Israel's defence minister has for the first time acknowledged that Israel killed Hamas's political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July.

Israel Katz made the comments in a speech vowing to target the heads of the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen, which has been firing missiles and drones at Israel.

Haniyeh was killed in a building where he was staying in the Iranian capital in an attack widely attributed to Israel.

Separately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said some progress had been made towards agreeing a ceasefire in Gaza with Hamas, but he could not give a timeline for when a deal would be reached.

It comes after a senior Palestinian official told the BBC that talks between Hamas and Israel were 90% complete, but key issues remained.

In his speech, Katz said Israel would "strike hard" at the Houthis and "decapitate" its leadership.

"Just as we did with Haniyeh, [Yahya] Sinwar, and [Hassan] Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza, and Lebanon, we will do so in Hodeida and Sanaa," he said, referring to Hezbollah and Hamas leaders who have all been killed this year.

Haniyeh, 62, was widely considered Hamas's overall leader and played a key role in negotiations aimed at reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

After his assassination, Hamas named Yahya Sinwar, its leader in Gaza and one of the chief architects of the 7 October attacks, as the group's overall leader.

Sinwar was killed by the Israeli military in a chance encounter in Gaza in October and the group is still in the process of choosing a new leader.

Hassan Nasrallah meanwhile was the leader of the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah - he was assassinated in Beirut in September as Israel dramatically escalated its military campaign against Hezbollah, with which it had been trading near daily cross-border fire since the day after the 7 October attacks.

The Houthis, an Iran-backed rebel group that controls north-western Yemen, began attacking Israeli and international ships in the Red Sea shortly after Israel began targeting Hamas in Gaza last October.

The group has vowed to continue until the war in Gaza ends.

On Saturday, Israel's military said its attempts to shoot down a projectile launched from Yemen were unsuccessful and the missile struck a park in Tel Aviv. A Houthi spokesman said the group hit a military target using a hypersonic ballistic missile.

Last week Israel launched strikes against what it said were Houthi military targets, hitting ports as well as energy infrastructure in the Yemeni capital Sanaa. The US and UK have also attacked Houthi targets as part of an operation to protect international shipping.

Hamas attacked Israel in October last year, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 people hostage.

In response, Israel launched a military campaign to destroy Hamas in Gaza which has continued for more than a year and has killed 45,317 people according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the Strip.

That figure includes 58 people killed by Israeli attacks over the past 24 hours, Hamas officials said. Local medical officials said that at least 11 people were killed in three separate strikes on the al-Mawasi area, which had been designated a "safe zone" by the Israeli military. Israel said it was targeting a Hamas fighter.

On Monday Israel said three of its soldiers had been killed in the northern Gaza Strip.

Humanitarian and rights groups have warned of a catastrophic situation for civilians in Gaza.

On Sunday Oxfam said just 12 trucks had distributed food and water in northern Gaza over the past two-and-a-half months and blamed the Israeli military for "deliberate delays and systematic obstructions".

"For three of these, once the food and water had been delivered to the school where people were sheltering, it was then cleared and shelled within hours," Oxfam added.

The Israeli authorities said the report was "deliberately and inaccurately" ignoring the "extensive humanitarian efforts made by Israel in the northern Gaza Strip".

Israel insisted that specific shipments "including food, water, and medical supplies" had been sent to northern areas of Gaza, including Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahia and Jabalia, where the Israeli military has for several months been carrying out a military operation that it says is targeting Hamas fighters who had regrouped there.

The Oxfam report comes after rights groups Amnesty accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused Israel of committing "acts of genocide" by deliberately depriving Palestinian civilians in Gaza of adequate access to water.

Israel's foreign ministry described the Amnesty report as "entirely false and based on lies" while the Israeli foreign ministry's spokesman said Human Rights Watch was "once more spreading its blood libels... The truth is the complete opposite of HRW's lies".

A promising teenage footballer who lost both lower legs after a car crash is home from hospital and walking again - in time for Christmas with his family.

Adam Golebiewski was 17 when he was injured in the crash in Macduff, Aberdeenshire, in September.

After undergoing the double amputation he celebrated his 18th birthday during his rehabilitation in hospital in Aberdeen, and was fitted for prosthetics.

He told BBC Scotland News he was "thankful and grateful" to have succeeded in his ambition to be home by Christmas.

Apprentice builder Adam, from Banff, was a passenger in a car which crashed in Macduff's Union Road in the early hours of Sunday 8 September.

Police Scotland said a 19-year-old man was later charged in connection with the crash.

Three other teenagers were also injured in the crash.

Adam was taken to hospital, where his legs were amputated below the knee.

The football-obsessed goalkeeper - whose manager at junior side Deveronside described as having great potential - underwent intensive rehabilitation at Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen for about three months.

The teenager, who is one of four siblings, has previously told BBC Scotland that he was just happy to be alive.

Now back home, he is going to the gym and looking at his future sporting options.

He described walking again and getting home as the "best feeling", adding that he had been "so excited" when he first stood up.

Adam said the first weekend back at home had been difficult because it was the first time he had sat and spoken properly about the accident.

"I just thought in my head: 'Why was it me? Why did it happen to a guy that was just trying to do well in life?'

"It's a bit crazy to be walking already. I was just so happy to get out. I am very happy with them [the prosthetics], I get to do normal things again.

"If I am with people I am the happiest person alive. Even when I cry I will smile."

Adam said his goal was to try new things, including sports that he would not have tried before the accident.

"It's been three months of pain, being trapped in hospital, but I am home now, so that's the most important thing," he said.

"People say we're so proud of you, you must be proud of yourself. I'm just like 'I am' but I would keep that to myself."

Adam has become a bit of an unwitting local celebrity as people try to keep track of his recovery.

"I can't even walk five steps without people coming up to me asking how I am getting on," he said.

He was recently invited to a special festive service at Aberdeen's St Machar's Cathedral by Andrew Simpson, the lord lieutenant of Banffshire.

Mr Simpson said: "When I heard about Adam's progress I wanted to invite him to it.

"It was terrific, the service theme was empathy. Adam was the right person to be there. He has had great support."

Adam's mum and dad, Joanne and Adam snr, said renovations had been made at home, such as removing doors, to help him when he is using a wheelchair.

"It's been great to have him back, he was ahead of the game," his dad said.

Adam's solicitor, Lisa Gregory, described him as "one of the most positive individuals you could hope to meet".

She said: "Considering the injuries that he has sustained, we have all been blown away by his spirit and resilience.

"Those injuries are, however, life-changing and we need to ensure now that Adam gets the medical, emotional and financial security he needs so that he can continue to live his life to the full and maintain his positivity."

Adam was assisted in hospital by orthopaedic rehabilitation physiotherapist Owen Cairns.

"I could not be more thankful and grateful for everything he did, helped me through everything, and got me on my feet again before Christmas which was my goal," the teenager said.

"I was a bit upset to leave as me and Owen chatted about football."

He said he appreciated the help of everyone in hospital.

"They made me feel sort of special in there, even though I was just a boy from Banff that ended up in there."

He is now anticipating the Christmas festivities back home, as he had dreamed.

Asked what his hopes were of how it would go, Adam said: "To enjoy it like every other Christmas, and spend time with my family.

"We are going to my grandma's.

"I am sure I will enjoy it, and opening presents."

He added: "They still see me as the same person. I am still the same, I just don't have legs any more."

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A long-awaited report into former Republican US Representative Matt Gaetz is expected to be released on Monday.

It follows an investigation by the House Ethics Committee into allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use by Gaetz, who was briefly lined up for a top job in the cabinet of President-elect Donald Trump.

A draft of the report seen by the BBC's US partner CBS News - described as a final version - reportedly says there is "substantial evidence" that Gaetz broke state laws relating to sexual misconduct while in office.

Gaetz, 42, has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, saying he is the victim of a smear campaign. He has not commented on the latest developments.

The 37-page draft seen by CBS is quoted as saying: "The committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favours or privileges, and obstruction of Congress."

From 2017 to 2020, Gaetz made payments totalling more than $90,000 (£72,000) to 12 different women "that the Committee determined were likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use", CBS quotes the draft as saying.

The draft also reportedly contains testimony that Gaetz paid for sex with a 17-year-old at a party in 2017, giving her $400 "which she understood to be payment for sex". Gaetz has denied having sex with a minor.

The Department of Justice (DoJ) - which Trump had initially planned for Gaetz to lead - also investigated an allegation that he had sex with a minor but ultimately did not file any criminal charges against him.

• Ethics committee votes to release report
• What to know about the Gaetz investigation
• The rise and fall of Gaetz in eight wild days

Gaetz represented Florida's first congressional district in the US House of Representatives, having come to power in the same election in 2016 that propelled his ally Trump to the White House the first time.

He was named last month as Trump's DoJ nominee. Gaetz promptly resigned from Congress, seemingly putting him out of reach of the ethics committee.

But an intense debate erupted over whether or not the report should be released. Gaetz then withdrew his name from consideration for the DoJ role, saying he hoped to avoid a "needlessly protracted Washington scuffle".

Gaetz's slated role as attorney general was one of those that required the confirmation of US senators - which looked increasingly unlikely.

The secretive ethics committee had investigated Gaetz on and off since 2021 - not only on the claims about sex and drugs, but also on allegations he accepted bribes and misused campaign funds. In all cases, he strongly denied any wrongdoing.

House Republicans previously blocked Democratic efforts to unveil the results of the report, but two of them later voted to do so, according to CBS.

Responding last week to news that the document would be released after all, Gaetz posted on X: "I was charged with nothing: FULLY EXONERATED. Not even a campaign finance violation. And the people investigating me hated me."

He added: "Instead, House Ethics will reportedly post a report online that I have no opportunity to debate or rebut as a former member of the body."

Gaetz also wrote: "It's embarrassing, though not criminal, that I probably partied, womanised, drank and smoked more than I should have earlier in life. I live a different life now."

Israel's defence minister has for the first time acknowledged that Israel killed Hamas's political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July.

Israel Katz made the comments in a speech vowing to target the heads of the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen, which has been firing missiles and drones at Israel.

Haniyeh was killed in a building where he was staying in the Iranian capital in an attack widely attributed to Israel.

Separately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said some progress had been made towards agreeing a ceasefire in Gaza with Hamas, but he could not give a timeline for when a deal would be reached.

It comes after a senior Palestinian official told the BBC that talks between Hamas and Israel were 90% complete, but key issues remained.

In his speech, Katz said Israel would "strike hard" at the Houthis and "decapitate" its leadership.

"Just as we did with Haniyeh, [Yahya] Sinwar, and [Hassan] Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza, and Lebanon, we will do so in Hodeida and Sanaa," he said, referring to Hezbollah and Hamas leaders who have all been killed this year.

Haniyeh, 62, was widely considered Hamas's overall leader and played a key role in negotiations aimed at reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

After his assassination, Hamas named Yahya Sinwar, its leader in Gaza and one of the chief architects of the 7 October attacks, as the group's overall leader.

Sinwar was killed by the Israeli military in a chance encounter in Gaza in October and the group is still in the process of choosing a new leader.

Hassan Nasrallah meanwhile was the leader of the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah - he was assassinated in Beirut in September as Israel dramatically escalated its military campaign against Hezbollah, with which it had been trading near daily cross-border fire since the day after the 7 October attacks.

The Houthis, an Iran-backed rebel group that controls north-western Yemen, began attacking Israeli and international ships in the Red Sea shortly after Israel began targeting Hamas in Gaza last October.

The group has vowed to continue until the war in Gaza ends.

On Saturday, Israel's military said its attempts to shoot down a projectile launched from Yemen were unsuccessful and the missile struck a park in Tel Aviv. A Houthi spokesman said the group hit a military target using a hypersonic ballistic missile.

Last week Israel launched strikes against what it said were Houthi military targets, hitting ports as well as energy infrastructure in the Yemeni capital Sanaa. The US and UK have also attacked Houthi targets as part of an operation to protect international shipping.

Hamas attacked Israel in October last year, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 people hostage.

In response, Israel launched a military campaign to destroy Hamas in Gaza which has continued for more than a year and has killed 45,317 people according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the Strip.

That figure includes 58 people killed by Israeli attacks over the past 24 hours, Hamas officials said. Local medical officials said that at least 11 people were killed in three separate strikes on the al-Mawasi area, which had been designated a "safe zone" by the Israeli military. Israel said it was targeting a Hamas fighter.

On Monday Israel said three of its soldiers had been killed in the northern Gaza Strip.

Humanitarian and rights groups have warned of a catastrophic situation for civilians in Gaza.

On Sunday Oxfam said just 12 trucks had distributed food and water in northern Gaza over the past two-and-a-half months and blamed the Israeli military for "deliberate delays and systematic obstructions".

"For three of these, once the food and water had been delivered to the school where people were sheltering, it was then cleared and shelled within hours," Oxfam added.

The Israeli authorities said the report was "deliberately and inaccurately" ignoring the "extensive humanitarian efforts made by Israel in the northern Gaza Strip".

Israel insisted that specific shipments "including food, water, and medical supplies" had been sent to northern areas of Gaza, including Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahia and Jabalia, where the Israeli military has for several months been carrying out a military operation that it says is targeting Hamas fighters who had regrouped there.

The Oxfam report comes after rights groups Amnesty accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused Israel of committing "acts of genocide" by deliberately depriving Palestinian civilians in Gaza of adequate access to water.

Israel's foreign ministry described the Amnesty report as "entirely false and based on lies" while the Israeli foreign ministry's spokesman said Human Rights Watch was "once more spreading its blood libels... The truth is the complete opposite of HRW's lies".

Russian scientists have unveiled the remains of a 50,000-year-old baby mammoth found in thawing permafrost in the remote Yakutia region of Siberia during the summer.

They say "Yana" - who has been named after the river basin where she was discovered - is the world's best-preserved mammoth carcass.

Weighing in at over 100kg (15st 10lb), and measuring 120cm (4ft) tall and 200cm long, Yana is estimated to have been only about one-year-old when she died.

Before this find, only six similar discoveries had been found in the world - five in Russia and one in Canada.

Yana was found in the Batagaika crater, the world's largest permafrost (ground that is permanently frozen) crater, by people living nearby.

The residents "were in the right place at the right time", the head of the Lazarev Mammoth Museum Laboratory said.

"They saw that the mammoth had almost completely thawed out" and decided to build a make-shift stretcher to lift the mammoth to the surface, said Maxim Cherpasov.

"As a rule, the part that thaws out first, especially the trunk, is often eaten by modern predators or birds," he told the Reuters news agency.

But "even though the forelimbs have already been eaten, the head is remarkably well preserved", he added.

A researcher at the museum, Gavril Novgorodov, told Reuters the mammoth "probably got trapped" in a swamp, and was "thus preserved for several tens of thousands of years".

Yana is being studied at the North-Eastern Federal University in the region's capital Yakutsk.

Scientists are now conducting tests to confirm when it died.

It is not the only pre-historic discovery to have been found in Russia's vast permafrost in recent years - as long-frozen ground starts to thaw because of climate change.

Just last month, scientists in the same region showed off the remains of a partial, mummified body of a sabre-tooth cat, thought to be just under 32,000-years-old.

And earlier this year the remains of a 44,000-year-old wolf were also uncovered.

A man who featured in a viral video of him being hit in the crotch and head by bricks during the Southport riot has been jailed.

Brian Spencer was first hit in the head by a brick thrown by a fellow rioter as he goaded a line of riot police on 30 July.

As he held his head, he was then hit by a second brick directly in the crotch, causing him to stagger in the street.

The 40-year-old, of Lytham Road, Southport, pleaded guilty at Liverpool Crown to violent disorder and was jailed for two years and six months.

'Some wayward missiles'

The riot broke out the day after three girls were killed in a knife attack in Southport.

Spencer also admitted a separate offence of racially aggravated harassment.

Merseyside Police said his injuries were captured on mobile phone footage which was shared widely on social media after "some wayward missiles" hit him during the "appalling scenes" in Southport.

A police spokesperson said Spencer "could be seen acting in an aggressive manner" as part of a large group of people who were standing in front of police officers and throwing bricks.

'Despicable scenes'

Spencer was also seen "punching a police vehicle several times and picking up and throwing wheelie bins" at officers, police said.

Merseyside Police said its officers were later called to hospital after injured Spencer racially abused another patient while he was receiving treatment for his head injury.

A police spokesperson said the "officers recognised him from the viral social media footage" and he was arrested.

Det Insp Paula Jones said there were "despicable scenes as bricks, bins and other missiles were thrown" at officers during the riot.

She added: "Spencer was involved in the violence and will now spend a significant amount of time in prison."

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk

Morrisons customers have been unable to get discounts on their shopping ahead of Christmas after a problem with the More loyalty card.

The supermarket has been advertising heavy discounts on Christmas dinner food, including vegetables, in the last week.

But social media users say their discounts are not working at the till, with one person posting a photo of an error message at the self-checkout, which reads: "We are really sorry some promotions and discounts are not working at this time."

The Morrisons website also appears to be down, with a "502 bad gateway" error message on some pages.

Morrisons has been contacted for comment.

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Greenland has once again said it is not for sale after US President-elect Donald Trump said he wanted to take control of the territory.

"Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland," its prime minister said on Monday, a day after Trump repeated comments about the Arctic island that he first made several years ago.

Greenland, which is an autonomous Danish territory, is home to a large US space facility and lies on the shortest route from the US to Europe, meaning it is strategically important for America.

There was no immediate response to Trump's comments from Denmark.

Writing on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Sunday, the US president-elect said: "For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity."

His comments prompted a sharp rebuke from Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede, who said: "We are not for sale and we will not be for sale."

"We must not lose our long struggle for freedom. However, we must continue to be open to co-operation and trade with the whole world, especially with our neighbours," he said.

Trump's controversial remarks came hours after he announced that he intended to nominate Ken Howery, his former ambassador to Sweden, to be the new ambassador to Denmark.

Mr Howery said he was "deeply humbled" by the nomination and looked forward to working with the staff at the US embassy in Copenhagen and the US consulate in Greenland to "deepen the bonds between our countries".

Trump's original suggestion in 2019 that the US acquire Greenland, which is the world's largest island, led to a similarly sharp rebuke from leaders there.

The then Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederickson, who still holds the role, described the idea as "absurd", leading Trump to cancel a state trip to the country.

He is not the first US president to suggest buying Greenland. The idea was first mooted during the 1860s under the presidency of Andrew Johnson.

Separately on Sunday, Donald Trump threatened to reassert control over the Panama Canal, one of the world's most important waterways - accusing Panama of charging excessive fees for access to it.

Panama's president later said "every square metre" of the canal and surrounding area belonged to his country.

The trial of a woman accused of illegally aborting her baby collapsed due to "appalling and sloppy" reporting by the BBC, a judge has said.

Sophie Harvey, 25, and her boyfriend Elliot Benham, 25, accepted they had purchased abortion pills online, but she denied taking them.

The couple stood trial at Gloucester Crown Court in May, but the jury was discharged after an application by their lawyers who cited inaccurate reports of the proceedings by BBC Points West.

The BBC apologised to the court for the "unintentional" errors.

The court heard the opening headlines of the Points West episode on 16 May had shown archive footage of a property in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, with a tent and scenes of crime officers working, and stated: "The remains were found in the garden."

Later in the report of that day's trial proceedings, a TV reporter said that Harvey had taken the pill.

She had insisted she gave birth to a stillborn child in the bathroom of her home in Cirencester in 2018 and had not taken an abortion pill.

'Errors in reporting'

Tom Godfrey, representing Harvey, applied for the jury to be discharged due to the reporting, saying it would go to the issue of his client's credibility as she maintained she did not take the abortion pill.

Judge Ian Lawrie KC said it was "appalling and sloppy" reporting from the BBC, before dismissing the jury.

A BBC spokeswoman said: "The BBC apologised to the court for the unintentional errors in some of our reporting of the trial in May 2024.

"Our apology was accepted by the judge hearing the case."

A new trial had been fixed for February 2025, but Harvey and Benham pleaded guilty to a new offence of conspiracy to procure a poison with intent to procure a miscarriage and were sentenced to 18-month community orders.

The suspect accused of killing UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson has pleaded not guilty to New York state murder and terrorism charges.

Luigi Mangione, 26, appeared in court on Monday to be arraigned on 11 state criminal counts, including murder a crime of terrorism.

He also faces with federal stalking and murder charges that could lead to a death penalty sentence.

Prosecutors allege that Mangione shot Thompson in central Manhattan before going on the run. Authorities later arrested him at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania.

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Mauritius's deputy prime minister has hinted that negotiations with the UK over the future of the Chagos Islands are being held up over the amount of money involved.

Under the terms of the original agreement, which was announced in October, the UK would relinquish sovereignty to Mauritius over the archipelago but maintain a 99-year lease for Diego Garcia, home to a major UK-US military airbase.

As part of the deal, the UK said it would provide a package of financial support to Mauritius, including annual payments and infrastructure investment, but neither side has said how much is involved.

However a new government in Mauritius, elected since the agreement was first made, has said it wants to see some changes.

The proposed deal has also attracted criticism in the UK, with the opposition Conservative party calling it a "monumental failure of statecraft".

When the agreement was first made public after years of talks, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the then Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth called it a "seminal moment in our relationship and a demonstration of our enduring commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes and the rule of law".

It sought to end decades of uncertainty and dispute over the status of the islands.

• New Mauritian PM sends fresh Chagos proposals to UK
• Chagos deal remains on track, says UK minister
• Trump team hostile to Chagos deal, claims Farage

In a joint statement issued on Friday, the UK and Mauritius said they were committed "to finalising a treaty as quickly as possible" that included both the "secure and effective operation of the existing base on Diego Garcia and that Mauritius is sovereign over the archipelago".

They added that "ongoing conversations" were productive.

The new Mauritian government, elected in a landslide last month, has not been explicit in public about what exactly its problems with the deal were.

But talking to his constituents on Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister Paul Bérenger spoke about the money involved.

"This base existed on our land, on our territory... but not only it is [about] our sovereignty. There are some things you can't accept if you're a true patriot. They are trying to make us sign and they are quibbling on a small amount," he said.

Speaking in parliament last week about the negotiations Bérenger admitted that Mauritius needs "money to get out of the economic mess the previous government got us into, but not at any price, not under any conditions".

Addressing MPs on Friday, Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam said that the UK was keen to complete the deal "before [Donald] Trump swears in as president on 20 January".

Marco Rubio, Trump's pick for secretary of state, has described the deal as a threat to US security.

Last week in the UK's House of Commons, Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel accused the Labour government of putting the UK's national security at risk, ignoring the interests of Chagossians, and "letting our standing go into freefall" in an increasingly dangerous world.

"How much is the British taxpayer going to be liable for each year, and in total, over 99 years?" she asked.

Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty insisted the deal would enhance, not damage UK security, saying it would protect the military base's operation and ensure it was "on a safe footing well into the next century".

In recent years, the UK has faced rising diplomatic isolation over its claim to what it refers to as the British Indian Ocean Territory, with various United Nations bodies - including its top court and general assembly - overwhelmingly siding with Mauritius and demanding the UK surrender what some have called its "last colony in Africa".

The government of Mauritius has long argued that it was illegally forced to give the Chagos Islands away in return for its own independence from the UK in 1968.

Until very recently, the UK insisted that Mauritius itself had no legitimate claim to the islands.

You may also be interested in:

• Is this tiny Mauritian island a confidential spy station?
• Chagos islanders in emotional, historic trip home
• British stamps banned from Chagos Islands in Indian Ocean

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica

This year's Christmas message from King Charles will be delivered from a former hospital chapel, in a year in which the King has been undergoing cancer treatment.

The location for the traditional Christmas Day broadcast is the Fitzrovia Chapel in central London, which once served as the chapel of the Middlesex Hospital.

It's the first time in more than a decade that the Christmas speech has been recorded from a place that isn't in a royal palace or estate - and it's understood that the King wanted a location with a healthcare connection.

The ornately-decorated 19th Century former chapel building is now used for exhibitions and community events for people of any faiths and none.

As well as a link to the health services, the building also ties in with the King's interest in trying to build bridges between different beliefs, backgrounds and religions.

The traditional speech from the monarch, recorded earlier this month, will be broadcast as usual on television and radio at 15:00 on Christmas Day.

The Christmas message comes at the end of a year in which the King faced a cancer diagnosis.

His regular sessions of treatment are continuing, as they have for much of this year, but as a sign of a positive response, he has plans for a busy schedule of engagements and overseas trips in 2025.

Setting the speech in this former hospital chapel, which was renovated and reopened in 2016, will be a reminder of those working in the health services and medical research.

The small chapel, decorated in the Gothic Revival style with shimmering mosaics and Byzantine influences, is tucked away in Pearson Square, in a quiet corner of London's West End.

It was built in the courtyard of what was the Middlesex Hospital, serving its staff and patients. When the hospital was demolished the chapel was retained and restored, with a new development built around it.

It's no longer regularly used for services, but is used for community events and concerts and is open to visitors wanting some quiet contemplation.

The run-up to Christmas has seen the King attending a series of seasonal events, including a Christmas market in Battersea, a service remembering those persecuted because of their religion and an event in Walthamstow celebrating the diversity of the local community.

The King's speech on Christmas Day follows a tradition dating back to 1932, when George V made the first Christmas broadcast.

Morrisons customers have been unable to get discounts on their shopping ahead of Christmas after a problem with the More loyalty card.

The supermarket has been advertising heavy discounts on Christmas dinner food, including vegetables, in the last week.

But social media users say their discounts are not working at the till, with one person posting a photo of an error message at the self-checkout, which reads: "We are really sorry some promotions and discounts are not working at this time."

The Morrisons website also appears to be down, with a "502 bad gateway" error message on some pages.

Morrisons has been contacted for comment.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.

US President Joe Biden has commuted the sentences of 37 out of 40 federal death row inmates, switching their penalty to life in prison without parole.

Among those are nine people convicted of murdering fellow prisoners, four for murders committed during bank robberies and one who killed a prison guard.

In a statement, Biden said he condemned the murderers and their crimes, but added he was "more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level".

Biden's decision comes before the return of President-elect Donald Trump in January, who previously resumed federal executions in July 2020 for the first time since 2003.

• Biden issues 39 presidential pardons and commutes 1,500 sentences

"Make no mistake: I condemn these murderers, grieve for the victims of their despicable acts, and ache for all the families who have suffered unimaginable and irreparable loss," Biden added.

Disgraced former New Orleans police officer Len Davis, who operated a drug ring involving other officers and arranged a woman's murder, is among those who have been shown clemency.

The three remaining on death row include Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who helped carry out the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, and avowed white supremacist Dylann Roof who shot and killed nine Black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina in 2015.

Robert Bowers, who killed 11 Jewish worshippers during a mass shooting in 2018 at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, will also remain on death row.

Biden has campaigned as an opponent of the death penalty, and the Justice Department issued a moratorium on its use at federal level after he became president.

During his first term in office, Trump oversaw 13 deaths by lethal injection during his final six months in power.

There had been no federal inmates put to death in the US since 2003 until Trump resumed federal executions in July 2020.

During his re-election campaign, Trump indicated he would expand the use of capital punishment to include human and drug traffickers, as well as migrants who kill American citizens.

Biden appeared to make reference to Trump's intentions in his statement by saying he could not "in good conscience - stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted".

In US law, these clemency decisions cannot be reversed by a president's successor.

Biden's decision will not impact people sentenced to death in state courts, which is around around 2,250 inmates according to the Death Penalty Information Centre. More than 70 state executions have been carried out during Biden's presidency.

The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 US states. Six other states, including Arizona, California, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Tennessee, have moratoriums in place.

Earlier this month, Biden commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 people and pardoned 39 more convicted of nonviolent crimes.

He also pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, who was facing sentencing for two criminal cases. He had pleaded guilty to tax charges earlier in September, and was found guilty of being an illegal drug user in possession of a gun in June - becoming the first child of a sitting president to be a convicted of a crime.

The US Constitution decrees that a president has the broad "power to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States, except in cases of impeachment".

Honda and Nissan plan to merge as the two Japanese firms seek to fight back against competition from the Chinese car industry.

The integration would create one of the world's biggest car producers alongside Toyota, Volkswagen, General Motors and Ford.

The potentially multibillion dollar deal to combat "the rise of Chinese power" was a key driver behind the plan, said Honda's chief executive Toshihiro Mibe.

Mr Mibe said a plan to "fight back" needs to be in place by 2030, or they risk being "beaten" by rivals.

Becoming one of the biggest brands in the car industry would allow the firms to claw back space in the growing electric car market, which has been increasingly dominated by Chinese-made electric vehicles, including BYD, which have posed a threat to some of the world's best known car firms.

"There is a rise of Chinese power and emerging forces and the structure of the automobile industry is changing," Mr Mibe told reporters at a press conference announcing the merger talks.

Growing competition in China has left many car makers struggling to compete, as lower labour and manufacturing costs make local firms more nimble and able to price their goods lower than foreign counterparts, making them far more attractive to buyers.

It has led to China becoming the world's biggest producer of electric vehicles.

In October, EU officials said the Chinese state was unfairly subsidising its EV makers and announced big taxes on imports of EVs from China to the EU, after the majority of member states backed the plans. The tariffs are set to rise from 10% to 45% for the next five years, but there are concerns it could raise EV prices higher for buyers.

"Capabilities to fight"

The total sales of Nissan and Honda is more than $191bn (£152bn), said Nissan's chief executive, Makoto Uchida.

In March, the two Japanese car makers agreed to explore a strategic partnership for electric vehicles (EVs).

"The talks started because we believe that we must build up capabilities to fight them, including the current emerging forces, by 2030. Otherwise we will be beaten", said Mr Mibe.

He added that the deal was not a bailout of Nissan, which has been struggling with falling sales.

In November, Nissan said it will cut around 9,000 jobs as it slashes global production to tackle a drop in sales in China and the US. The cuts mean its global production will be reduced by a fifth.

Nissan, once a symbol of Japan's car making strength, has spent the past few years trying to regain its footing after the arrest of longtime chief executive Carlos Ghosn. Mr Ghosn faced charges of financial misconduct when he fled Japan in 2019, and is currently the subject of an Interpol Red Notice, which is a request to law enforcement worldwide to find and arrest a person. Mr Ghosn, currently in Lebanon, told reporters in December that Nissan's merger plans were an act of panic and desperation.

Mr Mibe said that any merger would be dependent on the turnaround of Nissan.

The merger, which would include Mitsubishi - of which Nissan is the biggest shareholder- would allow all three companies to share resources against other electric vehicle competitors such as Tesla. Honda and Nissan agreed in March to cooperate in their EV businesses, and in August deepened their ties, agreeing to work together on batteries and other technology.

However, any deal is likely to come under intense political scrutiny in Japan as it may result in job cuts, whilst Nissan is likely to unwind its alliance with French auto firm Renault.

"I feel bad, I still do," said Eidwicht, as she stood in the Christmas market close to the spot where the car sped through on Friday, killing five people and injuring more than two hundred others.

"My granddaughter was here. I rang her because my daughter told me that something had happened here. And she didn't answer for two hours."

There is deep sadness here - and anger directed at the government and migrants. "It can't go on like this," said Eidwicht.

A Saudi refugee aged 50 has been arrested for the attack but the motive is unknown.

Officials say Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen, was an "untypical" attacker. Germany's Christmas markets and festivals have come under attack before, mainly from extreme Islamists.

Abdulmohsen has been described as critical of Islam and he also voiced support on social media for the far-right Alternative for Germany party, hailing the party for fighting the same enemy as him "to protect Germany".

The AfD has not commented on those posts - and the party is planning a procession of mourning in Magdeburg later on Monday, with national party leader Alice Weidel attending.

Her party is currently riding high in the opinion polls ahead of federal elections on 23 February, especially in states like Saxony-Anhalt in the former East Germany.

This attack has brought two big elections issues to the fore, security and immigration, and AfD figures have highlighted both since the attack.

Despite the suspect's many statements expressing hostility to Islam, the head of the AfD in Sachsen-Anhalt, Martin Reichardt, said in a statement "the attack in Magdeburg shows that Germany is being drawn into political and religious fanaticism that has its origins in another world".

In a post on X, Weidel said the government's discussion of new security laws following the attack "must not distract from the fact that Magdeburg would not have been possible without uncontrolled immigration. The state must protect its citizens through a restrictive migration policy and consistent deportations!"

A counter-demonstration will also be held and anti-racism groups in Magdeburg have accused the AfD of exploiting the attack.

David Begrich from Miteinander e.V. said people in the city needed a chance to catch their breath.

"In the migrant communities, there is great concern about being made into a scapegoat," he said. "We don't want that. We want to organise solidarity across society, but at the same time we are also sensitive to the voices of those who are now reacting with fear and uncertainty."

Germans are asking how the attack could have happened, when security was already heightened at Christmas markets and when authorities had clearly investigated the suspect several times in recent years.

The threat he posed was considered "too unspecific", according to one assessment, while one tip-off against him in September 2023 appears to have fallen through the cracks.

In another apparent security failing, the driver was also able to get through a gap that had been left open for emergency access when it should have been filled by a police van.

Stallholders at the Christmas market have now been allowed to come back, to throw away old food and remove their equipment and stocks.

None that I approached wanted to speak to the BBC. It's all too raw.

There has also been hostility towards journalists over the past few days, especially after some 2,000 people joined a protest by the far right in Magdeburg on Saturday night.

The Association of German Journalists said there had been aggression and threats against the press and appealed for greater police protection.

The BBC team joined mourners gathered in Cathedral Square for a live stream of the vigil for victims of the attack and many who spoke to them said it was important to show solidarity at a time of terrible distress.

But one woman struck a note of caution. There are "some Nazis here, who don't like journalists," she said. "Please be careful."

The suspect accused of killing UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson has pleaded not guilty to New York state murder and terrorism charges.

Luigi Mangione, 26, appeared in court on Monday to be arraigned on 11 state criminal counts, including murder a crime of terrorism.

He also faces with federal stalking and murder charges that could lead to a death penalty sentence.

Prosecutors allege that Mangione shot Thompson in central Manhattan before going on the run. Authorities later arrested him at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania.

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The British-born wife of deposed Syrian president Bashar al-Assad is not seeking a divorce, a Kremlin spokesman has said.

Reports in Turkish media had suggested Asma al-Assad wanted to end her marriage and leave Russia, where she and her husband were granted asylum after a rebel coalition overthrew the former president's regime and took control of Damascus.

Asked about the reports in a news conference call, Dmitry Peskov said, "No, they do not correspond to reality."

He also denied reports that Assad had been confined to Moscow and that his property assets had been frozen.

Russia was a staunch ally of the Assad regime and offered it military support during the civil war.

But reports in Turkish media on Sunday suggested the Assads were living under severe restrictions in the Russian capital, and that the former Syrian first lady had filed for divorce and wanted to return to London.

Mrs Assad is a dual Syrian-British national, but the UK foreign secretary has previously said she would not be allowed to return to Britain.

Speaking in parliament earlier this month, David Lammy said: "I want it confirmed that she's a sanctioned individual and is not welcome here in the UK."

He added he would do "everything I can in my power" to ensure no member of the Assad family "finds a place in the UK".

In a statement attributed to Bashar al-Assad last week, he said he had never intended to flee Syria, but he was airlifted from a Russian military base at Moscow's request.

Asma al-Assad, 49, was born in the UK to Syrian parents in 1975 and grew up in Acton, west London.

She moved to Syria in 2000 at the age of 25 and married her husband just months after he succeeded his father as president.

Throughout her 24 years as Syria's first lady, Mrs Assad was a subject of curiosity in western media.

A controversial 2011 Vogue profile called her "a rose in the desert" and described her as "the freshest and most magnetic of first ladies". The article has since been removed from the Vogue website.

Just one month later, Mrs Assad was criticised for remaining silent while her husband violently repressed pro-democracy campaigners at the start of the Syrian civil war.

The conflict went on to claim the lives of around half a million people, with her husband accused of using chemical weapons against civilians.

In 2016, Mrs Assad told Russian state-backed television she had rejected a deal to offer her safe passage out of the war-torn nation in order to stand by her husband.

She announced she was being treated for breast cancer in 2018 and said she had made a full recovery one year later.

She was diagnosed with leukaemia and began treatment for the disease in May this year, the office of then-President Assad announced.

A statement said she would "temporarily withdraw" from public engagements.

Morrisons customers have been unable to get discounts on their shopping ahead of Christmas after a problem with the More loyalty card.

The supermarket has been advertising heavy discounts on Christmas dinner food, including vegetables, in the last week.

But social media users say their discounts are not working at the till, with one person posting a photo of an error message at the self-checkout, which reads: "We are really sorry some promotions and discounts are not working at this time."

The Morrisons website also appears to be down, with a "502 bad gateway" error message on some pages.

Morrisons has been contacted for comment.

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US President Joe Biden has commuted the sentences of 37 out of 40 federal death row inmates, switching their penalty to life in prison without parole.

Among those are nine people convicted of murdering fellow prisoners, four for murders committed during bank robberies and one who killed a prison guard.

In a statement, Biden said he condemned the murderers and their crimes, but added he was "more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level".

Biden's decision comes before the return of President-elect Donald Trump in January, who previously resumed federal executions in July 2020 for the first time since 2003.

• Biden issues 39 presidential pardons and commutes 1,500 sentences

"Make no mistake: I condemn these murderers, grieve for the victims of their despicable acts, and ache for all the families who have suffered unimaginable and irreparable loss," Biden added.

Disgraced former New Orleans police officer Len Davis, who operated a drug ring involving other officers and arranged a woman's murder, is among those who have been shown clemency.

The three remaining on death row include Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who helped carry out the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, and avowed white supremacist Dylann Roof who shot and killed nine Black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina in 2015.

Robert Bowers, who killed 11 Jewish worshippers during a mass shooting in 2018 at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, will also remain on death row.

Biden has campaigned as an opponent of the death penalty, and the Justice Department issued a moratorium on its use at federal level after he became president.

During his first term in office, Trump oversaw 13 deaths by lethal injection during his final six months in power.

There had been no federal inmates put to death in the US since 2003 until Trump resumed federal executions in July 2020.

During his re-election campaign, Trump indicated he would expand the use of capital punishment to include human and drug traffickers, as well as migrants who kill American citizens.

Biden appeared to make reference to Trump's intentions in his statement by saying he could not "in good conscience - stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted".

In US law, these clemency decisions cannot be reversed by a president's successor.

Biden's decision will not impact people sentenced to death in state courts, which is around around 2,250 inmates according to the Death Penalty Information Centre. More than 70 state executions have been carried out during Biden's presidency.

The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 US states. Six other states, including Arizona, California, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Tennessee, have moratoriums in place.

Earlier this month, Biden commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 people and pardoned 39 more convicted of nonviolent crimes.

He also pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, who was facing sentencing for two criminal cases. He had pleaded guilty to tax charges earlier in September, and was found guilty of being an illegal drug user in possession of a gun in June - becoming the first child of a sitting president to be a convicted of a crime.

The US Constitution decrees that a president has the broad "power to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States, except in cases of impeachment".

A suspect has been arrested in New York over the death of a woman who was set on fire on a subway train in Brooklyn.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the incident on Sunday as "one of the most depraved crimes one person could possibly commit against another human being".

She said the woman was sleeping on a stationary F train to Brooklyn when she was approached by the suspect who used a lighter to ignite her clothing.

The victim died at the scene, she said, adding that the suspect had been taken into custody after he was detained on another subway train.

Police said the woman, who has not been named, was sleeping in a subway carriage at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station in Brooklyn at about 07:30 local time (12:30 GMT) when a man approached her.

There was no interaction before the attack, police said, adding that they did not believe the two people knew each other.

The man got off the train as police officers on patrol in the station rushed to the fire.

"What they saw was a person standing inside the train car fully engulfed in flames," Ms Tisch said.

Police are still working to identify the victim and the motive for the attack.

Two former Israeli intelligence agents have revealed how members of the Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah used Israeli made walkie-talkies booby-trapped with explosives for 10 years before they were detonated in a surprise attack in September this year.

The two ex-Mossad agents told US CBS News how the service duped Hezbollah into buying thousands of rigged walkie-talkies and pagers without realising they were made in Israel.

Dozens of people were killed and thousands injured in the attacks. Israel said it was tailored to target only Hezbollah members, but civilians were among victims, Lebanese officials said.

The UN human rights chief called the attack a war crime.

At the time of the attack, Israel and Hezbollah were fighting a conflict which had spiralled since Hezbollah fired at Israeli positions a day after Hamas's unprecedented attack on southern Israel 7 October 2023.

On 17 September 2024, thousands of pagers simultaneously exploded across Lebanon, mainly in areas with a strong Hezbollah presence. The blasts wounded or killed users and some people nearby, spreading panic and confusion. The following day walkie-talkies exploded in the same way, killing and injuring hundreds more.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted that Israel was responsible two months later, Israeli media reported at the time.

In an interview with the BBC's US broadcast partner, the two former agents divulged details of the operation.

One of the agents, given the name Michael, said Mossad had concealed an explosive device inside the batteries operating the walkie-talkies, which he said would typically be carried in a vest nearer the wearer's heart.

He said Hezbollah had unwittingly bought over 16,000 the walkie talkies at "a good price" from a fake company 10 years ago.

"We have an incredible array of possibilities of creating foreign companies that have no way being traced back to Israel," Michael said. "Shell companies over shell companies to affect the supply chain to our favour.

"We create a pretend world. We are a global production company. We write the screenplay, we're the directors, we're the producers, we're the main actors, and the world is our stage."

The operation expanded two years ago to include pagers, CBS said.

Mossad found that at that time Hezbollah was buying pagers from a Taiwanese company called Gold Apollo, it said. It set up a fake company which used the Gold Apollo name on pagers rigged with explosives, without the parent company realising.

CBS said Mossad put explosives inside powerful enough to hurt only the user.

"We test everything triple, double, multiple times in order to make sure there is minimum damage," said the second agent, whom the programme called Gabriel.

It said Mossad specifically chose a ringtone which would sound urgent enough for someone to check in incoming message.

Gabriel said the agency duped Hezbollah into buying the pagers, making advertising films and brochures, and sharing them on the internet.

"When they are buying from us, they have zero clue that they are buying from the Mossad," he said. "We make like [movie] Truman Show, everything is controlled by us behind the scene."

Hezbollah had bought 5,000 of the booby trapped pagers by September 2024, CBS said.

They were triggered from Israel when Mossad feared Hezbollah began to have suspicions, it said.

The explosions caused shockwaves across Lebanon, with detonations happening everywhere the pagers were being carried, including in supermarkets. Hospitals were overwhelmed with casualties, many of whom had been maimed.

Gabriel said there was a "strong rumour" that people also fell victim in front of the Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Days later, with Hezbollah still reeling from the attack, Israel began intense waves of air strikes against Hezbollah targets, followed by a ground invasion of Lebanon.

The two sides agreed to a ceasefire on 26 November.

Lebanon strongly condemned the pager and walkie talkie attacks, while the UN's human rights chief, Volker Turk, said they had left him "appalled".

The method of attacks, he said, "violates international human rights law and, as applicable, international humanitarian law".

A woman has appeared in court for the first time after she was charged with the murder of her five-year-old son.

Lincoln Button died at an address in Windstar Drive in South Ockendon, Essex, on 15 December.

Claire Button, 35, of Windstar Drive, appeared at Southend Magistrates' Court and only spoke to confirm her identity.

She was remanded in custody and is due to appear at Chelmsford Crown Court on Tuesday via video link.

On the Sunday that Lincoln was found, Essex Police said it initially responded to reports of serious concerns for the welfare of a child and a woman.

The force added it worked alongside paramedics to try to save the boy's life.

A woman was taken to hospital for treatment and arrested once her condition improved.

Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

The out-of-office is on, the mulled wine is mulling, and the highlighter pen is out as families look ahead to the best of this year's Christmas TV.

Four names in particular have been dominating the headlines as people gear up for the festive break - Gavin, Stacey, Wallace and Gromit.

But there are plenty of other programmes to look forward to over Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Here are just a few of the shows scheduled for the coming days.

Christmas Eve

Many viewers will be getting themselves into the spirt of the season with a festive film - and there are plenty on offer on Christmas Eve.

Channel 4 will be airing A Christmas Carol (at 14:10 GMT) alongside the short animated favourite The Snowman (16:15) and surely the greatest of them all, Home Alone (18:05).

ITV is opting for It's A Wonderful Life (14:30) while Channel 5 will air Scrooge (09:30) and Cameron Diaz favourite The Holiday (11:15).

BBC One's film choices may be slightly less festive, with Moana (14:20), Shrek (15:55) and Ghostbusters: Afterlife (17:50), but the broadcaster has lots of other Christmas content that evening.

EastEnders will air at 19:45, followed by a Christmas edition of The Repair Shop hosted by Roman Kemp (20:15), before the season finale of Strike: The Ink Black Heart at (21:15).

Those looking forward to Gavin & Stacey on Christmas Day may wish to prepare by rewatching the 2019 special, which BBC One repeats tonight at 22:35.

There's an embarrassment of riches for quiz show fans over on BBC Two, with special editions of Richard Osman's House of Games (19:15), Celebrity Mastermind (19:45), Only Connect (20:15) and University Challenge (20:45).

On ITV, Coronation Street fans will be treated to a special episode at 20:45 as Audrey tries to stop Gail from leaving the cobbles - a storyline which is leading up to the previously announced exit of actress Helen Worth.

ITV also has an episode of Emmerdale (19:00), a countdown of the Top 100 TikTok Videos of 2024 (21:15), and Royal Carols: Together at Christmas (19:30), hosted by the Princess of Wales.

And there will be a sweet treat on Channel 4 the same evening as fans tuck into The Great Christmas Bake Off (20:00) ahead of a best-of-year compilation on Gogglebox (21:15).

Other highlights include Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing (21:15, BBC Two) and Christmas at the Four Seasons: Park Lane (20:15, Channel 5).

Christmas Day

The stars of the schedule this year are Wallace & Gromit: Vengence Most Fowl (18:10, BBC One), which will see Wallace invent a smart gnome which develops a mind of its own, and Gavin & Stacey: The Finale (21:00, BBC One), bringing the sitcom which began in 2007 to a close.

BBC One's other highlights include special editions of The Weakest Link (15:10), Doctor Who: Joy to the World (17:10), EastEnders (19:30) and Call The Midwife (20:00).

The Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special (15:55) will see Josh Widdicombe, Tayce, Vogue Williams, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (Nitro on Gladiators), Tamzin Outhwaite and Billy Monger take to the dancefloor.

BBC Two will broadcast two programmes on Morecambe and Wise (19:20 and 19:55), ahead of their documentary From Roger Moore: With Love (21:00) about the life of the late James Bond star.

Meanwhile on ITV, those who enjoyed Home Alone on Christmas Eve can watch the sequel on Christmas Day, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (15:10).

After that, look out for specials of Emmerdale (18:30), Coronation Street (19:00) and The Chase (20:00), before 2022 film Downton Abbey: A New Era (21:00).

But the highlight of their schedule this year is arguably the return of Bullseye (17:25), a reboot of the 1980s and 1990s gameshow hosted by Freddie Flintoff, alongside 17-year-old darts prodigy Luke Littler.

Channel 4 are keeping their film offering traditional with Miracle on 34th Street (17:00), before Claudia Winkleman, Mika and Lang Lang return for a special edition of The Piano at Christmas, filmed at Battersea Power Station (19:05).

The Railway Children Return (15:10) will be on Channel 5, before the network dedicates its evening programming to the UK's favourite Comedy Moments (17:15), Christmas Party Songs (19:15) and 1980s Songs (21:15).

Boxing Day

Everybody likes a film on 26 December as their stomach recovers, and BBC One have plenty, including Inside Out (09:55), Paddington (13:50), 2017's Beauty and the Beast (15:15) and Matilda (17:40).

Other movie highlights include Gladiator (21:00, BBC Two), Grease (15:00, ITV), The Queen (20:00, ITV3) and Crocodile Dundee (16:40, Channel 4).

Films aside, look out for the second festive episode of Call The Midwife (19:30), along with Blankety Blank (21:00) and the Brockman family reunited for one of the highlights of the schedule, Outnumbered (21:40).

Elsewhere, ITV will air Pictionary (17:40) hosted by Mel Giedroyc, as many families recoil from any fall-outs of their own games at home.

The network also has a special edition of The Masked Singer (19:30) and The 1% Club (21:00), while Channel 4 will broadcast The Festive Pottery Throwdown, hosted by Siobhan McSweeney.

But arguably the biggest release is the second season of Squid Game (Netflix), the sequel to streamer's most watched series of all time.

Many felt the original story was self-contained and that it wasn't crying out for a second season, it it will be interesting to see where Netflix takes it and whether it can have the same impact.

On Friday evening, a man ploughed a car into a crowd of shoppers at a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg.

The attack has left five people dead and more than 200 injured, with many in a critical condition.

One man has been arrested over the attack, and police believe he was solely responsible.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz travelled to Magdeburg on Saturday, and a city councillor declared Christmas over for the city.

How did the attack unfold?

Unverified footage on social media showed a black BMW travelling at high speeds through the pedestrian walkway between Christmas stalls.

Eyewitnesses described jumping out of the car's path, fleeing or hiding. One told the Reuters news agency that police were already at the venue and chased after the car before arresting the suspect.

Footage from verified sources showed armed police confronting and arresting a man who can be seen lying on the ground next to a stationary vehicle - a black BMW with significant damage to its front bumper.

BBC correspondent Damien McGuinness in Magdeburg reported that the market is "surrounded by concrete blocks". However, "there is a gap which is wide enough for pedestrians to go through, but tragically wide enough for a car to go into the Christmas market", he said.

City officials said around 100 police, medics and firefighters, as well as 50 rescue service personnel rushed to the scene in the aftermath of the attack.

Images from the scene on Friday night showed an area outside the market awash with blue lights as dozens of first responders attended to the injured.

Who are the victims?

Five people have died in the attack, one of whom is a child.

More than 200 people have been injured and at least 41 are in a critical condition.

The toll had earlier been reported as two dead and 68 injured, but was revised to the much higher totals on Saturday morning.

None of the victims have been identified yet.

Who is the suspect?

German media has identified the suspect as Taleb A, a psychiatrist who lives in Bernburg, around 40km (25 miles) south of Magdeburg.

The motive behind the attack remains unclear, but authorities have reported that they believe he carried out the attack alone.

Originally from Saudi Arabia, he arrived in Germany in 2006 and in 2016 was recognised as a refugee.

He ran a website that aimed to help other former Muslims flee persecution in their Gulf homelands.

Evidenced by social media posts, the suspect is an outspoken critic of Islam, and has promoted conspiracy theories regarding a plot to seek Islamic supremacy in Europe.

A report from Der Spiegel said a complaint was filed against Taleb A with the authorities a year ago over statements he made. Officials did not see any concrete threat, the report says.

What have officials said about the attack?

"The reports from Magdeburg raise the worst fears," the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said on social media platform X.

Magdeburg's city councillor for public order, Ronni Krug, said the Christmas market will stay closed and that "Christmas in Magdeburg is over", according to German public broadcaster MDR.

That sentiment was echoed on the market's website, which in the wake of the attack featured only a black screen with words of mourning, announcing that the market was over.

The Saudi government expressed "solidarity with the German people and the families of the victims", in a statement on X, and "affirmed its rejection of violence".

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was "horrified by the atrocious attack in Magdeburg", adding that his thoughts were with "the victims, their families and all those affected" in a post on X on Friday night.

If you asked TV viewers to name a favourite double act, chances are the two stars of Vengeance Most Fowl would be close to the top of the list.

It's Wallace & Gromit's first major appearance in over a decade, and the first film not to feature the voice of Peter Sallis as the cheese-loving inventor.

"It has been quite emotional [doing this production] since we lost Peter, he was such an original, unique voice," says Nick Park of Sallis, who died in 2017 at the age of 96.

"So it's very hard for anyone to step into his shoes. But we have been blessed with a youngish actor whom we've known for many years who can do a fantastic Wallace impersonation.

"He's stepped in very kindly, and is just great. It's hard to tell them apart."

Take a bow, Ben Whitehead - the 47-year-old actor and voice artist says he feels honoured to be taking on the role. But also admits to feeling a degree of pressure.

"Enormous pressure!" he tells the BBC.

"Because it's a very popular character. I got to work with Peter [Sallis] a couple of times for [2005's] The Curse of the Were-Rabbit film.

"So yeah, there's a great deal of pressure with that. And I feel very grateful to Aardman for giving me so much time to build the character.

"You kind of have to do the 'hmm' and the 'hee-hee'," he continues - demonstrating some Wallace-isms that sound indistinguishable from Peter Sallies's Yorkshire tones.

"Definitely the elongation of the vowels like 'cheeeeese'!"

Why return now?

Fans have been clamouring for more from the plasticine pair for years. So why now?

"Whenever we've done talks around the world, the last question is always, 'When is the next Wallace & Gromit film?', explains Park. "The last time we did that I just came home burning with this idea that's been around for years."

The idea was - what if Wallace created a pre-programmed, voice-controlled smart Gnome.

Enter Norbot, but of course regular viewers of Wallace & Gromit will be unsurprised to learn that the inventor's well-intentioned idea, as usual, ends up causing mayhem.

This isn't the only familiar element to appear in this latest story.

This new adventure also features an old villain, the criminal mastermind Feathers McGraw, a chicken-impersonating-penguin whom Wallace & Gromit - mostly Gromit - defeated in 1993's The Wrong Trousers.

"Whenever we're out and about talking about the future of Wallace & Gromit, the single most asked question is 'when will Feathers be back?", says Merlin Crossingham, who directs Vengeance Most Fowl alongside Nick Park.

"Everybody loves a villain, it's often said your film is only as good as its villain, [so it] seemed a perfect opportunity to bring Feathers back for this story."

Wallace & Gromit were first introduced to audiences with 1989's A Grand Day Out. Since then their adventures have involved everything from malfunctioning clothing to mysterious were-rabbits.

"I think Wallace & Gromit have so many facets to their relationship," says Crossingham.

"They are best pals. They're kind of partners in crime, they're man and dog. And hopefully in the films, their stories, and their relationship everybody young and old relates to them.

"I truly think it's that relatability, not just of their simplicity of lifestyle from which madness erupts.

"But everybody somewhere in the stories connects with them on some level.

"And I think that what Nick has created, right back at the beginning with A Grand Day Out, has really struck a chord with people."

'Christmas day ratings battle'

The last time a new Wallace & Gromit adventure went out on Christmas Day was in 2008 with A Matter of Loaf and Death. It was day's most-watched show, with more than 16 million viewers tuning in.

It was also the most-watched show of the entire year.

While it's still possible that it could repeat that feat, it's up against some extremely tough competition.

"Bring it on, Gavin & Stacey!" jokes Crossingham, acknowledging the huge popularity of the Essex and Barry-based comedy, whose finale also goes out on Christmas Day.

However while Gavin & Stacey might be reaching its conclusion, this definitely isn't a finale for Wallace & Gromit.

"[It's] certainly not the end," says Nick Park. "I think there's plenty of bounce still in their bungee.

"We'll carry on. There's always ideas worth kicking about."

"Give us a minute though," Interjects Merlin. "They take a while to make!"

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is on BBC One at 18.10 on Christmas Day.

Morrisons customers have been unable to get discounts on their shopping ahead of Christmas after a problem with the More loyalty card.

The supermarket has been advertising heavy discounts on Christmas dinner food, including vegetables, in the last week.

But social media users say their discounts are not working at the till, with one person posting a photo of an error message at the self-checkout, which reads: "We are really sorry some promotions and discounts are not working at this time."

The Morrisons website also appears to be down, with a "502 bad gateway" error message on some pages.

Morrisons has been contacted for comment.

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This year's Christmas message from King Charles will be delivered from a former hospital chapel, in a year in which the King has been undergoing cancer treatment.

The location for the traditional Christmas Day broadcast is the Fitzrovia Chapel in central London, which once served as the chapel of the Middlesex Hospital.

It's the first time in more than a decade that the Christmas speech has been recorded from a place that isn't in a royal palace or estate - and it's understood that the King wanted a location with a healthcare connection.

The ornately-decorated 19th Century former chapel building is now used for exhibitions and community events for people of any faiths and none.

As well as a link to the health services, the building also ties in with the King's interest in trying to build bridges between different beliefs, backgrounds and religions.

The traditional speech from the monarch, recorded earlier this month, will be broadcast as usual on television and radio at 15:00 on Christmas Day.

The Christmas message comes at the end of a year in which the King faced a cancer diagnosis.

His regular sessions of treatment are continuing, as they have for much of this year, but as a sign of a positive response, he has plans for a busy schedule of engagements and overseas trips in 2025.

Setting the speech in this former hospital chapel, which was renovated and reopened in 2016, will be a reminder of those working in the health services and medical research.

The small chapel, decorated in the Gothic Revival style with shimmering mosaics and Byzantine influences, is tucked away in Pearson Square, in a quiet corner of London's West End.

It was built in the courtyard of what was the Middlesex Hospital, serving its staff and patients. When the hospital was demolished the chapel was retained and restored, with a new development built around it.

It's no longer regularly used for services, but is used for community events and concerts and is open to visitors wanting some quiet contemplation.

The run-up to Christmas has seen the King attending a series of seasonal events, including a Christmas market in Battersea, a service remembering those persecuted because of their religion and an event in Walthamstow celebrating the diversity of the local community.

The King's speech on Christmas Day follows a tradition dating back to 1932, when George V made the first Christmas broadcast.