13/12/2015 BBC Weekend News

President Obama has hailed last night's landmark deal on climate

change as "the best chance we have" to save the planet.

The agreement was signed in Paris by nearly 200 countries.

Here, the Energy and Climate Change Secretary,

Amber Rudd, described the deal as "an extraordinary achievement"

and she defended the Government's decision to cut subsidies

Our correspondent, Daniel Boettcher, has more details.

A deal described as a turning point. Almost 200 countries reaching an

agreement on tackling climate change. It has taken much compromise

and political will at the highest level. The targets we've set are

bold and by empowering businesses, scientists, engineers, workers and

the private sector, investors to work together, this agreement

represents the best chance we've had to save the one planet that we've

got. So what is in the agreement? There's a target to keep the

increase in average global temperatures well below 2 degrees

Celsius, and countries will pursue effort to keep it to 1.5 degrees.

There's to be a review of progress every five years, so commitments can

be made tougher. The long term aim for greenhouse gases is that

emissions should peak as soon as possible, and then be cut rapidly to

a point where no more are emitted than nature can soak up. And the

agreement says there should be the equivalent of 65 billion pounds a

year to help poorer countries as they adapt to climate change and get

clean technology. That's less than some wanted. For this deal to work,

there'll have to be a fundamental shift away from fossil fuels, which

would involve a big change in how energy is produced. Here, the

Government said last month it would shut -- coal-powered power stations

by 2025. Meaning more glass plants. It has cut subsidies for renewable

energy. Some say the Paris deal contains too little that's legally

binding, including the pledges individual countries have made. The

Energy Secretary, Amber Rudd, defended the process. What do you

want, some sort of gunboat comploemcy. We've got political

will, the countries have agreed to do this. They have to come forward

with the proposals. What you saw at the conference was the support from

civil society, NGOs and businesses who are going to help pay for this.

All the pledges that countries have made so far won't reach the targets

the agreement sets out and that will mean more tough negotiations ahead.

Shaker Aamer, the UK's last Guantanamo Bay detainee,

has denounced Islamic extremism in his first interview

since being released from 14 years in captivity.

Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, he also condemned attacks such

From Guantanamo Bay detainee 239, to father of four from south-west

The paper hears how Shaker Aamer's family is getting used to him again.

Mr Aamer was captured crossing into Pakistan

Despite being held for nearly 14 years, he was never charged

and landed back in Britain in October, having been freed

In the interview, Mr Aamer denounces acts of terror carried out

Even if there is a war, you cannot kill just anybody.

We can't worry about being politically correct...

After a week in which Donald Trump called for all Muslims to be banned

from entering the US, he warns against creating

The 48-year-old also says that he is the victim of torture

and that, on one occasion, a British officer saw what happened.

The Foreign Office says the government stands firmly

against torture, not participating, soliciting, encouraging

America has been in the process of closing Guantanamo Bay.

Here, Parliament's intelligence and security committee

is investigating the treatment of detainees.

Russia says one of its warships has fired "warning shots" at a Turkish

The Russian Defence Ministry said the Destroyer, Smetlivy,

seen here recently, was acting to avert a collision.

Relations between Turkey and Russia remain tense after the shooting down

last month of a Russian warplane on the Syria-Turkey border.

Downing Street has insisted David Cameron will continue to make

the case for a curb on in-work benefits for EU migrants in Britain.

This was in response to reports in today's papers

that he was planning to backtrack from putting the plan at the heart

of his efforts to renegotiate Britain's membership of the EU.

Our political correspondent, Susana Mendonca, is with me.

So Downing Street are saying one thing, today's headlines say

something different. The newspapers are saying he's preparing for a

climbdown on this issue, but Downing Street have spoken to me today and

says the issue will be on the table when Mr Cameron meets EU leaders

this week. The proposal they are talking about is to make EU migrants

wait for four years before they can claim in-work benefits like tax

credits for example. It is proved a sticky issue so far for Mr Cameron,

because there is no consensus in Europe. The Polish Prime Minister

said she didn't see eye to eye with him on it, so it is a difficult one.

Former Cabinet Minister Peter Lilley, a Euro-sceptic, says this

issue isn't about benefits, that people don't care about that. They

want the Government to bring back more powers from Europe so they can

govern ourselves. And unless he can do that, he is likely to lose a

referendum. Thank you. Now, in just two days' time,

the British astronaut, Tim Peake, will blast off

to the International Space Station At the launch site, final

preparations are being made for the mission, and Tim Peake's

parents have been speaking This report contains flash

photography. As dawn breaks a Russian-built rocket emerges into

the new day. It is the only vehicle on earth capable of sending people

into space. Here is the Soyuz rocket making its way slowly to the launch

pad. It is 50 metres long and you can see the boosters and then the

main engine. The second stage which will give it its final push, and

behind that is the spacecraft in white. This is where the astronauts

will sit. It is only this part that will reach the International Space

Station. This week Tim Peake and his fellow crew members looked inside

the spacecraft. They wore caps so they wouldn't leave any hair which

would float around the capsule when they were in zero gravity. It was a

tight squeeze. Now at its destination and bathed in the soft

winter sunlight, among the crowds are Tim Peake's parents, who had

made the long journey from his home town in Chichester. Tim says he's

not at all worried but as his mum, how do you feel? I'm not worried

either. I'm very excited. We've had a lot of help and support from the

European Space Agency. They've taken us through every step of the way, so

I feel confident we know what's happening and very excited about it.

Nigel, how's Tim, has he said anything to you? He's fine, raring

to go now. He's trained, he's ready, he's happy. They are altogether and

just waiting for the big lift-off. You must be very proud. Immensely

proud, and a bit overawed when you get here and see the scale of this

operation. Then the powerful rocket is pointed towards the skies. Tim

has trained for this mission the last few years and is joining an

international crew doing officially important science but even more we

hope inspiring the next generation of young people to be excited about

the possible sis of science and technology. Engineers are readying

the rocket for launch. When the Union Flag will be on the

International Space Station for the first time. Behind me is the

headquarters of the Russian Space Agency here in Baikonur. Their

engineers are making the final preparations for Tim Peake's

historic mission. There's still a lot to do to prepare and fuel the

rocket, but they are on schedule for a launch in two days' time. Gavin.

You can see more on all of today's stories on the BBC News Channel.

The next news on BBC One is at 5.50pm.

Good afternoon. Finally for some of us at least it felt a bit like

December this morning, with a widespread frost across northern

Britain. However, for much of the week ahead we're back to where we've

been for most of the month, mild, breezy and there'll be more rain.

But it won't be as wet as recent weeks. But any extra rain will need

monitoring. There's some rain around. This line of cloud splitting

the country. To the north we've had cold conditions. This front pushing

northwards. To the south is where we've got the mild weather.

Temperatures significantly above average across much of southern

England. Drying up in the South West and South Wales, East Anglia, the

Midlands, much of northern England, got that weather front lying across,

bringing rain and drizzle. A cold pretty miserable Sunday all in all.

That rain pushing back across northern England into Northern

Ireland. There is could be heavier bursts into Northern Ireland.

Scotland got down to minus 9 last night. A cold day, with stubborn fog

patches, but a bit of sunshine. In Scotland tonight there could be snow

potentially through the central belt, to the north of the central

belt over the mountains 5-10 cm but there could be a few centimetres at

lower levels. That could cause probes overnight and for tomorrow's

rush hour. Most of us having a dry and cloudy night. Northern England

and Northern Ireland, a lot warmer than last night. In the south it is

really mild. Double figures in the South West as we start the working

week. We do start Monday still with that wet weather across Scotland,

still some snow especially on the higher routes. It will be rain

through much of the central belt. That will only slowly fizzle out

during the day. To the north of that, brighter skies. For many it is

a grey Monday. Dry for much of the UK but rain will push into South

Wales and south-west England later on. We've got that big temperature

contrast, single figures across northern Scotland, 11 or 12 in the

South West. Patchy rain tomorrow in the south-west disbeg race. Coming

from the south-west, so it is here there'll be some rain on Tuesday but

it is generally a dry day. A lot of cloud around. A drier and warmer day

across southern Scotland. This low pressure as it moves in on Tuesday

night into Wednesday will have some significant rain in it, so there's

uncertainty about the position of that weather front. It will need to

be monitored as it potentially brings wet weather over the flooded

ground. That the should clear away during the day. As it does so,

temperatures widely up to double figures, maybe into the teens in the

south. It could be warmer on Wednesday night and interest

Thursday. Isobars point to the Azores if not beyond, drawing up

warm air on Wednesday night and for a time on Thursday. Temperatures

could reach the mid teens once more. It might not last long. Blustery

conditions and some rain, which will need to be monitored given the

condition of the ground. Look at the temperatures. 13 to 15 Celsius.

There's a brief bump in the isobars for Friday. A little ridge of high

pressure, but blink and you miss it. Many of us should start Friday dry

but there is potentially more wet weather to come from the Atlantic

later on. We'll continue to monitor the