Santa Claus' Christmas Message For Us All

Santa and his elves are putting the final touches to children's presents as he prepares for his long journey around the globe.

Letters are being opened, the last presents are being packed and Rudolph is limbering up for his annual trip.

But before setting off, Santa gave his annual Christmas message to the children of the world.

This year he asked for tolerance and friendship, saying: "I would ask the young people, which, always the young people are our future, that they should treat everybody equal.

Santa's helpers lend a hand

"They should make friends, they should support one another. If a newcomer has problems they would help each another."

Santa's village and office in Rovaniemi, northern Finland, is a popular tourist resort, with hundreds of thousands visiting every year.

Each year thousands of letters arrive in Santa's post office nearby.

After giving his annual message, Santa sets off with Rudolph

All letters are sorted by country and the resort's Santa takes time to reply to as many as he can.

Last year most of the festive post came from Italy, followed by the United Kingdom, Poland and China.

According to one of the "elves" Christina, the children are asking for toys but also for less material things.

"Toys of course but their wishes are also, they want peace in the world and they want to spend more time with their families," she said.

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Prisoners Won't Receive Parcels This Christmas

By David MacLean, Sky News

Convicted prisoners will not be able to receive parcels from their loved ones this Christmas under new rules introduced by the Government.

The rules forbid prisoners from receiving any items in the post unless there are "exceptional circumstances".

The new measures were introduced in November, meaning this is the first Christmas for which the new rules will be in effect.

A Prison Service spokesperson confirmed the rule change, saying it was part of a raft of Government reforms.

But Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said: "These new mean and petty prison rules just add stress and strain while doing nothing to promote rehabilitation and personal responsibility."

Some 85,000 people are currently held in prisons in England and Wales.

Under the rules, prisoners are allowed just a single parcel following their conviction – which is vetted by prison staff.

Since the new rules were introduced, the trust has been contacted by more than 100 prisoners who are concerned.

The advice team said it has also been contacted by many elderly and disabled prisoners who are unable to work and cannot earn enough money to pay for items such as stationery or things to keep them occupied.

Previously the families of these prisoners could have sent them a pack of cards, board games, books or magazines.

Rates of pay for those working average around £10 a week, out of which they must pay for phone calls, TV rental, stationery, reading material and any additional food, clothes and toiletries they may need.

It costs 20p a minute to call a mobile from a prison phone during the week; and 9p a minute to phone a landline.

Exceptional items are allowed at the governor's discretion, including disability or health aids, items needed for religious observance, stamped addressed envelopes or replacement clothes where there is limited or restricted access to the laundry.

The impact of these new rules is being monitored by Ministry of Justice officials responsible for safer custody and ongoing work to reduce self-harm and suicide in prison.

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Paris Bar Pair Shot Dead At Point-Blank Range

A man and a woman have been shot dead in a Paris bar by a gunman who then fled the scene on foot.

The two were shot at point-blank range with one bullet each, police said.

They were sitting outside the Cafe Chineur in a residential area of the French capital's southern 14th arrondissement when the attack happened.

They tried to take refuge inside, but died as a result of their wounds. The two victims have not been named.

A local resident, who lives across the street from the bar, said: "I saw a trail of blood that went from the entrance to the inside."

Police investigator Jean-Jacques Herlem called the shooting "mysterious" and said no motive for the attack has yet been established.

Paris mayoral candidate Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, who lives nearby, went to the scene after learning of the shooting from friends.

"My children go to two schools in the neighbourhood. I'm shocked," she said.

"It's impossible not to make the connection with the growing concerns over security issues, even if we don't know anything at this stage."

France occasionally sees fatal attacks by armed criminals in bars, most often in southern cities such as Marseille, but sometimes also in Paris, though in places well away from the heavily policed centre favoured by tourists.

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British Airways Plane 'Crash' In Johannesburg

A British Airways plane has crashed into a building at Johannesburg Airport in South Africa.

The aircraft, carrying 182 passengers, sliced its wing through the building while taxiing on the runway, BA confirmed.

Posting on Twitter, the airline said: "One of our aircraft was damaged whilst taxiing at JNB airport. All 182 passengers disembarked safely with no injuries onboard."

There has so far been no comment made on whether anyone was injured in the building or on the ground.

The plane involved is believed to be a Boeing 747.

British Airways says nobody in the plane was injured. Pic: John Hart

Harriet Tolputt, Oxfam's head of Media, who was on the flight, posted pictures of the incident on Twitter.

She wrote: "BA plane crashes into building at J Burg airport. No one injured only the pilot's pride ... Not impressed that first class passengers get off before premium economy during an emergency."

Johannesburg Airport said it would be able to provide more information on the incident later in the morning.

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Man Throws Son Off Building And Kills Himself

A man who had recently separated from his wife threw his three-year-old son from the roof of a high-rise, before jumping to his death moments later.

Dmitry Kanarikov, 35, was killed instantly while the boy was taken to hospital in a critical condition but died shortly afterwards.

Kanarikov, from Brooklyn, had picked up his son Kirill from his wife at 10am on Sunday.

The wife was due to pick him up at 1pm at the station, a neutral location chosen by the couple.

It has been reported that Kirill was at the centre of a bitter custody battle, which may have triggered the apparent murder-suicide.

The New York building where the father and son died

Surveillance video seen by detectives showed the father and son walking to the building.

Moments later witnesses described seeing a body falling past their apartments.

Residents said the roof was not locked, meaning anyone who knew the way there could gain access.

One resident Jim Millman, 62, told the New York Times: "When you're up on that roof, it's an incredible panorama.

"My wife and I have said, it is so - not to say dangerous - but open."

Police believe the man was possibly drawn to the building because he had a friend who may have lived there.

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Denis MacShane Jailed Over Expenses Claims

Former Labour minister Denis MacShane has been jailed for six months after admitting making £13,000 of bogus expense claims.

The ex-MP previously pleaded guilty to false accounting by filing 19 fake receipts for "research and translation" services from 2005 to 2008.

MacShane, 65, used the money to fund a series of trips to Europe, including one to judge a literary competition in Paris.

His guilty plea followed more than four years of scrutiny into his use of Commons allowances.

Mr Justice Sweeney, sitting at the Old Bailey, stressed that this expenses case was different to others because it was not for "personal profit".

But he added: "The dishonesty involved was considerable and was repeated many times over a period.

"In your case you have no one to blame but yourself."

Flanked by two security officers, MacShane, wearing a dark suit with a blue striped tie and glasses, said "Cheers" as the sentence was delivered, before adding, "Quelle surprise" as he was led from the dock.

MacShane resigned as MP for Rotherham

Sky's Darren McCaffrey, at the court, said MacShane argued with the dock officer before sentencing after being told he could not take his luggage and mobile phone in with him.

MacShane was told he must serve half his sentence in prison and was ordered to pay costs of £1,500 within two months.

Parliamentary authorities began looking at his claims in 2009 when the wider scandal engulfed Westminster, and referred him to Scotland Yard within months.

But the principle of parliamentary privilege meant detectives were not given access to damning correspondence with the standards commissioner in which MacShane detailed how signatures on receipts from the European Policy Institute (EPI) had been faked.

The body was controlled by MacShane and the general manager's signature was not genuine. One message, dated October 2009, said he drew funds from the EPI so he could serve on a book judging panel in Paris.

It was not until after police dropped the case last year that the cross-party Standards Committee published the evidence in a report that recommended an unprecedented 12-month suspension from the House.

MacShane, 65, who served as Europe minister under Tony Blair, resigned as MP for Rotherham last November before the punishment could be imposed.

Police then re-opened their inquiry in the light of the fresh information and he was charged in May - even though the letters are still not thought to be admissible in court.

MacShane is reportedly in a relationship with Vicky Pryce, the ex-wife of former Energy Secretary Chris Huhne.

Huhne and Pryce were released from jail in May after serving sentences for perverting the course of justice.

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Delaney Brown Gets Christmas Wish For Carols

A terminally ill girl has been granted one of her final wishes after thousands of people gathered to sing Christmas carols outside her home.

Eight-year-old Delaney Brown, who was diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia in May, has been given only days to live by her doctors.

Family members and other supporters have spent the last few weeks trying to grant as many of her wishes as possible.

On Friday - her eighth birthday - Delaney known as Laney chatted via video with singer Taylor Swift.

Over the weekend, the streets around the Brown home in West Reading, Pennsylvania, were full of people singing Jingle Bells, Silent Night, and Joy to the World.

A dedicated "Team Laney" Facebook page has more than 45,000 followers.

The Facebook page for Laney

An update on the website said: "As jingle bells and other carols were being sung for Laney she was surrounded by nurses and paramedics assessing her breathing.

"The paramedics checked her oxygen level which ended up being okay. She still requires oxygen otherwise her levels drop very fast."

Some people even rearranged their holiday plans to attend the impromptu concert.

Carol singer Renee Kirkland-Hinton told WTXF TV: "I was actually supposed to be leaving to go out of town yesterday.

"I changed my plans just to be here tonight, just to be of support and be prayerful for the family."

James Lally said: "I couldn't even put myself in that situation to understand the devastation.

"I couldn't imagine losing one of my own."

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M&S Says Sorry Over Alcohol Refusal

Marks & Spencer has apologised after a Muslim member of staff refused to sell a customer alcohol.

The retailer said that where employees have religious beliefs that restrict what foods or drinks they can handle, it tries to place them in a "suitable role".

An M&S spokeswoman said: "We regret that in the case highlighted we were not following our own internal policy."

The issue arose after an unnamed customer at a London store told the Telegraph they were "taken aback" when an "extremely apologetic" Muslim checkout worker asked for them to wait for another till to become available.

The customer told the newspaper: "I had one bottle of champagne, and the lady, who was wearing a headscarf, was very apologetic but said she could not serve me. She told me to wait until another member of staff was available.

"I was taken aback. I was a bit surprised. I've never come across that before."

Drinking alcohol is forbidden in Islam, and some Muslims refuse to handle it.

M&S said its policy applied to staff of other religions, not just Islam.

The spokeswoman said: "Where we have an employee whose religious beliefs restrict food or drink they can handle, we work closely with our members of staff to place them in suitable role, such as in our clothing department or bakery in foods...

"As a secular business we have an inclusive policy that welcomes all religious beliefs whether across our customer or employee base.

"This policy has been in place for many years, and when followed correctly, we do not believe that it should compromise our ability to offer the highest level of customer service.

"We apologise that this policy was not followed in the case reported."

The case highlighted differences among retailers on whether religious staff should have to carry out certain jobs, the Telegraph said.

Sainsbury's guidelines say that there is no reason why staff who don't drink alcohol or eat pork on religious grounds could not handle them, the paper said, while Tesco said it made "no sense" for staff who refuse to touch items for religious reasons to work on a till.

Muslims working at Asda would not have to work on tills if they objected to handling alcohol, and Morrisons would "respect and work around anyone's wishes not to handle specific products for religious or cultural reasons", the paper added.

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Harry Hailed As Trek Soldiers Return Home

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

Prince Harry has been praised by his trekking team-mates as they received a heroes' welcome after successfully walking to the South Pole.

The injured service personnel who formed the Walking With The Wounded charity expedition arrived at Heathrow to spend Christmas at home.

While some fought back tears as they were reunited with loved ones at the airport, tributes were paid to their royal patron, who returned to Britain separately.

Speaking about the prince, British team member Guy Disney told Sky News: "He's just a really good honest bloke and brings a lot to the party.

"Harry brought a hell of a lot to the team, he carried extra weight for some of the other guys.

Prince Harry pictured during the expedition

"He was always up for a laugh and you need that, you need to keep the banter going."

Family and friends cheered and clapped as the team walked into the arrivals hall at Heathrow's Terminal 3 after a flight from Cape Town in South Africa.

The competitive element of the South Pole Allied Challenge was called off just a few days into the race after some members of the three teams began to suffer from altitude sickness.

With the British, US and Commonwealth teams instead joining forces, they completed the 210 mile course arriving at the South Pole in just 13 days.

"Arriving back here is quite surreal after the peace and quiet out in the South Pole where you're in your own mind for nine to 10 hours a day skiing, to this kind of welcome", explained Ibrar Ali.

"The way we look at it, we were just a group of guys that went off to the South Pole to raise some money for some other guys who've been injured on operations."

A total of 12 wounded servicemen and women who have overcome life-changing injuries took part in the challenge.

Sky News understands Prince Harry chose not to join the British team's welcome home in order that the focus should be on others rather than himself.

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Weather: Man Dies As Storm Batters Country

Dozens of flood alerts are in place as driving rain and winds of up to 80mph sweep across the country, bringing chaos for Christmas travellers.

The stormy weather started this morning in the South West and is moving eastwards and northwards as the day continues.

Almost all of the UK will be affected by the relentless rain falling on already saturated ground and winds whipping to 70-80mph in eastern and central areas through this afternoon and overnight.

Around 3,000 homes are without power in Cornwall and a further 2,000 in other parts of the South West after high winds brought down power lines, according to Western Power Distribution. According to Southern Electricity, there are 1,100 without power in Berkshire.

In Cumbria, police, the RAF and mountain rescue teams are searching for a man who is believed to have fallen into the River Rothay at Ambleside.

Most of the country will see rain at some point

In Horsham, West Sussex, two children were treated for minor injuries after being hit by branches from a falling tree.

The spokesman for the Met Office said a new wind speed high had been recorded at Capel Curig in Conwy, North Wales, with gusts blowing at 87mph.

Not far behind was Berry Head in Torbay, Devon, with gusts of 76mph.

The Dartford QE2 bridge is closed until 4am tomorrow morning, the M48 Severn Bridge is closed to high-sided vehicles and the Sheppey Crossing in Kent has been closed. 

An Essex police spokesman said: "The tunnels will remain open to help maintain the flow of traffic, but congestion is expected so drivers are advised to seek alternative routes if possible or avoid the Thurrock and Dartford areas of Essex and Kent."

The Met Office has issued more than 130 amber "be prepared" warnings for London, southeast and southwest England, and South Wales.

A roof blew off a property in Hatherleigh, Devon. Pic: @Orchella49

Eight areas, including four in the South West, have been issued with "immediate action required" flood warnings.

Localised flooding is possible and winds of 50-60mph are forecast in inland areas, gusting up to 80mph along the coast.

Sky News' weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said rain would be the biggest problem for most people today.

"There will be heavy downpours bringing 20-40mm of rainfall quite widely and over 60mm likely across parts of the high ground.

"As the rain is falling on already saturated ground that could cause both surface water and river flooding in these areas."

More than 100 'be prepared' alerts have been issued

:: See the latest weather forecast here

But it is the trains that are expected to bear the brunt of the nasty weather and at least 21 train companies are predicting changes to timetables and cancelled services.

An emergency go-slow limit of 50mph is likely on many routes.

Train bosses say "hundreds of engineers" will be on call over the next two days to deal with any blocked tracks or technical problems.

Passengers are being urged to check the latest information before setting out.

Network Rail Managing Director Robin Gisby said: "I want to be very clear that our priority is running as many trains as we can safely, rather than worrying about hitting the timetable bang on."

Virgin Trains is one of many operators warning of delays and disruption

Many companies have removed limits on day tickets to deter people from travelling at the height of the bad weather.

Virgin Trains is advising passengers to travel before 3pm and says advance tickets for specific trains will be accepted on any service.

It says fewer trains than normal will run between London and Manchester, and London and Birmingham - where the 50mph limit is likely to be enforced.

South West Trains is another operator warning of "significantly reduced speeds" on its network.

Motorists are also being urged to be take special care on the roads and check the flood updates ahead of their journey, as the AA reported it was dealing with 1,100 breakdowns every hour.

The A82 in Scotland, where there is an ice alert. Pic: @pressscotland

The Environment Agency and the AA strongly advise not entering flood water that is moving or more than 10cm deep.

David Jordan, Director of Operations at the Environment Agency, said: "Tragically people die because they've taken risks and attempted to drive through flood water just to save a few minutes.

"Flood water is dangerous. If there is widespread flooding in your area then don't travel and if a road is closed then turn around and make a detour."

The Highways Agency said high-sided vehicles and motorcyclists should be especially careful in the high winds and and has put out a list of potentially treacherous routes.

John McTaggart, head of on-road services at the agency, said: "We are working closely with the Met Office to monitor conditions.

"In the event of persistent high winds we may need to close certain bridges to traffic for a period, so please be alert for warnings of closures and follow the clearly signed diversion routes."

The RAC is predicting that 13 million people will take to the roads from December 24 to 26.

Thirty flights have been cancelled from Heathrow Airport.

Visitor attractions are also playing it safe, with the popular Winter Wonderland in London's Hyde Park staying shut on Monday as well as Kew Gardens' Christmas attraction.

Festive revellers will get a brief respite from the unsettled weather on Christmas Day and Boxing Day but the stormy conditions are due to return on Friday.

In Brighton, the council announced that the traditional Christmas Day dip would be cancelled because of the severe weather conditions.

The swim, which was also stopped last year because of dangerous weather conditions, has been running since 1860 and usually attracts scores of participants.

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