24/12/2017 BBC News at Ten

This is BBC News,

the headlines at ten:

North Korea condemns the latest

round of UN sanctions and vows

to strengthen its nuclear deterrent.

Rescuers are searching

for victims of a tropical storm

in the southern Philippines.

More than 200 people have died

in mudslides and flash floods.

Two men have been killed

and four people injured

following a multiple vehicle crash

on the M40 in Oxfordshire.

The motorway has now reopened.

In half an hour, join me as I take a

look back to the photocall held here

at Kensington Paris which introduced

Prince Harry's bride-to-be, Meghan

Markle, to the Royal media. That is

the Royal review, 2017.

That is the Royal review, 2017.

Good evening and

welcome to BBC News.

North Korea has described the latest

United Nations sanctions as an act

of war and tantamount

to a complete economic blockade.

The UN Security Council

imposed the measures,

drafted by the US on Friday

in response to Pyongyang's

ballistic missile tests.

Sophie Long sent this report

from the South Korean capital Seoul.

North Korean state television

broadcast the first

reaction to the sanctions.

It described the UN Resolution

as an act of war that

violates peace and stability

on the Korean peninsula.

Please raise their hand.

Pyongyang promised to punish

those that voted for

the US-drafted resolution.

That includes China,

North Korea's main ally

and trading partner.

Beijing urged restraint

on all sides.

It's previously called

for an end to joint US-South

Korean military drills,

like this one, in exchange

for a halt to North Korea's

weapons programme.

A so-called freeze for freeze.

There is little hope either

side will agree to that.

Instead, the toughest sanctions yet.

The Americans had wanted to go

further, but they were pleased

with the support they got.

I am grateful to my colleagues

for the serious measures

we have enacted on behalf

of the North Korean people,

and I ask you keep them

in your thoughts and prayers this

holiday season, as we continue

to fight against this,

the most tragic example of evil

in the modern world.

The new sanctions include a ban

on the import of nearly 90% of oil

supplies to North Korea,

vital to its missile

and nuclear programmes.

They demand the deportation

of North Koreans working abroad,

to stop them funding the regime.

There will also be a ban on exports

of some North Korean goods.

The sanctions come

in response to this.

Pyongyang's launch of

an intercontinental ballistic

missile at the end of November.

One it said could reach

the US mainland.

The resolution is intended to push

Pyongyang to the negotiating table

and towards a diplomatic solution.

But instead, it's vowed

to strengthen its nuclear

capability and it's got form.

This is the third set of UN

sanctions to be imposed

on North Korea this year.

Within weeks of the previous

two rounds, it carried

out its biggest nuclear test

and fired its most powerful missile.

Today's response shows little sign

it is willing to stop now.

Sophie Long, BBC News, Seoul.

Tens of thousands of people have

been left homeless after a tropical

storm in the Philippines

in which more than 200 people have

died and dozens are missing.

Our World Affairs Correspondent

Richard Galpin reports.

At last, some aid now getting

to those most in need after this

latest storm to hit

the Philippines begins to subside.

Troops helping deliver

supplies here in the

southern region of Mindanao, which

lay right in the path of the storm.

Reaching these impoverished

areas has not been easy.

They were hit by a landslide,

mudslides, caused by

an inordinate amount of rainfall

that caused the ground to move and

killed people innocently.

As well as surging currents from

swollen rivers that overcame their

banks,

it swept people out

of their homes and killed

many others as well.

The speed with which

the rivers were turned into

lethal torrents over the weekend

caught people here by surprise.

Many drowning in their

own homes, others

buried under mudslides,

including children.

The call for people to evacuate

in good time before the

storm didn't have an effect.

The storm passed over some

of the poorest areas in the whole

Philippines.

At least 200 people

are known to have died.

Large numbers are still

missing, and tens of

thousands have been forced to move

away in search of emergency

shelter.

In Rome today, Pope Francis offered

prayers for the people of

Mindanao in his weekly blessing

to the crowd on St Peter's Square.

TRANSLATION:

Merciful Lord, take

in the souls of the dead and comfort

those who are suffering

as a result of this calamity.

Let's pray for these people.

At least Tropical Storm Tembin

has now been moving

away from the Philippines.

It's currently over

the South China Sea,

where it's picking up strength again

and has been categorised as a

typhoon.

It's expected to hit

Vietnam later this week.

Meanwhile, the people

of the southern Philippines

continue the search for loved ones.

They will be hoping for much more

help to reach them in

the coming days.

Two men have died in a crash

involving five vehicles that closed

part of the M40 in Oxfordshire

for several hours last night.

One vehicle is thought to have

overturned in the incident

which happened between junctions 10

and 11 near Banbury.

Jo Kent reports from the scene.

This northbound stretch of the M40

here between junctions 10 and 11

opened again this morning

and is running freely now.

There is really no trace

of the terrible crash

which happened here last night.

It was a very different scene

last night as members

of all of the emergency services

raced here to try to help

in the aftermath of this

multi-vehicle crash.

Five vehicles were involved in it

and we know that two men sadly died.

They were a 60-year-old man

from Oxfordshire and a 29-year-old

man from Warwickshire.

One of those men died at the scene,

the other was taken to hospital

in a critical condition

and died later.

A third man is being treated

in hospital for very serious leg

injuries while a further three

people sustained minor injuries.

All of those were treated

at hospitals in Banbury or Oxford.

The police have said that

their thoughts are with the families

of the two men who died and those

families are being supported

by specially trained officers.

Police are also

appealing for witnesses.

Anyone who saw this crash

who they haven't already spoken

to are being asked to get in touch

with Thames Valley Police

so they can try to piece together

what caused this terrible crash.

Joe Kent, BBC South today over

the M40 in Oxfordshire.

In northern Iraq, Mosul

is celebrating its first Christmas

since the city was taken

by Islamic State

militants in June 2014.

Since then, Iraqi Christians

were persecuted and driven out,

while residents who remained

were brutally oppressed until Iraqi

forces were able to retake the city.

Alan Johnston reports.

They gathered in Mosul's Cathedral,

marking a Christmas they will never

forget, the first Christmas

after the war.

Under the rule of the Islamic State

militants this would

have been impossible.

There could be no Christian

worship in public.

The community was

persecuted and many fled.

This was a coming together,

not just of Christians,

Muslims helped prepare the church

for this service.

And they were here too

as the worship unfolded.

Mosul was the scene of months

of ferocious street fighting.

Iraqi forces and their Western

allies battled to drive

out the militants.

Thousands of civilians were killed

and much damage was done.

Now the healing must begin

and the Christmas service is a small

part of that vast process.

TRANSLATION: Without

peace there is no life.

Our message is that after everything

that happened with our glorious

victory against Islamic State group

and others, we must

all call for peace.

Among those in the church,

the message was being heard.

TRANSLATION: We are from the Muslim

community and today we share this

glorious celebration

with our Christian Brothers in

the province and the city of Mosul.

We share their joy today

and we hope our brothers outside

of Iraq from the Christian community

will return to Mosul because we are

all brothers and we are united.

Beneath the cross in the Cathedral

this Christmas eve there was some

of the best of the spirit of this

time of year and nowhere

needs it more than Mosul.

Alan Johnston, BBC News.

But shoppers across the UK have been

out all weekend to grab

a last-minute bargain.

Yesterday was dubbed

"Super Saturday" as it was the last

full day of trading before

Christmas.

And shoppers were out in force.

for a shorter period,

but yesterday there

were 17.4 million people

who were planning to make purchases

and they were going

to spend £1.6 billion.

That covers online purchases

and going to the shops.

If you were in a shop

and thought it was busy,

that is because there

were 14 million of us who were going

out to shop yesterday.

Possibly a lot of men leaving

it to the last minute.

I know that is a horrible

stereotype, but I am

afraid it is true.

The survey does not provide

a breakdown of sexes,

but it says the person who will buy

a last-minute gift

for us is our partner.

And for grab and go items,

you are most likely to buy

toiletries and chocolates.

You can interpret those

figures as you can.

they are not very imaginative.

Find

us a stocking filler if anyone is

watching at home.

watching at home.

What about Black Friday?

That was the other big day

in November when people

were supposed to be getting ready

for Christmas and getting bargains.

Another Black Friday,

another colourful name

for a different event in the retail

character, last Friday in November

when retailers make big discounts

to encourage us to spend money.

It works because we spent more

on Black Friday this year than last

year and it pushed up the overall

retail sales for November.

But while the overall amount

that we spent went up,

the number of people

going into shops is going down,

so it is quite a stark reminder

of the shift towards online shopping

that many of us are doing.

Second, many analysts say

that the money we spent

on Black Friday is money

that we probably would have spent

at some time anyway,

so it distorts the figure slightly.

Perhaps we bought a Christmas

present early or delayed spending

we would have done over the summer.

It is not necessarily

new money we are spending

because we were drawn

in by a good offer.

What has the year been

generally light for retailers

What has the year been

generally like for retailers

and what is the outlook?

Even those figures I said

at the beginning on super Saturday

was based on people's intentions.

But in the year to date

there is a picture of growth,

we are buying more than we were

a year earlier.

But there are lots of

challenges facing retailers.

One is the shift to online shopping.

You would have heard

about the problems faced by Toys "R"

Us, they had a heavy shop presents

and they had not built an online

Us, they had a heavy shop presence

and they had not built an online

offering and their business

suffered as a result.

Beyond that change in consumer habit

is the economic things that

are going on that make life

potentially challenging

for retailers.

One is that the pound

is comparatively weak.

If retailers are importing goods

to sell, it becomes more expensive,

so it weighs on their balance sheet

a bit more.

The second is the cost of living

and inflation which is going up.

It is going up faster than wage

packets, so the pound in people's

pocket is not going as far

and they have less money

pockets is not going as far

and they have less money

to spend on goods.

Finally, we saw interest rates go up

in November and while we are not

expecting an immediate interest rate

rise, they are on an

upward trajectory.

When interest rates go up and people

are more likely to save rather

than spend and that is a further

pressure on retailers.

Thank you very much.

Coming up in a moment we're joined

by viewers on BBC One for a round up

of all the days news with Fiona

Bruce.

Good evening.

Tens of thousands of people have

been left homeless after a tropical

storm in the Philippines that's left

more than 200 dead

and dozens missing.

Authorities are trying to provide

food and shelter to those who've

been displaced with rescue teams

struggling to reach some

of the affected areas.

Our World Affairs Correspondent

Richard Galpin reports.

At last, some aid now getting

to those most in need, after this

latest storm to hit

the Philippines begins to subside.

Troops helping deliver

supplies here in the

southern region of Mindanao, which

lay right in the path of the storm.

Reaching these impoverished

areas has not been easy.

They were hit by a landslide,

mudslides, caused by

an inordinate amount of rainfall

that caused the ground to move and

killed people innocently.

As well as surging currents from

swollen rivers that overcame the

banks,

it swept people out

of their homes and killed

of their homes and killed

many others as well.

The speed with which

the rivers were turned into

lethal torrents over the weekend

caught people here by surprise.

Many drowning in their

own homes, others

buried under mudslides,

including children.

The call for people to evacuate

in good time before the

storm didn't have an effect.

The storm passed over some

of the poorest areas in the whole

Philippines.

At least 200 people

are known to have died.

Large numbers are still

missing and tens of

thousands have been forced to move

away in search of emergency

shelter.

In Rome today, Pope Francis offered

prayers for the people of

Mindanao in his weekly blessing

to the crowd on St Peter's Square.

TRANSLATION:

Merciful Lord, take

in the souls of the dead and comfort

those who are suffering

as a result of this calamity.

Let's pray for these people.

At least Tropical Storm Tembin

has now been moving

away from the Philippines.

It's currently over

the South China Sea,

where it's picking up strength again

and has been categorised as a

typhoon.

It's expected to hit

Vietnam later this week.

Meanwhile, the people

of the southern Philippines

continue the search for loved ones.

They will be hoping for much more

help to reach them in

the coming days.

Richard Galpin, BBC News.

Richard Galpin, BBC News.

North Korea has described the latest

United Nations sanctions as an act

of war and tantamount

to a complete economic blockade.

The UN Security Council imposed

the measures drafted by the US

on Friday in response to Pyongyang's

ballistic missile tests.

North Korea has vowed

to strengthen its nuclear deterrent

to frustrate America.

Sophie Long sent this report

from the South Korean capital Seoul.

North Korean state television

broadcast the first

reaction to the sanctions.

It described the UN Resolution

as an act of war that

violates peace and stability

on the Korean peninsula.

Please raise their hand.

Pyongyang promised to punish

those that voted for

the US-drafted resolution.

That includes China,

North Korea's main ally

and trading partner.

Beijing urged restraint

on all sides.

It's previously called

for an end to joint US-South

Korean military drills,

like this one, in exchange

for a halt to North Korea's

weapons programme.

A so-called freeze for freeze.

There is little hope either

side will agree to that.

Instead, the toughest sanctions yet.

The Americans had wanted to go

further, but they were pleased

with the support they got.

I am grateful to my colleagues

for the serious measures

we have enacted on behalf

of the North Korean people,

and I ask you keep them

in your thoughts and prayers this

holiday season, as we continue

to fight against this,

the most tragic example of evil

in the modern world.

The new sanctions include a ban

on the import of nearly 90% of oil

supplies to North Korea,

vital to its missile

and nuclear programmes.

They demand the deportation

of North Koreans working abroad,

to stop them funding the regime.

There will also be a ban on exports

of some North Korean goods.

The sanctions come

in response to this.

Pyongyang's launch of

an intercontinental ballistic

missile at the end of November.

One, it said, could

reach the US mainland.

The resolution is intended to push

Pyongyang to the negotiating table

and towards a diplomatic solution.

But instead, it's vowed

to strengthen its nuclear

capability and it's got form.

This is the third set of UN

sanctions to be imposed

on North Korea this year.

Within weeks of the previous

two rounds, it carried

out its biggest nuclear test

and fired its most powerful missile.

Today's response shows little sign

it is willing to stop now.

Sophie Long, BBC News, Seoul.

Police are appealing for witnesses

after two men died and several

people were injured in a crash

on the M40 involving

a number of vehicles.

Emergency services were called

to the scene just before midnight

yesterday on the northbound stretch

of the motorway in Oxfordshire.

The motorway reopened this morning.

Opponents of President Putin have

held a series of mass rallies

in cities across Russia in support

of a candidate to challenge him

in elections early next year.

The opposition politician

Alexei Navalny, who's been jailed

in the past for criticising

the president, told supporters

he will stand against Mr Putin.

But it's not yet certain

if he'll be able to run

as he is officially disqualified.

Plans to ditch the Army's slogan "Be

the Best" have been stopped

by the new Defence Secretary,

Gavin Williamson.

Half a million pounds had been spent

on a re-branding exercise that

would have got rid of the slogan

because it was felt to be elitist.

Andy Moore reports.

A well-known slogan

at the heart of army recruiting

for more than two decades.

It's not clear when the new Defence

Secretary Gavin Williamson saw these

plans for a rebrand,

but he clearly didn't like them.

The research reportedly

showed that the "Be

the Best" slogan was dated,

elitist and non-inclusive.

These plans for a rebrand were well

advanced at a senior level

here at the Ministry of Defence,

then there was a sudden about turn.

A statement was issued last night,

saying the Defence Secretary

believes the British Army

is the best of the best and these

proposals have been put on hold.

Colonel Richard Kemp

was the commander of British

troops in Afghanistan.

He says a lot can be improved

in the recruitment process

but there is nothing wrong

with the slogan.

If the army is not an elite,

it is hardly likely

to defeat our enemies.

If it is not better than our

enemies, all of our enemies,

then again it is not going to win,

it is not going to win in the war.

It has to be the best.

Young people who are

thinking about joining,

they want to join the best,

they don't want to join anything

that is second rate.

This rebranding exercise was said

to have the support of the army's

most senior officer,

but now his authority has

been publicly undermined

by the Defence Secretary.

Whatever the argument on tactics,

the crisis in recruiting remains.

Every year for seven years now,

more soldiers have left

the army than signed up.

Andy Moore, BBC News.

Pope Francis has held

midnight mass in Rome.

The pontiff carried out the service

in St Peter's Basilica.

His sermon included a condemnation

of human traffickers

who were described as modern day

Herods.

Meanwhile pilgrims are celebrating

Midnight Mass, in Bethlehem.

This year's celebration takes place

amid rising tensions in the region

following the US decision

to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's

capital earlier this month.

Our Religion Editor Martin Bashir

is in Manger Square for us.

Is there something of a different

atmosphere there this year?

Despite

the inclement weather as you can

see, there are no spaces in the

queues of the Church of the Nativity

behind me and the midnight Mass

which started a few minutes' ago.

The reality is that Donald Trump was

my decision to officially recognise

Jerusalem as the capital city of

Israel which provoked clashes, has

had a stark effect across the city.

Many of the hotels which are

generally oversubscribed are

currently closed and empty. Traders

complain of a lack of business and

the fact is the threat of violence

has had a greater effect on pilgrims

who might normally have wanted to be

here to mark the birth of Christ on

Christmas Eve, instead the fear of

violence has kept them away.

Martin

in Bethlehem, thank you. Apologies

for the sound. That was the rain

causing that.

That was the rain causing that.

That's it from us.

From everyone here at BBC News,

have a very happy Christmas.