but the christmas dinner will still cost you more as some food prices remain stubbornly high. this was the chancellor's assessment of inflation. the lowest for over two years, and that shows the government's plan for the economy is working. but nonetheless it is very tough for a lot of families. we'll be looking at how our rising costs compare with other countries. also on the programme... what do we want? fair pay. when do we want it? now! _ junior doctors in england stage the first of three days of strikes, with more to come injanuary. a court rules that donald trump can't run for president in colorado because of his role in the storming by supporters of the capitol building in 2021. and she's eight years old and now crowned the best female european chess player — we hear how the girl from london discovered her talent.

and coming up on bbc news... nottingham forest confirm nuno espirito santo as their new head coach. he takes over from steve cooper, who was sacked yesterday. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. the rate at which prices are rising fell again last month. inflation was down to 3.9% in november, that's compared to 4.6% in october. the office for national statistics said the drop had been driven by falls in the cost of fuel and food but that prices remain "substantially above" what they were before the russian invasion of ukraine. here's our chief economic correspondent dharshini david. things aren't rising as they used to, and it's not just your daily bread. filling up at the pump may be less painful, and be it clothes or furniture you're after, inflation

pressures are easing. but some things are still much more expensive. inflation is definitely killing us. at this indian restaurant, taking the heat out of high food costs means creative thinking. short menus, fixed price deals to keep the customers coming in, and shopping around for ingredients. the prices are so up and down at this moment. so if it's possible for us, we will order it. if not, then we shop around. so i go in the morning to preston, you know, do the shopping. or go to aldi, because sometimes the veg is way cheaper. so, food prices on average are still 9% higher than a year ago. services, which includes the likes of eating out, still 6% more expensive. overall inflation at 3.9%, still almost double what the bank of england wants to see. but all of those are easing more quickly than the bank expected. so what does that mean for its earlier warning that rates may not come down soon?

that last mile in getting inflation down might not be quite as difficult as the bank of england thinks. but we will need to see perhaps a couple more months of really good data for that to happen. if it does, we could see interest rates begin to come down in the spring. in the meantime, it remains challenging for households. which the chancellor, while hailing lower inflation, acknowledged. the only way we can make life better for families who are working very hard and feeling they are in a cost of living crisis the like of which they haven't seen for many, many years, is to get the economy growing sustainably. and that means you have to bring down inflation. any fall in inflation will be welcome news for families, given the real cost of living pressures they are experiencing at the moment. but going into christmas, prices are still rising especially where it comes to food. so people when they go to the shops will find there are things that they just can't afford. bringing down inflation relies

on several components. lower global energy and food costs, as well as the impact of the 14 rate hikes of the last two years. those take time to bake into the system. we are a step closer, but still away before we can say low inflation has been dished up. darshini david, bbc news. the ons says food remains a quarter more expensive now than it was two years ago. so what impact will that have on the cost of christmas dinner, with the big day next week? our cost of living correspondent coletta smith has been finding out. whether you're planning it, buying it, orjust dreaming about it, everyone�*s got a favourite part of a christmas dinner. it's got to be the parsnips and sprouts. controversial, but got to be sprouts! i like dessert and i also like pigs in blankets. stuffing, bit of lovely stuffing. christmas pudding's my main thing, yeah. not christmas pudding, no. sticky toffee, we usually have. the turkey. let's start with the good news, shall we? stuffing and sprouts have actually

fallen in price this year, but everything else has gone up. the biggest price increases this year have been for carrots, which are up 26.7%. earlier on in the year they did go up in price and it is down to having to import them from other countries, down to weather and things like that. apple stuffing, onions. mince pies are next. they're up 25% after big butter price rises. and that lovely gravy is up 17.6% this year. while most products have increased in price, the cost of turkey has only gone up by i.2%. bird flu caused problems last year, and that impacted the price of frozen and fresh turkeys. we did have the big increase last year, but it has all settled down now. no shortage of turkeys at all this year, no. we've got as many as you want this year. we can sell, sell, sell. across the six supermarkets

a standard dinner has actually increased faster this year than the dinner of premium products, particularly when it comes to potatoes and christmas puddings. the posh ones have increased by less this year than the standard ones. that's because the supermarkets have put on more deals and discounts to try and tempt us back to those big brands and encourage us to splash out more. but those increases make it even harderfor anyone already on a tight budget. it will be a struggle. i've just been assisted to get the food bank myself tomorrow because there just isn't the finances to go out and do a major shop. whatever the cost, for those settling down to a slap—up festive dinner in the days ahead, the focus will be on enjoying it. coletta smith, bbc news, in chester. our chief economics correspondent dharshini david joins me. some good news? how are we comparing to other countries? well, it is quite easy to forget when you go to the shops and you are dazed by the prices on the shelves,

reeta, that actually this has been a global crisis, all around the world, high inflation and higher interest rates, but we have suffered particularly badly in this country for a couple of reasons, we are particularly reliant on imported energy, unlike the us, for example, which takes time to filter through, and also we have had a skills shortage in some industries which other countries in europe have not. but what we are seeing now is that the gap is narrowing so our inflation is onlyjust above that in europe and the us is still lower but the gap is narrowing and the good news, the festive news, borrowers might welcome as they look forward to 2024, is that there is some thinking that we could see interest rates coming down here in the spring as perhaps in other countries. but it is never a straight road when it comes to inflation, there are always bumps, we know that the energy price cap is going to change again in the coming months, so watch out for that, but the good news is we seem to be on the right path, if we do manage to see inflation coming down without a economy going into reverse, it will be a major

achievement for the bank of england. fingers crossed, in the meantime, however, it is going to feel a bit of a hard slog for some.- of a hard slog for some. many thanks, of a hard slog for some. many thanks. our— of a hard slog for some. many thanks, our chief _ of a hard slog for some. many thanks, our chief economics i thanks, our chief economics correspondent dharshini david there. patients are being warned to expect major disruption in england afterjunior doctors began further strike action in their ongoing dispute over pay. nhs strike action has already seen more than a million appointments and treatments cancelled this year. the stoppage started at 7am this morning and will last for three days until 7am on saturday, with senior doctors drafted in to provide emergency cover. this latest walk—out will be followed by a six—day strike injanuary, the longest in nhs history. it comes after talks between the british medical association and government broke down, earlier this month. our health correspondent sharon barbour reports. what do we want to? fair play. when do we want to?— what do we want to? fair play. when do we want to? now! across england, tens of thousands _ do we want to? now! across england, tens of thousands of _ do we want to? now! across england, tens of thousands ofjunior _ do we want to? now! across england, tens of thousands ofjunior doctors - tens of thousands ofjunior doctors are stopped work at seven o'clock

this morning and walked out of hospitals in a dispute with the government over pay. the strike ending on saturday morning. we don't feel valued, ending on saturday morning. we don't feel valued. we _ ending on saturday morning. we don't feel valued, we are _ ending on saturday morning. we don't feel valued, we are getting _ ending on saturday morning. we don't feel valued, we are getting tired, - feel valued, we are getting tired, we are getting burnt out, people are looking at other options realistically for what they can do. they want to help people but how long can they look after themselves in these conditions? but long can they look after themselves in these conditions?— in these conditions? but it is action that — in these conditions? but it is action that health _ in these conditions? but it is action that health bosses - in these conditions? but it is l action that health bosses were dreading. coming at the worst time of the year, with hospitals already struggling. the doctors, though, so pressures on them are growing and they say their pay hasn't kept up with inflation. this doctor is a surgical registrar. he is already qualified to undertake major knee and hip surgery. we qualified to undertake ma'or knee and hip surgervfi qualified to undertake ma'or knee and hip surgery. we are not asking for a hue and hip surgery. we are not asking for a huge pay _ and hip surgery. we are not asking for a huge pay rise, _ and hip surgery. we are not asking for a huge pay rise, what _ and hip surgery. we are not asking for a huge pay rise, what we - and hip surgery. we are not asking for a huge pay rise, what we are i for a huge pay rise, what we are asking for is our pay to stop being cut and to reverse the pay cuts we have already suffered. i cut and to reverse the pay cuts we have already suffered.— cut and to reverse the pay cuts we have already suffered. i want us to reach fair and _ have already suffered. i want us to reach fair and reasonable - reach fair and reasonable settlements and i have managed to do

that with _ settlements and i have managed to do that with consultants and with specialised doctors, i want to do the same — specialised doctors, i want to do the same withjunior specialised doctors, i want to do the same with junior doctors, specialised doctors, i want to do the same withjunior doctors, but then— the same withjunior doctors, but then calling a strike and walking out on _ then calling a strike and walking out on negotiations is not the way to secure — out on negotiations is not the way to secure that. the out on negotiations is not the way to secure that.— to secure that. the strike action will mean _ to secure that. the strike action will mean the _ to secure that. the strike action will mean the cancellation - to secure that. the strike action will mean the cancellation of. will mean the cancellation of thousands of appointments and operations. sally said she was in excruciating pain and had two appointments for an operation cancelled because of strike action. unable to take it anymore, she has now paid more than £13,000 to get her hip operation done privately. it was a big decision, because obviously i have been saving them money to leave to my kids or to have a nice holiday. but it is my health, rather than this poor soul who is wandering around screaming in pain. what do you say to people who are having their operations and appointments cancelled or postponed as a result of the strike action? {lit as a result of the strike action? of course, i am as a result of the strike action? of course, lam sorry as a result of the strike action? of course, i am sorry to anyone who has

had their operation or appointment postponed, but unfortunately, the government are just not bringing as a credible offer which we can put to members to end this. iltiuiith members to end this. with consultants _ members to end this. with consultants covering - members to end this. with consultants covering for i members to end this. with consultants covering for their juniors, and surgical teams diverted to help on the frontline, emergency care will continue, but hospitals are warning of long waits in a&e. we are warning of long waits in a&e. we are entering into uncharted territory. _ are entering into uncharted territory, and the level of risk is why we — territory, and the level of risk is why we come together with patient organisations to call on the government to try to resolve this dispute. — government to try to resolve this dispute, with the bma, or for both sides_ dispute, with the bma, or for both sides at— dispute, with the bma, or for both sides at least to suspend this action — sides at least to suspend this action. ., , sides at least to suspend this action. ., _ , ., action. the government says talks can continue _ action. the government says talks can continue if _ action. the government says talks can continue if the _ action. the government says talks can continue if the junior - action. the government says talks can continue if the junior doctors i can continue if the junior doctors call off their strikes. so, significant disruption right across england in hospitals like this one in manchester. patients are being warned that there will be long waits in a&e and many, many plant operations and appointments have been cancelled. patients can check on their websites because not all

hospitals are cancelling those elective or planned operations. in terms of waits in a&e, they say they could be significant, and what they are stressing to patients is that if it is a life—threatening emergency you should still come to a&e or call 999, others should contact 111 on the phone or online. back to you, reeta. thank you very much, sharon. donald trump has suffered a potential set back in his bid to be re—elected to the white house — after colorado's supreme court ruled he cannot be selected as the republican party's candidate in the state. it says the former president isn't eligible because he engaged in insurrection injanuary 2021, when his supporters stormed the us capitol building in washington. his campaign has vowed to appeal to the us federal supreme court — and he had this defiant message for his supporters. every time the radical left democrats, marxists, communists, and fascists indict me,

i consider it actually a great badge of honour. they want to silence me because i will never let them silence you. and in the end, they are not after me, they are after you. ijust happen to be standing in their way, and i always will stand in their way. our correspondent nomia iqbal is in washington. mr trump can still run for president in other states — but how does this decision in colorado impact the election? at the moment, it is so unknown, reeta. it is worth emphasising this is so extraordinary, because basically, a us court has decided that a former president engaged in insurrection and therefore should never be president again. now, it is worth mentioning that multiple lawsuits have been filed in different states across america by voters and advocacy groups trying to get donald trump kicked off the ballot because they say he is unfit

due to what happened on 6th janary 2021. those lawsuits have been dismissed, but it stuck in colorado. colorado is not a state that donald trump needs to win, he lost it in 2020, he can afford to let it go, but here is the thing, what if colorado's ruling is upheld, it could make other states, states which donald trump needs to win, look at the ruling and think, hang on a minute, we could be emboldened, inspired by that. as you mentioned ultimately it is the us federal supreme court, based here in dc, that has to decide, but whichever way they decide, it is going to be really controversial, because if they decide we are going to uphold they decide we are going to uphold the ruling, that means the supreme court has decided that donald trump did engage in insurrection and should not be president. and lots of voters would have a huge issue with that being decided. on the other hand, if they dismissed the ruling, those that are saying that donald trump should never be allowed near the white house again, will say,

well, the us supreme court interfered in the election. we will find out next month what ruling, what the ruling will be, but it is a really consequential moment, another consequential moment, that is going to play out for the election next year, an election that was already hugely unpredictable.— year, an election that was already hugely unpredictable. thank you very much, hugely unpredictable. thank you very much. nomia — hugely unpredictable. thank you very much, nomia iqbal. _ officials in iceland say the volcano that erupted in the south—west of the country on monday night is becoming less active. the eruption happened near the capital reykjavik, and created a huge fissure. from just outside the exclusion zone, our europe correspondent sofia bettiza sent this report. iceland's volcano, still active early this morning. overnight, glowing rivers of lava continued to flow. the eruption may now have peaked, but mother nature isn't done

wreaking havoc just yet. in daylight, this was the scene. and the fear now that fumes from the volcano are quickly making their way towards the capital, reykjavik, just 25 miles away. this is as close as we could get to the volcano before the authorities stopped us. overnight more lava has continued to flow and this is something that is very difficult to predict. which is why the authorities are warning people to stay away from this area for their safety. tourist sites inside the exclusion zone are now closed. including the famous blue lagoon spa. but the volcano itself has become an attraction for visitors from around the world. it's terrifying, but beautiful at the same time. it is not made by humans, isjust

totally mother nature herself. and that is just what we feel. we just feel so tiny, just humans, we can't do anything in front of this nature. iceland's volcano experts say the eruption could continue for weeks, possibly even months. which means nearly 4,000 people who live in this small icelandic fishing town are likely to be spending christmas away from home. sofia bettiza, bbc news, near grindavik in iceland. our top story this afternoon. inflation — the rate at which prices rise in the uk — falls sharply, but many food prices remain high. and coming up... thousands of community spaces will be open this christmas — so people can socialise and stay warm.

coming up on bbc news. a record victory for england with phil salt to thank, his century inspiring them to a record t20 total against the west indies in their victory in trinidad, setting up a series decider. the number of complaints about rat infestations in rented homes has risen ten—fold in the last four years, according to the housing ombudsman for england. he also says too many landlords are blaming their tenants' lifestyles for the problem, rather than actually trying to solve it. fiona trott has been speaking to some of those affected. a resident rat, caught on camera in a kitchen cupboard. jo—jo set it up. i'll put it on there because i think they could be getting through that bit there. she says she's been living with rats in her rochdale home for the past two years. i've messaged my housing officer

again and again and again. nothing. just been ignored. they're like uninvited guests. i do feel like i'm looking after my two children, plus the rats. i feel like they're another bunch of children. but because i have the rats making a mess, i'm having to steam mop, i'm having to hoover. i'm having to scrub. it is mentally draining me now, especially, like i say, when i'm finding rat faeces on my floor where my babies play. you know, it's wrong. wrong. whereabouts is the flat? in manchester city centre, michaela and her mum show us the flat where she should be living. rats have forced her out. she's too upset to go in. come in. you can even smell it yourself. it smells rotten. it's rats. in this day and age, this shouldn't happen to anyone. pest control have been into my flat. they've not actually told me the rats have ever gone away.

and i don't know if the system's made for people like myself. so you get confused and you think you are the problem. you sit there, you think, "am i the problem here?" her housing association have moved her to this hotel. some people think it's a luxury to live here. but it's not a luxury when you're pregnant and have nowhere to cook a hot meal. it's the third hotel in six months. i do my shift, and then obviously i come back to here and it'sjust like many times i canjust cry, like, i get really, really upset. i can't talk, sorry. it's not, it's not the life that you were making for yourself. exactly. you're not in your own home. and that's tough. yeah, very. very tough. and when it comes to rats, that's exactly what the housing ombudsman is hearing. more and more tenants like michaela are making complaints

because they believe the landlord isn't solving the issue. you'll see that nearly every door has been done. on the back streets of middlesborough... watch yourself coming through here because that's manky. that one's been done in the corner. ..telltale signs of where rats have been. see that dark marking? that's the grease off their body. you can see where they're passing through. how many rats do you think are living around here? hundreds. have you known anything like it? have you ever seen so many rats? i think it's always been bad. ijust think it's getting worse. michaela's still waiting to move out of her hotel. her housing association says... "we're very sorry ms ali has experienced a rat infestation. this was, unfortunately, caused by excavation work of the neighboring development. we've been supporting her to find permanent housing. we're doing everything we can to put it right." jo—jo is also waiting to be rehoused. her housing association says, "we're incredibly sorry. dealing with pests like this is an increasing issue for many landlords.

factors outside rbh and ms newnes' control such as historic water pipes have meant this has been an ongoing problem." across england, rats are ruining residents' lives, while they wait months and even years for a resolution, their right to a safe and decent home still feels out of reach. fiona trott, bbc news. the head of hamas — ismail haniyeh — is in cairo later for talks on a fresh ceasefire in gaza. israel has indicated it's willing to agree to another pause in fighting in exchange for more hostages. in the us, efforts to get a united nations security council motion for a cessation in the violence will resume after a vote yesterday was delayed. let's speak now to yolande knell who's injerusalem for us. yolande, what are you hearing about the likelihood of a new truce?

a full end to the fighting in gaza looks a long way off but it seems a temporary pause is once again a possibility. that will require a change in the official position of hamas med says it will not release more of the 100 plus hostages it holds without a permanent ceasefire but having the head of hamas, ismail haniyeh, now talking to the egyptians who are key mediators shows a level of seriousness. what has been reported in media in israel as a possible deal could involve up to 40 of the remaining hostages including all the women and older men and those who are sick or in need of urgent medical care being released in exchange for palestinian prisoners injail in israel including some convicted of more serious offences against israel. overall the official position of israel is that this war will

continue until hamas is defeated and we had the israeli president saying the country is now ready for a new humanitarian pause.— the country is now ready for a new humanitarian pause. thank you very much. as many struggle with the rising cost of energy this christmas, thousands of community spaces are being opened — where people can socialise but also stay warm. tomos morgan has been to port talbot to visit one of these centres, known as �*warm hubs'. festive spirits in full swing, no matter the age. the babies and toddlers music and rhyme class isjust as important for the children as it is for their guardians. it is quite isolating being on maternity and baby classes are really expensive and maternity pay is rubbish so you kind of find as many free classes as you can. i have taken a few months off work and it can get a bit lonely stuck in the house all day. but me and griff, if we want adventure we come out to these kind of places and have some fun. they meet at the port talbot library, which has become

a dedicated warm space. the warm welcome initiative began last year. originally it was an idea where people could go some way to save on heating their own homes. but it has now developed to have a positive impact on well—being as well. as it has for sarah, who regularly takes part in the centre's arts and crafts group. i come here every week now, and enjoy it. it has made a massive difference to me mentally and emotionally, everything. after the success of last year's campaign, the warm welcome team put some statistics together from those that attended. 40% told them before they had come they have felt lonely wires afterwards, that percentage was just 6%. more than half said had they not attended, they would have sat at home with the heating off. and 60% visiting said the warm welcome spaces had helped them financially. almost 2.5 million people attended these warm paces last year and today

almost 2.5 million people attended these warm spaces last year and today the arts and crafts group have welcomed a special guest and advocate for spaces like this during the festive period, and whose craft skills have been honed by his daughter, lyra. this is open to everyone, you know. we're here in middle of aberavon shopping centre and there are people who might need somewhere to come like this where they are not going to feel embarrassed, but it gives them something that can make all the difference. so things like that just makes sense. as the children tire, and the caffeine dries up, it's clear that hubs like these will be just as important as ever this winter. tomos morgan, bbc news. nottingham forest have appointed the former wolves and tottenham manager nuno espirito santo as their new head coach. he replaces steve cooper, who was sacked yesterday. santo took his first training session with the team this morning, as they prepare for saturday's premier league match at home to bournemouth. now are you off to the panto this christmas, or perhaps to the theatre? if you are, you might find yourself part of a new wave of appreciative audiences — giving the performers a standing ovation.

audiences on their feet used to be a rarity, but industry experts say they are now — literally — on the rise. noor nanji has been finding out why. # good night... #. it's a west end show, it's just about to finish, and then this happens... in the balcony, in the stalls, it's the same picture. everyone is on their feet and this is not a one off. here at the choir of man they say they're seeing standing ovations most nights of the week. did you give a standing ovation? absolutely, yeah. why did you give one? it was just a great show and i think it just shows appreciation. because they were amazing. fabulous voices, such entertainment and just so different. _ did you just go along with it? peer pressure? no, no, no, no. you're swept along with it, aren't you? because it's so amazing.

a few roads away at sunset boulevard starring the singer nicole scherzinger, audiences have even been getting to their feet during the show. and it's notjust in the west end. it's happening in leicester, liverpool, birmingham and manchester. theatres, critics and industry experts all say that while ovations used to be a rarity, since the pandemic, they've become more common. some think the trend has come overfrom the us, while others say with ticket prices high, standing up and cheering can be a way to convince yourself that it was all worth it. at bristol old vic, a christmas show, arabian nights, is under way. built in 1766, this theatre knows a thing or two about changing audience behaviour. i'm definitely seeing a lot more standing ovations. i think that after the pandemic people are excited to be back in the theatres,

having that collective experience with other audience members, appreciating good work on our stages. but if you give standing ovations for everything, do they risk losing their value? we've got to be really careful that we don't become snobs about theatre etiquette. you know, there are certain things we don't want. we don't want fights breaking out or people heckling necessarily, unless maybe sometimes in a panto! but generally we just want people engaged. not everyone can jump on their feet, and children also often find different ways to express themselves. today's show is aimed at families. there's a lot of shouting and cheering, but this time, no ovation. meanwhile, at the choir of man, the ovation is still going on. noor nanji, bbc news. a british schoolgirl has made chess history by beating an international master and being crowned the best female player at the european championships at the weekend.

bodhana sivanandan from harrow in northwest london isjust eight years old, and this was her meeting the prime minister this summer. next week she'll be competing at the international chess congress in hastings. she's been speaking to the bbc about how she got interested in chess. when one of my dad's friends was going back to india in covid times, all the charities were closed so then he gave us a few boxes and in those boxes there was a chessboard. and then i was interested in the pieces so then i started playing. time for a look at the weather. here's darren bett. some windy weather on the way in the run—up to christmas and the wind will strengthen overnight tonight and continued very strong into tomorrow. it is during this period that we have the greater risk of