live from london. this is bbc news. a judge rules that prince harry was the victim of phone hacking — awarding him £140,000 in damages. this case is notjust about hacking. it is about a systemic practice of unlawful and appalling behaviour. after a day talking to israel's leaders, the us national security adviser is due to meet the palestinian authority president on friday. hungary s prime minister blocks a $55 billion eu aid package for ukraine, and threatens to �*pull the handbrake�* on future payments. a british boy found six years after he disappeared is due home in the coming days. greater manchester police say there are questions that need answering.

welcome to bbc news now — three hours of fast—moving news, interviews and reaction. prince interviews and reaction. harry has called on interviews and reaction. police and the financial regulator on police and the financial regulator to investigate mirror group newspapers after he was awarded £140,000 in damages in a historic lawsuit for phone hacking. the high courtjudge... mrjustice fancourt rules that phone hacking was rife within mirror group and that prince harry's personal phone was targeted between 2003 and 2009. he says 15 of 33 sample articles were the product of phone hacking or the product of other unlawful information gathering. 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 publisherfor damages. the mirror group has apologised.

a statement issued by the spokesperson for the publisher says, "where historical wrongdoing took place, we apologise unreservedly, have taken full responsibility and paid appropriate compensation". "we welcome today's judgment that gives the business the necessary clarity to move forward from events that took place many years ago." prince harry wasn't in court for the ruling — but his legal team described what had happened as a �*great day for truth�*. my my commitment to seeing this case through is based on my belief in our need and collective right to a free and honest press. and one which is properly accountable when necessary. that is what we need in britain and across the globe. today's ruling is vindicating and affirming. i have been told that slaying dragons will get you burnt but in light of today's victory and the importance of what is doing... doing what is

needed for a free and honest press it is a worthwhile price to pay. the mission continues. live now to tom symonds in central london. this will surely be seen as a big victory for prince harry. absolutely, lucy. his legalteam victory for prince harry. absolutely, lucy. his legal team are suggesting that if it got into double figures in the scoreboard of articles that he complained about in court, 33 articles initially considered, if they got to ten, 15 or 20 that would be a success and they are certainly claiming success today. worth remembering that that is not where it ends because he complained about 140 articles so he could be awarded down the line for those as well. this case is notjust about prince harry, it's about the generic case against mirror group newspapers and what the executives knew. the company previously accepted the unlawful activity took

place, the argument was whether the executives, lawyers and board members and editors of the newspaper knew what was going on. and i think it is extremely important that the judge found that in the case of piers morgan, the editor between 1995 and 2004 of the daily mirror that he knew about phone hacking and was involved in that he found the evidence of theirs morgan's involvement to be credible and it was not counted.— involvement to be credible and it was not counted. what about the other cases _ was not counted. what about the other cases involving _ was not counted. what about the other cases involving prince - was not counted. what about the l other cases involving prince harry? well, he has three, a three pronged approach in his attack on the newspapers which is as you know lead from the front in court himself. he is also taking on news group, news corp is the international company that owns the the son in particular but particularly news of the world that closed down in 2010s because of the phone hacking scandal. he has a case against them, that is due to continue. he'll be taking them on in

this area of unlawful information gathering, not phone hacking but private investigators digging out his information. also he has a case against associated newspapers, a judge at this court recently decided that he had a good case that may well go to trial next year against the publisher of the daily mail and the publisher of the daily mail and the sunday mail that might prove allegations against those newspapers and he is backed up against six other claimants, eltonjohn for other claimants, elton john for example. other claimants, eltonjohn for example. his other claimants, elton john for example. his battle continues as his lawyer said on the steps. the other thing that i think it's worth pointing out from this judgment is the clear suggestion that during the inquiry into press standards that this was a newspaper group that was allowing widespread phone hacking. that will be extremely damaging, the suggestion that senior executives did know something about what was going on may lead to further investigations into what they know and what they said at the and since. thank you very much, tom.

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 adviser jake sullivan had face to face talks with him. it's understood the us 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 spoke to the media early on friday. when it comes to the palestinian authority, i will not i will say is that 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 respectfully, you know... there was no let—up in israel's bombing of gaza through the night. 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 says its special forces have recovered the body of a 28—year—old hostage who had been held by hamas in gaza since the 0ctober—the—seventh attacks on southern israel.

elia toledano was among the people 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 israeli authorities have declared some to be �*dead in absentia'. live now tojerusalem and our middle east correspondent, yolande knell. firstly to the diplomacy and jake son in town, he has seen the israelis and he will see the palestinian authority leader. after meeting with benjamin netanyahu said he was putting further pressure is on the israeli, there had been talk of some sign of timetable but that didn't come up? of some sign of timetable but that didn't come up?— didn't come up? well, mr sullivan said that giving — didn't come up? well, mr sullivan said that giving a _ didn't come up? well, mr sullivan said that giving a timetable - didn't come up? well, mr sullivan said that giving a timetable would j said that giving a timetable would be irresponsible and that it would

play into the hands of hamas. it did look like there was an effort when he was speaking to reporters to show less public division between the us possessions and those of israel. that may be seen as being counter—productive as well. what mr sullivan said was that really the war will go forward in stages and that, the war will continue for several months to come and that matches what we have heard from top israeli officials as well. he said that there would be a less intense phase that will follow at some time soon where there will be more precise targeting of the hamas leadership. as you are indicating, all of this was happening as on the ground in gaza we can see a lot of evidence is just how fierce the ongoing fighting still is which raises questions about, you know, how much power hamas still has to launch attacks against the israelis with fierce battles taking place in the north of the gaza strip, in neighbourhoods around gaza city as well as in khan yunis, the focus of

israeli's southern events. what well as in khan yunis, the focus of israeli's southern events. what will man the leader _ israeli's southern events. what will man the leader of _ israeli's southern events. what will man the leader of palestine - israeli's southern events. what will man the leader of palestine saying | man the leader of palestine saying later? irate man the leader of palestine saying later? ~ ~' ., man the leader of palestine saying later? ~ ~ ., ., , later? we know that when officials to it with later? we know that when officials go it with two _ later? we know that when officials go it with two aims, _ later? we know that when officials go it with two aims, one _ later? we know that when officials go it with two aims, one of- later? we know that when officials go it with two aims, one of them l later? we know that when officials| go it with two aims, one of them is to stop this conflict from spreading further into the occupied west bank where of course the palestinian authority has limited governance. and also because they really want to speak to the americans about what happens the day after the conflict in gaza where washington, dc some kind of result for the palestinian authority. certainly the leader will be wanting to talk to mr sullivan about what is needed to have more security in the west bank, what is needed to beef up palestinian authority security forces and also the fact that his authority, which is being looked to so much is having this future role, at the moment it has seen its popularity among the

palestinian public even further partly because of this dire economic situation. these were topics of discussion. we have mr sullivan talking about the need to revitalise the palestinian authority without giving real details of how that can be done. �* ., , giving real details of how that can be done. �* .,, ., , giving real details of how that can bedone. ,, giving real details of how that can bedone. be done. and has any progress been made in getting _ be done. and has any progress been made in getting more _ be done. and has any progress been made in getting more aid _ be done. and has any progress been made in getting more aid into - be done. and has any progress been made in getting more aid into gaza? i mean, that is something else that is being discussed diplomatically because, of course, as israel has moved its offensive and operations right down to the south of the gaza strip, it's become much more difficult to distribute aid even with more coming in and even with israel opening its crossing which has a big area inside the security checks. the pressure is on from the un and aid agencies for that crossing to be properly opened and also for not just a crossing to be properly opened and also for notjust a to go in but some goods to supply the private sector. they said if this can be resurrected in gaza just a little so that, for example, pharmacies can

restock this will also go a long way to alleviating the situation. in restock this will also go a long way to alleviating the situation.- to alleviating the situation. in the icture on to alleviating the situation. in the picture on the _ to alleviating the situation. in the picture on the ground _ to alleviating the situation. in the picture on the ground as - to alleviating the situation. in the picture on the ground as well - to alleviating the situation. in the picture on the ground as well today, we are hearing more children had been killed in the south of gaza. indeed, and with so much international pressure on israel particularly because of the humanitarian situation in the number of civilians that are being killed, this is continuing to be very damaging with the fact that every day we do see more air strikes in which it is clear that there are palestinian civilians are killed including children and we are told that most of the nearly 19,000 people who have been killed in gaza through this war have indeed been women or children and they have been civilians. ., ~ , ., . ., civilians. thank you so much for “oininu civilians. thank you so much for joining us _ civilians. thank you so much for joining us there _ civilians. thank you so much for joining us there from _ civilians. thank you so much for joining us there from jerusalem | civilians. thank you so much for - joining us there from jerusalem and we canjust show joining us there from jerusalem and we can just show you now the live pictures that we have coming into us from the south of israel looking

into gaza hair at the moment. and we can take you also to the bbc�*s live page because this is a situation that we are monitoring minute by minute for you and there is an update for you on one of those lines that we were talking about is the israeli military has recovered the bodies of two israeli soldiers today, they are both 19 and they were taken hostage by hamas on the 7th of october. it follows the pictures that we were just showing you of the 28—year—old who was taken by hamas from the music festival and his body has now been retrieved as well. the latest pictures there of southern israel which continues to come under heavy bombardment. the pictures you are seeing their of khan yunis and rafah as well. this is the scene with heavy smoke in the air and heavy destruction in the area too.

so jake sullivan due to meet mahmoud abbas later today. across the world and around the uk, this is bbc news. let's look at some other stories making news: specialist underwater search teams have returned to scour the river wensum in the search for mother of three, gaynor lord. police, say there is a "high probability" that the 55—year—old went into the river. a friend of ms lord's said she was "upbeat and happy" just days before she disappeared. the mother has been missing for a week. households face paying extra on energy bill to help suppliers recover nearly £3 million of debt from customers who can't pay their bills. they lived in the price cap and watchdog said it wanted energy companies to use the extra funding to support struggling customers. a body has been found after an explosion and fire at an industrial estate in south wales.

police said one person was unaccounted for following the incident — which destroyed at least one building at the site, near pontypridd. formal identification has not yet taken place. you are live with bbc news. hungary has blocked more than 50 billion dollars in eu aid for ukraine, hours after agreement was reached on starting membership talks with kyiv. after late night negotiations, the hungarian president victor 0rban posted on social media "summary of the night shift: veto for the extra money to ukraine." he then left for the night. speaking to reporters, charles michel — the president of the european council — focused instead on what he saw as a positive — the opening of membership talks with both ukraine and moldova. he added that the eu would attempt to reach a unanimous decision on aid to ukraine next year. live now to budapest to our correspondent nick thorpe.

why did the president uses veto? i think he gave in on one issue, the start of formal talks of ukraine joining and stuck to his guns on the other which was the more practical, that the membership talks would take many years but serbia has been waiting ten years already to join the eu. but on the concrete issue of aid, he chose that today conceal them. he said that ukraine is not ready tojoin the them. he said that ukraine is not ready to join the eu and them. he said that ukraine is not ready tojoin the eu and he them. he said that ukraine is not ready to join the eu and he said that even the provision of funds were to harm hungarian and other taxpayers and therefore, he has made what he has said it is a pragmatic but constructive veto. at this point, he hasn't ruled out the possibility of making way in further negotiations next year. met. possibility of making way in further negotiations next year.— possibility of making way in further negotiations next year. net, what is the situation — negotiations next year. net, what is the situation though _ negotiations next year. net, what is the situation though around - negotiations next year. net, what is the situation though around the - negotiations next year. net, what is the situation though around the factj the situation though around the fact that the eu has released further funds to hungary?—

that the eu has released further funds to hungary? well, this is an interesting — funds to hungary? well, this is an interesting development. - funds to hungary? well, this is an interesting development. this - funds to hungary? well, this is an | interesting development. this was basically in response to hungary at least following the letter if not the spirit of demands from the eu to improve its rule of law specifically the interference with the eu, the commission has said that this government has made with that trajectory. hungary has actually vowed to agree with the european commission, just on tuesday this week it passed a new law and the commission decided that has done enough to release that 10.2 billion. so victor there saying that you cannot compare the two sums of money. hungary is owed, it feels 30 billion, ukraine was asking for 50 billion, ukraine was asking for 50 billion euros at the leader of hungary was then that you can't blackmail me with that money. 0ther blackmail me with that money. other eu leaders were saying that you can't blackmail us. so for now, we

have this interesting situation where both the ukrainian's president zelensky saying that they have satisfied everything that the eu is asking of them to start those talks while victor 0rban are saying that he has done everything to satisfy the eu or at least some acknowledgement from the eu with this release of the $10.2 billion. good to see you. thank you for joining us from budapest. uk officials in france are preparing to fly home a british teenager who was found six years after he disappeared. alex batty — now 17 — was last seen travelling to spain with his mother and grandfather. the boy was found on wednesday near the city of toulouse. greater manchester police gave this short update to the media. it has been six years since his disappearance. this is a huge moment for alex, his family and the community in 0ldham. 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 sighting

in the toulouse area of france. the young man identified as alex was taken to a french police station. the young man and alex's grandmother 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 return home to the uk to his family, and our 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 those years. i can only imagine the emotions they have experienced as a family throughout this 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. that statement a short time ago from greater manchester police. live now to paris, where i'm joined by our paris correspondent, hugh schofield. he is monitoring the french reaction to all of this. whatever officials have been saying in france about alex and this case? he have been saying in france about alex and this case?— have been saying in france about alex and this case? he saying that he is being — alex and this case? he saying that he is being looked _ alex and this case? he saying that he is being looked after— alex and this case? he saying that he is being looked after by - alex and this case? he saying that he is being looked after by social l he is being looked after by social services near toulouse where he was taken on wednesday but they are not revealing his whereabouts and they are certainly not allowing any access to him no one is going to be to interview, i don't think. what they are saying is that they are expecting his grandmother, susan to come over at some point to pick him up come over at some point to pick him up and that they will go back in the coming days but it's all pretty vague. the expectation is that he will be leaving quite soon.

meanwhile, the speculation about where he has been all this time but we don't know anything about that. the french are saying that this is a british investigation and they will help the british investigators are no doubt they'll be wanting to find out more about where he was because they also want to find his mother and grandfather of course. but that is for the future and there is certainly no news about their whereabouts.— certainly no news about their whereabouts. ~ . , , whereabouts. what is being said about how he — whereabouts. what is being said about how he was _ whereabouts. what is being said about how he was found? - whereabouts. what is being said about how he was found? it - whereabouts. what is being said about how he was found? it is i whereabouts. what is being said - about how he was found? it is merely cooperation — about how he was found? it is merely cooperation of— about how he was found? it is merely cooperation of what _ about how he was found? it is merely cooperation of what we _ about how he was found? it is merely cooperation of what we like _ cooperation of what we like yesterday from this delivery driver who picked him up in the very early hours of wednesday morning. it's a delivery driver who takes medicines around villages to chemists and doctors who are in villages. he saw this young man wandered wandering along a road in the rain with a backpack and a skateboard looking like any ordinary young man and passed him and said that he can't leave this man out on the road like this, it's quite a remote area. so

he picked him up and as they drove down the hills he had the full story, the name alex batty and how he had been taken six years ago by his mother to live in a commune and in the last two years in this part of france and that he had enough and he wanted to get out. i don't think he wanted to get out. i don't think he was aware that this outcry or search and there had been big means put in motion to find him. but he decided that the life of the commune was not for him and he a few days ago set out on his own and had been walking forfour days ago set out on his own and had been walking for four days through the hills before he was picked up. whew, thank ou hills before he was picked up. whew, thank you so — hills before he was picked up. whew, thank you so much _ hills before he was picked up. whew, thank you so much for— hills before he was picked up. whew, thank you so much forjoining - hills before he was picked up. whew, thank you so much forjoining us - thank you so much forjoining us from paris. the french coastguard says that one person died, and another left in a critical condition, when a boat carrying 66 migrants began sinking in the english channel early friday. ina in a statement, spokesperson for rishi sunak said that our thoughts are with all of those affected and

the serves as a stark reminder of just how crucial is that we work to stop the boats and clamp down on the organised criminal gangs. 0ur correspondent simon jones updated us on the condition of those on board. well, we know that the french coast guard first received a report at around midnight that a boat carrying more than 60 migrants had got into difficulty in the channel. the french coastguard themselves to ask for help. now, immediately after that, an emergency response was launched. an initial rescue boat was sent to the scene around eight kilometers off the coast of calais. people were in the water. now, 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. now, in terms of the others who were rescued, we know that 64 people were taken back to calais. it gives you a sense ofjust how dangerously overloaded these boats can be.

and it also indicates that these crossings are still continuing, even though it's 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 then for the past ten or 11 days it has been very windy in the channel, so there haven't been any crossings at all. but today the sea has been calmer and once again we've seen boats being launched from the beaches of northern france, attempting to get to the uk. now these are just the latest deaths in the channel. last month two people lost their lives attempting the crossing. we know that 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 just to try to make sure everyone is accounted for. we have some breaking news to bring

you from detectives who are investigating the disappearance of gaynor lord, this is the mother of three whose belongings were found by a member of public. the 55 your leaving work seen on cctv hurrying through the city centre in norfolk and we can now tell you that the police who have been searching for her have confirmed to the bbc that a body has been found in the river, the body found in the river by underwater search teams this morning has now been recovered from the water. i have to tell you, the police have not formally identified gaynor lord's body but the family have been informed and they are being supported right now by specially trained officers. just to tell you that the police have told the bbc that they have been searching for missing norwich woman gaynor lord and have confirmed to us that a body has now been found in

the river wensum. we will have more on the story as soon as we get it. in fact, i think we are expecting a statement from the police and we will bring it to you. 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 4—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, 14. 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, the headlines... prince harry's historic court case — a judge rules he was the victim of phone hacking and awards him £140,000 in damages. diplomatic efforts step up over the war in gaza. after a day in israel, the us national security adviser is now due to meet palestinian leaders. hungary s prime minister blocks a $55 billion eu aid package for ukraine — and threatens to pull the handbrake on future payments. police say specialist divers searching for missing mother gaynor lord have found a body in the river.