live from london, this is bbc news. prince harry wins his phone—hacking case and is awarded £140,000 damages. in a statement, he described it as "a great day for truth". "today's ruling is vindicating and affirming. i've been told that slaying dragons will get you burnt, but in light of today's victory and the importance of doing what is needed for a free and honest press, it is a worthwhile price to pay." these are the live pictures outside the home of the former daily mirror editor piers morgan, expected to make a statement in a few minutes. the israeli army says it's retrieved the bodies of three hostages — a civilian and two soldiers —

who were captured by hamas on october 7th. what now for ukraine, after hungary's prime minister blocks a 55—billion—dollar eu aid package and threatens to �*pull the handbrake�* on future payments? hundreds gather at sydney opera house to remember comedy superstar barry humphries. welcome to verified live. let me show you the pictures from outside the home of the former daily mirror editor piers morgan. we are expecting a statement from him in the next few minutes. it comes after prince harry won his phone hacking case against the publishers of the daily mirror. courtjudge ruled this morning that on 15 occasions, the duke of sussex was the victim of

hacking or other unlawful methods of getting stories about him. we will return to that story in a moment. i also want to show you pictures from toulouse. we expect an update on that extraordinary story that broke 2a hours ago that the british teenager alex batty, do you back in the uk in the next few days after he was found in france after being missing for six years. we have heard details from british police in the last 2a hours, but we expect to hear from the french authorities in the next while. and you can see a bit of activity on the picture feed now. so just in the process of setting up. we will stay with these pictures because it looks like that will start. the family of alex batty massively relieved, that is a quote

from them, after going through a range of emotions. his priority now or the priority of the british police was to get him back into the uk safely. and for six years, he disappeared. they spoke in a video call last night, his legal guardian his grandmother and they are making preparations for his return. but so much to establish in terms of what happened in the intervening six years. the bbc talked to boy's grandmother few years ago and she talked about her anguish after the of alex. and no knowledge at that stage about his whereabouts. it was thought the family had gone on a retreat to morocco. the first

glimpse of alex batty came yesterday when he was found just wandering, walking in the hills by a driver who then talked to him and asked him his name and then searched on the internet and found that there was a search for him and then took him to a police station. and that is where the story has ended in terms of that official announcement that alex batty had been found. we are just seeing the beginnings of that briefing from the french authorities. when there is more, we will return to that. let's move on whilst we wait to hear from the french authorities and return to our main story. prince harry has won his phone hacking case against the publishers of the daily mirror. a high courtjudge ruled this morning that on 15 occasions,

the duke of sussex was the victim of hacking or other unlawful methods of getting stories about him. he's been awarded £1a0,000 in damages. in a statement, prince harry said "it's a great day for the truth" and called on the police to launch a criminal investigation into mirror group newspapers. prince harry wasn't in court, but his team read out a statement. my his team read out a statement. ij�*i commitment his team read out a statement. m: commitment to his team read out a statement. m; commitment to seeing this through is based on my belief in our need and collective right to a free and honest press. and one which is properly accountable when necessary. that is what we need in britain and across the globe. today's ruling is vindicating and affirming. i've been told that slaying dragons will get you burnt, but in light of today's victory and the importance of doing what is needed for a free and honest press, it is a worthwhile price to pay. the mission continues.

let's talk to evan harris, your reaction to what we've seen in this judgment today?— judgment today? well, it is very si . nificant judgment today? well, it is very significant both _ judgment today? well, it is very significant both for— judgment today? well, it is very significant both for the - judgment today? well, it is very| significant both for the claimant, and i work as a legal analyst now for the claimants, previously executive director of the hacked off campaign, and more generally, because of what prince harry says about the need for the police and prosecution authorities to look at matters. and let's be clear, it is notjust matters. and let's be clear, it is not just about phone matters. and let's be clear, it is notjust about phone hacking, although thejudge found notjust about phone hacking, although the judge found shockingly that it continued at mirror group and i suspect not only mirror group, even up until and during the leveson inquiry. an inquiry that was set up to investigate phone hacking. they were carrying on doing it, such was their sense of impunity. but not only that, that criminality that was so widespread and long lasting, but

the concealment, the cover—up. because for example, and you are outside his house with your camera so we will see what the latest denials are, but the judge said explicitly that piers morgan knew about and used unpublished stories based on phone hacking and other unlawful activity. based on phone hacking and other unlawfulactivity. for based on phone hacking and other unlawful activity. for example, the ulrika johnson and sven story, they said that clearly came from hacking her agent's mobile phone. what he says now won't be on oath and a judge has found that he was guilty of this activity and knowing about it and therefore, he gave false evidence to the leveson inquiry. and he should be giving statements on oath in court, not outside his house attacking the claimants and the whistle—blowers who have clearly been shown to be telling the truth all the way along.— all the way along. evan harris, i hoe all the way along. evan harris, i hone you _ all the way along. evan harris, i hone you can — all the way along. evan harris, i hope you can stay _ all the way along. evan harris, i hope you can stay with - all the way along. evan harris, i hope you can stay with us. -

we will go back to toulouse and what the authorities are saying in the news conference, so let's hear about it. translation: . ., translation: in that moment, the mother spent _ translation: in that moment, the mother spent two _ translation: in that moment, the mother spent two weeks _ translation: in that moment, the mother spent two weeks in - translation: in that moment, the mother spent two weeks in spain i translation: in that moment, the l mother spent two weeks in spain and went back to morocco. but in that moment, the british authorities started to declare alex batty as missing. and it is from that moment onwards, from the 10th of august 2017, that the authorities have launched an investigation to know where alex batty is and also, where alex batty�*s mother was. because this was going against the decision of the britishjudicial this was going against the decision of the british judicial system to give, for the grandmother to be the political guardian of alex batty. he spent two years in morocco. after

that, alex is not able to give us the exact surroundings of where he was in the pyrenees mountains, but it appears, according to his tales, that he moved from the east side of the pyrenees all the way and he left to spend time travelling across the different places in the pyrenees, without settling anywhere. he never stayed very long exactly where he was. but when his mother said to alex that they needed to go to finland, alex batty decided to stop this journey and left his finland, alex batty decided to stop thisjourney and left his mum and started to walk for four days and four nights. he was mainly walking

at night. and sleeping during the day. he then walked until he found out, until he encountered a young person who brought him and got him by car. later on, he was walking through gardens and sleeping in areas in the wilderness. and then he was found on wednesday night. and a french man found him in a car and saw him. a man who was doing deliveries in the evening. alex batty does not speak french, so the man and alex was speaking in english. and the teenager said straightaway that he wanted to be protected, that he was afraid. and

alex stayed with the french man while he, the driver, continues his deliveries, where he is delivering pills to different pharmacies across france. and then the french man, the driver ended up calling the police in the morning to then know what to do next. the local authorities where the frenchman lives told him, gave them a meeting point and then alex batty arrived and was immediately transferred to a research unit in france that operates and follows this investigation. to summarise the conditions in which alex was living throughout all these years, alex was living with his mum and the father of his mum. he has described that

there was no physical violence from anyone. he has described, he has described that, talked about a spiritual community. he has not mentioned the term of a cult. we still need to find out more about the exact details, but there were apparently a phobia around certain elements of life, which meant that the family would travel in a community, around ten people from one time, people were coming in and out at all times. so that at no point, there was anything settled, they were constantly on the move, in

different communities, there would always be different people in the houses. they would feed themselves, they would feed themselves from local and rural lifestyle. they would talk about reincarnation. they would talk about reincarnation. they would talk about themselves as individuals. he still maintained to the police officer that at no point he was second stated or locked in, but he still said that he needed to leave along these —— that he was locked in, but he said that he needed to live along these guidelines.— needed to live along these uuidelines. , ., ., ., guidelines. piers morgan about to seak guidelines. piers morgan about to speak outside _ guidelines. piers morgan about to speak outside his _ guidelines. piers morgan about to speak outside his home. - guidelines. piers morgan about to speak outside his home. has - guidelines. piers morgan about to | speak outside his home. has ruled guidelines. piers morgan about to - speak outside his home. has ruled on vafious speak outside his home. has ruled on various cases. — speak outside his home. has ruled on various cases, including _ speak outside his home. has ruled on various cases, including prince - various cases, including prince harry's claim against mirror group newspapers where i was an editor until 200a. thejudgment findsjust until 200a. the judgment finds just one article until 200a. thejudgment findsjust one article relating to the prince

published in the daily mirror during my entire nine year tenure as my editor that he thinks may have involved some unlawful information gathering. to be clear, i had then and still have zero knowledge of how that particular story was gathered. all his other claims against the daily mirror under my leadership were rejected. with regard to the judge's other references to me in hisjudgment, i also want judge's other references to me in his judgment, i also want to reiterate as i have consistently said for many years now, i have never hacked a phone or told anybody else to hike a phone and nobody has produced any actual evidence to prove that i did. i wasn't called as a witness and it's important for people to know this, by either side in the case, nauseous to provide any statement. i would very happily have agreed to do either or both those things had i been asked. nor did i have a single conversation with any of the mirror group lawyers throughout the entire legal process. so i wasn't able to respond to the many false allegations that were spewed about me in court by old enemies of mine within acts to

grind, most of which inexplicably were not even challenged in my absence by the mirror group council. but i know the judge appears to have believed the evidence of a mince goby. believed the evidence of a mince goby, who lied about me in his new book antique lied about me in court and the whole world now knows him to be a deluded fantasist —— omid scobie. and he believed the evidence of alistair campbell, another proven liar who spun this country into an illegal war. liar who spun this country into an illegalwar. finally, iwant liar who spun this country into an illegal war. finally, i want to say this, prince harry's outrage at media intrusion into the private lives of the royal family is only matched by his own ruthless, greedy and hypocritical enthusiasm for doing it himself. he talked today about the poor —— appalling behaviour of the press. but this is a guy who has repeatedly trashed his family in public for hundreds of millions of dollars even as two of his most senior and respected members were dying, his grandparents. it is hard to imagine frankly more appalling behaviour than that. as for him saying this is a good day for truth. duke has been

repeatedly exposed in recent years as someone who wouldn't know the truth if it slapped him around his california tanned face. he demands accountability for the press, but refuses accept any for himself for smearing the royal family, his own family as a bunch of callous racists without producing a shred of proof to support those disgraceful claims. he also says he is on a mission to reform the media when it has become clear his real mission, along with his wife, is to destroy the british monarchy. and i will continue to do whatever i can to stop them.- whatever i can to stop them. merry christmas- — whatever i can to stop them. merry christmas. you _ whatever i can to stop them. merry christmas. you look _ whatever i can to stop them. merry christmas. you look very _ whatever i can to stop them. merry | christmas. you look very emotional, has this_ christmas. you look very emotional, has this been difficult for you? a brief has this been difficult for you? brief statement there from piers morgan about the ramifications of because of what we heard at the court, thatjudgment finding that court, that judgment finding that prince court, thatjudgment finding that prince harry was the victim of mobile phone hacking by mirror group newspapers. piers morgan talking about his time as editor and he

started by saying, only one article was published that had reference to his involvement. he again repeated what he has said before that he had zero knowledge of phone hacking. he said, i have never hacked a phone. he then went on to say he was never called as a witness or asked to give a statement. and he then attacked both omid scobie, who of course gave evidence in this case, and then towards the end as you heard, went on to attack prince harry at length. so those are the comments from piers morgan in the last few moments. we are talking to evan harris of the hacked off campaign group. we went away to hear the details from the french authority about the missing boy alex batty, but let's bring evan back in. we heard from piers morgan. in terms of the ramifications of what has happened today, where do

you think this now goes, do you echo what we heard earlier from you think this now goes, do you echo what we heard earlierfrom prince harry, the call for the metropolitan police to look at this again? i do. police to look at this again? i do, but i think— police to look at this again? i do, but | think it's — police to look at this again? i do, but i think it's important - police to look at this again? i do, but i think it's important that - but i think it's important that after broadcasting that click bait stuff from piers morgan that the innocent people he attacked, the witnesses, should expect me who worked with them to give a response. what you had was a defamatory attack on witnesses who the judge saw give evidence on oath like omid scobie and to thejudge evidence on oath like omid scobie and to the judge said were honest people. thejudge noted that and to the judge said were honest people. the judge noted that the mirror did not feel it wise to invite piers morgan to give evidence under oath. when he lasted that at the leveson inquiry, brian leveson said he found him wholly unconvincing. the findings into day'sjudgment unconvincing. the findings into day's judgment by unconvincing. the findings into day'sjudgment by a judge unconvincing. the findings into day's judgment by a judge to over eight weeks, looked at thousands of documents, heard from dozens of witnesses and had every opportunity

for the mirror group to defend their practice. after all, they were saying one of the articles piers morgan had published about prince harry and there were more than one, because only a fifth of the articles were up for trial so there is another 100 and something including many under his editorship that he didn't mention, the mirror's position was none of those were unlawfully obtained, but they chose not to rely on piers morgan to defend them and there is a reason for that. defend them and there is a reason forthat. because defend them and there is a reason for that. because he has no credibility, given what another judge sir brian leveson said and given the fact the mirror group has paid out hundreds of thousands, if not millions of pounds of damages to victims of articles written by the daily mirror under his editorship. so either piers morgan knew nothing about the way that all his scoops were obtained, which makes him the worst editor ever to have stalked the streets of fleet street, or as the streets of fleet street, or as the judge found today, he did the streets of fleet street, or as thejudge found today, he did no, he was involved in criminality and he

has been lying about it ever since. he is a ranter. he attacks people who attack him. but i think there is a real problem now with the allegations he has made about dishonesty about other people who a judge has found were telling the truth. he really ought to be careful how much of his defamatory allegations are continue to be broadcast. allegations are continue to be broadcast-— broadcast. and it is worth underlining _ broadcast. and it is worth underlining what - broadcast. and it is worth underlining what he - broadcast. and it is worth underlining what he also. broadcast. and it is worth . underlining what he also said broadcast. and it is worth - underlining what he also said was repeated what he has said before and what you referenced that he claims to have never had knowledge, zero knowledge of phone hacking. i hear what you are saying. but in terms of what you are saying. but in terms of what i assume originally, what do you think should happen now as regards who looks into what has flowed out of today? —— what i asked you. do you think the metropolitan police should look both that the mirror group newspapers and perhaps individuals as well? yes. mirror group newspapers and perhaps individuals as well?— individuals as well? yes, clearly. the police _ individuals as well? yes, clearly. the police need _ individuals as well? yes, clearly. the police need to _

individuals as well? yes, clearly. the police need to do _ individuals as well? yes, clearly. the police need to do their - individuals as well? yes, clearly. the police need to do theirjob. i the police need to do theirjob. that means reading yourjudgments, look at the underlying material that was deployed in public court. then they have to consider the criminality that a judge in a court of law after an eight—week public trial has found that piers morgan was guilty of is an example, not just piers morgan, but he is an example. and secondly, that by definition, he could not have told the truth under oath at the leveson inquiry. and that is a serious matter, perjury. phone hacking is bad enough, but perjury is a serious matter. i believe that piers morgan is entitled to due process, something he denies to the other people that he tends to defame. and libel. but that process, that due process now needs to start with the police and prosecution authorities taking action. and i think talk tv, if they are a proper regulated broadcast in this country, will have to suspend him pending the outcome

of these allegations. because one of their presenters has been accused of serious criminality and when it happens to someone else at the bbc or another channel, happens to someone else at the bbc oranother channel, he happens to someone else at the bbc or another channel, he is the first to say that they must go. he must swallow his own medicine and he has to stand down now. let swallow his own medicine and he has to stand down now.— to stand down now. let me ask you more broadly _ to stand down now. let me ask you more broadly away _ to stand down now. let me ask you more broadly away from _ to stand down now. let me ask you more broadly away from piers - to stand down now. let me ask you - more broadly away from piers morgan, do you think as a result of what has happened today, it opens the door to more cases here on phone hacking? well, yes and no. thejudge said that certain cases today were out of time and i don't know what will happen to that because that is something that may well be appealed, i have no inside information on that. because it seems to many people unfair to say that you were too late when it was concealed and you didn't know what was going on. but there are other cases running including prince harry's against news group newspapers where as someone who has worked on that case, i can tell you the evidence is even stronger than in the mirror and there is litigation now against the

daily mail which has recently given prince harry and baroness lawrence and others permission to go forward. and thejudge made and others permission to go forward. and the judge made findings today at the use of private investigators for criminal activity that with the same private investigators used by those of the newspapers and therefore, it is a real blow for them as well, i would say, to find a judge has already ruled that the people they were using the newsgathering were doing things illegally and that the mirrorjournalists doing things illegally and that the mirror journalists and doing things illegally and that the mirrorjournalists and editors knew that they were doing it illegally and oversee the claimants will say the same applies to other newspapers. the same applies to other newspapers-— the same applies to other newsa ers. , , ., newspapers. interesting listening to david sherborne _ newspapers. interesting listening to david sherborne who _ newspapers. interesting listening to david sherborne who said _ newspapers. interesting listening to david sherborne who said no-one i david sherborne who said no—one would believe what had been established today, given how this case has been covered by the uk, so a reference perhaps to other newspapers. but back to prince harry and finally, how important in your view... if and finally, how important in your view... , ., and finally, how important in your view... ,, and finally, how important in your view... i., . and finally, how important in your view... ., , view... if you look and the daily mail website _ view... if you look and the daily mail website you _ view. .. if you look and the daily mail website you will— view... if you look and the daily mail website you will not - view... if you look and the daily mail website you will not find, l view... if you look and the daily i mail website you will not find, you will struggle to find any mention of thisjudgment against their this judgment against their competitor. thisjudgment against their competitor. itjust shows what

thisjudgment against their competitor. it just shows what a cartel of cover—up is going on in the british press. and that's why prince harry and many others feel this country is not blessed with an honest and free press. i this country is not blessed with an honest and free press.— this country is not blessed with an honest and free press. i wanted to ask ou. honest and free press. i wanted to ask you- how _ honest and free press. i wanted to ask you. how important _ honest and free press. i wanted to ask you. how important was - honest and free press. i wanted to ask you. how important was it - honest and free press. i wanted to ask you. how important was it in l ask you. how important was it in your view that prince harry went the whole way and went to trial here? we know so many other cases settled before public hearing, how important was that finally? it’s before public hearing, how important was that finally?— was that finally? it's important. there is a _ was that finally? it's important. there is a price _ was that finally? it's important. there is a price to _ was that finally? it's important. there is a price to pay - was that finally? it's important. there is a price to pay as - was that finally? it's important. there is a price to pay as he - was that finally? it's important. i there is a price to pay as he said, because not onlyjicama but also witnesses, whistle—blowing witnesses like omid scobie and dan evans formerjournalist, when they tell the truth, they get attacked by the newspapers. so there is a price to pay for this and prince harry who can look after himself has also been attacked. and none of these newspapers ever say when they are attacking him on other matters that they are doing so at the same time as they are a defendant against legal actions, which he generally

wins against them. so i think most claimants and indeed, most people who want to see a free and honest press, owe a debt of gratitude to the prince. press, owe a debt of gratitude to the prince-— press, owe a debt of gratitude to the prince. . . , ., ., the prince. evan harris, we have to leave it there. _ the prince. evan harris, we have to leave it there, but _ the prince. evan harris, we have to leave it there, but thanks - the prince. evan harris, we have to leave it there, but thanks for - leave it there, but thanks for talking to us on bbc news. i am going to take you back to those pictures in france, authority press releases and statements being made, french officials saying that british teenager alex batty who had been missing for six years, he will return to his family in the uk tomorrow. he described how they moved from place to place and how in the end, alex batty walked for four days and four nights sleeping in wilderness before he was picked up by a french delivery driver and taken to french police. those investigations continue in france, but more of the extraordinary detail linked to this storyjust being given by the french authorities. more of that here in our next edition in the next couple of

moments. you're watching bbc news. hello. it's a reasonably mild, but cloudy, day out there for most of us. most places also looking dry, which is good news after the fairly soggy start to december that many of us have seen. as we head into the weekend, a lot of dry weather around, mild and breezy, lots of cloud. but there will be increasing amounts of wind and rain across the north—west of the uk as weatherfronts move in here. not moving south too quickly because we've got high pressure that's stalling across southern parts of the uk, keeping things largely dry and keeping those weather fronts at bay, at least across much of england and wales. for the rest of the day, a bit of brightness just breaking through that cloud at times, particularly for parts of east anglia, north—east england, eastern scotland as well. the breeze coming in from a south—westerly direction. so it is fairly windy, particularly across the north—west of scotland. we could see gusts of about 50 miles per hour or more in the far north.

mild for most of us. temperatures around about 11 or 12 degrees in the west, but still a little cooler across parts of eastern england, where we're sticking in single figures. but through this evening and tonight, then, just a bit of drizzle across the north—west of scotland, most places looking dry. fair amount of cloud around, perhaps even the odd pocket of mistiness where the winds are a little bit lighter in the south. so the lowest of the temperatures will be for the south—east of england and east anglia. i think a generally mild and frost—free start to your weekend. the mild air mass is with us. you can see the orange colours on the map. the winds coming in from a south—westerly direction through the course of the weekend. so, yes, frost—free, i think we're not expecting anything wintry through the weekend, but we are expecting some wet weather on saturday. that's just going to sit across the far north—west of scotland, i think. there could be the odd spot of drizzle for south—west scotland, cumbrian fells, for instance. whereas further south, yes, a lot of cloud.

but should stay dry, mild and breezy for most of us. so around about 12 or 13 degrees, a touch warmer, in fact, than recent days, but head through saturday night into sunday, and this front really sticking around. in fact, we could see up to 175 millimetres of rain through saturday night into sunday across parts of the north—west of scotland. some rain for northern ireland, perhaps north—west england as well. but there could be some flooding issues across the north—west of scotland, where an amber weather warning is in force through the course of sunday. further south, though, you're more likely to stay dry, perhaps a bit more sunshine, in fact, for parts of southern england on sunday. looking ahead into next week, i think the wettest day is going to be tuesday. some heavy rain fairly widely. it's a little bit up and down, but a fairly cloudy and unsettled week ahead. bye— bye.

this is bbc news, the headlines: prince harry is awarded £1a0,000 in damages in his phone hacking case. he describes it — as �*a great day for truth'. the israeli army says it has retrieved the bodies of three hostages, civilian and two soldiers captured by hamas on october the 7th. a un report says the taliban is sending female abuse survivors to prison — because shelters have closed. we get reaction. and — hundreds gather — at sydney opera house — to remember the comedy superstar, barry humphries. more on all of those stories coming up more on all of those stories coming up in a moment. let's cross the bbc

sport centre where lizzie is with