and 3 mesa spacecraft makes history by surviving the closest—ever approach to the sun. i'm helena humphrey, it's good to have you with us. the white house says it's seen early indications that suggest an azerbaijani airlines passenger jet, that crashed on christmas day killing dozens of people, was possibly brought down by russian air defence systems. the airline itself says initial results of an investigation suggest the cause was some kind of "external interference." 38 people were killed when the plane came down, two miles short of the runway at aktau airport, in western kazakhstan. the aircraft originally tried to land at grozny airport in southern russia, but witnesses say there was an explosion before the plane was diverted. jon donnison reports.

this is the moment the plane went down. it's remarkable anyone survived. but emerging from the wreckage, some did. the flight had been diverted to kazakhstan after passengers heard bangs when it tried to land at its original destination, grozny, in chechnya. translation: they say there were two bangs, l but i only heard one. it was quite substantial. i honestly didn't hear the second one. at first only some of the oxygen masks fell out, not all of them. investigators are now examining the damage to the outside of the plane. the owner, azerbaijan airlines, said only that it had suffered external physical and technical interference. the kremlin has again refused to comment on speculation that it was mistakenly brought down by a russian air defence system. translation: i'd like to point out that the situation on that day -

during those hours in the area around grozny airport was very difficult. ukrainian military drones were carrying out terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure in the city of grozny and others nearby. in azerbaijan today, the first funerals for some of the 38 people who were killed. why they died will take time to find out, and will likely be disputed. jon donnison, bbc news. with me is our state department correspondent tom bateman. tom, tell us more about what the white house has now said about the crash? john kirby was asked directly about it. the first point was that he was

askedif it. the first point was that he was asked if he was basing his assessments on what caused this. there is more information than what was in the public domain. significant that he then said that there assessment —— there assessment pointed to the possibility that it was brought down by russian defence systems. we've heard from the aviation regulator in russia saying they did prescribe a system of the grozni, and that there was drone attacks taking place. already, you have barely disputed circumstances. —— fairly. suggesting the damage is consistent with what you would expect from a surface—to—air missile

experience. expect from a surface-to-air missile experience-— experience. washington has offered its assistance? _ experience. washington has offered its assistance? that's _ experience. washington has offered its assistance? that's right, - experience. washington has offered its assistance? that's right, john . its assistance? that's right, john kirby has- _ its assistance? that's right, john kirby has. whether _ its assistance? that's right, john kirby has. whether or _ its assistance? that's right, john kirby has. whether or not - its assistance? that's right, john kirby has. whether or not they'llj its assistance? that's right, john i kirby has. whether or not they'll be taken up very soon be seeing, but as to the other parts of this investigation, they're looking at very closely the accounts of the survivors because extraordinarily, a number of people survived the crash. they reported hearing loud explosions coming from outside the aircraft at the time. as for the kremlin, they've been asked about this two days in a row. say only they will comment on this report that it was caused by russian air defences only after the joint investigation has been completed. tom bateman. thanks a lot. gaza's health ministry says israeli forces detained the director

of kamal adwan hospital, dr abu safiya, during a raid on the facility. the paediatrician has become well—known for his appeals to the international community, calling for the protection of gaza's health facilities. on friday, the israeli military forcibly evacuated kamal adwan, one of northern gaza's last functioning hospitals.the world health organisation says functioning hospitals. the world health organisation says it is now out of service. the israel defence forces said it conducted "targeted operations" against palestinian fighters, but gaza's deputy health minister said the idf indiscriminately burned down hospital facilities. a senior hospital official told the bbc that israeli soldiers gave them 15 minutes to evacuate patients, before troops entered and removed remaining patients. some patients and staff are believed to have been relocated to indonesian hospital,

which is already out of order and had been evacuated by israeli forces the previous day. the dead included hospital staff and theirfamilies. our correspondent shaimaa khalil has spoken with a senior palestinian official, as well as hospital staff... as well as hospital staff and sent this report. he also added that some patients were in serious conditions taken to the nearby indonesian hospital. there is no electricity, no generators, no water, no oxygen. earlier, the head of the nursing department inside the hospital told the bbc they were given 15 minutes to move medical staff and patients — some of whom are on ventilations, onto the courtyard. they were told to take a close off to be searched. —— to take their clothing off. there

was a man in there or new garments raising their hands in a completely destroyed neighbourhood —— undergarments. 50 people were killed just before they evacuated. 50 people were killed, five of them at medical staff. we were told by the director of the hospital that there was lumbar met in a building near the hospital. you could see in a video there is a drone, a copter that was dropping explosives on that building. the idf told us they are unaware of any medical staff who were killed, and they are looking into any operations near the hospital that they called a hamas stronghold. if you look at the area around the hospital, the vicinity, the destruction is nearly complete.

the buildings are nearly raised to the ground. these neighbourhoods have been experiencing relentless bombarding and selling for weeks and weeks. and the medical essentials have told us because this wasn'tjust a hospital, it often so offered people hope to get better, i hope gone? —— hope to get better, i hope gone? —— hope is gone. italy's foreign ministry has said that a prominent italian journalist has been under arrest in iran for more than a week. cecilia sala works for il foglio newspaper and for podcast company chora media.she left rome for iran on the december 12th with a valid chora media.she left rome for iran

on the december 12th with a valid journalist visa, and had carried out several interviews. she is reporting from tehran, days before her arrest.ms. with me is behnam ben taleblu, iran program senior director and senior fellow at the foundation for defence of democracies. regarding the case, what more do we know about this reported detention. 7 know about this reported detention. ? there are still too many dots to connect, but it looks like the islamic republic is trying to gauge of diplomacy. if you're a traveller a visitor or in a country like here, there is a report now about the detention interest of an iranian national in rome that could've motivated the desire for deals on republican should grab actually

national in the republic and try to do exactly what they did with the swedes just a few months ago. iron swedes 'ust a few months ago. iran has swedesjust a few months ago. iran has done that _ swedesjust a few months ago. iran has done that in _ swedes just a few months ago. iran has done that in the past. you think that could be happening again? indeed. it's always a slanted scale. someone who is held unjustly as a hostage, that is a victory for life. the same time, is on the republic does this to stop the progress of citizens. ~ ., ., ~ ., ., citizens. what do we know about the erson on citizens. what do we know about the person on the _ citizens. what do we know about the person on the other _ citizens. what do we know about the person on the other side? _ citizens. what do we know about the person on the other side? he - citizens. what do we know about the person on the other side? he is - person on the other side? he is believed to _ person on the other side? he is believed to be _ person on the other side? he is believed to be tied _ person on the other side? he is believed to be tied to _ person on the other side? he is believed to be tied to a - person on the other side? he: 3 believed to be tied to a different technology procurement that the deity revealed in december tied to a something

the individual that the individual i also do want to talk about the broader _ individual i also do want to talk about the broader situation - individual i also do want to talk about the broader situation on | individual i also do want to talk. about the broader situation on the middle of right now. how significant do you think this could be as much it will turn colder for all of us, turning windy as well. these are really stable level capabilities and some of them can

carry unconventional payloads. they're modelled off quite the appellant around the ring systems. this continues have an, has been a military for coming for the west. largely, us and uk have been going after things rather than targeting

leaders. it's now directly landing on israeli territory. ben, for the defence of democracies, good to have your analysis. defence of democracies, good to have your analysis-— your analysis. thank you, happy holida s. your analysis. thank you, happy holidays. this _ your analysis. thank you, happy holidays. this is _ your analysis. thank you, happy holidays. this is bbc _ your analysis. thank you, happy holidays. this is bbc news. - for some places, mist and fog lingered throughout friday, causing some disruption. some of that mist and mirk lingered on into the night as well. but over the weekend, well, that fog should slowly start to lift as the breeze picks up. a man has appeared before magistrates, charged with four counts of attempted murder after pedestrians were hit by a car

in the west end of london in the early hours of christmas day. anthony gil—heaney, who's 30 and from harlow in essex, was remanded in custody. one of the pedestrians remains in a critical condition in hospital. sir keir starmer�*s brother, nick starmer, has died. he had cancer. sir keir said he was a "wonderful man", who'd "met all the challenges life threw at him with courage and good humour". nick starmer had had learning difficulties as a result of complications at birth. he died on boxing day at the age of 60. you're why with bbc news. —— you're live with bbc news. here in the united states — we're just over three weeks away from donald trump's inauguration as president.

but before that — mexico's government is applying an emergency strategy to protect migrants in the us. as president elect trump's threatens to deport millions of undocumented migrants — mexico's foreign ministerjuan ramon de la fuente announced the launch of a mobile phone panic button, which can be activated by anyone facing imminent arrest. us president elect donald trump has asked the supreme court to pause a law the supreme court to pause a law that would ban tiktok,the day that would ban tiktok,the day before his inauguration before his inauguration on the 20th of january — on the 20th of january — if it is not sold by its if it is not sold by its chinese owner bytedance. chinese owner bytedance. trump's legal team said �*in light trump's legal team said �*in light of the novelty and difficulty�* with the murder of a woman of the novelty and difficulty�* of the case the court should of the case the court should consider extending the deadline consider extending the deadline to grant more �*breathing space' to grant more �*breathing space' and give mr trump the "opportunity and give mr trump the "opportunity to pursue a political solution" to pursue a political solution"

a man has been charged a man has been charged with the murder of a woman who was set on fire on a new york subway train on sunday. sebastian zapeta allegedly set the person's clothes alight, and then fanned the flames by waving a shirt around her. our correspondent rowan bridge has more. police say the woman is running around —— riding around 7:30 a:m.. she was quickly will go vault insult —— engulfed in smoke and died at the scene. the suspect at the scene was arrested after he was recognised by children in the services.

new york's attorney general has released footage showing prison officers beating an imate while he was handcuffed, and who later died in hospital. the body cameras show robert brooks being punched and kicked on december the 9th, the day before he died. this is when some of the employees restrained him. other parts of the video show the beatings, and robert brooks with blood on his face. two sergeants, ten correction officers and a nurse have been suspended pending the outcome of an investigation. letitia james said the videos were shocking and disturbing. a nasa spacecraft has made history, by surviving the closest—ever approach to the sun. scientists received a signal from the parker solar probe on friday evening, after being out of communication for several days. but now it's "safe" and operating normally, after passing just 3.8 million miles from the solar surface. we on earth are about 93 million miles away from the sun. the data the spacecraft gathers, could help better forecast our own weather events,

as pallab ghosh reports. it seems like science fiction — sending an un—crewed spacecraft to the sun. nasa's parker solar probe was designed to withstand its scorching heat. but could it? nasa has now confirmed that it has. the spacecraft sent back a beacon signal indicating that it survived the closest ever approach to the sun. we have never had a human—made object so close to the sun. also, we had to not melt, that's why the parker has this heat shield that holds the instruments at room temperature and keeps the heat of the sun away. and these are just amazing feats, and so it's so amazing that we were so close and really getting to measure in detail this material up close. lift off of the mighty delta iv heavy rocket... there have been many missions to study the sun but there's so much more we can learn — especially the sun's atmosphere, which we can see

from earth shimmering during a total solar eclipse. this new data from this very, incredibly close approach to the sun, just touching the surface of that corona, is going to hopefully give us a lot more information about exactly what's going on in our beautiful, beautiful sun that heats up and gives us light. by getting so close, the probe will enable scientists to see how the sun's powerful magnetic field twists and lifts material to create solar flares. this may help them understand why the sun's atmosphere is so much hotter than its surface. and how it emits a stream of charged particles called the solar wind, which has its effect on earth when it hits our atmosphere, creating the northern lights. the results will help scientists predict when there are powerful solar storms, which can disable communication satellites and affect weather patterns. the initial data will be sent back by the spacecraft on the 1st of january. pallab ghosh, bbc news.

live now to nicolaj fox, associate administrator for nasa's science mission directorate. very good to have you with us here on the bbc once again. i'm sure it was a nervous wait for a signal back to earth. and been a pretty extraordinary moment how did you feel? i was more calm than _ how did you feel? i was more calm than normal. _ how did you feel? i was more calm than normal. last _ how did you feel? i was more calm than normal. last night, . how did you feel? i was more calm than normal. last night, i. went to michelin control and i had a joyous standing with the team. —— mission control. i do exactly with the signal would cause medicaid just a hair early and we discussed a leak

—— the mission came. there was this tiny little blip on it. we all started tearing. —— cheering, so it was a wonderful moment. just started tearing. -- cheering, so it was a wonderful moment. just put it into persoective _ was a wonderful moment. just put it into perspective for _ was a wonderful moment. just put it into perspective for it. _ was a wonderful moment. just put it into perspective for it. we _ was a wonderful moment. just put it into perspective for it. we know - was a wonderful moment. just put it into perspective for it. we know it i into perspective for it. we know it set a record, but how close? about 3.8 set a record, but how close? about 3-8 million — set a record, but how close? about 3.8 million miles _ set a record, but how close? about 3.8 million miles above _ set a record, but how close? about 3.8 million miles above the - set a record, but how close? about 3.8 million miles above the sun's l 3.8 million miles above the sun's service. if you put the sun and the earth a metre apart, it will be on that scale. even 3.8 million miles, i know it sounds quite far away, but when we're 93 million miles, that puts it into perspective. we're not just closing the corona, we are beneath the surface. it's like sitting on the beach. and then you

can see all the magic that is happening. can see all the magic that is happening-— can see all the magic that is haueninu. v . . ., , happening. it's all feat of itself of course. _ happening. it's all feat of itself of course, but _ happening. it's all feat of itself of course, but i _ happening. it's all feat of itself of course, but i wonder - happening. it's all feat of itselfj of course, but i wonder beyond happening. it's all feat of itself- of course, but i wonder beyond that, what are scientists hoping to achieve and what to more they want to learn? it’s achieve and what to more they want to learn? fl ., achieve and what to more they want to learn? �*, ., , ., ~ ., to learn? it's our star, we kind of taken for— to learn? it's our star, we kind of taken for granted. _ to learn? it's our star, we kind of taken for granted. it's _ to learn? it's our star, we kind of taken for granted. it's in - to learn? it's our star, we kind of taken for granted. it's in the - to learn? it's our star, we kind of taken for granted. it's in the sky| taken for granted. it's in the sky every day and it gives us light and life. but it's a really active star. if it can understand how our star works, it will help us if we look for habitable planets in other galaxies. understanding our relationship, what makes our planet in that goldilocks zone, where we can have life... i know london even got to see a beautiful aurora in may. that's unusual. that shows

us... beautifulaurora may. that's unusual. that shows us... beautiful aurora can also give us... beautiful aurora can also give us problems for power grids and pipelines and astronauts in doing space box. we really do need to understand because we rely more and more in technology as you become more in technology as you become more and more evolved here on earth. but for us today, we're just celebrating having a beautiful working spacecraft that works absolutely is... working spacecraft that works absolutely is. . ._ working spacecraft that works absolutel is... , , ., absolutely is... help me understand that more. — absolutely is... help me understand that more, because _ absolutely is... help me understand that more, because coming - absolutely is... help me understand that more, because coming at - absolutely is... help me understand that more, because coming at this, | that more, because coming at this, my first thought was i was thinking of forrest gump and the mythology of icarus and flying too close to the sun. how you manage to make sure the plug can go post the sun without being damaged or destroyed? titer? being damaged or destroyed? very clever mission _

being damaged or destroyed? - clever mission design. it took 60 years to often come by use wait we had to really develop materials that would withstand the searing heat. also the cold of space, as attorneys to an output of the sun's corona. it would normally be gum by grill. —— ljy would normally be gum by grill. —— by griddle. we will have to design things that will the stand both heat and girl. off the spacecraft, that's getting them to temperatures about 4000 celsius.

they're in really efforts awesome temperature range they're in really efforts awesome temperature nepal's prime minister has said the country has too many tigers and suggested it should be giving them to other countries as gifts. the tiger population in nepal has tripled to more than 350 since 2009 as part of conservation efforts — but the government says the country is too small to sustain more than one hundred and fifty -- 150. hello. for some places, mist and fog lingered throughout friday, causing some disruption. some of that mist and mirk lingered on into the night as well. but over the weekend, well, that fog should slowly start to lift as the breeze picks up.

comp,lezwe will, though, see some rain setting in across the north of the uk. bit of rain across the north of the uk actually on saturday. in association with this weak weather front, it is this area of high pressure further south that's been trapping all the low cloud, mist and fog that high, slowly starting to drift away south eastwards, but still a pretty murky start across large parts of england and wales. i think some of that fog will lift through the day, particularly across parts of wales, northern england. a few sunny spells, it may stay quite murky down towards the south. for northern ireland and scotland we'll see a band of cloud and increasingly light and patchy rain pushing southwards, sunny spells and showers and some brisk winds up towards the north of scotland, the breeze slowly picking up further south. temperatures generally between 7 and 11 degrees now as the breeze continues to pick up a little bit, i think we'll see a bit more of that cloud, mist and fog turning over and lifting to some

extent across england and wales. for scotland we'll see a band of clouds, some rain pushing in across western scotland, northern ireland seeing some clear spells through the night. temperatures 3 to 7 degrees. and then we go on into sunday as this weather front, a very weak affair clears the south. that should clear away some more of that mist and murk. so i think a better chance of seeing some sunny spells across england and wales on sunday. northern ireland seeing some sunny spells as well. but for scotland, this weather front becomes slow moving. it is set to bring some heavy and persistent rain, particularly in the north west of scotland, and in fact that rain is set to continue not only on sunday but into monday and tuesday as well. we'll be mild for most of us, a little bit colder in the far north, and as we go through sunday night into monday, that weather front sinks southwards but then bends northwards again, bringing rain back into scotland and some snow, particularly over high ground in the north of scotland. further south, drier conditions, a mix of cloud and some sunny spells, mild in the south but much colder further north and through the end of 2024 into the start of 2025, as much it will turn colder for all of us, turning windy as well. there will be some rain. there may be some snow. hello again.

good evening. no big changes with our weather as we head into the weekend. we start tomorrow morning off with a lot of mist and low cloud.

this is bbc news. we'll have the headlines for you at the top of the hour, which is straight after this programme.

this is not the 12 days of christmas. this is the 12 months of us politics. you are wearing a very christmassy outfit. i am, and i can make it more christmassy, look. belljingles. i've got my little elf hat. i don't know, it's got a bell, though. maybe that's. .. it's a little distracting. is it too noisy for serious conversation? we were given the memo, "dress festive", and i look like the grinch because all i have in my closet is a green sweater and red earrings. so well done. you look very stylishly christmas, i've gone... let me stick this over here. oh, that's a shame. ok, it's fallen on the floor. that's fine, we'll leave it there. it's the thought that counts. they laugh. exactly. well, festive indeed, here we are. we've made it to

the end of the year. a couple of days left to go.