Newshour

US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have spoken by phone - in Biden's final week in office - as momentum builds towards a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal. Israel and Hamas are understood to be making progress but uncertainty remains over key aspects of the potential agreement. Also on the programme: Twenty-six men have been rescued from a mine shaft in South Africa after spending more than two months trapped underground; and research from Nasa tells us that we are less likely to notice when a woman is tired than a man. (Photo: Protest in Tel Aviv calls for Gaza ceasefire and release of hostages Credit: Abir Sultan/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

The BBC has heard allegations about working conditions at Shein. Some workers have claimed that they are working for more than 75 hours a week, which would contravene Chinese labour laws. We explore Shein’s business model. Also in the programme: South Korea’s spy agency gives new figures of North Korean soldier casualties in Ukraine; and the European island that celebrates New Year’s Day in mid-January. (Photo: A shopper carries a bag while visiting Shein's Christmas bus tour, in Manchester, Britain, December 2024. Credit: REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja)

Two of the four Los Angeles wildfires have been contained, while the Palisades and Eaton Fires rage on. We hear the latest news from the city, as well as reports of landlords who are hiking rental prices as people who have had to leave their homes seek temporary housing. Also in the programme: the North Korean soldiers who have been captured in Ukraine; and a conversation with the renowned British artist Tracey Emin. (Photo: A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon, Los Angeles, California. Credit: REUTERS/Ringo Chiu)

Firefighters in California say calmer winds and higher humidity have helped their efforts to prevent wildfires in Los Angeles from reaching the city's expensive Brentwood neighbourhood. However, strong winds are forecast to return, and the fire risk remains high. Sixteen people are now known to have died over the past five days. Also on the programme: Sudanese army claims capture of key eastern city from rebels; Donald Trump's expansionist foreign policies, wanting to take over Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal; and we speak to Fernanda Torres, the first Brazilian to win Best Actress Golden Globe Award. (Photo: A firefighter watches as the Palisades Fire, one of simultaneous blazes that have ripped across Los Angeles County. Credit: REU)

Wildfires which have caused at least eleven deaths and destroyed thousands of properties are expected to pick up pace again in the US county of Los Angeles. New evacuation orders have now been issued for neighbourhoods surrounding the city. Our Correspondent Peter Bowes gives us the latest. We also explore whether a water shortage has hampered relief efforts, as well as how long insurance companies will take to pay those affected. Also in the programme: The daughter of convicted rapist Dominique Pelicot speaks out; and the Palestinian creatives whose films have made the preliminary Oscars shortlist. (Photo: A member of the Fire Department holds a smartphone in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles, 11th January 2025 (Credit: REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/TPX)