>> pope benedict has differed his traditional christmas message in which he called for and end to the bloodshed in syria. >> welcome to "bbc news." the grand old lady of parise celebrates herth birthday. >> who has been a good little boy then? >> and we find out how british troops are getting some festive cheer on the front line in afghanistan. >> hello again. we will begin in egypt because voters have officially backed a new constitution. in the past few hours the electoral commission has said that 63.8% voted yes to president morsi's proposals, those that have led to huge demonstrations in recent weeks. they say the document favors islamists and doesn't do enough to protect minorities. the united states has urged president morsi to build trust across egypt's political divides. given the muslim brotherhood's domination of the political scene, i asked our correspondent whether there are fears jipt may become a one-party state. >> that is what some of the people in the opposition are saying. it is not what other people in terms of the muslim brotherhood are saying and also what a numbe

benedict will have the user news @pontfx.e'll sweet in eight languages although not latin for now. his initial tweets will be answers to questions people tweeted him, and even he has to observe the 140-character limit he. one day after the announcement, the pope already had a half a million twitter followers. that's respectable but nowhere near pop star lady gaga, who has the most followers on twitter, nearly 32 million. benedict will send out his first tweets on december 12th, which is the feast day of our laid of guadalupe. that honors a vision of the virgin mary reported near mexico city in the year 1531. thousands of catholics travel each year to the basilica built there in her name. also on our calendar this weekend, catholics observe the feast of the immaculate conception when they celebrate the belief that mary, the mother of jesus, was proceed served from the taint of original sin all of her life. buddhists mark bodhe day when they believe he attained enlightenment and reached a state of nirvana. according to traditio

peter's basilica as pope benedict celebrated christmas eve mass. children's choir sang the traditional hymns, and bells tolled to mark the birthday of jesus. the pope urged followers to find room for god in a modern world filled with technological gadgets. >> hopefully people listen to him and take his words in a spiritual and meaningful way. >> reporter: in his homily, the 85-year-old pope also asked for a solution to the arab/israeli conflict of interest and an end to the civil war in syria. for many tourists, spending christmas here in vatican city and hearing pope benedict speak is a once in a lifetime experience. >> amazing to see so many people here. probably of all faiths. and just wonderful to be a part of it. it's bigger than we are. >> it's something that encourages me to believe even more. >> reporter: before the mass, the pope lit a peace candle outside his window as a larger than life nativity scene was unveiled in st. peter's square below. the traditional midnight mass was moved up to 10:00 years ago to let the pontiff rest before his

benedict is more of a teacher and professor. his charisma is different but perhaps what is needed now. he's not the grand figure, you know, out making -- trying to make headlines or draw attention to himself. he simply is claiming the gospel he's there to protect and advance. >> and, yes, and we see that as well in sort of the way he communicates his messages and interprets as well some of the scripture. but one of the things he said in the christmas message from a couple of days ago that i suppose raised eyebrows because of the timing, not because it was surprising in terms of the content, calling gay marriage a manipulation of nature. why choose the christmas season to make this type of statement, do you think? >> this is his annual sort of state of the church, and this is to the staff the vatican. we have to be very clear, the way this is reported i thought was redundant, like saying president obama's speech in n newtown was a call to scripture and prayer. it wasn't what he was talking about but he referenced scripture and pr

benedict. he offered special prayers for syria, the middle east crisis, communist china. the catholic church faces official who discrimination in china. the pope encourage arab spring nations, such as egypt, to adjust. for some, it was a welcome relief, or a day to rest up before big sales. >> some of us had work today, but not everyone. mother nature helped santa deliver a white christmas across much of the country, from new england to the snow-covered hills of colorado. a winter wonderland for people of all ages. and they're furry friends, too. after a last-minute shopping frenzy in malls across america -- >> i am not going over my limit. >> americans settled down for christmas. some of them this holiday in church, giving prayers' and things with their family. for americans serving in afghanistan, the christmas feast was a bittersweet reminder of life in the states, and the loved ones they left behind. >> and the opportunity to view of my family and mom -- to be with my family,, this job come

and benedict talked about that.g and here comes this child who will suffer like the rest of us. i think that's an attractive message. again, father is right, it should

. >>> pope benedict xvi gets a new handle on reaching out to a younger generation. >> how the pontiffwill let his fingers do the talking. you know how much grandma wanted to be here for your fist christmas? you see grandma lives waaaay down here, and you live way up here. brian, your cousin, he's a little bit older than you, he lives here, in chicago. and your aunt lisa lives here, in baltimore. uncle earnie? waaay out in hawaii. but don't you worry, we will always be together for christmas. [ male announcer ] being together is the best part of the holidays and cheerios is happy to be part of the family. you just ate dallas! >>> coming up at 3:00 on katie, john walsh. then at 4:00, the simple thing women can do to improve their brain's health. at 5:00, detroit's mayor comes to town to settle the world series wager he made with san francisco. you will see who will benefit the most from his friendly bet. those stories and more later today. >> i think cheers a charity angle. >>> it only took a few hours this morning for pope benedict to become one of the biggest celebrities on twitter. >

. >>> pope benedict xvi gets a new handle on reaching out to a younger generation. >> how the pontiffll let his fingers do the talking. it's the little thingsgs in lie that make me smile. spending the day with my niece. i don't use super poligrip for hold because my dentures fit well. before those little pieces would get in between my dentures and my gum and it was uncomfortable. even well-fitting dentures let in food particles. super poligrip is zinc free. with just a few dabs, it's clinically proven to seal out more food particles so you're more comfortable and confident while you eat. so it's not about keeping my dentures in, it's about keeping the food particles out. [ charlie ] try zinc free super poligrip. >>> coming up at 3:00 on katie, john walsh. then at 4:00, the simple thing women can do to improve their brain's health. at 5:00, detroit's mayor comes to town to settle the world series wager he made with san francisco. you will see who will benefit the most from his friendly bet. those stories and more later today. >> i think cheers a charity angle. >>> it only took a few ho

. >> pope benedict delivered his twice yearly address from the balcony of st. peter's basilica today. the pontiff touched on political themes as well, calling for peace in syria and appealing to italians to embrace the spirit of cooperation in upcoming elections. >> tens of thousands of people showed up in st. peter's square to hear benedict's message, and millions to and in worldwide. >> tens of thousands of people turned out to hear the pope's christmas message. the square erupted in applause as the pontiff stepped out to address the crowd. he revisited one of the themes of his christmas eve message -- the wish for peace in the middle east. turning and i to syria, he called for an end to the conflict -- turning an eye to syria. the pope appealed to those responsible to stop the bloodshed and slaughter of innocent people. he called for dialogue in order to find a political solution to the conflict. the pope then delivered a christmas message in 65 languages. >> remind the world that true happiness lies in their hearts with hope and joy, for the savior has been

. >> reporter: jim benedict says he was dumb, and hanging around some bad people 20 years ago. >> they were involved in things they shouldn't have been, manufacturing methamphetamines. >> reporter: he got involved too, only to get busted, and he spent five years in prison. he joined an inmate fire crew, not knowing he was absolute to have an experience that would change his life forever. in 1993, he saved a boy's life. >> i saved him. how could i live with myself if i didn't try? >> reporter: readers digest even even featured his second- chance story. ken was paroled and spend the last two decades waiting for today, a pardon from the governor, years after he first asked. the state who locked him up officially forgave him for his crimes. >> to finally have some closure to a long story that, you know, i did something dumb when i was younger. >> reporter: today, ken is older, wiser and engaged. he volunteers as area schools and competes in bodybuilding events with his fiance. >> he set such an excellent role model for me and i love him for that. >> reporter: both are celebrating the chris

at the vatican ts week pop benedict the 16th officially joined the twitter sphere, with the launch of twitter account. the pope used his allotted 140 characters to send out a message that read, "dear friends, i am pleased to get in touch with you through twitter. thank you for your generous response. i bless all of you from my heart." benedict also responded to questions submitted by some of his twitter followers, who now number, in just a short time, at least 1 million. in bethlehem, the catholic and orthodox patriarchs of the holy land came together to announce the beginning of celebrations for christmas, which included decorating a christmas tree. and here in the u.s., president obama welcomed jewish leaders and staff to the white house this week for the annual white house hanukkah party. on display was a menorah from a synagogue in new york that had been badly damaged by hurricane sandy. >>> and eaier theeek, outside the white house, crowds gathered for the lighting of the national menorah. hanukkah began last saturday evening. >>> finally, with only a few shopping days left until

peters square were there to hear pope benedict's christmas message. he condemned violence in syria, mali and nij ear wra. he expressed hope that arab spring nations, including egypt, will rebuild societies based on justice and tolerance. the pope also prayed china's new leaders will shington's ability to avert the fiscal cliff. on monday before closing for christmas, the dow lost 52 points, while the nasdaq dropped eight. >>> new taxes to help pay for the affordable health care act take effect january 1st. the average american won't be spending more money to the irs. the wealthiest 2% of americans and the health care industry will pick up most of the tab. >>> milk is a staple in every home, ask starting in the new year you could be paying twice as much for it. a government subsidy expires at the end of this year. unless congress extends it, the cost could skyrocket to above $7 a gallon, putting a major hirchlg on families already struggling to make ends meet. >>> bad news for retailers. holiday sales proved this year it was the weakest since 2008. one

. >>> pope benedict joining twitter. the vatican announced today pope benedict has its own. he will start tweeting december 12th. the pope will tweet in six languages. his twitter handle will be -- he has already has more than 35,000 followers. >>> new state lawmakers will take the state of oath in sacramento this morning. democrats won a historic super majority. that allows them to raise taxes with little concern of republican opposition. but leaders say they will avoid doing that considering voters just passed proposition 30. republicans and governor brown say they will be watching democrats to keep new taxes in check. >>> one of the first acts of the state assembly will be to honor an eagle scout. he was just told before his 18th birthday he would not be given the award despite meeting all the requirements. scouts must be younger than 18 to receive boy scoutings highest award. they will honor andre son for speaking out. >>> nhl players will meet with six team owners to try to end that lockout. the heads of the league and players union will not be there. the hope is that c

pope benedict had hundreds of thousands of new followers.is holiness will send his first official tweet on december 12th and promises to answer questions sent to #askpontifex, which by the way means bridge builder in latin. the vatican says they like the latin meaning but also other simpler twitter handles were already taken. >>> and another milestone in communications, and the number is 20. it was 20 years ago today that a british engineer cracked the code for a new kind of paging system. it allowed messages to go both way and sent a simple message that changed the world. it said "merry christmas." that was the very first text message. the inventor had no idea today we'd be sending 200,000 texts every minute. merry christmas for sure. >>> and we really do love hearing from you what captured your imagination, so tweet me your thoughts for "instant index" @dianesawyer. >>> and coming up, the rule book for having a royal baby. which rules did diana break, and what will kate do? diana break, and what will kate do? are you stilg for a medicare p

they include ken benedict who got involved with a bad crowd. >> christmas eve to find this out. what a gift. to finally have some closure to you know a long story that i did something dumb when i was younger. >> he joined an inmate fire crew in prison and he saved a boy's life back in 1993 in a malibu fire and was paroled after two years and now he is a school volunteer and he's engaged to be married and has got his life back together. >>> well, right now volunteers are starting to prepare a big christmas feast for the less fortunate right here in san francisco. >> yeah, they're planning to serve lots of meals today. and cbs 5 reporter is at glide memorial church with the annual effort to help the homeless. good morning kate. >> reporter: good morning and merry christmas to you both. they're actually going to serve up 5,000 meals. we're expecting volunteers within the next hour or so. i'm joined live with gene cooper with glide memorial. >> merry christmas. how are you? >> reporter: i'm great. what's the big rundown of today? >> today we'll start serving breakfast at 7:00 a.m. t

benedict is 85. to slow down and spend more time with god and less time using high-tech gadgets. on a somewhat related note for the first time ever britain's queen elizabeth has gone 3d. she watched a playback. she thanked all the athletes who took part in the london olympics. the message will air tomorrow. >>> one christmas tradition would not take place without some of santa's helpers. their story is next. sometimes life can be well, a little uncomfortable. but when it's hard or hurts to go to the bathroom, there's dulcolax stool softener. dulcolax stool softener doesn't make you go, it just makes it easier to go. dulcolax stool softener. make yourself comfortable. starts with arthritis pain and a choice. take tylenol or take aleve, the #1 recommended pain reliever by orthopedic doctors. just two aleve can keep pain away all day. back to the news. campbell's has 24 new soups that will make it drop over, and over again. ♪ from jammin' jerk chicken, to creamy gouda bisque. see what's new from campbel

residentes de oakland, el evento sera el sabado, de 10 de la maÑana a 3 de la tarde en la iglesia "saint benedictcada en el numero 22-45 de la avenida 82. take fs 2 ---y en san francisco, sera en el centro "the omega boy's club" que esta en el numero 10-60 de la calle "tennessee" de 10 de la maÑana a 3 de la tarde. stop open blanca ---un legislador presento un proyecto de ley para apoyar a los jovenes que se estan beneficiando del programa de accion diferida. ---pero en vez de aceptacion, esta recibiendo criticas de estos mismos jovenes. ---pilar niÑo nos explica por que... ---la ex-supervisora del condado de alameda, nadia lockyer.... take vo ....ya no cuenta con proteccion judicial porque sta orden que un juez le habia concedido hace varios meses venci hoy jueves. ---lockyer, quien se separo de su marido bill lockyer, el actual tesorero estatal, solicito la orden el pasado mes de mayo para mantener alejado a su amante stephen chic- hani. blanca ---el abogado de la ciudad de san francisco, dennis herrera... take vo ...solicito hoy a un juez federal, desechar una demanda interpuesta por un grupo

benedict talked about that. how here comes a child who will suffer like rest of us. it's an at

pope benedict the xvi wishing peace to the world calling for an end to the slaughter in syria.flix not giving credit to its viewers after an outage on christmas eve. a christmas tradition in germany. members of the berlin seal swimming club taking a dive into some frigid lake temperatures. look at that, wow, that is frigid. they are wearing nothing but santa claus hats. jaime: i'm told we couldn't show all the video on that story. now national healthcare and lindsay lohan's ann particulars, 2012 was a big year for the courts. in january the supreme court ruled that before the government places a gps tracking device on your vehicle it has to get a search warrant. four months later it said that children conceived through in-vitro are not automatically entitled to benefits after the death of a parents. what the court could look like from here. doug burns a former federal prosecutor and criminal defense attorney. and john manweli, a former criminal defense attorney. waoepl mawaoepl may not influence that the high court cases influence people practicing law day-to-day. doug -rpbgs t

this morning pope benedict xvi will join the twitter .e vatican is holding a news conference this morning to launch his personal account. his twitter handle will be -- the pope will tweet in six languages he sent out his first last year from a vatican account which tweets news about the pontiff. >>> landmark church at west point military academy in new york state marked a milestone over the weekend, first ever same-sex wedding. they exchanged vows saturday. senior army chaplain officiated. fulton is a west point graduate. they had a civil commitment ceremony in 1999 have now formally tied the knot. new york state legalized same-sex last year. >>> moraga toon didn't add eagle scout award because he's gay will be honored by the -- last year the souths say he violate -- today ryan will be honored at the opening session of the assembly by openly gay speaker john perez. >>> raider nation we want to see your team pride e-mail your!umfb fan photos to urepor. we will show them on air during our special raiders day edition of abc7 news at 4:00, t

his handler is @pope underscore benedict. >> i have another one.t be a couple. >>> sunday night football action, the cowboys take on the eagles in philly. a big night for cowboys qb tony romo who threw three touchdown passes in the second half as the cowboys had a 38-33 victory. romo brought the cowboys record for career touchdown passes, a record previously held by troy aikman. romo now has 168 career touchdowns. >> wow, college football, two legendary football programs set to battle for the bcs championship. the irish of notre dame and the crimson tide of alabama. we are going to take you live to south bend and tuscaloosa to see how the students are gearing up. that's next. [ male announcer ] when was the last time something made your jaw drop? campbell's has 24 new soups that will make it drop over, and over again. ♪ from jammin' jerk chicken, to creamy gouda bisque. see what's new from campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. but don't just listen to me. listen to these happy progressive customers. i plugged in snapshot, and 30 days later, i

benedict's church in oakland.y have arrear range of this room and turned in this to a donation center. it will kick off in one of war and hosted by some news organizations. their goal is to get guns out of the community. >> if you are going hunting that is one of thing but if you are using this in a violent act or a robbery. or it to settle a dispute of that nature that i think that it has to be dealt with. to make sure that these are off the streets. >> this is how it is works today. 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. with these locations. you must be a resident of that city. and proof of residency. you can see officers are riding on the scene. for every working gun that they will give you $200 and pay you for up to the amount of three guns. no questions and did not bring them loaded. this will wrap up this afternoon, the police departments will collect them, destroy them. and while they to not point to any statistics that prove that this decreases violent crime they say that it is common sense. it is one less than that that w

pope benedict will hold midnight mass. this will be the eighth time he has presided since his papcy began in 2005. >> it looks like we're not going to get a white christmas. what sort of holiday will it be from a weather standpoint? but first the federal hot minute. >> the business of government is going through a dynamic change driven by se quest tration as well as other business trends. there's no shortage on this topic. stansomeloway urges the government not to repeat the mistakes made in the early 1990's. the last time we saw significant budget cuts. the cuts were made across the board and procurement work was impacted. he says that the cut must be more strategic. the articles sites from the 18th annual survey. it should be no surprise when you see the results of another survey. that shows how government contractors are seeking revenue in parks outside but adjacent to other governments. >> all right. three storms we're keeping our eye on. >> a lot of us will see a few flakes of snow. and at some point minority and west

highlights coming up next. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, heard pope benedict deliver traditional christmas messaoday. the pope stepped on >>> roman catholics from around the world heard pope benedict deliver his traditional christmas message. he stepped over the balcony overlooking st. peters square and condemned the vial fence syria. >> once again, i condemn the blood shed, easier access for relief to the displaced. >>> the pope also called for peace in north africa and between israelis and palestinians. just today, israelis approved the construction of another 1200 housing units for a construction on the west bank >>> more than 7600 new unwrapped gifts were delivered. firefighters drove around the city and delivered those toys. the toy drive wrapped up at 2:00 this morning >>> most people would rather be anywhere rather than anywhere but not nancy ray. this postal worker is carrying out a decades old san jose tradition by delivering express mail on christmas day. not just anyone can be one of santa's post-office helpers. you have to pay your dues first. >> i have been wanting to be santa on ch

and pope benedict -- who is now on twitter. and by the way, mr.acebook is not on the list. >> really? >> he dropped off. >> i wonder if steve jobs would have made it? >> there is a lot of power there. the power of letting us know what is going to happen the next couple of days. >> up, down. up down. is a bumpy seven-day forecast in terms of temperatures. i think that is the best way to put it. you mentioned it is good weather for hockey. i want to take you to the rooftop camera. i zoomed in across the river. people are enjoying probably of their lunch breaks. it is actually good weather if you get outside and skates. the last few days, the ice was rather soft. but today, only 41. cooler air -- we do notd. it is very calm at this time. it is light and variable. then it ships southerly. 39 in martinsburg and papers were -- gaithersburg. chilly all across the board. compare that to this time yesterday? look. we are a good 15 degrees cooler now than we were at this time in washington. on average, we are cooler because of the strong cold front. we are

. >> pope benedict xvi used his christmas message to the world today to say people should never losece. the pope delivered his message morning and to millions watching. during his sermon the pope decried what he calls the slaughter of the defenseless in syria and urged israel list and palestinians to find the courage to negotiate. he encouraged arab spring nations, especially egypt to build just and respectful societies. >>> in san francisco worshippers gathered at grace cathedral for a light night service at 11:00 one of the most popular christmas eve masses in the bay area. the choir performed, grace cathedral will hold another service today at 11 a.m.. >>> christmas day visitors for former south african president nelson mandela, as he remains hospitalized. >>> do you have a new ipad under the tree? it may be out-of-date. we'll explain. >>> merry christmas. rain is on its way. see it with live doppler 7 hd. areas with yellow and orange show strong cold front pushing through. currently along 101 past south ukiah heading towards healdsburg rain in the north bay late this morning. thi

i like my pope like my eggs, benedict. [ laughter ]

pope benedict xvi led christmas mass urged them to find time for god in what he describes as her hecticogy driven lives. this is major square in bethlehem. the top roman catholic cleric noted this year they are celebrating the birth of palestine. we are now less than one week away from the fiscal cliff deadline that is when spending cuts and tax hikes kick in automatically. law americas plan to return to washington later this week to try to hammer out a last minute deal. fears of an uncertain economy are forcing people to buy fewer gifts. buy stuff made in the usa even if it costs more. >> we have more than doubled in the past year. it is growing like crazy. people are waking up to the made in the usa issue. if we bought more of what we made in our nation we cput a lo of people to work. >> it could make for a dangerous christmas with violent storms and tornadoes may pop up in the panhandle. it is bringing a white christmas to other folks. 6 feet of snow in california. it hit the east coast overnight and all of the snow could mean headaches for 90 million americans aaa estimates are trav

early tomorrow -- today, pope benedict xvi offer condole ends saying he is deeply saddened and is praying for the families of the victims and encouraged people to work for peace during the christmas season. >> we are in prayer for the families and hope to town their hearts and ease their pain. >> houses of worship talked about how this happened to the most innocent of young children. joining me is a fox news contributor author of a book "god wants you happy," and a rabbi who helped counsel victims following the 9/11 attacks. rabbi, tell me where you are from. now, rabbi, your thoughts, tell us about trying to come to grips with this and what you tell people who come to you and say something like, how can god let this happen? >>guest: jewish rereligion is family with terror and horrific events but it is not that god causes things to happen. god does not cause evil the people do. our responsibility is to realize if it is people who act, who do evil things, there are also people who do very wonderful blessed things and we take these from our religion the benefits, the beauty, coming together

. >>> pope benedict is using christmas to call for peace in the middle east. at last night's mast, he called on us to find time in our hectic lives for children, the poor and god. the pontiff noted with the time-saving technology, that people have less time for what matters in life. >>> in west new york, a community is mourning two firefighters that were shot to death as they responded to a call. the shooter, 62-year-old ex-con, killed himself. several homes burned down. and the gunman's sister who lived with him, is among those still unaccounted for. >>> the entertainment world is mourning actor jack klugman. best moknown for playing oscar madison in "the odd couple." klugman had dozens of other credits in films and television. including an emmy for a dramatic role. jack klugman was 90 years old. >>> and a denver man is hoping for more than most this christmas. he's hoping for a new life, courtesy of the white house. eight years ago, a brutal beating left benjamin kyle with no memory of who he is. and as a result, he has no identification. he is hoping a peti

benedict's in oakland. >>> news of warning tonight from south bay police as they search for a man whothey say may be harassing young girls. >> i'm back here in just 10 minutes, your weekend is here. there are showers in the forecast and it's going to get really chilly. i'll >>> new video tonight out of solano county where an off duty police officer has been killed. highway12 has been closed while officers investigate the scene. the motorcycle the officer was riding clipped the back of a toyota pickup truck throwing the officer off the bike. both the motorcycle and the rider was hurled more than 100 feet into oncoming traffic. the officer was pronounced dead at the scene. >>> new at 10:00 tonight, morgan hill police are asking residents there to keep a look out for a man who may be harassing young females. the suspect is described as a white man in his mid-30s, short and chubby with balding hair or a crew cut. officials say he was seen driving a white van. if you have any information you're asked to call morgan hill police. >>> a iraq war veteran scott olson has filed a lawsuit for inj

and there is some global reaction to this tragedy, obviously, and pope benedict xvi said he's prayingilies of victim and also, karzi expressed condolences. the children were able to escape unharmed because of very brave teachers. once the shots rang out, the vac humiditiy relied on their experience and instincts to keep children safe. the kindergarten teacher got her students into the lockdown mode that they practiced. >> and we all got away from the windows and pulled down the blinds and locked the classroom door and the children were scared. trying to divert their attention. >> and another teacher, vicky soto, taught kindergarten and gathered her students into a closet and were killed protecting them. >> and the question of whether people have the right to be armed in public is likely headed for the supreme court and there have been conflicting rulings and most states have upheld local gun laws, including restricts on concealed weapons. judges in illinois recently struck down the statewide ban. >> and we have more details on the victims and the shooting investigation on our website,

benedict church. this is where oakland police were buying the guns. >> we have every anticipation exceeding all expectations today. >> initial target was taking 500 guns but financial incentive helped bring the people out. >> money. >> $200 was paid for a each gun. a limit of three weapons for each resident and people had to move they resided in the city. oakland and san francisco police departments is going to be asking the governor to make this kind of gun buy-back a state program. >> you can stay with "abc 7 news" for continuing coverage. laura anthony will have live reports from connecticut beginning tomorrow. >>> we do have developing news out of san francisco tonight. police have shut down part of california street between hyde and marketed searching for an armed gunman. they believe the person may be hiding behind a building that they surrounded. we do have a crew at the scene and we'll have than update at 11:00. >>> still ahead, hillary clinton is being monitored by doctors. what led to her fa

pope benedict xvi tells people not to up hope even in the world's most troubled reasons. his appeal for peace. >>> and it's not the grinch stealing christmas cheer. it's the weather. blizzard warnings may turn your white christmas into a travel nightmare. and tornados threaten the south. your forecast is coming up. >>> and we're seven days away from going off the fiscal cliff and with washington in a political gridlock we're getting closer and closer. the question, how will it affect you and your paycheck? >>> the images, the words, the names, highlights and low lights of 2012. "newsroom" starts now. >>> good morning to you. i'm carol costello wishing you and yours a merry christmas and we begin with pope benedict xvi using his an i'll christmas message to speak about the hope for peace even in the most difficult times and situations. >> translator: in this world there's a good soil which god has prepared -- >> just hours ago the 85-year-old pope spoke to a crowd in st. peter's square and millions of others watching around the world. he said even in syria, a nation embroi

peace is at the top of the wish list for pope benedict, addressing people overlooking st. peter's piazza. he touched on china as part of his blessing and offered prayers for peace in syria, a solution to the crisis, and tolerance in china. the catholic church faces discrimination from the communist leaders. he also encouraged egypt to build a just and respectful societies. the archbishop is getting his first taste as leader of the archdiocese and baltimore. he celebrated his first christmas mass with hundreds of parishioners at the cathedral of mary our queen. he spoke on the meaning of christmas and the tragedy in connecticut. >> my heart was cells of the folks -- is with all of the folks, asking the lord to give them consolation and healing. certainly to let them know our solidarity with them in prayer. they have been inundated with so many things, phone calls, but what they and really need are our prayers'. >> he spent 11 years as bishop of bridgeport, conn. for jews, christmas is a day of volunteering. more than 600 took place. families prepared winter care packages fo

(cheers and applause) >> stephen: you and benedict cumberbatch who plays sherlock in "sherlock."arted shooting the next season yet? >> no, we start in march. >> stephen: get on the stick, okay? some of us cannot wait for the rest of it. >> thanks. >> stephen: you're the main character of bilbo and he is the big special effect dragon. do you guys debate over who has the better part? (laughter) well, it's a very good part. >> stephen: drag gones are inherently sexy. >> hobbit cans hold their own. you're in rivendale, did you see that? >> it's beautiful. can i ask in? is this kosher? how did you get this? >> stephen: are you asking me whether i have violated international copyright infringement and should new line come after me in a lawsuit? >> in so many words. >> stephen: thank you for joining me. martin freeman. the movie is "the hobbit." ?ñ?ñ?ñ?ñ?ñ?ñ?z?ñ?ñ?ñz?:zz:z %77i8#gzipipam6=[(m",xui'eúi÷v#

besides being the leader of catholic church, pope benedict xvi is challenged author.es part of the traditional nativity scene. we look another faith and facts surrounding the first christmas. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: pope benedict xvi dons the scholar hat in the latest booth. book, exploring the christmas story as event in history. >> gospel story of jesus is historical. pope distinguishes that. symbolic approach. like when augustus is emperor of rome he situates this at specific time. it's unlike mythic language like once upon a time. or "star wars" long, long ago in galaxy far,f away. >> he was a prolific author before becoming pope. but this book had an initial printing of unprecedented million copies in nine languages and hitting bookstores in 50 countrys. >> he takes a study of the iconic images. animals in the manger. neither one of the two gospels that contain the birth narrative matthew and luke mentions them present. >> he points out in the gospel story itself you don't find reference. but later they appeared. >> the pope writes that jesus was born earlier than thoug

benedict's in oakland. >>> news of warning tonight from south bay police as they search for a man whoay may be harassing young girls. >> i'm back here in just 10 minutes, your weekend is here. there are showers in the forecast and it's going to get really chilly. i'll have all the details, see you back here in a few minutes. >>> the sentence for a man convicted of a series of rapes in san francisco. ♪ [ female announcer ] at yoplait, we want you to feel even better about your favorite flavors. so when you call, tweet, and post, we listen. that's why yoplait light and yoplait original are now made with no high fructose corn syrup. and why we use only natural colors and natural flavors in yoplait original. so, anything else we can do for you, let us know. but you'll keep it to yogurt, right? 'cause we shouldn't really help with your love life. yoplait. it is so good! >>> new video tonight out of solano county where an off duty police officer has been killed. highway12 has been closed while officers investigate the scene. the motorcycle the officer was riding clipped the back of a toyota

pope benedict wanted to invite the circus to the vatican and performers more than a dozen countries andg acts for the pontiff. and benedict, known to be a cat lover showering attention on the lion cubs brought to him by the trainers. and one is keeping a close eye on the decorations and releasing adorable video scoping out this year's decor. and bo is taken with a larger than life version of himself and the first lady's theme for the decorations is joy to all and separates the spirit of given. cute guy there. bo is. rhode island governor lincoln casey is refusing to refer to christmas when referring to the state tree, instead a holiday tree and can go all of you for your thoughts. nate says if we call it a holiday tree, which is it? and don adds, what he calls the tree is his business as an elected official, he's not entitled to try and change christmas. >> jackie writes, he can call the tree a jack rabbit for all i care, but i'm

. >>> pope benedict is joining twitter. pope benedict has his own twitter handle now and will start tweeting december 12th. the pope will tweet in six languages. his twitter handle l -- even though the pope has not sent any tweets yet, he already has more than 35,000 followers. >> you're a big twitter person. you would be interacting. >> the vatican has been tweeting. but now the pope himself. >>> 6:17. we have to check in with tara. what just happened in lafayette? >> we have a traffic hazard. it's one of the most random traffic hazards i have ever seen on the chp website. we apparently have a large gasoline style pump in the center divider. this is off highway 24 in lafayette. it's at the west tunnel road onramp. to be aware of it. this is a live look at the area. you can see traffic is getting a little congested. up next a look at the bay bridge toll plaza. the metering lights are on. give yourself an extra 10-15 minutes. and 680 at the sunol grade southbound traffic there bunching up a bit. you can see the brake lights

pope benedict. who would have thought this guy was a grinch. in his new book jesus of flaz rhett the the pope challenges the traditional story of christmas. for instance, he writes that the 6th century monk who established the year of jesus's birth made a mistake in his calculations by several years. the actual date of jesus's birth was several years before. big deal. come on! jesus is a celebrity. of course he shaves a few years off. (laughter) anyway, that just means he was almost 40 and he still has those abs. that is amir ago el. now the pope-- (applause) >> the pope also wrote that angel spoke the words proclaiming jesus's birth instead of singing them. so apparently according to the pope, the birth of our lord didn't sound like this-- ♪ hallelujah ♪ ♪. >> stephen: it sounded like this. >> how you doin? >> stephen: doesn't feel the same. (applause) now as a lifelong catholic i have stood by the church during its various trials and public triblations. 9 debate over birth control, the role of women in the church. and a third controversy i've

. >> pope benedict has made a surprise visit to the jail holding his a former butler for stealing and linking his private documents. it is allowed to return to his family. >> it is the season of good will and the christian world. nowhere -- nowhere more so than the vatican. there is one of the biggest pre digit -- security breaches in living memory. he stole an elite vast numbers of private documents. pope but it made a visit to the jail where he was being held. he gave him a pre-christmas pardon. he was convicted of aggravated that in october and sentenced to 18 months in prison. it was a case that rocked the foundation of the catholic church establishment, revealing greaseless power struggles and making claims of sexual misconduct with high-level corruption. now he is free to spend christmas with to his family. >> this is a gesture toward a person with whom the pope shared a relationship of daily familiarity with many years -- for many years. >> he was the pope's right hand man, serving him loyally. then the ultimate betrayal. he told investigators he wanted to expose evil and corru

pope benedict walking up to the altar. we still have less than 12 hours on the east coast before we celebrate the new year, but people all around the world are enjoying 2013 already. >> [[cheers and applause] ] >> fireworks at sydney harbour at the opera house. the celebrations in wellington were canceled because of dangerously high wins. in south korea, a large bell that marked the start of 2013 was wrong. it was used to keep time for the ruling emperor. now it is wrong on late at midnight on new year's column total of 33 times. the start of the new year means a big change for one popular magazine. newsweek's final print issue hits the newsstands today. cover features a picture, of the newsmagazine's former offices in new york with a telling deadlineheadline. it cannot afford to stay in print and will be on line only, next year. and it's a new beginning for many couples in maryland. same-sex couples or will be able to get married in maryland starting tomorrow. baltimore city hall will be open at midnight, but most couples