♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ announcer: funding for presentation of this program is provided by... woman: two retiring executives turn their focus to greyhounds,

giving these former race dogs a real chance to win. a raymond james financial advisor gets to know you, your purpose, and the way you give back. life well planned. erika: i love seeing interns succeed, i love seeing them come back and join the engagement teams and seeing where they go from there, i get to watch their personal growth, it makes my heart happy. (laughs) announcer: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. announcer: and now, "bbc news" >> live from london this is bbc news. the king and his christmas message calls for peace in world conflicts. unity after the summer riots. and reflects on his cancer treatment. >> i offer special heartfelt

thanks to the selfless doctors and nurses who, this year, have supported me and other members of my family. >> pope francis uses his traditional christmas message to call for peace in ukraine and gaza, and describes the humanitarian situations there as extremely grave. officials in kazakhstan say 38 passengers died in the crash landing of in azerbaijan airlines flight. and president zelenskyy condemns russia's last missile and drone attack against ukraine on christmas day as inhumane. ♪ hello. i'm sarah campbell. merry christmas. we start with king charles who has given his annual christmas day speech where he paid tribute to the doctors and nurses for

the care they provided to him and the princess of wales during their cancer treatment this year. he called for unity after the summer riots in the u.k. and made a plea for peace in the middle east, central europe and africa. this year's broadcast was from -- let's hear what he said about his treatment. >> i offer special heartfelt thanks to the selfless doctors and nurses who, this year, have supported me and other members of my family through the uncertainties and anxieties of illness. and have helped provide the strength, care and comfort we have needed. i am deeply grateful too to all those who have offered us their own kind words of sympathy and encouragement. sarah: as conflicts raged throughout the world, the king acknowledged the world of

humanitarian organizations helping those hosting need around the world. >> on this christmas day, we cannot help but think of those for whom the devastating effects of conflict in the middle east, in central europe, in africa and elsewhere, pose a daily threat to so many people's lives and livelihoods. we also think of the humanitarian organizations working tirelessly to bring vital relief. sarah: here in the u.k., the king praised the efforts of those who sought to build bridges in communities after the summer riots after the stabbings that killed three girls. >> i feel a deep sense of pride here in the united kingdom when, in response to anger and lawlessness in several towns this summer, communities came together, not to repeat these behaviors, but to repair.

to repair not just buildings, but relationships. and most importantly, to repair trust by listening and through understanding, deciding how to act for the good of all. sarah: earlier the royal family attended the traditional christmas service. king charles was accompanied by the prince and princess of wales and their children, and other senior royals including the queen. prince andrew did not attend, after it was confirmed earlier this week he would not be joining the family there. a commentator talked me through the king's speech. >> we all expected him to address his cancer diagnosis but he spent a lot less time talking about himself than i think many of us expected. people expected a large part of the speech to be about his diagnosis and it was not. it was about community spirit, also about public service.

our health professionals got a shout out this year as they have in many of the previous christmas broadcasts. but it was one of community spirit, of coming together. that ties in with the christmas spirit as a whole. it was as to be expected but there were some surprises. sarah: and some really direct comments. you sometimes have to read between the lines to get the messages from royal christmas messages. but this was very clear it was about community, about the southport riots. it was talking about conflicts going on around the world, potentially quite difficult issues. kelly: absolutely. with the late queen's christmas messages you had to read between the lines whereas king charles is a lot more direct. we have always known him to be to the point. he has always got involved in things he maybe should not have done, but he has always been outspoken. this christmas message ties in with him as a person. he mentioned the conflict in the middle east, a direct message to

gaza, and conflict in general. it tied in with him going to the d-day genera -- that was a direct reference to something that can divide people's opinions. as well as the southport riots. it would have been not a very wise choice for him not to have mentioned it. it was one of the most important things to have happened this year. yet he was very much involved in the aftermath of the 2011 riots. so he's experienced this before and he has seen the value of the community spirit after something like that has happened. so it was very direct but i think it is very charles. sarah: what about the location? interesting, the first time it has been filmed outside of a -- one of the main royal residences since 2006, the chapel of the former middlesex hospital. kelly: i love the location choice. i really like the fact that the

three christmas broadcasts he has done have all been in different locations. the first was at st. george's chapel in windsor where the late queen was buried. last year was at buckingham palace, and this year's without a chapel in hospital, a direct correlation between his health issues. i like the idea of taking the christmas message out of the royal residence. i like the idea of a road show of christmas broadcasts, of going to different locations throughout the u.k., of making it more intimate than it has been in previous years. in terms of the location, i absolutely love it. and the symbolism as well. that chapel has links to his great-grandfather. it has a lot of royal links and i think it was a very wise choice. sarah: that was well commentator kelly swaby talking to me earlier. pope francis has delivered his traditional christmas day blessing, speaking from the

central balcony of st. peter's basilica to thousands of people in the square below. he delivered his traditional christmas address to the city and the world. in his speech, the pope called for talks between ukraine and russia to end the war that followed moscow's invasion, and renewed his call for a cease-fire in the israel/gaza war and release of the remaining israeli hostages held by hamas. >> the middle east, the crib of bethlehem, i think of the christian communities in israel and palestine. and particularly to the deer community -- the dear community in gaza where the humanitarian situation is extremely grave. may there be a cease-fire, hostages be released, and aid be given to people. sarah: in the middle east, hamas and israel have blamed each

other for delays in the latest attempt at a cease-fire. hamas accused the israeli government wednesday of imposing new conditions that it said were delaying the agreement, while israel's prime minister said the group is going back on understandings that have already been reached. despite rounds of indirect talks, israel and hamas have agreed just once on a truce. it lasted for one week at the end of last year. here's more now from jerusalem. reporter: the cease-fire agreement between hamas and israel looked like it was getting momentum a few days ago but it is a very different picture now. both sides are explanation ching -- hamas said israel has set new conditions when it comes to the cease-fire, the prisoner exchange, the return of those displaced in gaza. they are very difficult, thorny and technical issues negotiators would have been working on for months. hamas now says that because of that the deal is delayed. we also heard from israeli prime

minister benjamin netanyahu accused hamas of lying, of hampering the negotiations, of reneging on issues they have agreed upon. this is a different tone from what we heard a few days ago. only yesterday we heard from the prime minister's office saying there negotiators have come back from qatar after significant negotiations. the hamas side said a few days ago the talks were 90% complete, bar a few issues. one sticking point is the israeli presence in the philadelphi corridor, a crucial strip of land between the gaza boundary area and egypt. the israeli presence there is a thorny issue. today, the israeli defense minister said the security in gaza is going to be up to the israeli forces. there will be no hamas administration or presence. the pope had prayed for the people of israel and palestine, for the people of gaza to get the aid they need and for the

end of the war there, for the hostages to come back to their families. those prayers feel so poignant at time when the people of gaza feel that this deal that they need so much is not happening as soon as they hope. sarah: angry demonstrations have spread across several cities in syria after a video showed an attack on a shrine in aleppo. the new administration said the footage dated back to the time when the second city fell to his law -- to his islamist rebels earlier this month, blaming the attack on unreleased groups. here's an update on the protests. reporter: this is the first time we see unrest here since the topping of the assad regime. first there were clashes between hts and former operatives of the assad regime according to hts.

we learned also they have been ambushed by the former regime operatives as they were trying to raid one apartment to arrest former regime operatives. then there were protests in many cities and towns, especially in homes. in response to a video released of vandalizing a shrine in aleppo. that incident happened not nearly 10 days ago but it was released again. although there has been reconciliation with the religious leaders. however, it was released today, provoking tension and protests in many cities and towns, even here in damascus and the 86th district which dominantly otherwise is supporters of hassan power. there were reports of some shooting in homes. we cannot confirm who opened

fire at the protesters. we have seen hts fighters trying to calm down the situation. a statement came out confirming that those open fires are regime operatives. there are many questions about the situation here, and many people are calling for calm, for avoiding revenge, for justice, and prosecution for those who have blood on their hands. but the communities are fearful, especially because many of them took part in torturing and killing during the days of the uprising. and many syrians here blame them for the bloodshed. it will be a big challenge for this new leadership to maintain stability and provide justice for everyone while these kind of incidents will happen, and possibly may happen again. sarah: linda sinjab reporting from damascus. officials in kazakhstan say 38 people have been killed after a crash landing of an azerbaijan

airlines flight. the plane went down as it was flying from the to chechnya. jonathan joseph reports. reporter: this dramatic amateur footage captures the moment just before the class -- crash. the azerbaijan airlines plane seems to be descending at a steep handle and speed. pilots were struggling to control as they approached. they had been diverted because of bad weather at their original destination in southern russia. the kazakh authorities say 150 emergency personnel were sent to the scene. the front half, including the wings and fuel tanks, were engulfed in fire. before's of the aircraft split in two. the rest is mostly intact. some passengers remarkably

walked away from what must have been a horrifying experience. >> at 11:30 information was received about a plane crash. additional emergency resources were sent and at 12:05 the fire had been extinguished. reporter: there were 67 people including five crew on board. many have not survived what should have been a routine flight of less than 90 minutes. most of them were -- the plane was an 11-year-old plane. the brazilian company says it is preparing to send teams to help with the investigation. it has expressed its sympathies for all those involved and their loved ones. now, focus will be on trying to recover the flight data recorders, which should give investigators more information as they try to work out what caused this plan to come down. they will also be keen to speak to the survivors who are coming to terms with their miraculous

mesquite. -- escape. sarah: around the world and across the u.k., this is bbc news. ♪

sarah: president zelenskyy has condemned russia's large-scale missile attacks across ukraine on christmas day as inhumane. he said russia launched over 70 missiles and 100 drones at ukraine's energy system in what he called a conscious choice to launch the attacks at christmas. ukraine's air force says it downed 59 missiles and more than half of the drones. the mayor of kharkiv said at least three people were injured and civilian infrastructure had been damaged. in recent months russia has been intensifying its attacks on energy systems in ukraine and has accelerated its advance across the east of the country. the archbishop of york has focused on the importance of actions over words in his

christmas sermon. he will shortly take interim charge of the church of england which is facing criticism over its handling of abuse scandals. our religion editor reports. >> peace and joy as part of his plan. reporter: christmas is when the church is at its most prominent in british life, and its most joyous. churches up-and-down the country are filled with the story of hope defined darkness. but this year there is a troubled backdrop, and local clergy are hearing the frustration. >> it is just a magical time for the community. but this month has been really hard to be in the church of england because of all that is going on. it is an institution that is in crisis. reporter: last month, justin welby resigned as head of the church after a report pointed out his failings in dealing with a prolific child abuser. with a christmas sermon from the archbishop of canterbury, all

eyes were on the local minister, the archbishop of york. he, too, is now under scrutiny for his handling of a child abuser in his charge. in his sermon, he said people needed to do more than just talk and needed to act. >> to put the needs of others first. those who are cold and hungry this christmas. those who are victims of abuse and exploitation. >> i just feel he is not the right person to give that message at this time. reporter: she does not want to be identified but one of the abuse victims of the priest worked for nine years for him, despite the knowledge of serious concerns about him, says it is hard to listen to the archbishop reach. >> i feel he has not really thought about how victims would

feel in this context and how he is happy to be the voice of the church moving into christmas when all i see when i see him as a man that has let me and many victims down. reporter: some bishops chose to directly address the church crisis in their christmas messages, but not the archbishop of york. after his service, he greeted members of the congregation. given the criticism of church leaders, there will be some who heard the arch ship preach in his words about the inadequacies of those who talk a good game but whose words are not inviting actions. they will do so with some sense of irony this christmas. sarah: for many, christmas is it time for gathering together and celebrating. it can also be a time for helping those most in need. nikki fraud reports from a project that helps the homeless

in london. reporter: welcome to the crisis hotel at christmas where things are done a little differently. the staff are volunteers and the guests are rough sleepers. it will help 600 people with a team working day and night. the first guests to check in headed straight for bed for the chance of a peaceful night's sleep somewhere quiet, clean, and comfortable. after a good night sleep people come down to enjoy what we all look forward to any hotel, a good hot breakfast. this year that will be served by some celebrity volunteers. >> the guests have already had a night to sleep and now they are coming down for breakfast. we are going to make them tea, give them some breakfast. they properly put a lot of work into this. just really proud to be part of it. >> i think he recognized my voice. he said, are you joe wicks?

he's going from on the streets to be in a nice, warm, safe hotel for two weeks. he has a job lined up. seeing the optimism in his eyes, he is very excited about it. reporter: three meals a day, and people will have access to a medical team, computers to help them reconnect with family and friends, and a chance to have a little fun. >> i never had to live on the streets, i had somewhere to be. so to think the number of homeless are increasing, that's an issue we talk about. >> christmas is an important time to help the homeless, but this is a reminder that this is all year-round we need this help for. reporter: it is open for two weeks, time it is hoped to give the guests the best start to 2025 as possible. sarah: today might be christmas day but it is also the first day of the jewish festival of hanukkah. commonly known as christmas, it

celebrates the two festivals of both miracles in both religions, meaning a day of epic celebrations for mixed jewish christian families. reporter: chrismuskuh. once a joke it has become a reality for many across the world. the first time in a most 20 years, christmas and hanukkah are falling on the same day. it is a chance for this multifaith family who grew up observing separate religions to come together and share their cultural religions. >> growing up in a country like england, not celebrating christmas, it has been quite fun to do some of the things everyone else was doing that you are very much missing out on. it has been fun to get to lean into some of those things. reporter: what does it mean to be able to celebrate holidays together? >> it is quite exciting for us. we have tried to incorporate konica decorations into our christmas decorations.

it has been nice trying to bring elements of hanukkah into christmas for us. reporter: you have a young daughter. what does it mean to celebrate the holidays altogether? >> we want to give her the chance to aspect -- access any aspects of her identity. that is completely her choice. reporter: i visited a church in london where i met with the codirectors of the council of christians and jews, an organization that works to support interfaith relations. >> kit has been increasingly challenging in interfaith spheres over the past year or so. it is more and more important we continue to come together to celebrate together, to breathe together, to share what we have in common also to explore differences. what is most important is creating spaces where we can better understand one another, where we can build stronger relationships and friendships, and learn more with one another.

>> it has been a tough year for interfaith relations in general. it has been a year where we have seen a real surge in anti-semitism and other forms of racial and religious prejudice. it has been a really hard year in lots of ways. it is good to have something to celebrate. good to have something to get our minds off some of the more difficult news stories that are out there. reporter: i have come to north london to meet one jewish baker who has commemorated this unique union of the two festivals in the best way she knows how. >> what i do is i take the best elements from both traditional foods and i blend them. so, what we have over here is our -- this is traditionally a german christmas bread, but we make a lighter version. also, we have over here, mince pie donuts, which people just

love so much. so, that's what we do. we're really good at blending and bending traditions. reporter: happy chrismukkah. it will be 16 years until the next one. sarah: i do quite fancy a mince pie don't not. for we have a little break, let's go to hawaii. we have been showing pictures of the volcano, one of the world's most active volcanoes. it is at it again for christmas. it started erupting monday and it is continuing to do so. pretty spectacular pictures. do stay with us here on bbc announcer: funding for presentation of this program is provided by... financial services firm, raymond james. announcer: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation,

pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ announcer: get the free pbs app now and stream the best of pbs.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ announcer: funding for presentation of this program is provided by... woman: two retiring executives turn their focus to greyhounds,