:00:00. > :00:10.David Cameron calls the death of the British doctor who died in a Syrian
:00:11. > :00:13.jail a sickening tragedy. As Abbas Khan's body is flown back
:00:14. > :00:20.to the UK, the Prime Minister tells his family the regime should be held
:00:21. > :00:23.to account. With ten days to go until employment
:00:24. > :00:25.restrictions on Bulgarians and Romanians are lifted, the Business
:00:26. > :00:29.Secretary says the Conservatives are panicking on immigration because of
:00:30. > :00:32.UKIP. How extreme weather could hit the
:00:33. > :00:37.Christmas getaway - gales and high winds are forecast for many areas
:00:38. > :00:40.tomorrow. And England are caught in a spin as
:00:41. > :00:59.bowler Graham Swann announces he's retiring.
:01:00. > :01:03.Good evening. The Prime Minister has called for
:01:04. > :01:09.the Syrian regime to be answerable for the death of a British surgeon
:01:10. > :01:12.in Damascus last week. In a letter to the mother of Abbas Khan that's
:01:13. > :01:15.just been made public, David Cameron said the doctor was despicably
:01:16. > :01:19.treated by the Syrian authorities and that his death after over a year
:01:20. > :01:22.in custody was a sickening tragedy. Today the body was flown back to the
:01:23. > :01:35.UK, where a postmortem will be carried out. Jonathan Blake reports.
:01:36. > :01:40.Abbas Khan, a father of two children and a surgeon who died in a Syrian
:01:41. > :01:44.prison just days before he was due to be released. In a personal letter
:01:45. > :01:48.written two days ago now released by his family, the Prime Minister
:01:49. > :01:52.extended his sympathy and said he knows from his own experience of
:01:53. > :01:58.losing a child but words are of little comfort. David Cameron goes
:01:59. > :02:00.on to describe the death as a sickening and appalling tragedy
:02:01. > :02:05.which the Syrian regime should answer for. Soon after Abbas Khan's
:02:06. > :02:09.body arrived back in the UK this morning, through his mother's greet
:02:10. > :02:19.was a clear determination to find out how he died. -- grief. I don't
:02:20. > :02:31.know why on his release day they killed my son. I want answers.
:02:32. > :02:35.Fatima Khan spent five months in Syria working to free her son. She
:02:36. > :02:38.filmed this footage on her mobile phone, and while in the country
:02:39. > :02:46.appeal to several foreign embassies for help. India didn't want to
:02:47. > :02:50.help. They said, no, you are British, we don't want to help. The
:02:51. > :03:03.Russian Embassy said you are British, we are not going to help
:03:04. > :03:09.you. The Foreign Office have said Abbas Khan was in effect murdered by
:03:10. > :03:12.the Syrian authorities, but the surgeon's family are frustrated with
:03:13. > :03:17.what they see as a lack of help from the British government. We have
:03:18. > :03:21.received letters from the Prime Minister who has said he is going to
:03:22. > :03:26.help us get answers but nothing has been said as to how they are going
:03:27. > :03:31.to do this and when. Abbas Khan's body has been taken to a coroner's
:03:32. > :03:34.of this and a postmortem will be carried out tomorrow. After that,
:03:35. > :03:42.family segment their priority is lay his body to rest. -- after that, the
:03:43. > :03:47.family say, their priority is to lay his body to rest. Lyse Doucet met
:03:48. > :03:54.the family in Lebanon. What do you make of the way the government are
:03:55. > :04:04.dealing with this? Judging from the family has said, they felt
:04:05. > :04:08.completely abandoned. They felt forsaken. The mother, Fatima, said
:04:09. > :04:13.she knocked on every door she could in Damascus, and in Damascus, Syria
:04:14. > :04:21.and officials said the only person who did something for him was her
:04:22. > :04:24.mother. The letter from David Cameron says that behind-the-scenes
:04:25. > :04:29.they were doing more than the family suggested. The family says they did
:04:30. > :04:34.nothing. David Cameron says the Syrian Embassy refused to engage. Is
:04:35. > :04:39.he now telling us they did more than the family knew, or is this an
:04:40. > :04:50.attempt to varnish the situation so Britain is not accused of washing
:04:51. > :04:53.their hands of the case? Divisions within the government over
:04:54. > :04:55.EU immigration are becoming more entrenched, with the Business
:04:56. > :04:59.Secretary Vince Cable accusing the Conservatives of being in a panic on
:05:00. > :05:01.the issue because of UKIP. His comments come ten days before
:05:02. > :05:03.restrictions on Bulgarians and Romanians working in the UK are
:05:04. > :05:05.lifted. Today the Bulgarian President warned that tougher
:05:06. > :05:07.immigration rules risked isolating Britain. This report from our
:05:08. > :05:17.political correspondent, Chris Mason.
:05:18. > :05:25.Ten days and counting until we all need a new talent -- Callander on
:05:26. > :05:28.until the lifting of restrictions. From January the 1st, people here in
:05:29. > :05:32.Bulgaria and Romania can impact airbags, moved to the UK and look
:05:33. > :05:35.for work. The government has changed the rules to prevent migrants from
:05:36. > :05:40.claiming out of work benefits for their first three months here, but
:05:41. > :05:43.this change, and some of the language used in discussing
:05:44. > :05:48.immigration, has irritated the president of Bulgaria. In an
:05:49. > :05:52.interview with the Observer, he says there is a danger of isolating
:05:53. > :05:57.Britain and damaging Britain's reputation. Immigration, he claims,
:05:58. > :06:03.is good for the UK. You guys are making a profit out of this. Keep it
:06:04. > :06:06.like that. Enter the Lib Dem Cabinet minister, Vince cable, who is not
:06:07. > :06:12.afraid of sounding off about the Conservatives. We sometimes get
:06:13. > :06:19.these panics in the UK. I remember going back to Enoch Powell and
:06:20. > :06:22.rivers of blood. They were panics of the Jewish immigrants from Eastern
:06:23. > :06:28.Europe. The responsibility of politicians in this situation is to
:06:29. > :06:32.reassure people and to give them facts. No word from the Prime
:06:33. > :06:36.Minister today but he was in Brussels on Friday and said no --
:06:37. > :06:41.further changes will be needed if other countries joined the EU in
:06:42. > :06:46.future. As we contemplate countries like Serbia or Albania one-day
:06:47. > :06:51.joining the EU, we must find a way to slow down access to each other's
:06:52. > :06:57.Labour market until we are sure this will not cause vast migrations. Did
:06:58. > :07:02.big picture here is the rise of the UKIP and the jostling the head of
:07:03. > :07:15.the European elections. -- the big picture.
:07:16. > :07:19.Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the Russian oil tycoon released by President
:07:20. > :07:22.Putin after ten years in jail, has said he will do all he can to help
:07:23. > :07:25.secure freedom for political prisoners. But, speaking in Germany,
:07:26. > :07:27.Mr Khodorkovsky said he would not return to Moscow unless he received
:07:28. > :07:30.guarantees he could leave. From Berlin, Daniel Sandford sent this
:07:31. > :07:36.report, which contains some flash photography.
:07:37. > :07:41.Stepping back into the limelight today, the Russian oligarch who
:07:42. > :07:44.became the country's most famous political prisoner. In his first
:07:45. > :07:53.public appearance since his surprise release, he described the moment
:07:54. > :07:56.when he heard he would be freed. TRANSLATION: It was 2am when the
:07:57. > :08:01.head of the prison woke me up and told me I was going home. Then, only
:08:02. > :08:06.during the journey, was I told I was going to Berlin. He had spent ten
:08:07. > :08:10.years in prison, ostensibly for fraud and money-laundering. But many
:08:11. > :08:17.believe he was there because President Putin ordered it. Do you
:08:18. > :08:22.intend to return to Russia or US actively in textile? Are you
:08:23. > :08:32.encouraging people to go to the Saatchi Winter Olympics? The
:08:33. > :08:36.President's spokesman says nobody is stopping me returning to Russia.
:08:37. > :08:44.Right now I have no guarantee I would be able to leave again if I
:08:45. > :08:48.needed to. Speaking about the Olympics, it is a festival of
:08:49. > :08:52.sport, a celebration for millions. Let's not spoil it. On the other
:08:53. > :08:58.hand, it shouldn't be a party for one man, President Putin. For a man
:08:59. > :09:04.who has been in jail for ten years, he was calm, moderate and without
:09:05. > :09:08.anger. His main concern was the other political prisoners who have
:09:09. > :09:12.been left behind. Mikhail Khodorkovsky was once Russia's
:09:13. > :09:15.richest man. He made his money in oil and banking in the unscrupulous
:09:16. > :09:22.1990s. He had the ear of President Yeltsin. But when President Putin
:09:23. > :09:27.came to power, he became a fierce critic of the corruption surrounding
:09:28. > :09:33.the Kremlin. The two men fell out, and Mikhail Khodorkovsky ended up in
:09:34. > :09:37.prison. Today, he said he would not be returning to Russian politics,
:09:38. > :09:47.and symbolically drove through the famous checkpoint Charlie, once a
:09:48. > :09:50.key crossing in the Berlin Wall. There are warnings that the
:09:51. > :09:53.transport network could be badly hit in the run up to Christmas with
:09:54. > :09:55.severe gales and heavy rain forecast for tomorrow. Drivers heading to
:09:56. > :09:58.parts of Scotland, Wales and England are being told they could face
:09:59. > :10:01.difficult conditions and train operators have urging customers to
:10:02. > :10:11.travel earlier if they can. Ben Ando is at Euston rail station.
:10:12. > :10:19.It is becoming something of a not very festive tradition. This year,
:10:20. > :10:25.the threat is a storm heading this way from the Atlantic Ocean. Eight
:10:26. > :10:32.weeks ago, parts of Britain were brought to a standstill by the storm
:10:33. > :10:36.St Jude. Network Rail cancelled trains and there were problems for
:10:37. > :10:39.air and road travellers. Nobody is suggesting to my's weather will be
:10:40. > :10:45.as bad. But there are warnings about this option. -- tomorrow's weather.
:10:46. > :10:50.For many people, the railways are the best option. Operators say
:10:51. > :10:59.tickets dated for travel tomorrow will be accepted today. Tomorrow we
:11:00. > :11:04.plan to travel at 4.30. Apparently that will be the worst time. The
:11:05. > :11:08.problem is a huge depression heading to the south coast of England from
:11:09. > :11:16.the Atlantic. It is expected to cause high winds of up to 70 mph in
:11:17. > :11:20.southern England and southern Wales. The Environment Agency has issued
:11:21. > :11:25.six flood warnings. On the roads, the risk to cars and lorries is also
:11:26. > :11:29.considerable. The Highways Agency says its website has invented for
:11:30. > :11:34.driving safely in deteriorating conditions. The AA says people
:11:35. > :11:38.should plan their journeys. And for those jetting off for the Christmas
:11:39. > :11:43.break, air travel is not immune. So far, no flights have been cancelled
:11:44. > :11:46.due to the weather, but Heathrow is urging passengers flying tomorrow to
:11:47. > :11:53.check airline websites before setting out. Tomorrow could be
:11:54. > :11:56.something of a double whammy. Many people are working normally, so they
:11:57. > :12:01.will be regular commuters alongside Christmas travellers. That is why
:12:02. > :12:07.companies are lifting restrictions to allow people to tell this evening
:12:08. > :12:10.or tomorrow evening if they can. -- to travel.
:12:11. > :12:13.The Metropolitan Police says it's reviewing Nigella Lawson's admission
:12:14. > :12:16.that she took cocaine. The TV chef told the fraud trial of two former
:12:17. > :12:19.personal assistants that she had taken the drug, but was not a
:12:20. > :12:22.habitual user. Scotland Yard had said it wouldn't take any action,
:12:23. > :12:26.but now officers said a specialist team would examine all the evidence
:12:27. > :12:28.emerging. Northern Ireland's main political
:12:29. > :12:36.parties have been given revised proposals on how to deal with
:12:37. > :12:39.parades, flags and the past. They were drawn up by the former US
:12:40. > :12:42.diplomat Richard Haass, who is chairing talks on how to resolve the
:12:43. > :12:48.contentious issues. Chris Page is in Belfast. What is the suggestion as
:12:49. > :12:55.to how the issue should be beguiled with? These are the issues left over
:12:56. > :12:59.from the other negotiations over the years in Northern Ireland. The
:13:00. > :13:03.American diplomat has been meeting the political parties for the next
:13:04. > :13:06.few months. Now we are on to endgame. He said his latest
:13:07. > :13:10.proposals to the party this afternoon. They have not been made
:13:11. > :13:15.public. But it is thought he had come up with a new idea on the main
:13:16. > :13:19.issue which is flagged. It is an issue that still has the potential
:13:20. > :13:22.to cause street violence in Northern Ireland. The year ago, there were
:13:23. > :13:28.loyalist protests after councillors voted to restrict the flying of the
:13:29. > :13:31.Union flag at Belfast City Hall. There has been more potential for
:13:32. > :13:36.agreement on parading and the issue of Northern Ireland's past. Flags
:13:37. > :13:39.have been that the problem. Sources have said that the diplomat has
:13:40. > :13:44.suggested there should be a new process to look specifically at the
:13:45. > :13:50.issue of flags. The parties will negotiate around the table tomorrow
:13:51. > :13:55.morning, not for the first time looking like it will go up to the
:13:56. > :13:58.deadline. There are fears that South Sudan is
:13:59. > :14:01.heading towards civil war, with the UN Secretary General, Ban-ki-Moon,
:14:02. > :14:04.calling for both sides to find a political way out of the crisis. The
:14:05. > :14:07.country has been in turmoil since President Salva Kiir accused his
:14:08. > :14:10.former vice-president of attempting a coup last week. At least 500
:14:11. > :14:13.people have been killed since the fighting began, with the government
:14:14. > :14:20.struggling to keep control of the capital, Juba.
:14:21. > :14:28.With all the sport, here's Olly Foster at the BBC Sports Centre.
:14:29. > :14:33.Good evening. There were two matches in the Premier League. Everton are
:14:34. > :14:38.up to fourth after beating Swansea 2-1 with two brilliant goals. It was
:14:39. > :14:47.ever-0 at half-time. It was Everton's first. Swansea pulled one
:14:48. > :14:51.back until this late free kick. They are now just two points behind
:14:52. > :14:58.Liverpool. The other match was at St Mary's, where Tottenham beat
:14:59. > :15:02.Southampton 3-2. Tim Sherwood will have talks about his future
:15:03. > :15:06.tomorrow. Cardiff City Stadium manager, Malky Mackay, will stay in
:15:07. > :15:10.charge for the foreseeable future. The owner gave him an ultimatum
:15:11. > :15:19.earlier in the week to resign or get sacked. He was in charge for their
:15:20. > :15:24.defeat yesterday, but a club statement today said the crisis for
:15:25. > :15:27.the time being is over. Graeme Swann says he can't justify his place in
:15:28. > :15:32.the England team and has retired from all cricket. There are still
:15:33. > :15:36.two tests to play in Australia with the Ashes loss. But he says the time
:15:37. > :15:41.is right to stand down. Dan Roan is in Melbourne.
:15:42. > :15:45.You may have thought England's Ashes campaign couldn't get any worse, but
:15:46. > :15:52.today, Graeme Swann made a shock announcement. The tourists would
:15:53. > :15:59.have to rebuild without him. I was hoping to win the Ashes out here
:16:00. > :16:04.again. With the Ashes gone, personally I think to stay on and
:16:05. > :16:09.selfishly played just to experience another Boxing Day Sydney test match
:16:10. > :16:17.would be wrong. Graeme Swann was integral to England. He was six in
:16:18. > :16:20.his country's all-time list for wickets. A natural on and off the
:16:21. > :16:25.pitch, he was as popular as he was prolific. But this series had not
:16:26. > :16:29.been as much fun, and, having struggled with injury and form, he
:16:30. > :16:33.decided he had had enough. The iconic Boxing Day test match here at
:16:34. > :16:37.the cavernous Melbourne Cricket Ground was meant to be a pivotal
:16:38. > :16:41.fixture in this Ashes series. Instead it has become crucial for
:16:42. > :16:44.England for very different reasons. They are trying to recover from what
:16:45. > :16:50.has become a very ill-fated tour. The wheels are off from the England
:16:51. > :16:56.perspective. Looking at the series, they are 3-0 down. You have now got
:16:57. > :17:02.one of the top three England spinners of all-time retiring. Monty
:17:03. > :17:04.Panesar must now step at -- up as England step into a period of
:17:05. > :17:16.transition. Gloucester wanted a's match in rugby
:17:17. > :17:22.you's premiership. At the start was delayed after the pre-match
:17:23. > :17:26.entertainment involving two giant inflatable balls saw one of the
:17:27. > :17:29.crossbars become dislodged. Ground staff took half an hour to fix it
:17:30. > :17:35.before play could finally get under way. That is all the sport.
:17:36. > :17:36.There's more throughout the evening on the BBC