informafiion translation: we do have information is su: caestin translation: we do have information is suggesting that _ translation: we do have information is suggesting that the _ translation: we do have information is suggesting that the perpetrator - is suggesting that the perpetrator could be the same person in all those three cases. the could be the same person in all those three cases.— could be the same person in all those three cases. the us says now read to those three cases. the us says now ready to support — those three cases. the us says now ready to support a _ those three cases. the us says now ready to support a un _ those three cases. the us says now ready to support a un resolution . those three cases. the us says now ready to support a un resolution onl ready to support a un resolution on gaza, hours after the vote is delayed for a fourth time. the british teenager missing for six years before he was found in france has spoken publicly the first time since returning to the uk. do you have the lucky ticket? spain grinds to halt its christmas mega lottery el gordo with almost 2.6 billion euros up for grabs. hello, i m lucy hockings, welcome to bbc news now, three hours of fast—moving news, interviews and reaction. police in prague have revealed new details about thursday's mass shooting at charles university. iii people — plus the gunman — were killed. police have linked the massacre to a deadly attack in a czech forest last week.

they confirmed that lenka hlavkova — the head of the university's institute of musicology — was one of those shot dead. outside the university, people have been leaving flowers and candles. saturday has been declared a day of national mourning across the czech republic. in a friday morning news conference, police showed bodycam video from their officers. it shows them entering the building to find the gunman. there had been some criticism of their response, but the police said the time between receiving the first emergency call and officers stepping into the building was four minutes. police said the gunman took his own life following the attack. he's been named by local media as 24—year—old student david kozak. let's get more from that news conference where prague's chief police officer gave his reaction to thursday's shooting. translation: i was there on site.

i was severely impacted by and shattered to see it. and i've been with the police force for a0 years. around 220, 230 policemen took part. hundreds of policemen. there was a regular car and a police car also impacted by bullets. but there are no injured policemen in relation to the shooting. i said that the police used guns against the perpetrator, they fired back at him from the ground when he was on the balcony. and again, people could criticise us and say that we should have done it earlier. but you have to realise that it was an active situation, that there were many buildings around. people were watching the situation

as it unfolded and it would have been most unfortunate if the police used a gun and there was an accident and somebody else died or was injured. a member of the prague police investigation team confirmed that the gunman was also linked to two other cases. the killing of the suspect�*s father and also a killing last week in a forest of the man and his daughter. translation: there is a connection between the club murder, _ the faculty shooting and the murder in the klanovicky forest. we do have information suggesting that the perpetrator could be the same person and in all those three cases. live now to michal tomes, a staff writer for denik newspaper in prague. he was at the scene

after yesterday's attack. the attacker killed himself and it was in a situation when he walked outside the building on the balcony and the police was already on the street and there was a little bit of shoot—out, police trying to shoot up to the building but the first policeman on the scene at the policeman on the scene at the policeman with the shot guns, with the pistols, then awry the policeman with longer weapons and also police said that the shooter injured three people on the street. live now to dr alexei anisin, who is the dean of the school of international relations & diplomacy at anglo—american university in prague. as we talk to you, i'm just going to explain some of the footage that we are going to show our viewers because it's the body cam footage that we have had from the police. what they will see is officers

trying to intervene. you can see that they are working away from format through the university, sweeping through it floor by floor. can i ask you for your reaction of what happened yesterday? totally trauic, what happened yesterday? totally tragic, gruesome _ what happened yesterday? totally tragic, gruesome event _ what happened yesterday? totally tragic, gruesome event and - what happened yesterday? totally i tragic, gruesome event and shocking because it's the first event in this country that really is an emulation of what we tend to see in the united states and i am as shocked as anybody and having researched and studied mass shootings more than half a decade, i never thought that we would have such a case literally down the street from where my workers. ., , ., , ., . workers. can you tell us about czech nun laws? workers. can you tell us about czech gun laws? czech _ workers. can you tell us about czech gun laws? czech gun _ workers. can you tell us about czech gun laws? czech gun laws, - workers. can you tell us about czech gun laws? czech gun laws, like - workers. can you tell us about czech| gun laws? czech gun laws, like most in the eumpean _ gun laws? czech gun laws, like most in the european union _ gun laws? czech gun laws, like most in the european union are _ gun laws? czech gun laws, like most in the european union are very - in the european union are very stringent. it's more difficult to acquire a gun and it is a drivers licence, to drive a car. and

generally, you have to get a permit and in order to get the permit, you have to get a medical check coming up have to get a medical check coming up get a background check, you have to do a practical examination, written examination and on top of that, the ability of the permit is restricted. it is usually five to ten years. so the restriction restrictions here are pretty significant but nevertheless, i don't know if you have seen the most recent information, the offender yesterday was able to bring eight guns enter the premises of the university. guns enter the premises of the university-— guns enter the premises of the universi . ., , , university. say what procedures will now be looked _ university. say what procedures will now be looked at? _ university. say what procedures will now be looked at? you _ university. say what procedures will now be looked at? you say - university. say what procedures will now be looked at? you say they - university. say what procedures will now be looked at? you say they are| now be looked at? you say they are stringent but surely there will be because now after what has happened? from the information i have thus far, their bubbly will be some kind of mechanism initiated which would enable authorities to look into

individuals that have more than a few firearms or rifles because if you look at the type of gun that the offender use, it is quite expensive gun and if he had seven other guns, it really begs the question as to why a 24—year—old would need such guns. why a 24-year-old would need such nuns. �* , , , . ., why a 24-year-old would need such nuns. ,. , why a 24-year-old would need such tuns. �*,, ,. , ., guns. there's been such a sense of shock. across _ guns. there's been such a sense of shock, across europe, _ guns. there's been such a sense of shock, across europe, to _ guns. there's been such a sense of shock, across europe, to see - guns. there's been such a sense of shock, across europe, to see this l shock, across europe, to see this happening in the middle of the beautiful city of prague at university. we often talk about the mass shooting that we see in america and the latest statistics from there, more than 600 mass shootings in the us this year. it also does feel that there have been more mass shootings in europe over the past year or so. shootings in europe over the past year orso. is shootings in europe over the past year or so. is that the case? ht year or 50. is that the case? lit seems year or so. is that the case? lit seems as if there are more and more cases in which young offenders are attacking members of the public, their schools or universities, in a fashion that really resembles what

you see in the us. at least from my day, there always have been mass shootings in central and eastern europe but the frequency appears to be picking up. find europe but the frequency appears to be picking no— europe but the frequency appears to be picking up— europe but the frequency appears to be picking up. and 'ust to make sure we are be picking up. and 'ust to make sure we ceanl — be picking up. andjust to make sure we are clear, when _ be picking up. andjust to make sure we are clear, when we _ be picking up. andjust to make sure we are clear, when we talk - be picking up. andjust to make sure we are clear, when we talk about. be picking up. andjust to make sure| we are clear, when we talk about the mass shooting, is that generally accepted as being for more victims? yes, depending on the threshold, some consider three or more casualties, other considerfour, i tend to categorise them in my research as attempted and completed mass shootings with the four fatalities being the permuted case. so if we are seeing those in europe, what is your research tell you about why is that the case? what are you linking it to?— linking it to? there appears that there is some _ linking it to? there appears that there is some kind _ linking it to? there appears that there is some kind of— linking it to? there appears that there is some kind of online - linking it to? there appears that there is some kind of online self driven radicalisation that is ongoing. especially with young offenders, who are studying other

offenders, who are studying other offenders from the past and they are emulating those that are successful and by successful, i am really going down the grotesque line of thought, where more people die, the more attention and instant get, the more likely it is that somebody will copy the offender. that seems to be what their processes really constituting. online learning, self driven radicalisation, carried out by young individuals that have depressive and suicidal thoughts. individuals that have depressive and suicidalthoughts. hoop individuals that have depressive and suicidal thoughts.— suicidal thoughts. how much do you attribute it to _ suicidal thoughts. how much do you attribute it to what _ suicidal thoughts. how much do you attribute it to what many _ suicidal thoughts. how much do you attribute it to what many people - attribute it to what many people automatically say at times like this, when it is a young person, particularly a young man, but it is a result of gaming, things are found on the dark web and social media? it is very difficult, at least from a social science perspective, to put any kind of causal attribution to any kind of causal attribution to any single factor. i think it is a combination of factors. with regard

to gaming, there our shooters and combined with the combined access of information about previous cases, it seems that a small subset of the population is pursuing this type of radically protest action. more generally. — radically protest action. more generally. if— radically protest action. more generally, if we _ radically protest action. more generally, if we look - radically protest action. more generally, if we look across l radically protest action. more generally, if we look across europe, is anything that you think that specifically could be done to try and stop mass shootings happening? well, there are two or three different trajectories that can be taking on. first, with regard to gun legislation and regulation, ready problem that have more than a few guns. i think there should be law enforcement and ministries of interiors and security institutions, they should really look into individuals that have more guns than they need, so to speak. that's

really pertains to enthusiast collectors and their motivations. on the other hand, mental health is a thorny subject because often as researchers, we don't know that someone is suffering from mental health problems until after the actual incident. apart from those relatively rare cases when an offender may have already been admitted to a psychiatric institution. with regard to the third trajectory of law enforcement monitoring social media and personal information of individuals online behaviour, that is also a way to pursue this, however it runs the risk of privacy concerns, especially with gdp are in the european union and general tendency is that you can find general democratic countries where there are massive debates ongoing but individual privacy and how much of what we do online should

be private with the ultimate trade—off being civilian security and societal security. fin trade-off being civilian security and societal security.— trade-off being civilian security and societal security. on this very difficult day. _ and societal security. on this very difficult day, as _ and societal security. on this very difficult day, as we _ and societal security. on this very difficult day, as we are _ and societal security. on this very difficult day, as we are also - difficult day, as we are also looking at these live pictures of people laying flowers and candles to the national day of morning tomorrow, we do appreciate you putting that in context for us. thank you. we will return to prague throughout the day. the country are still reeling after the events of yesterday. the united states has said it's ready to support the latest draft of a un security council resolution on humanitarian aid for gaza. the vote is expected on friday, after being delayed several times since monday. the original draft called for a sustainable cessation of hostilities, but the final version calls for creating the conditions for one. let's hear from the us ambassador to the united nations, linda thomas—greenfield. we have that resolution now, we are ready to vote on it, and it is a resolution that will bring humanitarian

assistance to those in need, it will support the priority that egypt has in ensuring that we put a mechanism on the ground that will support humanitarian assistance, and we are ready to vote for it. let's cross to jo floto, our middle east bureau chief, joining me live from jerusalem. if the us signs up and it seems that they will, how significant will that moment he? they will, how significant will that moment be? it’s they will, how significant will that moment he?— they will, how significant will that moment be? it's not as significant as callin: moment be? it's not as significant as calling for _ moment be? it's not as significant as calling for a _ moment be? it's not as significant as calling for a ceasefire _ moment be? it's not as significant as calling for a ceasefire and - moment be? it's not as significant as calling for a ceasefire and i - as calling for a ceasefire and i think diplomacy is meeting reality in new york because israel wasn't prepared to end the conflictjust yet, it says it is not going to stop until hamas is destroyed and hamas are still firing rockets into israel. just yesterday into the centre and south of israel. is a

people were running at a shelter is that so israel is a carried on. meanwhile, the factions including hamas have said that they won't deal on a ceasefire on an exchange of hostages until the conflict is over. so those two sides very much a part. so those two sides very much a part. so any resolution, calling for a ceasefire would have public met without success. this new revised wording will emphasise that they need to move to the conditions for a ceasefire but also to speed up and improve the flow of aid to gaza. we have got a desperate situation there, 1.9 million people displaced from their homes. you have had not so yet but severe hunger being felt in those estate communities. no functioning hospitals in the north of gaza and is too severe shortage of gaza and is too severe shortage of assistance. anything that helps

that flow faster and in bigger volumes is going to be welcome but most aid agencies would also point to the fact that their capacity to do that depends very much on israeli security but also on the fighting stopping. yesterday, there were bombing very close to the crossing points by the age of trucks coming and the palestinian director of one of the crossing point was killed. under those circumstances, even if the flow improves across the border, across that gate into gaza, the actual distribution may be hampered ljy actual distribution may be hampered by an increasing and constant military operation. hf by an increasing and constant military operation.— military operation. if this resolution _ military operation. if this resolution passes, - military operation. if this resolution passes, what| military operation. if this i resolution passes, what will military operation. if this - resolution passes, what will the reaction be in israel to that? and what is the view in general of israelis of the un?— what is the view in general of israelis of the un? israel has had a very confrontational _ israelis of the un? israel has had a very confrontational relationship i very confrontational relationship with the united nations and that continues to this day. just a couple of days ago, the israeli president was accusing the un of being incapable of not doing hisjob, not

providing enough aid trucks to be screened by israel and it was their fault that the aid flow wasn't greater. i think frankly, had there been a un security council resolution last night calling on a ceasefire, israel would have ignored it. it would say that it has a right to self defence, that its citizens were horrifically attacked on october seven and it won't stop until that set is eliminated. so i don't think it will make a huge amount of difference but israel has been listening to america on aid. it has opened one of its crossings to facilitate the flow of aid into gaza, something it has said it wouldn't do at the start of this conflict, so i think we can expect that flow to increase but the war is ongoing and in that context, with bombardment and inventory attacks currently taking place throughout the strip, distributing that aid isn't easy.

the strip, distributing that aid isn't easy-— the strip, distributing that aid isn't eas . ., . ., isn't easy. thanks so much for 'oinin: isn't easy. thanks so much for joining us- _ isn't easy. thanks so much for joining us. let's _ isn't easy. thanks so much for joining us. let's take - isn't easy. thanks so much for joining us. let's take a - isn't easy. thanks so much for joining us. let's take a look. isn't easy. thanks so much for joining us. let's take a look atj joining us. let's take a look at some of the other stories making these. people in scotland are taking in xl bully dogs as england introduces new restrictions from the 31st of december. the scottish government has not banned the breed, creating concerns about a potential loophole regarding dangerous dogs. owners insist the dogs make lovable pets, despite their appearance. in england, junior doctors are on the final day of their 72—hour walkout — part of a long—running dispute over pay. the strike is due to end tomorrow morning. the doctors' union — the british medical association — is calling for a rise of 35 per—cent to make up for below inflation deals since 2008. the government says that's unaffordable. crowds formed at stonehenge to welcome the winter solstice sunrise. marking the shortest day and the longest night of the year, the solstice is celebrated by cultures across the world.

for more pictures of stonehenge this morning, do log onto the website. you're live with bbc news. a british teenager, who had been missing for six years, has admitted lying about his escape to protect his mother and grandfather. alex batty was found wandering along a road in france and told a motorist who picked him up that he'd walked through the pyrenees for four days and nights. speaking to the sun, he said he'd been trying to throw police off the scent. nickjohnson reports. everything we have heard about alex batty and his story over the past six years has been here say, it has been rumour, is that relation, or through second—hand information so alex now 17, this is the first time we have heard from him directly and he has been speaking to the sun newspaper and describing that offer

great lifestyle he has been living with his mother and grandfather in france and spain. he said initially he thought the experience was amazing, he got to go to the beach all the time and didn't go to school. as he got older, he had to take on manual labourjobs in exchange forfood, rent take on manual labourjobs in exchange for food, rent and he became increasingly frustrated, isolated and disillusioned with that nomadic way of life. he talked about seriously contemplating his return to the uk over the past two or three years and as we know, earlier this month, he slipped out of that french farmhouse of the night and was eventually picked up by a delivery driver on the side of the road. that's delivery driver spoke to the bbc just after this happened that's delivery driver spoke to the bbcjust after this happened and he said that alex told him that he had been walking along those roads in the pyrenees and southern france for four days and four nights, sleeping

by day, walking by night. alex said that in an attempt to remain undetected. speaking to their son, alex now admits that he misled the police in terms of the details around the logistics and the geography of that journey around the logistics and the geography of thatjourney in an attempt to protect his mum and his grandfather and speaking to the sun, alex describes his mum is a great person but not a great man. france says it's closing its embassy in niger indefinitely. a letter to staff from the ambassador said the authorities had failed to respond favourably to repeated requests to allow the embassy to function normally, following july's military coup in the west african country. shortly after the coup, the embassy was attacked by thousands of pro—junta protesters. france and niger had been allies in the fight against islamist militants in the region, but relations soured after the coup. newsagency agence france—press says the last french troops have left niger.

our correspondent thomas naadi told us why france and niger fell out in the first place. it all started during the military coup injuly this year, which ousted president mohamed bazoum. thejunta had whipped up a lot of anti—french sentiment, and even today, some residents in niamey are very happy that the french are finally living. the withdrawal itself has been done in a very safe and well coordinated manner. we have about 90% of french forces and military assets out of niger to neighbouring chad at the moment. and they are only left with less than 200 french soldiers and they are also expected to leave today. millions of young christmas trees are harvested every year from plantations which, in most cases, are being treated with chemicals to encourage growth.

in france, where the growing area is the burgundy mountains, local activists are demanding that we change our habits . hugh schofield reports. for some people up here in the hills, christmas trees are not an ancient festive symbol, but an ecological danger. in this small plantation, you can see the effects of chemical treatment. the ground beneath is dead. good for the trees — no competition, no predators — bad for wildlife, bad for rivers. for muriel, a local farmer and activist, the conclusion is clear — we must wean ourselves off our seasonal need for baby firs. translation: we all- remember our childhood - the decorations, the smell of the christmas tree. but, come on, times have changed. we are in an ecological transition, a climate transition. everything that pollutes has got to stop. more than a million saplings are being cut every year in the burgundy hills and then transported in lorries down

to cities like here in paris, where there is evidence that consumers increasingly are asking questions about how christmas trees are cultivated and the potential consequences for the environment. translation: the environment is definitely part of my - decision, but it's tough. do i buy a tree which will last for two weeks, or something plastic, which has to come from a factory? translation: where they grow the trees, i guarantee they're i using a heap of chemicals, and that's land that could be used for other purposes. back in the burgundy hills, that growing awareness among consumers is having an effect. here at one of the biggest producers two weeks before christmas, and it's the end of the rush. most of this year's trees have been netted and dispatched. it's a moment to show off what they say is the progress that has been made towards more responsible cultivation here. for example, by reducing treatments, they've ensured there's still life among the trees.

translation: we've made huge progress, and today our- plantations have become a refuge for biodiversity. there are plants and animals. it's out of respect for this beautiful countryside, which we love too. producers argue that christmas trees take up only 1% of viable agricultural land in this area. that's true, but it's also true that the cultivation is almost entirely non—organic and that inevitably has some consequences on the natural world all around. hugh schofield, bbc news in the burgundy hills. and spain's kicking off its festive period with their famous lottery. this is the scene in madrid.

we were watching earlier as the children are brought sing out hundreds of winning numbers, sharing out more than two billion euros. the big prize is called el gordo which means the fat one and it pays out 400,000 euros to the winning ticket holders. it's a big moment for spain and so many people get involved. lots of families and communities joining. here they are singing. thrilling for all those involved. this is being watched right across spain and the moment. i will be speaking to someone who has a ticket are coming up. hello, there. we have seen the longest night of the year. it's the winter solstice today. and from today onwards, daylight hours are set to turn longer, so some more sunlight around. but today, we've typically got

somewhere between around aboutjust shy of 6 and just shy of 8 hours of daylight. storm pia has now cleared away towards the east. we've still got a weather front across us which is easing its way east. quite a few isobars as well. so a windy day once again, mild for most of us with a lot of cloud around. and we've got patchy rain for northern ireland, southern scotland, through northern england down towards east anglia, some brightness developing later on for southern england and south wales too. but it's across the north—east of scotland where we've got that colder air in place. blustery conditions, we could see gusts in fact about 40, even 50 miles per hour and exposure in the north—west. but temperatures in single figures in the north—east, some sleet and some hill snow across the north—east of mainland scotland, even to low levels. for a time we could see some sleet and snow towards shetland. through tonight the rain continues to pile in to the north and it's for a time it'll turn to snow, even to low levels across parts of north—east scotland. some icy conditions developing here as well. so really cold across

the far north—east. you can see the blue colours, but a real contrast for the rest of us. it's very mild as we start off the weekend with a lot of cloud generally and still we've got the breeze, and patchy outbreaks of rain. so through saturday, this weather front�*s going to be quite slow moving i think across parts of scotland. eventually it will push its way northwards and the colder airjust holding on in the far north there. but the yellow colours that shows that milder air that is in place for most of us. so saturday, some rain and some snow for a time. some icy conditions in the far north—east. probably turning back to rain later in the day. that rain also piling in further south across scotland and the odd spot further south, as well. but much of southern and eastern england looking dry, breezy but reasonably bright. temperatures are mild, 12 or 13 for most of us. into christmas eve on sunday and it looks like this area of cloud and rain just pushes a bit further south, northern ireland, northern england, wales seeing a bit of rain as well. further north, though, a return to sunny spells and a few blustery showers. so it's still unsettled. it's still mild. in fact, very mild. 15 could make it one of the warmest christmas eves on record.

into christmas day and it still looks like it's unsettled. could be a bit of rain in both the north and the south. things do look a bit colder but brighter by boxing day.

you're watching bbc news. the us says it is ready to support a un

resolution on gaza. uk home office walks back plans to increase the salary threshold needed to bring family members to the country. and the children in madrid singing the numbers for el gordo. we will find out if we have a lucky winner. the whole country in spain watches el gordo. with 2.6 million euros up for grabs. the un security council is expected to vote on a resolution to bring more aid into gaza and create conditions for a ceasefire. the us says it's ready to support the watered—down draft. with me is zena agha, a policy analyst at al shabaka, an independent, transnational palestinian think tank. what are your thoughts on this later watered down resolution?—

watered down resolution? mainly it is too little