:00:07. > :00:10.The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, says he won't expel
:00:11. > :00:13.American diplomats in response to US sanctions over alleged hacking.
:00:14. > :00:15.It follows accusations Moscow interfered in the American elections
:00:16. > :00:20.by hacking into e-mails, a claim denied by Russia.
:00:21. > :00:23.Mr Putin says he will wait until President-elect Donald Trump
:00:24. > :00:31.Also today - The ceasefire in Syria appears to be holding, the day
:00:32. > :00:42.17 injured after a bus crashes in thick fog in Oxfordshire.
:00:43. > :00:44.And, newly released records reveal how anti-nuclear protesters gained
:00:45. > :01:04.The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has said
:01:05. > :01:09.that he won't expel any US diplomats from the country, in a surprise
:01:10. > :01:11.response to President Obama's decision to order Russian diplomats
:01:12. > :01:16.Mr Obama, who's also imposing sanctions, had accused
:01:17. > :01:20.Russia of interfering in the US presidential election.
:01:21. > :01:23.Despite advice from his foreign minister, Mr Putin has
:01:24. > :01:26.decided not to retaliate - for now - as Steve Rosenberg
:01:27. > :01:40.Following accusations of cyber attacks on America, the US had
:01:41. > :01:45.expelled 35 Russian diplomats. So how would Moscow respond? Well,
:01:46. > :01:50.today, Russia's Foreign Minister proposed tit-for-tat. He said he had
:01:51. > :01:54.asked President Putin to expel 35 American diplomats. But the Kremlin
:01:55. > :02:00.leader said no. No Americans would be expelled. He would wait to see
:02:01. > :02:05.what kind of policies Donald Trump pursued in the White House. That
:02:06. > :02:08.doesn't change what America's top intelligence agencies believe to be
:02:09. > :02:13.true, that state sponsored hackers, backed by the highest levels of
:02:14. > :02:17.Russian Government, interfered in the US presidential election, with a
:02:18. > :02:26.cyber attack on the Democratic Party. The aim, to embarrass Hillary
:02:27. > :02:30.Clinton. Was President Putin behind it? Washington suspects he was. Last
:02:31. > :02:35.week, I got a chance to ask him myself. MrPresident, your country
:02:36. > :02:39.has been accused of state sponsored hacking with the aim of influencing
:02:40. > :02:45.the result of the US presidential election. And President Obama
:02:46. > :02:53.revealed that he told you personally to cut it out. What did you tell him
:02:54. > :02:58.in response? The Kremlin leader refused to say, dismissing all the
:02:59. > :03:03.talk of hacking as sour grapes from the Democratic Party. The losing
:03:04. > :03:09.side always tries to pass the buck, he said.
:03:10. > :03:15.But President Obama had decided there was enough evidence to merit
:03:16. > :03:17.retaliation. As well as expelling diplomats, he ordered Russian
:03:18. > :03:22.Government compounds in New York and Maryland to be shut down. US
:03:23. > :03:28.officials believe they were being used for intelligence. Washington
:03:29. > :03:31.has announced sacks sanctions against -- announced sanctions
:03:32. > :03:37.against individuals too. Including these men wanted by the FBI. Moscow
:03:38. > :03:42.is furious. Today, the Prime Minister posted this.
:03:43. > :03:47.It is sad that the Obama administration would start out by
:03:48. > :03:57.restoring our ties, is ending its term in anti-Russia death throes.
:03:58. > :04:02.RIP the Russian Embassy in the Embassy in the UK had nothing good
:04:03. > :04:05.to say either. Soon there would be a pro-Moscow President in the White
:04:06. > :04:12.House. Judging by President Putin's decision not to expel any Americans,
:04:13. > :04:18.it could be that Putin and Donald will get along just fine. Steve, how
:04:19. > :04:22.big a surprise was this decision today by President Putin? Well, this
:04:23. > :04:28.was vintage Vladimir Putin, just when you think the Kremlin leader is
:04:29. > :04:31.going to follow convention and do what Russian and American leaders
:04:32. > :04:35.have been doing since the Cold War, in other words, tit-for-tat, you
:04:36. > :04:39.kicked our guys out, we are going to kick your guys out, he doesn't do
:04:40. > :04:44.that. He side-steps that and instead says I am not kicking anybody out. I
:04:45. > :04:49.am not going to lower myself, he said, to the level of irresponsible
:04:50. > :04:53.diplomacy and the key phrase that Russia will build its future
:04:54. > :04:56.relations with the United States based on the policies that Donald
:04:57. > :05:01.Trump will follow, and by the way, he said, happy new year, President
:05:02. > :05:06.Obama. Happy new year, Donald Trump and he also invited the children of
:05:07. > :05:11.all American diplomats accredited in Moscow to a new years party in the
:05:12. > :05:14.Kremlin. Vintage Vladimir Putin, an attempt, I think, to try to take the
:05:15. > :05:19.moral high ground. Thank you very much.
:05:20. > :05:21.A nationwide ceasefire that came into effect overnight
:05:22. > :05:24.between the Syrian government and rebel factions appears to be
:05:25. > :05:26.holding across most of the country, although some clashes
:05:27. > :05:30.The deal was brokered by Russia and Turkey with the backing of Iran
:05:31. > :05:33.in an attempt to end the civil war that began in 2011.
:05:34. > :05:40.This was the moment when the tide of Syria's
:05:41. > :05:47.Buses lined up earlier this month to evacuate thousands of rebel
:05:48. > :05:53.fighters, defeated in their key stronghold in Aleppo.
:05:54. > :05:57.A huge blow to the opposition movement, leaving the Syrian regime
:05:58. > :06:05.And giving the regime an opportunity to negotiate a ceasefire
:06:06. > :06:11.TRANSLATION: This reflects the reality that after Aleppo's
:06:12. > :06:15.liberation the situation is now different.
:06:16. > :06:19.There is a real opportunity to reach a political solution for the crisis
:06:20. > :06:21.in Syria that ends the bloodshed and establishes the roots
:06:22. > :06:27.But it is Syria's key ally, Russia, which is leading
:06:28. > :06:31.this push for an end to the five-year civil war.
:06:32. > :06:36.A chance for President Putin to portray himself as a peacemaker,
:06:37. > :06:41.although he admits the ceasefire is fragile.
:06:42. > :06:44.And already some rebel groups are disputing
:06:45. > :06:51.Osama Abu Zeid of the Free Syrian Alliance insisting
:06:52. > :06:54.that the ceasefire applies to the whole country
:06:55. > :06:58.and all rebel groups, including Islamist extremists,
:06:59. > :07:02.which the Syrian army says it will continue to target.
:07:03. > :07:07.Two ceasefires agreed by Russia and the United States earlier this
:07:08. > :07:15.But this time the Americans and other Western powers have been
:07:16. > :07:18.completely excluded, with Russia working instead
:07:19. > :07:24.And so far this latest ceasefire has held in many parts of the country,
:07:25. > :07:31.although there have been some government air strikes.
:07:32. > :07:35.This lull a welcome respite for a country, so much of which has
:07:36. > :07:45.Seventeen people have been injured after a coach veered off a motorway
:07:46. > :07:47.slip road and overturned in heavy fog in Oxfordshire.
:07:48. > :07:50.The vehicle came off the M40 slip road near Thame.
:07:51. > :07:52.The Met Office has issued a weather warning of fog across much
:07:53. > :07:55.of Southern England and parts of Wales and is advising
:07:56. > :08:01.Our reporter Helena Lee has the latest.
:08:02. > :08:05.It was in the early hours of this morning in thick fog the coach
:08:06. > :08:09.veered off a slip road off the M40 before rolling into
:08:10. > :08:14.Its mangled remains and the damage done clear
:08:15. > :08:23.16 passengers were on board, travelling from Heathrow to Oxford.
:08:24. > :08:28.Remarkably, none were seriously injured but all were treated
:08:29. > :08:32.in hospital, some for broken bones, others for cuts and bruises.
:08:33. > :08:35.The bad weather made the recovery operation challenging.
:08:36. > :08:38.All three emergency services attended.
:08:39. > :08:43.With 17 people on board in total, very intensive for the paramedics
:08:44. > :08:46.and the ambulance crews that attended assisted by fire
:08:47. > :08:51.Obviously, probably a chaotic scene to start
:08:52. > :08:59.The Oxford bus company said the driver was very experienced
:09:00. > :09:03.and had been doing overnight shifts for a number of years.
:09:04. > :09:05.Now the coach has been taken away, the investigation turns
:09:06. > :09:12.And, why did the coach come off a junction earlier
:09:13. > :09:23.Things are getting back to normal here but driving conditions are
:09:24. > :09:27.still very challenging. The Met Office has issued a new fog warning,
:09:28. > :09:31.extended until 4.00 this afternoon because the fog took much longer to
:09:32. > :09:36.lift than they expected and visibility in some places is less
:09:37. > :09:38.than 100 metres. Also, if you are catching a plane today, you may face
:09:39. > :09:42.delays. Thank you very much.
:09:43. > :09:45.The FTSE 100 has closed 2016 at a record level.
:09:46. > :09:58.The benchmark index closed up 7,142 points, marginally
:09:59. > :10:01.beating the previous record reached yesterday.
:10:02. > :10:03.The sharp fall in sterling, following the Brexit vote,
:10:04. > :10:06.has boosted FTSE companies, which are largely global firms
:10:07. > :10:08.which general rate much of their revenue in dollars.
:10:09. > :10:11.People in India have until the end of the day to hand
:10:12. > :10:12.in discontinued bank notes, or risk their money
:10:13. > :10:15.Last month, the government announced it was withdrawing
:10:16. > :10:18.the two most popular notes, which account for more
:10:19. > :10:21.The move was designed to tackle corruption and tax evasion,
:10:22. > :10:24.The billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has warned
:10:25. > :10:31.that the world's health systems would struggle to cope
:10:32. > :10:43.and zika outbreaks showed the world was too slow to respond
:10:44. > :10:47.He said that complex regulations and lack of organisation meant drug
:10:48. > :10:48.companies took too long to produce vaccines.
:10:49. > :10:51.Learner drivers will be allowed on to motorways for the first
:10:52. > :10:53.time, if new government plans are approved.
:10:54. > :10:55.The lessons will not be compulsory and driving instructors will decide
:10:56. > :10:59.Ministers hope the move will make roads in Britain safer.
:11:00. > :11:03.Britain's road network is amongst the safest in Europe and today's
:11:04. > :11:05.proposed changes to both driver and motorcyclist training aims
:11:06. > :11:11.Under the plans, for the first time, learner drivers will be able to have
:11:12. > :11:13.lessons on motorways, but there are caveats.
:11:14. > :11:15.Learners would have to be accompanied by
:11:16. > :11:20.The lessons would be voluntary and the instructor would decide
:11:21. > :11:25.Any proposed change to the law would be well publicised.
:11:26. > :11:28.At the moment you can't learn on the motorway until you have
:11:29. > :11:33.There's a small take-up which means that people learning by trial
:11:34. > :11:39.Much better that they get taught properly right at the outset
:11:40. > :11:41.and encouraged actually to make long journeys using the motorways
:11:42. > :11:45.Novice motorcyclists would face changes too.
:11:46. > :11:48.They would have to take a theory test online and those holding
:11:49. > :11:53.a provisional licence could have their compulsory basic
:11:54. > :11:54.training certificate revoked if they accrue more
:11:55. > :12:02.The proposals also include a trial of target number of hours of lessons
:12:03. > :12:04.for all learner drivers before they take their tests.
:12:05. > :12:07.The Government stresses that there are no plans to make
:12:08. > :12:18.Theresa May has criticised President Obama's policy on Israel,
:12:19. > :12:23.after the US administration described the government
:12:24. > :12:25.in Jerusalem as the "most right-wing" in the country's
:12:26. > :12:28.Downing Street said the comments were inappropriate.
:12:29. > :12:32.I'm joined by our political correspondent Chris Mason.
:12:33. > :12:36.It's unusual for Britain to criticise the United States, why is
:12:37. > :12:39.Number 10 saying this? It's unusual and striking for another reason,
:12:40. > :12:45.this is a row that Downing Street didn't need to get involved in but
:12:46. > :12:49.decided that it felt it should. It's criticised the barbed language of
:12:50. > :12:52.the outgoing administration, twice. Firstly on that language around the
:12:53. > :12:56.description of the Government in Israel, Downing Street said it
:12:57. > :12:59.wasn't appropriate to attack the composition of the democratically
:13:00. > :13:03.elected Government of an ally. On the issue of settlements in the
:13:04. > :13:07.occupied Palestinian territories, it said yes it believed they were
:13:08. > :13:10.illegal, but MrKerry's focus on this one issue in a deeply complex
:13:11. > :13:13.dispute was not the way to negotiate peace, that a reference to John
:13:14. > :13:16.Kerry's speech, the outgoing Secretary of State the other day.
:13:17. > :13:21.Those remarks from Downing Street have been criticised by a senior
:13:22. > :13:23.Conservative, the chairman of the foreign affairs Select Committee.
:13:24. > :13:28.The state department in Washington said it is surprised. So, why are
:13:29. > :13:32.they doing it? Firstly, it is their view but secondly, diplomatically
:13:33. > :13:34.it's useful for Theresa May to align herself relatively close to Donald
:13:35. > :13:36.Trump, given that in three weeks' time he will be President.
:13:37. > :13:39.Thank you. Newly released Government files
:13:40. > :13:42.reveal that guards at the Faslane naval base were ordered to shoot
:13:43. > :13:45.suspected intruders, after three people broke
:13:46. > :13:48.into a nuclear submarine. The Prime Minister at the time,
:13:49. > :13:50.Margaret Thatcher, said she was "horrified"
:13:51. > :13:51.that the intruders had succeeded. Faslane, home to Britain's
:13:52. > :14:00.nuclear submarines and one of the most secure military
:14:01. > :14:02.establishments in Britain. Yet in October 1988, three
:14:03. > :14:10.anti-nuclear demonstrators broke into the base at night and got
:14:11. > :14:14.aboard a nuclear sub. Documents released at
:14:15. > :14:16.the National Archives show When Mrs Thatcher was first told
:14:17. > :14:22.of the security breach, the thing that evidently
:14:23. > :14:24.horrified her most was that the intruders had managed
:14:25. > :14:26.to get into the control room Her adviser Charles Powell wrote,
:14:27. > :14:33."Had there been armed terrorist the consequences
:14:34. > :14:36.would have been incalculable". And Mrs Thatcher herself noted
:14:37. > :14:39.at the top of the page, We could all have been
:14:40. > :14:45.put in grave danger." Polaris was the forerunner
:14:46. > :14:49.of today's Trident. Phil Jones, then a young
:14:50. > :14:55.peace activist, was one He says they were astonished at how
:14:56. > :15:00.easy it was, and shocked. When the commander of the submarine
:15:01. > :15:04.came into the control room, and he was shouting at us,
:15:05. > :15:07."Who the F are you? "This is outrageous,
:15:08. > :15:15.we could have been the IRA", The files show staggering
:15:16. > :15:19.security failures starting As a result of the incident,
:15:20. > :15:28.Royal Marine sentries were given orders to shoot anyone suspected
:15:29. > :15:31.of trying to damage the sub, but it didn't stop the same thing
:15:32. > :15:34.happening again at least twice - An unnammed Chinese football
:15:35. > :15:46.club offered Real Madrid around ?250 million to buy
:15:47. > :15:48.Cristiano Ronaldo - Jorge Mendes claims the Portugal
:15:49. > :15:55.captain would have earned around ?85 million a year under the deal
:15:56. > :15:57.but insists his client Ronaldo's current deal with Real
:15:58. > :16:03.was signed in November There's more throughout the day
:16:04. > :16:12.on the BBC News Channel, Now on BBC1 time
:16:13. > :16:15.for the news where you are.