might change the country. our other main stories: president putin says — he should've acted earlier in ukraine and prepared more. he's been holding his, end of year news conference. our russia editor was there. and with the countdown to 2025, we take a look back split decision, the bank of england keeps interest rates on hold but not everyone agrees. we will give you the latest details. and with the countdown to 2025, we take a look back at some of the best films released this year. hello from avignon, where verdicts —

and sentences — have been delivered in the mass rape trial that has shocked france. earlier today dominique pelicot was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison for the aggravated rape of his wife and for drugging her and inviting many, many other men to do the same. he was there in the docks with other men, 50 convictions altogether, one of them in absentia. those men were given sentences ranging from between three, 15 years. all in all 47 men guilty of rape, two men sexual de maeght guilty of sexual de maeght guilty of sexual abuse and two men guilty of rape. but it's the bravery of rape. but it's the bravery of gisele pelicot that really has garnered all the attention here over the last few weeks. early on in the proceedings she decided after watching videos of those attacks on her which were filmed by her husband to open the doors to the trial,

she put it herself, to waive her right of anonymity to make sure that the attention of this case is then put on women victims of rape around the world. the question now is how did we get here and what does this mean for france going forward? with the answer to the first question, here is my colleague hugh schofield. it was the same walk she's made so often to the avignon courthouse. but this time for the last time. maybe that's why gisele pelicot was smiling this morning. it's the end of three months of gruelling testimony that's tested her courage and made her an international symbol. with tv crews from around the world looking on, at 9:30, thejudge began reading the sentences on her husband dominique, who drugged her and invited in strangers to rape her. and then the 50 others — all guilty. outside, her supporters were waiting. the verdicts have come in. all guilty.

and now the sentences are being read out by thejudge in the court behind me. dominique pelicot, as expected, 20 years, but for some of the others, five years, eight years, and among the activists here, there's a degree of anger at that, at sentences that they're saying are too low. it's very it's much too low. and women seek forjustice, we wantjustice. if we don't have justice, we will make justice. feminist activists may be angered by the leniency of some of the sentences, but the impact of the pelicot trial is already being felt in the way it's forcing a reassessment of attitudes towards rape and male sexual behaviour. it is possibly one of the most shocking aspects of this case. how easily he found 50, maybe 100 men in the neighbouring area willing to

participate in these scenarios. it's harrowing to think about. within the last hour, gisele pelicot emerged to give her first reaction. she thanked herfamily and her lawyers, and then all the people who'd expressed their support for her over the last three months. translation: finally, i think of the unrecognised victims whose stories often remain in the shadows. i want you to know that we share the same fight. i would like to express my gratitude to all the people who supported me. your testimonies have moved me, and i have drawn from them the strength to come back every day to face these long days of hearings. this landmark trial now over, gisele pelicot leaves the public stage. but the legacy of her bearing witness will not be forgotten. hugh schofield, bbc news, avignon. throughout this trial gisele pelicot has maintained a very dignified silence, coming into

court every morning just before nine o'clock at the beginning wearing sunglasses, later having removed them. but after the sentencing and the verdict, she did stand in the court and talk to the waiting press and the public as well. you heard a little bit there in my colleague's report but let's now listen to what gisele pelicot had to say after those verdicts were handed down. translation: it is with deep emotion that i stand here before you today. this trial has been a very difficult ordeal, and at this moment i think first and foremost of my three children — david, caroline and florian. i also think of my grandchildren because they are the future, and it is also for them that i led this fight, as well as my daughters in law, aurore and celine. i also think of all the otherfamilies affected by this tragedy. finally, i think of the unrecognised victims whose stories often remain in the shadows. i want you to know that we share the same fight.

i would like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who supported me throughout this ordeal. your support has overwhelmed me, and i drew my strength from this to come back every day to face these long days of hearings. i also thank the victim support associations. their unfailing support has been invaluable to me. to all the journalists who have followed this affairfrom the beginning, i would like to express my gratitude for the faithful, respectful and dignified treatment in which they reported these daily hearings. finally, to my lawyers, they know all the recognition and esteem i have for them, for their work at each stage of this painfuljourney. when the trial started last september, i wanted society to be able to follow the debates that were held. i have never regretted this decision. i now have confidence in our ability to collectively build a future in which each woman and man can live in harmony with respect and mutual understanding.

those are the words of gisele pelicot hoping that in the future men and women can live together in harmony and understanding. one thing that she has done, even before coming out earlier today to talk to the press, she has really brought to the fore the debate in this country and around the world about women and the way in which sexual abuse and sexual violence against women is reported and is investigated. in this country and in france so many of these cases do not even make it to trial. a little earlier i spoke to an activist, victoire tuaillon, but what this case means for france going forward. a lot of things need to change. you know, the first thing is that, as you know, most complaints about rape are not prosecuted. you know, because the police doesn't have the money to do it. you don't have enough people who are in charge of this problem. so most of the cases, theyjust, you know,

go unprosecuted. so that's the first thing. then we need trainings, like serious trainings, for policemen and women. we need trainings for lawyers and forjudges and for doctors, and for everybody involved in the treatment of this huge problem, you know. so we need massive public policies. and right now, i mean, it's been seven years since metoo and women and gender equality was supposed to be, you know, the big cause of macron's presidency, but he actually did nothing, you know? so a lot of things need to change. we need trainings. we need more money. we need serious public policies, you know, so we can really tackle this problem. this case has forced a big debate within the world of french politics with regard to

rape, with regard to consent and also the law around chemical submission. and also the law around chemicalsubmission. it's and also the law around chemical submission. it's a bit of a complicated law in this country but for now chemical submission tests can only occur once a legal complaint is filed with the police. and of course, as we know, chemicals, traces of chemicals in the system don't often last. there is a real push among some mps to make a change. one of those is veronique guillotin. i spoke to her when i was in london a couple of days ago about what she is trying to do to change that law. translation: what we need to do today is raise awareness, _ inform and train the first responders who assist victims. this includes police officers, for instance, or doctors in emergency services, and even a nurse who might be the first to welcome the victim. it's important to train them in how to listen and collect testimonies. evidence can disappear within 2a to 48 hours. for example, proof in blood and urine can fade away.

additionally, we need to change the law. this involves enabling analysis to be conducted even before a formal complaint is filed, so the evidence can be preserved. this allows the victim to take their time before deciding to file a complaint whenever they feel ready, have processed the experience, or are able to speak out and proceed with legal action. what difference do you think gisele pelicot�*s bravery has made to this discussion, to this debate in france? without her, would any of this change have been possible? translation: i believe we must first pay tribute to her _ above all else, acknowledge her courage, her dignity in choosing to make this trial public rather than keeping it behind closed doors. and i think, as you mentioned,

without this act of bravery, the discussion we're having today would not have been possible. that was veronique guillotin talking to me a little earlier about those french laws. obviously this has kicked off a huge debate in france which has been going on for a good few months now and many activists are saying that this it's exactly what this country needed to push forward with the societal changes that are necessary to make a difference. a little earlier i spoke to jamie klingler, she is an activist who also wrote an op—ed piece for the new european. in that piece she nominated, if you like, gisele pelicot as her person of the year. and she believes that this case has made a huge difference to all of those issues that we have outlined with regards to women and the problem of violence against women. have a listen.

we've been told, you can say it wasn't my fault, it wasn't my fault. but we haven't actually been trained that we can believe it. and so to actually have someone stand up and say, "i want you to see the videos, i want you to see the proof of the dehumanisation," and to know, like, if i saw a man unconscious in front of me, i would call an ambulance. the last thing i would do is violate that person. and to hear madame pelicot talk about what it did to her and what finding out about this, and to stand up to it and to make the world not be able to look away, has released a lot of women has released a lot of women from a lot of shame, from a lot of shame, and changed the conversation and changed the conversation drastically in a way that i don't think drastically in a way that i don't think i even knew possible. i even knew possible. and in campaigning and working and in campaigning and working with victims all the time and working with survivors, with victims all the time so often we're still women, and we need to stop taught to blame ourselves taught to blame ourselves and question our own behaviour, and question our own behaviour, and why didn't we get away, and why didn't we get away, why didn't we take why didn't we take a self—defence class? a self—defence class? what could we have what could we have done differently? done differently? and to know that if the videos and to know that if the videos had never come forward, had never come forward, she wouldn't have known, she wouldn't have known, let alone the rest let alone the rest of the world? of the world?

we really need to believe we really need to believe women, and we need to stop the whataboutery and stop questioning ourselves and stop questioning. this is less about what courts think and more

this is less about what courts think and�* dominique defence team of dominique pelicot, beatrice zavarro, but what he is thinking at the moment. have a listen. translation: i think that we are now part of the... we have to assume the responsibility of dominique pelicot and the dignity of madame pelicot. i will decide after ten years. so 29th december, i will decide whether yes or no, we will appeal this verdict, which was given, handed down. and i think i was saying at the beginning of the debates that mr pelicot was not the conductor, the chief of orchestra of this, and the verdict condemned conductor and making a difference between him and the other musicians, if you like, of this orchestra. and we have not the authorisation to criticise the decisions made by

the justice, by the court, and we will maybe appeal. but again, i repeat, we will use this time of ten days, which we have to make the decision whether we should again be subjected to a popular jury in the months to come. that's our first reactions. thank you. in the same attitude that i've just told you that he's a bit confused by what's happened. and again, i will see that with the prison, which will affect his future. that was the defence counsel of dominique pelicot explaining that he is thinking about what to do next. another defendant

who received a 12 year sentence for a crime linked to that of gisele pelicot, he was a copycat to dominique and he drugged and raped his own wife and invited dominique pelicot to do the same. his defence lawyer said that he would not be appealing his sentence. i think the feeling here is that people hope that there will not be any appeals because if there are that will in many ways prolong this very brutal process for gisele and her family. i want to return to what gisele pelicot�*s lawyer said about her removing her sunglasses because in the early days of the trial she wore them, he said, to hide her anxiety. she wore them, he said, to hide heranxiety. but she wore them, he said, to hide her anxiety. but as the trial progressed she got stronger and no longer felt she had to have that sort of barrier. that story gives you just a tiny glimpse, doesn't it, of what she went through even during this trial. �* , , ., ., ,

this trial. it's been a really brutal process _ this trial. it's been a really brutal process for - this trial. it's been a really brutal process for her - this trial. it's been a really brutal process for her and | brutal process for her and those sunglasses were worn day in and day out at the beginning of the trial. one can argue they were the early autumn months, warm and sunny days, but really they were also a symbol of gisele pelicot�*s efforts to detect herself because even though she put on such a brave face, even though she decided to waive anonymity, she decided to waive anonymity, she kept saying, and i know that she said that there was a quote that was earlier from her that said behind herfacade of strength lay in a field of ruins. so despite the widespread acclaim for what she has done, gisele pelicot very much comes across as a reluctant hero, someone who wanted to make this story bigger than herself, someone who wanted to make this story about the attitude towards sexual violence and women in this country, someone who has been so, so much but as always

has behaves with her head held high as she walked into court. marian moshiri live in avignon. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news.

you're watching bbc news. uk interest rates will remain at 4.75% after the bank of england voted to hold borrowing costs. that's despite three of the nine members of the bank's rate—setting committee wanting to reduce it to 4.5%. rates are expected to fall gradually next year. the bank said it thought the economy have performed worse than expected. here is our economics editor faisal islam. it expected. here is our economics editor faisal islam.— editor faisal islam. if you were expecting _ editor faisal islam. if you were expecting a - editor faisal islam. if you were expecting a rate - editor faisal islam. if you - were expecting a rate change today and they have been held

at 4.75% but under the hood of that decision there is some interesting dynamics. remember yesterday the us federal reserve's central bank did cut rates but signalled clearly there would be fewer rate cuts over 2025 command that affected markets. markets have been betting that there will be fewer rate cuts from the bank of england, to over the next year so the detail of the considerations of the 9—member lack of england committee came to when deciding to hold are quite interesting and the surprise was that three members of the 9—member committee decided that they thought it would be the right time to cut interest rates, including the deputy governor of the bank of england david ramsden. so that's a rather interesting development. and it comes because the bank has forecast just a month after its full round of forecasting that the british economy is now not growing, that it is stagnant. so there are concerns about a

weaker economy now beginning to balance off concerns that inflation would linger and stay higherfor inflation would linger and stay higher for longer. inflation would linger and stay higherfor longer. so the higher for longer. so the bottom higherfor longer. so the bottom line is this, that although there has been no cut today, the bank's governor andrew bailey has reiterated that there should be gradual cuts. and for now it looks like february could still be on. it depends if there are any uncertainties, for example, on theissue uncertainties, for example, on the issue of the trump trade tariffs and there is also the issue of where the impact of the budget on both firms on whether they will impact prices or whether they will affect wages. significant hold and we will await what happens next year. will await what happens next ear, ., , ., , ., will await what happens next ear, ., , ., ., will await what happens next ear. . ., ,, year. faisal islam at the bank of england- — year. faisal islam at the bank of england. today _ year. faisal islam at the bank of england. today has - year. faisal islam at the bank of england. today has seen i year. faisal islam at the bank. of england. today has seen the annual pre—christmas tradition in moscow, an hour—long marathon news c0 nfe re nce news conference by vladimir

putin in which he takes questions from journalists, tv viewers and invited guests. president putin said he had not yet made with the serial�*s ousted president assad but does have plans to do that. he denied that asad's defeat was also a treat for russia. he said he is prepared for talks and compromises over the future of ukraine but the ukrainian authorities should also be prepared to compromise. i rush editor steve rosenberg was at the news conference and he asked the president if he thinks he has been successful as russia's leader. translation: . , ., , translation: executive 25 years a . o translation: executive 25 years auo boris translation: executive 25 years ago boris yeltsin _ translation: executive 25 years ago boris yeltsin who _ translation: executive 25 years ago boris yeltsin who retired - ago boris yeltsin who retired resigned office and handed over the power and you told him stay on guard. 25 years later, would you say you have succeeded in it? because from our part we have seen significant losses during the so—called special military operation that you

have declared with ukraine soldiers in the kursk region, you criticised the nato expansion and enlargement. but there is now a great nato presence at the russian border line, i mean, sweden and finland. we have demographic and economic problems. what do you think? have you succeeded? putin: yes, i believe i have. i believe we have moved away from the brink of an abyss. because what happened to russia before that and after that was leading us to a complete and total loss of our sovereignty. and without sovereignty, russia cannot exist as an independent state. just a small snapshot to that news conference. listening to that press conference was washington post journalist — and author of putin's people — catherine belton. she gave me her assessment. the biggest takeaway from me was at the beginning where he

was at the beginning where he was facing a lot of questions about the economy. it is clear citizens and people are worried about rising prices. inflation has been soaring. it is now at 9%, essentially as a result of sanctions and putin's wartime spending spree on the military.

and this is involving basic foodstuffs such as potatoes which are now up nearly 80% on the year. and putin, though he is trying to project this image, as he was to your correspondence just now of everything being fine and everything being fine and everything being fine and everything being stable, he did admit that inflation is now alarming and he is facing growing pressure is on the economy. growing pressure is on the economy-— growing pressure is on the economy. growing pressure is on the econom . , . , ., ., economy. interest rates are at 2196. economy. interest rates are at 21%- how— economy. interest rates are at 21%- how big _ economy. interest rates are at 2196. how big a _ economy. interest rates are at 2196. how big a problem - economy. interest rates are at 2196. how big a problem is - economy. interest rates are at 2196. how big a problem is this 21%. how big a problem is this likely to be into 2025 for the economy? i likely to be into 2025 for the economy?— economy? i think it's the bi est economy? i think it's the biggest risk _ economy? i think it's the biggest risk he _ economy? i think it's the biggest risk he is - economy? i think it's the biggest risk he is facing. | economy? i think it's the - biggest risk he is facing. yes, he is facing growing losses on the battlefield. i think you had president—elect trump's nominated special envoy for ukraine saying russia is facing losses of 1.2 thousand men per day on the battlefield. the economy is the biggest risk for him. we have even seen his closest allies, members of his inner circle, his best friends from st petersburg essentially, claim that interest rates are so sky—high that he could be facing bankruptcy is in the economy next year will start russia has very high corporate debt levels. and at some point this isn't going to be sustainable for him. right now he thinks he is winning, and he is, because ukraine is undermined, and are supplied with weapons and hasn't been able to get an adequate amount

of weapons and they think trump is going to cut aid. but if western aid is sustained for another year then putin is going to face a much trickier position. going to face a much trickier osition. . . . going to face a much trickier osition. ., ., , ., position. that was catherine belton talking _ position. that was catherine belton talking to _ position. that was catherine belton talking to me - position. that was catherine belton talking to me a - position. that was catherine belton talking to me a whilej belton talking to me a while ago. i'll be back with more of the day's main stories in a while but next up on bbc news it is time for business and that will be with ben thompson. that is here injust a moment or two. hello. the festive forecast into next week looks fairly mild, so a slim chance that any of us will see a white christmas but before we get there the weather really is changeable in the run—up to christmas, some rain around on friday, some very strong winds through the weekend could cause some disruption and then temperatures will be on the rise as we look towards christmas. to start friday we will see a weather front starting in the west, pushing slowly eased through the day and another frontal system waiting in the wings for the weekend. three saturday that brings some milder air, some strong winds. by sunday the air coming in from the north—west so a colder day on the cards.

for the rest of thursday evening and overnight into friday, we keep the clearer skies, central, southern and eastern parts of england and wales but more cloud and rain across the north—west meaning milder weather here. six 7 degrees in the morning but we could see a touch of frost for central and south—eastern areas in particular. a bit of sunshine for east anglia and the south—east lasting through the south—east lasting through the morning. we have the rain initially for scotland and northern ireland tracking into parts of northern england, north wales, the south west of england, one or two heavy bursts followed by sunshine and showers moving on from the north—west. temperatures a couple of degrees warmer than thursday, between 8—11 but you have the breeze and showers and it will not feel particularly warm at all. into saturday, low pressure is sitting to the north of the uk, lots of isobars on the map, the wind is wrapping around the low pressure bringing blustery showers, strongest winds for the western isles reaching 80 mph. furthersouth the western isles reaching 80 mph. further south we have this cloud across central and southern england and wales and patriot outbreaks of rain. more sunshine further north but those blustery showers. and

temperatures only eight or nine for parts of scotland but 11—13 the uk so it looks mild but turns cold again into sunday because the winds are coming in from the north—west bringing a mix of sunshine and some heavy showers, some of the showers on sunday a bit wintry, could be some hail and sleet and even some hail and sleet and even some snow of the highest ground of scotland. really gusty winds, 60 mph orso in of scotland. really gusty winds, 60 mph or so in the west. so it is going to be a windy, cold, wintry feeling day with top temperatures between 6-9 , with top temperatures between 6—9 , and then looking ahead towards the christmas week and you will notice those temperatures on the rise. 13, 40 temperatures on the rise. 13, 110 degrees for christmas eve, christmas day and mild into boxing day. some rain in the north—west but drier towards the south. bye—bye.

split decision — the bank of england keeps rates on hold, but not everybody agrees. we'll but not everybody agrees. explain what happened . moment. also us stocks stage a recovery, as investors digest the fed's third interest rate cut of the year. and putting america back on top. we hear from the boss of fintech giant robinhood, who tells us donald trump's vision on crypto and ai will be a massive game—changer for the economy.