live from london, this is bbc news. prince harry will find out later whether he's won his hacking case against mirror group newspapers. british teenager alex batty is back in the uk, six years after he went missing. greater manchester police say there are questions that need answering. the us's national security advisor is due to visit palestinian authority leaders in the west bank, having urged israel to wind down the war. hungary's prime minister threatens to pull the handbrake on future payments to ukraine, after he blocked a $55 billion eu aid package. hello, i'm gareth barlow.

uk officials in france are preparing to fly home a british teenager who was found after being missing for six years. alex batty, now 17, disappeared after travelling to spain with his mother and grandfather. the boy was discovered on wednesday near the city of toulouse. in the past hour, manchester police gave a short update to the media. i think ithinki i think i speak on behalf of the whole of the greater manchester police when we say we are relieved and overjoyed to say we received the news from the french authorities they believe alex batty has been found safe and well. it has been six years since his disappearance. this is a huge moment for alex, his family and the community in oldham. alex went missing whilst on holiday in 2017 when he was just 11 years old. on wednesday, a member of the public reported a potential cycling

in toulouse area of france. the young man identified as alan alex was taken to a french police station. the young man and alex's, the spoke on a video call last night and while she is content it is indeed alex, we obviously have further checks to do when he returns to the uk. our main priority now is to see alex returned home to the uk to his family and the investigation team are working around the clock with partner agencies and the french authorities to ensure they are all fully supported. alex and his family remain our focus and we still have some work to do in establishing the full circumstances surrounding his disappearance and where he has been in all of those years. i can only imagine the emotions they have experienced as a family throughout the ordeal. i would ask they be granted privacy as they come to terms with what has happened and they try to find a way to move together as a family with their lives going forward.

live now to our reporter rowan bridge. we heard from police officers in the short press conference, it does not seem as though... can you hear us? yes, i can hear you. talk seem as though. .. can you hear us? yes, i can hear you.— yes, i can hear you. talk a bit more about the press _ yes, i can hear you. talk a bit more about the press conference, - yes, i can hear you. talk a bit more about the press conference, the - about the press conference, the authorities in the uk waiting to try to understand the situation. what more have they been saying and what do we know with regards to the events of the last few days? yeah, the olice events of the last few days? yeah, the police say _ events of the last few days? yeah, the police say they _ events of the last few days? yeah, the police say they want _ events of the last few days? yeah, the police say they want to - events of the last few days? yeah, the police say they want to speak l events of the last few days? yeah, l the police say they want to speak to alex batty himself to establish exactly what his circumstances have been over the past six years since he went missing. last seen taking a holiday with his mother and grandfather in 2017 when they flew to spain. last seen in october 2017 and not seen since then until he was picked up by this driver near

toulouse in the early hours of wednesday morning. and he was taken to the french authorities by the driver who realised he was dismissing teenager, alex batty. the police say they are aware of speculation around where he may have been over the past few years, there is talk of him living in a sort of community group, a sort itinerant group living near the pyrenees in the south of france, but the police say they want to speak to alex directly to establish exactly where he has been and what has happened to him. as you heard, clearly for the police themselves and for alex's family and the wider community in oldham, a great sense of relief and m oldham, a great sense of relief and joy he has been found after all of this time, this has been a major breakthrough for greater manchester police who have taken over from the french authorities. alex himself

they say has been well looked after by the french authorities at the moment. i asked by the french authorities at the moment. iasked in by the french authorities at the moment. i asked in the news conference when they expected him to return to the uk, that is not likely to be today, but they say it will be in the next few days. they did not put a timeline on it specifically. we know his grandmother has been in contact with him, his legal guardian. contact with him, his legal guardian-— contact with him, his legal guardian. contact with him, his legal uuardian. . , . guardian. that is right. the police said in a news _ guardian. that is right. the police said in a news conference, - guardian. that is right. the police said in a news conference, you i guardian. that is right. the police. said in a news conference, youjust said in a news conference, you just heard him say, they had a video call last night and they said in the press conference his grandmother was sure it was alex himself. alex had tried to contact her when he got picked up by the driver, he used the driver's facebook account to try to contact his grandmother, sent her a message, not clear whether she got it, but they were reunited on a video call last night and hopefully will be reunited in person in the next few days based on what conscious mikko greater manchester

police were saying. —— based on what greater manchester police were saying. greater manchester police were sa in. saying. our correspondent in toulouse. — saying. our correspondent in toulouse, the _ saying. our correspondent in toulouse, the authorities - saying. our correspondent in toulouse, the authorities inl saying. our correspondent in - toulouse, the authorities in france and the uk are keen to try to understand what has happened over the last six years, a lot of focus on the lifestyle that the mother and grandfather lived. you know the area well, the region, give us an indication of potentially what might have been going on.— indication of potentially what might have been going on. yeah, the area the were have been going on. yeah, the area they were at. _ have been going on. yeah, the area they were at. it _ have been going on. yeah, the area they were at, it is _ have been going on. yeah, the area they were at, it is to _ have been going on. yeah, the area they were at, it is to put _ have been going on. yeah, the area they were at, it is to put it - they were at, it is to put it bluntly... people who have dropped out of the rat race, doomsday cult, and of the world coming, one mountain top they could be rescued from, there was a jihadist group, went on to syria, others attacked in france where people died, a lot of people who have dropped out of society. also a beautiful part of

the country. no question it is far away from big cities, a lot of space, and it is cheap. you have a lot of people there who move their from urban populations who have been there 20, 30 years. if there is one part of france where people are looking for an alternative lifestyle, it would be that part of the tommy's. i don't want to give it a bad reputation, great skiing as well —— part of the pyrenees. the prosecutors office called me in the last few minutes, they will be giving an update, i don't know whether it is coordinated with manchester. they told me last night it is now over to the british authorities. they come over, bring alex back, they decide whether it was kidnapping charges are not against the mother who was not the legal guardian, they also want to find out where the mother is. it seems from the british police and what the prosecutor told me

yesterday, they do not know officially where the mother and grandfather. i suspect we will find out more. i know people are gripped by the story. we will tell you on the bbc when we get more information on manchester and toulouse. fascinating story and one that has many twists and turns. we know alex went missing when his mother and grandfather took him on a holiday for a week to spain. there were reports he was potentially in morocco, now find by this truck driver near toulouse who said he picked up the 17—year—old after he was walking for four days and his plan was to try to get to a major city where he could contact the authorities himself. i suppose there is a degree from the authorities perspective of trying to find the mother and grandfather is increasingly difficult because alex has not told them where they are and there are a lot of open borders, not just the pyrenees they are potentially at now, to what degree

do you think what greater manchester police say will have an impact on what the french authorities do or don't do? i what the french authorities do or don't do? ., what the french authorities do or don't do? . ,. , ., ., don't do? i am sceptical about four da s on don't do? i am sceptical about four days on his — don't do? i am sceptical about four days on his own — don't do? i am sceptical about four days on his own with _ don't do? i am sceptical about four days on his own with his _ don't do? i am sceptical about four| days on his own with his skateboard because first of all it is winter, the pyrenees, very cold, he was in good condition, he did not need hospital treatment, that is what the investigators he said. ifind it hard to believe he was on the road forfour hard to believe he was on the road for four days. hard to believe he was on the road forfour days. we need to know more about that. also, what is his mental state? yesterday the prosecutor said he was physically ok but they would not go any further on his mental state. as the british police were also talking, they want to know more as well. still so many questions that have to be answered here, we have not got anywhere near half of the answers. have not got anywhere near half of the answers-— the answers. chris in toulouse for us, there the answers. chris in toulouse for us. there is _ the answers. chris in toulouse for us. there is a _ the answers. chris in toulouse for us, there is a live _ the answers. chris in toulouse for us, there is a live page _ the answers. chris in toulouse for us, there is a live page on - the answers. chris in toulouse for us, there is a live page on the - us, there is a live page on the website and the bbc news app for developments when we get them. here in the uk, prince harry will find out today whether he has

won his phone—hacking lawsuit against mirror group newspapers. the duke of sussex became the first senior british royal for 130 years to appear as a witness in court this summer, after he sued the publisher for damages. live now to tom symonds in central london. the phone hacking scandal has been rumbling in the civil courts in britain for more than a decade, a battle between the rights of newspapers to report on the lives of well—known people and the right of the well known people to their privacy. most cases were settled out of court but prince harry simply refused to do that. he went to trial and today isjudgment day. this summer, the world's media camped outside while, in court, the duke of sussex testified for hours about his life in print. it was the first time for more than 100 years that a senior royal had appeared in the witness box. he said he'd been damaged since childhood by constant newspaper intrusion.

"how much more blood will stain their typing fingers?" he said, "before someone can put a stop to this madness?" well, today for him is judgment day. harry says 33 newspaper stories about him were obtained using phone hacking and blagging his private information. if the judge agrees on as many as 20 of these stories, the duke's legal team will claim victory. but it's notjust about him. the coronation street actor nikki sanderson is suing, along with her colleague michael turner. fiona wightman isn't famous. she was just married for a while to the comedian paul whitehouse. she says the mirror papers tried to get her medical records. this press standards campaigner says unlawful information gathering caused them personal damage. they came to assume that members of their family, that their friends, their partners were selling this information to newspapers and they came to believe that there was no—one that they could trust.

every time it has been to sell newspapers and it's not been sort of some sort of wider kind of public interest issue or holding wrongdoers to account. it's just been for their profits. the mirror's publisher, now called reach plc, based at canary wharf, has already paid £100 million to settle 600 claims in 2015. the actor shobna gulati forced the company in court to make some crucial admissions. private investigators, the company admitted, had hacked mobile phone voicemails and unlawfully obtained private information. also admitted that they were paid byjournalists looking for stories. but the company says the journalists concealed what they were doing. reach did not admit that the newspaper editors knew what was going on, or that board—level executives and senior lawyers were aware. the judge will have to decide whether that's true. he may also rule on whether the former mirror editor, piers morgan, knew about phone hacking. mr morgan denies he did.

reach insisted its senior people operated within the law. it called some of the claims trivial, but the financial implications of losing are anything but. 80 more people are waiting to sue. and if prince harry loses today, his cases against other newspaper groups could be severely damaged. i think the key question for everybody including journalists at court today in the next hour will be actually who has won because these judgments are never clear, they are clear in terms of legal decisions, but it will be a difficult decision to work out who has won. prince harry made more than an application is about more than hundred and a0 articles written about him over his life, 33 in that report were considered by the court. if he can prove say 20 of those were breaches of privacy, a clear win for him. his people are saying even if it gets

into double figures, still pretty good, still a win. if it shows newspapers regularly hacked his phones or regularly infringed his privacy by getting hold of private information, he will be very pleased with the result today. i am told he will not be here, he will be watching on a video link probably from the us where it is of course the middle of the night. the stakes are obviously very high for him but also high for mirror group newspapers now called reach plc. it has reiterated this morning a statement it has made several times saying that where historical wrongdoing has taken place, we have made admissions, take full response military, apologise unreservedly, but we will vigorously defend ourselves against allegations of wrongdoing where journalists acted lawfully. the company says it is a very different company now, committed to acting with integrity and its objective is to move forward from what has happened, events many

years ago. both sides waiting to see what happens. thejudge years ago. both sides waiting to see what happens. the judge will start delivering his verbal comments about what he has decided at about 1030 and we hope to see the fulljudgment within that period between 1030 and 11. it will be complicated but if you bear with us we will try to tell you bear with us we will try to tell you what we know about the judgment when it comes. tam you what we know about the 'udgment when it eeeem— when it comes. tom symons, thank ou. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. let's look at some other stories making news. police are continuing the search for mother of three gaynor lord, a week after her disappearance. officers, say there is a high probability that the 55—year—old went into the river wensum. it comes as a friend of ms lord said she was upbeat and happy and talking about christmas just days before she disappeared. a body has been found after an explosion and fire at an industrial estate in south wales. police said one person was unaccounted for after the incident, which destroyed at least one

building at the site near pontypridd. formal identification has not yet taken place. six of lionel messi's jerseys worn during last year's world cup have sold for a combined £6.1 million at auction. messi captained argentina to victory at the tournament with his country beating france on penalties in the final. the six jerseys were from the first half of the final, semifinal, quarterfinal, last—16 tie and two group games. you can see them on the screen. you're live with bbc news. the us says its talks with israel about moving to what it describes as a more precise phase of military operations have been constructive, with further diplomatic efforts taking place on friday. president biden spoke by phone to israel's prime minister benjamin netanyahu, and his national security advisor jake sullivan held face—to—face talks with him.

it's understood the american leadership discussed a scaling back of israel's high—intensity military operations in gaza but with no specific timetable. mr biden said he didn't want israel to stop going after hamas, but he also wanted it to be focused on how to save civilian lives. mr sullivan has been speaking to the media in the past hour. when it comes to the palestinian authority, i will not characterise personalities. what i will say is at a basic level we do believe that the palestinian authority needs to be revamped and revitalised, updated in terms of its method of governance, its representation of the palestinian people. it will require a lot of work by everyone who is engaged in the palestinian authority, starting with the president, mahmoud abbas, who i will go see. ultimately, it will be up to the palestinian people to work through their representation and it will be up to those leaders of the palestinian authority to work through the types of steps they need

to take to reform and update the authority for the situation we face today. the united states will be a partner in that with them, respectfully, you know, and we will be there to try to support their efforts to ultimately deliver a vision in which israelis and palestinians live side by side in peace and security. meanwhile, israel has continued its heavy bombardment of gaza overnight. this was the scene in northern gaza, as seen from southern israel on friday morning. palestinian sources are reporting air strikes on khan younis and rafah in the south of gaza, with children reported to be among the casualties. also developing this morning, the israeli military say their special forces have recovered the body of a 28—year—old hostage who had been held by hamas in gaza since the october 7th attacks on southern israel. elia toledano was among a number of people to be seized from the supernova music festival close to the border with gaza. no details were provided on how or when he died, but the military said an identification procedure had

been carried out by medics, military rabbis and forensic experts. more than 130 hostages taken from israel remain in gaza, though some have been declared dead in absentia by israeli authorities. i've been speaking to bushra khalidi, who is oxfam's policy lead in the occupied palestinian territory and israel. she explained what the humanitarian situation is like on the ground for people displaced in gaza and the us' influence on israel. we know the us has immense influence and a very tight alliance with israel, and has had for many decades, and they have a financial relationship and a political relationship and a military relationship. of course, it is of most important essence for the us to use that influence to make this stop and for a permanent and immediate ceasefire, and we still have not heard those words uttered

from the us administration and urge them to do so of course. we have of course noted and welcomed the shift in the discourse and the narrative and their influence on ensuring that israel winds up the war that has absolutely caused an unprecedented amount of damage and destruction and trauma for an entire population that is trapped in a very, very small geographical place and have been collectively punished by israel and prevented from accessing water and electricity and telecoms and food and aid in a matter that would sustain their survival. it is disappointing that we are almost at 68 days now and the problem is so much of the damage has been done already and yet we are still talking

and it is becoming increasingly frustrating for us as organisations that not only have been heeding the call for a ceasefire from the first couple of days of this war but also who want to operate and work and also we want to help our teams. our teams feel abandoned because we are unable to reach them. they are unable to work, unable to deliver the work they would usually do in these circumstances. but they are having to survive. and try to find food and water and shelter for their own children. obviously, a huge amount of focus on gaza, to what degree are you also concerned with the situation in the west bank as well? i am very happy you mentioned that and thank you for reminding this is not an isolated... what has happened on 7th october, it's not happening in a vacuum. it is a daily reality for palestinians and i live

in ramallah under military occupation and what it means is there are checkpoints at every entry and exit of every town, village and city across the west bank. 6a0 military checkpoints where we are stopped and asked sometimes to step out of the car and our car checked and our id checked and we are photographed. this is a daily reality for palestinians, especially those who have to travel between cities to visit family or have businesses and are driving trucks from one city to another across the west bank. notjust that, we are afraid of leaving our towns because of the settler violence that is skyrocketing to a point where not only are they acting with complete impunity in their harassment and assaults and even sometimes killing of palestinians, but the israeli military is always there and does not intervene. we have seen several videos and evidence that the israeli army is not intervening when these assaults and these harassments happen.

there has been every single day a military incursion in towns in the west bank, including ramallah. and also besieged isjenin where we are seeing tanks and shelling and a level of destruction that looks almost very similar to gaza. that was bushra khalidi speaking to me from ramallah. the french coastguard says that one person has died, and another is in critical condition, after a boat carrying 66 migrants began sinking in the early hours of friday morning in the english channel. earlier, our correspondent simonjones provided an update of the condition of those on board. we know the french coastguard first received a report at about midnight that a boat carrying more than 60 migrants had got into difficulty in the channel. it's thought some of those on board had actually phoned the french coastguard themselves to ask for help. immediately after that, an emergency response was launched,

an initial rescue boat was sent to the scene around 8km off the coast of calais. people were in the water. two of those people were unconscious. one of those was airlifted to hospital in calais. that person is said to be in a critical condition. a second person, though, was pronounced dead at the scene. in terms of the others who were rescued, we know that 6a people were taken back to calais. it gives you a sense ofjust how dangerously overloaded these boats can be. it also indicates that these crossings are still continuing, even though it is december and it's very cold out at sea, conditions can be very bad for making these crossings. in fact, we haven't actually seen many crossings so far this month. we saw a few hundred make the crossing at the start of december, but for the past 10 or 11 days, it has been very windy in the channel, so there haven't been any crossings at all. today, the sea has been calmer. once again, we have seen boats being launched

from the beaches of northern france, attempting to get to the uk. these are the latest deaths in the channel. last month, two people lost their lives attempting the crossing. in the summer, four people died when their boat capsized. the uk authorities are also involved in this rescue operation. they have sent a helicopter from the uk over french waters to try to make sure everyone is accounted for. that was simon jones. that was simonjones. in the next five minutes, we are expecting the ruling from the court in central london following the legal case between prince harry and three others against the publisher of the daily mirror. this is the scene outside the court, the assembled press awaiting. we know prince harry will not be attending in person, he will not be attending in person, he will be listening via a video link we assume from his home in the united states, the middle of the night for prince harry. you can

follow developments on the live page of the bbc website or on the bbc app. stay with us on bbc news. dry for many of us over the next couple of days but heavy rain moving into the north and west of scotland. more details on that injust a moment. for the weekend, it will turn milder for many of us, south—westerly winds, pretty cloudy and rain particularly in the far north—west. the reason why for most of us it will be dry is this big area of high pressure building in from the south. today, we have this front affecting the far north—west of scotland bringing outbreaks of rain which could be quite heavy for a time across the north into the northern isles. one or two spots of rain and drizzle this afternoon around western coasts of england and wales, but for most of us, it will be dry. bright and sunny spells.

the wind is relatively light across the south but quite breezy across the far north and those winds will continue to strengthen as we go through this evening. temperature wise, the highest temperatures in the west, 11 or 12 celsius, 8 or 9 degrees further east. tonight, patches of rain moving its way in across scotland and a strengthening wind. saturday morning, it will be a mild start. frost—free start to the weekend. temperatures around a—7 but double figures in the north and west. you can see from the temperature chart where the warm winds are coming in from the south—west. it will stay like that for the weekend. saturday, some outbreaks of rain affecting the far north—west of scotland and it will be quite heavy and persistent throughout the day. there could be one or two showers around elsewhere, but for most, a dry day on saturday. mostly cloudy. some bright spells perhaps possible. temperatures for all

of us in double figures. the rain continues into sunday towards the west of scotland, with a yellow weather warning of up to 175 millimetres, localised flooding and travel disruption in northern and western scotland possible. for most on sunday, a dry day and perhaps a bit of rain into the far north of england. once again, temperatures in double figures, 11, 1a. next week will turn cooler as we go through the week. rain at times. temperatures by the end of the week in single figures. goodbye.

this is bbc news. prince harry is about to learn the verdict in his phone—hacking lawsuit against mirror group newspapers. the duke of sussex became the first senior british royal for 130 years to appear as a witness in court this summer, when he sued the publisher for damages. live now to tom symonds in central london. tom. it seems like a long time ago prince harry _ tom. it seems like a long time ago prince harry was _ tom. it seems like a long time ago prince harry was in _ tom. it seems like a long time ago prince harry was in court _ tom. it seems like a long time ago prince harry was in court this - prince harry was in court this summer, it suddenly was a lot warmer. these pavements were full of the world's press and a very unusual spectacle, a very senior royal giving evidence in a witness box in a british court, something that, as

you said, hasn't happened for more than 100 years. the