this is bbc news. the headlines at 7... prince philip is discharged from hospital after 4 days. the duke is now spending christmas with the queen in 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. the wildlife victims of australia's bushfires, helped by the firefighters working around the clock. five children are amongst eight people killed in airstrikes in syria, after a week—long government offensive in the mainly rebel—held province of idlib. pilgrims from around the world are in bethlehem for christmas eve celebrations. ben stokes misses training for england because his father is admitted to hospital in south africa with a serious illness.

and coming up in half an hour, bbc news gains exclusive access to the team trying to break the land speed record. good evening and welcome to bbc news. the duke of edinburgh has returned to sandringham 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. his return to norfolk comes as it's been revealed that the queen will describe 2019 as a ‘bumpy‘ year, in her christmas message. 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, 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 has 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. but the reference to a bumpy year may also be taken to refer to events within her own family, after a year which began with the duke of edinburgh's road accident, just 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 norfolk 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. with their seven—month—old son, but the other principal members of the family will all be there. this was george, a few days ago, stirring a christmas pudding with his father, grandfather and great grandmother.

the royal family's christmas is ready. and earlier, nicholas gave more detail on what the queen might have meant by her comments about a ‘bumpy‘ year. it would be so much simpler if she would be a bit more explicit, wouldn't it? we can only look at the context and we know, from the extracts which buckingham palace has released, that one of the themes of the broadcast tomorrow is reconciliation. she will talk about the 75th anniversary of d—day, of former sworn enemies coming together so in the context of reconciliation she says the path can be quite bumpy, as we have found this year. she talks about small steps, overcoming deep—seated divisions and long—held differences. surely that can only be a reference to the political divisions that we have seen over the past 12 months, as a result of the brexit debate. as head of state, she found herself being forced, by her prime minister, into the prorogation of parliament, which turned out to be unlawful and that is quite a bump for her.

i think that that is what she is referring to, although inevitably, it is undeniable that it has also been a bumpy and difficult year for the royalfamily, but we will really have to wait and see till three o'clock tomorrow afternoon to see the broadcast in its entirety. people in the australian state of new south wales have been showing their gratitude to the volunteer firefighters battling huge bushfires, by donating christmas presents. since september, nearly 3,000 volunteers have been out every day trying to control the blazes which have engulfed vast areas. 0ur correspondent, phil mercer, sent this report. 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 1000 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... 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 isjust overwhelming support, like, obviously all the presents and stuff for the kids. i haven't even gone christmas shopping or anything for my daughter. she will turn one on january the 11th.

to boost the emergency efforts, the australian prime minister, scott morrison, says that volunteer firefighters who have jobs in the public service will be given four weeks' paid leave. some have been battling the fires for months and, with no end in sight to the crisis, a long, dangerous summer lies ahead. phil mercer, bbc news, new south wales. police in new zealand have called off the search for the bodies of two people missing since the volcano eruption on white island earlier this month. police say they took the decision after extensive shoreline and aerial searches. the bodies of hayden marshall—inman, who was 40, and 17—year—old winona jane langford are thought to be in the water off the island. ms langford's parents were among the 19 people killed by the eruption. police in hong kong have fired tear gas at pro—democracy protesters who've been holding rallies. the demonstrators had gathered around shopping malls and areas

popular with tourists. some activists threw umbrellas and other objects at the police, who responded by beating them with batons. thousands of people have been arrested since the unrest began injune. in syria, five children are reportedly among the latest casualties of a week—long offensive by syrian government forces, backed by russia, in the mainly rebel—held province of idlib. the operation has caused tens of thousands of people to flee towards the turkish border and doctors in the area have warned that they're struggling to deal with mass casualties. sebastian usher, middle east editor for the bbc world service spoke for the bbc world service, spoke to me about the latest. president assad has vowed time and again that he will take back every inch of the country. at one point that seemed unlikely, it seemed simply him, just rhetoric. but it is now true in a sense, he has a 70% of the country

under his control, idlib they have been pushing and pushing. people will remember earlier this year there was major concern it would be a government offensive that would cause a new humanitarian catastrophe. that was stopped when russia and turkey brokered a ceasefire which has been in place for several months but has been broken time and time again. what we have seen in the past week is a fully new offensive being launched. this is partly the drive to take back the whole of the country and also a strategic attempt by the syrian government to take full control of the main highway that runs through the country, the m5, which as part of that ceasefire deal was supposed to be made safe, the militias were supposed to have pulled back fighting happening now is going a bit more deep into idlib in the area so that is the main strategic aim at the moment of the government. but again, the tactics used are to bombard villagers from the air, from artillery, people running scared,

tens of thousands have moved towards the turkish border. monitors say around 80 civilians have died in the past few days, today as you're saying, school was hit, five children and two women were killed. the casualties build again. 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. a record number of cattle were slaughtered last year because of bovine tuberculosis — nearly 16,000; and the disease is considered a significant animal health problem for the uk. now one farmer on the west coast of wales is fighting back, by trialling a new test that could help spot infected cows that are being missed by the current checks. more details from 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... do 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 animals 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, we'll 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 its 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 will need 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. the headlines on bbc news... prince philip is discharged from hospital after 4 days. the duke is now spending christmas with the queen in 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. the wildlife victims of australia's bushfires helped by the firefighters working around the clock. sport and a full round up, from the bbc

sport centre. good evening. 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 in a johannesburg hospital clearly everyone‘s thoughts are with ben stokes and his family. they are set at his father's bedside, he is ina set at his father's bedside, he is in a critical condition. ben stokes has been unable to practise year with the rest of his team—mates. it's impossible to say whether or not he will be playing on boxing day. 0vernight another illness and this will be disappointing, they thought they were through this. this mystery bug which has cut a swathe through the bowling attack, they went down last week and i think england thought they might have been through it but chris woakes has gone down overnight. england simply

cannot have any thought at all about announcing their team until the morning of the match. tottenham have banned one of their supporters for throwing a missile at the chelsea keeper kepa arrizabalaga. 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 afterwards. i think with tony in this incident, when he is having to post after the game about something we know is a huge deal, i think to question his integrity

in that time is disappointing. because i think pretty universally, certainly what i heard in the commentary and all the post—match reflection, was that this incident was a red card. i said it after the game, it wasn't a brutal red card, but it was an instinctive one that warrants a red card. tottenhams appeal against son's red card has failed. he'll miss the boxing day match at home to brighton then trips to norwich and southampton. liverpool's alex 0xlade—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 1—0 win over flamengo in the club world cup final on saturday. you have three ligaments

on the outside of the ankle, one of them is damaged. we now have to see how we can fix that. i do not know exactly, but it is years ago when i had a similar injury. it can take a while or can be quick, we have to see. no chance for thursday, no chance for this year. we have to see how quickly it can settle. 18 months after egtting sacked by west bromwich albion, alan pardew is back in football. he's taken over as head coach of the struggling dutch side, den haag. he 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. they currently on a winter break. pardew‘s first game will be against the bottom side

in the division onjanuary 19th. that's all the sport for now. plenty more on the bbc sport website and app, including bunce and costello's review of what has been a brilliant year of boxing. more from us later.. 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 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. but 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 locate and remove the battery. sophie has made a good recovery but her mum knows it was a close call. and not an experience anyone else should go through. france has blocked the export of a 13th century masterpiece found above an elderly woman's kitchen hotplate. the painting, by cimabue, called christ mocked is being held for 30 months. it's hoped the decision will allow time for funds to be raised to buy the work for france, so that it can be cherished as a national treasure. pilgrims from around the world have been gathering in the city of bethlehem, revered by christians as the birthplace ofjesus, to celebrate christmas in the holy land. thousands converged on the town in the israeli—occupied west bank, with christmas eve festivities taking place in and around the church of the nativity. from bethlehem, our correspondent barbara plett—usher sent this report.

this is bethlehem's time of year, when it invites the world to celebrate the story of a humble birth that changed history. it's a tradition for palestinian scouts to set the pace of festivities. this time, perhaps, with an extra spring in their steps. bethlehem is enjoying its busiest tourist season in two decades, a bright spot despite dark times for the palestinian economy. and for bethlehem's christians, there is a special gift from the vatican — a splinter of wood believed to be from jesus' manger. it's small but a big boost for a community decimated by waves of emigration. yet in the holy land, the christmas cheer is always wrapped in political realities. the procession of christian leaders from jerusalem crossed into bethlehem through an israeli army checkpoint and a concrete barrier that separates the two cities. if we look to our human realities, politics, social, economics, we have not so much hope.

0n the other side, i see everywhere i go in the communities commitment, volunteers, desire, especially in the youth, to do something for their society, for theirfamilies. the patriarch will be leading the midnight mass here in manger square at the church wherejesus is said to have been born, the highlight for locals and pilgrims alike. it's a merry christmas here. lots of sparkling lights and happy people tonight. but in this town, in this region, the situation is fragile. perhaps the only permanent thing is faith. barbara plett—usher, bbc news, bethlehem. paris mass was deeply damaged by a fire in april this year, it is the

first time since the french revolution the cathedral has been unable to host christmas services. breaking news from spain. three members of the same family reported to be british have drowned in a swimming pill in the costa del sol. a statement from the operator has said management are offering heartfelt condolences to the family. the loss of three family members on the 24th of december. guests a p pa re ntly the 24th of december. guests apparently found unresponsive in one of the resortpools. first points teams attended, administered first aid but where unable to revive those affected. the staff continuing to support remaining members of the family in what they describe as this difficult time in the costa del sol. 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. crackers, party poppers and fireworks 7 for many, sounds of celebration at christmas. but, for some, they trigger difficult memories. mike kirkby is an army veteran from hull — who suffers from gulf war syndrome, but he's discovered a creative way of coping with the lasting impact of war. lizzy steel has been to meet him. i saw vehicles absolutely destroyed. obviously there were still bodies, body parts that we had to bury. i get these images constantly. i can see images now. the nightmares. some days i don't sleep for three days. epilepsy, high blood pressure and ptsd, conditions army veteran mike kirkby lives with after service

in the gulf war. i had 17 vaccines in just over two weeks. and that shattered my immune system. along with medication, mike has discovered a hobby to help him cope. crafting. i've always loved sewing, needlework. it takes me away from all the flashbacks, the nightmares, of what i have experienced out in the gulf. every year he carefully crafts and donates 150 baubles to a veterans charity which helped him through some tough times. they helped me through a suicidal scenario. it's a little bit i can give back, for all the help they have done for me. this is where he brings them. the national gulf veterans and families association in hull. yes, thank you. we make sure people know that these have been made by a veteran. because we think that is really key for people to understand, that is his therapy.

but he is helping us to raise those funds. this time of year is particularly difficult for them because a lot of them were already out and getting prepared to go to the gulf. so there are the triggers, the memories, and there is a lot of support needed for them. with this year's batch delivered, mike is ready to take a break. but not for long. he is already thinking about designs for 2020. i get home, have christmas off, and then i'll start again for next year! lovely! have a nice christmas. thank you. lizzie steele, bbc look north, hull. it's that time of the year for christmas carols, here's a jingle you might not know, dashing through the waves, on what appears to be a pair of waterskis. this is the famous "waterskiing santa" and his reindeer, well—known for his annual displays on the potomac river in virginia. not quite the snow covered scenes we've come to associate with christmas, but here it's a tradition that's been going for more than 30 years.

0rganisers boast that it's the longest—running water—ski christmas show in the world — perhaps not too much competition on that one. now it's time for a look at the weather with nick miller. much quieter whether or christmas tomorrow. showers fading away as we go into the night. some coming in on the breeze across the night. some coming in on the breeze a cross western the night. some coming in on the breeze across western and north scotland. by the end of the night, just west scotland the showers are with. the wind easing about, clearing skies, dropping temperatures close to freezing. at least a ground frost in places going into the morning. maybe one or two icy patches. a few early showers to western scotland, even these will fade, a good deal of sunshine around ona dry fade, a good deal of sunshine around on a dry christmas day. a bit of

patchy cloud, north—west england, west south scotland, head of a weather system coming from the atlantic. light wind, feeling a bit colder compared with today. but we are expecting some fog to develop after dark that may be denson places before it turns windier and wetter again for boxing day. hello, this is bbc news. the headlines. prince philip is discharged from hospital after four days. the duke is now spending christmas with the queen in 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. the wildlife victims of australia's bushfires — helped by the firefighters working around the clock. five children are amongst eight people killed in airstrikes in syria, after a week—long government offensive in the mainly rebel—held province of idlib.

now on bbc news 7 we're chasing the land speed record with the british bloodhound team hoping to smash the current record of 763 miles per hour. andrew harding was given exclusive access to the team on the salt flats of the northern cape of south africa. well, the thing about the land speed record is it is the last of the amateur corinthian sports. it is done purely for the love, the fascination of it. some people argue, well, the old cars are no more, but forget it is a car, we are pushing the boundaries of engineering to its absolute limit. every day i go, why are we doing this? it may be the last land speed record as we know it.