23/12/2016 BBC News at Six

The man suspected of the Berlin Christmas market attack

Anis Amri was stopped by police in Milan in the early hours

TRANSLATION: At that moment the man got hold of a pistol and without

hesitation fired in the direction of an officer who had asked the

documents. I pledge allegiance to the command of the faithful.

So-called Islamic State releases footage showing Amri

More questions about the police investigation as it emerges Amri

was able to travel from Germany to France and then

The round the clock work on the railways that will mean no

President Putin faces the world's press,

And says he is not worried about Donald Trump's talk of a new arms

race. And why a third of the homeless

say they have been And coming up in Sportsday later

in the hour on BBC News, we'll look ahead to the start

of a busy Christmas fixture list, with Chelsea top of the tree.

But can they stay there? Good evening and welcome

to the BBC News at Six. The man suspected of

the Berlin Christmas market attack has been shot dead

by police in Italy. Anis Amri had been missing

since the attack on Monday - it appears he left Germany

for France, before crossing into Italy,

able to move undetected around the continent despite

a Europe-wide manhunt. Italian police stopped him

in the early hours this morning at a train station in Milan,

shooting him dead after The Italian authorities

say his fingerprints match those found on the steering wheel

of the lorry which killed twelve Our Europe correspondent

Damian Grammaticus has the latest. Anis Amri's brief violent life as a

terrorist ended here, in an exchange of gunfire on the edge of Milan.

Alone and hunted, he managed to flee 1000 kilometres south from Berlin

but at three in the morning, acting suspiciously, he was stopped by two

officers and tried to shoot them. TRANSLATION: At that moment, the

man, without hesitating, pulled out a pistol, fired towards the

policeman who had asked for identity documents. The officers reacted

immediately. The one who was hit is recovering in hospital. His

condition is not life-threatening. And this has just been released by

so-called Islamic State, a recording made in Berlin by Anis Amri sometime

before the attack, pledging his allegiance. It is now believed that

the 24-year-old Tunisian may have been radicalised after he arrived in

Europe, perhaps in the four years he was in jail in

Italy. German security services knew he was a threat and he talked of

buying guns, not using a truck. So how did he get all the way to Italy?

This is what we know about his movements, at 8pm on Monday he

attacked the Christmas market then vanished, managed to get to Sian

Berry in France, a train ticket in his pocket showed he went to Turin

and then onto Milan central station arriving at 1am and finally he took

the Metro to the last stop, where he was shot. TRANSLATION: Row at the

end of this week we can be relieved that one acute threat has come to an

end but the general threat posed by terrorism will continue. We would

our utmost to make sure our state as a strong state. So Germany is trying

to root out radical Islamic networks. We visited this place

today, a short distance from where Anis Amri's new video was recorded.

This is one of the places that Anis Amri was known to frequent in the

months he was in Berlin. A residential

complex but the reason he would come here, in this corner, what used to

be a mosque. It was closed down and became a meeting point for radical

Islamist. One of the neighbours said small groups of young Islamic men

continue to use the building, they beat late at night, apparently

discussing attacks. TRANSLATION: Of course it was dangerous, when the

men sit here and fantasise about carrying out attacks, yes, I was

worried, my children and my family live here. With the immediate danger

apparently over, Merlin is gathered for a meeting by the Brandenburg

gate no matter what, we are all one, we come together and think of the

victims. It is something they have to be. Germany is now confronting

the reality, it faces new and hidden threats.

Damian, the main suspect is now dead, but this is unlikely

to be the end of the road for the investigation

Fiona, what the authorities are now saying, here, is that what they must

focus on now are the lessons to be learned. The first thing they are

looking at, was there a network of people, supporters who helped Anis

Amri carry out the attack and then flee? Angela Merkel says there are

many lessons to be learned from this. She talked about the need to

speed up the deportation process of those whose asylum claims fail. I

think they will also look at the intelligence and police services's

handling of this case. Remember he managed to leave through here and he

got through France to Italy and was stopped this morning, not by a

police operation but by some young officers. The one who shot him had

been in the Italian police force for nine months. So there are political

questions, far right politicians like Marine Le Pen in France already

raising questions about Europe's border security. What the interior

Minister says this shows is the need for more cooperation although he

emphasises that the terrorist threat against Germany remains high.

Damian, thank you. Here extensive rail engineering work

starts across Britain tonight...with two hundred different projects

being carried out over The biggest re-signalling scheme

in the network's history will close a line between Cardiff

Central and the Valleys. And several stations -

including Paddington in London - will be either partially

or completely shut for several days. Our transport correspondent

Richard Westcott is in Paddington now, so no trains coming in or out

of there from midnight tonight. No, absolutely. Loads of people

rushing past with suitcases trying to get on the last trains, they are

shutting Paddington for six days. Network Rail always chooses the

holidays to do the big disruptive engineering work because it says the

trains are only half full. That is when they say it affects the fewest

number of people. But it also means every Christmas thousands of people

get disrupted. It's going to be the biggest rail

upgrade ever taken on, and it all starts late tonight,

hitting services across South Wales, The lack of trains will

make the roads busier. And it's a popular time to fly

away for the holidays. So why do they always pick Christmas

to close the railways? We have a huge programme of works

that we have to deliver as part And some of that work just can't be

done on a live railway. So Christmas is the best time to do

it, because it's one 24,000 engineers will work on 200

sites across Britain. One of the bigger jobs they're

doing this Christmas is to open up and test these

new lines between the Critically, they unblock

a bottleneck between the trains going from Heathrow into Paddington

station in London. It'll hit services

across the country. Paddington Station will actually

close for six days after the last Services at other big stations,

including London Bridge, Charing Cross and Liverpool Street,

will be severely affected. There will be no trains

late on Christmas Eve between Cardiff Central,

Bridgend, Newport and the Valleys, because they're

resignalling the whole area. It's affecting me in that I have

to take an extra day off work, because of the replacement bus

service not being good But also, I understand

the work needs to be done. At this time of the year families

want to get together, if they haven't seen each other

for a while. And then they're all

distracted, aren't they? Totally inconvenient,

because you have a lot of commuters over the Christmas period,

shopping as well between As ever, leave plenty of time

before you head off, and double-check your train

is even running. Two British men have been found

guilty of using aid convoys to send thousands of pounds in cash

to extremists in Syria. The court heard how high profile

Muslim community-led convoys became unwitting participants in a plan

to fund terrorism. One of the infiltrated aid missions

included Alan Henning, the taxi driver from Eccles,

who was subsequently kidnapped and murdered

by so-called Islamic State. A la Po... Humanitarian aid for

people stuck in one of the most dangerous places on earth. Britons

have donated millions to help civilians caught in the crossfire of

conflict. Three years ago these convoys were at the heart of those

efforts. Their two men have been found guilty of infiltrating them,

Slade, a former probation officer, and another man used the convoys to

send cash to voters. One said these pictures by his nephew who was in a

group affiliated to Al-Qaeda, he advised him not to mutilate his

enemies and sent thousands of pounds through unwitting convoys. The

convoys were infiltrated and the goodwill of charities abused by

taking money and goods from the UK to Syria to help terrorists. Today's

verdict is the first formal finding that the Syrian aid convoys were

exploited for terrorism. There were also two years in the public gallery

the two men acquitted, two years that highlight how complicated and

emotive PSU has been for Muslim communities. When you see what is

needed getting to where it needs to go... Alan Henning taken hostage by

Isis in December 2013 and murdered nine months later, he went to Syria

in one of the convoys abused by the guilty men. One man acquitted today

of funding terrorism was on that convoy, he publicly appealed for the

life of Alan Henning. We beg you to tread the path of Justice and show

them the compassion that Allah has placed in the hearts of believers.

Under pressure from the government and the police the aid convoys ended

after the kidnap of Alan Henning. Dominic Casciani, BBC News.

The hijackers of a Libyan jet have been arrested following a stand-off

The domestic flight with 118 people on board was hijacked this

morning after taking off from Sabha in the south of Libya,

After spending several hours on the tarmac,

hostages were gradually released - the hijackers were then

The United Nations Refugee Agency says over 5,000 migrants

and refugees have died in the Mediterranean this year,

the highest annual death toll so far.

Almost 360,000 migrants entered Europe by sea

this year, according to the International

Most of them arrived in Italy and Greece.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested he expects US

-- he has said he does not want to see a new arms race with the United

States but will develop new arms of necessary. Blood amid Putin also

denied any hacking or involvement in the US presidential campaign.

From Moscow, Steve Rosenberg reports.

On the international stage Vladimir Putin has been centrestage in 2016

and today shared his view of the world with the world's media.

Putting a question to the president is not easy when there are 1000 of

you and just one of him. But he agreed to take my question. Mr

President, your country has been accused of state sponsored hacking

with the aim of influencing the result of the US presidential

election, and president Obama revealed that he told you personally

to cut it out. What did you tell him in response? The president refused

to say, dismissing all the talk of hacking as sour grapes from the

Democratic party. TRANSLATION: The losing side always tries to pass the

buck. They would do better to look for the problems among themselves.

Russia, says President Putin, was modernising its nuclear missile

potential but he claimed he was not worried by Donald Trump's tweet

yesterday pledging to boost America's nuclear capability. Are

you not concerned that there is a danger of a new arms race if America

is talking of boosting its nuclear arsenal? TRANSLATION: The basis for

a new arms race was there already. After the US pulled out of the

antiballistic Missile Treaty and started to create a missile shield,

so either we had to build our only shield or as we are doing develop

weapons to penetrate theirs. But this was not our choice. Vladimir

Putin made it clear today that if there is to be a new arms race it

will not be Russia's fault and he delivered a defiant message that

Russia is stronger than any potential aggressor. Yet tough talk

does not solve domestic problems, the Russian economy is struggling,

not just because of sanctions, low oil prices have hit hard and the

economy is reliant on exporting energy. This year Russia has been

flexing its muscles. It wants to be seen as a global power but if

President Putin does not mention the cracks in the economy he will be

building a superpower on thin ice. Steve Rosenberg, BBC News, Moscow.

The main suspect in the Berlin Christmas market attack has been

And still to come, could Big Sam be on his way back to the big time?

He agrees deal to become Crystal Palace's new manager. In Sportsday,

Petra Kvitova says she is determined to return to tennis. She has left

hospital following a knife attack. A survey of rough sleepers suggests

they are 17 times more likely to be a victim of crime

than the general public. The charity, Crisis,

says homeless people are regularly There are thought to be about 4,000

people sleeping rough The report found 30% of rough

sleepers questioned said they had Nearly a third said they'd had

things thrown at them, and 7% said they'd been urinated

on. The charity says it

demonstrates again the need Our Social Affairs Correspondent,

Michael Buchanan, reports. For some people, rough

sleepers have no value. I used to come in here and sleep

on the trains, essentially. He took to sleeping on commuter

trains after an unprovoked attack. Got into a discussion with a young

man around the fact I was homeless. He became quite aggravated,

I would guess, by the fact I was homeless, and was saying that

people are homeless And from there he ended up

punching me in the face, basically. Today's report lays bare the abuse

rough sleepers can suffer. They're subjected to beatings,

assaulted, even urinated on. One man told researchers

who was actually dropped from a height while still

in his tent. It's not just the incident itself,

but it's the impact it has on that individual,

and their mental health, and their We found that most homeless people

who are rough sleeping, And surely if you are then urinated

on, you are going to feel even more Sergeant David Deal is part

of a police outreach team that works While he encourages them to report

crimes, he understands why today's report says many don't

trust the police. There are other aspects

of their life, maybe drug use, maybe begging, maybe other forms

of anti-social behaviour. When they come into contact

with police regarding those types of behaviour, that's

when they might not trust the police For these homeless people,

this centre will provide shelter Susan Walker is currently bedding

down in a stairwell. Sleep is uneasy due

to the constant fear of attack. You can get some of these

people now who do see a woman and they'll think,

I'll go for her. And if that happened,

well, as a woman, we Rough sleepers are

permanently vulnerable. Any stranger could

attack at any time. President Putin has called

for a nationwide ceasefire in Syria, now that government forces have

fully taken control The final evacuations of opposition

fighters and civilians from the east of the city took place last night,

in the biggest victory for President Bashar al-Assad

since the uprising against him began Our Middle East Editor,

Jeremy Bowen, looks at the significance

of that victory, and how it may now affect

the course of the war. In western Aleppo, a Christmas party

became a victory celebration. It was watched over by banners of Syria's

three wise men. President Assad and the leaders of Hezbollah. There was

relief that the killing in the city might finally be over. The last

buses out of eastern Aleppo delivered thousands of fighters and

civilians into an uncertain future. The fall of Eastern Aleppo is the

greatest defeat the rebels. It shows how the war is now being decided by

the foreign powers that have intervened. So what is next in

Syria? President Assad and his allies have

won themselves some options. Their victory in Aleppo

does not end the war. Thousands of rebel fighters

have been bussed out to The regime and its allies

want to win it back. They might decide to make Eastern

Ghouta their military priority. It's part of the

suburbs of Damascus. It's vulnerable because rebel groups

that control it have weakened Foreign powers are shaping the

battlefield. Turkey has troops fighting in Syria and back some of

the rebel groups in Aleppo. But it watched while Russia and its allies

destroyed them. That's because Turkey needs Russia to stand aside

while it hits the Kurds, now its main target. And while eastern

Aleppo fell, the West was also a by standard. That is because the Syrian

policy of the Americans, the British and their friends, never coherent,

has now failed completely. Last week the British and American defence

secretaries fell back on old slogans. Not credible. As the Syrian

regime scored its biggest victory of the war so far. We don't see a

future for President Assad in Syria, even if he defeats the opposition in

Aleppo. Aleppo though looks to be a turning point. Tonight, Britain's

Foreign Secretary said again that President Assad must go. But the

downfall of the President looks like a hollow dream. Diplomacy hasn't

done it. Earlier in the war there was a chance to make it happen. But

that chance has gone well President Assad remains Russia's man. It will

not be easy for his coalition to move from Aleppo to victory in

Syria. But now they have the momentum. Jeremy Bowen, BBC News.

Former England manager Sam Allardyce has agreed a deal to become the new

manager of Crystal Palace. A formal announcement is due this evening. He

has been out of the game since leaving the England job in September

after one match. Here is Richard Conway.

Three months on from losing his dream job as England manager, Sam

Allardyce is on the brink of a return to the Premier League.

He was forced out of Wembley after just one

match in charge, following a newspaper sting in which he

discussed getting around FA transfer regulations.

A period on the sidelines looked inevitable.

But Alan Pardew has manoeuvred himself out of the

Crystal Palace hot seat after winning just 26 points in his 36

Well, he's seen as an expert in keeping teams in the top

division, in a career that spans periods in charge of Bolton,

With Crystal Palace flirting with relegation, the club's

new American owners have been forced to take action.

An attempt this season to play a more expansive

style of football looks likely to be abandoned.

The focus now will be doing whatever it takes to stay in

We look at Sunderland last season, he did a

And that was based really on being strong defensively.

So if it is Sam, then that would be one of his strengths that he would

For Sam Allardyce, there is unfinished

business to attend to after his briefest of stints with England.

Crystal Palace will settle for survival for now.

But this ambitious club hope in time he'll do much more

Richard Conway, BBC News, Selhurst Park.

Storm Barbara has paid the UK a visit, with the north west

of Scotland bearing the brunt of the heavy rain and winds -

but it's also blown through parts of Northern England,

Our Scotland Correspondent, Lorna Gordon, has more.

Storm Barbara barrelled in from the west.

With conditions difficult out at sea, ferries to many

For those who couldn't get home early, Christmas travel plans

However, the northern area is definitely off.

We're reviewing those services ongoing, and we will make

announcements regarding tomorrow evening.

In some areas, the worst of the winds are yet to come.

But gusts of up to 70 mph have already been recorded

in the Western Isles, where, for a time, many homes in

The stormy conditions were forecast well ahead.

Extra generators shipped out and others, including farmers

I slept quite well until five o'clock in the morning

I spent all day yesterday preparing for it, moving

livestock to sheltered areas, making sure that everything was tied

With disruption to some train routes, plane routes and on ferries,

Storm Barbara has been an unwanted early gift.

This Christmas tree in Dunoon survived the high winds

But there is more stormy weather expected in the coming days.

I don't know how long that Christmas tree is going to be standing. Darren

Bent is here. This weather is not unusual for

winter. But it has come at the wrong time. We have got two storms. This

area of Cloud is going to develop into storm Connor. That is probably

going to arrive on Boxing Day. But ahead of that, if we run the

sequence, you can see that we have had some very strong winds from

Storm Barbara. The winds will peak in the North of Scotland during this

evening. AT, maybe 90 mph. At midnight, the amber warning is gone.

-- at midnight. A lot of snow showers in Scotland. Icy conditions

as well. The rain clears from England and Wales. A little bit

chilly. Some sunshine on the way. Showers are more frequent and heavy

in Northern Ireland and Scotland. Gusty winds and more snow over the

hills of Northern Ireland and Scotland. It will feel cold further

south. As we head towards Christmas day, Connor is a little bit closer.

It is bringing with it some very mild air. Temperatures between 14

and 15 degrees. Very windy. Gusty winds. A lot of Cloud. Outbreaks of

rain. This weather fronts slips south during Christmas Day. Behind

it, colder air. By the end of Christmas Day, we may have a white

Christmas in the North of Scotland. And then storm Connor is closest to

the UK on Boxing Day. It is really again the far north of Scotland. A

bit like Storm Barbara. 80 to 90 mph, especially in the Northern

Isles. Windy and lots of showers on Boxing Day across Scotland. Further

south, the winds will not be as strong. More sunshine. It will not

feel as cold. After Boxing Day, things get quieter.

A reminder of the main story. The main suspect in the Berlin Christmas

market attack has been shot dead by police in Italy.

And on BBC One, we now join the BBC's news teams where you are.