01/01/2012 BBC Weekend News

TRANSLATION: Europe is growing together. The path to overcoming

this remains long and will not be free from setbacks but at the end

of it, Europe will emerge stronger And in Paris, the fireworks were

subdued but a New Year's Clio Champs over the Eiffel Tower. A

globe in the message from the President -- a New Year's low

weight over the Eiffel Tower. TRANSLATION: We have to be lucid.

2012 will be a year full of risks but also possibilities. Full of

hope if we now have to face the challenges, full of dangers if we

stand still for. There is a new year ritual in Germany. Everybody

watches a remake of an old British comedy about a duchess and her

partner. This year, there was a twist. A spoof with Chancellor

Merkel and President Sarkozy. In real life, they are now linked

together to save the euro. They meet again in a few days' time to

try to agree on greater integration of eurozone Policies.

Even here in Germany, Europe's strongest economy, the forecasts

are for growth not much more than zero. To rub the rest of Europe, it

may well be recession. -- Germans take to the icy water in

another new year ritual. Their government is not promising any

warmer economy, quite the contrary. And that is bad news for every

A soldier killed in an explosion in Afghanistan was named today as

Private John King from 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment.

He was 19 and from Darlington and was killed in a blast in the Nahr-e

Saraj district of Helmand province on Friday.

Council tenants who sub-let their homes for many of could face

prosecution and could be jailed under new government plans for

England and Wales. High earners may also be forced to pay the market

rate falling in their council property in proposals outlined

They are pocketing money at the attack -- taxpayers' expense, that

is what ministers think of council tenants to sub-let. Around 160,000

tenants move out and take up to �1,000 of rent, the Government says

it is a form of fraud to profit from accommodation no longer needed

and they are promising to change the law to make it a criminal

offence. It is not fair and not right. Hard-working taxpayers pay

billions of pounds to build social housing, it should go to the people

who really needed, not people who do that kind of fraud and abuse.

Many local authorities already tell tenants not to sub-let but often a

worse than today faces losing the property. In future, they could go

to jail. The around 8 million people in England and Wales live in

a home owned either by the council or a housing association but there

are lengthy waiting lists, almost two million families hoping to be

housed. Ministers believe that making sub-

letting illegal is one way to try to provide council homes for those

who really need them. The Government is also considering

allowing councils to raise rents for high-earning tenants. Those

with an income over �100,000 may have to pay more although only

6,000 people are likely to be affected.

But Labour is saying these measures would do nothing to tackle a far

deeper problem. The reality is the housing crisis will only be sold by

building a new, affordable houses. Grant Shapps as Housing Minister

should stop renouncing things that will not make an immediate big

difference and get on with building new houses. The Government will

consult on its proposals soon but the housing charity, Shelter, has

called for bigger and bolder solutions, not more tweaks to

The Archbishop of Canterbury has said in his New Year message that

society is letting down young people. Dr Rowan Williams says the

suspicion and negativity shown towards young people is driving

them into unhappiness and anxiety. He said last August's riots in

England were part of a much bigger and more serious problem.

Iran has test fired a new medium range missile during naval

exercises close to the Strait of Hormuz, one of the busiest shipping

routes for transporting oil. The announcement of the firing was

followed by Tehran saying it successfully tested a nuclear fuel

rod made from uranium fpb riched from Iran for the first time. --

enriched. Iran's naval forces show off their fire power. Manoeuvres at

sea that look like a repostto western diplomatic manoeuvres to

tighten sanctions on Iran over its suspected nuclear ambitions.

This naval commander says Iran is able to defend all its coastline

and hit any target at any time it chooses. In the midst of ten days

of exercises, it warned last week that it would shut the Strait of

Hormuz if its own oil exports were squeezed. It may have backed off

the comments later, but it's a reminder of the fear force the oil

market, fragile western economies and stability in the Gulf. Iran

straddles Hormuz, the mouth of the Gulf. The waterways strategic

significant stems from the fact it carries more than a third of all

oil shipped by sea, one reason the US Navy has its headquarters in

Bahrain. Britain stations a small force of naval mine hunters there

too. The decision to test a missile is simply to engage in some sort of

brinkmanship to show that in the event of any attack they would have

retaliatory capability, but it's also a way of making audiences in

the West feel that they should stay back. Iranian TV also today

proclaimed a new mile stone, the production of its first nuclear

fuel rod. The images were meant to reinforce its position that the

nuclear plans with purely peaceful and it's hinted it may be ready to

resume negotiations on its nuclear programme. President Obama has just

signed a Bill that could tighten US sanctions on Iran, even as the West

ponders this mixture of new messages from Tehran.

The Duke of Edinburgh has joined the rest of the Royal Family for

New Year's Day service at Sandringham. He was greeted by

hundreds of well wishers as he walked to church a few days after

being released from hospital following surgery for a blocked

artery. Mark Worthington reports. After more than a week's rest, the

Duke of Edinburgh's New Year message was that he's now firmly

back on his feet. Striding, as usual, at the Head of The Royal

party, he made the short walk to the morning Sandringham church

service to the sound of spontaneous applause. The hundreds of well

wishers who lined the route, far more than normal, and all visibly

pleased that just a few days after leaving Papworth Hospital, Prince

Philip appeared to be in good health. As he came up, people were

clapping and genuinely pleased an excited saying "he's here", so

everyone was pleased. I would like to think I will look as good when

I'm 91. He looked good, yes. A very well looking Prince Philip, yes,

nice to see him out walking. After the service, the Duke of

Edinburgh emerged from the church to be greeted once more by applause.

It was a show of support he clearly appreciated. The Queen may have

made the journey to and from church by car, but by arriving and leaving

under his own steam, Prince Philip was sending a clear message that

his Christmas health scare is behind him.

And the whole Royal Family can now look ahead to the Queen's Diamond

Jubilee year. On to football: Manchester City

still lead the Premier League, but only on goal difference after

suffering a shock defeat against Sunderland. Joe Wilson watched the

action. For Mancini's Manchester City,

Manchester United's defeat to Blackburn was a reminder of the

dangers that lurk throughout the league. Here, rejuvenated

Sunderland should have opened the scoring after two minutes, Bendtner

the skwanderer. City rested their star forwards, well, some of them -

- skwander. Stalemate Mancini added sparkle

from the substitutes, no change. City dominated possession but time

and time again, Sunderland kept them out with organisation, bravery

and a bit of good luck. A goalless draw seemed well earned until the

third minute of injury time and a young South Korean did this.

Possibly off side - no-one cared in Sunderland. Teams managed by Martin

O'Neill never give up, as Man City have just discovered.

Everton climbed into the top half of the Premier League table after a

1-0 win at West Brom. With just three minutes of the game left,

substitute Victor an an, playing his first game since August through

injury scored from close range -- Victor Anichebe. In rugby's Aviva

Premiership, struggling Bath beat London Irish by 33-3. The pick of

the tries was in the 58th minute. Michael Claasens finished off the

move by going over in the corner. Today marks the start of a big year

for Britain, it began with a spck tack lar fireworks display in

London. The host city for the 2012 Games -- spectacular. It was 12,000

fireworks and lasted 15 minutes. Luisa Baldini takes a look.

Big Ben chimed in the New Year in London, leading a magnificent

fireworks display for which thousands gathered along the banks

of the River Thames. The fireworks at Edinburgh Castle

saw the longest ever midnight display put on for the Hogmanay

celebrations. Across the pond in New York, Lady

Gaga was at the centre of proceedings in Times Square with

the mayor Michael Bloomberg. The celebration in Moscow was more

muted, but Red Square lit up by fireworks was a breathtaking

spectacle as ever. It was cold there, but in Brazil, it was wet,

though the heavy rains didn't put off two million people from seeing

in the New Year on Copacabana beach in Rio.