this is bbc news. i'm sean ley. the headlines at 11pm: a gunman has opened fire on a christmas market in strasbourg in france. reports say at least two people have died and several others are injured. it's thought that the suspect is engaged in a shoot—out with police. he isa he is a tourist from thailand, in his 30s, accompanied by his girlfriend or his wife. other than that, i can't tell you, he is a p pa re ntly that, i can't tell you, he is apparently a foreigner, a tourist, who came to see the christmas market. theresa may is on a rapid tour of european capitals, including brussels, where she's meeting leaders and officials to ask for more assurances on her brexit deal. what has been shown to me from those meetings is that there is a shared determination to deal with this issue and address this problem. also this hour: uk coastguards pick up six more migrants claiming to be iranian, as they cross

the english channel. the dinghy was spotted in the early hours of this morning. more than 100 other people making the same journey have been detained in the last month. manchester city manager pep guardiola has hailed raheem sterling as an incredible human being for confronting racism in football, after the player was allegedly racially abused during city's premier league match on saturday. and at 11:30pm, we'll be taking an in—depth look at the papers polly mckenzie and tim montgomerie willjoin us for the papers. stay with us for that. hello. good evening. welcome to bbc news. four people have died and several people have been injured —— two people have died and several people have been injured in a shooting near a christmas market in the french

city of strasbourg. these are the latest pictures we have. the shooting is said to have happened close to a christmas market in one of the central squares. the entire city centre is in lockdown and it has been for three hours at least. one source is reporting that as many as four people have been killed. the french interior ministry confirmed a serious public security incident and urged residents to stay indoors. residents have been urged to stay indoors and, if possible, evacuate the city centre. the gunman has been on the run since the shooting at around 7pm uk time, 8pm local time, and it is alleged shots have been fired and police have cornered him. he isa fired and police have cornered him. he is a 29—year—old man, and his residents has been searched by police earlier today in connection with the robbery. lucy williamson reports. france tonight relived the terror of another attack. in the narrow streets around strasbourg's christmas market, riot police hunted a gunman who opened fire on the crowds here. his gunshots initially mistaken by one witness for fireworks. screaming

this footage shows the moment one of the victims was shot amid the chaos and panic of christmas revellers. pater fritz witnessed one of the attacks. well, what i heard shortly after 8pm, i should say, were two distinct gunshots and people fleeing the place. now, i wasn't sure these were actually gunshots, and i went around the corner and ifound a person with, apparently, two shots into the head lying on the bridge here. we tried to engage in resuscitation activities. we took him into a restaurant, which i'm in right now, and we tried for 45 minutes to resuscitate him. the gunman is reportedly known to security services and is now on the run. police say he's been injured after an exchange of fire. the french government has told people to stay where they are. lawmakers and staff have been locked into the european parliament, just 15 minutes away from the scene. yes, our situation is exceptional. we cannot leave the building...

well, with streets are empty, you know, people have been asked to vacate the streets, to stay inside. any hotels and restaurants, the doors are locked, keeping people inside. and indeed in the european parliament itself. the president of the european commission said tonight that strasbourg is a symbolic city of peace and democracy, values he said that we will always defend. lucy williamson, bbc news, paris. well, as we continue to look at pictures around the market, you can see the christmas market sign flashing in the leftjust above the flashing in the leftjust above the flashing lights of the police cars, let's hear from zoe dingwall, flashing lights of the police cars, let's hearfrom zoe dingwall, in the centre of strasbourg. you were not expecting to spend your evening stuck indoors. absolutely not, it is a shock to everyone that here, you know. this time of year, particularly, its quite disconcerting. z, particularly, its quite disconcerting. 2, what did you see

oi’ disconcerting. 2, what did you see or hear, if anything, about the time the shooting was taking place, which we are told would have been about 8pm your time we are told would have been about 8pm yourtime —— we are told would have been about 8pm your time —— zoe. we are told would have been about 8pm your time -- zoe. yes, we had just left the parliament for our christmas dinner, we're breaking up for the christmas holidays, and we stopped at traffic lights and then we realised that there is a bit of a problem, we got out of the taxi and we found that we had basically wandered through the zone that everything had kicked off, basically. so, yes. so what sort of time or our being, do you think? about 8pm, 8:15pm. so very soon after the shooting began and already the police were trying to kind of clear the streets? well, it was already sealed off, i believe. they we re already sealed off, i believe. they were quite strict security since 2016, there was an attempted terrorist attack in 2016, so security was tight as it was.|j believe security was tight as it was.” believe you are having the

parliament sitting this week in strasbourg, that began at the tempo on security. absolutely, yep. we have a few meps with us here at the moment and we're just waiting to get the all clear to go home to our hotels, but it doesn't look like that i will happen any time soon. hotels, but it doesn't look like that i will happen any time soonm looks like you will be there for some time. i hope there is room service or bar or something. have you been able to see something from the windows outside because you have presumably all gone upstairs to not be vulnerable for someone shooting at street level? yes, we've been told to stay away from windows and such like. the only images we have seen is what has filtered through on the media, on twitter was the first for the news to break, then shortly after bbc and sky. for everyone who knows you, you're safe and well, you're very relaxed about it even though you're disappointed you missed your dinner, and hoping that you won't be spending all night in there. hopefully not, fingers crossed, and, yeah, ports with eve ryo ne crossed, and, yeah, ports with everyone that's obviously suffered really. -- thoughts. . indeed we

we re really. -- thoughts. . indeed we were hearing earlier on the channel from one of those who attempted u nsuccessfully from one of those who attempted unsuccessfully to resuscitate a man who we believe was a thai tourist who we believe was a thai tourist who appears to be one of the victims of the shooting. zoe dingwall, thank you very much for being with us and telling us the situation there in strasbourg. we will of course bring you more on that story during the course of the next hour on bbc news and newsday begins at midnight. those are the scenes just outside the strasbourg christmas market this evening, which is in lockdown, the whole of the city centre is in lockdown, as police attempt to deal with the gunman who killed at least two people and has injured a number of others in a shooting in the french city in the east of france, just after 7pm this evening uk time. the prime minister has spent the day on a rapid tour of some eu capitals, talking to fellow leaders in the hope of making her brexit deal more acceptable to mps at westminster. the president of the european commission said there was no prospect of renegotiating the deal, but mrs may insisted

there was a shared determination to address the concerns. at westminster tonight, there's a growing sense that mrs may will soon face a vote of no confidence among conservative mps. our political editor laura kuenssberg reports. the prime minister actually stuck in a car in berlin, and stuck by the politics, too. stuck with a brexit compromise with the eu that she can't sell at home, stuck trying to get other leaders to give her more space when they've given all they say they've got. theresa may's desperately doing one more round of grip and grin in the hope of getting them to budge. whatever outcome you want, whatever relationship you want with europe in the future, there's no deal available that doesn't have a backstop within it. but we don't want the backstop to be used, and if it is, we want to be certain that it is only temporary.

and it's those assurances that i will be seeking from fellow leaders over the coming days. and as for genuine budging on that controversial backstop? the prime minister and her eu counterparts can play as nice as they like, but while they might want to help, the eu has made it clear time and again they believe, for now at least, they've given all they've got. there is no room whatsoever for renegotiation. but of course, there is room, if used intelligibly, there is room enough to give further clarification. but few in westminster are talking about any concessions the prime minister might win. instead, there are serious conversations about whether she can keep herjob. several sources, including a cabinet minister, have told us they believe that the threshold of 48 letters required to trigger a contest that could oust her has been reached. the mood has darkened, but there's no official confirmation. tonight, we just can't be sure.

theresa may can only lead us to failure, and therefore, with great sadness, people need to put their letters of no—confidence in her to sir graham brady and we need to change prime minister. there seems to be a certain interest in today's proceedings. but remember, we've been here before — not even a month ago. stop brexit! a group of brexiteers brandishing their letters of no—confidence, publicly calling for a contest to replace mrs may. it was a manifesto commitment in a general election... their effort then ended in embarrassment. they simply did not have the numbers to trigger a vote. has anything really changed? triggering a leadership election now would look to the country as though we are abdicating our responsibilities rather than fulfilling them. but the prime minister can't escape the glare. there's widespread concern that she's lost many of the political friends that she had. even if you forget about her rivals, the dup — her partners in government — are essentially on strike.

we have to wait and see and give her the time that she's asked for, but she does need to bring back something that's fundamentally different and notjust tinkered with around the edges. one man knows whether tinkering could force a dramatic change. sir graham brady will reveal if and when theresa may's time's up. the chair of the tory backbenchers is likely to be here in number ten tomorrow. but right now, he and only he knows what he'll have to say. laura kuenssberg. live to westminster and our political correspondent ben wright. ben, what is your reading of the situation tonight? it has changed in the last couple of hours since you andi the last couple of hours since you and i last spoke? yeah, we know one letter has gone in, eleanor patterson, former environment secretary, a keen leading brexit ie littered with the course that brexit has gone and the deal that theresa

may has signed up to with the eu —— owen paterson. he has put in his letter which has been published in the daily telegraph tomorrow, saying we can't trust her any more because of the way she conducted herself through the brexit negotiations, so there is one more we know has been added to the tally, but the rest i'm afraid it speculation. we don't know. as laura said, the only person who does is sir graham brady, and we are expecting him to meet with the prime minister after prime minister's questions tomorrow. it could be routine, could be something not more. we have to wait. what about the sense among tory mps of the prospect, having delayed the vote that was due to take place tonight, that there will be some kind of change. is there much confident that mrs may, after a process she suggested could take days or weeks, that she can come back with something concrete enough to win over those who, at the moment, would have voted no, had they been given the opportunity to

night? it is a good question. i don't think so. i was watching quite a large chunk of the debate today that was hard on the fact that there wasn't a debate on the withdrawal agreement, and that the vote had been pulled. totally surreal situation. and, yes, there were a handful of tory mps who were saying at least wait to see what the prime minister gets, see what she comes back with, don't write this. but, as laura said, very few mps are talking about her visit to eu capitals. it was as if it didn't matter in the slightest. i think prospects of it achieving anything had been written off before it went, primarily because eu leaders have made it quite clear that the withdrawal deal itself, the legally binding part of this agreement, is nailed down, not going to be reopened. and while there is some thinking in westminster that the prime minister may get some tweaks to the political declaration, perhaps try and insert extra backstops, sorry to use the word, for parliament, when it comes

to the operation of the northern ireland backstop, i don't get a sense that's going to change any minds whatsoever, not the opposition parties, it is not going to at all appeased the brexiteers, who are furious and determined to vote down i think whatever she comes back with. so i don't think it is moving to dial or the conversation today, which has been certainly outside the chamber, theresa may's future and what on earth can this paralysed parliament do next to try and resolve this great brexit conundrum thatis resolve this great brexit conundrum that is grappling with? ben wright at westminster, thanks very much. and you can keep up on what's happening as it develops, the latest loa ns, happening as it develops, the latest loans, the very latest lines, from the bbc website, bbcnews.co.uk, which has all of the latest information and background there — you can see the latest from laura kuenssberg, our political editor, and correspondents in europe and

around the world and we will hear from our correspondent in a few moments' time. now, let me bring you some other news. the convicted paedophile russell bishop, who was found guilty yesterday of killing two schoolgirls in 1986, has been sentenced to life in prison. bishop, who's 52 years old, killed nicola fellows and karen hadaway in brighton. he was cleared of their murders in 1987, but a dna breakthrough led to a new trial. the headlines on bbc news: a gunman has opened fire on a christmas market in strasbourg in france. at least two people have died and several others are injured. theresa may is on a rapid tour of european capitals, including brussels, where she is meeting leaders and officials to ask for more assurances on her brexit deal. uk coastguards pick up six more migrants, claiming to be iranian, as they crossed the english channel. 100 other people making the same journey have been detained in the last month. let's return to our top story.

at least two people have been shot dead and several more injured near a christmas market in the french city of strasbourg. this is the scene, you can see a lot of police vehicles. that is because the city centre is still shut down, and police are attempting to capture the gunmen. let's talk to our europe correspondent, gavin lee. you have been monitoring the situation. what is the latest we have from authorities? well, four hours on the attack was first carried out, and initial round of gunfire around 8pm local time around the christmas markets in strasbourg, it lasted for around ten minutes or so. there were

people who. .. around ten minutes or so. there were people who... eyewitnesses say around ten minutes or so. there were people who. .. eyewitnesses say they we re people who. .. eyewitnesses say they were up to a dozen shots fired on three different streets in this ten minute period. well, since then we are told that the gunman has gone into hiding, the authorities confirming they are still searching for this man. as of ten minutes ago, the latest update from the local authorities in strasbourg and the interior ministry, as well. now, to give you a picture of the events that have developed over the course of the last four hours, 80 evening the interior ministry have confirmed that one individual was armed. he crossed a bridge into the christmas markets, and just on a street outside started to fire into the street. there are right now, according to the authorities, two people dead, six people in a critical condition, another six people who have minor injuries and treated in hospital. now, because of the difficulties with the way the christmas markets are laid out in strasbourg, it is the oldest christmas markets in france, they call it the grand ille because it is

ha rd to call it the grand ille because it is hard to reach, a series of bridges leading to it. some of those people are being treated in the main square, and that has been going on, a sort of triage system, for about half an hour or a sort of triage system, for about halfan hourorso, a sort of triage system, for about half an hour or so, we are told. meantime there are people, thousands of people across the old town of strasbourg told to stay inside cafes and restaurants, the places on lockdown, stay away from windows, given the ongoing man—hunt for this alleged... what we think is a terrorist attack, because the man who been identified as a 29—year—old individual who was born in strasbourg and on what they call an strasbourg and on what they call an s list, a terrorist watch list which hundreds of thousands are being monitored on this list, said to have been radicalised individual. a bit more information we have got about him, as well, is that there are reports from police sources, we are hearing, that there was a raid in strasbourg this morning on his property, it is no confirmation as to what the rate was in connection

with, but that the man wasn't at the address this morning. so that gives it, i think, address this morning. so that gives it, ithink, a bit more address this morning. so that gives it, i think, a bit more of a clearer picture of the run—up to this shooting tonight. it is understandable, then, why the authorities were taking it so seriously. one of the things that perhaps was less clear when we were reporting is a few hours ago, one source saying he couldn't understand why no ambulance had come to help all of the dying, and he was one of those who had dragged people inside the train resuscitate them, in the end, he said apparently they spent 45 minute trying to keep him alive, and in the end they had a doctor on the phone giving them advice. it was of course because of the risk to the emergency services if they sent in ambulances or other emergency teams, the unarmed ones, that they might themselves have been targets of the gunman. yes, i mean, that was a really stunningly heartbreaking sort of story to hear, wasn't it, on the bbc a short while ago. what we believed to have happened from other eyewitnesses is the man within this restau ra nt eyewitnesses is the man within this restaurant had briefly left the restau ra nt, restaurant had briefly left the restaurant, he was shot in the head,

and peter fritz, who was the gentleman who called the bbc, tried to resuscitate him. he died in his arms, and as of half an hour ago, the police and the authority still haven't managed to take the body from the restaurant, and the man's wife is still in a restaurant, and peter were saying that she needed psychological support, and they wa nted psychological support, and they wanted to know if they could get the body to the police. that may explain why french media are reporting two deaths, as police are reporting at the moment, but they are reporting four people have been killed, given the situation and how difficult it is to move around. the focus at the moment, and there were reports of exchange of gunfire in this particular area, but an area just south of the christmas markets, a suburb of strasbourg close to the european parliament, where 700 members are currently locked inside at the moment, told to stay away from windows like those in the restau ra nt from windows like those in the restaurant and in the centre, but thatis restaurant and in the centre, but that is where the raid is said to have happened this morning, and also where the focus of the police man—hunt is at the moment. there was

a particular park there, quite a big area. there are police, the raid, anti— terror unit there, there is the sentinel force, the anti— terror military force as well, torchlight, helicopters above this park right now, and that appears to be the main focus of the man—hunt. now, and that appears to be the main focus of the man-hunt. thank you very much. six people claiming to be migrants from iran were rescued from a small boat in the english channel near the kent coast in the early hours of this morning. more than 100 migrants, most of them thought to be iranian, have crossed the channel in november. the dover—calais route is the world's busiest shipping lane, and the british authorities are warning of the dangers of trying to cross it in small vessels. our correspondent colin campbell has this exclusive report. emerging from the darkness, an inflatable dinghy. it is 2:00am. we're the middle of

the english channel. the dinghy is motoring at full speed from france towards the kent coast. are you ok? 0k? ok, thank you. we get a thumbs—up. however, the boat is dangerously overcrowded, taking on water, the six migrants cold, scared, desperate, but determined to get to the uk. this dinghy in a precarious position. it is vulnerable because it is now entering a shipping lane, and there are a number of ships coming towards it. so we're shepherding it almost, i think, at the moment, so it remains in a safe position. we're on board a doverfishing boat. this is the third migrant rescue for skipper matthew coker in three months. there was five ships coming down in one lump. and it cut across in front of them, and i don't know — if we hadn't have been with him, them ships wouldn't have gone round him. because i'm onlyjust picking him up, so i don't think they would have seen him.

as you can see, there's no lights on the boat at all. the migrants, who are wrapped in blankets and scarves, speak little english. where are you from? you're iranian? iran, iran, irani. the water at the moment appears to be going into the back of the dinghy. but they're continuing, they're not stopping, they don't want our help. it is a desperate race to try to get to the uk for these people. although they decline our offers of help, they do stop to ask for water, which i lower down to them in a net. thank you. in the last three months, more than 100 migrants have made this treacherous crossing. a fortnight ago, we exposed how some of the smuggling operations are being planned from a makeshift migrant camp in dunkirk. we secretly filmed using an undercover researcher. translation: a boat, it will cost you £3,000—4,000. i'm taking three people with me. they're paying cash. we take a boat, and off we go.

last night, the weather and sea conditions in the channel were good, but in a small boat in the dark, it is still incredibly dangerous. the message is going back to the camps, or to the people on the other side, to the gangs, that it's working. so more are going to come, and i'm certain they will keep coming until there's an absolute tragedy. these migrants were safely rescued by the rnli and the border force, but it is a potentially deadly route that more and more are trying. despite winter, despite the risks, the migrants keep coming. colin campbell, bbc news, dover. time magazine's person of the year award has been given to a group ofjournalists it describes as the guardians, who have been killed or persecuted in 2018. they include the saudi writerjamal khashoggi, who was murdered at the saudi consulate in istanbul in october. employees of capital gazette, the us newspaper where five people were killed in a mass shooting injune, are also featured. the wives of two reuters journalists imprisoned in myanmar for investigating the massacre of rohingya muslims are also on one of the covers, and maria ressa, an editor of a philippine news website critical of president duterte, was also named. scientists are warning that newly

discovered melting in glaciers in east antarctica could cause significant rises in sea levels around the globe. the region around vincennes bay has long been considered stable, and unaffected by some of the more dramatic changes occurring elsewhere on the continent. our science editor david shukman sent this report from the un climate conference taking place in poland. a great chunk of ice breaks into the ocean. antarctica holds so much frozen water that, if all of it melted, the level of the sea would rise by as much as 70 metres. that is why nasa and other teams are keeping a very close watch. back in 2004, ijoined a research flight over west antarctica, where the glaciers, the great streams of ice, have for years been a big concern.

but now, nasa has studied satellite data and discovered that there is also melting in east antarctica. this is a much larger mass of ice. the red areas show where the ice is shrinking, blue where it is growing. the glaciers here are showing signs of stirring. we've known for some time that parts of antarctica are losing ice into the ocean, causing sea level rise. nasa has now reported that another eight glaciers in a different part of antarctica are also losing ice. this is an effect of the oceans changing their temperature and taking warm water to the antarctic ice sheet and causing it to melt. this matters for cities around the world. every extra bit of melting threatens the millions of people who live on coastlines. and that threat is now getting global attention. the future of the polar ice is being discussed here at the united nations climate conference in poland. the point of these talks

is to try to prevent the increase in temperatures, to head off the rise of the oceans. and this new research shows why that matters. i think that it goes with the trend that climate change is becoming a more material issue that we have to respond to. we're not just looking at science into the future. we're thinking about issues that are affecting us now. and we have to be much more live and contemporary, and push harder with our decision—making. the ice in antarctica and the arctic might seem very remote, but it has the potential to cause serious damage as the world gets warmer. let us bring you the latest pictures we have from downing street, an important indication that things are taking something of a turn this evening, and i should warn you that there are flashing camera lights on

this, if that affects you need to know that, because of course it is very dark. just coming out by the christmas tree, a man of great significance in the government. julian smith is the government chief whip, he has reportedly been inside number ten talking to the prime minister this evening. julian smith would have advised her she wasn't going to win that vote which was pulled this evening. as the chief whip he will have been discussing the stories and speculation there has been this evening about the potential risk to mrs meir‘s leadership if, as has been alleged, it is only alleged at this stage, 48 letters have been submitted to the chairman of the committee, which would automatically trigger a leadership contest. i should point out also that there are various stories appearing to the contrary as well —— mrs may. we will know only for certain tomorrow, but we will ta ke for certain tomorrow, but we will take a look at what the papers are saying tomorrow. with our reviewers, polly mackenzie, who is the director of the think tank demos, and tim montgomerie, a conservative commentator

and journalist. he has been in contact with his sources this evening, he can tell us what the latest is as he is seeing it. now it is time for the weather, with nick miller. hello. we are closer to knowing what sort of weather will prevail across the uk in the run—up to christmas. now, the pattern doesn't look like it's going to be the one we have at the moment, with weatherfronts it's going to be the one we have at the moment, with weather fronts from the moment, with weather fronts from the atlantic being blocked from coming in by building blocking high pressure in scandinavia. and as i show you the jet stream, and really light, thejet show you the jet stream, and really light, the jet stream, show you the jet stream, and really light, thejet stream, you show you the jet stream, and really light, the jet stream, you will find few better exa m ples light, the jet stream, you will find few better examples of a bifurcated or splitting jetstream. one arm goes north, one arm go south, it is like there is a force field across the uk stopping thejet from there is a force field across the uk stopping the jet from getting any closer. how long will force field written hold on, we will find out. i could look at this all day but we have to get on with the rest of the

weather for the week ahead and take it day by day —— force field britain. weather fronts of stalling, one from western scotland, the east of northern ireland, west wales, giving a bit of patchy rain. east of england will see increasing sunny spells on through wednesday and most other places, barring a few light showers, looking dry. this weather front dies a death going into thursday, another one tries to come in and fails. the blocking high pressure is stronger on thursday. the wind around it on the continent is stronger and colder. most will be dry. there will be sunny spells around, but because of the stronger wind it is going to feel much colder. we are importing cold air in from the continent. so the temperature is well down into single figures but when you factor in that stronger wind it feels colder still. it feels like it is colder to