:00:00. > :00:10.Tonight at ten: heavy rain and storm force winds cause widespread
:00:11. > :00:14.disruption in parts of the UK. Emergency services are still busy
:00:15. > :00:25.tonight. Thousands of properties are without power, and more localised
:00:26. > :00:28.flooding is expected. All trains to and from this station are currently
:00:29. > :00:30.disrupted. Many train services are affected, with cancellations and
:00:31. > :00:37.speed restrictions on some lines and problems on the roads, too. It is
:00:38. > :00:41.not looking great for tomorrow at the moment . And again on Boxing
:00:42. > :00:44.Day, we could be having more of the same. A pretty awful Christmas
:00:45. > :00:47.period. We will have the latest, including
:00:48. > :00:50.the news that a man and a woman have drowned in separate incidents in
:00:51. > :00:53.rivers in Cumbria and north Wales. Also tonight: The former Labour
:00:54. > :00:58.minister Denis MacShane has been jailed for six months for fiddling
:00:59. > :01:01.his expenses. 18 months after their protest in
:01:02. > :01:07.Moscow, the last two members of Pussy Riot are released from jail.
:01:08. > :01:10.In a special report, we speak to some of the Syrian refugees
:01:11. > :01:13.determined to start a new life in Britain.
:01:14. > :01:22.And England's one-time cricket heroes try to revive their fortunes
:01:23. > :01:27.ahead of the fourth Ashes test. Coming up in Sportsday, Tim Sherwood
:01:28. > :01:31.has been appointed head coach at Tottenham until the end of next
:01:32. > :01:32.season. Spurs say he has the knowledge and drive to take the
:01:33. > :01:52.squad forward. Good evening. Severe weather
:01:53. > :01:57.conditions including torrential rain and gale force winds are continuing
:01:58. > :02:00.to affect parts of the UK. A man and a woman have drowned in separate
:02:01. > :02:03.incidents in rivers in Cumbria and in north Wales. The Environment
:02:04. > :02:07.Agency says conditions in some areas are "extremely dangerous". Some
:02:08. > :02:10.winds have reached 87 miles an hour, causing major problems for thousands
:02:11. > :02:19.trying to travel in time for Christmas. Many trains have been
:02:20. > :02:22.delayed or cancelled and motorists have been advised not to travel
:02:23. > :02:25.unless it is essential. In Berkshire and Cornwall, thousands of homes are
:02:26. > :02:34.still without power tonight. Our correspondent reports on a day of
:02:35. > :02:39.delays and disruption for many. On the edge of Snowdonia tonight, an
:02:40. > :02:43.investigation after a woman's body was pulled from a fast flowing
:02:44. > :02:49.stream. Further north in Cumbria, a man died after falling into the
:02:50. > :02:54.river. Apparently, two victims of this Christmas storm. The best
:02:55. > :03:00.advice we can give is to be very careful when it comes to floodwater.
:03:01. > :03:05.Don't walk or drive into it. On one of the busiest travelling days of
:03:06. > :03:08.the year, chaos for many . At Euston station in London tonight, many were
:03:09. > :03:13.left wondering if they would get home in time for Christmas. I am
:03:14. > :03:18.sorry to announce that these services have been cancelled. My
:03:19. > :03:22.family are expecting me. I don't want to be stranded in Euston. The
:03:23. > :03:27.weather has caused disruption across many routes. Trains are travelling
:03:28. > :03:30.at reduced speeds on some sections. Some rail operators are saying they
:03:31. > :03:35.will accept other companies' tickets, but many already predict
:03:36. > :03:39.that Christmas Eve will bring further disruption. We have had 29
:03:40. > :03:44.blockages so far, and we will get many more. We are in the first few
:03:45. > :03:48.hours of something that will last 24 hours. On the roads, it has also
:03:49. > :03:52.been slow, with millions of us caught up in long delays. This is
:03:53. > :03:56.going to be a prolonged period. It is not looking good for tomorrow.
:03:57. > :04:02.And again on Boxing Day, we could have more of the same. A pretty
:04:03. > :04:07.awful Christmas period. One of the worst stretches has been the QE2
:04:08. > :04:14.bridge between Kent and Essex, closed and staying until tomorrow
:04:15. > :04:17.morning. The roads are horrendous. Heavy rain, very strong winds. We
:04:18. > :04:22.have been envying those people we have seen flying over us from
:04:23. > :04:28.Heathrow, off to somewhere warm and sunny. Warm and sunny was not how
:04:29. > :04:33.you would describe Plymouth today. The storm hit the south-west first,
:04:34. > :04:37.lashing Devon and Cornwall with winds of close to 80 miles an hour.
:04:38. > :04:42.And there has been little letup. It has been like this since first thing
:04:43. > :04:48.this morning in the south-west of England. Torrential rain, nonstop.
:04:49. > :04:54.Driving winds. Not exactly a festive start to Christmas week. Santer will
:04:55. > :04:59.not be getting down this chimney. On Dartmoor, several properties were
:05:00. > :05:03.damaged by the gust, and across much of southern Britain, thousands of
:05:04. > :05:07.homes were left without power. Busy news viewers sent in these photos as
:05:08. > :05:11.the storm slowly crossed the country. Last minute Christmas
:05:12. > :05:16.shoppers have been dodging the rain rather than the crowd, with many
:05:17. > :05:20.high streets reporting trade down because of the weather.
:05:21. > :05:25.Southampton's festive market was more drizzle than the visitor this
:05:26. > :05:29.evening, and in London's Hyde Park, this winter wonderland was forced to
:05:30. > :05:33.close for the day. Even Father Christmas was left hanging around.
:05:34. > :05:39.In a moment, the latest on the rail network with our transport
:05:40. > :05:44.correspondent. First, a look at the roads. Sian Lloyd joins us from the
:05:45. > :05:52.M6, near Birmingham. What can you tell us? Conditions here this
:05:53. > :05:58.evening continued to be grim for drivers. Heavy rain and wind have
:05:59. > :06:04.been causing accidents and tailbacks. The highways agency is
:06:05. > :06:09.still warning drivers to slow down. The latest we have is that the QE2
:06:10. > :06:14.bridge is expected to reopen in Kent at four o'clock this morning. And a
:06:15. > :06:18.decision is expected to be taken shortly on whether the Shappi
:06:19. > :06:24.crossing can reopen. We are but in some of the rain to move on. The
:06:25. > :06:27.brunt of the weather will be in the north of England, Ireland and
:06:28. > :06:31.Scotland tomorrow. Drivers they are being warned of high winds,
:06:32. > :06:39.especially those of high sided vehicles. Richard, you are at Euston
:06:40. > :06:44.Station. What is happening that? I can start with a bit of good cheer,
:06:45. > :06:47.dare I say. A few hours ago, there were no trains running out of
:06:48. > :06:51.Euston, from where you go to Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow.
:06:52. > :06:56.They were all cancelled, but this line is now open. But it has not
:06:57. > :07:00.been much fun getting a train today. Just about every route across
:07:01. > :07:05.the South of England is now speed restrict did to 50 miles an hour.
:07:06. > :07:10.The trees keep falling onto the track. They have cleared 73 so far.
:07:11. > :07:15.Obviously a big safety issue. Lots of people want to know about
:07:16. > :07:20.tomorrow. Network Rail have said the trains will be running tomorrow, but
:07:21. > :07:27.they might start a bit later. So as usual, check with the company.
:07:28. > :07:30.For updates on the weather and the latest road and rail travel
:07:31. > :07:41.information, you can visit our website.
:07:42. > :07:45.The Ministry of Defence announced tonight that a soldier from the
:07:46. > :07:49.Royal Engineers has been killed in action. The soldier died after
:07:50. > :08:03.coming under enemy fire east of Kabul, in Afghanistan. Next of kin
:08:04. > :08:05.have been informed. The former Labour minister Denis
:08:06. > :08:08.MacShane has been sentenced to six months in prison for making false
:08:09. > :08:11.expense claims amounting to nearly ?13,000. He had pleaded guilty to
:08:12. > :08:14.filing a series of "knowingly misleading" receipts. He is the
:08:15. > :08:17.fifth MP to be jailed in connection with the expenses scandal. The judge
:08:18. > :08:20.accepted that MacShane had not committed the offences "out of greed
:08:21. > :08:27.or for personal profit", but he said there was "considerable dishonesty"
:08:28. > :08:37.involved. This report contains flash photography.
:08:38. > :08:41.With his solicitor carrying his suitcase, Denis MacShane was
:08:42. > :08:45.prepared for prison. Last month, the former Labour minister pleaded
:08:46. > :08:52.guilty to filing 19 bogus expense claims amounting to nearly ?13,000
:08:53. > :09:01.between 2005 and 2008. Submitting fake invoices to cover the cost of
:09:02. > :09:06.genuine expenses. He stood, looking dejected in the dock, as Mr Justice
:09:07. > :09:09.Sweeney delivered his sentence. The dishonesty involved was considerable
:09:10. > :09:14.and was repeated many times over a long period, he said. The deception
:09:15. > :09:18.used was calculate and designed to avoid suspicion falling on your
:09:19. > :09:24.claims. Denis MacShane entered the Commons in 1994, a passionate
:09:25. > :09:29.pro-European with a love of France. Tony Blair made him a minister. But
:09:30. > :09:32.while serving in the government, he submitted four dishonest claims, and
:09:33. > :09:40.not even his former colleagues have any sympathy. It is hugely damaging,
:09:41. > :09:44.a few years on from the expenses scandal, to see yet another MP going
:09:45. > :09:48.to prison. Justice has been done, but the public will wonder when this
:09:49. > :09:52.is going to end. MacShane is now the fifth former MPs to be in prison for
:09:53. > :09:56.fiddling their expenses. The old system has been scrapped, but the
:09:57. > :10:00.scandal stunned voters and battered their trust. The judge said Denis
:10:01. > :10:04.MacShane's case was different to that of other MPs convicted of
:10:05. > :10:08.expenses fraud, because he was not motivated by greed and did not seek
:10:09. > :10:12.to make a profit to line his own pockets. However, the judge said he
:10:13. > :10:15.had damaged parliament and democracy. As he was led from the
:10:16. > :10:21.dock, the former Europe minister was heard to mutter wearily, quelle
:10:22. > :10:23.surprise. What a surprise. Denis MacShane was given a six-month
:10:24. > :10:29.sentence, but will be released after three. However, it is the latest
:10:30. > :10:32.political career to be cut down because of expenses.
:10:33. > :10:34.Talks to resolve some of the most contentious issues in Northern
:10:35. > :10:37.Ireland are taking place this evening after several delays. The
:10:38. > :10:40.political parties have been trying to reach a deal on flags, parades
:10:41. > :10:44.and other issues connected to the Troubles. The discussions are being
:10:45. > :10:46.chaired by the former American diplomat, Richard Haass, who
:10:47. > :11:00.previously said he wanted an agreement before Christmas. This
:11:01. > :11:03.report contains flash photography. Images of instability, resulting
:11:04. > :11:08.from decades of division. They are the problems caused by disagreements
:11:09. > :11:11.over flags, parades and the past. The American diplomats try to find
:11:12. > :11:16.an agreement between Northern Ireland's politicians covering all
:11:17. > :11:21.three issues arrived at talks this evening, and Richard Haass once a
:11:22. > :11:26.deal tonight. Our goal is to press ahead for an agreement. Do you think
:11:27. > :11:30.this is endgame? It will be an interesting evening. There has been
:11:31. > :11:38.progress on parades, but Doctor hard-nosed attentions they can cause
:11:39. > :11:45.-- Doctor Haass. Over the weekend, a politician said he should go back to
:11:46. > :11:53.America. I think he should go home. The Austin in' Michael Copeland has
:11:54. > :11:57.since apologised, and all sides seem in favour of finding a new way of
:11:58. > :12:00.dealing with parades and protests. The parades and flags will be
:12:01. > :12:07.difficult issues, but I believe they could be resolved. But there needs
:12:08. > :12:12.to be a will from republicanism and loyalism. All those difficulties are
:12:13. > :12:15.rooted in a troubled past. Many relatives of people murdered during
:12:16. > :12:20.the worst years of violence are still looking for answers and feel
:12:21. > :12:25.their voices need to be heard. This exhibition aims to show the pain
:12:26. > :12:32.that remains, and was organised by a former member of the IRA. It is
:12:33. > :12:39.amazing, what we did come out of. Now we are talking about a number of
:12:40. > :12:44.issues. But so far, the politicians are deadlocked on the issue of
:12:45. > :12:50.flags. Violence followed a decision to stop flying the union flag over
:12:51. > :12:53.Belfast City Hall all year round. There has been much debate about the
:12:54. > :12:58.subject since, and among those who attended a public discussion at the
:12:59. > :13:03.city's Queens University was the Northern Ireland secretary. The
:13:04. > :13:07.house process does provide a welcome opportunity to make progress on some
:13:08. > :13:10.of the most divisive issues in our society. In Belfast, shoppers were
:13:11. > :13:14.more concerned about presence than politics, but everywhere, there are
:13:15. > :13:20.reminders of the looming Christmas deadline that has been set to try to
:13:21. > :13:24.find an agreement. Richard Haass has made clear that he
:13:25. > :13:26.does not want that deadline to slip, but all of the parties arriving at
:13:27. > :13:30.the talks venue this evening have talked of the averages. It does not
:13:31. > :13:34.seem as if the issue of flags will be settled and there are still big
:13:35. > :13:38.gaps between the parties on both parades and the past. This could be
:13:39. > :13:39.a long night of negotiation, one that is potentially critical to the
:13:40. > :13:52.whole talks process. It is nearly three years since the
:13:53. > :13:57.civil war began in Syria and since then there has been a steady stream
:13:58. > :14:01.of people leaving the country. 2 million refugees have fled their
:14:02. > :14:05.homes and that number is continuing to rise. The European Union has
:14:06. > :14:09.offered to take in 12,000 people with Germany and accepting more than
:14:10. > :14:14.any other member state. United Kingdom has offered financial aid to
:14:15. > :14:18.those displaced but is not accepting any refugees. Despite that, there
:14:19. > :14:25.are many Syrian refugees willing to pay traffickers to gain access to
:14:26. > :14:30.the UK from port of Calais. Syria's war comes to the Gateway of Britain.
:14:31. > :14:34.A squalid camp in Calais where Syrians join refugees of many
:14:35. > :14:46.nations hoping to cross the Channel. As the war escalates, more arrive.
:14:47. > :14:53.Halley -- a chef, and a poet from the birthplace of the Syrian
:14:54. > :15:05.revolution. How do you feel at the moment? I feel numb. I have had in
:15:06. > :15:09.-- a lie. I studied so I could be a teacher. I had a life full of
:15:10. > :15:14.respect from my student and now I have lost my dignity. A man without
:15:15. > :15:18.humility. France has said it will give asylum to most Syrian refugees
:15:19. > :15:23.but they believe Britain will be more sympathetic and will offer more
:15:24. > :15:29.material opportunities. Although British border controls are in
:15:30. > :15:33.Calais, refugees must actually land on UK soil before they can claim
:15:34. > :15:37.asylum and that means getting across the Channel. Here in France, the
:15:38. > :15:41.Syrians have discovered that the tragedy they are escaping from is
:15:42. > :15:46.just one of many conflicts sending people fleeing towards Britain as
:15:47. > :15:50.refugees. Among the Syrians we have spoken with, getting to Britain is
:15:51. > :15:54.seen as the beginning of their salvation. It is that which makes
:15:55. > :15:58.them put their faith in the people traffickers. According to the French
:15:59. > :16:03.Government, just one trafficking gang smuggled nearly 4000 people to
:16:04. > :16:07.Britain in the last two years. They break into lorries while the driver
:16:08. > :16:15.is away or distracted and seal the refugees in. As we filmed, a lorry
:16:16. > :16:20.driver told police he had just discovered refugees in his vehicle.
:16:21. > :16:27.These people fled one of Africa's most oppressive regimes. Where are
:16:28. > :16:33.they from? Eritrea? After questioning, they will be set free
:16:34. > :16:37.to try again another night. We decided to expose the underworld
:16:38. > :16:44.gangs preying on refugees in camps across the city, charging up to
:16:45. > :16:48.?2000 to cross to the UK. We sent the BBC Arabic journalist undercover
:16:49. > :16:50.as a Syrian refugee. Within hours, he had been introduced to the
:16:51. > :17:11.traffickers. We asked if we could be trafficked
:17:12. > :17:29.across. That is the promise, and last year
:17:30. > :17:35.the French say it worked for an estimated 15,000 people. By night,
:17:36. > :17:41.back among the refugees, it is time to queue up for a nightly meal
:17:42. > :17:48.provided by a local charity. Syrians are regulars here. We heard from the
:17:49. > :17:52.chef a few days after filming here. He had successfully crossed to
:17:53. > :17:57.Britain. But the older man, the professor and the poet, is still in
:17:58. > :18:01.Calais and he told us he is lonely. I never thought I would end up here
:18:02. > :18:13.living this life. I feel like the dead among the living. One-man among
:18:14. > :18:17.millions cast from his homeland. The last two members of the Russian
:18:18. > :18:22.punk rock band Pussy Riot have been released from prison as part of an
:18:23. > :18:27.amnesty approved by President Putin. The women both dismissed the amnesty
:18:28. > :18:31.as part of a PR stunt ahead of the Sochi Olympics. They were jailed for
:18:32. > :18:36.performing a protest song at the cathedral in Moscow more than 18
:18:37. > :18:43.months ago. This report contains flash photography from the start.
:18:44. > :18:51.The best-known face of the famous Russian protest group Pussy Riot.
:18:52. > :18:59.Nadezhda Tolokonnikova walked free after nightfall in Siberia. After 18
:19:00. > :19:03.months behind bars, she claimed she had only been released because of
:19:04. > :19:10.the upcoming Winter Olympics. I am calling for boycott of the Olympics
:19:11. > :19:14.because the amnesty not enough. They are releasing us a couple of months
:19:15. > :19:20.before the end of our sentence, which is ridiculous. Far more people
:19:21. > :19:26.should be freed. Tonight her fellow band member Maria Alyokhina also
:19:27. > :19:31.arrived back in Moscow by train tonight, to be mopped by the
:19:32. > :19:38.international media. I asked her whether Pussy Riot would continue.
:19:39. > :19:45.Yes. The group will be more human rights focused but it will be as
:19:46. > :19:50.brave and bright as it was before. Pussy Riot's crime was to dance in
:19:51. > :19:54.balaclavas in Moscow's main cathedral and call on the Virgin
:19:55. > :20:00.Mary to rid Russia Vladimir Putin. They were put on trial and sentenced
:20:01. > :20:03.to two years in penal colonies. The conditions were basic and they
:20:04. > :20:07.complained of mistreatment and even a murder threat. There was a
:20:08. > :20:11.high-profile campaign to free them and even Madonna got involved.
:20:12. > :20:18.Russia's Parliament finally passed an amnesty bill last week. The
:20:19. > :20:22.longest serving political prisoner, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, was freed
:20:23. > :20:27.three days ago and today he told the BBC that President Putin had not
:20:28. > :20:32.changed. I am convinced that President Putin is making his
:20:33. > :20:37.decisions about political prisoners now for purely pragmatic reasons. It
:20:38. > :20:42.is not a sign of real change in politics. Russia's jails have
:20:43. > :20:44.effectively been emptied of all controversial prisoners in the
:20:45. > :20:49.build-up to the Sochi Winter Olympics but we will not know until
:20:50. > :20:53.after the Games whether President Putin and the hardliners have made a
:20:54. > :20:59.long-term decision to stop imprisoning their critics. Either
:21:00. > :21:03.way, Russia's dissident voices like Pussy Riot will not fall silent.
:21:04. > :21:10.They have little power but plenty of determination.
:21:11. > :21:14.The BBC has learned that banks were aware of problems in the foreign
:21:15. > :21:18.currency markets four years before the Financial Conduct Authority
:21:19. > :21:22.began its investigation into the fixing of exchange rates. Analysts
:21:23. > :21:27.had noticed sharp movements in exchange rates at key times of day
:21:28. > :21:33.and warned their clients that it could have a debilitating effect on
:21:34. > :21:36.their investments. Some say the currency trading investigation could
:21:37. > :21:51.develop into an episode similar to the libel rates to gamble -- LIBOR
:21:52. > :21:55.rate scandel. Analysts looked at four o'clock in London, when
:21:56. > :22:01.exchange rates are calculated for a range of investments and whether
:22:02. > :22:06.there was collusion to fix the rates and create profit. A leading
:22:07. > :22:09.investment bank suggested there might be potential problems with the
:22:10. > :22:13.setting of the four o'clock benchmark four years ago. It did not
:22:14. > :22:17.allege illegality but it suggested that some investors buying and
:22:18. > :22:21.selling foreign exchange might be missing out. Morgan Stanley found
:22:22. > :22:25.that because prices tended to move sharply just before four o'clock,
:22:26. > :22:31.that could mean a bad deal and extra costs for customers like pension
:22:32. > :22:35.funds. In the worst-case scenarios, this could mean a debilitating
:22:36. > :22:41.effect on annual performance. A later report by the bank indicated a
:22:42. > :22:46.potential loss of 5% annually on a typical investment portfolio. The
:22:47. > :22:51.author is now with a different bank and said that regulators failed to
:22:52. > :22:56.spot what was going on. To have some regulatory effectiveness in this
:22:57. > :23:01.market, you need tight coordination over multiple jurisdictions. That is
:23:02. > :23:05.the first challenge. I don't think regulators are necessarily aware of
:23:06. > :23:09.how the market works and the uses of currencies. A member of the Commons
:23:10. > :23:14.Treasury committee said he was surprised by what was said in the
:23:15. > :23:19.report. Any hint of being manipulated, in this case allegedly
:23:20. > :23:23.in foreign exchange trading, if that is leading to loss to pension funds
:23:24. > :23:27.which all of us rely on ultimately, then that is something that the man
:23:28. > :23:31.or woman in the street needs to have addressed for them and I hope the
:23:32. > :23:37.City watchdog will do that. The watchdog is investigating but he has
:23:38. > :23:46.called on the Serious Fraud Office to take a closer look. In the case
:23:47. > :23:49.of LIBOR, this only happened after their own lengthy inquiry had taken
:23:50. > :23:53.place. The former England spinner Graeme
:23:54. > :23:59.Swann has denied making derogatory comments about any member of the
:24:00. > :24:02.current squad following his abrupt retirement yesterday. It came days
:24:03. > :24:07.before the fourth test and in the middle of what has been described as
:24:08. > :24:11.England's worst Ashes tour in decades. Let's go straight to
:24:12. > :24:15.Melbourne. Not much festive cheer for the England cricket team in
:24:16. > :24:18.Melbourne. Already they have relinquished the Ashes at the
:24:19. > :24:23.earliest opportunity and the two senior players leave the tour. There
:24:24. > :24:27.when it is being described by the Australian press as a tour from
:24:28. > :24:31.hell. This report contains flash photography. Having shocked England
:24:32. > :24:35.by calling time on his international career mid tour, Graeme Swann
:24:36. > :24:39.continues to make headlines. This spinner now making an impact with
:24:40. > :24:42.his words rather than wickets. One day after seeing him quit, his
:24:43. > :24:46.former team-mates were trying to put a brave face on things in Melbourne
:24:47. > :24:50.but it was what was being written about them back home that was
:24:51. > :24:54.causing the stove. Graeme Swann had accused certain players of
:24:55. > :24:58.arrogance, saying some had no idea how far up their own backsides they
:24:59. > :25:02.were. That has been interpreted as a swipe at England, which Graeme Swann
:25:03. > :25:07.denies. The man who will replace him in the side said there was no rift.
:25:08. > :25:12.He probably knows who he is referring to but in terms of the
:25:13. > :25:17.dressing room and team-mates, we are right behind him. We loved him to
:25:18. > :25:22.bits. When he played with us, he had great character and his sense of
:25:23. > :25:25.humour was good. We all back him. His shock retirement has now forced
:25:26. > :25:36.England to call up two more spinners, Scott Borthwick and
:25:37. > :25:40.Treadwell. These England players are trying their best to be good
:25:41. > :25:45.tourists but the reality this is a tour gone bad. No such problems for
:25:46. > :25:49.Australia, basking in the glory of having regained the Ashes. The hosts
:25:50. > :25:56.are taking it all in their stride and no matter how tempting refused
:25:57. > :25:59.to be drawn on the chaos inflicted on their opponents. It is not our
:26:00. > :26:03.changing rooms and I can only speak for us. We are all good mate in our
:26:04. > :26:09.rooms and we are happy about the way we are going. Australia are
:26:10. > :26:15.targeting a whitewash. The gulf between them and their opponents is
:26:16. > :26:16.growing wider by the day. That is it. There