this is bbc news. the duke of edinburgh has left hospital — in time to spend christmas with the queen at sandringham. the queen will use her christmas day message to say the past year has been "quite bumpy" — adding that "small steps" can heal divisions. thousands of volunteer fire fighters will spend christmas day battling wildfires that are still ravaging australia. a warning from nhs england to parents — keep button batteries — the type found in toys, festive lights, and musical christmas cards — away from children. and in half an hour — we'll be taking a look at the global makeup industry, and asking: what are beauty products doing to the planet? that's in "unmasked — makeup‘s big secret" — on bbc news.

good afternoon and welcome to bbc news. the duke of edinburgh has returned to sandringham in time for christmas — after leaving hospital in london. prince phillip, 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 has been no information about the reason for his stay at the hospital. in the past he has been treated there for bladder and chest infections. whatever the nature of this latest

episode, the duke has satisfied his doctors that he is well enough to return home. the helicopter from buckingham palace to the sandringham estate where the royal family are gathering for christmas. in her christmas broadcast, the queen will talk about a past year which has felt quite bumpy. she hasn't clarified what has felt quite bumpy which will invite speculation. she has talked about reconciliation. the obvious conclusion is that this is a coded message from britain part is a coded message from britain's head of state, urging the country to move on. she also says in the broadcast that small steps can overcome long—held differences. but references to a bumpy year may also be in reference to her own family, after a year which began with the duke of edinburgh's road accident which continued with the duke and duchess of sussex complaining about the problems of of being in the public eye, and which culminated most recently about the controversies surrounding prince andrew, forcing him to step back

from public duties. for the queen who arrived in norfolk en route to sandringham at the end of last week, there is at least the reissuance of knowing that her husband will be with her over christmas. harry and meghan will be absent. they are in canada. this is their online christmas card, a picture of them with their son archie. and earlier nicholas witchell gave me his thoughts on the queen's christmas day message. what did she mean by this reference to a bumpy year? we shall find out tomorrow. i think the context is reconciliation overcoming deep

divisions. so i think she's talking about the political situation, the divisions in the country caused by brexit. i think that's the focus for this remark. but it has been a difficult year for the royal family. not on the scale of 1992 or 1997 when princess diana was killed, but a difficult year for all of the obvious reasons, including the recent news with prince andrew. charlotte gallagher is in sandringham for us where the queen has been in residence since friday. some good news for the queen that prince philip will be there for christmas eve celebrations. yes, a huge relief for the royal family prince philip is back at sandringham to spend christmas with his family. also for the staff who work at sandringham. i spoke to someone work at sandringham. i spoke to someone who worked here who said he often sees prince philip walking around, he's quite involved in the running of the estate, and he feels like a running of the estate, and he feels likeafamily running of the estate, and he feels like a family member to them, so they were also relieved when he was

flown back for christmas. the next time we see the royal family will be christmas day because it is traditionalfor christmas day because it is traditional for them christmas day because it is traditionalfor them to christmas day because it is traditional for them to attend church christmas morning. the queen will be there but we don't know if the prince will be. firstly because he's just been discharged from hospital. he also didn't go last year because he stepped back from public life, he retired in 2017, so we see him a lot less in public. one person we think will be there is prince andrew, the duke of york. there was speculation he wouldn't go because of the scrutiny surrounding his friendship with jeffrey because of the scrutiny surrounding his friendship withjeffrey epstein. and also the interview on bbc newsnight which created headlines all across the world, almost all negative about the duke. in happier news, we do also think princess charlotte and prince george will be making their debut at the christmas service making their debut at the christmas service tomorrow. making their debut at the christmas service tomorrow. they've never been before. but we think prince william and catherine have decided to take them for the first time. i'm sure that will be a treat for a lot of

the well—wishers royals fans who come every year to see the royal family. speaking to people on the estate, they've been told to expect around 6000 people tomorrow. even though it has been this bumpy year for the royalfamily though it has been this bumpy year for the royal family this year with highs and lows, there is still a lot of interest in royal family. yes, the visit to the church always a popular event. thank you so much, charlotte. boris johnson and jeremy corbyn have thanked nhs staff and other public servants who work through the holidays in their christmas messages. the prime minister said the uk stood in solidarity with christians around the world who have faced persecution for their beliefs. mr corbyn said it had been a "difficult" year for many — but christmas was a chance to reflect on hopes for a better world. we are hearing more about boris johnson's plans for the new year and about how the prime minister and his

girlfriend will be travelling to the caribbean. he will be staying with friends. he's not going just yet, he is taking a call in downing street with the president of turkey. he will be spending christmas in downing street with his girlfriend and dog. he was praising the doctors, nurses, police, and army members working over christmas, and also highlighting the plight of christians. people might say you are off to the caribbean, you deserve it, but he will open himself to some criticism. yes, how will that play politically? a labour source has said that he has a proud member of the elite few and protector of bankers and billionaires, so it is no surprise he holidays with them. as a leader ofa he holidays with them. as a leader of a people's government, perhaps he will get some stick for that. but he is paying for it himself. he is, other leaders have travelled abroad, tony blair used to go to barbados to hang out with cliff richard there. david cameron spent a lot of time in cornwall, but he also

travelled abroad. theresa may famously stayed at home for walking holidays, one in snowdonia when she called that infamous snap election. we need to distinguish between the personal and the political with borisjohnson. he personal and the political with boris johnson. he has personal and the political with borisjohnson. he has banned ministers from going to davos for the annual economic gathering in the swiss resort. andy downing street source told the even standard at the time that our focus is delivering for the people, not champagne for billionaires. —— evening standard. the owner of that paper, co ntroversially, the owner of that paper, controversially, hosted a party the night after boris johnson controversially, hosted a party the night after borisjohnson won his landslide victory which boris johnson went to and a writer for the guardian said it was a champagne and caviar fuelled christmas party. guardian said it was a champagne and caviarfuelled christmas party. you have in equal measure of celebrity and politician in borisjohnson that many close to him speak about. perhaps it is no surprise he goes to these parties. but he is in the caribbean for his new year holiday,

but we've heard no suggestion he will be handing over power to a deputy, so he will still be very much in charge. 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. our 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. there have been further clashes between police and pro—democracy protesters who have been holding christmas eve rallies in hong kong. some demonstrators threw umbrellas and objects to police. police responded by firing tear gas and beating protesters with batons. thousands of people have been arrested since the unrest began injune, although the demonstrations have been smaller in recent weeks. at least 26 people have died in indonesia when a bus plunged into a ravine. the bus left the city of beng—kulu with 50 passengers on board. rescue teams and volunteers evacuated the survivors, who were trapped on the bus, before taking them to nearby hospitals. thousands of children in care are living more than 100 miles from their family and friends in places they have never heard of —

according to a report by the children'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. the increasing number of children now is really a result of the increasing number of teenagers coming into care. they're less likely to go into foster care, more likely to go into children's homes. the majority of children's homes are in areas of the country where accommodation is cheaper — lincolnshire, the north—west, kent. this means they are sent to these places and often moved around. children tell me not only do they feel they do not know where they are on the map, they do not know how long they will be there, they don't have access to school properly, and actually they feel it is some kind of punishment. this is, you know, a crucial time of growing up, a crucial time where they need school, they need friendships and they need to be able

to plan their future. 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. our health correspondent dominic hughes has more. claire still remembers vividly the events of 2015. at the age of two, her daughter sophie came dangerously close to death after swallowing a button battery. it badly damaged her throat and burned a hole in her lung, leaving sophie in intensive care and needing multiple operations. if they swallow one and they leave it, it can be fatal. and if it 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. dominic hughes, bbc news.

the headlines on bbc news... the duke of edinburgh has left hospital — in time to spend christmas with the queen at sandringham. the queen will use her christmas day message to say the past year has been "quite bumpy" — adding that "small steps" can heal divisions. thousands of volunteer fire fighters will spend christmas day battling wildfires that are still ravaging australia. sport and for a full round up, from the bbc sport centre, here's olly. tottenham have banned one of their supporters for throwing a missile at the chelsea keeper kepa arrizabalaga.

that was during their defeat at home on sunday. the club haven't said how long the ban is for. a chelsea fan has been arrested for committing a racially aggravated offence during the game and tottenham and the police are still trying to identify a supporter who allegedly abused the chelsea defender antonio rudiger. speaking today, the chelsea manager frank lampard has criticised jose mourinho for questioning rudiger‘s integrity. the spurs boss felt that rudiger overreacted in an incident that saw son heung—min sent off, the chelsea defender claimed that he was targetted with racial abuse from the stands shortly 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 to question his integrity in that time is disappointing. for sure. because i think pretty universally, certainly what i heard

in the post—match reflection, was that it was a red card. i said after the game, it wasn't a brutal red card but it was an instinctive one that warrants a red card. tottenham's appeal against son's red card has failed. the fa have announced that in the last couple of minutes so he will miss the boxing day match at brighton. liverpool's alex oxlade—chamberlain has damaged an ankle ligament and will miss their games against leicester and wolves. the england midfielder picked up the injury in qatar during the second half of his sides one—nil win over flamengo in the club world cup final on saturday. alan pardew is back in football — he's taken over as head coach of dutch side den haag. the former newcastle and crystal palace manager has signed a deal until the end of the season and will have chris powell as his assistant. powell will combine the role alongside his coaching position with england den haag are currently second bottom in the dutch league. the england cricket captainjoe root says he doesn't know if ben stokes will be available for the first test

against south africa that starts on boxing day, stoke's father ged was taken seriously ill yesterday . he is in a critical condition at a johannesburg hospital ijust want i just want to put support to him and his family and to stress the importance of their privacy at this time. but it is really sad news. we are all there for him. you have no idea if he will play are not on boxing day, do you? it would be wrong to go into that now. as i say, it's important he's with his family, that comes first, you know, and we will have to wait and see, but most importantly we are all there for ben and the rest of his family. everybody's thoughts are with ben stokes and his family. they are still in hospital injohannesburg. his father is in critical condition. ben stokes is unable to practise

here today with the rest of his team— mate at centurion here today with the rest of his team—mate at centurion park. it is impossible to say whether he will be playing on boxing day. and overnight as well another illness, which will disappoint england, too, because they thought they were through this mystery illness which has cut a swathe through the bowling side. england thought they might have been through it, but now chris woakes, again, a vital member of the side, has gone down overnight, and england simply cannot have any thought at all about enhancing their team until the morning of the match. we do know that james we do know thatjames anderson, if he stays away from that illness, will win his 150th test cap. that's all the sport for now. i'll have more for you in the next hour. residents in villages in the falkirk area of scotland were left without power for a number of hours earlier after a car left the road and hit an electricity pylon. it happened on the a905 at airth forcing the road to be

closed, which may now be shut for most of the day. the scottish ambulance service said a male casualty was taken to the forth valley royal hospital. a record number of cattle — nearly 115,000 — were slaughtered because of bovine tuberculosis last year and the disease is being considered a significant animal health problem for the uk. now one farmer on the west coast of wales is fighting back. he s trialling a new kind of test that could help spot infected cows that are being missed by current checks. here's our 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 we will detect animals sooner, be able to manage or remove those animals before they become infectious and therefore overall we should be able to shortcut the disease and stop the reinfection of animals within the herd. at the university of nottingham, one of the scientists who devised the new technique analyses blood from wales. current tests involve giving an animal parts of tb bacteria and seeing how it skin reacts. but it 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? 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. our 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. for those who are sleeping rough this christmas, a hot lunch and some company can really help.

280,000 people are homeless in england, according to the charity shelter and one project aiming to tackle the problem is opening its doors at city hall in london. tim muffett went along to see how much difference it can make for people who will be spending christmas on the streets. this is home to the greater london authority, the london mayor as well. but today it is going to be opening its doors to around a hundred or so homeless people to give them some food, some entertainment as well, if they have got a dog they can bring it in to get some treatment. maybe get a haircut as well. all sorts of things are going on. now, we are in london today but of course this is very much a national issue. as you say, it is thought that around 280,000 people in england are homeless. it is a rise of around 23,000 since 2016 and homelessness can take on many forms. it might be sleeping afor a short—term basis in a hostel for example or on someone's so far but when it comes to rough sleeping

—— for example or on someone's sofa but when it comes to rough sleeping it is thought that almost 9000 people slept rough on the streets in london last year. it really is a major issue and that figure is believed to have doubled since 2010. let's have a quick chat to some of the people who are going to be helping out here and also taking advantage of what is on offer. now, marcus, you were rough sleeping, weren't you? yes. how important is it that people can come along here, get some food, have a nice time? it is massively important. some people do not eat from day to day, you know? some people struggle even to get a cup of tea. people look at needs every day, when they are homeless, that is all can seem to see. through people like saint mungos, they helped me get a place to live. you mentioned saint mungos, let us bring in petra. you work for that charity, don't you? this is a short—term thing, it is only for one day? what can it actually achieve for the long term? well, i think christmas can be a really difficult time of year if you do not have family around. i think this is one opportunityjust to show some compassion

at a difficult time of year for people who might otherwise be on the streets or in emergency accommodation. i mean, we are here in london at the moment. it just so happens that the mayor of london is supporting us, providing emergency services for people who would otherwise be on the streets, and today also opening the doors and providing some food and some support. and marcus, you are back on track now, are you? yes. how did you get out of that spiral? well, i was in euston homeless, i was using drugs, i have come off the drugs now, then i met the saint mungos people who helped to me get to this support place. i stayed there at first and then i stayed in a hospital —— i stayed there at first and then i stayed in a hostel and from there they ended up getting me my own flat. i'm really glad to hear that. i hope you have a good day today and everyone has a good time. i want to introduce you briefly to sushi and also i'm going to introduce you to claire from the dogs trust. so the idea is that people can bring their pets along as well?

yes, the mayor has invited residents to bring their pets with them today so we are on hand and we have a special canine area. sushi loves the microphone! she is going to be on hand, as well. hop we have a special canine area so we will have a nurse here who will give checks, we are going to have a good work to do some pampering and we have got a cuddle station. basically, we are here to celebrate the human animal bond and how important pets are to homeless residents and homeless people that are along today. so, it is a really special day and we are really delighted to be here. sushi, you are so well behaved! thank you so much. as i say, during the day people will be arriving, getting some food, maybe getting a haircut, there will be some entertainment, there will be a choir performing. it is a real chance to bring a bit of cheer at christmas to many people who really need it. pilgrims from around the world are gathering in the biblical city of bethlehem to celebrate christmas in the holy land. hundreds of people watched as palestinian scouts paraded to the sound of drums

as christmas eve festivities got under way around the church of the nativity. people have been queuing to visit the grotto inside it, which is believed to be the exact site wherejesus was born. earlier the archbishop of the latin patriarch ofjerusalem and the most senior roman catholic official in the middle east, arrived at manger square ahead of religious services. now it's time for a look at the weather with darren bett. it'll get colderfor more it'll get colder for more of the country overnight tonight. the of that, we've seen some showers today, particularly over southern parts of england and wales, some heavy, early on rumbles of thunder, a scattering of showers further north, and still quite cold early this evening in the north—east of scotland. mild further south across england and wales where we have stronger winds. they should blow away those heavy showers this evening. the wind direction to a north—westerly come pushing showers from the irish sea over the midlands and north of england, but after a

while they will