Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News 20240713

In the vatican, pope francis says god loves everyone even the worst of us thought to be a reference to abuse scandals in the catholic church. Hundreds of people in australia have been forced from their homes for the holidays, as the country battles some of its worst bushfires in years. 2019 saw the hottest month on record. In half an hour on bbc news, weather world looks back at some of the most significant meteorological events of the year. Hello and a very good evening. The queen has used her christmas message to say that she has been struck by the sense of purpose younger generations have shown in tackling issues like climate change. Her majesty also acknowleged that 2019 had been a bumpy year. It comes after a year of intense political debate about brexit, as well as a number of personal events affecting the royal family. This morning members of herfamily joined the queen in attending the Christmas Day service at sandringham in norfolk. Our royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell reports. Morning service at sandringham. Notable for who attended and who was absent. Making their first appearance, six year old Prince George and four year old Princess Charlotte. Absent from the main service, Prince Andrew. He decided to attend an earlier private service for the family. After the 11 oclock service, the queen headed back to sandringham house, where Prince Philip had remained after his discharge from hospital yesterday. That left the cambridges to lead the royal party greeting the crowds. A little daunting for george and charlotte, who havent done this sort of thing before. Unsurprisingly, they stayed close to their mum and dad as they received flowers and, for charlotte, a hug. In her christmas message, the queen spoke of her delight at the birth of her eighth grandchild, archie, who is currently in canada with his parents, the duke and duchess of sussex. Turning away from family matters, she acknowledged the efforts being made by young people to protect the environment. The challenges many people face today may be different to those ones faced by my generation. But i have been struck by how new generations have brought a similar sense of purpose to issues such as protecting our environment and our climate. The main theme of the broadcast was the need for reconciliation. The queen recalled the 75th anniversary of d day lastjune. There was a lesson to be learned from it. By being willing to put past differences behind us and move forward together, we honour the freedom and democracy once won for us at so great a cost. The queen said the need to seek harmony and understanding was at the heart of the teaching ofjesus christ. Many of us already try to follow in his footsteps. The path, of course, is not always smooth and may at times this year have felt quite bumpy, but small steps can make a world of difference. And it is those small steps, the queen said, which can bring about the most lasting change. That description of a bumpy year is almost certainly a reference to the divisions caused by the brexit debate. But theres no denying its been a difficult year too for the royal family. The queen, doubtless, will be hoping for a smoother passage in 2020, both for the country and for her family. Nicholas witchell, bbc news, at buckingham palace. And nicholasjoined me a little earlier and gave me more of his thoughts about her majestys message. I think it again underlines the importance to her of her own christian faith. She generally now refers to the teachings ofjesus christ and she weaves the message of reconciliation around his teachings. I think it also underlines the importance to her of the wartime generation of whom, of course, she is a part. The fact that in this 75th anniversary year of d day, she made reference to that, and again used that also around the theme of former sworn enemies, as she said, coming together, settling their differences, moving on and coming together 75 years after the end of the Second World War in peace and amity. I think that was the main message. The need for reconciliation and although she never mentions current political divisions, i think it is reasonable to suppose, as i was saying at the end of that piece, that that is the principal thought in her mind as she emphasises the need for the country to move on. And a thought about the reference to the bumpy year, that her own family. Difficulties there and we cant escape that. And we are none the wiser as to whether that was in her mind. When she talked about a bumpy year, was she talking personally or professionally, as it were, as head of state . Perhaps it is a mixture of both. It has been a difficult year for the royalfamily, as we have observed on a number of occasions now, and i suppose that was brought home again this morning with the nonattendance at the main service, the main Church Service at 11 oclock, of Prince Andrew. He chose to go privately to an earlier service which was also attended by members of the royal family. We can see him there, striding out across the fields with, i think, his elder brotherjust behind him and the two of them went together. Slightly misty so its not entirely clear. But i think that was a significant absence from the main service. Normally one would have expected to see Prince Andrew there with his two daughters, beatrice with her fiance, eugenie with her husband. But he chose not to because i suppose he recognises that he has now become a little bit of an embarrassment to the royal family at the moment. The spanish resort where a british man and this two children were found dead in a Swimming Pool have released a statement saying there were no concerns relating to the pool or procedures in place which leaves us to believe this was a tragic accident. Its thought a nine Year Old Girl got into difficulties in the water at the Costa Del Sol resort, and her 16 year old brother and theirfather died after trying to help her. The Foreign Office says its helping a british woman. Nick quraishi reports. The Christmas Holiday that turned to tragedy in one of spains top tourist destinations. Police divers visible next to the pool which claimed the lives of the three family members. It is understood a nine Year Old Girl first got into difficulty in the water. Her 16 year old brother and father, who was 52, then jumped in to try to save her. Why none resurfaced from one of the many pools here is now the subject of a major investigation. Hotel firm clc world resorts, which runs the complex, released a statement. It said. It goes on. The firm says its helping the authorities fully with their investigations into the deaths, while the Foreign Office has confirmed its offering assistance to a british woman following what happened. Nick quraishi, bbc news. Our correspondent emily unia is following this story. Shes been telling me that, more than 2a hours since the incident, theres still little known about what actually happened. Very few details have emerged about this and we know the sequence of events, there was a nine Year Old Girl in a Swimming Pool, a big complex, 21 pools in all and she got into some kind of difficulty. Her 16 year old brother and 52 year old father both jumped into the pool to try to rescue her and they all died. That is all we really know. We know the Emergency Services were on the scene and the people tried to resuscitate the victims and they did not succeed. Other than that, there is very little detail. We have heard some rumours circulating about the availability of lifeguards but we dont know whether there were lifeguards present at the time, or other life Safety Devices around so were still trying to establish a lot of the details but all we know for now is that a Christmas Eve tragedy occurred for a british family. A man has died after being shot on his doorstep on Christmas Eve in south west london. The metropolitan police said the man, believed to be in his 30s, was pronounced dead at the scene in battersea yesterday. Scotland yard has launched a murder investigation. A woman has died in a crash on the mi motorway. It happened last night on the northbound side, nearjunction12. It was one of two accidents on the motorway overnight with police from both hertfordshire and bedfordshire forces involved. Both the north and south bound carriages have now reopened. The woman who died has not yet been named. Religious leaders have been giving their traditional christmas addresses. In the vatican, pope francis said god loves everyone even the worst of us thought to be a reference to abuse scandals in the catholic church. The archbishop of canterbury, justin welby, talked about the darkness of the London Bridge attack. John mcmanus reports. Midnight mass at manger square, the place where, for christians, it all began just over 2000 years ago. And this year, a special link to the past a wooden fragment which the church says is from the manger ofjesus, back in the holy land after 1300 years. The holy family famously became migrants, fleeing from king herod to the relative safety of egypt. And at the vatican city today, pope francis once again repeated his concern for the plight of those forced to leave their homes. Translation it is an injustice that makes them cross deserts and seas that become cemeteries. It is an injustice that forces them to endure unspeakable forms of abuse, enslavement and every kind of torture at inhumane detention camps. 0 come all ye faithful. In his sermon this morning at canterbury cathedral, the archbishop of canterbury who was recently in the war torn democratic republic of congo drew a link between the suffering there and the recent terror attack in london. Darkness is a monster that lies. Its growling claims seem to call out with a louder volume than the love filled whispers of light. We see the shadows out of the corner of our eyes they may be violence, as in the congo or on London Bridge. And there is one more christmas message, from british grime artist stormzy, reciting a passage from st lukes gospel. He was born on this day in the city of david, the saviour, who was the messiah. The story of the first christmas. John mcmanus, bbc news. Meanwhile, the dean of Westminster Abbey says britain is in need of the hope offered by the christmas story. Speaking before the midnight service, dr david hoyle said he was hoping the nativity could unite people after years of political conflict. Our religion editor, Martin Bashir reports. This is the first Christmas Season for the new dean of Westminster Abbey, doctor david hoyle. An ancient cathedral where monarchs have been crowned and poets celebrated, it is at the heart of our nation, a nation that he says is bitterly divided. I see the divisions everybody else sees. I feel them. I get angry. And i get disturbed. I live in westminster where i bump into it all the time. We need some hope in all of this. I think weve become angry and i think weve become despairing. Doctor hoyle says that we need an intervention from outside and that the message of christmas offers the possibility of genuine engagement without hostility. Peace isnt the moment when the arguments stop. Peace is the moment when we can contain our arguments. And thats where we are really struggling at the moment, it seems to me. We cant enjoy our variety. You have to be this or that. I think the gospel suggests this and that, they are both god given. We can do this together. The story of a child refugee born in perilous circumstances is not the image depicted on most christmas cards. And yet, as the dean of this historic abbey makes clear, redemption and reconciliation are possible, though the task ahead is a challenging one. Martin bashir, bbc news. The australian prime minister, scott morrison, has praised his countrys firefighters in his christmas message. Hundreds of firefighters many of them volunteers have been battling bush fires in New South Wales since they began in september. The public too have been showing their gratitude to the fire service, as shiamaa khalil reports from australia. Taking a brief christmas break before heading back to the fire front lines. Many of these firefighters have been working nonstop for weeks. Despite a lull in the weather, with cooling temperatures and predicted rain in some areas, the risk is not over. Teams brace themselves for hot conditions later in the week. The New South Wales Rural Fire Service is the Worlds Largest volunteer organisation, with more than 70,000 members. Most are local volunteers who have taken on the task to project the rural communities. And many have been overwhelmed by how people responded to their work. Just overwhelming support, like. Obviously all the presents and stuff for the kids. Thats just what they need at the moment. I havent even gone Christmas Shopping or anything for my daughter. Shes about to turn one in january, on the 11th. Just thank you, thank you very much. Last weeks catastrophic fires have been fuelled by record temperatures of more than 41 degrees. An extreme heat wave swept across the country, combined with strong winds and dry conditions. Australia has been fighting wildfires for months. The early start to the fire season is stretching already scarce water resources. Pictures of a thunderstorm in the North Eastern city of brisbane showed some respite in the hot weather. But firefighters say a lot more rain is needed in many more places, with not much forecast over the next few weeks. Shiamaa khalil, bbc news, in sydney. Hundreds of pro democracy protesters have held a rally in a hong kong shopping centre. The city has seen Anti Government clashes over the past six months due to a controversial extradition bill. Protestors were seen putting up posters on walls which read, we have not won the revolution, we need to keep going. The headlines on bbc news. The queen has delivered her annual christmas message, highlighting the need for reconciliation in whats being seen as a nod to the divisions caused by brexit. The spanish resort where a british man and this two children were found dead in a Swimming Pool say there were no concerns relating to the pool or procedures in place. In the vatican, pope francis says god loves everyone even the worst of us thought to be a reference to abuse scandals in the catholic church. Typhoon phanfone has caused major floods and destruction in the philippines. More than 25,000 people have been stranded at ports, many of them unable to join their families for christmas. The typhoon has been following a similar track to typhoon haiyan in 2013. Jon donnison reports. Afar a farfrom a far from peaceful christmas a farfrom peaceful christmas in a far from peaceful christmas in the central philippines. Typhoon phanfone has brought sustained winds of almost 200 kph. Terrifying local people. And leaving a trail of destruction. Heavy rain has left many homes flooded. More than 16,000 people had to spend the night in improvised shelters and at least 100 families have been left homeless. In this majority catholic country, the typhoon, which has damaged infrastructure, has stopped many people from visiting their families for christmas. Filipinos are well used to tropical storms and typhoons, with around 20 hitting the island nation each year. The most deadly in recent times was typhoon haiyan in 2013, where a massive storm surge left more than 7000 people dead. And many of the areas worst hit back then have borne the brunt of this latest storm. Jon donnison, bbc news. India has announced that more than 7000 troops will be withdrawn from indian administered kashmir. It comes more than four months after they were sent following unrest in the region. This is the first major troop reduction by india since it ramped up security in kashmir in august this year. The decision to cancel the special status of kashmir and end the exclusive right of its people to own land sparked massive unrest and the region was put under a security lockdown. The bbcs south asia editor Anbarasan Ethirajan has been telling us why this is happening now. The government has been under intense pressure from the International Community to restore normalcy in india administered kashmir. As you remember, they sent in more than 40,000 additional troops to maintain law and order after the region erupted after the Indian Government withdrew the special status given to it and some special privileges for the citizens. Kashmir itself is a flashpoint. It is claimed by both india and pakistan which had led to wars previously and thats why the world wants to know how much progress has been done because the Indian Government told the International Community that this was a temporary provision in the Indian Constitution and they are reworking it but that triggered unrest. To contain this unrest, they sent in thousands of troops and last month the german chancellor, angela merkel, was in delhi and she said clearly the situation in kashmir is not sustainable and you cant continue to have restrictions. The us house of representatives are hearing a resolution about the restrictions very soon. The government wants to show the situation is returning to normalcy and that is why we are gradually reducing the troop numbers, but the residents of kashmir disagree with that government view. The internet was completely shut down and now it is partially restored. Still the internet using mobile phones is not allowed because the government argues it will allow people to regroup and organise protests and also militants to communicate with handlers that can lead to more attacks. On the other hand, the businesses have suffered quite heavily. More than 2 billion have been lost, that is what the Business Community are saying, because they cannot send any goods and take orders through the internet and students cannot apply to any universities because the internet has been shut down. They have to travel to certain designated points where people have to wait for three or four hours to have access to internet. This is the modern age where people have easy access to information and india is being described as the internet shutdown capital of the world. At the same time, the government wants to show the world the situation is returning to normalcy but people there are complaining of restrictions and not only about the telephone connection, but also the right to protest and to assemble and convene everywhere. Hundreds of leaders are still in detention and they want the political leaders to be released so there is a political process which can start to normalise the situation in kashmir. The latest on the tensions in kashmir. The mayor of the chilean city of valparaiso has warned of a dire situation as a forest fire continues to encroach there. The Authorities Say they re investigating suspicions that the fire was lit deliberately. David waddell reports. The fire in a poor neighborhood of valparaiso dominates the skyline of chiles major port city. Residents Christmas Eve celebrations were shattered with their homes damaged or destroyed as firefighters struggled to contain the spread of the fire. The entire fire service of valparaiso, a city of more than a quarter of a million people, has been mobilized to tackle the blaze. Crews from neighbouring areas and even the military have also been drafted in to help. Translation at least 60 homes have already been damaged. This number is likely to increase because many are in bad shape, so its difficult to know at the moment. The residents of two districts regarded as high risk have been ordered to leave their homes. Warm, dry conditions, along with strong winds, have aligned to whip up the flames. Translation all the houses are burning and now the fire is coming here and theres my mums house down here and the fire is up here. Firefighters say the fire started in a forested area and spread into an inhabited area. Its a city known for colourful wood houses, a construction that would have been a particular risk to these homes. The mayor says he believes the fires were started intentionally and this is now being investigated. David waddell, bbc news. Something different to tell you about for the next few minutes. A bakery in cheshire is claiming to be the first in the country to make bread out of insects. Each of the loaves at roberts bakery contains more than 300 crickets mixed into the flour. Eating insects can help boost nutrition and reduce pollution, according to a un report. Peter marshall reports. Theyre still is making the usual bread at roberts bakery. But there is a new batch in production where the key ingredient is this. Crickets. The bakery claims to be the first in the uk to make insect bread, a crunchy cricket loaf. We really want consumers to think about their food and where it comes from. And also about the impact that food is having on the environment and the world. This is our little way of saying to consumers, take the challenge. Try one of our loaves and see if you like cricket bread. Its not as unusual as you might think. The un estimates last year around the globe at least 2 billion people ate insects. Theyre a good source of protein. Producing them is less environmentally damaging than producing meat. When we grow crickets, we need a small land area but more importantly, crickets emit very little Greenhouse Gas. We know there has been a lot of discussion lately about animals and the impact they have on their Greenhouse Gas emissions. So that is the big sustainable credibility around crickets. I dont know who did the counting, but they reckon there are 336 crickets in each loaf. Although it is called crunchy cricket bread, it shouldnt be crunchy cos theyre ground down and mixed with wheat flour. However, can we convince the good people of northwich to give it a go . Its all right, though. It tastes disappointingly normal. Itjust tastes like nice brown bread. Give it a go. They reckon there are 336 crickets in each loaf. Youre disgusting thats nice. It tastes nutty. You cant taste the crickets. If i can, they taste good. The first batch is only 100 loaves. Theyll await public reaction before deciding if crunchy cricket bread has a serious feature. Still not sure about that however many times i see it. Peter marshall reporting. Now its time for a look at the weather with ben rich. Good evening. After all the rain we have been having lately, todays whether felt like something of a christmas miracle. It was dry for pretty much all of us, many of us got to see sunshine. That was how it looked on the lincolnshire coast earlier on. But things are changing. Behind me, this lump of cloud is boxing days weather and we will see some rain returning from the west. Before that happens, fog still potentially causing problems in the central, eastern and northern parts of england, southern scotland as well. Certainly through the evening hours it could be quite dense. But it will lift after midnight because we will have more cloud rolling in from the west and that brings some outbreaks of rain into Northern Ireland, west wales, South West England and the winds picking up here as well. But turning milder by the end of the night, 7 degrees in belfast, for example. Further north in scotland, there will still be a touch of frost for some but for many the big weather story on boxing day is this frontal system working its way eastwards, bringing rain at times. But not all the time. This band of rain pushing out of Northern Ireland quite early in the morning, moving out of wales as well, pushing eastwards across england into southern scotland. A bit of snow might mix in over the very highest hills of scotland and the highest hills of the pennines but even if it does, it will not last long. Behind it, sunshine and showers, some persistent rain getting back into the south west late in the day where it will be very mild but further north, another rather cool feeling day, 5 degrees in glasgow and in newcastle. A fairly windy day as well, particularly in the south west corner where we could see gusts of up to a0 mph or more for a time. Through boxing day evening, we will see these outbreaks of rain drifting from the south west to gradually move north eastwards in association with this, a warm front which will bring rain with it but it will also bring some warm or at least milder air which will start to waft its way up from the south west. As we go into friday, there will be a very different feel to the weather and it will feel very mild indeed. Some outbreaks of rain still to clear from eastern england, northern and eastern scotland. Then we get to see some spells of sunshine, a lot of dry weather developing. This little frontal system bringing some patchy raid into western scotland and perhaps the north west of Northern Ireland but look at the temperatures. 10 13d pretty high for this point in december. As we go into saturday and sunday, it stays very mild, a lot of dry weather around but some patchy rain in the far north and west. Hello this is bbc news. The headlines the queen highlights the need for reconciliation in her annual christmas message in whats being seen as a nod to the divisions caused by brexit. Earlier, the queen led members of the royal family at their traditional Christmas Day service including Prince George and Princess Charlotte for the first time but Prince Andrew attended a private service. The spanish resort where a british man and this two children were found dead in a Swimming Pool say there were no concerns relating to the pool or procedures in place. In the vatican, pope francis says god loves everyone, even the worst of us thought to be a reference to abuse scandals in the catholic church. Hundreds of people in australia have been forced from their homes for the holidays, as the country battles some of its worst bushfires in years. More at 8pm. But first in a year that saw the planets