:00:00. > :00:00.Welcome to BBC News. I'm Mike Embley.
:00:07. > :00:10.A huge blaze engulfs a hotel in central Dubai,
:00:11. > :00:14.close to where New Year celebrations were being held.
:00:15. > :00:16.Eyewitnesses say the inferno spread rapidly through
:00:17. > :00:25.It just shot up through the entire building.
:00:26. > :00:32.Officials say the fire has been brought largely under control,
:00:33. > :00:33.and the traditional fireworks display
:00:34. > :00:40.And in London, Big Ben is illuminated by a
:00:41. > :01:00.fireworks extravaganza as New Year celebrations continue across Europe.
:01:01. > :01:03.Authorities in Dubai say that 14 people have been injured after a
:01:04. > :01:06.massive fire engulfed a skyscraper, just hours before New Year
:01:07. > :01:12.It's still not clear how the fire started in the 63-storey
:01:13. > :01:17.It's part of the same complex in Dubai that the Burj Khalifa,
:01:18. > :01:19.the world's tallest building, is situated.
:01:20. > :01:21.Despite the blaze, the firework display to herald
:01:22. > :01:25.the start of the New Year took place as planned just a few hours later.
:01:26. > :01:41.An intense blaze sweeping through one of two by's luxury downtown
:01:42. > :01:46.hotels. A dramatic and terrifying picture, but hardly what the crowds
:01:47. > :01:51.had come for -- Dubai. The blaze broke out less than three hours
:01:52. > :01:57.before the city's planned spectacular firework display. Just a
:01:58. > :02:01.few metres away from the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest
:02:02. > :02:07.building, the fire apparently started on the hotel's 20th floor.
:02:08. > :02:12.Before long, flames engulfed the side of the 63 story building,
:02:13. > :02:18.sending out billowing smoke and scattering blazing debris. Inside,
:02:19. > :02:23.one resident said as the alarms went off there was absolute pandemonium.
:02:24. > :02:27.People rushed to get out of the building. Amazingly, with the help
:02:28. > :02:32.of the fire brigade and civil defence teams, it seems everyone was
:02:33. > :02:35.evacuated. Officials said a part from one person who suffered a heart
:02:36. > :02:40.attack, there were only light injuries. One jazz singer was
:02:41. > :02:45.performing inside the hotel is the blaze started. Absolute stampede.
:02:46. > :02:56.All the women, all so glamorous, took off their high heels and ran.
:02:57. > :03:04.Everybody was screaming. I thought it was a film. There were people in
:03:05. > :03:08.the garden and was who started putting out something about our
:03:09. > :03:14.head. We could see smoke and then a large piece of debris landed in the
:03:15. > :03:19.garden and took out some garden furniture in flames. I grabbed hold
:03:20. > :03:24.of my friend and said, we are going. After little more than an hour, the
:03:25. > :03:28.fire subsided. What caused it is not clear. There has been no sign so far
:03:29. > :03:33.it was deliberate despite fears around the world of possible
:03:34. > :03:37.terrorist attacks. The Dubai authorities did not want to stop the
:03:38. > :03:42.party. At midnight, the celebrations went ahead. But it will not be the
:03:43. > :03:47.fireworks at the start of 2016 that will be remembered, but a massive
:03:48. > :03:49.hotel fire which miraculously did not cause more injuries.
:03:50. > :03:52.Police in the south German city of Munich have alerted
:03:53. > :03:53.the public that a terrorist attack
:03:54. > :03:57.The city's central and Pasing railway stations have been
:03:58. > :03:59.As people prepared to celebrate the New Year,
:04:00. > :04:03.police went on social media to warn people to avoid crowds in the city.
:04:04. > :04:06.In November, a football friendly between Germany and Holland was
:04:07. > :04:08.suspended and the stadium evacuated in the northern city
:04:09. > :04:16.New Year's celebrations have been taking place across the globe.
:04:17. > :04:18.With a round-up of what's been happening,
:04:19. > :04:30.As the world prepared to see in 2016, there seemed to be a general
:04:31. > :04:37.consensus on the best way to celebrate. Repair yourself for a lot
:04:38. > :04:46.of fireworks. -- prepare. The first big display was in New Zealand, the
:04:47. > :04:49.Auckland sky Tower lit up. But anything the Kiwis can do, the
:04:50. > :04:54.Australians will try to do that little bit better. Sydney Harbour,
:04:55. > :04:59.an amazing venue for an amazing display. At one point it looked like
:05:00. > :05:07.a waterfall of gold, and explosions of light and colour. In Tokyo, they
:05:08. > :05:17.favoured buildings and confetti, followed by the traditional ringing
:05:18. > :05:20.of a huge bronze bell. Beijing's forbidden city saw some confetti of
:05:21. > :05:28.its own, plus a little robotic dancing. In Hong Kong, it was back
:05:29. > :05:33.to fireworks, lots of fireworks. Smoke filling Victoria Harbour, one
:05:34. > :05:40.of the world's list impressive skyline is made that little bit more
:05:41. > :05:49.special. Taipei's celebrations centred on the tallest scarpering --
:05:50. > :05:53.skyscraper. It looked like a giant Christmas tree, ribbons of light
:05:54. > :06:00.flying into the sky. Bangkok's table of dawn and other spectacular venue
:06:01. > :06:06.for New Year celebrations -- Temple. Securities concerns have had an
:06:07. > :06:12.impact. Moscow's fireworks display was delayed by five minutes. In
:06:13. > :06:16.Berlin, the fireworks where precisely on time. Doesn't gathering
:06:17. > :06:25.at the Brandenburg gate to see in 2016. -- thousands. The fireworks
:06:26. > :06:29.were cancelled in Paris and Brussels, but elimination is as the
:06:30. > :06:38.New Year arrived. A celebration of defiance. Then to London. Big Ben
:06:39. > :06:43.ringing out the old year and bringing in the new. The River
:06:44. > :06:46.Thames lit up in eight spectacle of light and colour. Farewell, 2015,
:06:47. > :07:01.Wellcome, 2016. American authorities have arrested a
:07:02. > :07:02.man accused of planning an attack in a restaurant.
:07:03. > :07:05.Emanuel Lutchman said that joining the Islamic State group would be
:07:06. > :07:10.He planned to attack a restaurant on New Year's Eve with knives
:07:11. > :07:13.and machetes, and told his IS contact overseas that he didn't have
:07:14. > :07:23.He is said to have been the in contact with Islamic State. In that
:07:24. > :07:29.contact, he said he was willing to do anything to join the ranks. His
:07:30. > :07:34.contract overseas said he should be tested, and that this was one of the
:07:35. > :07:39.things he should do. He went to buy the knives and machetes, he planned
:07:40. > :07:43.which restaurant he would attack, and also recorded a video message in
:07:44. > :07:48.which he admits planning the attack. That was obviously meant to
:07:49. > :07:53.be released after the attack. He also pledges allegiance to the
:07:54. > :08:00.reader of Islamic State. This 25-year-old is a self-confessed with
:08:01. > :08:07.them comfort. He has a history of mental illness and also a criminal
:08:08. > :08:10.record. -- Muslim convert. When you read the indictment, one of the
:08:11. > :08:14.interesting things is he was arrested with the help of an
:08:15. > :08:16.insider, and undercover agent working with the FBI.
:08:17. > :08:18.In France, more than 100,000 police
:08:19. > :08:20.have been deployed to secure festivities across the country.
:08:21. > :08:22.Paris did not stage its usual fireworks display,
:08:23. > :08:24.but thousands of people lined the Champs-Elysees
:08:25. > :08:29.since the Islamist attacks on the city last month.
:08:30. > :08:31.In a televised New Year message, President Hollande promised to
:08:32. > :08:33.maintain air attacks on Islamic State militants for
:08:34. > :08:42.He urged French citizens to stay strong.
:08:43. > :08:44.Russia's involvement in the conflict in Syria dominated President
:08:45. > :08:48.Appearing against the backdrop of Red Square in Moscow,
:08:49. > :08:50.Mr Putin gave special mention to Russian military personnel deployed
:08:51. > :08:55.abroad in what he called the fight against international terrorism.
:08:56. > :08:57.He said they were defending Russia's national interests.
:08:58. > :09:00.Russia's air force has been conducting airstrikes in Syria
:09:01. > :09:07.From the first day of 2016, couples in China can request to have
:09:08. > :09:18.Although families will still require government-issued birth permits,
:09:19. > :09:20.40-year-old controversial one-child policy.
:09:21. > :09:23.Our correspondent in Beijing, Stephen Evans, looks at the legacy -
:09:24. > :09:27.one of the lowest birth rates in the world and an ageing population.
:09:28. > :09:36.The children of China may now get brothers and sisters.
:09:37. > :09:41.For 40 years, the law was one child only.
:09:42. > :09:47.But the pain of the past policy is still bitterly felt.
:09:48. > :09:49.This mother was snatched at home by local officials
:09:50. > :09:58.TRANSLATION: More than 20 people came to my home.
:09:59. > :10:08.They took me to the population control centre.
:10:09. > :10:11.I resisted but they told me that the sterilisation had to happen
:10:12. > :10:35.It's actually an ageing country, and it needs more young people to
:10:36. > :10:42.What has really changed is the economics of children.
:10:43. > :10:49.Under the high tide of Maoism, these were mouths to feed in hungry times.
:10:50. > :10:55.Now that the Chinese economy is going so fast, they are the
:10:56. > :11:07.But some experts say the change will not boost new births enough.
:11:08. > :11:13.Currently, China has up to 17 million newborn babies every year.
:11:14. > :11:19.The new policy will increase the number by 3-5 million.
:11:20. > :11:25.But after that, the number of newborns will go down sharply.
:11:26. > :11:31.Mothers and babies in the pool together.
:11:32. > :11:38.Me and my husband were single kids in our family and we want
:11:39. > :11:45.our kids to have the experience of having brothers and sisters.
:11:46. > :11:48.These swimming babies will surely become strong and skilled workers,
:11:49. > :11:51.but 40 years of restraint on family size could now drag
:11:52. > :12:07.Stay with us on BBC World News. Still to come:
:12:08. > :12:11.After a year of racial tension in the United States, we hear about
:12:12. > :12:12.a new museum celabrating African-American history
:12:13. > :12:21.The most ambitious financial and political change ever attempted
:12:22. > :12:26.has got underway with the introduction of the euro.
:12:27. > :12:28.Tomorrow, in Holland, we're gonna use money we picked up in Belgium
:12:29. > :12:32.today, then we'll be in France, and again it'll be the same money.
:12:33. > :12:45.George Harrison, the former Beatle, is recovering in hospital
:12:46. > :12:48.after being stabbed in his Oxfordshire home.
:12:49. > :12:51.A 33-year-old man from Liverpool is being interviewed by police
:12:52. > :13:28.A huge fire has engulfed a skyscraper in the centre
:13:29. > :13:30.of Dubai, but the traditional New Year's fireworks display went
:13:31. > :13:37.And New Year celebrations continue across Europe.
:13:38. > :13:39.London has welcomed in 2016 with a huge firework display,
:13:40. > :13:42.and a million people are thought to have attended the countdown
:13:43. > :13:50.Clean-up efforts are continuing in flood-hit areas across the UK
:13:51. > :13:54.Scotland bore the brunt of the severe weather on Wednesday,
:13:55. > :13:56.as people were left stranded in temporary accommodation
:13:57. > :14:08.After being battered by rain and gales, Scotland has been taking
:14:09. > :14:12.In Ballater in the Cairngorms, there is widespread destruction.
:14:13. > :14:15.Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall came to talk to people
:14:16. > :14:22.This was the A93 on Deeside, swallowed by the water, leaving a
:14:23. > :14:31.Further south in Newton Stewart, it was a similar picture.
:14:32. > :14:34.Debbie Scott was just one of many people trying to salvage
:14:35. > :15:04.This was one of the worst affected towns.
:15:05. > :15:07.Scotland's First Minister came here to see for herself.
:15:08. > :15:12.I've been talking to some residents and local businesses and this is
:15:13. > :15:14.probably the worst flooding episode that Newton Stewart and much
:15:15. > :15:20.of this region has experienced for some people in living memory.
:15:21. > :15:22.Northern England missed the worst of the weather yesterday,
:15:23. > :15:29.In Croston in Lancashire, the RAF was back in action, lowering
:15:30. > :15:39.Can I shake your hands and say thank you very much.
:15:40. > :15:42.In York today, the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn came
:15:43. > :15:47.The only people who have been here helping me is Cleveland Fire
:15:48. > :15:53.And the Muslims brothers from Bradford and London.
:15:54. > :15:57.And those left angry because they feel they didn't get enough help.
:15:58. > :16:00.Do you think it makes a difference for high profile people to come?
:16:01. > :16:04.We're getting on now and on a cleaning mission now.
:16:05. > :16:06.But definitely, it makes a big difference
:16:07. > :16:12.But after the high-profile visitors have
:16:13. > :16:15.gone, this carries on, and the worry for people living in York and other
:16:16. > :16:18.cities affected by flooding over the last month is that this will happen
:16:19. > :16:26.The hope is that the weather will hold for the next few days at least
:16:27. > :16:38.to allow the northern flood plains to drain and communities to recover.
:16:39. > :16:40.The lawyer defending the American comedian, Bill Cosby,
:16:41. > :16:42.has described sexual assault charges brought against her client
:16:43. > :16:45.More than 50 women have made accusations against
:16:46. > :16:48.Monique Pressley told CBS that the prosecutor in
:16:49. > :16:51.the case is not seeking justice, but making good on a campaign promise.
:16:52. > :16:57.She said Mr Cosby had denied the allegations repeatedly.
:16:58. > :17:00.It certainly is not admissible in court, but again, 50 women have not
:17:01. > :17:12.Saying that he rubbed against them at a party is not the same as saying
:17:13. > :17:14.they were in an ongoing adult consensual relationship and one
:17:15. > :17:18.evening after multiple interactions I believe I was drugged.
:17:19. > :17:29.You have to be prepared that they will allow previous other cases
:17:30. > :17:46.Yes, and those are all allegations for which there is no corroborating
:17:47. > :17:49.evidence, allegations from decades ago, allegations from women who
:17:50. > :17:52.never bothered to go in and make a complaint to police, and in most
:17:53. > :17:55.instances claim they did not tell another living person.
:17:56. > :17:57.If a judge chooses to allow such testimony, we will
:17:58. > :18:23.Wright two people have been sentenced to death for killing a
:18:24. > :18:43.Bangladeshi logger several years ago. -- blogger.
:18:44. > :18:58.People in Colorado are hoping that early snowmelt will solve problems
:18:59. > :19:01.of drought in California. An airline has been forced to turn back in
:19:02. > :19:06.midflight after a passenger said he had spotted a rat on board. The air
:19:07. > :19:10.India playing was on its way from Mumbai to London when the road and
:19:11. > :19:13.were seen. Air India said the aircraft will be fumigated as a
:19:14. > :19:17.precaution, but a spokesman said the presence of a rat had not been
:19:18. > :19:20.confirmed. Rats can pose a serious threat on flights as they choose to
:19:21. > :19:22.Oar chew through wires. The National Museum of
:19:23. > :19:24.African American History and Culture will open its doors in Washington DC
:19:25. > :19:28.in 2016, after years of planning, political wrangling,
:19:29. > :19:29.and fund-raising. It will feature artefacts
:19:30. > :19:30.and exhibitions exploring The BBC's Razia Iqbal has been
:19:31. > :19:34.speaking to the museum's architect and director, as well as Congressman
:19:35. > :19:37.and Civil Rights icon John Lewis, to learn more
:19:38. > :19:42.about the project's rich history. It is important that this museum
:19:43. > :19:47.will be on America's front porch. The Smithsonian's national museum of
:19:48. > :19:52.African American history and culture is taking pride of place on the
:19:53. > :19:57.national mall in Washington, DC. Alongside great museums and
:19:58. > :20:02.monuments of the American capital. It was a dream long before my time
:20:03. > :20:11.to have a museum, someplace in Washington, on the mall, near the
:20:12. > :20:16.White House, neither Congress, to tell the story and history since the
:20:17. > :20:19.days of slavery to the present. Congressman John Lewis has
:20:20. > :20:29.championed the idea of the museum for decades. It is the continuation
:20:30. > :20:33.of another dream from his days marching with Doctor Martin Luther
:20:34. > :20:38.King, the civil rights movement who delivered his famous speech on the
:20:39. > :20:43.steps of the Lincoln Memorial, just a short walk from the site where the
:20:44. > :20:50.museum is being built. The country's first African-American
:20:51. > :20:54.president will inaugurate the museum in 2016. It is the culmination of
:20:55. > :20:59.years of fundraising and argument between politicians. It is hoped
:21:00. > :21:04.this will help the world understand, not only Americans, but what it
:21:05. > :21:08.means to demand freedom, equality, and to work hard to make that come
:21:09. > :21:13.true. This is the building's architect. Born in Africa but raised
:21:14. > :21:24.largely in the UK, he tells me it is in Marsh to the -- it is a homage to
:21:25. > :21:29.the ironworkers. We took traditional ironwork and used an algorithm to
:21:30. > :21:32.track the organising principles of the pattern. We used that to be the
:21:33. > :21:40.ornamental framework of the building. It is not just ornament,
:21:41. > :21:43.it protects the building, by creating a solar Shade. It is
:21:44. > :21:51.entirely sustainable and is of the highest standard. The museum's
:21:52. > :21:56.planned opening comes as racial tensions in the US are higher. The
:21:57. > :22:00.killings of unarmed black men has sparked protests in city centres and
:22:01. > :22:07.given rise to the black lives matter movement. I would say to young
:22:08. > :22:13.African-Americans, hang in there. Some of us went through a struggle
:22:14. > :22:18.in the 60s, we were beaten, we were arrested and jailed. Some people
:22:19. > :22:23.were murdered. But we didn't become bitter or hostile, we continued to
:22:24. > :22:31.push. And what of the museum's opportunity to engage people who
:22:32. > :22:35.wouldn't normally engage on issues of race, but they will because it is
:22:36. > :22:37.at the Smithsonian. The museum believes very strongly that this
:22:38. > :22:40.museum has to be as much about believes very strongly that this
:22:41. > :22:46.and tomorrow as it is about yesterday. When it opens in 2016,
:22:47. > :22:52.the issue of race and its long and often painful history will occupy a
:22:53. > :22:53.central and contemporary place for debate and reflection in the heart
:22:54. > :22:56.of America's capital. For many of you, as well as us
:22:57. > :23:00.here in London, it's already 2016. So how will you remember
:23:01. > :23:02.the past year? Here are some of
:23:03. > :23:12.the more memorable stories of 2015. TRANSLATION: If the Turkish
:23:13. > :23:21.government has decided to lick the US government's you-know-what,
:23:22. > :23:28.that is for you to decide. I just want to say everyone else
:23:29. > :23:32.can get stuffed if they think We have been putting up with this
:23:33. > :23:36.for years and now when we start talking about it,
:23:37. > :23:38.everyone is pretending TRANSLATION: There is no tolerance
:23:39. > :23:44.towards those who are not willing We need the world to know that
:23:45. > :23:54.we are headed to a low-emissions Yesterday, America's space programme
:23:55. > :24:07.took another historic leap If
:24:08. > :24:15.the other team is better than us... Our common future in Europe is
:24:16. > :24:18.not the future of austerity. It is the future of democracy,
:24:19. > :24:27.solidarity and cooperation. We are going to compromise,
:24:28. > :24:29.compromise, compromise without I know I have always carried
:24:30. > :24:36.a habit of submissiveness with the idea that it makes me more likeable
:24:37. > :24:44.but we have to talk about this. It is now time
:24:45. > :24:59.for us to do our bit in Syria. On Friday night,
:25:00. > :25:01.you stole away the life of an exceptional human being, the love
:25:02. > :25:05.of my life, the mother of my son, I am officially running
:25:06. > :25:26.for President of the United States. The majority of votes in favour
:25:27. > :25:52.of the proposal, 467,307. Hello and from everyone at the
:25:53. > :25:55.Weather Centre, a happy New Year. Now, if you've been out late,
:25:56. > :25:57.you'll have been struck You will be waking up to a
:25:58. > :26:02.widespread frost to kick off 2016. Quite a shock to the system after
:26:03. > :26:06.what has been such a warm December. A frosty and icy start
:26:07. > :26:08.in some places. Still some snow showers across the
:26:09. > :26:11.highlands of Scotland for a time. And then our attention turns to
:26:12. > :26:13.the south-west, But we start the day on a dry,
:26:14. > :26:21.bright, Enjoy that,
:26:22. > :26:25.as it will not last all day long. Generally Northern Ireland
:26:26. > :26:27.seeing some dry weather. Snow showers for a time
:26:28. > :26:30.across Highland Scotland, but most places will be drier,
:26:31. > :26:33.bright, crisp and sunny and cold, cold all the way down through
:26:34. > :26:36.the spine of northern England. Dry for the Midlands,
:26:37. > :26:38.East Anglia and the south-east but those temperatures much,
:26:39. > :26:41.much lower than they have been At this stage, the wind is not too
:26:42. > :26:54.strong, quite light, but it will freshen across the south-west
:26:55. > :26:56.quickly, turning blustery and chilly, particularly as it starts to
:26:57. > :26:59.cloud over through the morning and Some of that rain could turn heavy
:27:00. > :27:03.across south-west England Northern Ireland
:27:04. > :27:07.and Wales will also see some damp A wet
:27:08. > :27:27.and windy evening to come here. Some heavy rain with warnings
:27:28. > :27:29.in force. This will be extending
:27:30. > :27:31.in pulses further north as we go through the night,
:27:32. > :27:34.turning to snow over the high ground Not as cold because of the cloud,
:27:35. > :27:39.wind and rain, but not a very Further pulses of wet weather
:27:40. > :27:43.revolving around a centre of low They could well be gusting over
:27:44. > :27:49.45-50 mph in one or two places. Persistent rain and mountain snow
:27:50. > :27:51.across the east Scotland will linger into Sunday before the next batch of
:27:52. > :27:55.rain comes in from the south-west. Some very wet
:27:56. > :27:57.and windy weather pushing its way south-west into the north-east and
:27:58. > :28:31.feeling cold in that blustery wind.