and as it's christmas, let's bring you this. it's what organisers call the largest santa themed race in the world. held in the centre of madrid every year, thousands of people took part in the 5 kilometre race to raise money for the red cross. we don't know if father christmas himself was running. he might have other things to be doing tonight, but thousands of others involved there. that's all from sportsday. head over to the website, more reaction to our top story tonight, sirjim ratcliffe buying that 25% stake in manchester united. the sports team will be back with you on boxing day. from me and everyone here for now, wishing you a very merry christmas. good night.

this is bbc news. let's take you live to the vatican. this is st peter's basilica where the annual midnight mass is being held. it is being presided over, led by pope francis this year. we understand he has been commenting on the conflict that has been taking place, of course, within the region of gaza, and also at the moment expanding out, the concern there. he has h, our hearts are in bethlehem, where the principle of peace is once more rejected by the futile logic of war. it prevents him from finding room in the world, the very land where he

was born. choral singing. the world health organization says the decimation of gaza's health system is a tragedy. the enclave's health ministry says over 20,400 have been killed since the war began in october. health workers from across the uk gathered in central london today, to hold a multi—faith vigil for those suffering in the conflict. leaders from the jewish, muslim and christian faiths united to call for a ceasefire. our reporter, tom brada, was there and spoke to the representatives from the faith groups. the aim of the vigil today was to highlight the fact that there have been many hundreds of people who work in the health care and medical professions who have been killed in this conflict, but also more broadly

to highlight that the violence in this area has been so extreme over the last few months and to call for peace. and so i think the key message this year, as we approach christmas day tomorrow, is to remember that christmas should be a time of peace, and this is the right time to call for an end to violence and to a peaceful solution to the crisis in gaza. and aron keller from the british jewish activist group na'amod, do you mind telling me why it is important that the different faiths are showing solidarity here today? yeah, i think it is extremely important, particularly as a jewish activist, i feel it is crucial to be here in solidarity with palestinians and with palestinian health workers. there are unfortunately so many narratives driven by politicians, parts of the media that seek to divide our communities and seek to suggest that jewish safety can only be secured through palestinian suffering, and i am here to reject that sentiment wholeheartedly

and to really reaffirm the groove ability of all people, regardless of religion, regardless of background, and regardless of creed to be united here in our shared humanity, to ensure that we do not come complacent, that we take a moment amid the celebrations to recognise the unfathomable loss and devastation that is taking place on gaza right now. and you are a health care worker, can you explain to me why it is important you have held the vigil today? absolutely. i think as health care workers we deeply understand the human cost of what is unfolding. and ultimately what connects us is our humanity. we have more in common than what divides us, and we really wanted to create a space here today where, through faith, through the arts, through everything that is beautiful and sacred, we wanted to create a space of healing. so much of it is, i think, really highlighting that shared, common humanity, and that we all have been so deeply affected, and i think so many people can

resonate with this. and that really speaks to our core of who we are as humans, without the labels. we can all come together with different faiths, ethnicities, backgrounds. we are all really not that different. christmas can be a lonely time for many, especially some elderly people. but now students at one school in coventry in england have been trying to help. they've hosted residents from a nearby care home for afternoon tea and a good chat. kevin reide reports. hiya! this was to be a special occasion for around 30 elderly guests from a local care home. all thanks to the students of cardinal wiseman. we have a great passion in wanting to help people, wanting to see a smile on people's faces. obviously christmas can be a very lonely time for some people. there was plenty of tea and cake on offer, but more importantly company and conversation. never expected this. young people are so great and helpful.

oh, it has been wonderful today. as well as afternoon tea, the guests are also being served up some entertainment, including bingo, karaoke, and the cardinal wiseman school choir. # silent night. # holy night... some people, especially people from the care home, are reallyjust lonely at this time, at christmas. maybe they don't have much family left, or they don't get to see them as often. one such lady is shirley mcconnell. well, all my family, one is in wales, one is in newmarket, so it will be the first christmas on my own, you know. are you looking forward to christmas, then? if i had young children, i would say yes, you know, but now they are all grown up, and their grandchildren, they have got children.

i don't see much of them, so it does get a bit lonely. and paul bentley deals with loneliness by keeping in touch with his family. i lost my mum 15 years ago and my dad two years ago. my sister calls me, my brother calls me. so we have a conversation over the phone. in the end, much fun was had by all, and it all went very well. it has been a great day for them and for me, as well, just being able to sit here talking to them, hearing all these stories, so it has been great. i think there is a real calling for not just us, but adults and loads of people to make an effort to make christmas special for everyone. kevin reide, bbc news. it's an iconic sports car that's almost instantly recognisable,

now the story of ferrari and its founder is one of the big cinema releases this christmas. it stars adam driver as enzo ferrari, and penelope cruz as his wife. charlotte gallagher reports. it's the story of an italian icon. two objects cannot occupy the same point in space. how the car synonymous with speed, luxury and excess was born. this film takes you back to the early days of ferrari, when the car firm and its founder enzo ferrari were in dire financial straits and struggling to stay on the road. you have perhaps a crisis of identity. the star wars and house of gucci actor adam driver takes on the role of enzo. you lift. he passes. he won, you lost. he had a great pride

and in being kind of a self made person in a way, and maybe we both share a kind of manic or obsession with not not getting lazy or constantly pushing and attention to detail. director michael mann has been trying to make this film for decades. his love of ferrari dates back to the 1960s when he was a young student in london. i was standing in the rain on brompton road waiting for the bus, and somebody drove by and stopped at a light with a blue piece of sculpture that belonged in the museum of modern art or something. and it was a 1967 ferrari. it was a 275 gtb. and that's when i first really got interested in what that was. the marquis de portico of spain i and eddie nelson share a ferrari. the film is set in 1957 and ferrari

are risking it all on a lucrative but incredibly dangerous road race. they were kind of these titan heroic figures because the risk was so high. am i willing to risk life for the sake of a win? because that will differentiate someone who wins and loses. yeah. did it make you want to drive around in a ferrari or is it as an actor if you're trying to be inconspicuous, i suppose, a big red ferrari... hi, everybody! well, i mean, you know, when we did drive ferraris, they're movable pieces of art. you are supposed to save him. penelope cruz stars as enzo's wife grieving the death of their son. director michael mann was even given access to the family home for filming. everything we've shot in the film, many of them are actual. that is the family mausoleum that we were allowed to shoot. and that is the house, that is the barber. adam's being shaved at in that chair by the son of the barber who shaved enzo.

wow. so there's there's a kind of osmosis from all the authenticity that was around us. adam driver may not own a ferrari, but he did get to test one out for the film. i only got to drive one of the cars that was in the movie, for insurance reasons we didn't tell anybody that we went to an airstrip and the skin hadn't been put on the chassis yet. but i got to drive one of the cars there. i think the 801. and it's terrifying. michael mann and adam driver are now used to critical and commercial success. they're hoping ferrari will race to repeat that. charlotte gallagher, bbc news. this is bbc news. stay with us. 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 is 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. live from london. this is bbc news. manchester united confirm british billionaire, sirjim ratcliffe, has agreed to buy a 25% stake in the club in a deal worth over 1.5 billion dollars. gaza's health ministry says 166 people have been killed and 384 wounded over the last 2a hours, as israel's bombardment continues. 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. this is live in vatican, where pope francis is leading a christmas eve mass at the saint peter's basilica. he has said �*tonight our hearts are in bethlehem'. and this is the live position of santa as we track him on his reindeer—powered sleigh around the globe delivering gifts for children. it's the christmas present many manchester united fans will have been hoping for. it has been announced that sirjim ratcliffe is buying a 25% stake in the premier league club, in a deal worth more than a billion pounds, which, pending approval,