the Middle East. Also on the programme: Lord Cameron has become the first former prime minister to publicly back the bill that legalises assisted dying for terminally ill people with less than six months to live. We ask how sure doctors can be about when someone is likely to die. A bendy banana in the Oval Office? The crypto entrepreneur who paid almost £5 million for an artwork of a banana duct-taped to a wall tells us why Donald Trump would like it.

US President Joe Biden has announced a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah. The truce will kick in overnight and is scheduled to last for sixty days. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government would “respond forcefully to any violation” of the deal. In the UK, the owner of Vauxhall has announced the closure of its van-making factory in Luton, putting 1,100 jobs at risk. Stellantis cited UK laws to impose a transition to electric vehicles as part of the reason. The government says it will consult on “flexibilities” to those rules. And the Macquarie Dictionary has a new word of the year. The dictionary’s committee describes the word as: “A very basic Anglo-Saxon term wrapped in affixes which elevate it to being almost formal; almost respectable”.

US officials expressed cautious optimism that Israel and Hezbollah would agree to a 60-day ceasefire deal. The Israeli cabinet will discuss the deal tomorrow. It would see Israel withdraw from southern Lebanon while Hezbollah would vacate the area close to the border. In the UK, the Supreme Court will begin a hearing tomorrow on the legal definition of a woman. It's been brought by a campaign group in Scotland over a piece of Scottish legislation that means anyone with an appropriate Gender Recognition Certificate is considered a woman. And 40 years since the original, the "ultimate mix" of Band Aid has been released. But is the message of the song out of date?

The former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said he opposes new legislation to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales but is calling for a commission to improve end-of-life care. Could he change the minds of some MPs? Also on the programme: Why was Donald Trump talking about cage fighting on the night he won the presidency? We look at the role mixed martial arts played in his campaign. And Scotland's oldest cello has been played in public this evening for the first time in more than 200 years. We have the cellist's verdict.

There's been an angry reaction in Israel after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes. We speak to a former prime minister of Israel - and ask the chair of Westminster's Foreign Affairs Committee whether Mr Netanyahu could be arrested if he comes to the UK. Also on the programme: Vladimir Putin has tonight issued a warning to Britain after it allowed Ukraine to use long range missiles to target Russia. We're live in Moscow with the latest. The former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has been hailed as a "working-class hero" after his death at the age of 86. We ask whether it's still a such big deal to be working class in British politics. And we dip into newly unearthed recordings by the jazz legend Miles Davis, from his time in 1960s Paris.

Ukraine has fired UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles into Russian territory for the first time, the BBC understands. The government has declined to comment on the reports, which first emerged on Russian Telegram channels. We speak to former senior military leaders in the UK and US about what advantage the missiles might bring Ukraine, and hear about the brutal conditions on the front lines. Also on the programme, Northern Rail has submitted plans to improve services by 2027. We examine the impact the under-fire operator is having on local areas. And we remember Vic Flick, the man who's unforgettable guitar riff became the soundtrack for James Bond.

A thousand days into Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine has used long-range US-supplied missile to strike targets inside Russia. A senior Republican senator tells us it shouldn't have taken so long to get permission. Also tonight: As the Prime Minister vows to plough on with his plans to charge inheritance tax on agricultural assets - how much damage is his row with farmers doing? And we hear how views on assisted dying are shaped by having a sister who chose to end her life.

In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective.

A French mother who's suing TikTok for exposing her daughter to harmful content tells us she blames the social media giant for causing the teenager to take her own life. As Australia moves to ban under-16s from social media, we ask if other countries will follow. Also tonight: After Donald Trump's nomination of the vaccine sceptic Robert F Kennedy Junior to lead the US Department of Health - we look at the links between him and the discredited British anti-vaxxer Andrew Wakefield. And Mercury Prize winners Ezra Collective who tonight have become the first jazz musicians to headline Wembley Arena.

As Donald Trump returns to the White House for a handover chat with Joe Biden, the president-elect learns that his Republican Party will fully control Congress - and makes a series of eye-catching nominations for top jobs. We try to unpack what it all means for America - and the world. Also tonight: The Chancellor will unveil plans tomorrow for what she calls the biggest pensions shake up in decades. We have the latest. And as a nation frets over the great taramasalata shortage - Jay Rayner helps us make a do-it-yourself dip.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has announced he will step down from his role following a damning report into a prolific child abuser associated with the Church of England. The review found that Justin Welby "could and should" have reported John Smyth's abuse of boys and young men to police in 2013. We look at the future of the Church and the challenges it faces in selecting a new leader. The BBC understands that more than 100 Post Office branches and hundreds of head office jobs are at risk as part of a radical shake-up of the business. And the Booker Prize has gone to Samantha Harvey’s for her "beautiful and ambitious" novel Orbital.