lawmakers in five" mps in south korea vote to impeach president yoon — over his failed attempt to impose martial law. over his failed attempt prince andrew says he "ceased all contact" to impose martial law. with a businessman accused of being a chinese spy — after the uk government raised concerns. and — extreme runners gather prince andrew says he "ceased all contact" near the south pole — with a businessman accused for one of the world's of being a chinese spy — after the uk government raised concerns. and — extreme runners gather most challenging marathons. near the south pole — a former manchester city footballer has been appointed as the country's president in georgia. he was the only a former manchester city candidate for thejob. footballer has been appointed as the country's president in georgia. he was the only candidate for thejob. georgia. he was the only candidate forthejob. but georgia. he was the only candidate for the job. but only a minority of the electoral couege a minority of the electoral 00:00:54,778 --> 4294966103:13:29,429 college voted for him. this was georgia. he was the only candidate forthejob. but georgia. he was the only candidate for the job. but only a minority of the electoral couege a minority of the electoral

college voted for him.

group �*girls generation�* as fireworks broke out overhead. here was the moment the results of the impeachment vote was announced. 204 in favour, out of 300, against is 85. and i announce it has passed. in an address to the south korean people after the vote, mr yoon asked politicians to improve the political culture in the country away from confrontation — while also urging support for the acting president. here's our seol correspondent, jean mckenzie, who has been with the cheering crowds outside the national assembly...

as you can see, huge crowds as you can see, huge crowds already starting to gather already starting to gather outside of the parliament outside of the parliament here urging mps to vote here urging mps to vote to remove the president to remove the president from office very, very shortly from office very, very shortly when they get this vote — when they get this vote — and whether to impeach him. and whether to impeach him. last week, we had more last week, we had more than 100,000 out on the streets than 100,000 out on the streets here, but the crowds today here, but the crowds today are expected to be even bigger. are expected to be even bigger. it has been 11 days now it has been 11 days now since the president tried to impose martial law since the president tried here and stand this country. as you can see, huge crowds as you can see, huge crowds already starting to gather to impose martial law already starting to gather here and stand this country. and people have been protesting and people have been protesting every single day sense, in freezing, freezing temperatures. every single day sense, mr yoon has made clear that he mr yoon has made clear that he is going to fight this until is going to fight this until the very end. he will not go the very end. he

quietly. everyone has come out onto the street day

people have been imploring the mps to impeach the president. couldn't accord to mps that assist to president's decision to impose martial law in is caused the impeachment. there are questions ofjustice and democracy. laura bicker — who for many years was our seoul correspondent — watched events from beijing —

and told me about this historic move. huge moment. for the last 12 days, south korea has been in political turmoil. they watched in horror as on that tuesday night, late at night, president yoon declared martial law. now, that sent chills through a country that had for decades fought authoritarian rule. for many of the young people on the streets that you are seeing partying now, their parents, their grandparents fought for democracy. some of them died for democracy. and here they are once again defending it on the streets. and that is how they see it. those parties will continue well into the night. now, when it came to this impeachment vote last week, they tried — the opposition party — tried to push towards impeachment. but president yoon's own party, the ruling party, boycotted the vote. there was huge disappointment, but over the last week the pressure has gone up, the mood has changed. and that is because more details about what happened that night have emerged. we've heard that president yoon had ordered that the leaders of

the opposition and the chairman of his own party, along with many other members of the national assembly would be rounded up by the army and put in a detention centre. president yoon himself stayed quiet most of the week and then made an impassioned plea on thursday, saying he would fight until the end. it became increasingly clear to his own party that he would not step down, that he would not resign and that he would have to be impeached. and that is what has led to this vote. and laura, people listening to what you've been saying may well wonder what on earth was yoon thinking? because surely this was a gamble that was set to fail. this was a huge political gamble. look, the question that we've been trying to answer for, for since he declared martial law is what on earth was he thinking? i think you have to look at where president yoon comes from. he was not a politician. he was a prosecutor. and he rose to prominence by prosecuting two

former presidents. and then he won an election. but only just. it was by less than a 1%, about 0.7%, 0.8%. so he didn't really have the kind of power that he hoped for right from the start. he struggled with the opposition party, and he struggled within his own party to get anything done. increasingly isolated, he has felt, and certainly seems to have been, listening to conspiracy theories about rigged elections. and also he feels that he's up against constant forces that he believes are pro—north korean voices. and he believes that the only way to get rid of those voices was to declare martial law. that was certainly his defence. so it gives you an insight into what he was thinking. it has to be said that there is absolutely no evidence for those claims whatsoever. even his own party do not agree with him when it comes to those claims about rigged elections and pro—communist forces.

so that is what perhaps he was thinking. now he will no longer be president. he will be stripped of his powers. he will go to the prime minister. and the next steps are that this decision has to be ratified and reviewed by the constitutional court. if the court decides, and this could take many months, if the court decides that it is constitutional, then another presidential election will be called. prince andrew says he "ceased all contact" with a businessman accused of being a chinese spy after concerns were raised by the government. in a statement, the duke of york said the pair met through "official channels" and had never discussed anything of a "sensitive nature". the man in question lost an appeal over a decision to bar him from entering the uk on national security grounds. graham satchell reports once again, prince andrew is underfire.

hisjudgment called into question after he was targeted by a suspected spy working for the chinese communist party. a statement issued by the duke of york's office said the duke of york followed advice from his majesty's government and ceased all contact with the individual after concerns were raised. the duke met the individual through official channels, with nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed. he is unable to comment further on matters relating to national security. prince andrew has a long history of promoting trade links with china. the revelations that he was in a close working relationship with a man who worked for chinese intelligence have been made public after the man, known only as h6, was barred from the uk on national security grounds. when mi5 became suspicious of h6, they searched his phone. they found a letter from prince andrew's senior adviser, dominic hampshire. it said, "outside of the prince's closest internal confidants, you sit at the very top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on." and in a note he'd written to himself, the alleged spy

said, "manage expectations. "really important to not set too high expectations. he is in a desperate situation and will grab at anything." in what may be a significant escalation in this story, the times is reporting that the suspected chinese spy attended events here at buckingham palace, at st james�*s palace, and at windsor castle. it raises the question — how much influence did he have at the very highest levels of the british establishment? mi5 has become more worried in recent times about china's influence and intelligence gathering in the uk. we see the chinese authorities playing the long game in cultivating contacts to manipulate opinion in china's favour, seeking to co—opt and influence not just prominent parliamentarians from across the political landscape, but people much earlier in their careers and public life, gradually building a debt of obligation. the chinese embassy has

called the allegations of spying a baseless smear, but there are now growing calls from some politicians for h6 to be named in the interests of national security. it was his girlfriend that was the key element in this. prince andrew stopped being a working member of the royal family after details were revealed of his friendship with convicted sex offenderjeffrey epstein. ever since, questions have been asked about how the prince has been funding his 30—room mansion in windsor. and while there is uncertainty about the prince's finances, it is his judgment that has once again come under the closest scrutiny. graham satchell, bbc news. it's a final test match of the year for england's men, before they have christmas at home, and after their busiest test match year, ever, they have a real spring

in their step, because they have already won the series, in new zealand. england's bowlers dominated, for most of the opening day. gus atkinson once again shone, taking 3 wickets — the same number that fell to matthew potts, the best moment of the day, was when the world's best batter harry brook showed hisjuggling abilities, taking a superb catch on the boundary, nifty footwork as well as keeping his eye on the ball,the only frustration for england was that the hosts tail end, proved rather stubborn as they got past the 300 mark, so 9 wickets down, by close of play and new zealand 315 for 9 in theirfirst innings. we don't go through a phase of not taking any wickets. perhaps not taking any wickets. perhaps not doing a nicejob. grafting away, as you would say. it is backed up by the fielders. we know that if we stick to our guns, then it will come away eventually and we will get the rest of the day back a little bit. i

rest of the day back a little bit. ~' rest of the day back a little bit. ~ , . bit. i think the pitch will flatten out _ bit. i think the pitch will flatten out a little - bit. i think the pitch will flatten out a little bit i flatten out a little bit tomorrow. we will have to try and _ tomorrow. we will have to try and build _ tomorrow. we will have to try and build pressure which is tough _ and build pressure which is tough to— and build pressure which is tough to do against the english. it was a frustrating day for australia and india, as the opening day of the third test in brisbane was abandoned due to rain. the weather meant only 13.2 overs were possible, as openers usman khawaja and nathan mcsweeney guided australia to 28—0. an lbw appeal by akash deep against the latter the only chance of note at the gabba. the five—match series is level at 1—1 after australia's10—wicketwin in adelaide last week. premier league leaders liverpool can stretch their lead to seven points if they beat fulham at anfield. arne slot�*s team have dropped points only three times, in the premier league this season, but he's wary of in form, fulham, who drew with arsenal last week. you can only take points away

from these teams if you have quality yourself. and that is what they have. they worked really hard. that is when reason not to concede goals. that is what they did against arsenal. in the premier league today, it's always a special day for mikel arteta when his arsenal team play everton....arsenal need the win to keep, up the chase on the top 2...while everton are looking to make it back—to—back wins, and they will always have a place in his heart as he played more for them, than any other team. there is a lot of love for the club. whatever happens, they are there. it will give them a stability. there's a lot to be excited about. the game of the day in the premier league, in terms of pressure is the one

between wolves and ipswich, who are both in the relegation zone. wolves boss gary 0'neil, retains the support of the club, despite his side being second bottom in the table with only two wins so far, with 0'neil admitting circumstances at the club, that have helped keep him in hisjob. ifi if i were cherry picking premier league players, and i hadn't won three games, i would have lost myjob a while ago. that is not the situation that we are in. of course, i understand the question of results. and that's all the sport for now. syrians rejoiced late into the night on friday to celebrate their new found freedoms five days after a lightning rebel advance ended over 50 years of rule under the assad family.

thousands of people packed into the main square in damascus setting off fireworks, sounding their car horns, and waving a new nationalflag — that of the rebel forces. in aleppo, residents danced in the streets and set fire to a huge billboard depicting the assads. diplomatic moves are gathering pace to stabilise the country. jordan is due to host a series of meetings later bringing together arab and international leaders. 0ur international editorjeremy bowen, has more from damascus. this ancient city has seen countless upheavals overfive millennia. for modern syria, though, with its old flag restored, nothing matches the fall of the assads. the end of the first week without an assad in charge since 1970 brought thousands of syrians into the umayyad mosque to thank god for their deliverance. the chant is, "the people want the execution of bashar." the regime's collapse

and liberation from assad's brutal security state are powering a sense of great optimism. for all the people here, this puts the seal on it. this is absolute proof that they have won and the regime has gone. just flying one of these black, white and green flags a couple of weeks ago could have got you arrested, jail time, or even a bullet. the fighters of hayat tahrir al—sham — hts — are still basking in their achievement. that white flag used by syrian islamist fighters was also behind the new prime minister in a broadcast. hts insists it has renounced its former extremist ideology. some syrians do not believe them. samir, overwhelmed, back from britain after 44 years, is hoping for a tolerant future.

it is our country, this is not al—assad country. he is gone now. i don't know how we are going to resolve it. he has been corrupting this country for 50 years, but these are the people who are going to build the country, so wish us luck. everyone in the world. and please, please, leave us alone. leave us alone, 0k? we appreciate your support, but we don't want anyone to interfere with our decisions, what we are going to do. this is their decision. syria's future is full of challenges. hts is an islamist group. what will that mean for girls and women? how do syrians getjustice for the regime's crimes? they meant it when they call for assad's execution before the prayer. their new rulers told them to celebrate the blessed revolution, so they did. syrians understand that it won't be easy to overcome 50 years of dictatorship and 1a years of war. but this was a day to seize and enjoy.

thousands converged on umayyad square in the centre of damascus. it is as if an enormous weight has been lifted off a nation. i have never seen so many smiling people in syria. we are free! we are feeling the feelings of freedom! we never feel like this. i want all the world to see us! we are free now. south, north, we are free. the fighters are the heroes now, bringing their kids, posing for photos with other people's, but when the party is over, people need to eat, in an economy smashed by war and corruption. i asked this woman and her daughters what they need. just needed freedom, no taxes, no stolen money taken from us. we just want to be independent. we want to be an independent people. syria is an independent country. nobody controls us. nobody can rule us, just

the syrians themselves. it is too soon for firm answers to syria's problems, but the placards set an agenda — bring the assads to justice, civil rights for all, and syria is for every syrian, no matter who they are. jeremy bowen, bbc news, damascus. the governor of the state of newjersey has written to president biden about the sightings of drones. the fbi have had many tip—offs about the flying objects. mil have had many tip-offs about the flying objects.— the flying ob'ects. all this started a _ the flying objects. all this started a few _ the flying objects. all this started a few weeks - the flying objects. all this started a few weeks ago i the flying objects. all this - started a few weeks ago about a drone flying over an army base. in the days that followed, officials were inundated with similar such reports. mysterious objects in the skies

overhead. loud, low flying objects with an unusual lighting often reported to be lying very close to each other. when i witness described seeing something that he said was the size of a school bus flying about hundred and 50 feet above the trees. state and federal officials are investigating, but they do not believe there is anything unusual. but they say that these sightings are probably unmanned aircraft or helicopters. and they have said that they are confident that there is no risk to the public. but they have not said where these objects have come from and who they belong to. that has been considerable speculation on social media. it has led to calls from the president—elect, donald trump to beam more forthcoming about what is behind this phenomenon

and to shoot these objects down. they have been 460,000 followers to a social media account in newjersey about the drones. drone sporting has become a new pastime for many in that part of the world. the m ste in that part of the world. the mystery continues. - the crown of thorns, a relic said to have been placed on the head ofjesus christ at his crucifixion, has returned to notre—dame cathedral in paris. the woven circle of rushes encased in a golden tube had been saved from the huge fire that gutted the historic building five years ago. the relic was first mentioned byjerusalem pilgrims in the 5th century and later found its way to constantinople, where the then french king acquired it in the year 1239 long distance runners have gathered in antartica to take part in one of the most challenging marathons in the world.

held in the union glacier, the antarctic ice marathon is the southern—most athletics event on earth. with the ellsworth mountains as a backdrop, the competitors do laps of the camp, which is situated just 600 miles from the south pole — which has an average wind—chill temperature of minus 20 degrees celsius. ijust want i just want to remind you ijust want to remind you of our breaking news from georgia. the former manchester city footballer, mikheil kavelashvili, has been elected president. he is a former georgian dream mp. he was the only candidate for the job stop 224 out of 225 members voted for him. he replaces the current president. the current president is pro—european and

refuses to leave office. j similar life scenes outside the parliament building. this place has seen 16 successive days of mass pro—eu demonstrations. this was part by georgian dream delaying accession talks of the eu. main opposition groups have rejected the appointment. just remind of that breaking news this hour. the former manchester city footballer, mikheil kavelashvili has been appointed president in georgia. stay with us on bbc news. hello. sunshine has made a bit of a reappearance for many today, but still a little on the cool side. that said, temperatures are where they should be this time of year. white colours indicate

that on this chart. blues below average. reds above average. just noticed though, from sunday onwards, how the deeper colours start to appear across us and northwest europe. temperatures will be significantly above normal through much of this week, ahead sometimes by around five to seven degrees. the milder air will be coming on the back of this cloud, which was earlier spilling into scotland. northern ireland continue to make it cloudier through the afternoon. grey skies. western scotland north and west and northern ireland, with outbreaks of rain developing away from that, though other than isolated showers, most stay dry. a lot more sunshine for england and wales, especially after that early morning cloud in the south. but as i said, temperatures five to eight degrees around where we should be for this time in the year. but it won't take long before that milder air pushes in through tonight behind this weatherfront. this is what will bring the rain initially in scotland and northern ireland before it properly arrives. up could be a chilly evening across east anglia and the south east, but there goes those outbreaks of rain. 0ur weather front pushing to all parts through the night into the morning, opening the door to atlantic winds, some rain or drizzle around plenty of cloud and by the end of the night, the start of sunday morning, temperatures higher than they have been by day for the past week or so.

now, as you go into sunday, expect a lot more cloud around, grey skies, but there will be some thinning of that, some brighter breaks to the east of high ground across parts of east wales, eastern england, eastern scotland too. the cloud, though, in the north and west of scotland, will be bringing in outbreaks of rain becoming heavy and persistent in the highlands and the winds, strengthening widespread gales in the north of scotland by the end of the day. but those winds coming in from the southwest mean that temperatures continue to climb 14 degrees in eastern scotland, maybe around torbay as well, significantly above the mid december average. stays mild into monday too, but the rain stays in place in northern scotland, continuing to mount up away from that though. a few more brighter breaks. better chance of some sunshine. temperatures down a little bit on sunday's values, but it still will feel mild. but that rainfall, as i said, continues to mount up in scotland as we go through from sunday through to tuesday. not much rain to the south and the east, but in the northwest of scotland, 150mm is possible in the highlands, especially the western highlands, and that could cause some flooding. so there will be further rain into the early part

of next week, staying on the milder side. wednesday the mildest day. cooler but brighter later in the week.

this is bbc news. the headlines: lawmakers in georgia's disputed parliament have elected the former manchester city footballer mikheil kavelashvili, known for anti—western sentiment, as the country's new president. it comes amid weeks of mass pro—european protests

across the country. mps in south korea vote to impeach president yoon in a successful second attempt to remove him from office over his failed attempt to impose martial law. the country's prime minister will now serve as acting president. prince andrew says he ceased all contact with a businessman accused of being a chinese spy after concerns were raised by the government. in a statement, the prince's office said no sensitive information was ever discussed. and mystery grows in the us following repeated sightings of drones in several states. the governor of newjersey has urged president biden to investigate. now on bbc news, nobel minds: physics and chemistry. in this programme, this year's nobel laureates in physics and chemistry tell us about the benefits and pitfalls of artificial intelligence.

this is nobel minds 2024.