And owner and taylor this is the news hour live from london coming up. Christian leaders in the holy land come out strongly against the u. S. Recognition of jerusalem as israels capital. At least two hundred dead and more than seventy thousand people made homeless as Tropical Storm tembin the sweeps across the southern philippines. North korea calls the latest round of u. N. Sanctions aimed at curbing its Nuclear Program an active role. Thank you yes with the latest in a series on also official intelligence in the years to come will this be doing your job. And i be disseminated oho with sports news as well straight here to go in search of a second straight home ashes whitewash over england. To this news hour. Sunni and christian leaders have rejected the u. S. Decision to recognize jerusalem as israels capital calling it dangerous and an insult to christians and muslims alike a declaration follows weeks of palestinian protests across the occupied territory since president trumps announcement at least fifteen Palestinian Protesters have been killed one hundred have made has more from bethlehem. The festive mood has been somehow dampened ever since the jerusalem declaration by chubb some three weeks ago now no archbishop did but the step is the highest roman castle Legal Authority not only in the holy land but also in the middle east has said that after the declaration that has been many cancellation pilgrims it was supposed to come and spend Christmas Eve at the church of their divinity well i have decided to stay away this year business down but only most fifty percent in this city now r. G. P. Should be set by the homes of one foot or he said that no one can take any actual decision when it comes to jerusalem without disturbing the fragile a fragile balance between the different communities he also said that if that if indeed Vice President mike pence does come to the region next month to generate where he would not be woke up for any official visit at any of the christian holy sites he also was asked if he had any advice for my parents and he said well the Vice President cheney listen to all christians that jesus is not the monopoly answer to the note only for the evangelicals so very stern words from the top Roman Catholic official in this region who will be presiding over the Midnight Mass later on today. The u. S. Recognition of jerusalem as israels capital has also come under fire from the Vatican Pope Francis has been a staunch critic calling on donald trump to respect the status quo here to shop reports from the vatican ahead of the popes Christmas Eve mass. On this one of the most holy days of the year some Peters Square was starting to fill up a full twelve hours before pope francis will take Christmas Eve mass a traditional event taking place at a time of extraordinary up even at the vatican for many here the controversy surrounding jerusalem dates back decades and is centered on israels illegal occupation. I think its difficult for the pipe to intervene directly in politics but he is clever enough to persevere for free access to jerusalem for everyone. By the child and then. The pope speaks well jerusalem has to remain a free and not before. The pope can talk to regular people as well as World Leaders and say jerusalem belongs to everyone its home for a number of different religions. They spoke with one voice the vaticans links with true islam go back centuries this is the church of the holy cross in jerusalem consecrated in rome in three hundred a. D. On a foundation of soil and relics taken from the very hill where christians believe jesus died a little sliver of wood said have been taken from the cross draws pilgrims every day to walk in this church is to walk in the holy land the popes with response to what theyre describing here as israels land grab has been unprecedented. It is. A unique city holy to Jews Christians and muslims who worship in the city i pray to the lord that its identity will be preserved and strengthened for the benefits of the holy land of the middle east and the entire world. The vatican may be the smallest city state in the world but that hasnt stopped it vigorously disputing whats seen here as israels claim over jerusalem to be brought up at the United Nations forums across europe and the message has always been the same uncompromising and wavering jerusalem belongs to no certain people it belongs to us all. In. The vatican historian familiar with its relations with jerusalem it is the Global Center of christianity especially for the catholics here because of the vatican and jerusalem it is the location of the holy places was sacred to the christians muslims and jews so this i seen this big similarity because it is it is an issue of identity whether the National Identity prevails or the religious global events prevails for the worshippers from all over the world christmas in some Peters Square will be remembered not just for the religious experience but also for the grim reality that one of christianitys holiest cities remains under occupation peter shop al jazeera in rome. There are about half a million Palestinian Christians but many of them live in other parts of the world just over a thousand remain in the gaza strip where small christmas celebrations are planned up web reports. This is all of rosetta sires extended family and to galleries christmas. Her son went to the occupied west bank three years ago and never came back he took his two sons were worried for their future hearing gaza. One of her daughters moved to canada six years ago a family that bad other life is very difficult in gaza we live under siege and we cannot move anywhere gaza has become a big prison weve witnessed many was during the bombing we had to sleep in the church for safety the the story of rosettes family is typical among as a Small Community of christians because they are in just three churches congregations are shrinking. The population is just over a thousand it was more than double that ten years ago when the blockade by israel in egypt began they suffer the same daily struggles as the muslim majority sociologists a christian families tend to have more means to get out who sent family. Usually has. Hari socioeconomically of. And i think the more the human being has options and the more has money and you look to the to the to the life and good life and this is good life is not available in gaza even your money in gaza but you can have your life. Adding to the strife is the u. S. Recognition of jerusalem as the capital of israel. Here in this Community Center christians are holding a vigil in solidarity for jerusalem as palestines capital the feeling among Christian Communities very much the same as it is among the muslim majority everyone weve spoken to see here is it off position to the u. S. Move and they say it only adds to the frustrations of life here. There are many muslims here too the communities care exist. Its a suburb runs the center he says they do everything they can to try and provide support for young people. To do what they need to do what they must do in their lives as young do you have to walk your can see a lot of them who want to leave and i know that you believe this is more secure more comfortable for them to come for sure many young people here say they like gaza just that on the seat there are no opportunities here. Almost anyone who can leave and so this Small Christian Community is getting smaller malcolm web al jazeera in gaza. Nations we can speak to harry force it whos at the church just outside the old city of jerusalem so harry missed all the recent tension whats the atmosphere like. Well for christians the policy christians for the met many other christians who come to though the land at this time of year obviously things have to some extent been dampened by the political back and forth that weve seen over the last few weeks but still it is Christmas Eve and many people are preparing to celebrate that and to the market with prayer and so here at the not a damn church there is potentially the the most significant of the Midnight Masses at least in jerusalem which is due to take place little bit later on tonight hundreds of people are expected to attend be they local Palestinian Christians be they visitors from abroad as for the other perhaps better known Christian Churches in the old city itself the church of the holy settle would be having a Midnight Mass really be the focus of christian attention at this time of year is on bethlehem the birthplace of jesus so that is where a lot of the major events are taking place but on the less those the distain here will be able to have their prayers here tonight as for the the general attitude towards this declaration well from the Christian Churches and it has been pretty strong the head of the orthodox patriarch it has been extremely strong in his condemnation of the move we were filming inside the holy settle to church the other day and one of the people whos been attached to that church pretty extreme a long time grown up with it the former secretary there he was telling us that really that that the wanted what the u. S. President had done was to make jerusalem a politically contestable and city again and take it away from the the the three faiths and marking marking christmas in a way that would would allow the three faiths to have full. Recognition and and not be in the middle of this political maelstrom not of jerusalem is ever very far from politics obviously and israel has come under a set amount of criticism whats been the response set from Israeli Cabinet which met any. Thats right sunday morning is the usual Cabinet Meeting and the israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu was very strong in his condemnation in turn of Mahmoud Abbas the palestinian president who in paris on friday so that the u. S. Had proved itself a dishonest mediator with this move on jerusalem and therefore he would reject any u. S. Peace plan coming forward the israeli Prime Minister said that just meant that the palestinians in his praise already again were turning away from peace and were the ones at fault for doing so he also spoke about israels attitude towards the un in light of the Un General Assembly vote that took place earlier this week on thursday and he said that israel would speed through its its letter to divest itself from the unesco organization by the end of this week i by the end of this year which would mean that israel will be leaving unesco by the end of twenty eighteen Harry Fawcett thank you very much indeed and were doing a special program on the tension over stations of jewish in this Christmas Eve watch the holy land at twenty one thirty g. M. T. On sunday here which is here more than two hundred people are dead and many more missing after a Tropical Storm devastated the southern philippines tens of thousands have been forced from their homes and a state of emergency has been declared in several areas brian reports from the capital manila. Digging through the devastation caused by Tropical Storm tembin these rescue workers use whatever they can to find survivors but hope quickly turns to anguish as one of the youngest casualties is pulled from the mud. Was after run leashing flooding and landslides that has left dozens dead on the Southern Island of mindanao tembin slammed into another set of Philippine Islands late on saturday. Officials say People Living in the area ignored warnings to leave and were swept away. By the flood was already close and the people were not able to get out of their homes the thought was so strong that it swept away houses Emergency Responders say rocks and boulders some as big as cars were washed down from the mountains and buried schools and homes in the town different. More than seventy thousand people have been displaced in a region already ravaged by the governments fight with ice a linked groups aid organizations have criticised the governments response to something that is not shouldnt be a surprise to the Philippine Government and. So it is also they questionable when and of government is not prepared to give relief and to give help to the people then this things happen because they should be right. Tropical storm time bin is the latest to hit the philippines which is battered by about twenty major storms each year making it one of the worlds most disaster prone countries and while the storm is now heading out over the South China Sea towards vietnam the devastation its caused will continue to bring misery. Bridle jazeera manila Richard Gordon from the Philippine Red Cross says aid is needed in some mindanao as most remote areas. Well its pretty bad that you consider. Hundreds of them and. Makes the house just about anywhere almost any certain areas that are hard to beach thats why these are basically the errors i mean to get the urban centers but i think that the poorest offices and the army are you often see them flippant and now. We have a hundred seventy thousand people the fact that. We havent was that people with no hope at the moment. Im sure that world. We are just in wonder i wish that water tankers were a dirty. Opes the people were trying to provide pretty tadpoles contracts like tomorrow. Will bring the cost of directly there for five hundred families and the next day about i dont know if i want it but youve got to start to look at what they want why elsewhere in the philippines five five to say theres no chance of finding survivors in a bent out Shopping Mall in the city of devout thirty seven people were trapped twenty five broke out on saturday if you let king in office on the top floor president were going to test his visit to the scene to talk to survive as and relatives of the missing. Coming up on the news hour russias Opposition Leader says hes got the backing needed to take next years president ial election. A month after a new president was sworn in we find out what life is like inside the new zimbabwe. And in sport the gulf cup prepares for its second round of matches with the hosts already in. North korea has described the latest round of u. N. Sanctions imposed on the country as an act of war its state News Agency Says a stronger Nuclear Deterrent program is the only way to frustrate the u. S. Imposed extra measures on pyongyang on friday. Intercontinental Ballistic Missile test. The story from seoul. North korea called the latest round of Un Security Council sanctions imposed on it as a threat as a violation of its sovereignty as well as an act that would violate peace and stability in the region it also seemed to direct much of its anger at the u. S. Who led drafted and negotiated this latest round of sanctions now one interesting thing however is north korea seems to acknowledge that these latest sanctions are the toughest ever that its faithing it called it tantamount to a complete economic blockade as not only a significant cap on petrol supplies the sanctions also call for the repatriation of north Korean Foreign labor as within the next twenty four months hitting an important income source for the isolated country it also calls for an ban on north korean exports including machinery and lumber again hitting north koreas income source there isnt however any indication in the statement that north korea will change its behavior in fact the tone is one of defiance but this is very much in line with previous statements in reaction to past sanctions many analysts have come to believe that the world is running out of sanctions options when it comes to dealing with north korea now the hope however is that these sanctions will have the effect of making it more difficult for north korea to carry out further tests or new sanctions are aimed at cutting deliveries of refined petrol products by navy ninety percent all North Koreans working abroad will have to return home within two years they wont be able to send for currency back home theyll be a ban on exports of north korean goods such as machinery and Electrical Equipment and then also be a crackdown on the ships smuggling banned goods and to preventing the transport of coal and oil. In cheek bone is a Research Fellow for the institute for north korean studies at you and Say University he says. Or do whatever necessary to ensure the regime doesnt collapse and north koreas percivale Nuclear Weapons and into clinton missiles is to serve only one goal whi