And coming up in half an hour from the cricket world cup to a Game Changing summer for women s sport. We look back at the biggest sporting moments this year. Good morning, and welcome to bbc news. At least 16 people have been killed by a typhoon in the philippines, which has left a trail of devastation through the centre of the country. Wind gusts reached 200 kilometres an hour, tearing roofs off houses, and leaving tens of thousands of people stranded at ports. The storm has been following a similar track to typhoon haiyan in 2013 the most powerful to hit the area in decades. Catherine karelli reports. A far from peaceful christmas in the central philippines. Typhoon phanfone has brought sustained winds of almost 200 kilometres an hour. Terrifying local people. Screaming. 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, stopped many people 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 7,000 people dead. And many of the areas worst hit back then, have borne the brunt of this latest storm. Catherine karelli, bbc news. The chairman of the Philippine Red Cross, spoke to the bbc, about how the country is coping. First of all, its very difficult because its christmas, people who are stranded, you have to support them and then you have to bring the goods over into several provinces. These are several, big islands that have been affected. Coastal areas that are hard to come by and a lot of people have lost their homes and they need food. We are serving hot meals but its not enough. Things have been affected like power, there has been a complete blackout in certain areas that will be sorted within the next two or three weeks. Water has been interrupted intermittently in certain areas. So there is an awful lot of things to be done while the rescue phase is over, hopefully. We now have to come in with our support in terms of relief, in terms of food, water. We have a lot of first aid interventions and doctors will be supporting those who have lost their buildings and they will be providing beds, so people out there can be provided with aid from the hospital that collapsed, that lost its roof. We are also fighting the earthquake and also the recent typhoon in the provinces. We are not finished there. Definitely, there is an awful lot to do by the Philippine Red Cross in addition to polio vaccinations and the like. Thousands of people in australia have been forced from their homes for the holidays, as the country battles some of its worst bushfires in years. Since september, almost 3,000 firefighters have been out every day in New South Wales, tackling fires, some of which are the size of small european countries. 0ur correspondent, phil mercer, is in bilpin, about 75 kilometres north west of sydney. I asked him just how bad things are. I think australia is on a type of war footing when it comes to this bushfire crisis. We have squadrons of water bombing helicopters in the skies supporting thousands of boots on the ground and it is worth pointing out the military has been brought in to help with this enormous firefighting effort. This firefighting effort is increasingly stretched. Many of the firefighters we have in New South Wales are volu nteers we have in New South Wales are volunteers and some of those have been on the front line for weeks, weeks and weeks. This is a crisis that shows no sign of ending. This is the town of built into the north west of sydney in the blue mountains. The weather now is quite nice, quite cool. These conditions are helping the firefighting efforts. They are building containment lines, these are fire trails. They also do something called back burning, they light a fire eating into the main fire front, depleting the amount of fuel for the fire when the weather turns and more hot and windy conditions are expected. Were not sure when the danger will return, but safe to say, there will be more dangerous days ahead. I am looking at the scene behind you, it is devastating, what can you tell us how residents are being supported and where they are being supported and where they are going once they have their homes . The scene you can see behind me is clearly grotesque and it is repeated time and time again. We are ata repeated time and time again. We are at a business just a short time down the road. It is another orchard, very famous area for apples. The area and that particular business had been crushed by the fires. This used to be a packing shed for another orchard. 0n the other side of the track, there is a business owned by a man who moved to australia from lebanon, when he was four years old. He has lived in this area for 35 years on 40 of his orchard has been destroyed. He was telling me how he and his younger son were fighting the fires with the volu nteers son were fighting the fires with the volunteers and the water bombing helicopters. He was describing fla mes helicopters. He was describing fla m es a0 helicopters. He was describing flames a0 metres high. A0 metres high it is extraordinary he confronted that. He is a farmer who has some firefighting skills and he says he was very lucky to escape, because the wind changed direction very quickly and he thought he will say. But these flames were bearing down on him. Clearly, he managed to escape but he says he almost didnt make it. I would imagine there are more and more of the stories as people come back to their homes. This road has only recently been reopened and residents are coming back now to find if they have still got the house or not. So a horrible christmas clearly, for many, many people. The drowning of a british man and his two children in a Swimming Pool on the Costa Del Sol was a tragic accident according to the resort owners. The three family members were found unresponsive on christmas eve, at Club La Costa world, near fuengirola. Sean dilley reports. This was the scene of a christmas tragedy at one of spains most popular tourist destinations. A nine year old british girl is thought to have found herself in trouble in this pool, before her 16 year old brother and 52 year old father jumped in to help her. Why none of them emerged alive is the subject of a major investigation. A british tourist told the bbc she spoke to the childrens mother. I noticed a woman was walking to where i was. She looked really distraught. When she came closer she was just saying, help me, help me, please help me my children are drowning. It was horrible. I didnt sleep, i cant even begin to tell you how distraught i feel. I dont want to imagine what the mum is going through. Its still not clear how three members of one family came to die here, but the owners of Club La Costa world, which runs the resort, claims Spanish Police found nothing wrong with the hotels facilities. They say. Meanwhile, the Foreign Commonwealth Office says its offering its assistance to a british woman in spain. Sean dilley, bbc news. At least seven people have died, when a boat got into difficulties in lake van in eastern turkey. The boat was carrying migrants from afghanistan, pakistan and bangladesh. The lake is near the border with iran, from where people often cross into turkey on theirjourney towards europe. 6a others were rescued and taken to nearby hospitals and shelters. A Murder Investigation has begun in south west london after a man was shot dead on christmas eve. Police were called to Battersea Church road, at around 9pm on tuesday, where they found the victim, believed to be in his 30s. No arrests have been made. The israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is a facing a vote today, for his leadership of the likud party, from long time rival, gideon saar. Its said to be the biggest challenge mr netanyahu has faced to his 20 year rule of likud. Yesterday evening a rocket fired from the gaza strip, interrupted a party rally in the border town of ashkelon. The Prime Minister and his wife were escorted from the stage, after sirens went off. 0ur middle east correspondent, Barbara Plett usher, is injerusalem. She explained a little earlier, why Benjamin Neta nyahu is being challenged now. It is a good question because the Prime Minister has been in powerfor ten years and has been a very popular Prime Minister. He has been credited with economic success in israel and also security success and he has a right wing government and the majority do self identify as right wing, so why is he being challenged now. He has been weakened over the past year with corruption charges hanging over him. He was indicted on three counts of corruption just last month and there have been two election so far and he has been unable to form a coalition government. He is clearly weakened and the challenge is coming from a former cabinet minister called gideon saar and he is saying, he is not saying mr netanyahu should resign because of the indictment, he is saying Benjamin Netanyahu has shown himself of incapable of keeping the right wing in power. There is going to be a third election in march, he will not be able to form a government then and runs the risk of being in opposition if it doesnt change its leader. That is the campaign argument of gideon saar. I dont think Benjamin Netanyahu is going to lose, most people think he will win but the question will be by how much. If he doesnt get at least two thirds of the vote, it will look as though his grip on the party has been weakened. What can you tell us about this attack last night . That was rockets fired from the gaza strip and that was the second time in the last few months that mr netanyahu has been taken off stage at a campaign rally, which is close to gaza. The campaign was streamed live, so there was no effort to conceal the fact he was there, which is probably why the rocket was fired. Nobody has claimed responsibility for it. It is not the kind of images mr netanyahu would want to have been shown just before this leadership contest. He did try to make the best of it, he came back and said the islamist the islamist movements in gaza, hamas and islamichhad dont want me to be Prime Minister. So he tried to make the best of it. But it is the kind of thing that causes his critics to say, he is not the mr security he claims to be, he needs to be tougher with the Islamist Groups in gaza. Quickly, looking ahead to march and this indictment on corruption charges, are they seriously looking as if they are going to damage his chances, to damage his chances . Where are we on that . It is difficult actually to say because Coalition Politics mean you dont have a major Party Winning enough seats to form a majority government. It is all about if he gets political allies. Broadly speaking, his main rival, the blue and white party, has an edge on him. He is lagging in the polls, but it is too close to call at the moment. The big question is whether that indictment will mean that he is not legally able to form a government. That question has not been answered yet. Russias Opposition LeaderAlexei Navalny has been arrested during a raid on his offices. It came after Police Conducted fresh searches at his moscow based anti corru ption foundation. Mr navalny, whos a vocal critic of president putin, has been regularly detained by the authorities. A spokeswoman said he did not put up resistance as he was led away. Shoppers are expected to spend £200 million less in the boxing day sales this year, with Environmental Concerns being the biggest reason for the drop. Almost seven in ten consumers plan to spend less on so called fast fashion because of the impact of its production on the environment. According to barclaycard, around four in ten uk adults will spend an average of £186 each today. The headlines on bbc news. A powerful typhoon tears through parts of the philippines killing at least 16 people and leaving thousands homeless. Firefighters continue to tackle out of control bushfires in australia with a warning that more record breaking temperatures could be on the way. And, israels Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, faces a political fight, as his likud Party Decides who will lead them into the countrys third general election in a year. Lets get the sport now. We have each lunched on the first day between south africa and england. South africa reached 79 for three after a terrible start. We have been across it. Kate, james anderson, back in the team and what a start it was . Yes, it is his 150th cap today so it it was a momentous occasion. It couldnt have been more perfect. The bowler in me would have said he would like more of a nip away, it was probably a decent delivery by his standards and get a wicket. He gets dean elgar and others in their wickets. A perfect start for england but it has levelled out a little bit after that i wasjoe root levelled out a little bit after that i was joe root vindicated levelled out a little bit after that i wasjoe root vindicated in his choice to win the toss and to field . When even the toss and bowl, there is pressure on the bowlers to take wickets and sometimes you can chase wickets and sometimes you can chase wickets and sometimes you can chase wickets and not go back to plans of what works for you. To say they have three wickets in the first session, they will be pleased with that. Probably not bowled as well as they have liked, but the sessions come thick and fast but they have the opportunity to regroup at lunchtime and they will tighten their lines a bit more and create more pressure. No spinning option for england, jack leach may not have been selected a nyway leach may not have been selected anyway with illness. Five seam attack, is that the right way for england to go in this attack . Without being in the dressing room, it is hard to know why they have selected that, especially with illness around an ben stokes father, you dont know what the team could have been going into day. It isa could have been going into day. It is a strange one, but you havejoe root who can bowl, his off spin. Notoriously, you get a bit of pace on the South African pitch. Not as good a pitch in terms of pace, but it might try out and get quicker later on. Maybe that is why they have gone with that selection. We shall see when play gets under way again in about 20 minutes. You can see kate on the cricket social as well as the bbc sports website and app. Nine games in the premier league today. The big one is at eight oclock when leaders liverpool travel to second placed leicester. Win and liverpool will be 13 points clear at the top a mammoth advantage at this stage of the season. Its a busy time of year though with most teams playing today and again at the weekend and the festive schedule isnt sitting well with jurgen klopp. None of the managers has a problem with boxing day. None of us. But playing on the 26th and then the 28th is a crime. Thats absolutely not ok, and yet we still have it. This year we have the 26th and the 29th and its like a holiday. I understand all the others who are not moaning, but telling that it just should not happen. It should not happen. Alex 0xlaide chamberlain wont have to worry about tight turnaround. Hes out until the new year with the ankle injury he picked up during the Club World Cup final win on saturday. The 12. 30 kick off sees spurs take on brighton. Son hueng min will serve the first of a three game ban after getting sent off against chelsea. Tottenham appealed the decision but were unsuccessful. A busy day in scotland too with celtic manager neil lennon calling for focus from his side at st mirren with an Old Firm Derby against rangers looming on sunday. Celtic are five points ahead of their second placed rivals who face kilmarnock. Celtic know a win will guarantee top spot ahead of the winter break. You can see all of the days fixtures online and app. Thats all the sport for now. You can find more on all those stories on the bbc sport website, including the cricket. South africa now 79 3. And theres build up to the days football. Lots of festive quizzes to try out with the family too. India s National Human rights commission, has asked police in the Northern State of uttar pradesh, to respond to allegations they violated protesters civil rights during recent demonstrations against the controversial citizenship law. The legislation has been criticised as being anti muslim. At least 2a people have been killed, and hundreds injured, in clashes in cities across the country, over the past two weeks. Ari behn, the former son in law of norways king, has died, aged a7. Ari behn, the author of several novels and plays, married Princess Martha louise in 2002 and the couple had three daughters together but divorced two years ago. His spokesman told norways ntb agency that ari behn had taken his own life. Lebanon is ending 2019 in its worst economic crisis for decades. Growth has fallen to zero. Many companies have been pushed into bankruptcy, others have laid off staff and slashed salaries. The Prime Minister, saad hariri, resigned in late october, because of Anti Government protests, his replacement, hassan diab, appointed only last week, ha