this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. police in the us city of nashville, in tennessee, say a huge explosion in the city center was a deliberate act. at least three people are injured. european union ambassadors receive hard copies of the post—brexit trade deal in a christmas day briefing led by michel barnier. queen elizabeth reflects on the hardships of the pandemic in her christmas speech, as she and prince philip break tradition by staying at windsor castle. and joining the ranks of pop legends like the beatles and the spice girls — a couple who sing about sausage rolls become the third act in uk chart history to score three consecutive christmas number ones.

welcome to the programme. the center of the us city of nashville has been sealed off after a large explosion in the early hours of christmas day. three people have been injured and flights to and from the city were temporarily suspended. police believe the blast was caused deliberately. they evacuated the area after responding to reports of gunfire and finding a suspicious camper van parked outside the building of the at&t communications company. a recorded message playing from the van warned that it would shortly explode. up to 20 buildings have been badly damaged. nashville's police chief, john drake, outlined the events prior to the blast. this morning, around 5:30am, officers responded to a call for shots fired in the downtown area, specifically second and near commerce.

as officers responded, they encountered an rv that had a recording saying that a potential bomb would detonate within 15 minutes. officers, upon hearing that, decided to evacuate the buildings nearby, so they began knocking on doors, making announcements, having emergency communications to communicate with everyone to get people safe. shortly after that, the rv exploded. we had one officer that was knocked to the ground. and the metro nashville police department have released a still of the camper van on second avenue before it exploded and have appealed for anyone who had seen it to get in touch. joining me now from nashville, tennessee is yihyunjeong joining me now from nashville, tennessee is yihyun jeong, a reporter for the tennessean, a daily newspaper. thank you very much for coming on the programme. can you just tell us a bit more about what you know about what happened 7

a bit more about what you know about what happened? we only national either woke up to the side of the explosion or quickly finding out about it on social media. police responded to the area early this morning to reports of shots fired, but as we heard, there was no evidence of that. instead there was this rv parked parked along this publisher to nashville and suddenly a recording started going off that warmed nearby folks to effectuate now, this is a bomb, and dennis are counting down 15 minutes until exploded a. that is extraordinary, isn't it, to hear that this vehicle was about to explode? and the police chief was talking about how they evacuated the buildings nearby. it suddenly it was quite a strong explosion. it is her markable that not more people were injured. explosion. it is her markable that not more people were injuredm really is. had this not been christmas morning, any other morning, it could've been a lot worse. that is a really popular street here downtown, right next to

a tourist district, and it is an historic district itself and, had it been a different day... that sound went been a different day... that sound we nt a cross been a different day... that sound went across the city. i live about five miles from that destination and woke up to my was shaking. a lot of people have been on edge all day. woke up to my was shaking. a lot of people have been on edge all daylj heard it knocked out the... it had an impact on the airport. it did. especially folks who have at&t wireless, i have internet and phone carrierfor wireless, i have internet and phone carrier for that, wireless, i have internet and phone carrierfor that, which is why i'm in the newsroom. 911 lines for a lot of the surrounding counties are down currently and they had to hold flights out of the airport here as well. have the investigators said anything but a possible motive for this? we have not had an update now. there is another update coming up shortly where we are hoping to find out more information, but at this

time, we do not know the person or persons involved or any kind of motive. and what of anything has been said about the injured? we are hearing three people were taken to the hospital with some injuries. we are not hearing it is too serious, but we know at least one police officer who was responding to the area got knocked down because of the explosion and another police are hoping isjust explosion and another police are hoping is just suffering temporary hearing loss at this time. thank you for giving us that update. that is yihyunjeong for giving us that update. that is yihyun jeong from the for giving us that update. that is yihyunjeong from the newspaper the tennessean. thank you. eu ambassadors have been given a briefing about the post—brexit trade deal reached with the uk, by the bloc‘s chief negotiator michel barnier. here, mps will vote on the deal in parliament next week, before the existing trade rules expire on 31st december. here's our political correspondent leila nathoo. glad tidings of greatjoy, because this is a deal... some light reading. the post—brexit deal agreed yesterday between britain and the eu runs to more than 1,200 pages.

this morning, the man who negotiated for the eu side, michel barnier, briefed ambassadors of eu member states on its detail. mission accomplished! what's in that blue folder sets out how the eu and uk will trade and co—operate from the new year. to finally have something on paper is a success for both sides. the deal was done in the nick of time, with the uk already out of the eu and transition arrangements expiring within days. mps and peers will have until wednesday to digest the detail before being called back to parliament for a debate. there are unlikely to be any hold—ups in westminster, though — labour is set to back it. we will certainly be better off with this deal, and we have to make it work.

no—deal would have terrible consequences for our country, and the labour party could not enable that to happen. during the long months of negotiations, both sides seemed determined not to give ground. what's now on the table is a compromise, but those who campaigned for brexit have broadly given the deal a thumbs up. if the contents are as described by the prime minister, then i think it is a very satisfactory outcome and actually an extraordinarily good one, given the rather bum hand he had been dealt when he took over from theresa may. britain's new relationship with brussels is now more defined. eu ambassadors are weighing up how the future looks with the uk on the outside. the deal will need time to play out in practice, but both sides will be relieved it was, against the odds, done. leila nathoo, bbc news. the first case of the new uk coronavirus strain has been confirmed in france, according to the country's health ministry.

it says the patient arrived on french soilfrom london on the 19th of december. last sunday, president macron shut the country's border with britain after the new, more tra nsmissble variant was found to be spreading in large parts of the south east of england and in london. more than 3,000 lorry drivers have been spending christmas day in their cabs near dover in kent. extra military personnel have been deployed to help clear the backlog of lorries waiting to cross the channel. one of the stipulations that france imposed is that lorry drivers must test negative for coronavirus. the uk's transport secretary says of the 10,000 tests carried out in the past 2a hours, 2a have come back positive. frankie mccamley reports. this is not the christmas thousands of drivers here were expecting. some have been stuck here at manston airfield for up to four days with no access to washing facilities and just portaloos dotted around the side of the airfield. we have heard a beeping protest as drivers are getting more and more frustrated.

i have spoken to some who say theyjust want to be at home. some say they feel like this is a political protest and they are caught in the middle. you can seejust behind me some local people are coming here, rallying together, trying to provide hot food and drinks to give these drivers just something on christmas day. every half an hour, we are seeing around a dozen lorries leave this site, take the ito—minute journey over to the port of dover. each have been tested negative, have tested negative for coronavirus and each will be carrying a letter, signed by uk and french authorities, allowing them access to mainland europe. last night, we saw around 800 troops deployed to try and speed up this testing process — that does seem to have worked because a lot of the roads in the area surrounding dover have cleared and residents are now able to travel. but this is not back to normal — there are still thousands of drivers stuck here.

they may be getting water, drinks and food, but this is not where they were hoping to be, especially on christmas day. frankie mccamley there. in her christmas day message, queen elizabeth has praised the scientists and medical staff, to whom, she said, we owe a debt of gratitude this year. she said this christmas was tinged with sadness because of the distance between people, many of whom just wanted human contact. nicholas witchell reports. from windsor castle, on a christmas day without the customary companionship of families coming together, a christmas broadcast in which the queen reflected on a time of exceptional difficulty. for christians, jesus is the light of the world. but we can't celebrate his birth today in quite the usual way. the pandemic had disrupted so much

for people of all faiths, and yet, the queen said, it had also brought us closer. in the united kingdom and around the world, people have risen magnificently to the challenges of the year, and i'm so proud and moved by this quiet, indomitable spirit. to our young people in particular, i say thank you for the part you have played. she expressed gratitude to front—line workers and for the amazing achievement of modern science. and she'd found encouragement in the way people had supported each other. we continue to be inspired by the kindness of strangers and draw comfort that even on the darkest nights, there is hope in the new dawn. she recalled that this year was the centenary of the burial of an unknown serviceman in westminster abbey, an un—named hero of an earlier generation who had become a symbol of selfless duty. he represents millions like him who, throughout our history, have put the lives of others

above their own and will be doing so today. for me, this is a source of enduring hope in difficult and unpredictable times. for many, the queen said, christmas would be a particularly difficult time. of course, for many, this time of year will be tinged with sadness, some mourning the loss of those dear to them and others missing friends and family members distanced for safety, when all they really want for christmas is a simple hug or a squeeze of the hand. if you are among them, you are not alone. and let me assure you of my thoughts and prayers. the reference to a hug or a squeeze of the hand was a human touch, the kind of language the queen doesn't often use publicly, deployed today in a christmas day

message of hope and reassurance. nicholas witchell, bbc news. meanwhile, the pandemic has also featured in the festive messages from religious leaders. the archbishop of canterbury said that despite what he called this "year of anxiety", there were many gifts of hope — including the vaccine. pope francis called for universal access to innoculation. helena wilkinson reports. st peter's square — empty and eerily quiet. normally, thousands gather for the pope's christmas day message, but not this year. instead, pope francis spoke from inside the vatican. at the heart of his address was the pandemic. he said the vaccine brought hope at a time of darkness and urged world leaders to ensure that everyone had access. the pandemic has left many places of worship empty this christmas. midnight mass at westminster cathedral in london was held online only.

at canterbury cathedral, they did gather today at a social distance. the archbishop of canterbury, justin welby, reflected on what the pandemic had shown us. in this christmas of absence, mourning and restrictions of all kinds, are there any gifts of good news under the tree, any gifts of hope? well, there are many. the vaccine is a gift of hope. 0ur sense of community and mutual care has changed so much. that is a gift of hope. many churches across the country have held services online this christmas, like st james evangelical church in carlisle. others with space were able to invite churchgoers in. at st mary's church

in congleton, near cheshire, they were able to book a pew — one per household bubble. well, i think it's wonderful. i think the old place has been going for a thousand years now, so we couldn't let it down and miss a christmas. we had to find a way. christmas this year has been difficult for so many. the messages from religious leaders have been ones of comfort, light and hope in darkness. helena wilkinson, bbc news. the latest headlines on bbc news: police in the us city of nashville, in tennessee, say a huge explosion in the city center was a deliberate act. at least three people are injured. european union ambassadors get details of a post—brexit trade deal in a christmas day briefing led by michel barnier. queen elizabeth reflects on the hardships of the pandemic in her christmas speech, as she and prince philip break tradition by staying in windsor.

chile's president has described the start of a national coronavirus immunisation programme as a moment of hope and excitement for the country. chile, mexico and costa rica have become the first countries in latin america to begin vaccination campaigns. argentina is also planning to start inoculations in the next few days. tim allman has more. in chile, potential salvation comes from the skies. the first 10,000 of an ordered 30 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine arriving at this airport in santiago. the country's president was there to welcome them, as the precious cargo was moved onto a helicopter. translation: it's a day of much excitement, seeing this helicopter transporting hope, because the truth is that many people have worked a lot over this time to secure the vaccine. 0ur compatriots will have a secure, effective and timely vaccine. the first compatriot, a health worker called zulema riquelme. president pinera there to witness

this important moment. in mexico, they queued upfortheirjabs — doctors, nurses, members of the military. this country has had more than 120,000 covid fatalities, the fourth highest death toll in the world. so palpable was the excitement, the whole thing was shown live on television. argentina will begin its vaccination programme imminently. but they have sought help from russia rather than america or western europe — a decision that has led to a few raised eyebrows. translation: the first vaccines have arrived in the country, 300,000 doses of the sputnik vaccine. there was some scepticism, but as we always say, we do not want to get entangled in any type of discussion other than preserving the health of our people. another plane touching down, another batch of the vaccine arriving,

this time in costa rica. as the country's president put it, this may be the beginning of the end of this pandemic. tim allman, bbc news. what a year it's been for captain sir tom moore, the former british army officer known for his achievements raising tens of millions of pounds for charity in the run—up to his 100th birthday during the covid—19 pandemic. john maguire has been back to meet him. it's been a year like no otherfor all of us. but for captain sir tom moore, 2020 has seen him catapulted from his back garden to worldwide adoration, and to a specially convened ceremony where he was knighted by her majesty the queen. december‘s always a time to look forward, but also back to boyhood christmases during the 1920s. you got up at six o'clock

in the morning to see what father christmas had left overnight. when we were small boys, or small children, we didn't get a stocking, we got a pillowcase. you knew there'd be an orange at the bottom of it somewhere. but not a lump of coal? no! and later, as a young officer in the british army during the second world war. all the officers gave all the other ranks their christmas lunch. we served them their christmas lunch. and that was a happy occasion, with a little bit of relaxation and some drink, which hadn't been readily available for some time. but that was a very good day. one of the main objectives of the captain tom foundation is to tackle loneliness, which can be especially cruel at christmas.

for people who don't have a family who can come and knock on the door, it must be a very lonely time. and, of course, how are they going to have a christmas lunch if there's only one of you? so i do hope that everyone will have more than one person to have the christmas lunch. but you would, of course, expect some of his famous optimism. we've always had all the family around us, and we've all had a lovely christmas lunch with turkey and all the little bits that go with it. and that's always been a joy for the parents, and for the children. this year, of course, with things as they are, things can't be quite the same for everyone, but things will get better.

and next year, we'll be all right. he's spending the festive season not walking, but hopefully relaxing, having been invited to barbados. i had a bucket list, and one of the items on that list was barbados. and this is going to come true. barbados has very kindly taken barbados off my bucket list. and what's next on that — do we know? what's the next plan on your bucket list? the next one is on the route 66 across america with a bentley. well, let's hope you get that one soon as well. so as he works his way down the list, let's hope captain sir tom gets his kicks in the new year. john maguire,

bbc news, bedfordshire. let's hear now how some families have been spending christmas. here'sjudith moritz. for so many, covid means christmas behind closed doors. bowie gladwell was born during the pandemic. he has a heart condition and his grandparents are vulnerable. merry christmas! so even though rules mean the family could get together today, they have chosen to keep it virtual and open their presents via video call. there was a point where we were thinking about having parents up on christmas day, but following the recent raise, you know, raising cases, and just the general uncertainty, we have decided to avoid it this year. how are you, raymond and olwen? 0k. happy christmas. coronavirus has changed christmas for church—goers too. the congregation of st james evangelical church in carlisle met on zoom

instead of in person, though the sense of community was no less heartfelt. at st mary's near congleton, in cheshire, the church is big and draughty enough for everyone to space out. congregants had to book a pew, one per household bubble, to ensure social distancing. well, i think it is wonderful. i think the old place has been going for a thousand years now, so we couldn't let it down and miss a christmas. we had to find a way. ijust think it's amazing this can be so safe to come and allow the older generation and younger generation to be part of each other. only the choir was allowed to sing. people have had to make special arrangements to come and make the church look beautiful. just... everything's happened but in a different way.

judith moritz reporting. first the beatles did it, then the spice girls, but now youtubers known as ladbaby have become the third act in uk history to get three consecutive christmas number ones — with a song about sausage rolls. lizo mzimba reports. # just a sausage roll... ladbaby, driving his latest charity single into the charts. a tongue—in—cheek new take on a popular classic... ..and a third consecutive christmas number one. the first year was actually just completely shocking. i think not only to us but the entire industry. i don't think anyone saw it coming. i think last year was kind of shocking again, a bit unbelievable, nobody thought we would come back. this year is just on another level. hopefully it's really got the message out there about food banks and it's made everyone smile at a time when we all needed it. the last act to produce three christmas chart toppers in a row was the spice girls with 2 become1...

# i need some love like i never needed love before... ..followed by too much... # too much of something... ..and their almost farewell single, goodbye. now, nearly a quarter of a century later, that achievement has been equalled... # we built this city... ..by ladbaby, with a series of sausage roll—themed charity songs. # i love sausage rolls... the singles have all raised money for the trussell trust charity that supports hundreds of food banks and helps those in greatest need. a christmas message embraced by the thousands who bought the song and helped it to reach the top of the charts. lizo mzimba, bbc news. congratulations to them. i will be backin congratulations to them. i will be back ina congratulations to them. i will be back in a moment with the headlines,

don't go away. thanks for watching. hello. well, the weather's still fairly quiet out there for the moment, but out in the atlantic looms storm bella. you can see it here on the satellite picture, a conveyor belt of cloud. the bulk of the wind and rain is still out to sea, but you can see on the edge of the screen there, the coast of scotland and ireland. now, already in the morning, the winds will start to freshen in the western isles, the rain will pile in, but you can see that in northern ireland, much of wales and england, apart from a few showers, the weather actually doesn't look too bad at all. yes, it's fairly cloudy, but even a few sunny spells here and there. now, the temperatures in the morning will be a lot higher than they have been in the last couple of days, we're talking around 6—7 degrees. and it is going to be

a relatively mild day, and again, apart from the odd shower here and there, across england, wales, it should be mostly a dry day. but by the middle of the afternoon, it's raining in northern ireland, and the rain and wind would've spread deeper into scotland as well. but it's not until the evening hours when the really nasty weather arrives. so this is storm bella on the weather map. you can see a dartboard low there, lots of isobars and some very nasty winds linked to this cold front, which is going to be sweeping across the country. now, the worst of the weather will arrive during the night, into the early hours of sunday. very heavy rain across parts of western britain, but the strongest of the winds will be further south, and it's prompted the met office to issue an amber warning from the south coast of wales, southwestern parts of england, along the coast, all the way to dover, up to 70—80 mph in gusts. further inland, the gusts right across wales and england will also be around 50—60 mph. that will lead to some damage and disruption. now, into sunday morning,

you can see that cold front, the tail end of it, just clearing the southeast of england, and then the skies clear. we find ourselves in the centre of the low pressure, and here, the weather will be quite changeable. there will be sunny spells, showers, some of them will be wintry, and it will be a good deal colder, temperatures 3—6 degrees, and then cold enough on monday for the potential of some snow there, even across southern parts of the uk. we're keeping a very close eye on this weather here developing in the south come monday. bye— bye.

this is bbc world news, the headlines... police in the us city of nashville, in tennessee, say a huge explosion in the city centre was a deliberate act. at least three people are injured. european union ambassadors recive hard copies of the post—brexit trade deal in a christmas day briefing led by michel barnier. thousands of lorry drivers have spent christmas day in their vehicles near dover as military personnel continue to test stranded hauliers — the government says more than 10,000 tests have been done. queen elizabeth reflects on the hardships of the pandemic in her christmas speech as she and prince philip break tradition — by staying at windsor castle. those are your latest headlines. now on bbc news, meteorologists nick miller and sarah keith—lucas look at this year's global weather patterns