good afternoon. the duke of edinburgh has returned to sandringham in time for christmas after leaving hospital in london. prince phillip, who's 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. here's 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's been no information about the reason for his stay at the hospital.

in the past he's been treated there for bladder and chest infections. whatever the nature of this latest episode, the duke, who is 98 now, has clearly satisfied his doctors that he is well enough to return home. a helicopter took him from buckingham palace to the queen's sandringham estate, where the royal family is gathering for christmas. in her christmas broadcast tomorrow, the queen will talk about a past year which has felt quite bumpy. she doesn't clarify what it is that been bumpy, which will inevitably invite speculation. these are her words. talking about reconciliation, she says... the obvious conclusion is that this is a coded message from britain's head of state, urging the country to try to move on from the divisions of the brexit debate. she also says in the broadcast that small steps can overcome

long—held differences. but the reference to a bumpy year might also be taken to refer to events within her own family after a year which began with the duke of edinburgh's road accidentjust outside the sandringham estate, which continued with the duke and duchess of sussex complaining about the problems, as they see them, of being in the public eye, and which culminated most recently with the controversies surrounding prince andrew, which forced 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 reassurance of knowing that her husband will be with her over christmas. absent, though, are the sussexes. they are in canada. this is their online christmas card, a picture of them with their seven—month—old son archie. nicholas is with me now. so some good news for her majesty at the end of what's been a "bumpy" year. they will be pleased, relieved, that

the duke of edinburgh is back at sandringham. ithink the duke of edinburgh is back at sandringham. i think it was always planned this way. he went into hospitalfor planned this way. he went into hospital for whatever it was, and infection perhaps, we don't know. 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 will have to wait for the full broadcast tomorrow, but the context of it is reconciliation. she talks about the path and reconciliation and overcoming deep divisions. i think she is talking about the political situation, the divisions within the country caused by brexit. that is what i think is the focus for this remark. but there is no denying it has been a difficult year for the royal family. it is has been a difficult year for the royalfamily. it is not on has been a difficult year for the royal family. it is not on the scale of the annus horribilis in 1992, but a difficult yearfor all the of the annus horribilis in 1992, but a difficult year for all the obvious reasons, particularly with prince andrew. 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. 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 australia's 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 haven't 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. 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 s 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. 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. winona's parents were among the 19 people killed by the eruption. 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 child's 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 you swallow one and they leave it, it can be fatal. and if it wasn't 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 can't 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. a record number of cattle, nearly 45,000, 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. he s trialling a new kind of test that could help spot infected cows that are being missed by current checks. here s oui’ science correspondent richard westcott. it may look idyllic, but there's a shadow hanging over this welsh dairy farm. injust three years, more than half the herd, that's 320 animals, have been slaughtered because of bovine tuberculosis. it's been quite astonishing the... i use the word devastation that it's caused my business. no one likes getting onto a sinking ship every morning, and that's how it feels because, you know, we're 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 you 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 doesn't 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, that's 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 can't control. richard westcott, bbc news, ceredigion on the west coast of wales.

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 hasn't brought any real savings, but that's 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 he's 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? i've got an idea of what i need to get. i've got a cheeseboard... what, you've made a list? ..for my son. cheese, bread...

no, actually that's the wrong list. is thatjust your shopping list? so it's 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, she's 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 don't really plan, but, yeah, it always seems to sort itself out after a while. it's probably not the best way to do it, but then you do get the odd little bargain so you think, "oh, it's worth doing," rather than just buying online. probably still be here on christmas eve next year but, again, i'll 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. if you are going out, happy hunting. there's more throughout the day on the bbc news channel. the next news on bbc one

is at five past five. hello. you're watching the bbc news channel. let's return to the news that the duke of edinburgh has been discharged from hospital, following his four night stay for a "pre—existing condition". he's now travelled to sandringham to join the queen ahead of the royal family's christmas celebrations. earlier we heard from the daily mail's robert hardman, author of the book "queen of the world" about the duke's return to sandringham. i think everyone is delighted by that i do have him back in the family fold in good time because, for the royalfamily, they do a lot of their christmas celebrations actually on christmas eve,

on the evening of christmas eve. so, perhaps there was an element of, they talk about it being a precautionary measure, maybe this hospital treatment was designed to get it over and done with in time for christmas? the duke has been making a number of visits to hospital in recent years, he is 98 years old, it is not totally surprising that these things happen. the one common thread is always the minimum of fuss. i think lots of people have commented on the fact that, you know, he didn't have any visitors because he did not want any visitors. he just wants to get these things done with and get back to normal life. let's return to the wildfires in australia and around two thousand volunteer firefighters will spend their christmas day tackling the bushfires as the crisis continues. the country's prime minister has pledged more support amid criticism from some unpaid workers. nine peope have died after more than 84 fires devastated homes and businesses. one of the unpaid workers from from the new south wales rural fire service who will spend christmas day on the frontline is angela burford,

who spoke to us earlier. i will bejoining around 2000 other volunteers across new south wales if fighting the fires. we have about 80 bushfires burning across the state so it has been a long summerfor us so far and we are only about half way through. a number of others have put up a hand to work on christmas day because for us it is just another day working on these fires. it is what we do and we love what we do and we do it for the community. it is a difficultjob and we are lucky to have 70,000 volunteers across new south wales. it is a very important bit of work to be done, particularly this week as we have a lull in the weather. we have got cooler temperatures and the winds have died down a bit. we have a chance to go in and do some very important containment work before things start to heat up again. some of these very large fires are going to be potentially posing a risk to

communities next week. we give our we have all got dayjobs and we are volunteer at our local fire station and luckily enough, where i volunteer we do not have any large fires threatening towns near us. so our truck will be travelling two and a half hours far down just west of sydney to help out on the fires there. we give up our time to train, we train throughout the year, and we go to incident calls 365 days a year, whether that be car fires or bushfires... we give up our free time to do that but we are very grateful when our employers give us time off work. obviously, it has a huge flow on effect throughout the state and certainly for businesses as well when they lose

their staff. we are lucky in that a lot of employers are supportive of us and they know how important the work we are doing is and often you will see throughout summer and particularly over christmas we are being released from work and, of course, our families so that we can go out and fight these fires. 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. aa—siya 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 bibi's 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 relative's 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 pakistan's 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 bibi's case was welcomed around the world, but pakistan's 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 don't listen to the accused's lawyer and the way they sit, putting their faces down, frightened. to see that they are frightened, it's awful. the jailed man's 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. people in several villages in the falkirk area 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. as we all know, it is nearly christmas and one

of the highlights for many, will be christmas lights outside people's houses. millions of children across the world will be looking up at the night sky this evening to get a glimpse of santa claus and his reindeer ? but what if he could see your house from the sky? well, students at the university of leicester may have found the answer after calculating that in order for a house to be seen from space at christmas it will need to be covered in more than 2,600 fairy lights. we spoke to dr leigh fletcher who is an associate professor in planetary science at the university of leceister to find out more. we all know that this was fairly ridiculous experiment to begin with, and that santa claus already knows what all the good boys and girls live, but we did ask our leicester physics students to do this thought experiment as a kind of training exercise for them to hone their reasoning skills, to use the concepts that they have been learning throughout their physics degrees, to apply themselves to this particular challenge which will be a concern, no doubt, for school children of any age across the globe this morning.

that is, will santa be able to see my own home in his sleigh as he is running along? now, the calculation involves our leicester physics students using their knowledge that they have acquired over the course, such as ideas from space, science and astronomy and how lights propagates away from a very bright source, such as christmas lights. we need to know a bit about the ability of the human eye to resolve small details and do something about the engineering of a light emitting diode, which is the key component of christmas lights today. what our students used as a guide was the international space station. if someone was up there, looking down upon the planet earth or night time, would they be able to see your house with those christmas lights on its roof? and they came up with a number of about 2500 christmas lights that you would need to be able to be spotted from the international space station. one thing i want to point out is that we at the

university of leicester are not advocating that you are rushed out to the supermarket know to buy extra lights for your house. rest assured, santa is clearly magical and will be able to find your house without any problem. there are two reasons, then. firstly, having so many ways is only going to add to the climate emergency that we are all currently facing, but the second reason for us astronomers, is one of high importance, that is to do with light pollution. it is trying to make sure that we budding stargazers can look up into the night sky and still see the objects that we are looking for, including the very special opportunity tonight to look up and sees santa claus and his reindeer as they fly across the night sky on their journey around the world. sport now with a full round up from the bbc sport centre. good afternoon. the chelsea manager frank lampard says its disappoining that the tottenham boss jose mourinho questioned

antonio rudiger‘s integrity regarding the incident that saw spurs hung min son sent off for violent conduct in sunday's match. rudiger was subsequently targeted with alleged racist abuse. i think with tony in this incident, when he is having to post after the game about something that we know is a huge deal, i think the question is integrity in that time is disappointing for sure. i think pretty universally, certainly what i heard in the commentary and only post much reflection, was that the incident was a red card. i said after the game, it was not a brutal red card but it was an instinctive one that warrants a red card. alex 0xlade chamberlain has sustained ankle ligament damage

and will miss liverpool's games against leicester and wolves between christmas and new year. the england midfielder picked up the injury in qatar during the second half of his sides 1—0 win over flamengo in the club world cup final on saturday. how quickly we can fix those three ligaments. i had the issue myself but it was years ago and, yeah, it can take you well and it can be quick. we have to see. no chance for thursday, or this year. that is clear. we have to see how quickly it ca n settle. the former newcastle and crystal palace manager alan pardew has been appointed as the new head coach of dutch side den haag. pardew has signed a deal until the end of the season and will have chris powell as his assistant. den haag are currently second bottom

in the dutch league. the newjob for powell will not effect his role as a coach with the fa. in the last hour, the efl have said macclesfield's boxing day fixture with grimsby town will go ahead as planned after safety issues relating to their stadium were resolved. the league two side have been struggling their match last week against plymouth argyle was called off last week, they were deducted six points and had a further four point punishment suspended after they pleaded guilty to charges over non payment of wages and failing to play a fixture against crewe earlier this month. their match last week last week, macclesfield had six points deducted and a further four point punishment suspended after they pleaded guilty to charges over non payment of wages and failing to play their league two game against crewe earlier in december. macclesfield town's fixture with grimsby town will go ahead as planned on boxing day, kick off 3pm. on thursday last week, the club was served a zero capacity notice by the local safety advisory group and as a result of this, its fixture against plymouth argyle did not take place on saturday 21 december. the england cricket captainjoe root says he doesn't know if ben stokes will be available for the first test against south africa on boxing day ,

stoke's father ged has been taken seriously ill. stokes missed training today to be with him by his bedside. the ecb say that ged was taken to hospital in johannesburg yesterday where he's in a critical condition. ijust want i just want to throw all their support behind him and his family under stress the importance of trying to respect their privacy at this time but it is really sad news and, we are all different. you literally have no idea if he is going to be to play or not boxing day? it would be wrong to go into right now. family comes first and we will have to wait and see but most importantly we are all here for ben and the rest of his family. some other england team news, chris woakes is suffering from illness, stuart at broad and jofra archer and jack leech have also been laid low for a couple of days. but james anderson is, fitness permitting, going to play in his 150th test. he missed most of the ashes with a calf problem. and finally diving in football has been an on going