this is bbc news, i'm ben brown. the headlines at 11:00pm: president trump makes an unannounced trip to us troops in iraq and defends his decision to pull american soldiers out of syria. queues for the boxing day sales, but the number of people on the high street today has fallen for the third year in a row. japan is to restart commercial whale hunting next summer, in defiance of a global ban. sister wendy beckett, the nun who became famous around the world as an art historian and bbc broadcaster, has died at the age of 88. and at 11:30pm, we will be taking another look at the papers with our reviewers, jo phillips and nigel nelson. stay with us for that. good evening.

president trump and first lady melania trump have made a surprise visit to us troops in iraq. the white house confirmed they travelled there unannounced late on christmas night to thank troops for their service, their success and their sacrifice. the president defended his decision to withdraw american forces from syria, a move which prompted his defence secretary, james mattis, to resign last week. chris buckler reports now from washington. president trump travelled with the first lady to iraq, to spread some christmas cheer and to thank troops for their service and sacrifice. we came to al asad to share our eternal gratitude for everything you do to keep america safe, strong and free. but, standing with us soldiers on foreign soil, it was inevitable he would be asked about what many claim is his increasingly

isolationist foreign policy. last week, in a sudden and surprise decision, he announced that american forces would be leaving syria, causing concern in washington and several corners of the world. but mr trump said he believed a lot of people were going to come around to his way of thinking. he went on to insist that it's time for us to start using our head. one person who remains unconvinced as the outgoing defence secretary, jim mattis, who resigned over the president's plans. mr trump says he is in no hurry to find a permanent successor to general mattis, a sign that he intends to push forward with what he believes is right. it is reported that the pentagon has been asked to draw up plans to severely reduce the number of american troops in afghanistan. many in the military feel there is still much work left to be done there and in syria. and there has been widespread criticism of mr trump's suggestion that the so—called islamic state group have been defeated. this was the first trip

by this commander—in—chief to see his soldiers in a combat zone, but mr trump has given every signal that he wants to be less involved in the middle east. a president who seemingly believes in "america first", and getting involved in other countries only as a last resort. i've been speaking to professor scott lucas from the department of political science and international studies at birmingham university. he said president trump's snap decision to withdraw troops from syria was damaging. well, american foreign policy, in the sense of agencies, is trying to cling on to some sort of stability. donald trump's foreign policy is simply chaos. i have to be very blunt with your viewers here. that is that donald trump's decisions to cut back forces in afghanistan, to completely withdraw from syria — we can debate those issues, and indeed agencies have debated

in washington what american commitments could be. the concern about donald trump is that he is almost out of control or beyond control, and he's making these decisions on a whim. he suddenly decided on a call to the turkish president to scrap his prepared notes. and he just simply told president erdogan, you're right, we'll leave. now, that type of sudden, snap decision, made without consultation, made without knowledge, because donald trump knows very little about syria or iraq or afghanistan, that has long concerned advisers that it might happen. i'll remind you that his advisers, such as the national security adviser, his white house chief of staff, both called him an idiot over issues like this. that concern was he cannot make decisions like this. they held him in check until recently, but he is now making decisions, and people like the defence secretary, jim mattis, almost the last adult

in the room, aren't there. despite what you say, though, many of americans will say, we should not be in syria. united states, from vietnam onwards, has been too quick to intervene in foreign conflicts. i think that's a very important practical issue. a serious issue specifically is whether the us remains to support kurdish allies, whom they have backed for three years against the islamic state. if the us leaves, pro—assad troops and turkey both will try to take territory controlled by the kurds. we can debate over whether that is something we should be concerned about. the question here was, should donald trump have suddenly decided within a moment, talking to the turkish president, to decide the future of american foreign—policy in syria, or should he have gone and consulted the defence secretary, the state department, his security agencies? his willingness to make a decision,

and to do so without any apparent knowledge of the issues involved, that's the problem here, not the actual substance that, in fact, american troops may be coming out of the syrian conflict after eight years. president putin says russia has acquired a new type of strategic weapon, after observing the final tests of a nuclear—capable hypersonic missile. he said it was a new year's gift to the nation. mr putin said the weapon could penetrate any existing or next—generation missile defence system. moscow says the avangard missile launched in the ural mountains hit a target 6,000 km away. thousands of bargain hunters have been hitting the high street for the annual boxing day sales, with some starting to queue from as early as midnight to bag a deal. but the number of in—store shoppers around the uk fell for the third year in a row, according to analysts, though shoppers were expected to spend around £4 billion today. joe miller has more. archive: prices slashed, goods aplenty, bargains galore... it is a yuletide ritual that

stretches back decades, and one that shoppers in cardiff queued in the early hours to perform. lured by the promise of bumper discounts, they turned out in their droves, from liverpool to belfast to gateshead. boxing day's great, because you can decide what you want. from, like, christmas presents, you can see what you want to, like, match them. i mostly spend christmas indoors watching movies with my family, so boxing day is nice to come out and get some fresh air. millions more are estimated to have hit the high streets across the country. but the starting gun for seasonal sales was fired a few weeks ago. black friday, an american import, is increasingly popular both online and in stores, and it has taken the wind out of boxing day sales. the number of shoppers out and about this morning was more than 9% lower than on black friday, and 4% lower than on boxing day last year.

things were even worse in shopping centres, which saw almost 7% fewer customers. retailing is a really tough environment at the moment. consumer confidence is really low, and it's been low for the best part of two years. what we need is some certainty, some economic certainty and some political certainty, and then shoppers will start to feel more confident about spending money. in london's west end, it is a different story altogether. here, bargain hunters are out in force — 15% more of them than last year. and among them are many visitors from overseas, here to take advantage of a weaker pound. 0ne keen shopper from pakistan says he spent £2,500 on oxford street. i come here, it's a very good price, london. christmas, everything's half price and the shopping is for london's very best. getting customers through the door is not the only challenge. with warehouses full of stock, retailers have been forced to keep slashing prices, and they'll need

the spendthrift christmas spirit to stretch well into the new year. joe miller, bbc news. seven people have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was attacked in leeds. the 30—year—old was found with serious injuries and later died later in hospital. alasdair gill reports. christmas day was barely over when police were called here to rob street in leeds at around 3:14am this morning. what they found was a 30—year—old man lying on the street with serious injuries. he was taken to hospital, where he later died, and the murder investigation has now been launched, something the people that live in this street say is really out of character for the area. i live right opposite where it happened, and they set him on the floor in front of my part. i have lived here quite a long while, and it is the first time we have ever had a thing like this, yes. obviously women screaming, and that,

and thenl obviously women screaming, and that, and then i found out that he was dead, like. wilder street remains cordoned off by police this afternoon and scenes of crime and forensic officers are combing the area, meanwhile, seven people have been arrested on suspicion of murder, four men and three women, and west yorkshire police is asking anyone with any information to come forward. the family of a pedestrian who died after being hit by a police car on christmas day said he spent the best day ever with his family before the collision. tony carroll was knocked down near the wallasey tunneljust before 7:00pm yesterday evening. the incident is now being investigated by the independent office for police conduct. three more migrants have been rescued from a small boat as they tried to cross the english channel in the early hours of this morning. it follows the rescue yesterday of a0 migrants, including two children, mainly from iraq, iran and afghanistan.

the home office has blamed organised crime. there has been a sharp rise in the number of migrants attempting to cross the channel from france since october. there has been international criticism of japan's decision to resume commercial whale hunting. the government of australia described it as regrettable. new zealand said killing whales was unnecessary. japanjoins iceland and norway in defying the moratorium on commercial whaling which was introduced in the 1980s. our science correspondent victoria gill reports. they're the ocean's gentle giants, but these majestic mammals are now at the heart of an international dispute. it is all about the bloody business of commercial whaling — a business that japan says it will resume in the summer of 2019. translation: at the international whaling commission meeting in september, it became obvious that it is not possible for states

with different views to exist side—by—side, which led to our decision to leave. the international whaling commission is the body that banned the hunting of whales in 1986 after many species were almost wiped out. but countries including iceland and norway still hunt primarily minke whales, which are not endangered. japan already catches between 200 and 1,200 whales every year under a programme of what it calls "scientific research". the country's hunted whales for centuries, and the meat was a key source of protein during desperately poor years immediately after world war ii. translation: people around my age remember the old times when we would eat whale meat. there are shops that sell it, and i sometimes buy some, but it's not like people are queueing up for it. officials, though, still say that eating whales is a part of japanese culture, and that it can be done sustainably. but this decision has sparked condemnation.

conservationists say it could threaten populations of whales that have recovered since the ban. it's not just about what japan does. it's now about whether other countries will follow suit, whether other countries will also step outside of the whaling commission. because ifjapan, if you like, gets away with this, other countries may want to try and do the same thing, and then more and more populations could be exposed to whaling. so we are very concerned about the potential for an expansion again of whaling, outside of any international control. japan says commercial whaling will be restricted to its own territorial waters and economic zones, so its ships will cease whaling in the antarctic ocean. despite the reassurances, though, many are calling on the country to reconsider. victoria gill, bbc news. several people have been injured after an earthquake measuring 4.8 magnitude hit an area surrounding mount etna on the island of sicily. more than 150 tremors have been felt since europe's most active volcano erupted on christmas eve. james reynolds reports from rome.

the earthquake hit the slopes of mount etna at around 3:20am. it damaged nearby homes and buildings. in a nearby village, an 80—year—old man had to be rescued from his home. translation: my father-in-law remained under the rubble. it's a miracle, he's born—again. translation: it's a miracle we're still alive. some decided to take shelter in their cars, or in local gyms, anywhere just to be safe. people here are used to living with the constant fear of eruptions and earthquakes. mount etna dominates the island of sicily. it is the biggest active

volcano in europe. in recent days, scientists recorded more than 100 tremors, causing the authorities to restrict flights to the regional airport in the city of catania. one official concludes, our country is unfortunately very fragile. the headlines on bbc news: president trump makes an unannounced trip to us troops in iraq, and defends his decision to pull american soldiers out of syria. despite queues for the boxing day sales, the number of in—store shoppers falls for the third year in a row. japan is to restart commercial whaling next year. conservation groups warn the move will have serious consequences. sport and for a full round up from the bbc sport centre. more news on a good day for

liverpool. a very good day for liverpool. liverpool emerged as the big winners of the day in the premier league — and notjust because of their 4—0 win over newcastle. jurgen klopp‘s side have extended their lead from one to six points in less than a week. it's after manchester city lost again. goals from dejan lovren, mo salah, xherdan shaqiri, and fabinho did the job at anfield, but with arsenal and city lying next, jurgen klopp isn't. getting too excited we play man city still in eight days or in a week. so if i would be man city, i would think there was only four. because we have to play them and before we play that game, we play against arsenal. so that means absolutely nothing. the only thing that is important to us is the performance, the level of performance, which we obviously can keep in the moment. we have to keep it. that is how it is. and for the moment, it is obviously good. but that's all. the shock of the day

was at the king power stadium where leicester came from behind to beat city 2—1. it's the first time in two years that pep guardiola's side have lost back to back premier league games. they've slipped down to third — behind tottenham. who continued their best start to a premier league campaign with a 5—0 win over bournemouth. manager mauricio pochettino said if his team showed the same quality and belief, they can fight for big things in 2019. arsenal will need fewer games like today if they're to do the same. they started brightly at brighton but couldn't only manage point. austin halewood has more. still in full festive spirit, it was a boxing day trip to the seaside for arsenal fans. their team knowing they could end the day inside the top four. since the arrival of unai emery, the gunners have started to fire once again. a new—found confidence surging through the team. it's a fact clear to see. pierre—emerick aubameyang looking for a little magic. only the fingertips of matt ryan enough to keep him out. but with 12 goals already this season, you cannot give him

too many chances. just three minutes later, he had already made amends. but for all of their attacking prowess, this arsenal side has issues at the back. a simple long ball all it unlock their defence. an equaliser all too simple, all too easy. and from then on, it was a different game. brighton, the team on the front foot looking more likely to score. arsenal have been the premier league's comeback kings this season, but after starting with a bang, in the end, the gunners will count themselves lucky to come back with a point. austin halewood, bbc news. chelsea started the day level with the gunners but are now two points clear after beating watford 2—1. eden hazard's 100th premier league goal gave them the lead before roberto peryrera equalised a couple of minutes later — a bit reminiscent of paul scholes that strike. watford had a strong penalty shout denied in the second half before hazard won it from the spot. four other games to catch you up on.

burnley remain in the bottom three, shipping five at home to everton. crystal palace and cardiff was goalless. fulham are off the bottom drawing with wolves. ole gunnar solskjaer‘s first home game as manchester united caretaker boss ended in a 3—1 win over huddersfield — who slip to the bottom of the table. catch all the goals on match of the day on bbc one now. there was also a full programme of matches in the scottish premiership — scott sinclair scored a hat—trick as leaders celtic beat aberdeen 4—3. that result extends celtic‘s lead at the top of the table. that's because second placed rangers drew at home to hibernian. there were also wins today for kilmarnock, who climb to third, hearts and stjohnstone. that's all the sport for now. you can find more on all those stories on the bbc sport website, including clan des obeaux's win in the king george at kempton and the third test between india and australia.

that's bbc.co.uk/sport. and that is all for now. thank you so and that is all for now. thank you so much. see you later on. sister wendy beckett, the nun whose passion for art made her an unexpected television star, has died at the age of 88. her broadcasting career began in the early 1990s and she went on to appear in several bbc series. but she always returned to her life as a hermit at the carmelite monastery in norfolk, where she died this afternoon. david sillito looks back at her life. scripture tells us that the angel gabriel was sent by god to a virgin in the town of nazareth. sister wendy beckett, a nun talking about paintings. who would have guessed that this would have been such a hit? god became man and it happened like this.

there was never a rehearsal or a written script, she simply stood and spoke and millions in britain, america, and around the world sat and listened. and here we have the great mythological scene, but i really can't afford to spend time looking at them because i want to get to this huge clawed. and even more remarkable was that she had only ever seen most of these paintings in books in her little caravan in the woods. sister wendy was a hermit. it was an old caravan they got for £60 and it stood on blocks and it was uninsulated and it had a skylight which the rain came through. but i loved it. she was 16 when she first joined the nuns. at oxford she received a congratulatory first. her tutorj r r tolkien led a round of applause. she went on to write books and then she was asked if she would present

a programme on her passion, art. the fame was utterly unexpected for someone who had spent so much of her life in silence and solitude. even at mass she sat alone in the belfry. well, that is where i am going to live for eternity, i hope, tucked away in the belfry of the graveyard, thanking god for allowing me a life... ..of such unimaginable happiness. lucky me. sister wendy beckett, who died at the age of 88. i'm joined now by randall wright, who's a filmmaker and knew sister wendy for decades.

as a young ambitious trainee, randall discovered wendy for the bbc — and he went on to direct the film sister wendy and the art of the gospel. thank you very much for being with us. thank you very much for being with us. tell us first of all how you discovered her. i can't claim to have discovered her. in fact, she was writing amazing articles for modern painters. and the one i actually read that made me think she would be good for television was a story she told about an old master, which has been reprinted in the independent. at the time, art historians were so intellectual, i was interested in finding someone who would be able to remind us that the stories are there for everyone, the stories are there for everyone, the paintings, at some level, are very accessible. and sister wendy, of course, could tell the most extraordinary stories, as your

correspondent said, without preparation she had an extraordinarily clear and brilliant mind. she was, in many ways, is very unlikely television presenter. a hermit living in a caravan, as we saw in that report. what made her such a unique television presenter and somebody who could convey to millions of viewers the wonders of art? well, she had a great love of things. she also had a greatjoy in her faith, things. she also had a greatjoy in herfaith, in god, but she had an incredibly good mind. she was a very curious person and, i think, she loved literature, of course, she started with jr loved literature, of course, she started withjr tolkien, and he described as his best ever student, but when it came to painting, what she liked was the incredible security in painting. painting is

obviously still, it is something you can take inside you in an incredibly safe way. and she identified that. and encouraged people to share in that possibility that there was something in the painting there for them. how did she deal with the fame, really, huge popularity, people really love her, they love the programmes, as well as books, how did she deal with that? well, wendy was incredibly good at enjoying herself. we had so many funny times. and she would enjoy wine, she hadn't had a rich food or wine, she hadn't had a rich food or wine for many years, so when she can filming with us we really enjoy going out to restaurants. and she enjoyed life enormously. and she did enjoyed life enormously. and she did enjoy the success of the films. but i remember her telling me in a cafe,

we we re i remember her telling me in a cafe, we were filming in venice, and they said isn't it amazing everybody recognises you ? in said isn't it amazing everybody recognises you? in she said yes, but i always wanted to be known, not talking about paintings, but has a good person. —— and she said. so she enjoyed the unexpected attention, at the same time she would want to be known as someone, the same time she would want to be known as someone, which she was, with enormous spiritual wisdom. you modestly said you did not discover her, but she discovered her in the sense of putting her on the television, shall we say, but are you surprised how successful she was, how many series she went on to make? well, not... it's amazing, actually, even in some of her very first piece to camera, she did them so perfectly, she understood the power of a story. so she could bring

a story in, a story of love, which made a loss of people laugh, but she would bring a story into how she engaged us and brought us into a painting in such a beautiful and clear way, she was a master of language, an incredibly cliett mode of expression, which, as you know, in television is an incredibly rare thing —— incredibly clear. she was on our site, thing —— incredibly clear. she was on oursite, in thing —— incredibly clear. she was on our site, in a way, i love the fa ct on our site, in a way, i love the fact that she enjoyed encouraging people to find the best in them and the way they found it was up to them, so she didn't mind being made fun of as just someone who was a nun, an amateur, if you like, came to look at art, even though she had an extraordinarily high intellect. she had something which, i think, is a very rare thing, which is a sort

of, as they say, being at one with the audience, being down to earth. randall wright, filmmaker, who knew sinda wendy beckett sister wendy beckett. thank you so much for your memories of sister wendy beckett, who has sadly died today at the age of 88 —— sister wendy beckett. who has sadly died today at the age of 88 -- sister wendy beckett. thank you very much. and we'll be taking another look at the papers with our reviewers the political commentator, jo phillips, and nigel nelson, who's political editor at the sunday mirror and sunday now it's time for a look at the weather for the week hello. thank you forjoining me. let us see hello. thank you forjoining me. let us see what the weather has in store for the lead up to the new year. and it is looking fairly settled for most of us. it is going to state mild. very mild weather across the uk after what has been a quiet and

mild christmas. that makes a mile. the mild weather is reaching central and eastern parts of europe as well. the jet stream is a way to the north and be cold air is the way to the north. we may have a touch of frost on thursday in the south of the country, but look at these mornings averages, eight degrees, first thing on thursday. the weather itself on thursday is looking fairly bright if not sunny thursday is looking fairly bright if not sunny across thursday is looking fairly bright if not sunny across the south of the country and some eastern and northern areas also getting a little sunshine. 11 in belfast, eight or nine degrees for most of us. maybe only sixth in some spots in east anglia after a frosty start. thursday night into friday, a change on the way for the north—west. there could be ray moving through northern ireland and reaching western and central scotland. by the time we get to late morning on friday the skies have cleared, the sun is out again, and it looks fairly decent —— rain. fine weather eventually. friday, and

into the weekend, high pressure still dominating the weather across much of western europe. weather fronts trying to squeeze in around it. we are anticipating some rain. probably across scotland early in the morning, maybe lasting into the afternoon as well. to the south of that it will stay dry and double—figure temperatures right across the country, should be close to around five or six this time of year, if that. that was saturday. here is a lookout sunday. a similar picture. high pressure to the south. weather fronts the north —— picture. high pressure to the south. weatherfronts the north —— i look at. otherwise, brightand weatherfronts the north —— i look at. otherwise, bright and sunny spells. we have wind blowing out of that direction that brings breaks to the east of the pennines. 10 degrees, or even 12 expected in london on sunday. new year's eve, this is the big night, this is an