welcome to bbc news. our top story: the un security council demands an end to illegal settlement building by israel. the motion passed up to the united states, in a major change of policy, refused to exercise its veto. the united states has been sending a message that the settle m e nts sending a message that the settlements must stop, privately and publicly, for nearly five decades. the main suspect in the berlin market attack is shot dead, but germany is still on a state of high alert. and the star wars actress carrie fisher has had a heart attack in los angeles. welcome to the programme. israel has reacted with anger, after united nations passed a resolution

condemning israeli settlements on palestinian territory. it happened because the united states changed its usual veto policy and abstained in the vote. well, israel's ambassador to the un said that it was a shameful move, but the us said it had long argued against settle m e nt it had long argued against settlement building. the resolution specifically calls for an end to settle m e nt specifically calls for an end to settlement building in the west bank and eastjerusalem, settlements that are considered illegal under international law. the us and israeli ambassadors to the un responded soon after the vote. today the security council reaffirmed its established consensus that settlements have no legal validity. the united states has been sending the message that the settle m e nts sending the message that the settlements must stop, privately and publicly, for nearly five decades. by publicly, for nearly five decades. by voting yes, in favour of this resolution, you have in fact voted

i'io. resolution, you have in fact voted no. you voted no to negotiations. you voted no to progress, and a chance for better lives for the israelis and palestinians. and you voted no to the possibility of peace. israel's prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, israel's prime minister, benjamin neta nyahu, has rejected israel's prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, has rejected this resolution. a statement from his office said that israel would not abide its terms. it said that israel looks forward to working with the us president—elect, donald trump, to counter what it calls the harmful effects of the resolution. mr trump has also responded to the un vote. he tweeted. .. it has also responded to the un vote. he tweeted... it is worth also mentioning that mr trump has chosen a pro— settlement hardliner, david freedman, to be america's next ambassador to israel. our correspondent has been following the story for us and explain the locations of what occurred at the un. well, i think the resolution shows a strong international consensus

that israeli settlement—building in the occupied palestinian territories is illegal, and is a very serious threat to a viable peace deal. and the obama administration strongly felt that there was this threat, so it decided not to veto. it abstained, and therefore the resolution passed. but this is something that was a diplomatic earthquake at the un, because the americans always support the israelis. they always protect israel against criticism. so it was a very strong rebuke, as you said, and the israelis are very angry. but president obama has only taken this step right at the end of his administration, so it's going to have far less of an impact than it might have done had he done it earlier. right now, he's reallyjust putting down a marker, especially as he is going to be handing over to donald trump, who has shown that he is ready to strongly support the israeli government and its policies. and in fact, after the vote, he's already tweeted, things will be different after 20 january, which is of course when he takes office. you can of course find out much more on the background to the dispute

over israeli settlements on our website. there are maps of the disputed areas and analysis of why theissue disputed areas and analysis of why the issue has become so better. all of that on our website. in other news:, germany's chancellor, angela merkel, has warned that the country's security services cannot be complacent because of the killing of the man believed to be behind the attack on the christmas market. anis amri was shot dead by police in italy in the early hours of friday. security officials are trying to work out how he ended up in milan, and who he was linked to. our europe correspondent has a very latest from berlin. anis amri's brief, violent life as a terrorist ended here, in an exchange of gunfire on the edge of milan. alone and hunted, he managed to flee 1,000 kilometres south from berlin. but, at 3:00am in the morning, acting suspiciously, he was stopped by two officers,

and tried to shoot them. translation: at that moment the man, without hesitating, pulled out a pistol and fired towards the policeman who had asked for identity documents. the officers reacted immediately. the one who was hit is recovering in hospital, but his condition not life—threatening. and this has been released by the so—called islamic state, a recording made in berlin by anis amri sometime before the attack, pledging his allegiance to is. it is now believed that the 24—year—old tunisian may have been radicalised after he arrived in europe, perhaps during the four years he spent injail in italy. german security services knew he was a threat, but he talked of buying guns, not using a truck. so how did he get all the way to italy? this is what we know about his movements. at 8:00pm on monday, he attacked the christmas market. then he vanished, but managed to get to chambery, in france. from there, a train ticket found

on his body shows he managed to travel to turin, then on to milan's central station, arriving at 1:00am in the morning. finally, he took the metro to the last stop, san giovanni. translation: at the end of this week, we can be relieved that one acute threat has come to an end, but the general threat posed by terrorism will continue. we will do our utmost to make sure our state is a strong state. germany is trying to root out islamic networks. we visited this place today, a short distance from where anis amri's new video was recorded. well, this is one of the places that anis amri was known to frequent in the months when he was in berlin. it is a residential complex. but the reason he would come here, over in this corner, what used to be a mosque. it was closed down, though, and became a meeting point for radical islamists.

one of the neighbours told us small groups of young islamic men continued to use the building. they would meet late at night, apparently discussing attacks. translation: of course it was dangerous. when the men sit here and fantasise about carrying out attacks, yes, i was worried. my children and my family live here. with the immediate danger apparently over, berliners gather for a memorial this evening by the brandenburg gate. we are all one. all people come together here, and think of the victims. the berlin people, where something is, they have to be. germany is confronting the reality that it faces new and hidden threats. the actress carrie fisher is in hospital after suffering a heart attack on a plane.

according to her brother she is now out of emergency and in a stable condition. she reportedly went into cardiac arrest on a flight from london to los angeles, and was rushed to hospital when the plane landed. carrie fisher is best known for her role as princess leia in the star wars films. before we got this update on her being cut of emergency and in a sta ble being cut of emergency and in a stable condition, i spoke to our correspondent in los angeles. well, yes, as you say she was travelling on a flight from london to los angeles when she was taken ill and she seems to have suffered a cardiac arrest, some ten or 15 minute away from landing in los angeles. paramedics were alerted, they were there at the airport, on they were there at the airport, on the runway, as the flight came in, and gave her some emergency treatment. now, we understand that she has now been taken to hospital,

where she is in a critical condition. we don't really know any more details than that. there were other people on that flight who have been tweeting about what they saw, people sitting around her, people sitting in front of her, saying that she seemed to be unresponsive for several minutes before she could get treatment on the ground from the paramedics. so really that is what we know at the moment. of course, she is a huge star. she is loved by many, she is a huge star. she is loved by any she is a huge star. she is loved by many, many people around the world, and of course princess leia, as you mentioned, is her most notable role in the original star wars trilogy, and then the fausse awakens released last year, when she came back for the same role —— force. last year, when she came back for the same role -- force. and she is very open about the various problems she has had on her life, someone that people can really relate to. yes, she has been opened in this book and in other books as well, and

also talking publicly about some of the battles she has had over the yea rs, the battles she has had over the years, and yes, her relationships as well. she had quite a difficult time in terms of her relationship with her mother, debbie reynolds, another famous actress, of course, in that relationship seems to have healed in recent yea rs. relationship seems to have healed in recent years. she has also been very open about her mental problems, her bipolar condition. so a very open person, known as a child as a bookworm, and during her life she has proved an extraordinary ability to write. this is her eight look, and that was her second love after acting —— eight book. and she is now in a stable condition, her brother tod a p pa re ntly condition, her brother tod apparently speaking to the associated press news agency, saying that she was out of emergency. 0f course, we will renew updates as and

when we get them. a look at some more top stories this hour: the us state department has issued travel warnings for americans travelling to egypt and jordan, because of threats from terrorist groups. there were several bombings in egypt this month and more than a dozen people were killed injordan on sunday in two attacks by islamist militants. two of europe's biggest banks are making multibillion—dollar payments to the us authorities to settle disputes over the sale of mortgage—backed securities in the run—up to the global financial crisis of 2007. germany's biggest lender, deutsche bank, has agreed to pay $7.2 billion in fines and compensation. and credit suisse says it will pay more than $5 billion. after many days of protests, opposition leaders in the democratic republic of congo say they've reached an agreement with the governing party over the transition of power. presidentjoseph kabila will stay in office until the end of next year, despite his term having expired. a new prime minister will be chosen

from the opposition. the hijacking of a libyan plane to malta has ended peacefully. the two men who seized control of the aircraft freed those onboard and surrendered to the authorities. the domestic flight with 118 people on board was hijacked in the morning after taking off from sabha, bound for the libyan capital tripoli. as david campanale now reports, it appears the hijackers are supporters of the late former leader, muammar gaddafi. though terrifying for the passengers on board, the hijacking of a libyan state owned airline appears more of a political stunt than a terrorist incident. this had been an internal flight incident. this had been an internal flight to tripoli, when the airbus was forced to make men on board to divert the malta. they told crew they had a hand grenade, and

threatened to blow up the plane. probe gaddafi claims were made by the hijackers, with one appearing and waving a plain green flag resembling that of gaddafi's now defunct state. after hours of talks promise was given to free those on—board if promise was given to free those on—boa rd if unspecified promise was given to free those on—board if unspecified demands were met. the passengers were then taken away, with flight attendants following. they were asked to surrender any weapons in their possession. they were found to be in possession. they were found to be in possession of a hand grenade and a pistol. nevertheless, the armed forces of malta are currently conducting a full search of the aircraft, and a second pistol has been found so far. the search is ongoing. the hijackers were apprehended on the tarmac and taken into custody. libya's internationally backed government says they want to set up a gaddafi that the party. they will be asking

how they manage to get the weapons onto the plane, even if replicas. in tripoli, families are waiting for their loved ones to come home. it is evident that in libya airport security is as lax and chaotic as the country's politics. russia's president putin has been holding his marathon end of the press c0 nfe re nce holding his marathon end of the press conference in moscow. the future of us—russian relations came up repeatedly, so what have we learned? in his wide—ranging four—hour question and answer session, mr putin praised us president—elect donald trump, saying he has his finger on the pulse of us society. here's steve rosenberg. he is always confident, but is he a little confused? as vladimir putin met the world's media today, there were mixed signals from across the atlantic. donald trump, sabre rattling one moment, and talking friendship the next. the kremlin leader said he hoped

he and america's new president would work together to improve relations. it's not so simple. russia says it's modernising its nuclear missile potential. while today, donald trump reportedly said "let it be an arms race, we will outmatch them at every pass." so, would the kremlin respond? well, putting a question to the president is not easy when there are 1000 of you and just one of him. but he took my question. are you not concerned, though, that there is a danger of a new arms race if america is talking about boosting its nuclear arsenal? translation: the basis for a new arms race was there already after the us pulled out of the antiballistic missile treaty and started to create a missile shield. so, either we create our own shield, or, as we are doing,

develop weapons to penetrate theirs. but this wasn't our choice. vladimir putin made it clear today that if there is to be a new arms race that won't be russia's fault, and he delivered a defiant message, that russia is stronger than any potential aggressor. and that goes for cyberspace too. in recent months, russia has been accused of launching cyber attacks against america, even by using hacking to defeat hillary clinton. mr putin, your country has been accused of state—sponsored hacking with the aim of influencing the results of the us presidential election. and president obama revealed that he told you personally to "cut it out." so, what did you tell him in response? the president refused to say, dismissing all the talk of hacking as soui’ grapes from the democratic party. translation: the losing side always tries to pass the buck.

they would do better to look for the problems among themselves. but tough talk doesn't solve domestic problems. the russian economy is still struggling, notjust because of sanctions. low oil prices have hit hard in an economy reliant on exporting energy. for many here, stagnation breeds pessimism. there see problems growing with living standards and they see that. they see that the health system is collapsing. they see inflation and a forecast of the government of russia will be surviving through the next 20 years in a state of stagnation. and that is one reason the kremlin is counting on donald trump, hoping he will ease sanctions against moscow. russia wants to be seen as a global player. but if president putin does not mend the cracks in the economy, he may be building a superpower on thin ice.

steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow. you are watching bbc news. stay with us. more to come. we are looking at winning the white house. a look at some of the images that have ca ptu red some of the images that have captured the essence of us presidential candidates. we saw this enormous tidal wave approaching the beach, and people started to run, and suddenly it was complete chaos. united states troops have been trying to overthrow the dictatorship of general manuel noreiga. the pentagon said the operation had been 90% successful, but it's failed in its principal objective, to capture general noreiga and take him to the united states to face drugs charges. the hammer and sickle was hastily taken away. the russian flag was hoisted over what is now no longer the soviet union, but the commonwealth of independent states. day broke slowly over lockerbie, over the cockpit of the pan—am's maid of the seas, nose—down in the soft earth. you could see what happens

when a plane eight storeys high, a football pitch wide, falls from 30,000 feet. christmas has returned to albania after a communist ban lasting more than 20 years. thousands went to midnight mass in the town where there were anti—communist riots ten days ago. this is bbc news. i'm kasia madera. the latest headlines: the un security council backs a call for israel to end illegal settlement building. israel has described the resolution as shameful and says it will not abide by it. the main suspect in the berlin market attack is shot dead, but germany is still on a state of high alert. now, africa may boast the youngest population in the world, but what of its elderly this christmas? in south africa, where residential

hostels are a reminder of the troubled days of the past, some of the country's four million pensioners are barely surviving. our correspondent, karen allen, has been given exclusive access to the helenjoseph women's hostel in alexandra township, johannesburg, a neighbourhood that nelson mandela once called home. this is not a prison, it is a hostile. 4000 women and children call it home this christmas. —— hostel. standing like a stubborn stain on the hopes of so many people. women's hostels are a legacy of the troubled past of south africa. youngsters are born here and grew up here and older women die here. one of the most unique societies in the world, i have come to tell the story of people who are so often silent, the pensioners of south africa. no christmas post for

the people who live here. like this woman, 68. she is among the 4 million pensioners in south africa today who society has somehow ignored. just a few years ago, things were looking up. there was running water here. vandalism and utter neglect by the municipal authorities means the taps have now run dry. and raw sewerage is everywhere. so youngsters charge the pensioners a fee for bringing water to them. are used to be water. and that has stopped? they closed the water. this has been her home for more than 30 years. so why does she stay here? i have nowhere else to

go. by 2050, the number of the ball like her is set to double in south africa. this christmas, many will be alone. —— people. no christmas dinner this year. even basic supplies are running short. we need some food supplies that would be enough to make things better? for the generation that sacrificed so much for south african freedom, it does not seem so much to ask. bbc news, alexander township.

well, as 2016 draws to a close, the us presidential election will undoubtedly go down as one of the most memorable events of the past year. much of it was captured on camera. and now, a new photo exhibit in new york explores how candidates have shaped their images over the years. we went to have a look. we are at the international centre of photography taking a look at the last 5—6 decades of us presidential campaign photography. it traces the relationship of power personas are developed. the idea is that the visual image in the media is how presidential candidates betrayed their personas to the public as we do not interact with them. —— portrays. that is through newspapers and illustrated periodical. and now social media. each candidate

conveyed through photography what they wanted the voters to understand in different ways that were relevant at the time of the candidacies. john f kennedy showed charisma and the energy of his supporters. ronald reagan portrayed himself as the movie version of what we would expect a president to be. bill clinton showed himself as a rock star. barack clinton showed himself as a rock star. ba rack obama clinton showed himself as a rock star. barack obama similarly used photography to project himself as a young and relatable candidate. these two photographs are meant to address the fact that both candidates in 2016 were national public figures for decades prior to their candidacy. the juxtaposition of the two photographs is actually surprisingly relevant to the way they attended to betray themselves in 2006 then. hillary clinton trying to seem soft and relatable. —— 2016. but instead she was seen as a

complicated figure and not a traditional first lady. donald trump as hosts of the apprentice was trying to portray himself as a tough businessman. those two personas ended up being how they portray themselves in the 2016 elections as well. while presidential candidates may spend a lot of effort controlling their image, the advent of digital photography and smartphone photography all sorts of leads to a situation where they do not have as much control over their persona as they want. that looks absolutely fascinating. lots more as a lwa ys absolutely fascinating. lots more as always on our website. and don't forget you can get in touch with me and some of the team on twitter. i am kasia madera. as always, thank you for watching. yesterday's weather was all about

storm barbara, the second is named storm for the season. it has been a quiet season so far. there is storm barbara working into the uk. the strongest winds in the scottish islands. reports of power disruption here. out to in the atlantic, we are looking at the next named storm, connor. that will bring strong winds to scotland for boxing day. large crashing waves driven in to the bay by strong winds. showers and snow above 200 metres, perhaps 100m at times. this is mainly in the hills where we will see that. because of that, we will haveice see that. because of that, we will have ice conditions on some of the road. england and wales, a lot of dry weather to start the day. a few isolated showers working in north—west england and across wales

as well. the further south and east you are the better chance you have of starting the day on a dry note with a fair bit of sunshine. breezy for all of us. through the rest of the day, gale force winds will bring plenty of showers in. they will be falling as snow up in the hills of scotland. rain in northern ireland late in the day. turning damp. england and wales, a mainly dry day with sunny spells. temperatures, 8— 11. colder than that in northern ireland in scotland. the cold air will be behind us on christmas day. mild weather is on the way. these are the temperatures first thing on the big day itself. christmas day, quite windy. are a lot of cloud around. this cold front will go south during the day. wet weather for northern ireland, the north of england, and north wales. the south is still quite mild. temperatures, 14-15 in is still quite mild. temperatures, 14—15 in the mildest spots. further north, cold air moving in. that means late in the day some of us

could see a white christmas. the chance of getting a bit of snow in the hills of northern scotland. boxing day. remember connor? i showed do that on the satellite. it is bringing strong winds to the northern isles of scotland where we have an amber weather warning. gale force gusts for the northern half of the uk. further south, force gusts for the northern half of the uk. furthersouth, quite force gusts for the northern half of the uk. further south, quite windy. sunshine. temperatures between 7—8. later next week, the weather should turn down and we will see a return of night—time frost. the headlines on bbc news: the un security council backs a call for israel to end illegal settlement building, after the us refuses to exercise its veto. israel has described the resolution as shameful, and says it will not abide by it. italian police have shot dead anis amri, the man suspected of carrying out the attack on a christmas market in berlin. amri was killed by police on patrol

in milan in the early hours. the hijacking of a libyan plane that was forced to land in malta is over. the two men who seized control of the aircraft were taken away in handcuffs. they are said to be seeking asylum in malta. the star wars actress carrie fisher has had a heart attack. she was rushed to hospital after arriving on a flight from london. her brother says she is now stable and out of emergency. it has been a fantastic year for gb's olympians and paralympians. nick hope and kate grey look back on a golden summer in rio in review 2016: gold rush in rio.