:00:00. > :00:09.Our top stories: Tornadoes and storms leave a trail of destruction
:00:10. > :00:17.in America's southern states, with warnings of a blizzard on its way.
:00:18. > :00:20.I cannot believe that this amount of damage was done.
:00:21. > :00:28.As severe flooding across the north of England shows no
:00:29. > :00:31.sign of letting up, hundreds more troops are called in to help.
:00:32. > :00:34.Iraqi troops say they have retaken a government complex in Ramadi from
:00:35. > :00:41.Islamic State fighters, but are still facing pockets of resistance.
:00:42. > :00:43.And he has just rowed from San Francisco to Australia non-stop.
:00:44. > :01:07.We meet the record-breaking Brit who is now back on dry land.
:01:08. > :01:10.At least 11 people have died after a series of tornadoes ripped
:01:11. > :01:19.Witnesses say it took just seconds to cause the devastation,
:01:20. > :01:21.flattening homes, toppling trees, and bringing down powerlines.
:01:22. > :01:29.Our North America correspondent Laura Bicker reports.
:01:30. > :01:42.This is what is known as a tight twister.
:01:43. > :01:45.You can only see brief flashes in the dark, as it destroys powerlines.
:01:46. > :02:01.It was one of many to tear through Texas, with winds over 200 mph.
:02:02. > :02:07.Cannot believe that this amount of damage was done.
:02:08. > :02:08.It was probably 30 seconds.
:02:09. > :02:14.By the time I could tell everybody to get down, the walls were shaking,
:02:15. > :02:18.you could feel it in your chest, and as fast as it happened it was gone.
:02:19. > :02:20.The devastation is clearer in daylight.
:02:21. > :02:23.Debris lifted by the storm is scattered for miles.
:02:24. > :02:25.This kind of weather is rare in December.
:02:26. > :02:34.These storms across the south and west have killed 29
:02:35. > :02:38.There are now unprecedented snowfalls in New Mexico and Texas.
:02:39. > :02:40.Whiteout conditions have closed some highways.
:02:41. > :02:43.And there are warnings of worse weather to come.
:02:44. > :02:46.Meteorologist Mark Fox from the National Weather Service in Texas
:02:47. > :03:05.Luckily, we're not expecting the snow to be very bad in Dallas
:03:06. > :03:07.Fort Worth, but out toward Amarillo they have
:03:08. > :03:13.They are seeing snow, and an historic blizzard.
:03:14. > :03:16.Not going to make it all the way here, thankfully.
:03:17. > :03:21.We've been busy with the tornadoes and rain.
:03:22. > :03:24.We don't have that expression, "historic blizzard," here.
:03:25. > :03:29.In Texas, normally, we get a little snow.
:03:30. > :03:41.In west Texas, you could get one or two feet of snow.
:03:42. > :03:44.But usually it doesn't come with the winds, and this will be a
:03:45. > :03:46.once-in-a-lifetime thing for a lot of folks in west Texas.
:03:47. > :03:50.That is where we get this historic blizzard.
:03:51. > :04:00.What wind speeds have you measured, or indeed some of the rainfall?
:04:01. > :04:04.Well, we've had a couple of inches here in the Dallas Fort Worth area.
:04:05. > :04:07.Up to around 3-5 inches in places, probably closer to 7-8
:04:08. > :04:15.And the snowfall, about 10-16 is what they're
:04:16. > :04:17.expecting, we have seen drifts that high.
:04:18. > :04:23.Quite a bit of rain, transitioning to snow,
:04:24. > :04:27.and wind speeds around 30-40 mph, even a few gusts up to around 60-65
:04:28. > :04:30.mph. So definitely not a day for a lot of travelling going on in west
:04:31. > :04:38.But this is not normally peak time for these things, is it?
:04:39. > :04:40.You expect that in spring, in three months.
:04:41. > :04:42.Yeah, the snow is more or less on schedule.
:04:43. > :04:46.We typically get a bit more in January and February, but
:04:47. > :04:52.the springlike weather that we've had here in north Texas, with
:04:53. > :04:54.those pictures you've shown earlier, that normally comes
:04:55. > :04:58.around April-May-June, not December.
:04:59. > :05:08.Not unprecedented, we did have a December 26 storm in 2009.
:05:09. > :05:12.But this is one that a lot of people are not going to forget either.
:05:13. > :05:15.Severe weather is also affecting parts of the UK.
:05:16. > :05:18.500 soldiers have been sent to areas of the north of England affected
:05:19. > :05:21.Rescue teams have been evacuating residents in York,
:05:22. > :05:23.where water levels are still rising, and thousands
:05:24. > :05:26.Our correspondent Judith Moritz is in York, where two rivers
:05:27. > :05:37.After Cumbria and Lancashire, now it is Yorkshire's turn.
:05:38. > :05:40.Another day, another county in the grip of the floods.
:05:41. > :05:43.The people of York knew their city was vulnerable, but
:05:44. > :05:48.The call to evacuate was made last night.
:05:49. > :05:59.But not everyone could get out easily, and many had to be rescued.
:06:00. > :06:04.Near York, fire crews helped several families.
:06:05. > :06:09.Last night we started putting the sandbags up and boards up.
:06:10. > :06:12.But the water came so quick. Before we could get everything
:06:13. > :06:19.But not everybody has been happy to leave home, despite the warnings.
:06:20. > :06:26.A lot of people have wanted to stay in their homes, quite stoic about
:06:27. > :06:39.the fact that it is their house. And I think while the weather is
:06:40. > :06:41.good, a dry day, it's quite fine. It is when
:06:42. > :06:44.it gets to the evening, and starts to get dark, if
:06:45. > :06:47.the power goes, that is when priorities change quickly.
:06:48. > :06:49.On this road, east of the city centre, the water levels
:06:50. > :06:54.Helen has a ground floor flat and is worried she may have to leave.
:06:55. > :06:57.I've been here 20 years and never seen anything like it.
:06:58. > :07:00.I mean, I'm quite concerned at the level it's getting to.
:07:01. > :07:02.That it could potentially get into the flat, and that
:07:03. > :07:07.Mountain rescue teams are helping from across the north of England.
:07:08. > :07:11.And extra troops have been brought in as part of what is now a massive
:07:12. > :07:15.In York, this is the nerve centre, where they are keeping track of the
:07:16. > :07:21.Hugely dynamic situation, and all driven by what's going to happen
:07:22. > :07:26.with the water levels, which continue to be on the rise,
:07:27. > :07:29.though there is some uncertainty what that's going to mean.
:07:30. > :07:34.A plea has been made for an extra 5,000 sandbags.
:07:35. > :07:36.Some flood barriers had to be lifted, because
:07:37. > :07:58.the pumps were overwhelmed, meaning areas of York were left vulnerable.
:07:59. > :08:01.We've decided to deploy more military resources, more military
:08:02. > :08:02.personel, but the emergency services have
:08:03. > :08:04.done a fantastic job, they deserve
:08:05. > :08:07.But at this time of year, particularly, we feel sympathy with
:08:08. > :08:10.those who have been flooded and have had to leave their homes.
:08:11. > :08:16.Elsewhere, Leeds city centre has been flooded
:08:17. > :08:17.after the river reached record levels.
:08:18. > :08:19.And away from the cities, in rural Yorkshire,
:08:20. > :08:25.This city is functioning but with difficulty.
:08:26. > :08:31.Tonight the telephone exchange was flooded, and for a short time
:08:32. > :08:37.999 calls were unavailable, but they're now back on.
:08:38. > :08:45.At a thousand homes a Mac -- there are clear that power could be lost
:08:46. > :08:53.50,000 homes. And Judith said there were fears
:08:54. > :08:57.that the situation in York could Yes, that is because river levels
:08:58. > :09:01.are still rising and they won't So the next few hours are
:09:02. > :09:06.said to be critical. This is a city which is functioning
:09:07. > :09:09.but with enormous difficulty. In the last couple of hours the
:09:10. > :09:15.telephone exchange has been flooded. 999 calls are back up now but
:09:16. > :09:17.were down briefly. Nonemergency 101 police
:09:18. > :09:19.line has been lost. I believe there are fire crews
:09:20. > :09:22.currently pumping out water from one of the primary electricity
:09:23. > :09:26.substations here as well. Fearing that power could
:09:27. > :09:28.be lost to 50,000 properties. The advice is not to do so
:09:29. > :09:36.unless you absolutely need to get It took us several hours to get here
:09:37. > :09:43.in the centre. And overnight, as I say, it's
:09:44. > :09:45.a critical situation. The army are working through
:09:46. > :09:52.the night. They will continue to knock on doors
:09:53. > :09:55.of people's homes around the path to the River
:09:56. > :09:58.Ouse to make sure everyone is safe. Meanwhile, the worst flooding
:09:59. > :10:00.in 50 years is continuing in parts of South America, where
:10:01. > :10:03.more than 150,000 people have been The flooding is across Argentina,
:10:04. > :10:07.Uruguay and Brazil, but one of the worst-hit countries is
:10:08. > :10:16.Paraguay, as Reged Ahmad reports. This is the result of days of heavy
:10:17. > :10:21.rain across parts of South America. Major rivers in low-lying areas had
:10:22. > :10:25.swollen, flooding towns and homes and leaving thousands in the region
:10:26. > :10:29.without shelter. The worst effect that areas are in Paraguay, where
:10:30. > :10:35.the rivers asked ill rising and threatening tube burst their banks
:10:36. > :10:38.as more rain is forecast. -- threatening to burst. The government
:10:39. > :10:42.here is the latest date of emergency to try and get relief funds to the
:10:43. > :10:48.150,000 people who have been forced to flee. For some help isn't coming
:10:49. > :10:53.fast enough. TRANSLATION: We don't have water, we don't have light, we
:10:54. > :10:57.don't even have food to eat. TRANSLATION: Please do something for
:10:58. > :11:03.us. It shouldn't be that they just come when they need our votes, and
:11:04. > :11:07.then they run off. The heavy summer rains are being blamed on the El
:11:08. > :11:13.Nino phenomenon, and they have hit along the borders of Argentina,
:11:14. > :11:17.Paraguay, Brazil and Uruguay, causing four major rivers to swell
:11:18. > :11:20.and flooding vast areas. In northern Argentina some 20,000 people have
:11:21. > :11:27.been evacuated and water levels are still rising. In Brazil, the
:11:28. > :11:30.President has been touring affected areas in the south, where thousands
:11:31. > :11:36.have been evacuated across 40 towns in the wake of the torrential
:11:37. > :11:39.rains. TRANSLATION: First we have to rescue the people. Second is the
:11:40. > :11:46.rebuilding of the city and accessed to roads. And third is the project
:11:47. > :11:52.of moving these away from flood risk areas. But before any rebuilding can
:11:53. > :11:56.begin, the rains need to stop in the water levels need to subside. -- and
:11:57. > :11:57.the water levels. Iraqi forces have made fresh gains
:11:58. > :11:59.against militants They are on the verge
:12:00. > :12:03.of retaking the major city of Ramadi, west of Baghdad,
:12:04. > :12:06.which fell to IS in May, in what was The army have just regained control
:12:07. > :12:09.of It is the last key position
:12:10. > :12:13.in Ramadi. IS have been using
:12:14. > :12:15.the compound to organise against the Iraqi army, who have been trying
:12:16. > :12:18.to retake the city for weeks. Thomas Fessy sent this report
:12:19. > :12:20.from Baghdad. This is what it takes to retake a
:12:21. > :12:32.city from so-called Islamic State. The scene in Ramadi
:12:33. > :12:40.after a six-day offensive with Iraqi soldiers leading a ground campaign,
:12:41. > :12:42.supported by airstrikes Iraqi troops fought a battle
:12:43. > :12:47.street by street, house to house. IS fighters had months to
:12:48. > :12:49.build their defence, the whole But the security forces have now
:12:50. > :13:00.forced the jihadis to abandon their stronghold, the former provincial
:13:01. > :13:02.government compound, from where they Taking control of this position
:13:03. > :13:11.is key to retaking Ramadi. Sporadic fighting continues
:13:12. > :13:14.in the neighbourhood, but Iraqi forces are confident they
:13:15. > :13:29.now have the upper hand. TRANSLATION: Our operations
:13:30. > :13:32.that started a few days ago saw a rough day today for the armed
:13:33. > :13:40.forces and counterterrorism forces, but we gained control of the key to
:13:41. > :13:43.enter the governmental square. And this is what Iraqi soldiers want
:13:44. > :13:46.to forget, when they abandoned Pictures of their hasty retreat were
:13:47. > :13:50.an embarrassment for the country. It has taken months
:13:51. > :13:53.for the security forces to work out They first isolated the city
:13:54. > :14:03.from all sides, to cut off IS militants' supply routes
:14:04. > :14:05.before this final push. This is a success
:14:06. > :14:08.in the fight against Islamic State, but it is only the start of
:14:09. > :14:11.a battle that will get much tougher Hundreds of Syrian Christians have
:14:12. > :14:16.taken to the streets of their war-torn capital Damascus
:14:17. > :14:19.for a Christmas parade. The revellers in the city's Qassa
:14:20. > :14:20.district, which has suffered mortar attacks
:14:21. > :14:23.since 2012, gathered for the event The celebration follows the death
:14:24. > :14:27.of Zahroun Alloush on Friday. He was leader of
:14:28. > :14:29.the most powerful Islamist insurgent In a few minutes: Why some
:14:30. > :14:42.of the Soviet Union's most feared nuclear missiles have ended up
:14:43. > :14:45.as an unlikely tourist attraction The most ambitious financial and
:14:46. > :14:58.political change attempted has gone Tomorrow in Holland we will use
:14:59. > :15:08.money we picked up in Belgium today, and then it will be in France,
:15:09. > :15:11.and it is the same money. George Harrison, the former Beatle,
:15:12. > :15:26.recovers in hospital after being A 33-year-old man from Liverpool is
:15:27. > :15:29.being interviewed by police As a series of tornadoes
:15:30. > :16:03.and storms have left at least 29 people dead in the southern United
:16:04. > :16:06.States, forecasters warn that some And here in the UK,
:16:07. > :16:14.the army's called in to help, as the severe flooding shows no sign
:16:15. > :16:20.of letting-up. Pope Francis has called for
:16:21. > :16:23.Central American countries to show generosity in dealing with the
:16:24. > :16:26.rising numbers of Cuban refugees stranded in the region as they
:16:27. > :16:30.attempt to get to the United States. The Pope said many of the Cubans
:16:31. > :16:33.passing through Central America were The Pope made the remarks following
:16:34. > :16:42.his traditional blessing on Sunday, to the pilgrims
:16:43. > :16:47.at St Peter's Square. My thoughts go to
:16:48. > :16:50.the numerous migrants who find Many of them are victims
:16:51. > :16:52.of human trafficking. I invite the governments
:16:53. > :16:59.of the region to generously renew the commitment to finding a rapid
:17:00. > :17:09.solution to this human drama. There's been an 80% rise
:17:10. > :17:12.in the number of Cubans seeking to It is thought they are worried that
:17:13. > :17:16.relations between Washington and Havana may put an end to
:17:17. > :17:20.the preferential treatment As many as 5,000 people are stranded
:17:21. > :17:24.in camps on Costa Rica's border Costa Rica initially granted transit
:17:25. > :17:33.visas to travel across its territory,
:17:34. > :17:35.sparking a diplomatic row between Six weeks ago, Nicaragua announced
:17:36. > :17:39.it would no longer allow people As migrants continue to flow in,
:17:40. > :17:43.Costa Rica tried to broker a deal with its neighbours before it
:17:44. > :17:46.suspended the visas ten days ago and warned future rivals
:17:47. > :17:50.would be deported. That has had a knock-on effect, with
:17:51. > :17:53.300 Cuban migrants now stranded in Costa Rica's southern
:17:54. > :18:04.neighbour, Panama. Many have pitched tents near the
:18:05. > :18:07.border in anticipation Officials in Paris say one
:18:08. > :18:13.of the men who carried out the deadly terrorist attacks
:18:14. > :18:17.on the French capital last month, Samy Amimour, has been buried
:18:18. > :18:19.in an anonymous grave. Its reported he was buried
:18:20. > :18:23.on Thursday in a suburb of Paris He was one of three suicide
:18:24. > :18:27.attackers who killed 90 concert-goers at the Bataclan music
:18:28. > :18:28.venue. A train carrying sulphuric acid has
:18:29. > :18:31.derailed in the Australian state The locomotive and all 26 carriages
:18:32. > :18:48.derailed at near the outback town The cause of the incident is
:18:49. > :18:51.not known - the three drivers It was one
:18:52. > :18:55.of the most feared weapons of the The USSR's SS-18 missiles were over
:18:56. > :18:59.1000 times more powerful than the bombs that destroyed Hiroshima
:19:00. > :19:01.and Nagasaki. But after the fall of the
:19:02. > :19:04.Soviet Union, many of them ended up in the hands of Ukraine - who agreed
:19:05. > :19:08.to put them out of service. Now the missiles and the silos that
:19:09. > :19:11.housed them, serve as both tourist attraction and a reminder
:19:12. > :22:54.of the nation's nuclear past. The latest effort Star Wars
:22:55. > :22:56.franchise has become the fastest movie to gain $1 billion at the box
:22:57. > :23:00.office. The man widely regarded
:23:01. > :23:02.as Australia's first international pop star, Stevie Wright, lead singer
:23:03. > :23:05.of the Easybeats has died. Their best known song, "Friday On My
:23:06. > :23:08.Mind" became a worldwide hit and was voted the best-ever Australian song
:23:09. > :23:11.in a 2001 music industry poll. The band broke up
:23:12. > :23:13.after just five years. But their music went
:23:14. > :23:16.on to be covered by David Bowie, Stevie Wright battled drug
:23:17. > :23:19.and alcohol addiction for A British man has become
:23:20. > :23:30.the first person to row non-stop and solo across the Pacific Ocean
:23:31. > :23:33.from North America to Australia. John Beeden, who's 53,
:23:34. > :23:35.set off from San Francisco on the first of June and rowed for
:23:36. > :23:39.an average of 15 hours a day. John Beeden celebrated with family
:23:40. > :23:55.and friends, after completing The 53-year-old Briton has been
:23:56. > :24:03.rowing for up to 15 hours a day, It has been difficult the whole way,
:24:04. > :24:12.but, in fairness, that is what I was I just didn't realise it was
:24:13. > :24:16.going to be so difficult. I did the Atlantic, three years ago,
:24:17. > :24:22.and, although it was hard work, I found the process
:24:23. > :24:24.of doing the 53 days relatively easy, in a sense, it was just hard
:24:25. > :24:27.work. I wanted to look
:24:28. > :24:38.for something more difficult. He had hoped to reach the
:24:39. > :24:42.north-eastern Australia, weeks ago, After travelling more than 14,000
:24:43. > :24:47.kilometres, he was greeted one month later than expected,
:24:48. > :24:51.by Australian custom officials. He says there were times he almost
:24:52. > :24:55.gave up. I didn't think I could go on and
:24:56. > :24:58.had to dig deep. Getting pushed back hundreds
:24:59. > :25:01.of miles you've already rowed Some much needed downtime,
:25:02. > :25:05.before returning to his home But what will be next
:25:06. > :25:12.for this adventurer? He said he's not going to get
:25:13. > :25:15.in another boat for a while, but after a couple of weeks, I'm sure he
:25:16. > :25:18.will be having another adventure. We will have to restrain him a
:25:19. > :25:34.little bit. I am sure he will be back on the
:25:35. > :25:38.water soon. A reminder of the top story. A series of storms leave at
:25:39. > :25:42.least 40 people dead in the southern United States. Forecasters warned
:25:43. > :25:48.that some areas face major blizzards.
:25:49. > :25:56.A lot more on our website. You can get in touch with us. This is BBC
:25:57. > :26:08.News. The next couple
:26:09. > :26:12.of days are looking dry and bright