israel's military spokesman says israeli troops are entering new hamas strongholds in the southern part of the gaza strip. christmas celebrations have been �*called off�* in bethlehem — the usual tree — has been replaced by a nativity scene in the rubble. hello, i'm rajini vaidyanathan. we start with some breaking news — and it's been confirmed that one of britain's richest men is buying a 25 percent stake in manchester united football club. sirjim ratcliffe is the billionaire chairman of the ineos chemicals group. he's paying around £1.25 billion, that's $1.65 billion, and will take on responsibility for running all football operations at the club. with the background to how we got to this point,

here's our sports editor dan roan. when sirjim ratcliffe toured old trafford earlier this year, the british billionaire was hoping to buy manchester united. instead, he'll become a minority shareholder of the club he says he's always supported. the founder of petrochemicals giant ineos, ratcliffe�*s already invested in sailing and cycling teams and owns a third of mercedes in formula 1. the owner of two football clubs, including nice in france, manchester—born ratcliffe last year failed in a bid to buy chelsea, some would argue you should be trying to buy the club that you grew up supporting. yes, i mean, i can understand that but manchester united's not for sale. with its rich history... they were supreme soccer

champions of europe. legendary players... ca nto na! and dominance under managerial great sir alex ferguson, united became a commercial powerhouse with a global fan base. but since 2005 been owned by the glazer family and after years of protests by fans unhappy with the club's debt, lack of investment in old trafford and on field decline, last season the americans put the club up for sale. qatari banker sheikh jassim wanted to buy it outright but withdrew, leaving the way clear for ratcliffe. one of united's top executives explained why fresh investment was needed. we are doing this for a very positive reason. we know we've got real ambition and a plan at united and we wanted to make sure that we attract the right investment to deliver that ambition. after a drawn—out and divisive process that's lasted more than a year, now, many united fans will be dismayed that the glazers remain in overall control here at old trafford. the challenge facing sirjim ratcliffe is to convince them that he's the man to lead a revival in the footballing fortunes of this club. ex—british cycling chief sir dave brailsford overseas

ratcliffe�*s various sports teams and is set to have a key role at united, the pair experiencing mixed fortunes at nice since ineos bought it in 2019. some environmental campaigners say that the petrochemicals company uses sport to give it a more positive image but those involved defend the investments. what do you think jim's motivation is? he loves a challenge bigger than any and i guess that's the drive for the america's cup and probably when you look at man united, a team that's been struggling in recent years, there no bigger challenge in sport right now than turning man united round. so, i think that's what drivesjim. but ten years have now passed since united last won the premier league and after a difficult start to this season, the challenge facing ratcliffe is a formidable one. dan roan, bbc news. negotiations on the sale of part or all of manchester united have been going on for more than a year. our sports correspondent nesta mcgregor gave me latest from old trafford. this deal has been potentially,

let's call it 13 months in the making and there were times where we've been told it's imminent, there were times we were told it would happen a week from now, two weeks from now and it hasn't done so. so perhaps a surprise but not a surprise at the same time. to go into the details of the deal, sirjim ratcliffe, one of the richest men in britain, a boyhood manchester united fan, has acquired a 25% minority share in the club, just north of £1 billion and i think the important part of the statement is that the ineos group will be in charge of footballing operations and will be key for many manchester united fans watching this. the glazers have been in charge of the club since 2005. 13 months ago they said they were looking at potential investment and there were two serious bids, from a qatari businessman and from sirjim ratcliffe. both wanted to take total control of the club at the glazers decided against that. earlier this year, sirjim ratcliffe

put in a bid to own a portion of the club and that's the deal that's been taking so long to come to the forefront today but it was announced, as we've said, again, 25%, just over £1 billion. footballing operations of the men's, women's and the academy team. that will be key for a lot of people. manchester united, one of the biggest clubs in the world, may be in a bit of turmoil on the pitch at the moment, struggling in the premier league and already out of europe. it was seen that may be the glazers weren't doing the business on the pitch and sojim ratcliffe already owns a french club and a successful racing team as well. he has some sporting pedigree. certainly manchester united fans may be very happy at the news but to talk about him being a minority shareholder. the glazers are still in place. sirjim ratcliffe owns a part of the club. but what does that mean when it comes to the footballing operations? will he be able to hire and fire managers? will he be able to buy players that he wants to buy if the glazers

and he have some dispute? the deal struck by sirjim ratcliffe to buy a minority stake in manchester united has taken months to arrange — and the figures run into billions of dollars. kieran maguire is a leading football finance expert and author of the book the price of football. i asked him to explain what had happened. i think the timings unusual. the fact that it is so close to christmas. but lawyers and accountants have been trying to go through the small print. the manchester united board were concerned that there might be repercussions from the other minority shareholders. so they now feel that this deal is appropriate to all. it does allow sirjim ratcliffe to invest money into the club, into those areas, which i think most commentators are concerned about, which is a lack of infrastructure spend from the glazerfamily, and b the quality of the talent recruitment as opposed to the quantity. manchester united have spent money. i think it could be argued that the money's

not being spent well over the course of the last decade. tell us more about this ineos group that sirjim actually works for or runs. they've had involvement in sport already, including in nice and in british cycling as well. well, they've been very successful. i think sirjim had reached that stage of his career, having been spectacularly brilliant at identifying companies which are underperforming and turning them round and moving those on, that, as somebody that's from a manchester background, he'd wanted to invest in sport. initially it was cycling. we've also seen the yachting and then he moved decided to move into football perhaps to get his his feet wet by buying a french club first with perhaps part of his masterplan was to go back to manchester, which is his roots, of course, and invest in the club that he used to support as a boy. so it's going to be a very expensive process, because other clubs

have caught up and overtaken manchester united in terms of the quality of what they have to offer in the stadium and also perhaps on the quality of what they've got to offer on the pitch. and i think this is where he wants to concentrate his efforts. i mean, one question a lot of fans might be having is, as the transfer window opens, not in not the too distant future, how will this make an impact in the club's purchasing decisions? well, under the cost control rules, which are known as financial fair play, a football club can lose £15 million over three years. but if the owners invest money into the club in the form of shares, then you can top that up by a further 90 million. so i guess what manchester united fans will be looking out for is, is there any indication that as part of the deal, will manchester united be able to issue new shares and in doing so unlock further spending potential in the new transfer window, which starts injust over a week? there's been reaction from former manchester united right back and club legend gary neville.

a pretty impassioned statement: we've had a statement from the manchester united supporters trust. it said that fans would be left with mixed feelings after radcliffe's investment. it says that in 18 years of debt and mismanagement, united fans have loudly and consistently called for a change to the club. when the so—called strategic review was announced it appeared that the sale of the club was on the horizon potentially bringing in new investment and direction. the club clearly needed. it goes onto say

that against that backdrop, fans have mixed feelings about today, welcomed the investment from a boyhood red, sojim ratcliffe and his ineos company but many will wish his ineos company but many will wish his ownership stake was greater than the initially rumoured 25%. the statement goes on but to discuss it in more detail... live now to michel crick, political broadcaster, manchester united fan and co—founder of the manchester united supporters' trust. it's good to talk to you, michael. we saw that statement from the trust. tell us more about the feeling and sentiment amongst fans and supporters today. i4541431111 feeling and sentiment amongst fans and supporters today.— and supporters today. well i think fans will be _ and supporters today. well i think fans will be relieved. _ and supporters today. well i think fans will be relieved. this - and supporters today. well i think fans will be relieved. this has - land supporters today. well i think fans will be relieved. this has gone on for months, since last february, almost a year and you know, initially we were talking about someone buying the whole of the club, then it was a matter off to care buying 25%. ok, not much but crucially under the statement issued

today, he will have control of football operations. the thing about ratcliffe, he's a proper united fan, he was brought up not far from newton heath, where the club was founded in the late 19th—century and i know from a friend of mine who used to work closely with ratcliffe at ineos that he's a fanatic about united. every monday morning rather than discussing the business he wanted to discuss how united were getting on at the weekend. they've been dreadful. the first thing he needs to do is get a grip on the management of the football. i think erik ten hag is not the manager to take united into the future. he seems to have lost the confidence of the players. and united are playing dreadful football, the players. and united are playing dreadfulfootball, not dreadful football, not in the players. and united are playing dreadful football, not in terms of results but they've lost 13 times this season but a record not achieved since 1930 and the football

is dreadful, there's no goals, no entertainment, there is no buccaneering, none of the traditional united. i hope that radcliffe will make that his priority, to sort out the management of united and develop a long—term leadership plan. i mean, he's good at doing that in his normal businesses. his record, though, in sport and football is a bit patchy. that's the worry of a lot of fans, he's good at his chemicals business. nice, his football club, are second in the french league but until now, things he's been in, cycling, sailing in formula 1, haven't actually done that well. 25%, that is his stake. _ actually done that well. 25%, that is his stake, but _ actually done that well. 25%, that is his stake, but the _ actually done that well. 25%, that is his stake, but the glazers - actually done that well. 25%, that is his stake, but the glazers stilll is his stake, but the glazers still hold most of the cards. i is his stake, but the glazers still hold most of the cards.- is his stake, but the glazers still hold most of the cards. i know and that will worry _

hold most of the cards. i know and that will worry people. _ hold most of the cards. i know and that will worry people. it _ hold most of the cards. i know and that will worry people. it will - that will worry people. it will worry people when it comes to long—term investment in the club, in the stadium, in the team, although of course there are restrictions in terms of the team, as your contributor were saying, in terms of how much you can pump in. manchester city are in big trouble over that right now. but the hope we all have is that eventually the glazers will sell him the other 75% or at least enable ratcliffe to have more than 25% but ideally, the lot and then perhaps he can help ask fans to invest as well. the glazers have been a complete disaster when it comes to united. the stadium which was once regarded as the best in britain, one of the best in europe, is a disgrace and needs lots of renovations. the roof leaks and they haven't even painted the sign saying so bobby charlton stand, which is

now pink rather than red which is disgraceful in light of his death a few weeks ago that they didn't paint that. the glazers are deeply unpopular, nearly every fan wants them out and would be delighted if them out and would be delighted if the glazers left tomorrow but it doesn't look like that's going to happen and we've got this halfway house, not even halfway, where ratcliffe owns a quarter. but, but, the glazers have, it seems, seated him control of the football and he needs to bring in some good people, he needs to revamp the scouting operation. we keep buying bad players or players who and up not being worth what we spent on them but there seems to be a malaise at old trafford whereby good players suddenly become bad ones. rashford is a good example. he's barely scored this season. bruno fernandes.

jadon sancho. goodness knows what happened, there. there's something very, very wrong in the heart of old trafford and then he needs to sort that out. �* , , ., trafford and then he needs to sort thatout. �*, , ., , and we have more details and analysis on our website. just log on to bbc.com/news — or go via the bbc app. now it's time for a look at today's sport with olly. i was enjoying your chat with michael crick. he was listing the problems of manchester united fans. chelsea fans are feeling a little bit unsettled as well at the moment, despite the billions that have been pumped into stamford bridge over the last 12 months. the first premier league christmas eve game in 28

years and it in a 2—1win league christmas eve game in 28 years and it in a 2—1 win for wolves over the blues. chelsea had the best chances, especially in the first half but lemina's had put wolves in front and they doubled that in stoppage time, matt doherty storing. one of their new signings has only recently arrived and pulled one back. chelsea's fourth defeat in a row, they are in tenth place, level on points with wolves who are 11. to on points with wolves who are 11. trr be able to play a team like chelsea and notjust sit and defend, but goingto to toad was yeah, a big effort. i happy belief in the group and what they can do and achieve. sometimes that's why we turn the ball over a lot because i ask them to do complicated things and ask them to act and behave like a big team and today we were able to compete with one. it’s team and today we were able to compete with one.— team and today we were able to compete with one. it's about being

stron: in compete with one. it's about being strong in your— compete with one. it's about being strong in your mind _ compete with one. it's about being strong in your mind and _ compete with one. it's about being strong in your mind and compete, | strong in your mind and compete, being _ strong in your mind and compete, being really tough. we are missing to compete a bit in this way. we need _ to compete a bit in this way. we need to— to compete a bit in this way. we need to improve their but it's a normal— need to improve their but it's a normal process when you want to build _ normal process when you want to build a _ normal process when you want to build a better team.— normal process when you want to build a better team. rangers are in touch with the _ build a better team. rangers are in touch with the scottish _ build a better team. rangers are in touch with the scottish permission | touch with the scottish permission leaders celtic. they won toni at motherwell —— they won 2—0 at motherwell. they have a game in hand and it is the old firm coming up next weekend. boxing, anthonyjoshua says he knows everyone wants to see him fight deontay wilder despite a night of mixed fortunes for the two in saudi arabia. joshua took another step towards the top of the heavyweight division after eight horrific performance stopping

otto wallin. another heavyweight champion, deontay wilder, lost againstjoseph parker, a former champion as well. parker winning on a unanimous points decision. wilder, who is 38, now, admitted he came up short but he doesn't believe is the end of his career. joshua says a fight against wild can still happen. i'm not too sure what can happen from here. but i'm sure from a fan perspective they will be more annoyed. for me, i understand how this game is. you never know. this is a elite level boxing. it was an amazing card. wilder came up short but he'll live to fight another day. me and him could still get it on, could still get it cracking. i still think it does amazing numbers if we get it on. in cricket, india's

women have made history with a first test win over the number one side australia. the tourists began the final day in mumbai with five second innings wickets in hand and a lead of a6, but india dismissed them for 261, leaving a modest target of 75 to chase. smriti mandhana's unbeaten 38 helped them get there easily. india's win is their first in 11 women's tests against australia, with the sides first playing each other in 1977. they now play each other in three 0015 and three t20s starting on thursday. a lot more on those stories and a lot more on the bbc sport website. to the conflict in the middle east, now where israel's bombardment of the gaza strip has continued, this is the aftermath of what local people say was an air strike in deir el—balah in central gaza.

the hamas—run health ministry there says another 166 people have been killed in the past 2a hours, taking the total number killed since the war began on october 7 to more than 20,1100. the israeli military says troops are entering new hamas strongholds in the south of the gaza strip, as the idf expands its operations there. these pictures from the israeli military show their forces operating in southern gaza. spokesman daniel hagari said underground hamas infrastructure was being especially targeted. speaking at a weekly cabinet meeting, israel's prime minister benjamin netanyahu said the war had come at a "very heavy price" for israel. the israeli military says 1a more soldiers have been killed in gaza since friday, taking the total during the ground assault to 153. mr netanyahu said his forces had "no choice" but to press ahead. translation: the war has - taken its toll but we have no option but to keep fighting. our troops have eliminated thousands

of terrorists so far. we are fighting with full force until the end, until the victory, until we fulfil our goals. those are the elimination of hamas, the return of our hostages and the promise that gaza will no longer pose a threat to the state of israel. hesham al sayyad works for penny appeal, a charity that provides medical aid and emergency food in the middle east and africa. he's just got back from cairo. he began by talking about the hundreds of thousands of palestinians displaced as a result of the israeli offensive. anyone displaced is not right, but we go back to now the amount of people displaced in gaza, especially now in the rafah governorate because of the bombings that have been happening in the south. you have a place now in the rafah governorate which is basically desert, that people have been displaced.

there is 1.2 million people living in a place which can probably house at most 200,000 people in an area the size of heathrow airport. if you can imagine 1.2 million people living in an area the size of heathrow airport, living on top of one another, with no irrigation, no water supplies, no basic essential needs for a human being like myself to survive. we are looking forward here to christmas from the warmth of our own homes, they have no warmth, hardly any shelter, and we are trying to provide for them. the numbers are harrowing. and antonio guterres, secretary general of the un, mentioned that four out of five of the hungriest people in world are 110w now in gaza. christmas is subdued this year in bethlehem, the biblical birthplace ofjesus, after christian leaders in the town cancelled all public festivities as a mark of solidarity with the people of gaza. the town, in the occupied west bank, would normally be packed with pilgrims

and tourists celebrating christmas. but a senior catholic leader, the latin patriarch ofjerusalem, did pay his traditional christmas visit to bethlehem. this is some of what he had to say. we are here to pray but also, tonight, notjust for the ceasefire. a ceasefire is not enough. we have to stop these hostilities and turn the page because violence generates only violence and the message of christmas is not violence. it's peace. earlier, a large palestinian flag was carried around manger square. it followed the inauguration of an art installation, "nativity under the rubble" — showing figures among the ruins of buildings, in solidarity with palestinians in gaza. a christmas carol — lost for nearly 90 years — has been performed in the south yorkshire town where it was originally composed. the song �*christmas eve' was written by arthur godfrey,

a factory worker from barnsley. here's a quick taste. # the chime of bells inspires the midnight breeze. # and greets with fond caress the whispering trees. # the moon—white hills around, in snow—shine splendour crowned. # with pealing joys resound of christmas bells. # glad tidings of the saviour bring. # peace reigneth as ye gaily ring. # ring on, ring on, ring on. # while the merry breezes sing of christmas bells. tegwen roberts, who was just singing there, from barnsley museums told us about how the carol was discovered. it was an absolute team effort. so michael obviously spotted it and realised that it was something really special. and then he give it to me, knowing that i am a singer and also a really enthusiastic carol singer. we're really lucky that we've got a really strong carolling tradition in south yorkshire, which i am part of. so he gave it to me,

i took it home and i had a little sing through and i thought, "what an incredible tune, how beautiful! " and we came back, and the next day we just recorded a little version on the town hall main stairwell which has got a beautiful acoustic — just thinking that it would be a nice thing to share with the museums team and a few other people. and we never really thought that it would go as big as it has, but today — this morning — we've had the barnsley youth choir singing a version on the town hall steps and — i don't know — my soul is full, full of christmas music. it's incredible. on that, we end our news update. i'll be back. hello. the winds have been howling across northern britain today. and in the south of the country it has been one of the mildest christmas eves on record. temperatures have exceeded 15 celsius. and we may have beaten records, as well, but the met office will verify that in due course. here is the forecast, then, for the night. still some wet weather out

towards the west and the south, winds easing in scotland and northern england. pretty chilly here in the highlands, close to freezing, but look how mild it is elsewhere, 8—12 celsius. now, to sum up christmas day, it is going to be overall cloudy with outbreaks of rain and very mild indeed. if there is any chance of a white christmas, it is going to happen across the scottish highlands. in fact, here in the north, some snow possible around lunchtime, possible also for braemar with temperatures not far off freezing. but by the time you get to edinburgh and glasgow, it is much too mild. showers of rain here. showers and some sunny spells for belfast. cloudy conditions there for the lakes and lancashire. and lunchtime on christmas day is wet across wales, the midlands, and indeed much of the south. breezy, cloudy, with rain at times. if you want an evening walk and dry weather, you might have to wait for a while before that weather front clears away towards the east. how about boxing day? it is looking very promising indeed.

well, there is a lull in the weather. the winds will die down, some sunshine there for belfast, liverpool, for hull, in the south i think some hazy sun. if you want a dry walk, do it quick in the south—west because rain should reach you by the early afternoon, and that is a precursor of a rather large and strong area of low pressure. strong winds and very heavy rain coming our way midweek. in fact, look at all of that rain sweeping across the country. yes, that is snow across the pennines, across the highlands as well. gales in the south and the west. a really unpleasant picture, and of course many of us will be travelling through wednesday and into thursday again. so, bear in mind the weather could turn rough midweek, certainly wednesday, that will last into thursday, as well. heavy rain, snow across the mountains in the north, gales for many of us, and travel disruption as possible. here is the outlook that takes us into 2024, so the 1st of january. and indeed it has a very unsettled one. from me, it is a merry christmas.

this is bbc news. the headlines: manchester united have confirmed that the british billionaire sirjim ratcliffe has agreed to buy a 25% stake in the club in a deal worth over $1.5 billion. ratcliffe's ineos group will take control of the club's football operations. as israel continues its military operation in gaza strip,

the hamas—run health ministry says over 166 palestinians have been killed in the last 2a hours. israel's military spokesman says israeli troops are entering new hamas strongholds in the southern part of the gaza strip. prime minister benjamin netanyahu says the war has come at a very heavy price for his country. christmas celebrations have been "called off" in bethlehem in solidarity with the people of gaza. the usual tree has been replaced by a nativity scene in the rubble. now on bbc news, the year in review looks at the royal family.