they really do it well, don't they? syd ney they really do it well, don't they? sydney welcomes in 2018. you saw there the rainbow themed fireworks to celebrate the passing of the country's same—sex marriage laws. about 1.5 million people, it is estimated, gathered in sydney to watch this display. tonnes of fireworks involved. australia welcomes in 2018 in its usual style. the headlines now on bbc news, a little after one. six people have been killed after a seaplane crashed into a river north of sydney — it's thought four of the victims may be british. the plane has hit the water and subsequently song. it is sitting in 13 metres of water. after three days of political protests —

iran's revolutionary guards warn demonstrators they face the "iron fist" of the state. thousands of rail travellers face disruption as workers from two train companies stage 24—hour strikes. good afternoon and welcome to bbc news. a seaplane has crashed into a river near sydney, killing all six people on board. media reports say four of the victims were british, although this has not been confirmed. the plane went down in the hawkesbury river close to the suburb of cowan. the single—engine aircraft belonged to the well—known tourism company sydney seaplanes. police say it was on a sightseeing flight ahead of new year celebrations at sydney harbour. the bodies of five passengers and the pilot have been recovered from the wreckage.

unconfirmed reports say an 11—year—old boy is among those killed. officers say they don't yet know why the plane went down. for reasons that are not known at this stage, the plane had hit the water, and it has subsequently sunk. it is sitting in approximately 13 metres of water. at the time of the collision, the plane had a pilot and five passengers on board. i can confirm the six people on the plane are deceased. i do not have details, or cannot confirm, the identity or ages of the people on the plane. it is early in the investigation, and we are working with the plane company, bringing investigators here to confirm the identities, and investigate why the plane crashed into the water. we're joined now by our correspondent

phil mercer in sydney. since that police news conference a couple of hours ago, any further updates on what they think caused this crash? we won't know really until first this crash? we won't know really untilfirst light this crash? we won't know really until first light on new year's day. the new year has been heralded in syd ney the new year has been heralded in sydney are by by that glittering fireworks display butjust a short distance to the north investigators will begin the grisly task of trying to piece together how and why a routine sightseeing flight from a waterfront restaurant could have endedin waterfront restaurant could have ended in such a catastrophic way. we know that eyewitnesses say that the plane shortly after ta ke—off know that eyewitnesses say that the plane shortly after take—off took a sharp right turn and suddenly nosedived into the water. a

full—scale search was soon underway. as we heard from police, there were no survivors on board. five passengers and one pilot. the police saying that in the morning the full investigation will begin to try and find out exactly what caused this tragedy. can you tell is any more about reports that four of the passengers may be british? the police say that they won't be speculating on the age, identity or possible that nationality of those on board. the plane was owned by syd ney on board. the plane was owned by sydney seaplanes, operating for many yea rs sydney seaplanes, operating for many years ferrying sightseers around syd ney‘s years ferrying sightseers around sydney's landmarks and the hawkesbury river region which is nestled among a national park and wilderness area. the company said that its pilots were some of the

most experienced in the world and the company also saying that for now all of its services will be suspended. so that full—scale investigation by the transport safety bureau will begin in the morning and the job safety bureau will begin in the morning and thejob of safety bureau will begin in the morning and the job of that investigating team is to piece together exactly what caused this tragedy that has cost the lives of six people. thank you for that. phil mercer in sydney. criminal gangs who claim benefits under a false identity are to be targeted by the government using artificial intelligence. the department for work and pensions says it will use sophisticated computer programming to identify organised attacks. ian palmer reports job centre plus staff identify suspicious benefit fraud in individuals but it's much harder to notice odd patterns of behaviour across thousands of benefit applications, an indication of organised criminal activity. 0ften, gangs making repeated applications using fake identities tend to leave traces such as using the same phrase

when stating what they've done to try and find work. by monitoring thousands of applications using artificial intelligence, it should be easier to detect organised benefit fraud. what we will be able to do using ai is identify some of those networks, for example, see patterns of behaviour like shared addresses or the same telephone numbers being used. they will be able to identify that more easily in a way that will enable us to stop that from happening and protect taxpayers' money. the artificial intelligence software has been developed by the department for work and pensions. the idea has been put through a series of trials. the dwp says the computer programme will be slowly rolled out across the country. introducing the technology is an attempt to recoup more of the £3 billion paid by mistake or fraudulently claimed each year. the changes will affect people

who claim universal credit, jobseeker‘s allowance and personal independence payments. ian palmer, bbc news. demonstrators in iran have been warned they'll face the nation's "iron fist" if the political unrest there continues. the revolutionary guards issued the ultimatum after days of protests intensified. on saturday two people were reported to have been shot dead in the city of dorud. the government blamed foreign agents for their deaths. the protests — which began over living standards and rising food prices — have spread to several major cities, including tehran. jon ironmonger reports. a crack of gunshots as panic ripples through a crowd in the western city dorud. later, a wounded man is carried through the streets. it is reported a number of people have been killed following an escalation of violence and three days of unrest. late into the night, demonstrators attacked targets

with links to the government and the ruling clerical elite. in karamabad, the governor's office was burned. in the northern city of mashhad, police motorbikes were set alight while crowds taunted the security services. what started as a provincial process about rocketing prices has become deeply political and moved to the capital tehran, where officers were pelted with stones near the main university. riot police were used to quell the disturbance. this video shows a baby being taken to hospital, apparently suffering from the effects of tear gas. videos shared on social media are helping to fuel the protest. it is thought the iranian authorities have reacted by cutting access to the internet in many cities, especially to mobile phones.

iranian officials have vowed on state tv to double their efforts to resolve the economic problems and ploughed ahead with commemorative pro—government rallies on saturday. but further protests are expected over the coming days and experts say opposing the islamic republic will be a colossal challenge. do not underestimate the repressive capability of the revolutionary guards, the resiliency of the islamic republic. this regime is well institutionalised in iran and can deal with protest movement such as the one that we have witnessed in the past few days. iran's ultraconservative regime is facing its biggest threat in nearly a decade, but what lengths will it go to to survive? the headlines on bbc news — police confirmed six people have

been killed after a seaplane crashed into a river north of sydney. there are reports that four of the victim hymns may be british. criminal gangs who claim benefits underfalse identities are to be targeted by the government using artificial intelligence. after three days of political protests — iran's revolutionary guards warn demonstrators they face the nation's ‘iron fist‘. sport now and for a full roundup, from the bbc sport centre. here's katherine downes. manchester city are aiming to break yet more records today — not only can they go 16 points clear at the top of the premier league if they beat crystal palace this lunchtime, they can equal pep guardiola's record with bayern munich of 19 consecutive victories. the first half was marred by injuries to palace's scott dann and city's gabrieljesus who left the

field in tears. his replacement sergio aguero has had the best moment with this shot. it is still goalless. we will keep you updated. the day's other premier league game sees arsenal travel to struggling west brom. nottingham forest have sacked their manager mark warburton. it follows forest's 1—0 defeat to sunderland yesterday, their fifth defeat in seven games. forest are currently 14th in the championship table. it's understood director of football frank mcparland has also been sacked. gary brazil is to take over as caretaker manager while forest look to appoint a replacement. england's cricketers have arrived in sydney ahead of the fifth and final ashes test which begins in four days' time. england wicketkeeper jonny bairstow has given his backing to all—rounder moeen ali saying he remains in their best 11. moeen has only taken three wickets and averaged 19 runs with the bat this series but bairstow says he still has a lot to bring to the team. i think it's unquestionable to even think that he's not in the best 11.

he wouldn't have played the first four test matches if he wasn't. not many finger spinners come to australia and bowl teams out. it's very important to get behind him. he can take the game away from you. staying with cricket and ben stokes won't be flying out to australia with england's one day squad — as he continues to await news of any possible charges against him from the crown prosecution service following an incident outside a bristol nightclub in september. stokes was named in the squad for the matches which begin after the fifth and final test match in sydney but it's now thought highly unlikely he will be involved in the series. dawid malan will replace stokes in the squad. world heavyweight boxing champion anthonyjoshua has told the bbc that a deal to fight wbo champion joshua parker in the new year is nearly done. parker has been holding out for a bigger share of the fight‘s purse — believe to be around 30 to 35%. joshua is also targetting deontay wilder's wbc title to hold all five belts has never

been done before. i won't let negotiations get in the way of securing my legacy and what i want to achieve in the sport. we are 95% of the way towards competing with joseph parker. britain's number one johanna konta starts her new season and preparations for january's australian open with a first match at the brisbane invitational tomorrow. she faces the american madison keys and it'll mark konta's first match with new coach michaeljoyce, who used to work with maria sharapova. konta parted company with her previous coach wim fissette in october after a poor run of form. it's been really good so far. we put ina good it's been really good so far. we put in a good season together, working together for about a month. in a good season together, working togetherfor about a month. not in a good season together, working together for about a month. not that long. it's our first tournament together and were excited to get the

season started and to try and get better. swansea's kyle naughton and manchester united's ashley young have been charged with violent conduct following incidents in the match between them and southampton yesterday. that's all the sport for now. there'll be more sport through the afternoon here on bbc news. political leaders have been reflecting on the past 12 months in their new year's messages, with theresa may calling 2017 a "year of progress" for the uk. the labour leaderjeremy corbyn said the hope of a new britain is closer than ever. with more here's our political correspondent, emma va rdy. after a political year dominated by brexit, it's no surprise the subject played a key part in theresa may's new year's message. she said the government has pursued our brexit objectives with steady purpose and progress will continue in 2018 as the talks move on to trade. but not for the first time, theresa may made clear she wants

to be more than madame brexit. making success of brexit is crucial but it will not be the limit of our ambitions. we also have to carry on making a difference here and now on the issues that matter to people's daily lives. that means building an economy fit for the future and taking a balanced approach to government spending. so we get our debt falling but can also invest in the things that matter — our schools, our police and our precious nhs. theresa may says next year will continue the fight against all forms of extremism and she believes 2018 can be a year of renewed pride in our country. meanwhile, the tone ofjeremy corbyn's address was rather different. he said we are being held back by a self—serving elite and pointed to the gains labour made at the general election, saying this was a year when people said, "no more." the old political consensus is finished. we are staking out the new centre

ground in british politics, backing the things that most people want but are blocked by vested interests. we are a government in waiting while the conservatives are weak, divided and stuck in an outdated rut with no new ideas. the hope of a new britain, which runs in the interests of the many, not the few, is closer than ever before. the new year messages brought to a close what has been politically a dramatic 12 months. emma vardy, bbc news. thousands of rail travellers face disruption to theirjourneys today as workers from two train companies stage 24—hour strikes. members of the rmt union on south western railway and crosscountry are taking action in disputes involving the role of guards, and rosters and sunday working. let's catch up with the very latest from london's easiest station

waterloo. you've been doing hourly checks on how things are shaping up. britain is up—to—date. trains are running from here to places like berkshire, surrey, and hampshire but there are also posters up in that station behind me warning of disruption, reduced services, and they are expecting it to be particularly busy this evening because, of course, new year's eve which means you may know what you are doing but do you know how you are doing but do you know how you are getting there and back? if you are getting there and back? if you are using the station, according to south western railway, they are going to be running a reduced service on most lines and are expecting a quarter of trains not to run. three quarters of trains will be running. not just run. three quarters of trains will be running. notjust disruption because of strikes. it is also

happening on the cross—country network. that means that services between edinburgh and newcastle are limited. as for between aberdeen and glasgow, not running at all. check for updates. if strike action is expected and to continue into the new year, it is over the role over guards on trains. the rmt union members striking belief that driver only trains are unsafe but the government says this is just going to cause misery for passengers on new year's eve. thank you very much for that update from waterloo. technology is giving his stories a new insight into ancient egypt. scanning techniques show what is written on the papyrus that a sarcophagus case is made from. our

science correspondent has this exclusive report. the hieroglyphics found in the tombs of the pharaohs show the lives of the ancient egyptians, but the paintings are what the rich and powerful wanted the people to know. they are the propaganda of their time. but now there's a wealth of information about ordinary people being discovered using a new scientific technique. with a specially—modified camera, researcher cerys jones takes photos of a mummy‘s case at chiddingstone castle in kent. you can't see anything with the naked eye, but using infrared, a name is revealed, irethoreru. a common name in ancient egypt. it is a stephen or david of its time. it is amazing. everyone in the room gasped and people jumped up and ran for the computer, because in that one image, you could read it. these scraps of papyrus are more than 2,000 years old. they were recycled to make the breastplate that covered a mummified body. the writing is obscured

by the plaster and paste that hold them together, but researchers can see what lies beneath by scanning them with different kinds of light which makes the inks glow. these now constitute one of the best libraries we have of waste papyrus that otherwise would have been thrown away, so it includes things like tax receipts, and everyday information that we would nowadays throw away. back then, they would have thrown it away, but fortunately it was recycled into these objects. our knowledge of ancient egypt is through the eyes of pharaohs and the very wealthy who were buried with their possessions, but this new imaging technique is enabling researchers to find out about the lives of ordinary egyptians. until now, the only way to see what was written on the papyrus was to destroy these masks, leaving egyptologists with a dilemma. do they destroy these precious objects or do they keep them untouched, leaving the stories within them untold ? i am really horrified when i see objects like these papyri cartonnage being destroyed in order to get at the text inside. they are finite resources and we now

have the technology to both preserve those beautiful, precious objects that tell us about ways of dying, but also looking inside them in order to understand the ways that the egyptians lived. there are hundreds of cases and masks that can be scanned, each one telling its own individual story of everyday life in ancient egypt. pallab ghosh, bbc news. source: reuters location: sydney date/time: 1jan 2018 restrictions/credits: > (tx float) >nye harbour fireworks sydney green rover/ locations / central london / w1 newsg / bbc newswire / best pix let's ta ke let's take this opportunity to look back again at those spectacular fireworks in sydney as australia welcomed in 2018 just under half an hour ago. they really know how to do it well, don't they? an estimated 1.5 million

spectators around the sydney harbour area watching tonnes of fireworks involved in this amazing display. setting the bar high for other new year celebrations. as we look ahead to firework displays here, i wonder how the weather is shaping up? darren bennett can tell us. hello. if you are planning on seeing in the new year out and about, prepare for some showers. at least storm dylan will be out of the way. still windy in central scotland. some sunshine around over the next couple of hours. also some showers. frequent

in western areas, driving into the midlands. they could be held in london. squally winds for a time in the south—west. some clearer spells. it may well be dry as the clock struck midnight in eastern