our main headlines... pope francis has called for a negotiated solution to end the conflict between israel and the palestinians. in his christmas address he said he hoped for dialogue towards the peace talks coexistence of the two states. the russian authorities have rejected an attempt by the leading opposition politician alexei navalny to stand in the elections next year. a diplomatic row between venezuela and canada has intensified. canada is expelling venezuela's ambassador to ottawa and has accused the venezuelan resident of robbing people of their democratic rights. and the queen has used her christmas message to pay tribute to the people of manchester and london for the way they dealt with the attacks this year. now on bbc news, one of the highlights of the year from our award—winning documentary series our world. in football on the frontline, we heard a story of inspiration

and hope from one of the world's hottest war zones. against the odds, syria's national football team nearly qualified for the world cup. and richard conway followed their campaign. they are the unlikely sporting heroes in a country ripped apart by conflict. syria is in the midst of a bloody civil war. but the national football team is trying to send a message it hopes can transcend political and religious differences. i'm following the team as they compete for a place in football's biggest tournament — the world cup. even some of those who fled syria in fear of their lives see the team as a symbol of national pride. the team has defied

the odds by beating some of asia's biggest and best. now they're on the road again, competing for so much more than just football glory. it's friday afternoon in damascus, and the weekend is under way. prayers in the morning. and like so many places

around the world, football in the afternoon. it's here i meet tarek jabban, assistant coach of syria's national team. i'm joining him as he watches a low—key fixture in syria's premier league. which is also attempting to carry on despite the conflict. syrian football fans have much to cheer about right now. their national side has performed beyond expectations as they try to qualify for next year's world cup in russia. economic sanctions mean the country, and therefore football, has little money. what cash there is comes from the assad government, keen to use football to give the impression of a united, functioning state. the players need somebody to support them. ourfederation, our government.

now our equipment, our condition is not what we want. syrian government officials are keen to show us that football is flourishing. let's go meet the man. we can learn more about this. it's half—time, and tarek introduces me to his boss, the head coach of the national football team, and the man responsible for their recent good results. you beat china i—o. you drew with south korea. there's a real opportunity for syria to go to a world cup. do the players now believe? do they have the belief in their hearts that they can qualify for the world cup? syria's president, bashar al—assad,

wants the perception to be that his country is returning to normal, and sport helps with that aim. but regardless of his intentions, it is clear that sport, football coming back to syria, provides a chance for people to forget about their worries, at least for 90 minutes. after six years of war, more games are being played and fans are slowly returning. but football is only possible in government—held areas. and not in large swathes of this country outside the regime's control. this season is interesting, because all syrian people want to come back for stadiums, want to support teams. it's 2—2 at the moment.

let's see if anyone can get a late winner. the first time on this field two teams score four goals, because all games on this field finishing i—o. there's another one. 3-2. all games in this field finish 1—0, 0—0. it's first time maybe five goals. maybe because you're coming. it is the bbc‘s fault. we should come every week! what looks like normal life does go on in president assad's damascus. you'd be forgiven at times for thinking there is no war. that's how syria's leader wants it. here on the east side of damascus, we're at a football field that's been hit in the past by mortar fire.

very few of the national team play in syria, but five star players are here training with their local club side. for a variety of reasons, they've stayed in syria, their career choices complicated by the war. every so often you can hear the sound of an aerial artillery shell going off somewhere in the distance. we're very close here to one of the front lines, even as we are in the centre of damascus. but the players aren't fussed, they haven't raised an eyebrow. this is the sound of war, something they've grown up with. omar al midani is one of the younger players of the national team. does this team really believe it can go on and qualify for russia?

the training looks familiar. but that's where similarities between the game here and in other countries ends. the difference is not just the conditions, but the hopes and expectations that are placed upon this team. there is no part of life in assad—controlled syria untouched by the regime. every facet of society, especially where there is success, such as with the national football

team, is presented as a sign of a functioning state. but the illusion is easily shattered. we were filming at a market when we heard a very loud explosion nearby. there are reports that a number of people have been killed. so, we're going now to see if we can find out what has happened, and see what damage has been caused. two devices have detonated. one by the roadside, another by a suicide bomber, targeting mainly shia pilgrims visiting from iraq. all of a sudden, i'm a war reporter. our correspondent richard conway is at the scene. this is the largest attack to hit damascus in some time. a suicide bomber detonated his device in this commercial district in the centre of damascus, killing at least a0 people, injuring dozens more. working as a sport correspondent

means you simply don't see devastation like this. the number of people killed rose over time to 7a. the experience is a shocking and a harrowing insight into the painful realities of life in syria. what before had beenjust words about the conflict, war and bombings was now very real in my mind. i had come to syria to find out how football could possibly thrive and matter during a time of war. but right now, that question seemed more difficult to answer than ever. this is important. for my life, for us. tarek has devoted much of his life to syrian football. in this box are the medals that prove it. this is you, with

the ca ptain‘s armband 7 yes, number five. but that was before the war. now many players in the national team. butiam... you're their coach. you have gone from playing with them. today, the majority of the most talented players look to play abroad. there is a big difference, you understand, before six years, all syrian players in the national team were in syria. now we need players to play outside syria. to play inside, the level is not good for the future. look at that. this is for you and your group. that's so kind of you. thank you very much. tarek is preparing to say goodbye to his family and fly to malaysia. sanctions in the war mean this team must play its home games on neutral ground. a 14,000 kilometre round—trip awaits. the game against uzbekistan

is arguably the most important match in syria's history. there is political capital for the assad regime in the team's success. but i can't help but wonder if those forced to flee syria will be supporting the team, too. nearly 5 million people have sought refuge abroad from the syrian civil war. 80,000 of them are here in the zaatari camp in northernjordan. just a few kilometres

from the syrian border, it's a living, breathing testament to the human cost of war. mohammad al khalaf was a professional footballer with the syrian top—flight club al—majd. but when his brother was killed by a shell which hit their house, he, together with his family, escaped over the border to jordan. like many here, he is angry. mohammad is beginning to get his football career back on track. and still supports the national team. issam al masri is just 22 and

considered the best player in camp. the medals he has here are all from playing football inside zaatari. he was a young talent with professional side al—shouleh in the city of daraa. but in 2012, he fled with his family. like mohammad, he is trying to resurrect his career. he coaches the children here in the camp. he admits to me, like many, it's hard for him to talk openly. the guarded language used even here,

in the refugee camp, makes it clearjust how fearful people are of talking about politics. but still, like mohammad, issam supports the national side. life here in camp is tough, but the people here are safe, having escaped from the war. football is one of the central activities that kids get to enjoy. it's fun, it gives them a sense of purpose. but it also gives them something very precious, having escaped from the conflict —

a sense of a normal childhood. what's your favourite team 7 real madrid. what about england 7 an english team? manchester united. juventus. that's in italy. what about newcastle united? that's my team. show me your name? ronaldo. you are a mini ronaldo. who are your favourite syrian players7 al somah. why does everyone like al somah so much? i had wondered how much these children would know of syrian football. but clearly, the players are heroes. football matters because of the hope it can provide. even here, amongst those displaced

by civil war and who have lost loved ones to the regime, i got a strong sense of a love and pride for their country, that rises above politics, and endures, in spite of the suffering. it feels as if the country's football team provides people with a safe focus for those feelings. the historic malaysian resort town of malacca is the venue for syria's crucial match against uzbekistan. and it's nowjust days away. those members of the squad who travelled from syria have been joined by players earning much bigger money in the likes of china, kuwait and saudi arabia. the range of salaries is matched by the range of religions and backgrounds within the squad.

i catch up with omar again, and he introduces me to mardik mardikian, one of the few christians to play for the syrian side. of course, more controversial than religious differences are political ones. of course, more controversial than religious differences are political ones. the side has long been multi—faith. but for this important match, a first. firas al—khatib, one of the greatest syrian footballers of this generation, left syria and criticised the assad regime. as a result, he has not played for five years,

but he's returning to the squad for this match. beyond funding, the extent to which the assad government is involved in team affairs is unknown. the mix of faiths and now politics within the squad certainly sends a message that the regime wants heard. syria can come together, at least for football. but many former players haven't returned. before the war, mohammad al ibrahim represented syria 31 times. the conflict forced him to pursue his career abroad. he's been asked repeatedly to play again for the national team,

but so far has not, for what he describes as personal reasons. politics is probably not on the minds of the national team players, as they arrive at the stadium for their game against uzbekistan. right now, they are dealing with another p — pressure. with their past performances and all this talk of their success, expectation rises amongst theirfans. there are about 100 syria fans in the stadium. the country's footballing ambitions now rest on the shoulders of these 11 players. it's a close game.

at half—time, it's goalless. in a sports club in damascus, the tension is palpable. as fans watch the game head towards the final minutes. a win here is absolutely crucial to syria's world cup hopes. then, in the final minutes, returning star firas al khatib is fouled, and wins a penalty. omar kharbin scores. and syria have a famous victory. its meaning to those in damascus is clear. so, too, here in malaysia.

coach, lovely to meet you. good luck in south korea. this team operates under unique circumstances. they have a real belief they are playing for the syrian people. the achievements really do seem to transcend

both sport and politics. it demonstrates the power of sport, and how even amidst the horrors of a civil war that has ripped syria apart, it can matter so much to so many. after a very mild christmas pud or things are set to turn a little bit colder from boxing day, things are set to turn a little bit colderfrom boxing day, in fact. there is also the chance of waking up there is also the chance of waking up to some snow there is also the chance of waking up to some snow across there is also the chance of waking up to some snow across the southern appearance of scotland and the highlands andi appearance of scotland and the highlands and i think for all of us it will turn colder on boxing day. at the moment we still have south—westerly winds affecting the uk, a weather front approaching, very windy in the south, but the colder air is starting to tuck rack in again and the mild air that we have had on christmas day is being pushed away, so boxing day starts off cold and i see in places. some

snow further north in the highlands. in the south—west this weather front is swinging in off the atlantic, a wet day for plymouth and cardiff. i wa nt to wet day for plymouth and cardiff. i want to point out what happens with this weather front as it slides across the uk during the course of the evening on boxing day. there will be some snow over the hills of wales and possibly the pennines and peak district. i don't think there will be any snow in birmingham necessarily, but we are going to see at least some sleet in several towns and cities. heading into wednesday, the mild air is pushed away and we're well and truly in the colder air mass, compared to what we've had. it is not necessarily desperately cold arctic air. first thing in the morning, a little bit of wintriness around the east

midlands and maybe the south—east. but that low pressure moves away and overall wednesday is looking bright and cold after a frosty start for many northern and western areas. then on thursday, we're in between weather systems. the first one moves out into scandinavia and another one is knocking on our doorstep, but we're in between the weather systems here in that colder air stream. once again on thursday waking up to eight chilly start. there will be lots of crisp sunshine around for many of us as well. maybe there is rain later in the day on the tip of cornwall. moving into friday, as we approach the weekend, very different story, low pressure is lining up in the atlantic, being pushed by an increasingly strong jet stream, which means the weather is becoming more turbulence and the milder air returns, temperatures back into

double figures. on saturday there might be brief windows of writer weather but it will be very gusty. on new year's eve, sunday, we're still in that mild atlantic air and with it, a strong rush of wind as well, the risk of gale force winds for some of us as well. the schematic depicts what the start of 2018 is going to look at, with low pressure very close to the uk with a powerful jet stream, and pressure very close to the uk with a powerfuljet stream, and that can only mean one of two things — it certainly means unsettled, windy weather and at times spells of rain. suba weather and at times spells of rain. sub a very mild at the moment, briefly colder on boxing day and then towards 2018, milder again. this is bbc news. the headlines at 10: the queen has used her christmas message to pay tribute to survivors

of the manchester terrorist attack. she recalled meeting some of them in hospital. i describe that hospital visit as a privilege, because the patients i met were an example to us all, showing extraordinary bravery and resilience. meghan markle has made her first public appearance with the royal family in sandringham for a christmas service. the archbishop of canterbury in his christmas sermon lamented what he called "tyrannical leaders deceiving their people." and in rome, pope francis calls for a negotiated solution to end the conflict between israel and the palestinians. euston station in london opened as a shelter today to serve