good morning. welcome to breakfast with naga munchetty and rachel burden. our headlines today: the home secretary cuts short his holiday amid calls for tougher action to reduce the number of migrants crossing the channel. inside of me, there is a thin person just screaming to get out. just the one, dear? a "sensational talent", funny and generous. the acting world pays tribute to dame june whitfield, who's died at the age of 93. at least seven people have been killed in violent clashes as voters go to the polls in bangladesh. liverpool extend their lead at the top after thrashing arsenal to make it a ninth consecutive premier league victory. and it's tipped for oscar success — we speak to two of the stars of period—drama, the favourite. good morning. it is foggy out there in some parts of southern and eastern england. but a slow

brightening process through the day as the rain clears into the north sea. all the details on the rest of 2018 in around 15 minutes. it's sunday 30th december. our top story: the home secretary, sajid javid, has promised to do more to stop small boats carrying migrants across the english channel, after cutting short his holiday to deal with what he described as a "major incident". the government has come under mounting pressure to take tougher action, but mrjavid insists there "is no one easy answer". simon clemison reports. risking their lives in a tiny boat, crossing the world's busiest shipping lane — these migrants are some of the 220 that have been picked up since the beating of november alone. the number is small compared with the million or so who crossed the mediterranean three years ago. but the figure is rising — up from a dozen who successfully crossed the channel last year. the home secretary is now promising further action, but it is not yet clear what additional measures he's going to take. mps have called for more patrol boats capable of rescuing several dingies at once, but sajid javid has so far

only said he will keep the numbers under review. he has spoken of continuing to ensure more is done to intercept boats, tackle traffickers, and deter and protect migrants. sajid javid is expected to speak to the french government later. as with the relatively calm conditions, the boats show no sign of stopping. our reporter simon clemison's in doverfor us this morning. so, the home secretary on his way home. has he given any indication about what positive action they are likely to take to deal with this situation? no. quite a few words from the home secretary but not clarity yet, i don't think, on exactly what those measures might be. as you say, it has got lighter here now. the waters are quite calm here now. the waters are quite calm here this morning but they have been slightly more choppy overnight. we haven't seen any call outs by the

lifeboat, possibly because of that, the migrants we think of been coming over when the conditions have been slightly better. not that they are ever good for entering a shipping lane. what do ministers do? the union representing the border force are saying they have been stripped of the bone, there have been five ships but only one on the dover strait. does the home secretary brings back from the mediterranean, for example? there is an argument if there are more patrol boats, it might persuade more migrants to make the crossing because they might feel there are more pairs of eyes watching them for safety. others say, actually these are interce ptors, say, actually these are interceptors, deterrence and work much betterfor interceptors, deterrence and work much better for that. i interceptors, deterrence and work much betterfor that. i think is that conversation with the french today that will be important to sajid javid. he has tried to stop them from the other side of the channel before it comes into the water but, working with the authorities. one mp here saying amazing no one has been killed but it may only be a matter of time.

until sadly that happen. 0k. thank you very much indeed, simon. tributes have been paid to the comedy actress dame june whitfield, who's died at the age of 93. in a career spanning more than 70 years, damejune starred in more than 1000 tv and radio programmes, including the sitcoms terry and june and absolutely fabulous. sarah campbell looks back at her life. kiss me, kiss me, bite me! bite you?! bite me! i can't, dear, i'm a vegetarian! in a career spanning seven decades, june whitfield played alongside some of british comedy‘s greatest talents. what's it like, living in the jungle? well, it's. .. drums play. it's rather dull and boring, really. i realised very early on that i was never going to play the glamorous, you know, leading lady roles. and serious roles, i always thought, "ooh, i'd better not do that. they might laugh at me."

and laugh they did. as a comedy performer, she first found fame on the radio in the 19505, appearing in take it from here opposite jimmy edwards. in the 19705, she teamed up with her regular comedy partner, terry scott, in terry and june. hello, darling. i'm having awful trouble deciding what to give you tonight. well, you can start on an explanation. i'm talking about food. what about eating out? what about the garage? oh, i'd much prefer a restaurant. # wheels on fire...# but, to younger audiences, june whitfield will be best known as edina's mother in ab fab. inside of me, there is a thin person just screaming to get out. just the one, dear? laughter. and, even in old age, she continued to delight audiences on programmes like radio's news huddlines. a versatile and reliable performer to the end.

dame june whitfield, who's died at the age of 93. friends and co—stars have taken to twitter to pay their respects. joanna lumley posted a picture of herself with dame june, and said her thoughts go out to her friends and family. comedian miranda hart tweeted, "i once sent a letter to many actors as a budding comedy actor to ask for sponsorship for the edinburgh festival. dame june replied. fifteen years later, when i met her, she had all my letters and the notes of the show she sponsored. i cried then too." and julia sawalha, who played the granddaughter of dame june's character in absolutely fabulous, says, "i always wanted you to know how in awe of you i was, however, you were always far too humble to accept my adoration. you were a great source of inspiration to me. bye—bye gran." she had an extraordinary career.

at least seven people are reported to have been killed in bangladesh, as polls opened in a general election, where the prime minister, sheikh hasina, is seeking a third successive term. more than 100—million people are eligible to vote. yogita limaye told us earlier, heavy security is in place after a campaign marred by violence and allegations of a crackdown against the opposition. here, the voting has been peaceful. i was at an election booth earlier on. even before the polls had opened, there was a queue of people lining up to cast their vote. prime minister sheikh hasina is seeking a third consecutive term in power. she says she has brought development to this country, she says the rate of growth has been rising rapidly and poverty levels have been falling. many of these things are statistically true, as well. but the one big criticism of the government, which has been growing over the last few years, and which the opposition is raising as an election issue, is that her government have been stifling dissent in this country.

the opposition says that they have not been able to campaign freely, that the election commission has been biased against the party, their candidates have been disqualified, police have been arbitrarily arresting and detaining their supporters and activist. there is violence and intimidation being created so that the opposition is not able to fairly contest the election. i asked prime minister sheikh hasina about these accusations and she denied them. she said the opposition is not able to provide any proof of the claims they are making. she said the reason they are making the allegations is because they have lost the confidence of the people. certainly, on the streets what we have seen is that pretty much all over you will see posters and flyers of ruling party candidates, but it is hard to actually spot any campaign material from the opposition, in the city at least. yogita limaye there for us. scientists, politicians, and food experts have written a letter to the government, calling for action to tackle the health risks posed by processed meats. they say nitrites used to cure

bacon and ham can cause cancer. the letter says a lack of awareness is in stark contrast to the warnings regularly issued about fat and sugar. there's a 50—50 chance brexit will be stopped if mps reject theresa may's deal in a vote in parliament next month — that's according to international trade secretary liam fox. dr fox, who's a leading brexiteer, has told the sunday times, that if the commons fails to support the prime minister, the bond of trust between the electroate and parliament will be destroyed. a man credited with saving the lives of around 350 jewish children during the second world war has died, aged 108. georges loinger would take the children to play football on a pitch near the border with neutral switzerland, where they'd slip through an unguarded fence to safety. the resistance hero was later awarded the french military cross. the holocaust memorial foundation described him as an "exceptional man". have a look at these pictures

of a dramatic rescue in turkey. we do like a dramatic rescue! can you figure out what that is in the middle? it's a puppy. a police diver smashes his way through a frozen lake, to reach a puppy trapped on the ice. the dog was suffering from hypothermia, but is said to be recovering well. vets say she was reached just in time. the officer, who has been widely praised for his bravey, and we should say, do not try this at home! the number of stories we have spoken about, tragic stories, where owners have gone to rescue their dogs in lakes and rivers. but this police officer has been praised for his bravery. he has now adopted the puppy, and named her buz, which means ice in turkish. gorgeous. i had a dog once called

ice, because when he was a puppy, he used to chase ice cubes. the cutest little thing! lovely. never got into any trouble like that. it is 8:11am. good morning. more than 220 migrants have attempted to cross the channel to england since november. higher than higherthan in higher than in previous years. now calls are growing for more boats to be deployed to intercept traffickers' dinghies. only one of the uk's five specialist boats is currently operationalfrom dover — the others are patrolling in the mediterranean. conservative mp charlie elphicke is demanding they return, and joins us now from dover. thank you forjoining us. there is some controversy about how these boats, these five boats are being deployed and used. there is an argument that if they are brought back from the mediterranean, used over the english channel, it could perhaps encourage more traffic is to get boats across because they'd be

seen get boats across because they'd be seen almost as get boats across because they'd be seen almost as rescue get boats across because they'd be seen almost as rescue boats?|j get boats across because they'd be seen almost as rescue boats? i don't accept that, i think it is incredibly defeatist. we need these patrol vessels back, patrolling our coasts. they are an effective, powerful deterrent and also to be used in conjunction with the french authorities. i think we need to see more cooperation on the english channel. indeed, we should think of making it a joint security zone so we could find any migrants on the high seas and help them back to france. when you say more cooperation is needed, we understand the home secretary sajid javid was talking to his french counterpart yesterday. we know he is on his way back, he has cut short his holiday at the moment. when you say more cooperation is needed, am i right to pick up on the sense you think there isn't good enough cooperation at the moment? well, we have seen some 200 migrants now successfully make the journey to britain, at great risk and obviously there is a great concern they will end up being a tragedy on the high

seas. end up being a tragedy on the high seas. so i welcome the fact the home secretary has declared a major incident, appointed a gold commander and it is clear britain and france need to work together more closely to stop any more of these craft coming across. but what about the cooperation, is it at a level that you think is satisfactory between oui’ you think is satisfactory between our authorities and the french authorities? the lessons of the past when calais was a migrant magnet in the days of the notary is calais jungle is the more pressure you put on the french authorities, the more likely they are to take action and make it a substantial priority. i think it is really important for the british and french authorities to work together, for there to be more pressure on the french authorities to act, to capture traffic is operating across violence, find out where the safe houses are these migrants are being trafficked too and find out where they are getting the craft from and stop them setting off on these beaches. it's an important humanitarian thing, to stop people leaving the beaches of

northern france and crossing the channel. if we don't act and stop it now, sooner or channel. if we don't act and stop it now, sooner or later there is a greater risk of a tragedy and channel. does that pressure look like, how does it emanate? it's really important we put pressure on the french to act. in what way? i think we should be saying first of all that asylum should be claimed in france. if they are refugees and have asylu m france. if they are refugees and have asylum status, as the first country, not the last country that asylu m country, not the last country that asylum should be claimed in. i think we should offer the french the support of our own assets, our own experience, our own intelligence, our own officials and i think we should havejoint our own officials and i think we should have joint operations on the english channel, rather than have the situation where people are trafficked to 50 miles out and then dropped into a dinghy so they can then call into the british authorities. i think we have to make sure there is an effective deterrent and that must mean stopping them leaving northern france. how would

that work, in technical terms? there isa that work, in technical terms? there is a debate now as to who the refugees belong to. what process would we need to see for that to change? well, that is why i hope the home secretary will work with the french. that is a key reason, i would hope, for him to be discussing matters with his opposite number, in terms of the assistance we can provide, the work that can be done together on the english channel and the work and cooperation that can be done to disrupt the trafficking networks behind these migrations. to put a stop to these boats which keep coming across. what do you see happening today and the coming days to make a difference? rather than being able to talk about it, what action can be taken in the coming days? what i am looking for is first of all our patrol boats to come back. secondly, to have greater investment in our border security, investment in our border security, investment particularly in intelligence, to disrupt trafficking

networks. i think we need to look at the work of the department for international development, that has anti migration compacts and ask the question, are they working? we need to stop people making journeys across the whole of europe and indeed across turkey. and we need to look at the work that can be done with the french authorities, how that cooperation can be deepened and how they can be joint work, joint operations on the english channel. i don't know if that is possible but i hope it is something the home secretary and the french authorities will look at, to see if it can be done, to bring an end to this problem. charlie elphicke, mp for dover, thank you for speaking to us this morning. lots of you will be hoping to get out in the next few days. if that is the case, how is the weather looking for us? helen can tell us. you are over there! good morning. for us? helen can tell us. you are overthere! good morning. good morning. i think great weather for

getting out and about for many of us. getting out and about for many of us. lots of low cloud, so quite foggy over the higher ground, the hills in the mountains across the uk. the patchy fog is starting to live now across south—east england and the midlands. it's been particularly poor, the visibility this morning. another hour or two before we see the worst having lifted completely. tied in with the fa ct we lifted completely. tied in with the fact we have this moist around, this weather front clearing out into the north sea. so actually, and improving situation today, with this quy improving situation today, with this guy is starting to brighten across the eastern side of scotland, the eastern side of england, wales with that gentle in a westerly flow coming in from the atlantic, leaden skies across much of northern ireland and further west to england and wales and scotland with drizzly rain and mist. but mild. if you're heading out and about, it will at least be mild. it should stay for us free overnight. any holes in the cloud will tend to fill in overnight, which is a mist and fog

and low cloud. as we approach new year's eve morning, it won't be especially cold. 11—5 the lowest for many and in the countryside perhaps a degree down on that. another grey start for our new year's eve, the last day of 2018. with high pressure sitting close by, this is a weather front we are watching out for. during the day, it will sink a little further south, coming into the northern and western isles to give some rain and probably gale force winds. it will start to affect the far north and west of scotland. for most of us, the winds escalating will to break the cloud up a little bit more. again, if you're returning to work tomorrow morning, there may bea to work tomorrow morning, there may be a little mist and fog around first thing. by the time we get to ringing in 2019, tomorrow night before the stroke of midnight, still looking largely settled and quite quiet. the only fly in the ointment is that weather front in the north with its rain. through new year's day, as it pushes southwards, very little rain on that weather system,

just as band of cloud, behind it brings more broken cloud in a northerly wind. much colder air, as you saw on the atlantic picture. temperatures will really start to dip away. we notice that a new estate, not necessarily in the south because it takes some time for that cold air to penetrate. by wednesday, temperatures into mid single figures, only 3—4 above freezing for some parts of scotland. but with it, the it, the sunshine. the frosty nights, chilly days, but some sunshine as well returning. so rather grey for the walk today and tomorrow, but bright and cold as we start 2019. back to you two. that is all right, i guess. i will go with that. she is a difficult woman to please! freezing rain! dj deke duncan has been the voice of radio 77 for more than a0 years. you are forgiven if you don't know

about radio 77. the station doesn't have a licence, so can only be beamed through a speaker from his shed into his living room — to an audience of one, his wife! that is all about to change though, as he's recorded a special new year's eve show, which will be broadcast on bbc three counties radio tomorrow night. sarah harris has been to meet him. three counties radio. uncle deke duncan right here in the air chair and good music guaranteed. at last, he is in a professional bbc studio recording the deke duncan new year's eve show. and, he says, afterfour decades broadcasting to an audience of one, it doesn't feel that much different. # bbc three counties radio.# all the time that i have been broadcasting to virtually nobody, it really didn't matter that much, because, even sat in here in a real radio station, i can't see the audience. are they there,

or aren't they there? it's reallyjust a personal thing about me, the mic, and the listeners. my ultimate ambition would be to broadcast to the rest of stevenage. deke appeared on nationwide after playing pop records from his shed in stevenage — never quite managing to make it as a radio dj. but when this archive was uncovered, he was tracked down by three counties radio and given his own one—hour special. we can't believe how this story has taken off. it's incredible. what i like about it is deke is such a down—to—earth bloke. and, to be around him, he is such fun to be around, as well. he says this, as well — it's like we are best mates now for life. you know, we are a couple of radio geeks and we get on really well and i'm so pleased, because he is such a nice guy and he deserves this after 44 years. okey—dokey, it's holy—moly rock ‘n' rolly. now in his seventies, deke cannot believe his story has gone all around the world.

even a hollywood producer is in talks to produce a film about his life story. i feel like at this time in my life, i think, well, i'm famous. without actually doing anything other than have a nice hobby. and to dream. so i guess i'm living the dream and now the dream has come true. we are trying to put a smile on your dial, especially the people over there in stevenage. now, the world is his oyster. his first official broadcast starts at 6pm on new year's eve. sarah harris, bbc news. best of luck to dj deke duncan. time to look at the papers at 8:22am. vicky gosling, head of british ski and snowboard is here to tell us what's caught her eye. we mentioned this earlier when you

we re we mentioned this earlier when you were here, step away from the microwave is the message in this magazine? which you have no need to do. i don't have a microwave, i've never had one. impressive. it'sjust laziness, i've never been bothered. this is brilliant, an article about tom kerridge being on a mission to step away from the microwave. i am a culprit of that, being busy with three children. but it is not a diet cookbook but a book in changing habits and becoming a lifestyle. i just love the way he sort of brings reality to attend talks about some people being intimidated by cooking. he uses a sports analogy, which is excellent. he says just because you can kick a football doesn't mean people expect you to play for real

madrid. it's all about practice. if you get into the kitchen and then you get into the kitchen and then you at least practice and get a couple of dishes or a few dishes into your repertoire, you can use them. you are using food you know that's healthy and you know what you are putting in your body, rather than microwave dishes.|j are putting in your body, rather than microwave dishes. i am going to stand up for the microwave, i have a microwave and i think vegetables in the microwave, fantastic. if i'm preparing something like cauliflower and broccoli cheese, rather than steaming in that nonsense, in the microwave, just cook it part way and then get your cauliflower cheese going, it makes it easy and you keep the nutrients in. now all i want to do is eat cauliflower cheese! laughter never too early. can eat anything any time! you are also picking up a story in the mail on sunday. british troops need detailed brain scans to beat the perils of ptsd. i think this is really important. it talks about failure to recognise traumatic brain

injuries at an early point in the longer term effect of that. that effectively you can end up with ptsd or dementia if you don't pick up the traumatic brain injuries early. it talks about the fact that some of our troops who have been in afghanistan or iraq and subject to ieds, you might not be able to detect it with the normal process but if you put them through these high—powered scanners, they can actually identify behavioural changes in the brain. the impact of not picking up things... there's been a connection. we have seen this in the snow sport side of it through concussion and brain injury, there isa concussion and brain injury, there is a connectivity people have made to suicide. so it is saying, effectively you can end up with depression if you don't identify brain injury early. so i think it's

a great suggestion and it has obviously been put to the ministry of defence. what it comes down to, funding. of course it does. with these scanners, these high—powered ones. only a few around and it's about how much money is being put to after—ca re about how much money is being put to after—care as well. and that comes down to sport and all sorts of stuff. player rotation -- prioritisation. talking of equipment in terms of health care, this is a new drill which is supposed to ease the pain of a visit to the dentist and a quiet one. i wonder if this needs a warning, dentists, first thing in the morning! probably, i have a thing about dentists and drills. really? you have great teeth, vicki! also following tom kerridge's guidelines on food. it comes down to the fact this drill apparently is a lot quieter, less intimidating, it's

less damaging to the tissue and hopefully it stops the frightening aspect of going to a dentist. it is slightly preventative. children hearing that sound. the worst is that pokey thing they use that pokes around and prods you. in between your teeth? yes. the dentist isn't scary! if you try to look after your teeth ? we don't wa nt to to look after your teeth ? we don't want to put people off going to the dentist. we were talking about children's health yesterday as well. we don't wa nt to health yesterday as well. we don't want to put people off. 0k. the dentist is great. take that as well. this piece in the sunday express, what is this about? we have had a year of centenary is. i thought if i'm doing the newspaper reviews, i need to pull this out. a centenary in the sunday express. it talks about lord beaverbrook end when he effectively came back from canada, having made lots of money by

the age of 30. he invested it back into creating a depressed britain. it's interesting. when the express began publication after the first world war at three and a half p a cow, world war at three and a half p a copy, tv wasn't in existence, so there was no bbc. radio wasjust in its infancy. we relied on the papers asa dominant its infancy. we relied on the papers as a dominant source of news. it talks about the relevance of papers today as well, which is really good. saying because of the content you can put in a newspaper is far more than that which you can read in other sources, it still... as opposed to social media. a tweet has only so many characters, you can have the in—depth analysis. only so many characters, you can have the in-depth analysis. at its height, the express was one of the most significant newspapers in this country, said a different standard in journalism. country, said a different standard injournalism. not quite country, said a different standard in journalism. not quite that same

releva nce in journalism. not quite that same relevance today but it does have its place in newspaper history. relevance today but it does have its place in newspaper historym relevance today but it does have its place in newspaper history. it does and accept some really good values right at the beginning. he talked about the values that actually creating this. he said it would be a clea n creating this. he said it would be a clean family newspaper, which would contain news and interest to every member of the family, which i think it's really good. and actually, let's face it, without the newspapers, i wouldn't be sat here! laughter and we had great fun talking to you as well. great to see you. h9 as well. great to see you. hg wells had a column. i think what happened is when the paper first came out in 1918, i think what happened is when the paperfirst came out in 1918, for the first two years, despite beaverbrook was an incredible leader, it didn't have the readership they wanted. so he then had a look, very entrepreneurial and innovative and he found he wanted to improve the writers and he picked a really high calibre writers, including hg wells, who had a column

called the way the world is going 1927. it's great, really impressive. a great legacy foster a joy talking to you. happy new year! 0h a great legacy foster a joy talking to you. happy new year! oh my goodness, we have two days! 8:30am, lots coming up in the next half an hour. we will talk about the new episode of black mirror that allows viewers to make choices during the programme. i have tried it out. you are sceptical? i like the concept. it is whether the end product lives up to it but really interesting. stay with us, the headlines are coming up. hello, this is breakfast with naga munchetty and rachel burden. here's a summary of this morning's main news. the home secretary is promising to do more to stop migrants crossing the channel in small boats, after cutting short his holiday to deal with what he described

as a major incident. he said there is no easy answer but there are growing calls for the government to deploy more patrol boats in the channel. what i am looking for is patrol boats to come back. secondly to have greater investment in border security, particularly in intelligence to disrupt trafficking networks. we need to look at the work of the department for international development. asked the question, are they working? we need to stop people making journeys across the whole of europe. tributes have been paid to the comedy actress dame june whitfield, who's died at the age of 93. in a career spanning more than seventy years, damejune starred in more than a thousand tv and radio programmes, including the sitcoms terry and june and absolutely fabulous. earlier, the former head of bbc comedy, jon plowman, told us why damejune

was so popular with producers. she was very good at what she did. she was very good at working with people. she was very good at working with people who thought they were stars, at least, even if they weren't. and she knew how stuff worked. she knew that if she had to play a character and it was a short piece, she'd better do something reasonably large. and that if it was, you know, a longer character, like the character ofjune in terry and june, she had better play it real, straight, truthfully. and she was very good at it. at least seven people are reported to have been killed in bangladesh, as polls opened in a general election, where the prime minister, sheikh hasina, is seeking a third successive term. more than 100 million people are eligible to vote. heavy security is in place after a campaign marred by violence and allegations of a crackdown against the opposition.

mothers and babies in england will be offered better support under new maternity plans announced by the health secretary. specialist staff for newborns and extra funding for intensive care are just some of the measures designed to halve the number of stillbirths, maternal and infant deaths by 2025. more than 1800 babies in the uk died before they were a month old, in 2017. strictly come dancing star aj pritchard has been discharged from hospital after being assaulted at a nightclub. the professional dancer and his brother curtis, also a dancer, were among four men who were attacked in nantwich in the early hours of thursday. a 20—year—old man has been arrested and released. curtis pritchard's injuries required emergency surgery and he'll no longer appear on next month's dancing with the stars ireland. thousands of starlings have left birdwatchers stunned after appearing to form the shape of a bird during a murmuration. guy benson captured the sight at the attenborough nature

reserve in nottinghamshire on christmas eve, where it's common to see up to 10,000 starlings each evening at this time of year. it is worth waiting to see this. it is so beautiful. it is a mesmerising murmuration. you could wait hours, days, possibly, to get the perfect shot, so possibly, to get the perfect shot, so fair play. yes, well done. those are the main stories this morning. it is time to talk to holly. i'm still gobsmacked by the murmuration. it has taken your breath away. i saw it on social media yesterday and could not believe it.

gorgeous, a stunning murmuration. from that to stunning goals from liverpool. 5—1 thrashing of arsenal. it has been an incredible season so farand a it has been an incredible season so far and a fantastic christmas for liverpool fans. although christmases have come at once. liverpool are nine points clear. tottenham remain in second place, despite a surprise home defeat to wolves. at the bottom, wins for fulham and cardiff eased their problems. adam wild was watching the action. around anfield, the best way to avoid the post—christmas blues is to follow the reds. the festive season to savour with liverpool reaching highs, their hopes on the rise as well. they had gone behind against arsenal, but two goals in 90 seconds from roberto firmino turned this right around. a third from sadio mane, the kind of free—flowing brilliance to which their fans have become accustomed. mo salah added a fourth from the penalty spot, before firmino did the same for his hat—trick.

you'll never walk alone is liverpool's famous anthem, but, in truth, no one can keep up. i thought we were really good in the game, and we did exactly what we wanted to do. yeah, for 2018, i have nothing to mourn about. there has of late been plenty of festive cheer at tottenham — harry kane here adding a little more sparkle. what a strike from harry kane. but that was as bright as it got. in the second half, spurs faltered, wolves pouncing on any sign of weakness — three goals in the final 18 minutes. how quickly moods can change. the same can be said at fulham. not much to cheer about there this season, so when they were awarded a penalty against fellow strugglers huddersfield, the last thing they needed was a squabble about who would take it. aboubakar kamara won that row. he might wish he hadn't.

so aleksandar mitrovic had a point to prove. three points for fulham was his final word on the matter. perhaps the goal of the day came from cardiff's victor camarasa. it came late against leicester, but worth waiting for, as they end their year in spectacular style. rangers moved level on points with scottish premiership leaders celtic after beating them one nil at ibrox. our sports correspondent david ornstein was watching. a roar worthy of greeting one of football's great rivalries. and with the sides more evenly matched than at any time in recent years, the old firm carried a renewed sense of anticipation. seeking a first league win against celtic since 2012, rangers set about ending the drought. they were denied by the visiting keeper and then his post. before ryan jack found a way past them both to the delight of a raucous ibrox.

wearing the same number eight as his manager did with distinction as a player, jack's goal put steven gerrard on course for the biggest result of his debut season in the dugout. celtic were now hanging on and even when it appeared they had equalised, the offside flag came to rangers' rescue. they played with style but substance, too, and the reward was three precious points. gerrard getting the better of his former boss, brendan rodgers. rangers are back and the title race is on. david ornstein, bbc news. hearts beat hibs1—0 at easter road in the edinburgh derby. olly lee scored the only goal there. however, the match was overshadowed by alleged racial abuse against hearts player clevid dikamona. a 64—year—old hibs fan has been arrested. india's cricketers have beaten australia in melbourne to go 2—1 up in the four—test series. australia still needed 1m more runs to win at the start of the final day

but only had two wickets remaining, and they lost both of those for just three runs. it was the first time india have won a test match in melbourne since 1981. we always knew that we can do this, so we are very happy. but we are not shocked or very surprised by what has happened. we always believed this was very possible, because of the talent we have in the side and the mindset we have carried for the last 12 months, regardless of what has been said. regardless of the mistakes we have made. but our mindset never shifted once. one other cricket line for you — cameron bancroft, one of three australian players banned for ball tampering in a test match against south africa in march, makes his return to competitive cricket this morning. he's been named in the perth scorchers team to face hobart hurricanes in the australian big bash. in rugby union, saracens narrowed the gap on premiership league

leaders exeter to one point after they came from behind to beat worcester. sale pulled off a shock away win at gloucester. and harlequins scored the fastest premiership try of the season as they beat wasps by 20—13 at twickenham. however, hooker dave ward could face disciplinary action after appearing to spit at wasps' thomas young. in the pro 1a, edinburgh beat glasgow warriors 16—8 at scotstoun. edinburgh ran in two tries, including this one from stuart mcinally. cardiff blues thrashed scarlets by 3a—5. gareth anscombe scoring the bonus point 11th try. scarlets have now lost their last five games. two—time champions gary anderson and michael van gerwen will meet in the pdc world championship semi—finals after winning their last—eight ties. number—one seed van gerwen beat world number 7a ryanjoyce 5—1. while anderson beat dave chisnall 5—2. england's michael smith beat luke humphries 5—1.

humphries had caused a shock, beating last year's winner rob cross in the previous round, but couldn't repeat his heriocs again. smith will face nathan aspinall in the semi—finals. and the semifinals begin tonight at seven o'clock. all of the action can be followed on the bbc website. and you get to see the good shirts. if you get a shirt. if we get one, extra large all round. we have had the news, sad news, dame june whitfield has died. her long career spanned across stage, radio and television. she starred in the popular carry on films, and even made appearances in eastenders and the american sitcom friends. and absolutely fabulous. we'rejoined on the phone now by the actress helen lederer who starred alongside damejune in the show. it isa

it is a sad day, but she really did have an extraordinary and rich career and so i suppose it is an opportunity to celebrate her life. it is wonderful to see so many tributes. now people harold her as a pioneer, —— herald herbert at the time she was such a professional she would not have seen herself as that. she was one of the most unaffected and likeable people. i remember in rehearsals she was so nice to people. people got scared when guests would come in. she would a lwa ys guests would come in. she would always talk to people and would get prescription signed for charity. the kind of person who was talented. unusual to have had a long career in

so unusual to have had a long career in so many high profile shows. possibly it is because she did not make a fuss, got on with it, but also, like most comedy people, very driven. i'm sure there were times when there was not work. when we look back at the highlights. like most comedians, there is a self—effacing element, a sort of gallows humour, butjust made sure that when she did work, and now we notice, in those days, it was often one, maybe two women in a group of men. she got on with it because that was the climate. it is only now we focus on it to create more parity. she had a timelessness about, it seemed like she did not age for three decades. there is something about her, as julia three decades. there is something about her, asjulia said, like the grand, a normal person. appearing in

absolutely fabulous was anything but normal, but she had that ability to be watchable. but also act brilliantly well. i do not know how normal the character she played were when you think of the clips, like doing belly dancing. she had the ability of putting on a coat and wearing it perfectly. she was so talented. she said she was happy not to be the leading lady and recognise that was not going to be the role for her, but she commanded an incredible presence up against the great british comedy. you did not feel she was playing second fiddle. i remember a conversation about being the feed. to do that you cannot mess it up. she was content to bea cannot mess it up. she was content to be a feed, but that was the work in those days. it was less common for women to hold the punch line. it was a different time. rather than

berate that, she enjoyed it and did it perfectly. you have talked about her warmth and friendliness. behind—the—scenes on absolutely fabulous. what was it like working on that, all of you together?” handed round biscuits. my part was obviously peripheral. they were a wonderful team. all of the js. they had a great friendship. i remember june asking if i wanted to see joanna in lion in winter. i got really cheap seats and june was amazing, we happen to climb to the top. we saw amazing, we happen to climb to the top. we sanoanna been wonderful down below, miles down. she was full of fun down below, miles down. she was full offun and down below, miles down. she was full of fun and stoic and full of grace. nothing fazed her. she was everybody‘s friend. nothing fazed her. she was

everybody's friend. the amazing eyes she has. they twinkle. and never took herself to seriously but was so professional. helen, who acted alongside dame june whitfield professional. helen, who acted alongside damejune whitfield who has died at the age of 93. never would have put her at 93, never. here's helen with a look at this morning's weather. you will tell us what is happening for the rest of 2018. and the beginning of 2019, because it is all change for the start of the new year. it has been quite mild, but quite crowded. that weather setup will continue for the rest of 2018 but not a great deal of rain to speak of and not a great deal of sunshine, but at least it is good to get out and about. it has been foggy this morning but high

pressure is bringing settled conditions. the high is centred to the south of the uk with a westerly wind, hence the cloud. this was the overnight picture. the rain has eased out into the north sea. cumbria, dumfries & galloway, over the welsh mountains. parts of the west of northern ireland, particularly prevalent for having more drizzle. but now the fog is lifting in the east and we see the westerly breeze's effect, the best pa rt westerly breeze's effect, the best part for seeing sunshine. great for getting out and about. overnight we fill in the gaps in the cloud with more cloud and fog. still some rain in the far north, that it is drizzle, nuisance value more than anything. not especially cold overnight in the towns and cities. very similar whether to end 2018.

high pressure still much in charge. the westerly wind and the approachable weather front. this the westerly wind and the approachable weatherfront. this is the fly in the ointment. particularly later in the day tomorrow with strong winds, and gales. nothing exceptional am angry scotla nd gales. nothing exceptional am angry scotland but obviously firework displays planned here. and rain coming in. and a bit wet across the far north west of scotland. temperature is not as high tomorrow. but still relatively mild to end the year. for big new year's eve celebrations it looks mostly dry and clarity. it should stay dry into the new year. we have a weak weather front coming south. it does change the weather. high—pressure slips towards the west instead of the south that allows a northerly wind to come down from the arctic. it gets much colder to start the new week. it does bring back the

sunshine and that will make me smile, but it will be cold by morning with night—time frost becoming widespread once again. what do you make of the weather this year? it has been up and down. we have the beast from the east. we have the beast from the east. we have a hot summer. mild winter so far. what do you make of it? it has been turbulent, within the realms of extremes you get in this country, but we have seen a lot of extremes within a 12 month period. it will be interesting. statistics are being correlated now. interesting to see how it pans out in contrast with other years but it has been a couple of weeks ago we had the first freezing rain in this country for a couple of decades. the heat for benny was quite uncomfortable and the beast from the east, that will not be forgotten quickly. —— the

heat for many was uncomfortable. we love a weather geek! in the nicest possible way. enjoy the rest of your day. see you in the new year. happy new year. the favourite is one of the leading contenders at the upcoming awards season. the film is set in the early 18th century, when a frail queen anne, played by olivia colman, occupies the throne. the plot follows rachel weisz and emma stone as they squabble to become court favourites. british actors joe alwyn and nicholas hoult caught up with our entertainment correspondent lizo mzimba ahead of the cinema release. dearest queen, how goes the kingdom? this oscar—tipped comedy—drama follows the behind—the—scenes manoeuvring as everyone tries to win favour with an eccentric queen. how dare you?!

playing two of the scheming characters, a pair of britain's brightest young stars — joe alwyn and nicholas hoult. he is a politician who is playing the chess game of the court and trying to get the queen's ear, because then he knows he can gain what he wants in that world, so he's very manipulative. i'm not the brightest character. i'm a bit of an airhead, who is running around after abigail, and there's this cat—and—mouse power play between the two of them in the scenes they're together, and she uses him. he has some status, and she uses him for that. although set in the 18th century, the story explores power and relationships in a way that still has a relevance today. go back to your rooms. thank you. making these things is — when you're inside the bubble of it, it's not something you're necessarily aware of.

but when it comes out, especially in the current climate, there are comparisons both in terms of politics, or even gender politics. he is referring to the fact that, unusually for hollywood, the three most powerful characters are all women — a refreshing and significant change to the kind of films the cast are used to being offered. sometimes you read scripts, and i've noticed it before, and you read it and you think, that's not a well—developed female character. it's trying to be put into an archetype that doesn't exist. so, yes, it's important for it to reflect what is happening in society, definitely. may i exhort the chamber to roar a mighty hurrah for her majesty in her brilliant decision not to raise the land tax. the film is overflowing with british talent, something often seen as a quality mark to us audiences. it's the accent. i think we're hard—working, i think that's something about it, and also that we love what we do. i think sometimes — nearly all the brits that i know

are in it for the right reasons. you know, so that's a big thing for it. but yes, also the accent. it has already been recognised at awards ceremonies here and in the us, and if the favourite ends up living up to its name in next year's academy awards, few will be surprised. it looks really good with a great cast. and the favourite is out in uk cinemas from the 1st of january. you may have caught up on this. a different kind of concept to television viewing. imagine watching your favourite television programme and having the power to decide how the story unfolds — that's the premise of bandersnatch, an interactive episode of the science—fiction series black mirror, released on netflix. choose your own adventure on telly. it's caused a huge stir on social media with some viewers hailing it as the future

of television, while others claim it's just a gimmick. let's take a look at the programme. music: relax by frankie goes to hollywood. and lets you see the bigger picture. stefan, you worry me. leave stefan out of this. who's stefan? your fate has been dictated. you're not in control. we're joined now from our london newsroom by buzzfeed's tv editor, scott bryan. i was moaning to you. i was having a go at the programme for a long time it felt, yesterday, it got through various endings. what did you make of it? at first i thought it would bea gimmick of it? at first i thought it would be a gimmick because i had heard about it and that netflix were thinking about making this. i was

really engrossed in it. the fact you had two different options at different parts of the story that made you decide what would happen next but the idea that when you made the choice, it did not fade to black to load up the next section, it was ready to go, as if you have not pressed. that felt really exciting. we started to get into the main character, stefan's head, as if you we re character, stefan's head, as if you were him. making decisions. being black mirror, every option was bad! it did not lead to necessarily the happiest of endings.” it did not lead to necessarily the happiest of endings. i think naga has explored them. i have not! it is technically brilliant in the way it is constructed, it is whether the viewing experience is satisfied. it had a mixed reaction on social media. that is the exciting thing about it.

what is handy with black mirror is the idea that the plot is along the idea of a choose your own adventure. it is quite meta. with themes about choice and decision making. it is a choose your own adventure game. there are references and jokes about netflix. it is not the case that you can therefore say, we will make a choose your own adventure version of call the midwife, or any other show. this format works for black mirror but it is not easily adaptable. for them it would feel like a gimmick but for black mirror it feels the right choice. charlie brooker, one of those behind this, they have been given money and freedom by netflix to explore ideas. my question is, i

ama to explore ideas. my question is, i am a lazy viewer, i like to sit and watch and be given what someone else has created. are we as viewers willing to be that interactive? in some cases, yes. with this it shows you can have technology easily accessible from your home and that is exciting. it makes me think that the future will not necessarily be choose your own adventure for every show, but there will be some interactive way we will be able to think about. for programme makers it makes them think that is how you get your show to stand out. we are drowning in the amount of content. there are so many exceptionally rich and also expensive dramas and what makers are starting to think, you have to have big innovations to make your show stand out. that is the challenge, trying to get your show

recognised. it has got us talking. thank you, scott, tv editor from buzzfeed. that's all from us for today. dan and louise will be on bbc one from six tomorrow morning. until then, enjoy the rest of your weekend. goodbye. hgppy happy new year. this is bbc news i'm ben brown. the headlines at 9: the home secretary, sajid javid, cuts short his holiday and returns to the uk to deal with the rising number of migrants crossing the channel in small boats. the trade secretary liam fox says the chances of britain leaving the eu will only be 50—50 if mps reject the prime minister's brexit deal also this hour — the government is urged to do more about the health risk from processed meats. scientists and politicians call for a ban on nitrates in bacon and ham — they say that when cooked, the chemicals can cause cancer. stars from the entertainment world remember comedy actress, dame june whitfield — best—known for her roles in terry and june and absolutely fabulous —

who's died at the age of 93. and our sunday morning edition of the papers is at 9:35. this morning's reviewers are business journalist john crowley,