25/12/2016 BBC Weekend News

In the last hour, the death has been announced of

George Michael shot to fame in the 1980s as one half of the band

Wham, and went on to have a hugely successful solo career.

He's sold more than 80 million records worldwide.

His publicist says he passed away peacefully at his

He burst onto the scene in the early 1980s, when he formed Wham with

Andrew Ridgeley. The duo at number one is around the world and even

conquered China, the first western pop band to perform there. George

Michael loved fame but never used to it. To be a part of peoples lives as

an artist, that's what I dream of and grateful for. -- what I dream

of, and I'm still grateful for. But, my God, I wish I could cope with the

other stuff the way that other people do. I wish I had been born

with that suit of armour, because I wasn't.

# Not everybody has got a body like you

# But I've got to think twice... As his career waned, he hit the

headlines for other reasons, being stopped for a series of traffic

offences, leading to a spell in jail. He was cautioned and fined for

drug addiction and received treatment for addiction. --

cautioned and fined for drug possession.

# The careless whisper... In 2011 he suffered a

life-threatening bout of pneumonia while he was on tour. Police said

his death was unexplained but not suspicious. His family said he died

peacefully at home, calling him a beloved son, brother and friend.

David Sillitoe has joined me. What more do we know? Very few details.

Police have said that ambulances were called to his home in

Oxfordshire this afternoon. They confirmed he had died at the scene.

They say they are treating it as unexplained but not suspicious. That

is all we have heard so far about the cause of death. A great shock.

You know, we only saw him a few months ago, looking pale and hearty.

You've got to remember what an extraordinary figure he is. I was

just thinking to myself that it's more than 30 years ago that he as a

teenager was on Top Of The Pops with those songs, making me feel very

old. For somebody who was one of these pop stars, seemingly one of

those who would have two or three years, to have gone on to be the

massive he was, 25 top ten singles, five number one albums... He was one

of the great songwriters, not just a pop star. Very sad news. Found dead

at his home in Oxfordshire this afternoon. George Michael, who died

today at the age of 53. The Queen has missed

the Christmas Day church service at Sandringham for the first time

in nearly 30 years. Buckingham Palace says she's

still recovering from a heavy cold. In her pre-recorded Christmas

message, the Queen said she often draws strength from meeting ordinary

people, doing extraordinary things. Our Royal Correspondent,

Nicholas Witchell, reports. Christmas Day service

at Sandringham church, While other members of her family

including the Duke of Edinburgh attended, the Queen remained

at Sandringham House, continuing to recover

from what Buckingham Palace has As they left church

after the service, The Queen's absence is understood

to have been precautionary. Also absent from Sandringham this

year, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children,

George and Charlotte. They attended church at Bucklebury,

Berkshire, where they spent Christmas Day with the Duchess's

family, the Middletons. Inspiration was the theme

of this year's Christmas broadcast by the Queen,

which was recorded at She cited the achievement of Olympic

and Paralympic athletes, and she said she also found

inspiration from daily life. I often draw strength from meeting

ordinary people doing extraordinary things -

volunteers, carers, community organisers

and good neighbours, unsung heroes whose quiet

dedication makes them special. She recalled that this had been

the year of her 90th birthday and paid tribute to the inspiring

work of charities with And she said much more

could be achieved globally It's understandable

that we sometimes think the world's problems are so big that we can do

little to help. On our own, we cannot end wars

or wipe out injustice, but the cumulative impact

of thousands of small acts of goodness can be

bigger than we imagine. Her own life, she said,

had been guided by the inspiring Christ's example helps me see

the value of doing small things with great love,

whoever does them and whatever It was a broadcast by a monarch who,

although unusually indisposed this Christmas, shows little sign

of yielding to the passage of years. For the Queen this year,

there has been that significant 90th birthday and some lightening

of her workload, but there is no expectation whatsoever

that she will step away from the core duties of her role

as monarch and head of state. Nicholas Witchell, BBC News

at Buckingham Palace. A major operation is under way

after a Russian military plane with more than 90 people on board

crashed into the Black Sea. Among the passengers were 64 members

of Russia's renowned military choir, on their way to perform

at a concert in Syria. So far, 11 bodies

have been recovered. Our Moscow Correspondent,

Steve Rosenberg, reports. This is one of the final images

of the Tupolev 154 jet. It was taken by a journalist before

he boarded the plane. The aircraft crashed

into the Black Sea. The Russians scrambled

helicopters and ships, but the search became

a recovery operation. The plane had taken off from

a military airfield near Moscow. It flew south, stopping

in Sochi to refuel. The final destination was Syria,

and Russia's airbase near Latakia. But minutes after leaving

Sochi, it crashed. President Putin offered his

condolences to the families of the victims and promised

them his full support. On board were more than 60 members

of the Russian army's famous song and dance ensemble,

once known as the Red Army Choir. They had been due to give a concert

at the Russian airbase in Syria. Most civilian airlines have stopped

using the Tupolev 154, once the workhorse

of the Russian aviation industry. In 2010, a Tupolev 154 carrying

the Polish president crashed The following year,

a similar plane caught fire Throughout the day, Muscovites

brought flowers to the headquarters This disaster has left

Russia stunned and silent. The Kremlin has promised a thorough

investigation into this tragedy. It's also declared tomorrow a day

of national mourning. The Archbishop of Canterbury,

Justin Welby, says 2016 has left the world with more

fear and division. He was speaking during his Christmas

sermon at Canterbury Cathedral. Meanwhile, Pope Francis has called

for an end to the fighting in Syria. Our Religious Affairs Correspondent,

Martin Bashir, reports. Entering Canterbury Cathedral

in time-honoured fashion, Justin Welby focused his

Christmas Day sermon on the uncertainty and division that

has marked both domestic and international politics

over the last year. The end of 2016 finds us

all in a different kind of world. One less predictable and certain,

which feels more awash He went on to suggest

that our anxiety is a clear sign that placing our trust in material

prosperity has failed. The uncertainty of our world,

of our feelings, tells us that our In Rome, where additional

security was in place following the Berlin attack,

Pope Francis focused on the plight of children,

pleading with all parties to end TRANSLATION: It is time for weapons

to be still forever, and the international community

to actively seek So that civil coexistence can be

restored in the country. Pope Francis concluded

by appealing for Christians to stand out as people

of compassion and self-sacrifice. That's all from the BBC

News team this evening. From all of us, goodnight and enjoy

the rest of the festive season.