:00:00. > :00:10.In his Christmas message, the head of the Anglican Church
:00:11. > :00:14.warns Christians in the Middle East are threatened by what he calls
:00:15. > :00:18.India's prime minister makes a surprise trip to Pakistan,
:00:19. > :00:22.the first visit by an Indian PM in more than a decade.
:00:23. > :00:24.One of Syria's most powerful rebel commanders has been killed
:00:25. > :00:30.And we report from Sydney, where sailors are gearing up
:00:31. > :00:52.for the annual 1,100 kilometre sprint through the South Pacific.
:00:53. > :00:54.Pope Francis has given his traditional Christmas Day address
:00:55. > :00:59.He said the world was facing a "monstrous evil", and called
:01:00. > :01:02.for peace in some of the most troubled parts of the planet.
:01:03. > :01:05.It was a theme picked up by the Archbishop of Canterbury too.
:01:06. > :01:11.He warned that Christianity could be eradicated from its birthplace
:01:12. > :01:15.in the Middle East, as our religious affairs
:01:16. > :01:20.Goodwill, a cheery greeting from the Archbishop of Canterbury
:01:21. > :01:28.as he arrives at Canterbury Cathedral.
:01:29. > :01:32.But as Christians gather to celebrate the birth of Christ
:01:33. > :01:35.at services across the world, his message today was a sombre one.
:01:36. > :01:38.The Archbishop focused on the devastation unleashed
:01:39. > :01:41.by the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq saying it used force
:01:42. > :01:50.He compared it to a modern-day Herod, the biblical king
:01:51. > :01:55.who massacred babies while trying to kill Jesus.
:01:56. > :01:57.They hate difference, whether Muslims who think
:01:58. > :02:09.Because of them, the Christians face elimination in the very region
:02:10. > :02:14.That was a message echoed in Rome today.
:02:15. > :02:16.Pope Francis was greeted with enthusiasm on
:02:17. > :02:33.TRANSLATION: My thoughts also turn to those affected by terrorism,
:02:34. > :02:34.particularly the recent massacres in Egyptian airspace,
:02:35. > :02:44.The Pope asked for prayers and strength for all Christians
:02:45. > :02:54.persecuted for their faith, calling them the martyrs of today.
:02:55. > :02:58.Closer to home in north Yorkshire, there was a Christmas service
:02:59. > :03:01.for those who couldn't go to one at this prison.
:03:02. > :03:08.He offered words of hope to those imprisoned,
:03:09. > :03:10.lonely and feeling lost or abandoned, saying the message
:03:11. > :03:19.of Christmas was one of hope and salvation.
:03:20. > :03:21.Now to a brief, surprising and potentially historic visit
:03:22. > :03:23.by Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to Pakistan.
:03:24. > :03:26.It's the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister
:03:27. > :03:28.to the country in more than a decade.
:03:29. > :03:30.Apparently it was only arranged hours before and Mr Modi broke
:03:31. > :03:36.He travelled to Lahore from Kabul, from where our correspondent,
:03:37. > :03:42.Narendra Modi's visit to Pakistan was always going to be
:03:43. > :03:46.It is the spontaneous, impersonal nature of the visit that
:03:47. > :03:51.He announced his visit through a tweet saying
:03:52. > :03:56.he was going to drop by to see President Nawaz Sharif,
:03:57. > :04:15.The two countries have fought three wars, two of them over Kashmir.
:04:16. > :04:19.It has been a flash point for more than 60 years and clashes there have
:04:20. > :04:25.Many see his visit as a solid step into the warming of relations
:04:26. > :04:31.But there is a long way to go before that is transferred into peace
:04:32. > :04:37.What added to the confusion of Narendra Modi's stopover
:04:38. > :04:40.was that it came after a visit to the Afghan capital.
:04:41. > :04:44.He inaugurated a new parliament complex built by India
:04:45. > :04:49.and in a speech he spoke about security in Afghanistan
:04:50. > :04:52.and said that terrorists should stop flowing across the border,
:04:53. > :04:57.That is deep mistrust between India and Pakistan, especially over
:04:58. > :05:02.the competition over influence in Afghanistan.
:05:03. > :05:04.There is always talk of gestures when it comes to the warming
:05:05. > :05:08.of relations between the two rivals, the handshakes, the photo
:05:09. > :05:13.opportunities, the sideline conversations at international
:05:14. > :05:17.As far as gestures are concerned, Narendra Modi's surprise visit
:05:18. > :05:33.An earthquake has hit parts of northern Afghanistan and Pakistan
:05:34. > :05:37.The quake struck near the town of Feyzabad, close to the border
:05:38. > :05:39.with Tajikistan and lasted for just under a minute.
:05:40. > :05:41.Tremors were also felt in the Afghan capital Kabul
:05:42. > :05:45.The quake was first reported as having a magnitude of 6.4,
:05:46. > :05:48.but that's now been revised to 6.2 by the US Geological Society.
:05:49. > :05:50.There were no immediate reports of casualties or extensive damage.
:05:51. > :05:53.Reports from Syria suggest the leader of one of the country's
:05:54. > :05:56.most powerful rebel groups has been killed in an air strike.
:05:57. > :05:58.Zahroun Alloush, the head of the Jaysh al-Islam organisation,
:05:59. > :06:00.died at his headquarters in a rebel-held district
:06:01. > :06:04.Reports said a number of other key figures in the group were also
:06:05. > :06:07.killed in the attack which activists claim was carried out
:06:08. > :06:16.She's says it is possible the air strike could have been conducted
:06:17. > :06:20.by Syrian troops, who use Russian-made fighter jets.
:06:21. > :06:23.It was definitely a Russian warplane but who conducted the air
:06:24. > :06:26.strike we have to confirm, whether the Syrian government
:06:27. > :06:34.We know from the past that since the start of the Russian
:06:35. > :06:36.air strikes inside Syria, they have targeted several locations
:06:37. > :06:40.of rebels who oppose President Assad and also,
:06:41. > :06:47.Russia has provided a list of rebel groups
:06:48. > :06:50.that they consider as terrorists, and Islamic Army, which this man led
:06:51. > :06:59.before he was killed, was one of them.
:07:00. > :07:01.Zahroun Alloush is a name that many of us won't have
:07:02. > :07:06.What do we know about him as the leader of this group?
:07:07. > :07:10.Zahroun Alloush is one of the leaders of the most effective
:07:11. > :07:17.and influential armed groups in the suburbs of Damascus,
:07:18. > :07:25.He is part of a bigger formation including other groups
:07:26. > :07:28.who are basically Islamic groups backed by Saudi Arabia and Qatar,
:07:29. > :07:36.but his group is mostly backed by Saudi Arabia.
:07:37. > :07:38.His group was represented at the talks that aimed at forming
:07:39. > :07:41.a group that would be in the negotiating team
:07:42. > :07:47.But for the Russians, this is a group that they consider
:07:48. > :07:50.as terrorists and the attack today comes as a blow to any peace efforts
:07:51. > :07:52.to get the two conflicting and warring sides at
:07:53. > :08:06.In neighbouring Iraq, security forces are conducting
:08:07. > :08:08.a third day of operations against so-called Islamic State
:08:09. > :08:11.fighters as they try to liberate the city of Ramadi.
:08:12. > :08:13.The strategically important city is just 100km west of Baghdad
:08:14. > :08:19.and has been under the control of the Islamists since May.
:08:20. > :08:21.Government forces are reported to have surrounded the last
:08:22. > :08:27.Many civilians are trapped in the midst of the fighting.
:08:28. > :08:30.The Nigerian government says dozens of people were killed
:08:31. > :08:33.after an explosion at a butane gas depot in the south of the country.
:08:34. > :08:36.The fire raged for more than five hours before being extinguished.
:08:37. > :08:50.Locals had come to the butane gas plant to fill up the canisters in
:08:51. > :08:59.preparation for Christmas Day meals and a huge inferno erupted. It was
:09:00. > :09:04.so powerful that it damages house -- that are damaged houses in the
:09:05. > :09:10.nearby area. It also got those passing by and many who had come for
:09:11. > :09:14.their gas supplies. -- involved. Survivors describe seeing bodies,
:09:15. > :09:18.including those of children, and they had suffered terrible burns. I
:09:19. > :09:25.said that we had to run in this thing was very dangerous. I started
:09:26. > :09:31.to get her to the back and fall down. The blaze was so fierce it
:09:32. > :09:37.took more than five hours to put out. The Nigerian president
:09:38. > :09:44.expressed his sadness in a statement Cormack
:09:45. > :09:49.the gas plant was in south-east Nigeria. Police are still
:09:50. > :09:54.investigating the cause of the explosion. Finding out what was
:09:55. > :09:58.behind this herbal accident will be difficult because many who were
:09:59. > :10:00.there to Kosovo. It is not known what the final death toll will be,
:10:01. > :10:04.but the number is likely to go up. Here in the UK, Queen Elizabeth has
:10:05. > :10:07.used her annual Christmas message to speak of there being hope
:10:08. > :10:10.for the future, despite the world having confronted moments
:10:11. > :10:12.of darkness during 2015. The Queen said she was looking
:10:13. > :10:15.forward to the coming year when she will turn 90,
:10:16. > :10:18.and the joy of sharing it with the youngest
:10:19. > :10:19.members of her family. On a damp day, the Queen departed
:10:20. > :10:24.promptly after the service, leaving younger members
:10:25. > :10:27.of the family to spend a few moments In her Christmas broadcast,
:10:28. > :10:40.the Queen looked back at 2015. There was much to be thankful for,
:10:41. > :10:43.she said, but although she did not identify any particular incidents,
:10:44. > :10:47.there had also been tragedy. It is true the world has had
:10:48. > :10:51.to confront moments of darkness this year, but the Gospel of John
:10:52. > :10:54.contains a verse of great hope, often read at Christmas
:10:55. > :11:03.carol services. "The light shines in the darkness,
:11:04. > :11:05.and the darkness has 70 years after the end
:11:06. > :11:10.of the Second World War, she paid tribute to
:11:11. > :11:12.those who had served. The strong Christian theme continued
:11:13. > :11:16.when she spoke about people forced Despite being displaced
:11:17. > :11:22.and persecuted throughout his short life, Christ's unchanging message
:11:23. > :11:24.was not one of revenge or violence, but simply that we should
:11:25. > :11:35.love one another. There was also a reference
:11:36. > :11:38.to the birth of a great grandchild, One of the joys of a long life
:11:39. > :11:43.is watching one's children, then grandchildren, then
:11:44. > :11:47.great grandchildren, decorate the Christmas tree,
:11:48. > :11:49.and this year my family has And she looked ahead to next year
:11:50. > :12:00.and a significant personal landmark. I am looking forward to a busy 2016,
:12:01. > :12:03.although I am warned I may have Happy Birthday sung to me
:12:04. > :12:09.more than once or twice. That was in reference
:12:10. > :12:13.to the fact that the Queen Despite the passing of the years,
:12:14. > :12:18.2016 will, as she said, Stay with us on BBC
:12:19. > :12:36.News, still to come: The charity single sung
:12:37. > :12:39.by a hospital staff choir that's beaten Justin Bieber to take
:12:40. > :13:08.the official Christmas number one United States troops have been
:13:09. > :13:13.trying to overthrow the dictatorship. The operation was 90%
:13:14. > :13:17.successful Butterfield on this principle objective, to capture him
:13:18. > :13:21.and taken to the United States. The hammer and sickle was taken away
:13:22. > :13:25.and a Russian flag was hoisted over what is no longer the Soviet Union
:13:26. > :13:33.but, wealth of Independent states. Today broke slowly in Lockerbie to
:13:34. > :13:39.show the aeroplane nose down in the soft earth. You can see what happens
:13:40. > :13:42.when and in a plain false and 30,000 feet.
:13:43. > :13:46.Business has returned to Albania after the commonest bandmaster more
:13:47. > :13:56.than 20 years. -- Christmas. Thousands went to Christmas Mass.
:13:57. > :14:01.In his Christmas message, the head of the Anglican Church
:14:02. > :14:03.warned that Christians in the Middle East are threatened
:14:04. > :14:05.by what he called an Islamic State "apocalypse".
:14:06. > :14:08.India's prime minister makes a surprise trip to Pakistan -
:14:09. > :14:21.the first visit by an Indian PM in more than a decade.
:14:22. > :14:23.A record 28 foreign boats will compete in this year's
:14:24. > :14:27.It's one of the world's most challenging ocean events.
:14:28. > :14:29.It began in 1945, and pits amateur sailors against professional crews.
:14:30. > :14:31.Phil Mercer reports from Wild Rose, last
:14:32. > :14:42.The Sydney to Hobart is one of the toughest yacht races
:14:43. > :14:45.in the world, and it starts here on beautiful Sydney Harbour.
:14:46. > :14:48.From here, the fleet will head into open water and head south and,
:14:49. > :14:52.ahead, an 1,100 kilometre journey down eastern Australia heading
:14:53. > :14:58.The beautiful thing about the Rolex Sydney to Hobart
:14:59. > :15:01.is you can mix the super professionals, the massive elegant
:15:02. > :15:05.supermaxis, right through to the amateur boats,
:15:06. > :15:12.We don't see much of them, but we do the same event.
:15:13. > :15:15.And I think that's what's absolutely magic about ocean racing in general.
:15:16. > :15:19.Of course, taking control of the helm and steering
:15:20. > :15:21.on Sydney Harbour is one thing, but dealing with the wild conditions
:15:22. > :15:25.en route to Tasmania is something completely different.
:15:26. > :15:30.In 1998, six sailors died when a wild storm lashed the fleet.
:15:31. > :15:33.The race record is one day and 18 hours, but every boat
:15:34. > :15:42.is at the mercy of conditions that are notoriously unpredictable.
:15:43. > :15:45.We go from this beautiful weather off New South Wales
:15:46. > :15:48.into Bass Strait, which can be lovely or horrible,
:15:49. > :15:51.down into Tasmania, which is gorgeous, but it can be
:15:52. > :16:00.And so, the race holds a mystery, a myriad of mysteries weather-wise.
:16:01. > :16:03.20-year-old Sam Scott competed for the first time last year.
:16:04. > :16:08.There was an early bout of nausea and then the boat lost its steering
:16:09. > :16:11.and fell on its side, but still went on to become
:16:12. > :16:17.Very hard work, very beautiful, but very, very tough work.
:16:18. > :16:26.The first night, I was horribly seasick.
:16:27. > :16:28.We lost our steering, we blew up a spinnaker.
:16:29. > :16:31.But everyone just worked so well together as a team to get the boat
:16:32. > :16:36.back upright and to get everything done that gets you through.
:16:37. > :16:39.The dash to Hobart may be dominated by the multi-million dollar
:16:40. > :16:44.supermaxis, but it's the amateur sailors in their smaller boats that
:16:45. > :16:47.are the soul of this famous old race.
:16:48. > :16:50.It is as popular as ever, attracting yachts from Britain,
:16:51. > :17:00.Phil Mercer, BBC News, at Rushcutter's Bay in Sydney.
:17:01. > :17:03.In Paraguay, the authorities say thousands of people who live
:17:04. > :17:06.by the country's main river may have to be evacuated as water levels
:17:07. > :17:11.In the capital, Asuncion, the Paraguay river is just
:17:12. > :17:14.30 centimetres away from overtopping its banks.
:17:15. > :17:18.Heavy summer rains have caused rivers to swell across a vast area.
:17:19. > :17:20.More than a 150,000 people in Paraguay,
:17:21. > :17:25.Argentina, Uruguay and Brasil have been driven from their homes.
:17:26. > :17:28.The situation is most serious in Paraguay,
:17:29. > :17:35.where President Horacio Cartes declared a state of emergency.
:17:36. > :17:37.Now, what's the weather like where you are?
:17:38. > :17:40.Well, many parts of the world are experiencing near record warm
:17:41. > :17:44.From New York to Moscow, coats, hats and mittens are being discarded
:17:45. > :17:46.in favour of t-shirts and other summery clothes.
:17:47. > :17:48.The unseasonably high temperatures have contributed to the severe
:17:49. > :17:53.storms in the US mid-west and flooding here in Britain.
:17:54. > :17:55.In northern England, the Army has been called
:17:56. > :17:58.in to support efforts to protect flood-hit areas of Cumbria.
:17:59. > :18:00.Weather experts are saying it's because of the El Nino phenomenon.
:18:01. > :18:04.Alex Deakin from the BBC's Weather told me more.
:18:05. > :18:11.El Nino is the warming of the ocean in the southern Pacific over huge
:18:12. > :18:16.area. It happens every few years and it is not a regular pattern. But
:18:17. > :18:20.every few years that the warming of the Pacific ocean by a number of
:18:21. > :18:25.degrees. How does that affect anything in Europe? It is all
:18:26. > :18:30.linked. That has a knock-on effect as it changes the wind patterns and
:18:31. > :18:35.that has an effect throughout the atmosphere. It is a huge fluid
:18:36. > :18:40.dynamic problem around the globe and it does change the weather patterns
:18:41. > :18:47.around the world. The warming leads to warming elsewhere and that is
:18:48. > :18:51.what we have seen this year but also has individual smaller producing
:18:52. > :19:00.mudslides in the western United States, heavy rain in California
:19:01. > :19:04.forest fires in Australia and the high temperatures we've seen
:19:05. > :19:09.elsewhere. There is also a link to El Nino and cold of team in Europe
:19:10. > :19:14.that haven't seen. There are some links that are not as you would
:19:15. > :19:19.imagine. You can see the storms from the United States. A warmer
:19:20. > :19:25.atmosphere is more volatile and has more energy. You can see a mother
:19:26. > :19:30.and nature producing those energetic results with tornadoes. A warmer
:19:31. > :19:39.atmosphere can also carry more moisture which can be to flooding.
:19:40. > :19:46.How long does this climate set the pattern for the weather?
:19:47. > :19:51.It tends to last for around a year but it can be shorter or longer than
:19:52. > :19:54.that. This is a strong one so will last into 2016 we will continue to
:19:55. > :19:59.see weather patterns being disturbed by this very strong El Nino.
:20:00. > :20:03.You can see the pictures from Moscow in December of the flowers
:20:04. > :20:06.blossoming. We've had that in the UK as well, it
:20:07. > :20:13.is Christmas but it feels like Easter. There is not very much so in
:20:14. > :20:18.Moscow at the same year. There was a record-breaking temperature in the
:20:19. > :20:23.United States. It is 20 Celsius in southern Spain, well above the
:20:24. > :20:27.average. It is causing hardship for some
:20:28. > :20:32.people in Cumbria. It has led to a warmer atmosphere.
:20:33. > :20:37.You cannot say that one weather event the centre El Nino, but all
:20:38. > :20:41.the signs are there. You get stormy conditions and this very wet weather
:20:42. > :20:46.and the sad news is that there is an amber weather warning out again for
:20:47. > :20:48.Cumbria with the likelihood of more rain. They could do more for them to
:20:49. > :20:53.come tomorrow. Here in the UK, a group of doctors,
:20:54. > :20:57.nurses and hospital staff from south London has reached the top
:20:58. > :20:59.of the music charts, taking the Christmas
:21:00. > :21:00.number one spot. The Lewisham and Greenwich National
:21:01. > :21:02.Health Service Choir, fought off stiff competition
:21:03. > :21:04.from the Canadian singer, I can officially announce
:21:05. > :21:15.that the UK's official Christmas The single was released to raise
:21:16. > :21:29.money for health charities and pay tribute to the National
:21:30. > :21:37.Health Service. That was what it was all about,
:21:38. > :21:41.for all of the other people in the NHS, so I hope it
:21:42. > :21:43.gives them that lift. I hoped, but I really didn't
:21:44. > :21:47.think it would happen. Justin Bieber is such
:21:48. > :21:54.a superstar worldwide. Bieber, last week's number one,
:21:55. > :21:57.had asked his 70-million-plus Twitter followers to
:21:58. > :21:58.help the NHS Choir win. Charity singles offering top
:21:59. > :22:06.the Christmas chart. It also celebrates the work of
:22:07. > :22:11.the NHS across the entire country. With the new number one announced
:22:12. > :22:13.on Christmas Day itself, it seems appropriate that this year
:22:14. > :22:19.in particular should see people at all levels of music together
:22:20. > :22:22.with members of the public using the chance to send
:22:23. > :22:31.their own seasonal message. Whether you celebrate
:22:32. > :22:33.Christmas or not, the day is seen as a time for peace
:22:34. > :22:36.and a chance to spread some much Kristina Zarich takes a look at how
:22:37. > :22:41.different people around the world have been spending their Christmas
:22:42. > :22:58.day. Christmas Day, at home to relax and
:22:59. > :23:01.spend time with loved ones, another hot day in Sydney source Chileans
:23:02. > :23:07.take to the ocean for a Christmas dip. In warm Northern Hemisphere
:23:08. > :23:15.winter saw people in Europe being able to do the same. This annual
:23:16. > :23:22.cold weather slam in Berlin was more pleasant than usual. In the Big
:23:23. > :23:26.Apple, people still did winter activities but in T-shirts. For
:23:27. > :23:31.some, Christmas is a time of loneliness. In Rome they fed the
:23:32. > :23:38.homeless at the annual gathering where everyone is welcome. It is
:23:39. > :23:44.very beautiful because we are united. We are from different
:23:45. > :23:48.religions, Muslims, Christians and Orthodox, all colours like the
:23:49. > :23:54.colour of our skins. But peace and uses kids is united and we are all
:23:55. > :23:58.brothers and sisters. While people celebrate the family and friends
:23:59. > :24:02.around the world are the people are not so lucky. Many soldiers are
:24:03. > :24:07.serving overseas amber given a Christmas feast and a chance to call
:24:08. > :24:14.home. I missed being with my husband and my family. We have been doing
:24:15. > :24:23.this for many years. They face time and other things a Christmas. In
:24:24. > :24:26.countries where Christian communities feel under threat,
:24:27. > :24:32.licking and Pakistan, people still came together to celebrate. And
:24:33. > :24:37.despite an increased security presence for the half a million
:24:38. > :24:42.Christian minority in Bangladesh but still a colourful Christmas. While
:24:43. > :24:47.leaders urged peace... Treating each other with peace and compassion...
:24:48. > :24:56.Others had hoped for a fresh start. The Cypriot leader delivered a
:24:57. > :25:02.letter with another single vehicle to be unified the island. With a
:25:03. > :25:04.difficult year behind us there is hope that the joy brought today can
:25:05. > :25:11.resonate around the world in the New Year.
:25:12. > :25:16.If you haven't been with family or friends you may have spoken to them
:25:17. > :25:22.some other way to give them your season's greetings. The first
:25:23. > :25:25.British astronaut on the International Space Station has not
:25:26. > :25:30.been successful with making contact with Earth. When he phoned home, he
:25:31. > :25:35.asked the woman who answered if you were speaking to planet Earth. It
:25:36. > :25:41.turned out not to be his wife, Rebecca. Any treat he apologised to
:25:42. > :25:45.the woman he called. He also couldn't speak to his parents who
:25:46. > :25:53.when he called. Don't forget you can get in touch
:25:54. > :25:54.with me and the team on Twitter. This is BBC News. Thank you for
:25:55. > :25:57.watching.