thousands of homes have been evacuated in christchurch, new zealand, after two separate fires have combined, covering nearly 5,000 acres. and, a century of the wrens the navy marks the formation of the women s royal naval service during the first world war. it s 5.00pm. our main story is that a potential deal to end the long running dispute on southern rail has been rejected by members of the train drivers‘ union, aslef. in a ballot, 54% voted against the proposal which had been negotiated by the union s leaders. southern says it s hugely disappointed and will be seeking more talks as soon as possible. the union is expected to try to renegotiate the deal. but, for the moment, it means there is still no end in sight to the disruption on one of britain s busiest commuter networks. 0ur correspondent, john young, is at brighton railway station where many commuters affected by the southern rail dispute travel from. more from you and what people have been saying there today?”
against so called islamic state in iraq s second city, mosul. they ve taken the city s airport, a key staging point in the battle to drive militants from the western half of the city. our correspondent quentin sommerville was there as iraqi government troops fought their way in. before the attack came the rockets and artillery. it s day five of the offensive to retake western mosul. slowly, the forces make their way past a suspected is car bomb, torched en route. these armoured columns are now moving forward to mosul airport. the attack for the airport is under way. all night long, we ve heard coalition aircraft and iraqi artillery slam this area just to the north of us. the onslaught had cleared this village of is fighters and civilians. it s eerily quiet as the men proceed on foot. a local man tells the special forces there were up to 100 is here yesterday. they ve hidden bombs all over. so the men took to higher ground. and we followed at a safe distance. as the day went o
Not mean they don t exist. if you look at the scale of the universe, the scale look at the scale of the universe, the scale of the milky way galaxy, our galaxy, that is 100,000 million stars, our galaxy, that is 100,000 million stars, within the milky way. that is a lot of stars, within the milky way. that is a lot of stars. 20 30 years ago we did not a lot of stars. 20 30 years ago we did not know a lot of stars. 20 30 years ago we did not know how many planets there would did not know how many planets there would be, did not know how many planets there would be, now we re finding more and more would be, now we re finding more and more of would be, now we re finding more and more of these, as we look at stars with sensitive telescopes, and if you re with sensitive telescopes, and if you re going to find life, that is where you re going to find life, that is where you you re going to find life, that is where you are going to find them. it where you are going to find
Books, six months is tough. the event that books, six months is tough. the event that it was extended to about a year~ event that it was extended to about a year~ it event that it was extended to about a year. it was only really about halfway a year. it was only really about halfway through that process that i began halfway through that process that i began getting these files. frankly i was astonished. i was being given. it this was astonished. i was being given. it this a was astonished. i was being given. it this a couple of years ago? gh it this a couple of years ago? oh no. it this a couple of years ago? oh n0- we re it this a couple of years ago? oh no. we re talk about the summer. it this a couple of years ago? oh - no. we re talk about the summer. so no. we re talk about the summer. sc you no. we re talk about the summer. you are no. we re talk about the summer. sr you are looking at these files and thinking, oh my goodness. 2.3 million words of messages here. 100
And dust and gas, and there are 100,000 million galaxies out there in the universe, some of them are quite a long way from our own galaxy, from the milky way, and if he doesn t need a sensitive telescope, and that s what the james webb will give us. so we will be able to see hopefully right back to the formation of things like the very first stars and galaxies as they formed after the big bang billions of years ago, and that s the thing at the moment we just don t have the sensitivity to be able to see commits of the james webb will be the first time we stood a good chance of being able to see the very first formation of those stars and galaxies after the big bang, and that is really exciting. it is very exciting. it sets off from french guiana on christmas day. thank you very much indeed for joining us. the queen is expected to give a very personal christmas message tomorrow her first since the death of her husband, prince philip. she will speak beside a framed photograph of the cou