Good afternoon and welcome to bbc news. The duke of edinburgh has returned to sandringham in time for christmas after leaving hospital in london. Prince phillip, whos 98, spent four nights in the king edward vii hospital on the advice of his doctor. In her Christmas Day message the queen will describe 2019 as a bumpy year. Heres our royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell. Afterfour nights in the king edward vii hospital, the duke emerged this morning and walked slowly but without assistance to the waiting vehicle. There has been no information about the reason for his stay at the hospital. In the past he has been treated there for bladder and chest infections. Whatever the nature of this latest episode, the duke has satisfied his doctors that he is well enough to return home. The helicopter from Buckingham Palace to the sandringham estate where the royal family are gathering for christmas. In her christmas broadcast, the queen will talk about a past year which has felt quite bumpy. She hasnt clarified what has felt quite bumpy which will invite speculation. She has talked about reconciliation. The obvious conclusion is that this is a coded message from britain part the obvious conclusion is that this is a coded message from britains head of state, urging the country to move on. She also says in the broadcast that small steps can overcome long held differences. But references to a bumpy year may also be in reference to her own family, after a year which began with the duke of edinburghs Road Accident which continued with the duke and duchess of sussex complaining about the problems of of being in the public eye, and which culminated most recently about the controversies surrounding Prince Andrew, forcing him to step back from public duties. For the queen who arrived in norfolk en route to sandringham at the end of last week, there is at least the reissuance of knowing that her husband will be with her over christmas. Harry and meghan will be absent. They are in canada. This is the Online Christmas card, a picture of them with their son archie. And earlier Nicholas Witchell gave me his thoughts on the queens Christmas Day message. What did she mean by this reference toa bumper what did she mean by this reference to a bumper year . What did she mean by this reference to a bumperyear . We what did she mean by this reference to a bumper year . We shall find out. She might talk about a path to reconciliation going past deep divisions, so i think shes talking about the political situation, the divisions in the country caused by brexit. I think thats the focus. But it has been a difficult year for the royal family. Not but it has been a difficult year for the royalfamily. Not on but it has been a difficult year for the royal family. Not on the scale of 1992 or 1997 when Princess Diana was killed, but a difficult yearfor all of the obvious reasons, including the recent news with Prince Andrew. Charlotte gallagher is in sandringham for us where the queen has been in residence since friday. Is it too early to suspect he might be attending . We dont know if Prince Philip will attend. He didnt go last year. Hes just been discharged from hospital. Since he retired in 2017 weve seen him a lot less in public. We are possibly expecting to see Prince William and catherines oldest children, george and charlotte, we think they could be making their debut, if you like, on Christmas Day, for that service because theyve never been there before. We also think Prince Andrew will be there. There was speculation he wouldnt attend because of the scrutiny which has been on him because of his friendship with jeffrey epstein. Apparently he will be attending tomorrow with the rest of his family. Meghan and harry wont be there, they are in canada. A lot of little girls were really excited to see her at church, especially to see what she would be wearing, but staff are expecting 6000 people here tomorrow. So despite us having a bumpy year, as the queen put it, peoples excitement about seeing the royals is high. A bit ofa about seeing the royals is high. A bit of a lift for the queen to have Prince Philip there because christmas is the focus of their celebrations. The royal family open their presents on Christmas Eve. This comes from albert, who was german, and it is a tradition to open christmas presents on Christmas Eve. Apparently they give each otherjoke presents. 0ne year the duchess of cambridge a p pa re ntly year the duchess of cambridge apparently gave prince harry a grow your own girlfriend set. 0bviously does not need that now. One year Prince Charles apparently got a padded toilet seat. Tomorrow they will go to church. They will have their christmas dinner. Then a p pa re ntly their christmas dinner. Then apparently the whole family will settle down and watch the Christmas Day message together with the queen and the same room, and i imagine not and the same room, and i imagine not a lot of people will be having a day like that chuckles especially not with the toilet seat thanks very much for that. Boris johnson and Jeremy Corbyn have thanked nhs staff and other Public Servants who work through the holidays in their christmas messages. The Prime Minister said the uk stood in solidarity with christians around the world who have faced persecution for their beliefs. Mr corbyn said it had been a difficult year for many but christmas was a chance to reflect on hopes for a better world. We are hearing more about the Prime Ministers plans for the new year. What do we know . The Prime Minister will be heading to the private caribbean island to see in the new year, staying with friends, but hes not going just yet, we just learned hes taking a call in downing street from the president of turkey. He will be spending Christmas Day in downing street with his partner and dog. He sent out a christmas message, as you said, praising doctors, nurses, police, and army members working over christmas, and highlighting the plight of christians. Some people might say, you are off to the caribbean, you deserve it, but he will open himself up deserve it, but he will open himself up to some criticism. Yes, how will that play politically . A labour source has said that borisjohnson isa source has said that borisjohnson is a proud member of the elite few and protector of banks and millionaires so it is no surprise he holidays with them. Perhaps he will get some stick for that. But he is paying for it himself. He is. Other leaders have travelled abroad, tony blair used to go to barbados to hang out with Cliff Richard there, David Cameron spent a lot of time in cornwall, but he also travelled abroad. Theresa may famously stayed at home for walking holidays, one in snowdonia where she called that infamous snap election. We need to distinguish between the personal and political for borisjohnson. Distinguish between the personal and political for Boris Johnson. He distinguish between the personal and politicalfor borisjohnson. He has banned ministers from going to davos, the annual economic gathering in the swiss resort. A downing street source told the Evening Standard that at the time of the ban oui standard that at the time of the ban our focus is delivering for the people, not for having champagne with billionaires. Alexander the hosted a party the night after Boris Johnson got his landslide victory, in contrast to that, and it was reported to have been a champagne and caviar fuelled christmas reported to have been a champagne and caviarfuelled christmas party. There is a bit of celebrity and politician in Boris Johnson, there is a bit of celebrity and politician in borisjohnson, which people talk about, so its no surprise he goes to these parties. But when he is in the caribbean for his new year holiday, there is no suggestion he will be handing over power to any deputy, so he will still be very much in charge. There is always a focus on where leaders go on holiday, but wherever they are they are still on the job. Thats right. And he has a huge agenda outlined and when he gets back in january he will be going straight to parliament to get his brexit bill through and get on with the job. Come february, we are expecting a relaunch and a reshuffling of the cabinet, and he might turn to more domestic issues that we have not had a lot of time to talk about the last three and a half years. Chuckles yes, indeed. Who will be covering that trip to the caribbean, will you be going . With a young family i wont be travelling, might you be available . I am sure there will be plenty of volunteers. Thanks very much. People in the australian state of New South Wales have been showing their gratitude to volunteer firefighters battling huge bushfires by donating christmas presents. Since september close to 3,000 firefighters have been out every day trying to control the fires which have engulfed vast areas. 0ur correspondent phil mercer reports koalas and other Australian Animals are the unseen victims of the fires. Much of their habitat has been destroyed and the survivors need all the help they can get. The true extent of australias bushfire crisis is gradually emerging as the charred remains of devastated towns are inspected. Since the start ofjuly, the authorities here in New South Wales say almost a thousand homes have been destroyed by the bushfires. This property was devoured by flames that tore up through a gully at the back. Communities like this terrorised by fires that in many places are simply burning out of control. We just want to make sure that you guys have got stuff for your community. The damage would be far worse without the efforts of volunteer firefighters. Here in buxton locals have been showing their appreciation to those who have been working around the clock to keep the town safe. It is just overwhelming support with presents and stuff for the kids. I havent even done any Christmas Shopping or anything for my daughter. She will turn ten on january the 11th. Yes, just thank you very much. To boost the emergency efforts the australian Prime Minister, scott morrison, says that volunteer firefighters who have jobs in the Public Service will be given four weeks paid leave. Some have been battling the fires for months and with no end in sight to the crisis, a long, dangerous summer lies ahead. Phil mercer, bbc news, New South Wales. Police in new zealand say they have called off the search for the bodies of two people still missing since the white island volcano eruption earlier this month. Police said their decision follows extensive shoreline and aerial searches. The bodies of Hayden Bryan Marshall Inman and 17 year old Winona Jane Langford are thought to be in the water off the island. Winonas parents were among the 19 People Killed by the eruption. At least 26 people have died in indonesia when a bus plunged into a ravine. The bus left the city of beng kulu with 50 passengers on board. Rescue teams and volunteers evacuated the survivors, who were trapped on the bus, before taking them to nearby hospitals. Thousands of children in care are living more than 100 miles from their family and friends in places they have never heard of according to a report by the children 5 commissioner for england. More than 30,000 children in care are placed out of area, which is a 13 increase over five years. While some children are placed further afield for their own safety, to protect them from criminal gangs or sexual predators, many have to move away because of a shortage of local places. The increasing number of children now is really a result of the increasing number of teenagers coming into care. Theyre less likely to go into foster care, more likely to go into childrens homes. The majority of childrens homes are in areas of the country where accommodation is cheaper lincolnshire, the north west, kent. This means they are sent to these places and often moved around. Children tell me not only do they feel they do not know where they are on the map, they do not know how long they will be there, they dont have access to school properly, and actually they feel it is some kind of punishment. This is, you know, a crucial time of growing up, a crucial time where they need school, they need friendships and they need to be able to plan their future. Police in hong kong have fired tear gas at protesters whod gathered for a mass Christmas Eve rally. Activists had gathered on the streets and in shopping centres. Some had thrown objects at police and officers responded by beating some demonstrators with batons. Earlier, police had warned protesters against gathering in shopping malls following an Online Campaign by activists. Thousands of people have been arrested since the unrest began injune. The headlines on bbc news. The duke of edinburgh has left hospital in time to spend christmas with the queen at sandringham. The queen will use her Christmas Day message to say the past year has been quite bumpy adding that small steps can heal divisions. Thousands of volunteer Fire Fighters will spend Christmas Day battling wildfires that are still ravaging australia. Doctors are warning of the dangers posed by small button batteries that can be found in toys, Christmas Lights and musical cards. If swallowed, the batteries can burn through a childs throat in a short period of time. The Child Accident trust says two children a year die in the uk from swallowing the batteries. 0ur Health Correspondent Dominic Hughes has more. Claire still remembers vividly the events of 2015. At the age of two, her daughter sophie came dangerously close to death after swallowing a button battery. It badly damaged her throat and burned a hole in her lung, leaving sophie in intensive care and needing multiple operations. If they swallow one and they leave it, it can be fatal. And if it wasnt for my Quick Response and getting up there, because within two hours it had already done damage, it is not worth thinking about, really. They are really dangerous and things escalate so quickly. This speeded up footage shows how fast a button battery can cause damage. Slices of ham represent the delicate tissues of the throat, saliva reacts with the battery to release caustic chemicals. Within two hours, the flesh is already scorched. Senior doctors say it is important that batteries in toys, lights, clothing and cards are kept safe. Because children mistake these things as sweets, keep them out of reach where they cant get to them. If they come in compartments, in toys, christmas cards, make sure they are in there, locked away if possible. Better to prevent than have to go to an a e department, but if you do have to go, our great nhs staff will be there to remove the battery. Sophie has made a good recovery and her mum knows it was a close call. And not an experience anyone else should go through. Dominic hughes, bbc news. A Record Number of cattle nearly 115,000 were slaughtered because of bovine tuberculosis last year, and the disease is being considered a significant Animal Health problem for the uk. Now one farmer on the west coast of wales is fighting back. Hes trialling a new kind of test that could help spot infected cows that are being missed by current checks. Heres our science correspondent richard westcott, it may look idyllic, but theres a shadow hanging over this welsh dairy farm. Injust three years, more than half the herd, thats 320 animals, have been slaughtered because of bovine tuberculosis. Its been quite astonishing the. I use the word devastation that its caused my business. No one likes getting onto a sinking ship every morning, and thats how it feels because, you know, were constantly losing animals, 25 to 35 every test. In a bid to save his farm, chris and his vet rob have been given government permission to try something different. The current tb test is prone to miss infected animals, who then rejoin the herd. So they are amongst the first to trial a new type of test that should be better at finding those missed infections. I think the difference it could make is we will detect animals sooner, be able to manage or remove those animals before they become infectious and therefore overall we should be able to shortcut the disease and stop the reinfection of animals within the herd. At the university of nottingham, one of the scientists who devised the new technique analyses blood from wales. Current tests involve giving an animal parts of tb bacteria and seeing how it skin reacts. But it doesnt always work. The new technique uses a virus called a phage to smash open the cells of any tb in the blood and pull out its dna. This machine can then spot it, even if there is only a tiny amount. If you have really good testing you have the skin test and then you have this additional test on top of it, is that enough, do you think, to ultimately get the country clear . I hope so. I really believe that. And if our test is part of the toolbox that helps us control the disease, thats all we are after. Initial results from wales look promising. 18 high risk animals recently given the all clear by the official tests came up as infected with the new technique. But they have to test hundreds more animals in many different areas before we know for sure if this is an effective new weapon against the old disease that we still cant control. Richard westcott, bbc news, ceredigion on the west coast of wales. Asia bibi spent nearly 10 years injail in pakistan, facing a death sentence for alleged blashphemy. She will celebrate this christmas as a free woman, after being released earlier this year, but the country s blasphemy laws remain intact. Human Rights Groups say Blasphemy Allegations are often used in pakistan as a way of settling personal feuds or targeting minority groups in the country. Secunder kermani reports. For years, asia bibis father prayed for her release. This summer, as she was flown out of the country after nearly a decade on death row, he spoke to her on a relatives phone. Translation i was so happy i saw her face and she held her hands up in front of me and said, father, forgive me. Then i started crying and i said, go, my daughter. May god protect you. Asia bibi was accused of having insulted the Prophet Muhammad during an argument whilst working inafield. A prominent muslim politician was murdered for speaking in her defence. Hardliners took to the streets when pakistans highest court overruled her conviction last year. Eventually she was freed and fled abroad with her children and husband. The rest of her family are still in pakistan. They had to leave their village when asia bibi was first accused of blasphemy. Translation i do get angry, but what can you do with anger . We are labourers, poor people. The verdict in asia bibis case was welcomed around the world, but pakistans blasphemy laws remain in place. Despite the release of asia bibi, activists say courts are still reluctant to acquit suspects in other blasphemy cases, afraid of the reaction from fundamentalist groups. Meanwhile, new cases continue to be filed. At least a dozen people have been accused of blasphemy this year. This christian man faces the Death Penalty if convicted of sending blasphemous text messages. We are concealing his identity for his own protection. His lawyer, guarded by police, also defended asia bibi. He saysjudges often feel intimidated. They do whatever the prosecution lawyer is asking. They go after him. They dont listen to the accuseds lawyer and the way they sit, putting their faces down, frightened. To see that they are frightened, its awful. The jailed mans family had been hoping he would be released on bail in time for christmas. That has not happened. Translation for me having to cope with everything alone is so difficult. In the past few days he got badly beaten up because there was some argument between the inmates over prayers. Across pakistan, christian neighbourhoods are preparing to celebrate. The community no longer faces the same level of threat from militant groups that it did even five years ago, but a continued trickle of Blasphemy Allegations leaves many feeling marginalised. Residents in villages in the falkirk area of scotland were left without power for a number of hours earlier after a car left the road and hit an electricity pylon. It happened on the a905 at airth forcing the road to be closed, which may now be shut for most of the day. The Scottish Ambulance service said a male casualty was taken to the forth valley royal hospital. Pilgrims from around the world are gathering in the biblical city of bethlehem to celebrate christmas in the holy land. Hundreds of people watched as palestinian scouts paraded to the sound of drums as Christmas Eve festivities got under way around the church of the nativity. People have been queuing to visit the grotto inside it, which is believed to be the exact site wherejesus was born. Earlier the archbishop of the latin patriarch ofjerusalem and the most senior Roman Catholic official in the middle east, arrived at manger square ahead of religious services. Figures from the Polling Company yougov suggest 12 of shoppers will be out on the high street today hunting for christmas bargains. In years gone by last minute shopping hasnt brought any real savings but thats changing as struggling retailers continue discounting right up to the big day. 0ur Consumer Affairs correspondent Colletta Smith followed three shoppers on their last minute dash. Racing through the shops just hours before christmas, scott still has gifts to find. And hes not alone. Joining him for the last minute dash is his disorganised mate dean. Theirfriend nick makes it three dads in the final frenzy. But are they the modern day Three Wise Men . Ive got an idea of what i need to get. Ive got a cheeseboard. What, youve made a list . For my son. Cheese, bread. No, actually thats the wrong list. Is thatjust your Shopping List . So its usually Christmas Eve, we go shopping every year, in a panic situation. Usually end upjust in the pub. They are certainly not alone. More than one in ten of us doing our shopping in december will finish present buying in the final 48 hours. Describe your daughter to me. She is eight. No, shes not oh, my god but this year, could scott and his mates actually be making the best choice . Thank you very much. Merry christmas. Yes, you too. Sue used to be a top director at house of fraser. She says the early sales are bad news for retailers but good news for shoppers. This year there are some great things on offer at very reduced prices, because many retailers, after black friday at the end of november, have maintained their reductions and gone on their winter sale, normally on boxing day, a bit earlier. The biggest problem with last minute buying is the panic factor. Debt Charities Warn that despite decent offers, people are more likely to become desperate and blow the budget as a result. So will the lads stick to their 11th hour Shopping Habits . I dont really plan, but, yeah, it always seems to sort itself out after a while. Its probably not the best way to do it, but then you do get the odd little bargain so you think, oh, its worth doing, rather than just buying online. Probably still be here on Christmas Eve next year but, again, ill probably do quite a lot of it online. Perhaps not exactly the Three Wise Men, but their last minute present dash is no longer the daft idea it once was. Colletta smith, bbc news in manchester. Now its time for a look at the weather with darren. Better be quick, they probably close soon. We have showers around, and some winds in southern england. Earlier on we had thunderstorms, they have faded away, this is where we have most of the showers, still further north, as well. These are the temperatures towards the latter pa rt the temperatures towards the latter part of the afternoon and early evening. Mild across southern parts. Chilly in the north of scotland. The wind will change direction this evening and overnight to a north westerly. Itll feed showers in off the irish sea, particularly up in off the irish sea, particularly up towards northern scotland. Many showers fade overnight. Sky is clear and things will be chilly by the morning. These are the temperatures we are looking at. A touch of ground frost. Some fog patches but not a problem in the morning. Plenty of sunshine to come. Showers across northern scotland will fade away. More cloud coming into ireland later. Lovely day Christmas Day. Temperatures lower across the southern half the uk. Travelling into the evening . Take note, areas of fog developing, particularly across Northern England and down towards the midlands and east anglia. They can be dent early in the night, but should be gone by boxing day morning. Hello this is bbc news. The headlines the duke of edinburgh has left hospital in time to spend christmas with the queen at sandringham. The queen will use her Christmas Day message to say the past year has been quite bumpy, adding that small steps can heal divisions. Thousands of volunteer Fire Fighters will spend Christmas Day battling wildfires that are still ravaging australia. A warning from nhs england to parents, keep button batteries, the type found in toys, festive lights, and musical christmas cards, away from children. Doris day, clive james, Toni Morrison and Albert Finney just a few of those whose lives are now celebrated now in review 2019 we remember
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