In global news, business, and sport. And you can be part of the conversation. Tell us what you think about the stories we are covering, or what you have spotted online. Just use the hashtag bbcthebriefing. Rescue workers are trying to find survivors following the devastating mudslides in southern california. 17 people are known to have died, with more than a dozen still missing. Many of those now affected are the very same people who had to flee last month from some of the biggest wildfires in the states history. The latest extreme weather hit carpinteria, Santa Barbara and montecito. From there, our correspondent james cook reports. In montecito, they are still combing the ruins, looking for survivors. But, with every hour that passes, hope fades. The surge of mud and debris wasjust hope fades. The surge of mud and debris was just too powerful. It consumed everything before it, turning homes to matchwood. Consumed everything before it, turning homes to matchwoodm consumed everything before it, turning homes to matchwood. It was just a very unexpected explosion of water, rock, cars, trees, metal came in without any warning, really. The sky lit up because some buildings had blown up. The gas mains, it turns out. So here is all this by coming down, and fire going up, and here is all this rain coming down and you wonder what is happening . I mean, it was an incredible experience. More than 500 firefighters and other rescue teams have been working around the clock, hoping beyond hope that they can still save lives. Parts of the town are still cut off, but some residents have been returning to inspect the damage. The house being gone isjust a house. It isjust some clothes in a house. Not in a neighbourhood this small, every single name that turns up as someones dad or neighbour or teacher. And that is the worst part. We are happy for everyone who made it. The look mudslide did notjust claim lives, could paralyse this pa rt claim lives, could paralyse this part of california. This is the main motorway along the pacific coast, the 101 freeway. The trauma will last much longer. There is a lot more on our website, including the latest on the scale of the devastation and the guide to the link between wildfires and mudslides. Or of course, you can download the bbc news app as well. There has been a third night of Anti Government protests in tunisia. Police used teargas against large crowds angry at recent price rises affecting basic goods. The Prime Minister has condemned what he called unacceptable violence by protestors, and demonstrators have levelled the same accusation against the police. Sarah corker reports. Anger over rising prices in tunisia has turned into unrest. This is tebourba, 20 miles west of the capital, tunis. Young people took to the streets for a third successive night. One man died in clashes here on monday. Police and troops have been deployed in several cities. There have been clashes in tunis, too. Demonstrators threw stones and burnt tyres. Riot Police Responded with tear gas. Translation its not the peoples fault. Young people have studied and studied, and then are left unemployed or in a difficult situation. As far as were concerned, we have to endure these clashes. Protesters have been accused of using children to loot shops. So far, more than 200 people have been arrested after what the Prime Minister described as unacceptable violence. Translation every time there is societal friction in tunisia, the vandals come out. They start destroying things and recruiting small kids. These people dont serve the interests of tunisia. These protests started peacefully last week, but public anger has been building since the government raised the price of petrol and staple items, and introduced new taxes at the start of the year. Translation our demands are the following suspend the 2018 finance law, return to the original price of goods, and hire one member from every poor family. The government says its top priority is improving the lives of ordinary tunisians. But for another night, there is tension and violence, and massive anti austerity rallies are planned for friday. Sarah corker, bbc news. Lets brief you on some of the other stories making the news President Trump says washington could be persuaded to rejoin the paris climate accord, if a new agreement could be reached. But he said any new deal would need to be fairer to the united states. Mr trump announced lastjune that he would pull out of the treaty to curb global emissions. Two people have been killed in the eastern pakistani city of kasur, as Police Clashed with demonstrators incensed by the rape and murder of a six year old girl. Zainabs body was discovered on a rubbish dump. Authorities are accused of failing to stop a series of child murders and sexual assaults. The heads of the seven southern European Countries on the frontline of the migration crisis have reiterated their commitment to finding a common european policy. They called upon other eu members to share the burden of Border Protection and migrant reception. Last year, more than 170,000 migrants from war torn and impoverished countries arrived at european coasts. Youtube has dropped one its most popular stars, logan paul, from its top tier advertising streams. The decision was in response to a recent video posted by the vlogger which showed him and his friends reacting to finding a dead body in a japanese forest notorious for suicides. He later apologised. Lets turn to our top business story, the future of britains huge financial industry once it leaves the eu next year. Today, uk chancellor Philip Hammond and brexit secretary david davis are in germany trying to win support for a favourable post brexit trade deal, especially when it comes to Financial Services. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister will be hosting the city of londons top bosses, to reassure them london will remain a leading Financial Centre post brexit. Alpesh patel is from praefinium partners. Iimagine you i imagine you have a strong opinion on this one. I do indeed. I hope they dont forget the smaller Financial Services companies in the uk like mine, who dont have hundreds of millions in assets under management, or billions, but we do employ people and run a business and hope to become like the massive multinationals. I hope they dont forget the small ones. Some really surprising statistics on this when i was looking this up. The average worker contributes 1. 5 times more to the uk economy, in terms of taxes, than the average worker in other industries. Not only that, the Financial Services industry in the uk is 10 of the uk economy and the uks largest exporter and tax generator. We know it is and incredibly part of the uk economy, for sure. We subsidise the rest of the country. I am sure many in manufacturing and elsewhere would demure. Statistically we do. Despite all that, how sure are you that the likes of Philip Hammond and david davis in germany will get us some sort of good trade deal or special arrangement for Financial Services . I have actually been out with Philip Hammond, i was hosting him i have actually been out with Philip Hammond, iwas hosting him in india and he is very good and passionate and he is very good and passionate and determined, flying the flag for the uk. The german press are saying there will be no special deals for there will be no special deals for the uk finance sector. There will be no special deals for the uk finance sectorlj there will be no special deals for the uk finance sector. I will tell you the problems i have with the german press, it is not really depressed, they are not the ones doing the negotiations. The uk looks more and more like closed shop. Surely if it is win win, why do they had to add extra tariffs and fees if we are doing so much Good Business for europe and vice versa on Financial Services . Forget the little bits of other areas, then why is it being so protectionist . It is supposed to be a free and open market, a transparent market. Why are they being so protectionist to ask tom given that right now, as things stand today, we are trading freely with them. So why are they trying to punish us . All right, that isa trying to punish us . All right, that is a question i will ask our guests in the Business Briefing. But for now, thank you very much. I dont think you need stronger copy. As you can see, he is firing on all cylinders already. He will be back for the news briefing later. In the meantime, lets tell you about this story. Police in paris are searching for two members of a gang who stole jewels worth millions of dollars in an audacious burglary at the famous ritz hotel. Armed with small axes, the thieves smashed the windows of the luxury hotel in the Place Vendome, to gain access to display cases. Three were arrested fleeing the scene. Dan johnson reports. A large Police Response outside the paris ritz, after a gang armed with taxes carried out a violent raid. It isnt just the christmas taxes carried out a violent raid. It isntjust the Christmas Lights that sparkle here. There werejewels isntjust the Christmas Lights that sparkle here. There were jewels on display to match the wealth of the guest of one of the worlds most exclusive hotels. The robbers arrived in Place Vendome on scooters at around 6pm in the evening local time, smashing windows on the ground floor of the hotel. It is estimated they took jewels worth 4 floor of the hotel. It is estimated they tookjewels worth 4 Million Euros, but Police Officers interrupted the raid and the rest in three of the five men. Paris has seen this before. In october 2016, us reality tv star Kim Kardashian had a gun pointed at her head as a gang sold 10 Million Euros worth of her jewellery. Only gang sold 10 Million Euros worth of herjewellery. Only one piece was ever seen again. It is not clear how much was recovered from this latest raid. Police are still searching for two of the men involved. Extreme weather has caused havoc in the alps, but thousands of tourists who have been stranded by the heavy snow are now managing to leave some resorts. Some villages, though, are still cut off, and others are without power. Rescue services in switzerland, france and italy are warning that the risk of avalanche remains high. Imogen foulkes has more. After two days cut off from the rest of the world, zermatt is open for business again. The train line blocked by snow is now clear, and for those who are really in a huge hurry, the helicopters are waiting. Some tourists, though, seem quite happy exactly where they are. Translation since we have arrived yesterday morning, and we are leaving saturday, we dont feel blocked at all. But, for communities across the alps, the heavy snow continues to cause problems. Some villages are still cut off. Others are without power. The biggest worry of all is over avalanches. Tons and tons of snow has fallen, and the weather is warmer than normal, meaning the snow is loose, wet and heavy, more likely to slip down the mountain. Winter sports fans are being warned to stay only on slopes and paths marked clearly as safe. Meanwhile, the alpine authorities are working around the clock to clear the snow. Their window of opportunity may be short. More snow is forecast for thursday. Stay with us on the briefing. Also on the programme a special report from jordan, where two young girls badly injured in the syrian war are facing a long wait for treatment. Day one of Operation Desert Storm to force the iraqis out of kuwait has seen the most intense air attacks since the second world war. Tobacco is americas oldest industry, and its one of its biggest, but the industry is nervous of this report. This may tend to make people want to stop smoking cigarettes. There is not a street that is unaffected. Huge parts of kobe were simply demolished as buildings crashed into one another. This woman said shed been given no help and no advice by the authorities. She stood outside the ruins of her business. Tens of thousands of black children in south africa have taken advantage of laws, passed by the countrys new multiracial government, and enrolled at formerly white schools. Tonight sees the 9,610th performance of her long running play, the mousetrap. When they heard about her death today, the management considered whether to cancel tonights performance, but Agatha Christie would have been the last person to want such a thing. Youre watching the briefing. Our headlines in tunisia, after a third day of clashes, the Prime Minister accuses anti austerity protestors of trying to weaken the government. Rescue workers search for survivors, after at least 17 people were killed in mudslides and flooding in southern california. Attacks on hospitals and other Health Facilities have become commonplace in syria, according to the Childrens Charity unicef. Theyre struggling to cope with the numbers of children seriously injured in the conflict. Bbc news has been following two young girls, rahaf and qamar, badly burned when a shell hit their home in syria six years ago. Theyve both had operations injordan, where they now live. Caroline hawley has returned to see how theyre getting on. Qamar barely remembers the day, six years ago, that changed the course of her life. She was only three when a shell hit the family home in homs, slamming into the childrens bedroom, setting fire to qamar in her bedclothes. Qamars hands were so damaged, she needed help to feed and dress herself. She was so distressed by her appearance, she couldnt look in the mirror. Her sister, rahaf, was also badly burnt, and when we first met the family, neither of the girls would go out of the house. But today, theyre on the way to school. It has taken immense strength and courage, and countless operations, to get to where they are now. This was the two of them in syria, before the war. When qamar was four, we watched as she had surgery at a hospital run by the charity medecins sans frontieres, injordan, where the family fled to for treatment. Two years later, she had to wear this mask to help another skin graft heal. These days, they spend much more time at school than in hospital. Syrian refugees come here in the afternoons, and the girls love it. Qamar has had to get used to how other children react to her. Their teacher has worked hard to get their classmates to accept them. She admires oamars bravery. Her parents worry about the social stigma their daughters will face as they grow up, that life with their injuries will be harder as young women. When the children draw for us, qamars first picture is of her dream house, and then she draws a mosque. But rahaf has now been discharged from msfs hospital. The doctors have done what they can. Qamar is waiting for more surgery. But, with all the conflict around the middle east, the hospital is inundated with new cases, and the waiting list is long. Two very brave young girls. A group of feminist activists in france have criticised the actress Catherine Deneuve and other signatories to a letter that argues the Worldwide Campaign against Sexual Harassment has gone too far. The letter on tuesday defends the right of men to pester women, although it condemns Sexual Violence and abuse of power. The activists accuse them of trying to put the lid back on the situation. Lets have a look at key events taking place today. Talks on preserving the Iran Nuclear Deal get under way in brussels shortly. Then, in vienna, the organisation for security and co operation in europe will be presenting the groups Top Priorities for the coming year. And, finally, a ceremony takes place in bulgaria to mark the beginning of the countrys six month presidency of the european union. Now its time to get all the latest from the bbc sports centre. Im Nick Marshall mccormack, and this is your sport briefing for thursday. Novak is back, and we give you a glimpse of a kid who is destined for baseball fame. Later on thursday, three time defending champions barcelona host celta vigo in the last 16 of spanish footballs copa del rey. Lionel messi and luis suarez were both given the night off in the first leg 1 1 draw. But their skill will be needed tonight to get them through. Barcelona are the favourites to lift the trophy for a record extending 30th time. The copa del rey began back in 1903, the same year the South African open was first held. That makes it one of golfs Oldest National championships. This year its hosted by ernie els. The big easy is one of four major winners wholl tee off on thursday. I was fortunate enough to win it five times and then basically play as host a little bit, you know. It is our major in this country, you know, it is the oldest event we have and it really rival some of the really great championships around the world, and we wanted to try and bring that charisma back. London will take centre stage later, as the nba comes to town. The Boston Celtics are currently leading the eastern conference and face the philadelphia 76ers. The celtics are one of the most successful teams in history, but havent won a championship in ten years. Zinedine zidane signed a new contract which will keep him at real ma