24/12/2017 BBC Weekend News

Good afternoon.

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 US-drafted measures 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.

An act of war that violates

peace and stability

on the Korean peninsula.

That was North Korea's reaction

to the latest and toughest

round of sanctions to be

imposed on Pyongyang.

The US-drafted resolution

was agreed by all members

of the UN Security Council,

including China, North Korea's main

ally and trading partner,

who called again for all parties

to show restraint.

I'm 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 all oil supplies to North Korea.

Vital to its missile

and nuclear programmes.

They also require the repatriation

of North Koreans working abroad.

It's believed Pyongyang

uses their earnings to help

fund its weapons development.

The sanctions come

in response to this,

the firing of Pyongyang's most

powerful missile yet,

one it said could reach US soil.

They're intended to push Pyongyang

to the negotiating table

and towards a diplomatic solution.

But today's response indicates

Kim Jong-un has little desire

to give up his nuclear ambitions.

Sophie Long, BBC News, Seoul.

Two men have died after

a crash on M40 involving

a number of vehicles.

Four people were injured,

one seriously.

Police and paramedics were called

to the scene on the northbound

stretch of the motorway,

in Oxfordshire, just

before midnight.

Officers from Thames Valley Police

are calling for witnesses.

Rescuers are searching

for victims of a tropical storm

in the southern Philippines,

where more than 200 people have died

in mudslides and flash floods.

Thousands of people have been

evacuated from their homes,

as Howard Johnson -

our correspondent

in Manila - explains.

in Manila - explains.

High winds and heavy rain

have battered Mindanao

for the last three days,

as tropical Storm Tembin

made its way across the country.

Rivers burst their banks, inundating

towns, while a number of villages

were buried under landslides.

A spokesperson for the United

Nations Children's Fund said

conditions on the island are dire

and that many are without clean

water or electricity.

There were 103 houses here.

When the flood happened,

it swept them all away.

The Philippines' National Disaster

Council is spearheading

the relief effort,

providing meals and shelter

to thousands of people

displaced by the storm.

displaced by the storm.

The call for people to evacuate in

good time before the storm actually

did not have an effect. The storm

passed over some of the absolute

poorest areas in the whole of the

Philippines and people live in hard

to reach areas.

The Philippines is hit by around 20

typhoons every year,

bringing misery to some

of the poorest communities

in the country.

Storm Tembin has now passed

the Philippines and has

strengthened to typhoon status.

It's now over the South China Sea.

It's expected to hit

Vietnam in the coming days.

Howard Johnson, BBC News,

Manila, in the Philippines.

Plans to ditch the Army's slogan -

'Be the Best' - have been halted

by the new Defence Secretary,

Gavin Williamson.

Half a million pounds has been spend

on a re-branding exercise that

would have got rid of the slogan,

because it was deemed elitist.

The Ministry of Defence said

the British Army is the 'best

of the best' and that the proposals

were now 'on hold'.

London Zoo has reopened today,

after a fire on Saturday

killed several animals,

and some staff had to be treated

for smoke inhalation.

The zoo confirmed an aardvark died,

and four meerkats -

who are presumed to have died.

The cause of the blaze, which broke

out in the Animal Adventure

section that spread

to a shop, remains unclear.

Opponents of President Putin have

held a series of mass rallies

in cities across Russia.

Alexei Navalny - who's

been jailed in the past,

after persistent criticism

of the President - told supporters

he would stand against Mr Putin.

However, it's not yet certain

if officials will let him run.

Pilgrims have been arriving

in Bethlehem, ahead

of a Midnight Mass this evening.

of a Midnight Mass this evening.

But this year's celebrations

take place amid rising

tensions in the region,

following the US decision

to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's

capital earlier this month.

Our Middle East correspondent,

Tom Bateman, is in

Bethlehem for us today.

Always a popular event, but amid the

security concerns, our numbers as

big as they ordinary would be?

Well,

we are here in front of the Church

of the Nativity. This was the spot

where the Christians believe Jesus

was born. And it is the focal point

of the procession that has taken

place this morning, including

religious leaders and other pilgrims

who made their way in the route they

believe Mary and Joseph came to this

particular site. There has been much

festivity in major square. But

outside that bubble, it comes

against the backdrop of two and half

weeks of clashes between Israeli

troops and Palestinians, ever since

Donald Trump's announcement that

America officially recognises

Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

And there is now a severe diplomatic

stand-off between the Palestinian

leadership and the United States.

The Palestinian authority President

will be here tonight for Midnight

Mass. He says he cannot accept a US

brokered peace plan if one is

announced in the New Year. The

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin

Netanyahu has held his weekly

Cabinet meeting this morning and he

has said that in his view, once

again, it is the Palestinians who

are not prepared to solve the

conflict.

From Bethlehem, thank you

very much.

Rail passengers could face

disruption as Network Rail carries

out its biggest ever engineering

programme. 260 projects across

England, Scotland and Wales will

lead to numerous station closures

over the festive period. Many

Britain's mainline routes will also

be short running reduced services

over the coming days.

Cricket, and England are preparing

for the 4th Ashes Test,

which starts tomorrow, in Melbourne.

England - already 3-0

down in the series -

will want to do everything they can

to avoid the whitewash.

Melbourne is a city

which reaches for the skies.

There are more tall buildings

here than in London or in Beijing -

a reminder to England

of their now impossible climb.

3-0 down, the Ashes gone,

surrounded by criticism

and jibes from the Aussies,

now England have to come here.

And in this place, it's

very easy to feel lost.

It's happened before.

The last England Test team to come

to the MCG were 3-0 down and ended

up losing the series 5-0.

So how are this side any different?

The morale in the group

is still really high, and,

you know, no-one's...

There's no bickering.

There's no, you know,

separation within the group.

It's good that we've

all stuck yogether.

It's good that we've

all stuck together.

You know, I wasn't here on that

previous Ashes Tour but,

by all accounts, there

was differences within

the camp back then.

And, yeah, it definitely doesn't

feel like that here.

Everyone's working hard to try

and win this Test match.

If there's hope, maybe

it's in a damaged heel

belonging to Mitchell Starc,

the top wicket taker in the series.

He'll miss the Test,

to be replaced by Jackson Bird.

Some in the England camp have

claimed Australia's bowling back-ups

aren't up to the standard

of the front line.

In response, Starc can't

bowl actual bouncers,

but here's a verbal one.

It's quite humorous, actually.

Erm, they haven't taken 20 wickets

yet in the series so...

Erm, and we have, and then they're

having a crack at our depth.

So, I think they've got bigger

things to worry about than the depth

of Australian fast bowlers.

So, erm, as I said,

hopefully Jacko takes five.

He still bowls quick enough.

I'm pretty sure he still bowls

quicker than the Pom

bowlers as well, so...

LAUGHTER.

Erm...

Maybe in adversity, England

will find their true character,

but Australia is planning

to celebrate and humiliate.

And around here, one thing

preoccupies them more than anything.

Patrick Gearey, BBC

News, in Melbourne.

You can see more on all of today's

stories on the BBC News Channel.

The next news on BBC One is at 5:35.

Bye for now.