The year long arts festival. And in half an hour, i will be looking back at the past 12 months for the royal family, dominated by the celebrations to mark the queens 90th birthday, thats review 2016 the royal year with me, daniela relph. Good evening and welcome to bbc news. A huge Police Operation is under way in istanbul to find a gunman who shot dead 39 people at a nightclub. The man opened fire at the reina club at around half past one in the morning local time. Dozens of injured remain in hospital. 15 foreigners from israel, saudi arabia and morocco were among the dead. Our turkey correspondent selin girit has sent this report. We are only seconds away from a new year. One of the most famous nightclubs in istanbul, reina, packed with a jubilant crowd, ready to welcome in the new year. Five, four, three, two. They are counting down to what they hope will be a fresh new start. But then this happens. A man armed with a Long Barrelled Weapon Opens Fire outside the venue. He kills a policeman and another civilian as he rushes his way in. The club immediately turns into the scene of a massacre, as the Attacker Fires on the people partying inside. Dozens are killed and wounded. Survivors still in shock of what they have been through. Translation i had my back turned. My husband suddenly told me to get on the floor. A man ran inside, two or three people started firing, and then there was this fog. I fainted at that moment until Special Forces took us out of there. They shot randomly. There were bodies lying on the floor. There has been no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, and authorities did not name any suspects. This man was a Security Guard at the club last night. He said he heard gunfire and ran away. Everyone is nervous at the moment, he said. The attacker still remains at large. Translation the Security Forces say the assailant was alone, rather than there being many attackers. He was wearing a jacket and trousers when he opened fire, but there is separate information that he tried to leave wearing a different set of clothes. The Nightclub Area remains sealed off this morning. Heavily armed police block the street leading to reina club. Crime scene investigators were inside searching for evidence. This is as close as we can get to the scene of the attack that shook istanbul last night. In a span of 18 months, more than 500 people have been killed in this country in similar attacks. Now, civilians got hit on a night of hope and joy. This already feels like it is going to be yet another difficult year for this country. Turkey faces the Islamic State threat, a renewed conflict with the kurdish rebels in the south east and across the border in syria and iraq, and big cities like istanbulfeel increasingly vulnerable these days. Earlier, i spoke with irem koker from the bbcs turkish service. Recently, the Prime Minister has made a statement. And he said the gunman, he left his weapons at the scene, and fled by taking advantage of the chaotic situation. So he implied that the Turkish Police are looking for an unarmed attacker. Still we dont have any information about his identity. And what we know so far, its a single gunman. And he fled the scene, and the manhunt is still under way. And the motivations for this attack . What are the thoughts on that . We still dont know. But in local media, the turkish media, there are reports that the officials, the authorities, they are focusing on the potential of a so called Islamic State inspired attack. But they do not rule out al nusra or alqaeda connections as well. Its interesting you were saying to me that one dimension thats coming out in the Media Coverage as well is that there isnt a sense of the country coming together, united in condemnation of this, in the way there has been for other attacks like paris, berlin etc. The Turkish Society has been highly polarised. Before the new years, we had seen some campaigns by the conservatives urging people not to celebrate the new year, or christmas, because it is not compatible with the islamic values. But the seculars also, they celebrate the new years every year. So in that sense, some people, the conservatives, we see they blame, they blame those who went to this nightclub just to have fun, they say this attack happened because these people went there. And the seculars, or the other group, they say it is a result of an increasing conservatism in Turkish Society. So, are terrorists exploiting this division . Why are we seeing attacks happening like this in turkey . You know, turkey is located in one of the hotspots in the world. And its not only the islamic militants, which is a spill over from the syrian civil war, which is right next door. And its also, it has been a target of kurdish militants. So there are many groups that Target Turkey for various reasons. And it might be, it might be true to say they are exploiting this polarisation and these divisions between the Turkish Society. Friends and family have paid Tribute Toa12 friends and family have paid tribute to a 12 euros girl who was killed in a hit and run incident in greater manchester. Helina kotlarova. Seen on the left, was crossing the road Holding Hands with her 11 year old cousin when they were hit by a car last night in oldham. Her cousin, zaneta krokova, seen here on the right, is in a Critical Condition in hospital. Police want to trace the driver of a black volkswagen golf. A short while ago, the sister of the dead girl spoke to the bbc and recounted what she witnessed last night when her sister was struck. They went to the shop. And when they came back, they were crossing the road. They were holding their hands together. And when they were crossing the road, the car was, like, driving too fast and he just crashed. Smashed into them. Yeah. When we went there, we were running, she was on the floor and she had blood over her face. I was touching her, seeing if she was going to breathe or something, but she couldnt breathe or nothing. And ive seen herface. It was all bleeding. There was nothing to do. Its just hard to believe that shes gone. Because she was too young, you know. She still had her life. She liked dancing. Listening to songs, singing. Shes always singing. She likes spending time with the family. Thats what she does. Sto s to kotla rova. Earlier i spoke to our reporter danni hewson, and asked her for the latest updates. At the moment the police are saying very little about this investigation. We do understand that they have had a meeting in the last hour, and we are expecting some kind of update from them later on this afternoon. Obviously they have put out an appeal for information about the vw golf, and for the driver to come forward. And we have had a steady Police Presence here at the scene all day, with many people knocking on doors, asking for information about this incident last night. And what do we know about how 11 year old zaneta is doing in hospital . Well, we understand that she is in a Critical Condition, and we do understand that she is incredibly poorly indeed. Obviously this was a tragic incident that happened last night. We understand that the girls had just popped to the shop over the road to get some crisps. It is an incredibly busy road here. We have seen people dashing backwards and forwards, despite the fact that there is a crossing just a few yards up the road behind me. We do understand that they were crossing the road, that they had sisters and cousins with them who had crossed ahead of time, but that they had crossed separately, and obviously met with tragic circumstances. And what have people in the local area been saying to you . Well obviously weve already seen a great number of people coming to deliver floral tributes. Some lovely words about the family. Many people saying that theyjust cant believe that the 12 year old had lost her life, that she simply died far too young. Everybody is absolutely shocked by what happened here last night. Ahead of what was supposed to be a celebration, a new years eve party, heralding in 2017. Now ended in tragedy. Thank you, danni hewson in oldham. The queen missed the new years Day Church Service in sandringham this morning because of a lingering heavy cold. She was also absent from the Christmas Day service at her norfolk estate because she was unwell. Buckingham palace says the queen has been up and about in recent days, but is still recuperating, as our royal correspondent peter hunt reports. For a second time during the holiday season, the royals headed to church. For a second time, the queen was a notable absentee. Her 95 year old husband, whos also been ill, did attend. And was described by one observer as chipper. Protected from the rain, princess and said that her mother was ok. During these security conscious times, the windsors over christmas are an attraction for the dedicated. Who, despite the weather, gather outside the sandringham church. Once again, the 90 year old monarch was not on display. A little bit disappointed, because the queen wasnt there. But that is understandable at 90 years of age. Shes in the best place, and i wish her all the best for 2017. Obviously if shes not well then you dont want to see her come out in this weather, you know. At christmas, our attention is drawn to the birth of a baby some 2000 years ago. The queen, who recorded her Christmas Day message early in december, will not have taken the decision to miss church lightly. The supreme governor of the Church Of England has a deep personalfaith. But in her tenth decade, and on the advice of her doctor, the monarch is exercising caution in the face of a heavy cold shes had for nearly two weeks. The queen has been laid low and left feeling pretty miserable at the end of yet another significant year in her long reign. As well as celebrating her landmark birthday, shes started to acknowledge her advancing age and reduce her workload. Just last month, the queen severed her links to 25 organisations shed been patron of for decades. Palace officials insist the queen is up and about, and she hasnt been to hospital or had tests. As head of state, she continues to deal with the government documents she receives. The queen is clearly doing all she can to get rid of a lingering cold, rather than make it worse. Peter hunt, bbc news, buckingham palace. Five people have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man died in a fall at flats in east sussex early this morning. The victim fell through a Utility Room Ceiling at a flat in st leonards on sea, Near Hastings in the early hours of the morning. Theresa may has called for 2017 to be a year of unity and opportunity following the Eu Referendum, which she says has exposed the divisions in britain. In her new year message, the Prime Minister said she would work to secure a brexit deal for everyone, whether theyd voted to leave or remain. We are no longer the 52 who voted leave and the 48 who voted remain, but one great union of people and nations, with a proud history and a bright future. Earlier, i spoke to our Political Correspondent chris mason and asked him how easy it would be for theresa may to bring the country together. Any Prime Minister is going to want to badge themselves as standing for unity, for being the personification of the country they lead. And yet on this subject of brexit, the theme that dominated her new years message and will dominate her time as Prime Minister, there are divisions everywhere you look. Theres divisions in society, the big numbers, the trade off between the 52 and 48 . Divisions geographically. The First Minister of scotland is going to be constantly making the argument that there was a very different result north of the border, as there was in northern ireland. There are divisions within the conservative party, and within the labour party as well. The shadow brexit secretary keir starmer is saying today that he thinks there does have to be some sort of Immigration Controls imposed as part of the deal. Jeremy corbyn has sounded much more liberal around immigration. From the Prime Ministers perspective, the real slog of the Nitty Gritty Of Brexit is what 2017 is going to be all about. The triggering of so called article 50 within the next couple of months. And then the whole business of a long, long, long negotiation. Shes optimistic there can be a good outcome to that, but it will take time. The continuing fight against terrorism is going to be another big story of 2017. The security minister ben wallace has been talking about so called Islamic State having an aspiration to use Chemical Weapons in the uk. We have been talking over new year about the enhanced security around the new year celebrations, thinking about those Lorry Attacks in nice and berlin particularly. But these chemical attacks, thats what ben wallace is talking about. Yes, he is saying that isis have an aspiration to use Chemical Weapons within the uk. He says there is no moral objection from them to the use of Chemical Weapons. He points to the arrest of members of a terror cell in morocco last year, who were in possession of toxic chemicals that could have been used as weapons, as evidence that that aspiration is there. Hes also very concerned about what he calls The Enemy Within that Terror Groups and foreign governments hiring people who work within government or businesses in the uk to try and undermine the uk from within. He also makes the point that as iss territory in the middle east shrinks, and that is seen by many of its enemies as a good thing, those britons who have gone out there to fight for is may want to return home, and could pose a real threat to us here if they manage to get back in. Chris mason. It is 16 minutes past five. The headlines on bbc news a manhunt is under way in turkey for the gunman responsible for killing at least 39 people in a packed istanbul nightclub. Police in oldham are looking for a hit and run driver who killed a 12 Year Old Girl and seriously injured her 11 year old cousin. The royal family have attended a new years Day Church Service in sandringham, but without the queen, who still has a heavy cold. The election of donald trump as the next president of the United States has thrown into doubt one of the obama administrations key Foreign Policy achievements the thaw with cuba. The Communist Run Island has slowly been opening up to the world since washington lifted strict travel and trade restrictions. Will grant reports from havana. When rock royalty the Rolling Stones played havana earlier this year, it was notjust a concert, it was history. What they achieved through music has been less easy for other parts of the uk economy, that is to break into cuba. While he was still in the job, Philip Hammond became the first uk Foreign Secretary to visit the island in an official capacity since the revolution in 1959. Now the chancellor of the exchequer, during the trip he signed a memorandum of understanding covering energy, finance and education and culture, Holding Talks with fidel castro. The great relationship is between cuba and United States, and the beginning of the thaw in the relationship, the beginning of a normalisation, making many things possible that have not been possible for decades. It makes Economic Development possible. Since that visit, britain has voted to leave the eu, as the reality of brexit beckons, uk companies are looking to latin america and the caribbean. Unilever, recently embroiled in a Brexit Argument over british Supermarket Prices cemented a deal on a £28 Million Investment outside havana. When the uk eventually leads the eu commits more common to find British Companies doing what unilever did, laying the first stone of a new factory on cuban soil. At the recent havana trade fair, the british products on display ranged from Financial Services to single malt whiskey. So will the future relationship with cuba remain fundamentally cultural or will bilateral trade begin to flourish . All of the above. You are right, cuba is not a huge market, an island of 11 Million People, a set of islands. We are a set of islands on the other side of the nation. There are some really unusual areas, those particular areas that fit. A jointly owned brazilian Cu Ban Country also broke ground on a cigarette factory. Brazi