hello. our top stories. pope francis has used his traditional christmas message to condemn the brutal religious persecution in the middle east and calls for peace around the world. >> translator: may indifference be changed to end closeness and rejection into hospitality, so that all who now are suffering may receive the necessary humanitarian help. >> the controversial film "the interview" gets its first outing in cinemas and online after a cyber attack during the row over

its release. the u.s. military dismisses claims by islamic state militants that they shot down a jordanian war plane in syria. jordan confirms one of its pilots has been captured. and ten years ago, a deadly tsunami hit the indian ocean. we're in aceh in indonesia to see how people have rebuilt their lives. hello, and a very warm welcome. we begin in rome, where pope francis has been giving his annual christmas day blessing and message to the public in st. peter's square. this is the pope's second christmas as head of the catholic church and his second urbi et orbi, or message to the city and to the world. the pope spoke to a crowd of more than 10,000 from st.

peter's basilica. he sent a message of hope, condemning what he called brutal religious persecution in the middle east. >> translator: yes, brothers and sisters, jesus is the salvation for every person and for every people. i ask him, the savior of the world, to look upon our brothers and sisters in iraq and syria, who for too long now have suffered the effects of ongoing conflict, and together with those belong to other ethnic and religious groups, are suffering a brutal persecution. may christmas bring them hope, as indeed also to many displaced persons, exiles, and refugees, children, adults, and elderly, from this region and from the

whole world. may indifference be changed to closeness and rejection into hospitality, so that all who now are suffering may receive the necessary humanitarian help to overcome the rigors of winter, return to their countries and live with dignity. >> our correspondent james reynolds is in rome for us. some quite strong language from the pope towards islamic state militants in syria and iraq. >> yes. i don't think that's particularly surprising. the pope has condemned violence in those conflicts before, and indeed yesterday, he even made a call to refugees from the conflicts in the middle east to express his solidarity with them. just to put this in context, every week here in the vatican, the pope gives a message calling

for peace. he delivers it from the window of his apartment. the message he delivers today is essentially that same message calling for peace, calling for an end to conflict. the difference is this. the stage, the platform is all that much bigger. on christmas day, the world tunes in to hear what the pope had to say. >> yeah, absolutely. also condemning the attack of the taliban militants that killed those 140 children in peshawar in pakistan last week. >> he did. he mentioned that in his speech along with a call for peace in ukraine, peace in nigeria and south sudan, in libya, in other parts of africa. he called for solidarity with the victims of the ebola epidemic. he called for support of peace efforts between israelis and palestinians. essentially the focus of his calls for peace lay on the middle east and in africa, including also ukraine and pakistan. >> okay, james. good to speak to you. james reynolds in rome for us.

now, we are getting some reports from somalia of a large scale attack on the main african union military base. the details are still very sketchy, but there are reports of explosions and of gunfire from inside the base. as soon as we get more on that story, we'll bring it to you. let's move on, because the controversial film about a plot to kill the north korean leader has opened in some american cinemas and been released online in the united states by sony pictures. the film was originally withdrawn because of threats by hackers, but viewers have been giving the film mixed reviews, as joe inwood reports. >> reporter: just a few days ago, it seemed this would never happen. a man at a cinema actually buying a ticket to see "the interview." sony had apparently caved into pressure from its main distributors not to screen the film.

then, under fire from the white house, came a change of heart. >> look at this. >> kim jong-un wants to do an interview with dave skylark? >> he's a fan! >> reporter: now the film has opened on christmas day as scheduled, but only in a limited number of independent cinemas. they number in the hundreds, not the thousands that were originally going to show the film. some cinema managers said it was more important to uphold free speech than buckle to a vague threat of terrorism. >> there's a much greater risk, and that's the risk to all of us that what we say and what we consume could be curtailed based on the threats of bullies. >> the decision to show the film has been welcomed. by one of its stars on social media. by other actors, including ben stiller. >> i'm glad it's being released. merry christmas, everybody. >> reporter: and as he relaxed in hawaii, by the president himself. even before it had been shown in the cinemas, "the interview" had been released online across

several different platforms. but only in the united states. sony said the digital release showed cyber criminals have not been able to silence the studio. joe inwood, bbc news. the u.s. says the jordanian plane that crashed in syria was not shot down by islamic state militants. the plane was lost in i.s. territory on wednesday morning and the pilot has been captured. jordan says the move won't deter it from fighting terror. jim muir reports. >> reporter: the kind of images that haunt the nations taking part this the war against i.s. a plane down in enemy territory, its pilot captured and humiliated by the militants. they were clearly jubilant. they offered prayers in thanks for this bounty. in jordan itself, a somber announcement from the military

confirming the pilot's capture. it accused i.s. of carrying out mayhem and murder against innocents in syria and iraq, and held it fully responsible for the pilot's life. he's been identified, described by his family as a dedicated airman and a devout muslim who believed the extremists had to be combatted. can i.s. now use him as a bargaining trip to prise jordan away from the coalition? >> jordan will continue its fight against terrorism and we know we will win, because this is the right thing to do and this is for the sake of our security and stability of this country. >> reporter: at the pilot's home in southern jordan, great concern among friends and relatives. he comes from a well-known family. >> translator: we are asking our king to save moaz, to rescue him by any means.

moaz is one of those that we hold dear. the whole tribe cherish him. >> reporter: activists on the ground said the plane came down in the eastern part of raqqah province. despite i.s. claims that it was hit by a missile, the american military insisted it was not shot down, but crashed. as the militants retrieved bits of the jet, the americans and their allies were launching an urgent investigation, which they said would take some time. the plane's cockpit cover and other parts are now being shown off by i.s. as trophies. they have a ferocious record of butchering captives. the first lieutenant and his family will be praying he's more valuable to them alive than dead. jim muir, bbc news, beirut. stay with us here on "bbc world news." still lots more to come.

shopping online is increasingly a trend online, but how do all those packages get to the customers? we follow china's internet giant. ♪ wellllll... ♪ earlyfit ♪ latefit ♪ risefit ♪ fallfit ♪ ballfit ♪ wallfit ♪ pingfit ♪ pongfit ♪ pingfit ♪ pongfit ♪ rowfit ♪ throwfit ♪ slowfit ♪ olliefit ♪ oopsfit ♪ otisfit ♪ thiswayfit ♪ thatwayfit ♪ daddyfit ♪ pappyfit ♪ datefit ♪ weightfit ♪ goalfit ♪ gooooooalfit ♪ stepfit ♪ stairfit ♪ smartfit ♪ heartfit ♪ spinfit ♪ bikefit ♪ hikefit ♪ yikesfit ♪ wheeeeefit ♪ wowfit ♪ whoafit ♪ findyourfit

♪ it's all fitbit

this is "bbc world news." the latest headlines. pope francis uses his traditional christmas message to condemn the brutal persecution of minorities by islamic state militants. he's also urged people not to be indifferent to suffering around the world. and sony has released the controversial film "the interview" for the first time in the united states, despite hacking threats. it can be seen online and at a small number of cinemas. a lockdown of at least three days has been declared in the north of sierra leone, as the country steps up efforts to contain the ebola epidemic. shops and markets will remain closed, and no unauthorized

vehicles are being allowed on the streets. residents in freetown have been talking about how the ebola outbreak has affected their festive sell briggss. >> translator: every year i would be planning. i would be planning to visit my village. but this year, because of ebola, i am not able to. >> well, ebola has killed more than 7,500 people in the west african region. richard atkinson is part of oxfam's humanitarian team and is in freetown and he supports the charity's work on ebola. i asked him about the mood in freetown this christmas. >> it's very quiet today. it's been very quiet for the last month really, and they say at this time normally, it's much more festive in feeling. this morning, there was a little bit of music playing and there was some firecrackers last night, but today it's quiet. a few cars on the street. so a few people out around where i am at at the moment. but generally, it just seems like a quiet day.

the bars and rauestaurants are l shut. i'm not even hearing much from churches this morning. >> can you give us a bit more detail on what the restrictions actually are? >> in freetown, it's principally a movement in and out of town. so it really does mean people are limited what they can do. they stay at home with the family who are here. as the earlier person was saying, people not able to travel long distance to see their families, so it's really just very private celebrations. it's just very quiet. >> and how have people been responding to these restrictions? do you think -- you know, do they understand why this is happening? >> i can only speak for freetown, and i think here, there is an understanding. i think generally, there's so much information about ebola. there is so much information in the media. you're aware of this everywhere

you go. the hand-washing in supermarkets. you've seen ambulances on the streets. quite recently, a team disinfected an area because clearly there had been a suspected case there. i think people, they do appreciate this is the necessary thing at the moment. ten years ago today, the deadliest tsunami was recorded in history. it struck the indian ocean, killing over 225,000 people and displacing another 1.7 million. it was triggered by a massive earthquake in the indian ocean, powerful enough to slightly alter the earth's rotation in the early morning local time. here's how it unfolded. these two tech tonic plates deep below the waters crashed into each other, allowing a 1,600 kilometer line. it caused this plate to violently push into the seabed,

creating the tsunami wave. scientists estimate that 30 cubic kilometers of water was displaced, creating waves traveling at speeds of up to a thousand kilometers per hour, turning into massive walls of water up to 24 meters tall as they reached nearby shores, inundating and destroying almost anything within their reach. communities along the coastlines of indonesia, thailand, india, and sri lanka were left completely destroyed and the effects of the tsunami could be felt as far away as tanzania and madagascar. aceh in western indonesia was one of the worst-hit areas and we hope to speak to someone who was there that day a bit later on in the program. in just over a week, nato forces will complete their pullout from afghanistan after 13 years of the conflict. recent attacks targeting westerners has now added to the

general sense of insecurity in the country and has led to some overseas companies scaling back the number of people working there. our correspondent reports from kabul on the effect it's having. >> reporter: making lunch on what is normally the busiest day of the season. this is the kitchen at one of kabul's most popular french raupts. the cooks have been specially trained by a chef from paris and the food here has made it a major draw for the city's expat population. but today there's one slight problem. there's no one to serve. tonight is christmas. we don't have reservation. we don't have customer. we will make the food. we have the menu of christmas. up to now, we don't have customer, we don't have reservation. >> last january, a taliban attack on a lebanese restaurant

left 21 people dead. more than a dozen foreigners among them, including u.n. officials. since then, most restaurants catering to westerners have shut down. and security fears are keeping them away from the few that remain. it's not just the food business that's hurting. kabul's real estate boom, fueled by the flood of aid workers, diplomats and contractors who came here over the past ten years is slowing down. this large house is in one of kabul's most exclusive neighborhoods. i've just been inside it. several bedrooms, a fireplace. very, very modern. it was rented by a western company a few months ago that were paying $4,500 a month in represent. the estate agent who shows me around says he has 60 other similar homes and they're all

empty. and invariably, those who have been hit hardest are the ones who are most vulnerable, ordinary afghans. the market selling the country's famed carpets are quiet. once fetching several hundred dollars apiece, it's been months since anyone here has sold any. >> in the last year, i've hardly sold any carpets. i don't have enough money to pay the rent for my shop or even support my family. >> reporter: the last decade raised hope among afghans of peace and prosperity. but now westerners are leaving, and as winter sets in, it's beginning to look bleak. pakistan is to set up military courts to speed up

terrorism-related cases, following a massacre at a school in peshawar. prime minister nawaz sharif says the move would help ensure terrorists pay the price for their heinous acts. he's also announced a number of measure to curb militancy, including a ban on militants appearing in the media. >> translator: criminals involved in terrorist incidents in the past took advantage of weak laws to avoid a penalty. therefore, special courts are being set up under the supervision of the military officer, so those who commit such crimes should be brought to court without delay. the special courts will start to function now for the next two years. >> prime minister nawaz sharif speaking there. we'll stay with pakistan, because 500 people are due to be executed there over the next few weeks after a moratorium on the death penalty was lifted last week. one of them is a man who was convicted of involuntary

manslaughter as a minor in 2004. our pakistan correspondent shaimaa khalil has more details. >> reporter: a family in distress. their youngest member on death row for ten years. he was 14 when he was allegedly tortured into confessing murder and sentenced by an anti-terrorism court. now he's among those to be executed after pakistan lifted its moratorium on the death sentence. he left home in search of a job more than a decade ago. his mother hasn't seen him since. >> translator: i feel like i'm going mad because of what's happened. i nearly lost my eyesight as i cry so much. my whole life has been destroyed. >> reporter: his legal team say they presented evidence to court, which showed he was under duress when he confessed and he was a minor at the time of conviction.

they also say the case has nothing to do with militancy. his brother says he did not get a fair trial. >> translator: he was tortured for months. the court should consider how young he was back then. it will be a big injustice if he's hanged. >> reporter: shafqat hussein's case is not the only one. lawyers here tell us that of the 500 people set to be executed in the next few weeks, at least 200 are now terror-related cases. there's huge pressure on both the political and the military leadership to prove that they can stand up to militants, but there are worries that with this wave of executions, the proper legal measures are not being followed. human rights organizations say the death penalty is not the answer to combatting militancy. >> i think what they're trying to say is that they're actually fighting terrorism. what i think in reality is it is vengeance, an act of vengeance. the lifting of the moratorium is

a knee jerk reaction which has nothing to do with stopping acts in peshawar. it's just going to put people who have faced misguidance of justice on execution list. >> reporter: shafqat's lawyers say he could be hanged in the next few days after the court rejected their appeal. they'll have to take the case to the country's supreme court. for his family now, there's nothing to do but wait and pray. shaimaa khalil, bbc news, islamabad. online shopping is big business around the world. and nowhere more so than in china. the country's internet giant alibaba recently reported sales of more than $9 billion in a single day. but how do all these packages get delivered? we've been finding out.

>> translator: i am a korean worker in beijing. it is really hard. i work from 6:00 in the morning until late in the evening. every day the packages are september to us from our headquarters. they come from all over china. we sort them into different groups according to addresses and deliver them one by one. the amount i deliver only accounts for the tip of the iceberg. there are tens of thousands of couriers like me. they're all from relatively poor backgrounds. our company alone handles over ten million parcels a day, and that figure triples during busy

periods. the boxes pile up like little mountains. even looking at them scares me. i usually deliver about 100 packages a day, but there are days when i'm given over 300 to deliver. it is almost mission impossible. the big heavy ones are the most difficult. sometimes they can weigh up to 50 kilos. it is such a headache. but no matter, big or small, i have to deliver them. for us couriers, time is always pressing. i'm constantly in a hurry. i wish the elevator would go faster because i'm just so busy. the british royal family has

been attending a christmas day church service in norfolk here in the uk. well-wishers caught a glimpse of the queen and her family outside the church, although neither the duchess or cornwall nor prince george were there. stay with us here on "bbc world news." thanks. ♪ [ male announcer ] fedex® has solutions to enable global commerce that can help your company grow steadily and quickly. great job. (mandarin)

♪ cut it out. >>see you tomorrow. ♪ (vo)rescued.ed. protected. given new hope. during the subaru "share the love" event, subaru owners feel it, too. because when you take home a new subaru, we donate 250 dollars to helping those in need. we'll have given 50 million dollars over seven years. love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru.

peace around the world. >> translator: may indifference be changed to end closeness and rejection into hospitality, so that all who now are suffering may receive the necessary humanitarian help. >> the controversial film "the interview" gets its first outing in cinemas and online after a cyber attack during the row over its release.