:00:00. > :00:12.The Queen uses her Christmas Day message to highlight the "moments
:00:13. > :00:14."of darkness" the world has faced over the past year but offers
:00:15. > :00:22.It is true that the world has had to confront moments of darkness this
:00:23. > :00:25.year, but the Gospel of John contains a verse of great hope,
:00:26. > :00:30.services: "The light shines in the darkness,
:00:31. > :00:35."and the darkness has not overcome it".
:00:36. > :00:38.The Army is called in to bolster flood defences in Cumbria ahead
:00:39. > :00:47.of more heavy rain. The Archbishop of Canterbury warns
:00:48. > :00:49.that Christianity is facing "elimination" in its birthplace,
:00:50. > :00:59.In his Christmas message, Pope Francis calls for peace
:01:00. > :01:16.Justin Bieber congratulates the NHS quieted beaten to the Christmas
:01:17. > :01:25.number one. -- the NHS choir that beat him. The pop superstar said the
:01:26. > :01:31.charity single was what Christmas is about.
:01:32. > :01:37.And join me for weather world, flash floods and some of the bigger storms
:01:38. > :01:53.on earth. It is the weather making the news and the science behind it.
:01:54. > :01:59.The Queen, in her Christmas Day broadcast, has spoken of the world
:02:00. > :02:02.having to confront moments of darkness over the past year.
:02:03. > :02:05.But she also talked about the Christian message of light
:02:06. > :02:08.overcoming darkness, and described Christmas as a time
:02:09. > :02:11.for people to remember "all they have to be thankful for".
:02:12. > :02:16.Here's our royal correspondent, Nicholas Witchell.
:02:17. > :02:21.On a damp day, the Queen departed promptly after the service,
:02:22. > :02:24.leaving younger members of the family to spend a few moments
:02:25. > :02:40.In her Christmas broadcast, the Queen looked back at 2015.
:02:41. > :02:43.There was much to be thankful for, she said, but although she did not
:02:44. > :02:48.identify any particular incidents, there had also been tragedy.
:02:49. > :02:51.It is true the world has had to confront moments of darkness this
:02:52. > :02:54.year, but the Gospel of John contains a verse of great hope,
:02:55. > :03:00.often read at Christmas carol services.
:03:01. > :03:02."The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has
:03:03. > :03:08.70 years after the end of the Second World War,
:03:09. > :03:12.she paid tribute to those who had served.
:03:13. > :03:17.The strong Christian theme continued when she spoke about people forced
:03:18. > :03:22.Despite being displaced and persecuted throughout his short
:03:23. > :03:27.life, Christ's unchanging message was not one of revenge or violence,
:03:28. > :03:32.but simply that we should love one another.
:03:33. > :03:35.There was also a reference to the birth of a great grandchild,
:03:36. > :03:42.One of the joys of a long life is watching one's children,
:03:43. > :03:46.then grandchildren, then great grandchildren,
:03:47. > :03:50.decorate the Christmas tree, and this year my family has
:03:51. > :03:59.And she looked ahead to next year and a significant personal landmark.
:04:00. > :04:02.I am looking forward to a busy 2016, although I am warned I may have
:04:03. > :04:08.Happy Birthday sung to me more than once or twice.
:04:09. > :04:11.That was in reference to the fact that the Queen
:04:12. > :04:17.Despite the passing of the years, 2016 will, as she said,
:04:18. > :04:27.The Army has been brought in to help protect flood-hit
:04:28. > :04:32.With up to six inches of rain forecast for the area today,
:04:33. > :04:35.the Government's emergency committee, Cobra, has been
:04:36. > :04:43.From the village of Braithwaite, our correspondent reports.
:04:44. > :04:45.If you look down here, the river has overflowed once.
:04:46. > :04:48.Christmas Day in Cumbria, and along with yet more rain came
:04:49. > :04:51.the military to help prepare for the threat of more flooding.
:04:52. > :04:54.The houses are all quite low-lying, so therefore if we don't prepare
:04:55. > :04:58.in advance, a lot of houses would possibly get hit
:04:59. > :05:14.This is what we want to try to avoid at all costs, really.
:05:15. > :05:22.When water poured into this home three weeks ago,
:05:23. > :05:28.it happened so quickly that the only way out was through the windows.
:05:29. > :05:39.We got my mum to come over here, and I heard someone shout, run!
:05:40. > :05:44.Here as in many parts of Cumbria, it does not seem to have stopped
:05:45. > :05:51.In some places it even flooded three times in as many weeks.
:05:52. > :05:55.Now with a weather warning in place, all they can do is wait,
:05:56. > :06:06.watch and hope that it does not happen again.
:06:07. > :06:10.The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has used his
:06:11. > :06:13.Christmas Day sermon to warn that an "apocalypse" unleashed
:06:14. > :06:16.by so-called Islamic State means Christianity is facing elimination
:06:17. > :06:21.Meanwhile, Pope Francis has appealed for reconciliation,
:06:22. > :06:23.after a year of violence around the world.
:06:24. > :06:29.Our religious affairs correspondent reports.
:06:30. > :06:32.Goodwill, a cheery greeting from the Archbishop of Canterbury
:06:33. > :06:41.as he arrives at Canterbury Cathedral.
:06:42. > :06:44.But as Christians gather to celebrate the birth of Christ
:06:45. > :06:47.at services across the world, his message today was a sombre one.
:06:48. > :06:51.The Archbishop focused on the devastation unleashed
:06:52. > :06:55.by the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq saying it used force
:06:56. > :07:02.He compared it to a modern-day Herod, the biblical king
:07:03. > :07:07.who massacred babies while trying to kill Jesus.
:07:08. > :07:11.They hate difference, whether Muslims who think
:07:12. > :07:18.Because of them, the Christians face elimination in the very region
:07:19. > :07:26.That was a message echoed in Rome today.
:07:27. > :07:30.Pope Francis was greeted with enthusiasm on St
:07:31. > :07:42.TRANSLATION: My thoughts also turn to those affected by terrorism,
:07:43. > :07:47.particularly the recent massacres in Egyptian airspace,
:07:48. > :07:57.The Pope asked for prayers and strength for all Christians
:07:58. > :08:05.persecuted for their faith, calling them the martyrs of today.
:08:06. > :08:07.Closer to home in north Yorkshire, there was a Christmas service
:08:08. > :08:15.for those who couldn't go to one at this prison.
:08:16. > :08:21.He offered words of hope to those imprisoned,
:08:22. > :08:23.lonely and feeling lost or abandoned, saying the message
:08:24. > :08:30.of Christmas was one of hope and salvation.
:08:31. > :08:33.The commander of one of Syria's most powerful rebel groups has been
:08:34. > :08:37.It's believed Zahran Aloush, the head of the Jaysh al-Islam
:08:38. > :08:39.organisation, died at his headquarters in a rebel-held
:08:40. > :08:44.district in the eastern parts of Damascus.
:08:45. > :08:47.Reports said a number of other key figures in the group were also
:08:48. > :08:53.killed in the airstrike which Syrian activists claim was carried out
:08:54. > :08:58.In Iraq, security forces are conducting a third day
:08:59. > :08:59.of operations against so-called Islamic State fighters
:09:00. > :09:02.as they try to liberate the city of Ramadi.
:09:03. > :09:06.The strategically important city is just 100km west of Baghdad
:09:07. > :09:10.and has been under the control of the Islamists since May.
:09:11. > :09:13.Government forces are reported to have surrounded the last
:09:14. > :09:21.Many civilians are trapped in the midst of the fighting.
:09:22. > :09:25.The Nigerian government says dozens of people were killed
:09:26. > :09:28.after an explosion at a butane gas depot in the south of the country.
:09:29. > :09:31.The fire raged for more than five hours before being extinguished.
:09:32. > :09:37.Locals had come to the butane gas plant to fill up the canisters
:09:38. > :09:49.in preparation for Christmas Day meals and a huge inferno erupted.
:09:50. > :09:52.It was so powerful that it damaged houses in the nearby area.
:09:53. > :09:55.It also injuried those passing by and many who had come
:09:56. > :10:02.Survivors describe seeing bodies, including those of children,
:10:03. > :10:05.and they had suffered terrible burns.
:10:06. > :10:18.I said that we had to run as this thing was very dangerous.
:10:19. > :10:20.I started to get hit in the back and falling down.
:10:21. > :10:24.The blaze was so fierce it took more than five hours to put out.
:10:25. > :10:25.The Nigerian president expressed his sadness
:10:26. > :10:40.Police are still investigating the cause of the explosion.
:10:41. > :10:44.Finding out what was behind this horrible accident will be difficult
:10:45. > :10:48.because many who were there did not survive.
:10:49. > :10:51.It is not known what the final death toll will be, but the number
:10:52. > :10:59.The prime minister of India, Narendra Modi, has made a surprise
:11:00. > :11:05.It was the first trip there by an Indian leader since 2004.
:11:06. > :11:09.Mr Modi stopped off in Lahore on his way back from Afghanistan.
:11:10. > :11:13.Our correspondent, Shaima Khalil, reports from Kabul.
:11:14. > :11:16.Narendra Modi's visit to Pakistan was always going to be
:11:17. > :11:20.It is the spontaneous, impersonal nature of the visit that
:11:21. > :11:26.He announced his visit through a tweet saying
:11:27. > :11:29.he was going to drop by to see President Nawaz Sharif,
:11:30. > :11:39.The two men have a lot to discuss, including the decades-long conflict
:11:40. > :11:46.The two countries have fought three wars, two of them over Kashmir.
:11:47. > :11:51.It has been a flash point for more than 60 years and clashes there have
:11:52. > :11:58.Many see his visit as a solid step into the warming of relations
:11:59. > :12:04.But there is a long way to go before that is transferred into peace
:12:05. > :12:09.What added to the confusion of Narendra Modi's stopover
:12:10. > :12:13.was that it came after a visit to the Afghan capital.
:12:14. > :12:17.He inaugurated a new parliament complex built by India
:12:18. > :12:21.and in a speech he spoke about security in Afghanistan
:12:22. > :12:24.and said that terrorists should stop flowing across the border,
:12:25. > :12:31.That is deep mistrust between India and Pakistan, especially over
:12:32. > :12:36.the competition over influence in Afghanistan.
:12:37. > :12:39.There is always talk of gestures when it comes to the warming
:12:40. > :12:42.of relations between the two rivals, the handshakes, the photo
:12:43. > :12:44.opportunities, the sideline conversations at international
:12:45. > :12:49.As far as gestures are concerned, Narendra Modi's surprise visit
:12:50. > :13:05.From the first of January, many private cars will be ordered
:13:06. > :13:08.off the roads of Delhi, as part of efforts to tackle air pollution.
:13:09. > :13:11.New rules mean vehicles with odd and even numberered licence plates
:13:12. > :13:12.will have to operate on alternative days.
:13:13. > :13:26.The government in Delhi is coming up with a number of steps to crack down
:13:27. > :13:32.on pollution. They have said that this road is our free. It is to
:13:33. > :13:38.encourage people to use other ways to get to work. -- it is free from
:13:39. > :13:42.cars. But what it has done is created a bottleneck in a crowded
:13:43. > :13:46.part of the city and there is even more chaos than before, partly
:13:47. > :13:53.because no one is sure how this is meant to work, including the police.
:13:54. > :13:59.What are your options if you do not want to drive to work? The
:14:00. > :14:03.authorities have set up cycle stands through the city. You can rent a
:14:04. > :14:14.bike for 15 cents an hour and off you go. Steady. This is the problem,
:14:15. > :14:24.Delhi is not a very cycling friendly city. You have to share the space
:14:25. > :14:31.with all the other traffic. It is a bit frightening. If this is going to
:14:32. > :14:43.work, this initiative, they need to get more cars off the road. And
:14:44. > :14:51.opens cycling lanes is otherwise idle think I am up for this. If you
:14:52. > :14:53.don't want to take your life in your hands and you want a more
:14:54. > :15:00.comfortable option you can always carpool. There are a number of
:15:01. > :15:04.telephone apps you can use. I've clicked on one page a request. It
:15:05. > :15:12.has taken a bit of time that it is finally here. It is a simple idea.
:15:13. > :15:16.You share this with other people who are travelling in the same
:15:17. > :15:19.direction. The government wants to encourage this, they want to get
:15:20. > :15:23.more people using less vehicles on the road. That is a way to Jews
:15:24. > :15:29.traffic and it will combat pollution. It is a sensible idea,
:15:30. > :15:32.but there is a question of safety, especially for women in a city where
:15:33. > :15:39.this has always been an issue. The Queen
:15:40. > :15:45.uses her Christmas Day address to speak of light triumphing over
:15:46. > :15:48.the moments of darkness the world The Army is called in to support
:15:49. > :16:03.efforts to protect parts of Cumbria More than 100 flood warnings and
:16:04. > :16:04.alert are in place across Britain. -- 140.
:16:05. > :16:07.The Archbishop of Canterbury warns of the threat that the so-called
:16:08. > :16:09.Islamic State group poses to Christianity, saying it could be
:16:10. > :16:16.A record 28 foreign boats will compete in this year's Sydney
:16:17. > :16:18.to Hobart yacht race, one of the world's most
:16:19. > :16:22.It began in 1945, and pits amateur sailors against professional crews.
:16:23. > :16:24.More than 100 vessels will start the race on Boxing Day.
:16:25. > :16:39.Phil Mercer reports from Wild Rose, last year's overall winner.
:16:40. > :16:41.The Sydney to Hobart is one of the toughest yacht races
:16:42. > :16:45.in the world, and it starts here on beautiful Sydney Harbour.
:16:46. > :16:49.From here, the fleet will head into open water and head south and,
:16:50. > :16:51.ahead, an 1,100 kilometre journey down eastern Australia heading
:16:52. > :17:03.The beautiful thing about the Rolex Sydney to Hobart
:17:04. > :17:05.is you can mix the super professionals, the massive elegant
:17:06. > :17:07.supermaxis, right through to the amateur boats,
:17:08. > :17:17.We don't see much of them, but we do the same event.
:17:18. > :17:20.And I think that's what's absolutely magic about ocean racing in general.
:17:21. > :17:22.Of course, taking control of the helm and steering
:17:23. > :17:25.on Sydney Harbour is one thing, but dealing with the wild conditions
:17:26. > :17:31.en route to Tasmania is something completely different.
:17:32. > :17:37.In 1998, six sailors died when a wild storm lashed the fleet.
:17:38. > :17:40.The race record is one day and 18 hours, but every boat
:17:41. > :17:48.is at the mercy of conditions that are notoriously unpredictable.
:17:49. > :17:50.We go from this beautiful weather off New South Wales
:17:51. > :17:52.into Bass Strait, which can be lovely or horrible,
:17:53. > :17:55.down into Tasmania, which is gorgeous, but it can be
:17:56. > :18:02.And so, the race holds a mystery, a myriad of mysteries weather-wise.
:18:03. > :18:05.20-year-old Sam Scott competed for the first time last year.
:18:06. > :18:13.There was an early bout of nausea and then the boat lost its steering
:18:14. > :18:16.and fell on its side, but still went on to become
:18:17. > :18:22.Very hard work, very beautiful, but very, very tough work.
:18:23. > :18:27.The first night, I was horribly seasick.
:18:28. > :18:30.We lost our steering, we blew up a spinnaker.
:18:31. > :18:33.But everyone just worked so well together as a team to get the boat
:18:34. > :18:44.back upright and to get everything done that gets you through.
:18:45. > :18:46.The dash to Hobart may be dominated by the multi-million dollar
:18:47. > :18:49.supermaxis, but it's the amateur sailors in their smaller boats that
:18:50. > :18:51.are the soul of this famous old race.
:18:52. > :18:54.It is as popular as ever, attracting yachts from Britain,
:18:55. > :19:05.Phil Mercer, BBC News, at Rushcutter's Bay in Sydney.
:19:06. > :19:08.It's a simple idea to connect people who like to cook
:19:09. > :19:10.and who are up for sharing an extra plate of hot,
:19:11. > :19:13.home-cooked food with someone who could really benefit from one.
:19:14. > :19:16.The Casserole Club aims to do just that, as well as combat loneliness
:19:17. > :19:21.Tim Muffett has been to Staffordshire to meet
:19:22. > :19:40.It's a new life you've got to get used to.
:19:41. > :19:44.He's a widower and his wife did all the cooking before and it's very
:19:45. > :19:52.difficult in your 80s to pick up those sort of skills from scratch.
:19:53. > :19:54.Derrick and Jez both live in Tamworth.
:19:55. > :20:01.Casserole Club has brought them together.
:20:02. > :20:05.Basically, people cook an extra portion and pair up with people
:20:06. > :20:08.and the local community who are looking for a meal
:20:09. > :20:14.Jez supplied me with two lovely meals, not just
:20:15. > :20:19.I eat one when he brings it and I save another for later
:20:20. > :20:24.It's been very fulfilling for both of us, I think.
:20:25. > :20:29.The first rule of Casserole Club, it doesn't have to be a casserole.
:20:30. > :20:31.I've got a chicken portion in the oven, some stuffing,
:20:32. > :20:39.The idea began in Surrey four years ago.
:20:40. > :20:41.Since then, Casserole Club has spread.
:20:42. > :20:44.More than 7,000 people have signed up, but Christmas is the time
:20:45. > :21:16.According to Age UK, more than 1 million people aged over
:21:17. > :21:23.65 are malnourished, not eating enough decent food
:21:24. > :21:25.to stay healthy, but this isn't just about nutrition,
:21:26. > :21:30.We have a good chat every week and keep in touch and it's been very
:21:31. > :21:45.He's helped me to get out of a bit of a doldrum.
:21:46. > :21:49.Charities and councils have been providing meals on wheels
:21:50. > :21:55.back, and for Derrick at least, Casserole Club has other advantages.
:21:56. > :21:57.Meals on wheels used to be mass produced meals,
:21:58. > :22:05.whereas this is more home-cooked food.
:22:06. > :22:08.For Derrick, Jez and his partner Elaine, Casserole Club has provided
:22:09. > :22:23.A hospital choir from south London has reached the top of the charts,
:22:24. > :22:25.taking the coveted Christmas number one spot.
:22:26. > :22:27.The Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir, fought off stiff competition
:22:28. > :22:29.from the Canadian singer, Justin Bieber.
:22:30. > :22:36.I can officially announce that the UK's official Christmas
:22:37. > :22:41.The moment the choir had been waiting for.
:22:42. > :22:57.The single was released to raise money for health charities and pay
:22:58. > :23:03.tribute to the National Health Service.
:23:04. > :23:06.That was what it was all about, for all of the other people
:23:07. > :23:14.in the NHS, so I hope it gives them that lift.
:23:15. > :23:17.I hoped, but I really didn't think it would happen.
:23:18. > :23:21.Justin Bieber is such a superstar worldwide.
:23:22. > :23:26.Bieber, last week's number one, had asked his 70-million-plus
:23:27. > :23:29.Twitter followers to help the NHS Choir win.
:23:30. > :23:35.Charity singles offering top the Christmas chart.
:23:36. > :23:39.It also celebrates the work of the NHS across the entire country.
:23:40. > :23:42.With the new number one announced on Christmas Day itself,
:23:43. > :23:44.it seems appropriate that this year in particular should see people
:23:45. > :23:47.at all levels of music together with members of the public
:23:48. > :23:59.using the chance to send their own seasonal message.
:24:00. > :24:02.Our correspondent, James Longman, was with the choir when they found
:24:03. > :24:11.Some members of choir behind me now and we just
:24:12. > :24:26.There is also the news that you're treading on Twitter.
:24:27. > :24:29.Why did you want to get involved in the choir?
:24:30. > :24:32.I joined when it started because I like singing and I thought
:24:33. > :24:35.it would be good to get to know people at work,
:24:36. > :24:37.but I never dream that it would to this.
:24:38. > :24:40.When Justin Bieber treated and told us fans to buy the single
:24:41. > :24:43.I didn't believe it and I was sending screenshots
:24:44. > :24:46.and asking people that was the real Justin Bieber,
:24:47. > :24:52.The song is a mash up of a song by Simon and Garfunkel
:24:53. > :25:03.The NHS supports people in troubled times and it is going through some
:25:04. > :25:09.We want to bring solutions and help people as much as they can.
:25:10. > :25:32.You are behind this whole thing and a couple of months ago
:25:33. > :25:35.you decided to relaunch the song that had been written a couple
:25:36. > :25:39.I started this campaign at the end of October because I thought it
:25:40. > :25:42.would be a good way to boost morale in the NHS, because it is so low
:25:43. > :25:47.I thought it was a good way to get the NHS to the top of the agenda
:25:48. > :25:50.and I'm so happy that we have done that today.
:25:51. > :25:52.It has been a difficult year for the NHS.
:25:53. > :25:55.There have been a lot of talks about strike action.
:25:56. > :26:01.How do you think the British public will receive it?
:26:02. > :26:05.The amount of support we have had on social media,
:26:06. > :26:09.this has been a grassroots campaign and we are touched by the amount
:26:10. > :26:13.of messages and stories that people have been telling us about the NHS
:26:14. > :26:18.I think there is a powerful message about how much we love the NHS
:26:19. > :26:31.That is a very good question but I did not sleep much.
:26:32. > :26:34.I cannot think of a better cause to do this for and so many people
:26:35. > :27:07.# Bridge over troubled water
:27:08. > :27:09.The British astronaut, Tim Peake, may be achieving great things
:27:10. > :27:13.in space, but he's not been as successful in making
:27:14. > :27:19.He attempted to phone home and on reaching the number said:
:27:20. > :27:23.But the woman at the other end got a bit of a shock,
:27:24. > :27:27.In a tweet later, Major Tim apologised, insisting it wasn't
:27:28. > :27:47.Merry Christmas. Sadly there is very little goodwill from the weather
:27:48. > :27:53.over this festive season and there is more rain to come. You can see
:27:54. > :27:57.that it has been wet across northern England, North Wales and much of
:27:58. > :28:02.Scotland. The same goes for Northern Ireland, it will stay wet in these
:28:03. > :28:06.areas through the night. There will be some snow in the hills across
:28:07. > :28:10.central and northern Scotland. On the side that will be some rain for
:28:11. > :28:15.a time but much of southern England will be largely dry and really mild
:28:16. > :28:18.temperatures staying in the teens. In the north it will be colder
:28:19. > :28:23.temperatures close to freezing in Shetland. Southern areas. Mild
:28:24. > :28:27.tomorrow and we should see some bricks developing in the cloud
:28:28. > :28:33.across parts of the East and brightness as possible, but the main
:28:34. > :28:36.thing has to be this band of rain. Where it lives and where we see the
:28:37. > :28:40.heaviest downpour is open to some doubt that it is looks very wet
:28:41. > :28:42.across northern Wales and southern Scotland and there is an amber
:28:43. > :28:48.preprepared morning in place across Cumbria and Lancashire. There is a
:28:49. > :28:53.threat of further flooding. There will be snow across the far north of
:28:54. > :28:57.Scotland. The potential for some heavy rain across eastern Scotland.
:28:58. > :29:02.Southern Scotland and northern England and Wales have a risk of
:29:03. > :29:06.flooding and there is an amber warning in place for Boxing Day.
:29:07. > :29:10.Some rain in Northern Ireland but the north-west will be drier. Much
:29:11. > :29:15.of southern England will also stay dry and it will be really mild at 15
:29:16. > :29:22.Celsius, with the wet weather in the North it will feel quite bleak of
:29:23. > :29:24.5-6 Celsius. It is not great your travelling anywhere in northern
:29:25. > :29:30.Britain and there is the potential for disruption. Local radio would be
:29:31. > :29:32.a good source of information. On Sunday to still potentially rainy
:29:33. > :29:38.across northern England and parts of Wales although that will fizzle out.
:29:39. > :29:41.The band of rain as it weakens will mark the boundary between the cold
:29:42. > :29:46.air in the north and the sunny conditions and southern England and
:29:47. > :29:55.southern Wales. It will be a grey and breezy day and little will
:29:56. > :29:58.change over the next few days. There is potentially a storm arriving on
:29:59. > :30:01.Shuster Wednesday and we will keep you updated on that. All of the
:30:02. > :30:16.warnings are online.