and even politicians, celebrities and even victims of crimes, their conversations. they would use the information to sell their stories. the news of the world had tens of millions of readers, added battles against allegations of phone hacking. there was a pivotal moment in 2011, when it was revealed the news of the world had intercepted the voicemails of a murdered schoolgirl. rupert murdoch should down the paper. in 2012, the levenson inquiry looked into the culture and ethics of press and publish its recommendations. sienna miller was one of the many phone hacking celebrity claimants. she came to a settlement over phone hacking in 2021. but today, it was prince harry who was in the spotlight because the duke of sussex, along with 100 others, had accused the mirror group newspapers widespread, novel activities between

1991 and 2011. the high court has ruled prince harry was the victim of phone hacking and has been awarded more than £1a0,000 in damages. the mirror group newspaper has issued a statement today. it said the group apologises unreservedly for where historical wrongdoing took place, and prince harry by his lawyer has said today is a great day for truth as well as accountability. let's get more now on charities warning that millions of people might need to borrow to pay essential bills during the festive season. concerns have been heightened by an increase in the energy price cap in the new year. the government says targeted payments have helped ease the burden. live now to brighton to talk to alfie stirling — chief economist at the joseph rowntree foundation. thank you for being here. put it in context, how does the level of debt people in now compared to last year? one of the big problems we are seeing is the level of debt has been

slowly declining, that's because abe is —— as a coping mechanism, this reliance on loans, and we are seeing 4 million families taken out loans to pay for mortgages, to get out of arrears on different bills like water and energy, but the ability of these families to continue borrowing is under pressure from high interest rates. they are struggling to do so and forgoing essential items. the warninu and forgoing essential items. the warning about the energy bills going up, how difficult is that for people? up, how difficult is that for --eole? ~ �* up, how difficult is that for ”eole?. �* ., ., , up, how difficult is that for --eole? �* ., ., i, up, how difficult is that for ”eole?. �* ., ., , , ,': people? we're already seeing 7.3 million families _ people? we're already seeing 7.3 million families in _ people? we're already seeing 7.3 million families in this _ people? we're already seeing 7.3 million families in this going - million families in this going without essentials with energy prices as it is. we can expect an increase next year, so things will get worse. they are likely to get worse by more than just the impact of the increase, because what we have seen is the real danger over the last year is this decay in

people's ability to cope with current prices. people have used their savings and use their credit card and gone to family, and so that means if prices didn't rise, we can expect things to say just as means if prices didn't rise, we can expect things to sayjust as bad if not get worse. expect things to say 'ust as bad if not get wench expect things to say 'ust as bad if not get worseh expect things to say 'ust as bad if not get worse. what is your advice to -eo . le not get worse. what is your advice to peeple when — not get worse. what is your advice to people when they _ not get worse. what is your advice to people when they come - not get worse. what is your advice to people when they come to - not get worse. what is your advice j to people when they come to you? what areas have you told them to get help from? what areas have you told them to get hel from? f what areas have you told them to get hel from? j ., , ., help from? they're all sorts of thints help from? they're all sorts of things you _ help from? they're all sorts of things you can _ help from? they're all sorts of things you can do _ help from? they're all sorts of things you can do in _ help from? they're all sorts of things you can do in the - help from? they're all sorts of| things you can do in the current system in terms of making sure you've got all the benefits you are entitled to, seeking advice if it comes to you, making right decisions in terms of borrowing. in the end what we need is a change in policy, a change in the commitment from government in terms of protection offered for people who needed most. at the joseph rowntree offered for people who needed most. at thejoseph rowntree foundation we want to see universal credit provide a guarantee that anybody claiming support has enough money to pay for the bare minimum essentials, that guarantee needs to come from

government. guarantee needs to come from government-— guarantee needs to come from tovernment. ., ., , government. the government has said it is already providing _ government. the government has said it is already providing a _ government. the government has said it is already providing a lot _ government. the government has said it is already providing a lot of- it is already providing a lot of help, so how likely is it you will get what you are asking for? part of the problem — get what you are asking for? part of the problem is _ get what you are asking for? part of the problem is the _ get what you are asking for? part of the problem is the numbers - get what you are asking for? part of the problem is the numbers i - get what you are asking for? part of the problem is the numbers i cited | the problem is the numbers i cited earlier, more than 7 million families going without essentials, is with current government support. unless we think it is tolerable for those numbers and hardship, we aren't getting enough support. i think we can look to see government improve income safety net. we have seen improvements over the last ten years. we saw at the last autumn statement government spent 20 billion on tax cuts. that money could ensure a guarantee on universal credit which meant no one went without essentials in this country. detectives investigating the crush at the 02 academy brixton exactly a year ago — say they're searching for 13 people who may have vital information. it comes as the relatives of two people killed at the south london music venue have renewed their appeal

for information. greg mckenzie sent this report from bbc london. it was meant to be a celebration of afrobeats artists to showcase a second london show last december, when hundreds of people stormed the doors at the 02 academy in brixton. the 3,000 people had broken the doors outside, and because of security, the police have asked us to close the show. in the days that followed, some security staff were accused of allowing hundreds of ticketless fans into an already sold out event. two people were never to come home. 33—year—old nursing graduate rebecca from newham in east london and 23—year—old security dog handler gabby hutchinson from gravesend in kent. a third person, a 22—year—old woman, still remains in a serious

condition in hospital. today, one year on, the families of those who died have asked the artist to instruct his thousands of fans to help with the police investigation. he's not done nearly enough. we as a family have not heard anything from him. he has used all gabby�*s name in his speeches and in his concerts, but he's not actually done anything to support the investigation. we don't want him to go through what we have gone through. it was hell for us. he has the power. these people worship him as idol. i thought i was one of them as well. you can tell them. someone must have seen something. a police investigation was launched and today a number of people are being urged to come forward with potentially vital information. these images are of individuals who i believe can answer some questions with regard

to what they heard or saw. i believe them to be key witnesses and key individuals that can help us that we haven't as yet identified. the 02 academy here in brixton will reopen after the owners agreed to 77 robust and strict security measures, which include new security, a crowd control system and also a command centre. many in the community have welcomed the new safety measures and the reopening of the much loved music venue. but say the events of december the 15th 2022 should never happen again. greg mckenzie, bbc london. it wouldn't be christmas without a bit of slade — and incredibly, their hit single merry xmas everybody is 50 years old this year. well, the hands lead guitarist dave hill told us what the song still means to him, as hejoined a sing—a—long with a group of college students. ben sidwell reports.

# so, here it is, merry christmas # everybody�*s having fun...# it's not often you get to sing one of the most famous christmas songs of all time with a member of the band who made it. but at the city of wolverhampton college in bilston, that'sjust what the students on the college's future programme got to do when they were joined by slade's very own dave hill. and for the man who organised the singalong, it was a dream come true. the first christmas i ever remember, i was five years old, and it was a case of slade versus wizzard to be number one. and ijust thought it was so incredible. the spirit of 1973 has stayed i think notjust with me, but with all of us, and all the students coming through, we all love merry xmas everybody. # it's the time that every santa has a ball...#. in 1973, when merry xmas everybody was released, slade were the biggest

band in the country, and the song went straight in at number one in the singles chart. when it flew out of the shops, a quarter of a million in one day. but i think the joy it's brought, and now we're talking to each other right now and it's 50 years. 50 years. half a lifetime, if you live to 100. but i don't know. people say you get fed up of it. i think it's one of the greatest things we've ever made. it's been a year—long campaign trying to get one of slade to the college, which began when the students recorded a video singing and signing the black country christmas classic. but sadly, the college had no luck getting hold of anyone from slade. but all that changed a couple of months ago when richard came to the college's salon to have his hair cut. the person that did that haircutjust happened to be dave hill's daughter, jade. jade, who's a tutor at the college,

passed the students' video on to her dad, and today their christmas wish came true. it's going to be hard to beat this one, isn't it? it's been a wonderful experience. and thank you to dave for making the students' and my christmas! have we all had an excellent time at our christmas concert? cheering. ben sidwell, bbc news. now it's time for a look at the weather. hello. it's a reasonably mild but cloudy day out there for most of us. most places also looking dry, which is good news after the fairly soggy start to december that many of us have seen as we head into the weekend, a lot of dry weather around mild and breezy, lots of cloud. but there will be increasing amounts of wind and rain across the north west of the uk as weather fronts move in here. not moving south too quickly because we've got high pressure that's stalling across southern parts of the uk, keeping things

largely dry and keeping those weather fronts at bay, at least across much of england and wales. for the rest of the day, a bit of brightness just breaking through that cloud at times, particularly for parts of east anglia, northeast england, eastern scotland as well. the breeze coming in from a south westerly direction. so it is fairly windy, particularly across the north west of scotland. we could see gusts of about 50 miles per hour or more in the far north, mild for most of us. temperatures around about 11 or 12 degrees in the west, but still a little cooler across parts of eastern england where we're sticking in single figures. but through the evening and tonight, then, just a bit of drizzle across the north west of scotland, most places looking dry. fair amounts of cloud around, perhaps even the odd pocket of mistiness, where the winds are a little bit lighter in the south. so the lowest of the temperatures will be for the south east of england and east anglia. but a generally mild and frost free start to weekend. the mild air mass is with us. you can see the orange colours on the map, the winds coming in from a south westerly direction through the course of the weekend. so, yes, frost free. i think we're not expecting anything wintry through the weekend,

but we are expecting some wet weather on saturday, that's just going to sit across far north west of scotland. i think it could be the odd spot of drizzle for south west scotland, cumbrian fells for instance. whereas further south, yes, a lot of cloud. but you should stay dry, mild and breezy for most of us. so around about 12 or 13 degrees, a touch warmer, in fact, than recent days, but head through saturday night into sunday and this front really sticking around. in fact, we could see up to 175 millimetres of rain through saturday night into sunday across parts of the north west of scotland. some rain for northern ireland, perhaps north west england as well. but there could be some flooding issues across the north west of scotland where an amber weather warning is in force through the course of sunday. further south, though, you're more likely to stay dry, perhaps a bit more sunshine, in fact, for parts of southern england on sunday. looking ahead into next week, i think the wettest day is going to be tuesday. some heavy rain fairly widely. it's a little bit up and down, but a fairly cloudy and unsettled week ahead. bye— bye.

live from london, this is bbc news. prince harry is awarded £1a0,000 damages in his historic phone—hacking case. he says the ruling is �*vindicating' and calls for a police investigation. the us keeps up the diplomatic pressure on israel. national security adviserjake sullivan meets the presidents of israel and the palestinian authority. hungary's prime minister blocks a 55—billion—dollar eu aid package for ukraine and threatens to �*pull the handbrake' on future payments. british police say specialist divers searching for a missing mother of three have found a body. hello. welcome to bbc news now.