jonah fisher, bbc news. esident biden pardoning his son hunter despite previously saying he would not give him clemency. hunter biden convicted earlier this year of illegally buying a gun and lying about his drug use as well as tax evasion, president biden describing his son �*s prosecution is unfair and due to pressure from his political opponents he said he hoped americans would understand how as a father and a president he had made such a decision. there is been a statement from hunter biden we can bring you some of that he said in it i have a dated and taken responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction and those mistakes have been exploited to publicly humiliate me for political support. publicly humiliate me for politicalsupport. he publicly humiliate me for political support. he said despite that he had maintained sobriety for more than five years due to his faith in the support of his family and friends. he said during that time he squandered many opportunities and advantages

andrea, very good to have you on bbc news tonight. thank| you on bbc news tonight.hank you. ten—year—old sara sharif endured two years of horrific suffering at the hands of her father and stepmother. on wednesday, they were convicted of her murder. sara's body was found at her home in england last year, after she'd been subjected to a campaign of abuse, including being burnt and regularly beaten, causing dozens of injuries. the defendants fled to pakistan with five other children after the killing. sara's uncle, who was also on trial, was cleared of murder, but found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child. in the first of our reports tonight, helena wilkinson has more on events in court at the old bailey, and a warning, her report is distressing. sara sharif loved to sing and play the guitar. she was a confident, caring little girl. but in august last year, she was murdered after months of brutal violence. your daughter has died? i killed my daughter, i killed my daughter! more than a day after sara had died, herfather called the police. my daughter is d

tom symonds, bbc news. carribbean nation deals with a wave of gang—related crime. trinidad and tobago, which has a population of about 1.5 million, has recorded more than 600 murders this year. authorities say the emergency powers allows defence forces to act as de facto police officers, with powers to conduct searches without a warrant. was that certain criminal gangs and i will leave out the places where, at this stage, but i can say throughout trinidad and possibly tobago are likely to immediately increase their brazen acts of violence in reprisal shootings on a scale so extensive that it threatens persons and will endanger public safety. edinburgh's world—famous new year's eve celebrations known as hogmanay have been cancelled due to bad weather. tens of thousands of tickets had already been sold. but organisers say high winds and extreme weather mean they've been unable to continue with preparations for the outdoor events both today and tomorrow. among the events called off, a concert by the rock band

pallab ghosh, bbc news.a christmas gift that keeps on giving and i love the name, firefly sparkle. just before i leave you i will take you to damascus, we are continuing to monitor the live shot of the syrian capital where you can see people returning back to the country following the fall of basher al—assad. we will be live in damascus with my colleague lyse doucet who it is there for us right now we are of course a complete transformation of the fall of the basher al—assad regime. you are watching bbc news. we will continue to bring you more developments from syria as we get them. the teaching union the nasuwt has threatened �*industrial relations misery�* over next year's recommended public sector pay rise. the 2.8% increase will apply to more than a million workers — including teachers, nhs staff and civil servants. but already trade unions have reacted angrily, saying the figure is too low. our political correspondent iain watson has more. overworked! underpaid! with the labour government awarding a sub

is to remind those with us on bbc news. _ day. is to remind those with us on bbc news, they _ day. us on bbc news, they believe - day. is to remind those with us| on bbc news, they believe that there are 71 men involved in this case but only about 50 of them were identified. thatjust shows you, doesn't it? the sheer numbers involved. this is a really- -- _ sheer numbers involved. this is a really--- i— sheer numbers involved. this is a really... i don't— sheer numbers involved. this is a really... i don't know- sheer numbers involved. this is a really... i don't know if- sheer numbers involved. this is a really... i don't know if i - a really... i don't know if i can use this phrase, he is a sick poppy, dominique pelicot. not only has he been convicted with a 20 yearjail term, his fingerprints found four years ago matched with a violent rape in paris. he was showing someone around a flat. his fingerprints match those of dna there. what has happened is that they challenged him on that. he first denied it and now he has admitted to it. there is now another woman who was an estate age

this is bbc news. y footballer mikheil kavelashvili is elected as georgia's new president — amid mass protests by the opposition. mps in south korea vote to impeach president yoon over his failed attempt to impose martial law. us secretary of state antony blinken meets with turkish us secretary antony blinken says they have met direct contact... prince andrew says he "ceased all contact" with a businessman accused of being a chinese spy — after the uk government raised concerns. hello, i'm kasia madera. a former manchester city footballer has been elected in a vote in georgia's parliament, despite condemnation from the incumbent president and the pro—eu opposition that the process is illegitimate. mikheil kavelashvili is a former mp from the increasingly authoritarian ruling georgian dream party and was the only candidate for the job. it comes after 17 days of pro—eu protests across the country's towns and cities. this was the scene outside parliament earlier. the four main opposition groups have reject

thank you very much forjoining us on bbc news. d policing. in some areas, it has gone completely. so you don't have your bobby on the beat, there is no one around who will tangle anti—social behaviour, deal with children who may be excluded from schools, spiralling into crime. clearly this needs to be resourced and it is notjust a job for the police alone for that there are also partners like local authorities so while it is a great aspiration, there is a lot to be done to make sure it is actually delivered. fin lot to be done to make sure it is actually delivered.- is actually delivered. on that live , is actually delivered. on that livery. one — is actually delivered. on that livery. one of— is actually delivered. on that livery, one of the _ is actually delivered. on that livery, one of the things - is actually delivered. on that livery, one of the things is i is actually delivered. on that livery, one of the things is a | livery, one of the things is a name contactable officer and every community. does that mean we will get a ph

more stories on the bbc news website. stay with us here on bbc news.n pa rt part two of the weekend means we should see the fog issue lifting because the stagnant air associated with the high pressure is pulling away to the near continent. we are picking up near continent. we are picking up a fresh westerly breeze on sunday and there will be more sunny spells but it'll stay unsettled across scotland with this weather front bringing persistent rain. more isobars on the chart on sunday. the breeze will be strong, especially for the northern part of the country. here it stays cloudy and wet pretty much all day. large parts of england and wales will see the sunshine breaking through as we head into the afternoon. a great start, bright afternoon, temperatures in single digits across the south—east, milder further north, around 12 celsius for central southern scotland. it stays wet across the northern half of scotland. this cold air could turn into snow over the hills across northern scotland. a real winter remix there. elsewhere further south it'll be drier

full details available on the bbc news website. 100 billion of investment in new infrastructure, like this new storm drain. investment the industry says has been hampered by below—inflation bill rises since 2010. we as an industry have got it wrong, and we put our hands up. we now have the most transparent system in the world. we've got a plan to put it right, but we can only put it right if we are given the investment we need. and for the last five years, and the five years before that, ofwat has systematically cut those investments so that bills have been falling each and every year in real terms. so how come so many of our waterways, our rivers, our beaches, our entire water system in such disrepair? is it poorly run companies? overpaid executives? greedy shareholders, bad regulation, climate change? in truth, it's some of all of those things over the years, but we are where we are. in a privatised system, it's hard to see how you fix it without putting up bills very significantly. the government says that even temporary national

pallab ghosh, bbc news. a look at this one. our correspondent phil mackie went to birmingham to see who could crack the code. and if you don't want to know the answer, look away now! have a look. money, santa, ham... friend, card. king. is that a king? king... what's that one? ham. can you work this out? ok, so it's dollar, king, ham? buckingham palace. well done! brilliant! and if you want to continue watching the bbc news at ten, please turn over to bbc one or you can watch on iplayer. next, it's newsnight.

live from washington, this is bbc news. rights groups appeal to syria's new rulers to �*urgently�* preserve evidence of atrocities committed under former president assad. in a rare acknowledgement, israel confirms it was behind the assassination of hamas leader ismail haniyeh in iran. an ethics report into matt gaetz — who was briefly donald trump's nominee for attorney general — says there's "substantial evidence" he paid for sex with a minor and used illicit drugs. i'm helena humphrey, good to have you with us. we start with the situation in syria. rights groups are appealing to the country's new leaders to preserve evidence of atrocities commited under former president bashar al—assad's regime. the investigators visited detention facilities and mass graves after rebels took over the capital — seeking proof of the regime's alleged extrajudicial killings and torture tactics. in a joint statement, amnesty international, human rights watch and the association of detainees and missing persons in sednaya prison, said... — some

james cook, bbc news, edinburgh. vate health care company was shot dead by a masked gunmen outside the hilton hotel near times square. any idea about a motive yet? i am standin: idea about a motive yet? i am standing just _ idea about a motive yet? i am standing just by _ idea about a motive yet? i am standing just by the _ idea about a motive yet? i am standing just by the court. - idea about a motive yet? i —n standing just by the court. we can see the police investigation going on behind us, we can see some of the numbered evidence markers where the she“ numbered evidence markers where the shell casings were found, and as you say, they suggested all indications show that this was pre—planned and premeditated. it was caught on video camera, they show the gunmen standing outside the hotel here with a hoodie, wearing a backpack. 0ther a hoodie, wearing a backpack. other members of the public passing by, and then him apparently targeting mr thompson deliberately, shouldn't any number of times on the back, before escapi

aleem maqbool, bbc news. tigates, which is on bbc sounds now and on bbc radio 4 at 8pm tomorrow and victoria derbyshire will have more on newsnight on bbc two shortly. we will talk to the whistle—blowing vicar who alerted the bbc to that sexual abuse case, and almost five years ago, i met a young woman called daisy, sleeping rough on the streets. i've been back to where i met her and spoken to some of those bedding down for the night in the freezing cold. bbc two and bbc news at 10:30pm. freezing cold. bbc two and bbc news at 10:30m. ., ~ i. a lawyer representing the child serial killer lucy letby says he's applying directly to the court of appeal to push for her case to be reopened. mark mcdonald says his argument is based around the reliability of the evidence of the prosecution's lead expert witness. our special correspondent judith moritz reports. when lucy letby was convicted of murdering and attacking babies in her care, she was told she would never leave prison. now she is arguing that her case should b

alex forsyth, bbc news. second time. the president—elect, who rang the opening bell at the new york stock exchange today, was first named person of the year in 2016 after winning his first us presidential election. a baby girl is in a serious condition after being attacked by a dog believed to be an xl bully. the incident took place near folkestone, and the eight—month—old was airlifted to a london hospital. an 18—year—old man and a 76—year—old woman have been arrested. christmas shoppers are being warned that if online bargains look too good to be true, they could be shoplifted goods. retail trade bodies have told the bbc that thieves are increasingly selling stolen items through resale websites. the sites insist they're tackling the problem. the national police chief's council is calling on the government to introduce new laws, asjim connolly reports. in plain sight, a mum filling her child's buggy with jellycat soft toys — even removing an item from the shelf to entertain them, which she later steals. the

severities, bbc news. we go _ not doing enough. severities, bbc news.doing enough. severities, i bbc news. we go back to solve a reminder of our top story. there is a meeting inside the general assembly in south korea, as you can see there. the party chief earlier today called for this was suspension of the president's duties, saying citizens could be in great danger president yoon remains in power. they would bbc news. we have teams in seoul, south korea, who will be like for us throughout the day. hey, i'mjulia with the catch up! tonight — updates from the new york shooting, a reggae football shirt and an ugly cat owner's plea. but we'll start in new york where police are searching for a person of interest after the boss of a us insurance company was shot and killed. this is the moment when brian thompson was shot outside a hotel, which police are calling a targeted attack. they've put out pictures of a person wanted for questioning. they're also using facial recognition technology against the person spotted on cctv. investigators say there were words

ros atkins, bbc news.out who brian thompson is and why he might have been targeted. nada tawfik has more. combing through every inch of the crime scene to piece together notjust the who, but the why. police revealed that the words "deny", "defend, "depose" were written on recovered shell cases there. the words appear to be a reference to an american saying about the tactics used by insurance companies to try to avoid paying people's healthcare claims. the evidence has added more weight to the police�*s belief that this was a targeted attack. they're talking to police in his home, they're talking to corporate security. he's in a high—profile business — a business that gets a lot of complaints and in those complaints, there may be some threats, so they're doing all of those things. it's a very methodical process. brian thompson led unitedhealthcare, a successful for—profit insurance company, but one that came under scrutiny from lawmakers for systematically denying people's health claims, leaving them with l

tom symonds, bbc news.es. and for those women living in the philippines, the ban has left thousands trapped in abusive relationships, or separated but unable to ever legally remarry. but activists hope that 2025 will see a change in the law. a divorce bill passed the lower house in the summer, but has been stuck in the senate since, where it faces strong opposition from conservatives in this deeply catholic country. stella sibonga from the divorce pilipinas coalition told me of her experience of trying to get a divorce for more than a decade. we are planning... inaudible i have been advocating for change since 2016. the house of representatives of the divorce bill on its third and final reading. looking inaudible this happens in 2025, it could empower so many of us to reclaim our lives and pursue happiness. our outdated marital laws, it is time to break free from the chains of our past and build a future full of possibilities. you've personally been trying to get a divorce yourself for more than a decade —

this is bbc news. expanded to five areas as ukraine prepares to mark its third christmas since russia's invasion, russian forces are closing in on the city of pokrovsk, a strategic military hub. and a record—smashing "kiss of the sun", as nasa's solar probe makes history, with the closest ever approach to the star. it's been a five—year wait, but the very last episode of the hit bbc comedy gavin and stacey will finally air tomorrow evening here in the uk. the cast filmed the final scenes in wales over the last few months, and our entertainment correspondent colin paterson was given special access. it really sort of can't carry on after this. it just can't. it's full of love and fun, and i hope it will be a really nice christmas present for people.

mark savage, bbc news.car drove into a christmas market in the german city of magdeburg. a 50—year—old doctor who's a saudi national and has lived in germany since 2006 has been arrested. this will have painful memories for people of a similar attack in 2016, what effect is that likely to have? that is quite right. back in 2016, an asylum seeker, an islamist extremist, drove a truck into a christmas market here in berlin very near where i am standing right now, killing 12 people, and that shocked the nation, it was a terrible tragedy, it led to all sorts of security measures all over the country and made people nervous about going to christmas markets again, but it also shifted the political debate, and it created quite a hostile debate around migration in general, and i think it's fair to say it contributed to the rise of the far right afd party. until then, the rise of the far right afd party. untilthen, germany the rise of the far right afd party. until then, germany had done well integrating and they ha

this is bbc news, the headlines. french prime minister michel barnier leaves the elysee palace, having tendered his resignation. police in new york use facial recognition in the hunt for a man, who shot dead the boss of major us health company. "country first, party second" — the prime minister unveals his "plan for change", setting out pledges on extra police officers, more house—building and fixing the health system. the price of bitcoin surges to over $100,000 — a new record high for the crypto currency. hello, i'm annita mcveigh. the search is continuing in new york city to find crowds took to the street in the georgian capital for a seventh night of anti—government protests, while opposition groups have called for a general strike. tbilisi has been rocked by turmoil since the ruling georgian dream party claimed victory in parliamentary elections in october — denounced by opposition groups as rigged. let's speak now to our correspondent rayhan demytrie who joins us from tbilisi. there were some scenes of oppositi

john sudworth, bbc news, new york. the francis scott key bridge — in the us city of baltimore — collapsed after being struck by a cargo ship. six people died and the port was closed, putting thousands out of work. tonight a bbc documentary will explore what went wrong and how bridges can be made safer. 0ur transport correspondent sean dilley has the details. hold all traffic on the key bridge. there's a ship approaching just lost their steering. 213 dispatch, the whole bridge just fell down, the whole bridge just collapsed. this is the moment the baltimore skyline changed forever. in seconds, the colossal ship toppled the francis scott key bridge... what's going on, man? we got one out of the water. 0k. leaving only one survivor and the loss of six lives. as night turned to day, the extent of the damage became clear. i remember speaking with the person who was running the operations from the coastguard, and i said, what is the probability that we're going to find someone alive at this point? and the answer that he gave

will be reporting for the bbc news website as well as here on the bbc news channel. channel. we will keep you right up to date on what is happening stop in other news australia's economy grew at a slower than expected pace in the third quarter according to the latest official data. gross domestic product appended —— expended by 0.2% from a year earlier marking its weakest reading since the pandemic. government boosted growth but gross household spending did nothing to gdp saying the cost of living is at the top of people �*s minds. to the airline industry. malaysia airlines can trace its heritage back to the 1930s but in modern times the national carrier has learned from one crisis to another. recently grappling with safety concerns, the result of an ageing fleet, parts shortages and lack of skilled labor and underinvestment, the man tasked with restoring its fortunes is a captain and is the managing director of malaysia airlines group, he spoke to our business correspondent, theo leggett. the main reason this has contributed to where we are today in malaysia airline

alison freeman, bbc news, manchester.d mandelson says it's a great honour to serve this country as he's confirmed as the uk's next ambassador to the united states. the labour veteran served in the cabinets of both sir tony blair and gordon brown. but tonight, the co—campaign manager of us president—elect donald trump has been disparaging about him. here's our political correspondent, damian grammaticas. 1997, labour's election triumph. at the heart of it, peter mandelson. he helped engineer that victory, political cunning his hallmark. since then, despite repeated scandals, he's proved a survivor. fast forward 25 years, and once again, he's worked his way to the heart of things. the labour party is genuinely back now as the political arm of the british people. his admirers see in him an unusual ability to get close to those in power and a deep knowledge of business. he served in successive labour cabinets and in brussels in a top eu trade role, something that makes him perfect to be our ambassador in the age of donald tru

this is bbc news. let's look at some other stories making news. & fitch ceo mikejeffries has pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking and interstate prostitution in a new york federal court. matthew smith, along with mrjeffries, and their alleged middlemanjames jacobson were arrested in october and charged with running an international sex trafficking and prostitution business. mrjeffries and mrjacobson have also pleaded not guilty. the 61—year old was released under house arrest on condition of a $10 million bond. one of the uk's biggest commuter services, south western railway, is set to be the first train operator nationalised under the labour government. the company operates train services across large parts of southern and southwest england, with an announcement expected tomorrow. rail nationalisation was a key part of labour's election manifesto. the government says public ownership will make the railways cheaper. the conservative leader in the welsh parliament, andrew rt davies, has resigned — despite narrowly surviving a vote of co

this is bbc news. g news the scottish government has unveiled plans to scrap the uk—wide two—child benefit cap. campaigners say the policy is the uk's biggest single driver of child poverty, and the labour government has come under repeated pressure to scrap it. holyrood also announced increases for some income tax bands, record spending for the nhs, and investment in affordable housing. economists at the 0ecd have warned that interest rates may fall more slowly in the uk than previously thought, due to the tax and spending measures announced in the budget. the international thinktank predicts the bank of england will cut its base rate from the current four—point—seven—five % to three—point—five % by early 2026. a barrister representing lucy letby says she continues to maintain her innocence — after she was interviewed about more deaths. detectives asked her about incidents at the countess of chester hospital, and liverpool women's hospital, where she trained. letby is serving a whole life sentence for

graham satchell, bbc news. he 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 national flag — 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. all chant. the chant is, "the people want the

this is bbc news. nded to five areas and is likely to spread further next year. as ukraine prepares to mark its third christmas since russia's invasion, russian forces are closing in on the city of pokrovsk, a strategic military hub. a record—smashing "kiss of the sun", as nasa's solar probe makes history, with the closest ever approach to the star. now on bbc news, the sweet divide. i'm a little bit paranoid about what my children eat, and i started looking at labels and was shocked to discover how much sugar there was. this is not nutrition.

lina sinjab, bbc news, damascus. iven up sign of how syrians have given up cost is welcome to the new authorities. —— given a cautious welcome. to provide some kind of security and stability while being concerned about these israeli air strikes. joining me now is our correspondent injerusalem, jon donnison. i know there was a briefing by the israeli defense forces. they clarified that there tinks where heading towards damascus? and that's what they said, yes. we've had quite a bit of information from the israelis today. we had the defence minister israel cat. he was speaking at a navy base in the north of israel and he gave the information that israel has apparently destroyed syria's naval fleet. apparently destroyed syria's navalfleet. it is apparently destroyed syria's naval fleet. it is working to secure what he called a sterile defence zone free of weapons and terrorist threats in southern syria. those tanks in damascus which we've heard rumours of all morning — i mean, ourteams rumours of all morning — i mean, ou

dan o'donohue, bbc news. borrowed and something blue for your wedding. but what jack reeves really wanted for his big day was a new accent. jack has cerebral palsy and uses a communication device with a robotic voice, but wanted a dudley accent to read his vows. our reporter rachael lewis has the story. robotic voice: i am really excited about l getting my new voice. ever since jack was a child, he's dreamed of sounding like those around him. the 22—year—old student was born with cerebral palsy, and has always spoken through a device with a robotic voice. robotic voice: i want to sound more like my family, _ and we live in birmingham. i am getting married, and i want to be able| to say my vows in my own voice. jack and his fiancee beth are getting married injuly 2026. after a joint appeal from bbc wm and west midlands ambulance service, jack was inundated with people offering him their voice. and how did you choose which voice to have? i chose a voice with a dudley accent, as that is where - my fiancee is from

jessica parker, bbc news in altoona. ione's lawyers protesting his extradition to new york, where the murder charge has been filed and where this extraordinary case all they can. jessica park reporting there. here, police say the former england rugby union player tom voyce may have died after his car was swept away during storm darragh on sunday. it's thought the 43—year—old, who played nine times for england and has been missing since the weekend, tried to cross a ford, but his car was caught by the strong current. in israel, benjamin netanyahu has appeared in court in tel aviv on corruption charges, which he labelled "ridiculous." he's become the first serving israeli prime minister to take the witness stand as a criminal defendant. he's facing charges of fraud, breach of trust and bribery. john donnison was in tel aviv for the trial. he's now back injerusalem. jon, an extraordinary moment? unprecedented, and of course during unprecedented times in the middle east. benjamin netanyahu is accused of taking hundreds of tho

nicky ford, bbc news. but it is also the first day of the jewish festival of hanukkah. commonly known as christmukkah, it celebrates the two festivals of great miracles in both religions, meaning a day of epic celebrations for mixed jewish—christian families. tamzin kraftman reports. christmukkah, once a joke made byjews in largely christian countries, has become a reality for many across the world, as for the first time in almost 20 years, christmas and hanukkah are falling on the same day. it's a chance for this multi—faith family, who grew up observing separate religions, to come together and share their cultural traditions. growing up in a country like england, not celebrating christmas, it's actually been quite fun to do some of the things that everyone else was doing growing up that you were sometimes missing out on. so it's been really fun to be able to lean into some of those things. so what does it mean to actually be able to celebrate the holidays together? it's quite...it's quite exciting for us

barbara plett usher, bbc news. to bring you some breaking news that we are getting from theo leggett who is our business correspondence. the chief executive of global automotive group has stepped down with immediate effect. full statement said it has protected the resignation of the leader since 2021. it is the leader since 2021. it is the world's fifth largest automotive group. it is the parent company of vauxhall but it also controls a number of other brands including peugeot, citroen, chrysler and jeep. other brands including peugeot, citroen, chryslerand jeep. it has been struggling with falling sales, especially in north america. also here in the uk the boss has recently courted controversy after announcing the vauxhall plant in luton would close with the loss, or putting at risk at least, of over 1000 jobs. the company hasn't said why he has stepped down but he was due to stepped down but he was due to step down in 2026 the box of the vauxhall owner has stepped down with immediate effect. now we are going to

stay with us here on bbc news. hello there. llo to wet and windy weather to see in the new year. a conveyor belt of weather fronts sitting out in the atlantic, waiting to dominate the story over the next few days. first signs of rain pushing into northern ireland and southern scotland. very windy across the tops of the trans—pennine routes. to the south of that we've got some brightness and temperatures, generally at around nine to 11 degrees, somewhat colder conditions in the far north east of scotland. but it's overnight tonight and into the first half of new year's eve that we see this relentless heavy rain continue to push into scotland. and that means that rainfall totals are going to start to add up. so the met office has issued an amber weather warning stretching from inverness down to fort william. here we could see the possibility of some flooding and some travel disruption on a very, very busy travel day. and that amber amber weather warning will remain in force throughout new year's eve as that heavy rain continues to

jeremy bowen, bbc news, damascus.tary has flown american travis timmerman out of syria, where he was imprisoned by the assad regime for seven months. mr timmerman was attempting to pass through the country as part of a "spiritualjourney" before he was detained. the 29—year—old was among thousands of prisoners released by rebel forces after the fall of bashar al—assad's regime on sunday. the notorious prisons have been described by human rights groups as a "slaughterhouse". elsewhere, us secretary of state antony blinken is making diplomatic rounds, urging countries in the region to support a peaceful transition of power in syria. it's his twelfth visit to the middle east since the war between israel and hamas erupted last year. during an unannounced visit to iraq earlier today, mr blinken met with iraqi prime minister mohammed shiaa al—sudani in baghdad, in a coordinated effort to work with a key regional partner to fight extremism. as syria transitions from the asai disc in her —— dictatorship totally democracy, does

welcome to bbc news. has confirmed tonight's episode of masterchef will still be shown despite pressure to pull the programme from its schedules following multiple allegations against presenter gregg wallace. a bbc source said: "masterchef is life changing for the chefs that take part and the show is about more than one individual." earlier, mr wallace apologised for suggesting allegations against him came from "a handful of middle—class women of a certain age". he posted a video on instagram saying he was not in a good head space when he spoke out yesterday. this was the apology for that. i want to apologise for any offence i caused with my post yesterday and any upset i may have caused to people. i wasn't in a good headspace when i posted it. i have been under a huge amount of stress, a lot of emotion, i felt very alone and under siege when i posted it. it is obvious to me that i need to take some time out now while this investigation is under way. i hope you understand, and i do hope that you will accep

stay with us here on bbc news. hello. e weather is looking fairly benign for christmas eve for the vast majority. a fair bit of cloud around, admittedly — we saw that roll in on monday — and much, much milder than it has been. temperatures on monday afternoon, 11—5 celsius for quite a few, a good 8—10 celsius warmer for tuesday afternoon on christmas eve. that milder air�*s been pushing in already, and will continue to do so into the morning, around this area of high pressure to the south of us and behind weather fronts. so, by the time we start christmas eve, temperatures for the vast majority are actually in double figures first thing in the morning. lots of cloud around, a rather grey start to the day, however and, certainly in the west, some outbreaks of rain or drizzle. a few spots further east, too, but some of the wettest conditions throughout christmas eve will be to the north and west of scotland, where it'll also be quite windy at times — winds touching gale force for some. we'll see some rain or drizzle in north

greg mckenzie, bbc news.n a television interview, the prefect of mayotte said guy taylor is the spokesperson for unicef in mozambique, and he explained what the situation is like there and the challenges that lay ahead. we were hit very hard in the early hours of this morning when cyclone chido arrived in mozambique as an intense tropical cyclone. it brought winds of over 200km an hour and, as you said, very intense rainfall. and we've been out in the city today seeing some of the aftermath of that impact, so many houses destroyed or seriously damaged, health care facilities, schools put out of action. and obviously people are trying to pull together their lives after a very serious impact, so a very difficult situation here in mozambique. and what is unicef doing in terms of its crisis response there? yeah. well, fortunately, we saw this cyclone coming, as many others did, and that enabled us to prepare. we pre—positioned large quantities of essential supplies in pemba, where we have a warehouse, and we've a

this is bbc news.ing between israel and gaza because of growing insecurity. the head of unrwa said two recent convoys had been looted by armed gangs near the kerem shalom crossing. attempts to secure the world's first ever global treaty to limit plastic production in an effort to stop it polluting the planet have collapsed in south korea. the chair said more time was needed to reach a deal. masterchef presenter gregg wallace responds to complaints about his behaviour on the bbc show, saying they've come from "a handful of middle—class women of a certain age". syria's president is preparing a counter—attack on the rebel forces that captured the city of aleppo. russia, an ally of bashar al—assad, has carried out fresh air strikes near the city. now on bbc news... click. lara: this week, we're taking a look back at some of our amazing adventures with al. spencer: now, how would you like to meet one - of the most popular and highest earning instagram models? well, you can't — because she doesn't exist.

this is bbc news... more allegations have been made about inappropriate behaviour by the masterchef presenter gregg wallace. it comes after he hit out in a statement on social media, saying claims about him have been made by "a handful of middle—class women of a certain age". his lawyers previously said the allegations are false. 13 women have complained about him to a bbc news investigation. figures show more than 20,000 migrants have arrived in the uk by crossing the channel in small boats since sir keir starmer became prime minister. he said ministers had inherited an utter mess in the home office. it comes after the pm announced a major overhaul of the immigration system and accused the conservatives of running "a one—nation experiment in open borders". former world snooker champion terry griffiths has died at age of 77, after a long battle with dementia. from south wales, he came through the qualifying rounds to win the 1979 crucible title as a qualifier, and also won the masters and the uk champi

andrew harding, bbc news, paris. oke with rainbow murray, professor of politics at queen mary university of london. she said president macron could not afford to wait to appoint a new prime minister. there's three reasons why he needs to act quickly. the first is that he has a visit to france later this week by donald trump to celebrate the reopening of notre dame. this is a lovely opportunity to put france back on the international stage and shown international stage and shown in its bad —— in its best light. he doesn't want that to get screwed up. he also needs to protect his own position. the longer this crisis drags on the more vulnerable he becomes, and he is going to want to try to get a new government in place quickly, and last but not least, france has no budget and their current budget expires at their current budget expires at the end of this month. the defence minister, who reportedly advised president yoon suk yeol of south korea to impose martial law, which sparked widespread protests, has resigned. kim y

dan roan, bbc news.stored until ten o�*clock tomorrow night. here�*s tomos morgan. conversation in welsh. although water supply was restored yesterday, four days on since storm darragh, mark�*s butcher is still without power. madness, it�*s been absolute madness, the way things have been going. i just get frustrated because we�*ve only got how many days left before christmas and i�*ve got to get all this work done before christmas, and i get all this piled on top of it. as a generator keeps a chunk of his fresh meat cold, a large portion of his stock has been ruined. it�*s all defrosted. i�*ve got game and venison. expensive meat, then. expensive meat, yes. so that will have to go to the bin? that will go to the bin. over the road in rhydlewis, it�*s been a challenge to keep warm. we'd be freezing without that, really cold. and the other rooms in the house, what are they like? well, they're central heating, so they're freezing. we've been sleeping in here. sleeping in this room on the sofa to keep warm a

steve knibbs, bbc news. donald trump have asked a new yorkjudge to completely dismiss the criminal case in which he was convicted of falsifying business records — to cover up payments to the adult film star, stormy daniels. our north america correspondent david willis has the details. donald trump was found guilty in may of falsifying business records in order to cover up a payment of $130,000 to the porn star stormy daniels. he was the first us president, former or current, to be convicted of a criminal offence. but following his re—election last month, sentencing in that case was postponed. now the district attorney, the prosecution, is calling for sentencing to be postponed until mr trump has served his second term in office. in other words, for another four years. but mr trump's lawyers want the case to be dismissed altogether. and in a motion to the court, they cited the decision by presidentjoe biden to pardon his son hunter as evidence that the criminaljustice system in this country is prone to politi

kancys we hope on newsnight, the iplayer, on bbc news and bbc at10:30pm.c news and bbc at 10:30pm.— and bbc at 10:30pm. thank you, padd . president putin delivered a carefully honed, positive message at his marathon end—of—year press conference, on russia's role in syria, in ukraine, and on his own contribution — in his words — to pulling russia back from the abyss. this last was in response to a question by the bbc�*s steve rosenberg, who brings you this report. it would have been hard not to notice vladimir putin today. his marathon end—of—year event was live on all the main tv channels in russia. it was half phone—in, half press conference. he used it to make his first public comments on events in syria, with a message for those calling the fall of assad a blow to russia. translation: whoever would - like to portray russia as weakened, i would like to recall the words of a famous person and writer, who once said, the reports of my death are greatly exaggerated. a message too for donald trump — putin was ready for talks, any time. after more than four ho

this is bbc news. as syria welcomes its first new year since the collapse of the assad regime. celebrations in bahrain, too, as the clock strikes midnight in the kingdom. we'll bring you all the major celebrations from around the world. but there's disappointment in some parts of the uk as yellow storm warnings put paid to many of the outdoor celebrations. now on bbc news, it takes a village. this is the house i grew up in. notjust me. also my brother and sister. you guys cuddled up on the sofa. we then had to get a new sofa, because you put your foot through it. and for a few years, my mum's best friend and her daughter lived with us, too. hello. we might be on film! 0h, hi! my mum called it the single mum's mansion, but others call it a �*mum—une'.

this is bbc news.s suspending aid deliveries through the main crossing between israel and gaza because of growing insecurity. the head of unrwa said two recent convoys had been looted by armed gangs near the kerem shalom crossing. syria's president is preparing a counter—attack on the rebel forces that captured the city of aleppo. russia, an ally of bashar al—assad, has carried out fresh air strikes near the city. the georgian pm denies suspending talks on eu accession, as mass protests against his government continue. irakli kobakhidze said the president must leave office when her term ends this month. she's restated her refusal to accept the legitimacy of the government. masterchef presenter gregg wallace responds to complaints about his behaviour on the bbc show. hello and welcome. watching bbc news. counting has resumed in ireland's parliamentary election. during the first day of counting, 36 of the 17a seats in the dail or lower house were decided. the first preference votes have so far given the

anna foster, bbc news. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. ng news in the uk. the bbc has found that a church of england priest with a history of child sexual abuse allegations against him was twice reappointed to a senior position in his diocese while the current archbishop of york was the bishop of chelmsford. a woman who say she was groomed by the priest, david tudor, has described the renewal of his contract as an insult to all his victims. more flights to and from heathrow airport have been cancelled and strong winds in the uk continue to disrupt travel during the busy holiday season. more than 100 flights were cancelled across the weekend, affecting about passengers. —— affecting about 15,000 passengers. air travel has also been disrupted in northern ireland. all flights in and out of belfast city airport were cancelled on sunday evening. the cancellations came after an air lingus plane suffered an emergency incident while landing during strong winds. it appears the nose wheel of the plane collapsed as the aircraft landed. you are live w

join us for newsnight at 10:30pm on bbc two, bbc news, and on iplayer. 10:30pm on bbc two, bbc news, nd on ipla er. �* ., ., ~ ., ., the nhs is facing a tough winter, with flu cases four times higher than at this point last year. more than a 1,000 people have been in hospital with flu every day this week in england, compared to just under 250 at the same time last year. and there are also rising numbers of cases of covid, norovirus and another respiratory virus, called rsv. the bbc has agreed to hold off publishing a report into allegations about the behaviour of the former radio 1 dj tim westwood, at the request of the metropolitan police. an inquiry was begun in 2022, after 18 women accused the presenter of predatory and unwanted sexual behaviour over a period of more than 30 years — allegations which he denies. in a national television address, president macron told the french people he was determined to stay in office until the end of his term in 2027, and he warned that some political groups had "chosen chaos," by toppling the government in a no confidence vote. he said he'd soon

rowan bridge, bbc news, washington. mangione was named as the person arrested over the fatal shooting of united healthcare ceo brian thompson in new york, stories about the 26—year—old went into overdrive online. social media users have manipulated photos of mangione to provide alibis and suggest he was in different places at the time of the crime. after his arrest mangione gained 1,000 followers a minute on x, as people poured through his past posts. for more on the social media reaction to this, let's speak to kara alamio, who is an author and professor in communication in newjersey. in fact, you have written an article about all of this, haven't you? it has been really bizarre and extraordinary, the reaction on social media to this. talk us through some of it for people who perhaps haven't been following it that closely. haven't been following it that closel . . v closely. that's right. the -iece closely. that's right. the iece i closely. that's right. the piece i wrote _ closely. that's right. the piece i wrote looke

the time isjust thanks for being with us here on bbc news. s just past a quarter to seven. 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. with the details, here's our north america correspondent rowan bridge. this is about 7:30am where police say this woman was apparently asleep on a subway train when someone went over to her with a lighter and set her alight. they said she was engulfed in flames within a matter of seconds in part because those flames are fanned by person holding a shirt. police became aware of what was happening and rushed to the scene. at the moment, she hasn't been identified. it's thought she may have been a homeless person, but they are now trying to use dna and fingerprint advanced fingerprint techniques to identify who she might be. sebastian zapeta was arrested soon afterwards because he was caught on surveillance cameras and police body worn c

you with bbc news. —— you are live with bbc news.cy safety inspection of the country's entire airline operation system following the nation's deadliest ever plane crash. investigations are continuing into the cause of sunday's incident, which left 179 people dead. south korea has declared seven days of mourning to mark the worst ever aviation disaster on its soil. joining us now on the line from muan, jen moon, who is an international affairs specialist and journalist in south korea. thank you forjoining us on bbc news. you have been at the airport since this crash happened. what is the latest there? ., , , there? right. it has been nearly 30 _ there? right. it has been nearly 30 hours - there? right. it has been nearly 30 hours since - there? right. it has been nearly 30 hours since the j nearly 30 hours since the deadly crash here that sent shock throughout this country and worldwide. here today on this monday investigators are trying to identify the last remaining victims. they are sifting through records that was —— wreckage that