:00:10. > :00:14.A fresh band of rain sweeps across the UK, threatening more flooding.
:00:14. > :00:18.The downpours mean it is a festive washout for some, will spend
:00:18. > :00:22.Christmas clearing up damaged homes and businesses.
:00:22. > :00:26.Roads closed and rail services disrupted as the bad weather causes
:00:26. > :00:30.cancellations and delays. Everybody will get to where they need to get.
:00:30. > :00:35.It may take a little bit longer. It may involve bus journeys but
:00:35. > :00:38.everybody will get there today. Shoppers head out to buy last-
:00:38. > :00:43.minute gifts, and a warning that many retailers are struggling to
:00:43. > :00:53.survive. And the Queen in 3D. Her high-tech
:00:53. > :01:03.
:01:03. > :01:07.Christmas message pays tribute to Good afternoon. People in many
:01:07. > :01:11.parts of the UK have been warned to expect more flooding today with
:01:11. > :01:16.another band of heavy rain expected to sweep across the country. There
:01:16. > :01:20.are around 125 flood warnings in place in England and Wales and 260
:01:20. > :01:23.flood alerts. Road and rail journeys are being disrupted,
:01:23. > :01:30.particularly in the south-west. The main train line between London and
:01:30. > :01:32.Plymouth is closed until Friday. Our correspondent is in Braunton in
:01:32. > :01:38.Devon. Many people there will be spending the festive season
:01:38. > :01:41.clearing up. They will. It is a strange situation. Lots of people
:01:41. > :01:45.doing last minute Christmas things like they are doing on many high
:01:45. > :01:49.streets across the country, picking up Turkeys, taking presents to
:01:49. > :01:52.friends and family, but others have a very different Christmas and had
:01:52. > :01:57.a them. -- a very different Christmas ahead of them. There
:01:57. > :02:02.clearing up after a horrible, messy weekend. Instead of wrapping
:02:02. > :02:07.presents, Darren is throwing them away. His gift shop has been
:02:07. > :02:14.flooded twice over the weekend. So it is photos for the insurance
:02:14. > :02:19.claim, and a nervous Christmas. Hopefully we have seen the worst,
:02:19. > :02:26.but the trouble is, when it starts raining again, we will be thinking
:02:26. > :02:31.that we better get down here again, and check. The skeps arrived at
:02:31. > :02:37.8:00am this morning. By 9:30am, they were full. A community coming
:02:37. > :02:41.together for Christmas, but not how the plant. Yet more heavy rain has
:02:41. > :02:46.thrown Christmas Eve travel plans into chaos. A line from London to
:02:46. > :02:51.South Wales and the West Country is badly delayed. Leaving passengers
:02:51. > :02:54.in Exeter anxious about making at home in time. It will not be too
:02:54. > :02:58.bad if it was just from home to the train station but then it is the
:02:58. > :03:02.coach, another bus and then to my mother's. Quite a long time.
:03:02. > :03:07.with your cat. Yes, very difficult when she is making noise of the
:03:07. > :03:10.time. It is very embarrassing. is tough but I expected it. At the
:03:10. > :03:14.end of the day, you have to get home for Christmas. There is
:03:14. > :03:18.nothing worse than not being with your family. One of the main
:03:18. > :03:22.problems is the line outside Exeter, badly flooded at Cowley Bridge.
:03:22. > :03:26.This lunchtime, rail companies promise that one way or another
:03:26. > :03:29.passengers will reach their Christmas destination. Everybody
:03:29. > :03:35.will get to where they need to get. It may take a little bit longer and
:03:35. > :03:38.it may involve bus journeys, but everybody will get there today.
:03:38. > :03:42.Back in the seaside town of Braunton, they are still determined
:03:42. > :03:48.to have some kind of Christmas. Those affected say they have been
:03:48. > :03:53.overwhelmed by offers of help. Are we expecting more flooding
:03:53. > :03:57.there? Well, certainly we are expecting
:03:57. > :04:01.more rain. There will be more rain this afternoon here. They are
:04:01. > :04:08.looking at a yellow flood warning across the south-west of England,
:04:08. > :04:11.into tomorrow of, into Christmas Day. This is not going anywhere yet,
:04:11. > :04:15.there will be more problems. But the one remaining Severe flood
:04:15. > :04:19.warning, the most serious one that they have issued, the Environment
:04:19. > :04:23.Agency, that has been cancelled in the last half-hour or so. So on the
:04:23. > :04:29.face of it, it looks like there is less immediate pressing danger to
:04:29. > :04:35.life. If you look at the river here, when I was here over the weekend,
:04:35. > :04:42.on Saturday night it was right over the top, flooding into the car park
:04:42. > :04:46.and into those businesses. But it has dropped below the bridge now.
:04:46. > :04:53.At least here, that appears to be an encouraging sign. People here
:04:53. > :04:57.are wondering, for how long. adoption process in England is to
:04:57. > :05:00.be made swifter and more effective under plans unveiled by the
:05:00. > :05:02.Government. A more information and support will be offered to
:05:03. > :05:09.prospective adoptive parents including the right to take time
:05:09. > :05:13.off work to meet children before they move in. The Government wants
:05:13. > :05:19.more children to be adopted, rather than going to care. Recent figures
:05:19. > :05:24.show that numbers are going up. But ministers admit that perspective --
:05:24. > :05:27.prospective payments -- prospective parents can find the adoption
:05:27. > :05:31.procedure daunting. They are announcing measures to make the
:05:31. > :05:34.project more or -- the process more welcoming. Doctors will be given
:05:34. > :05:36.access to a nationwide database, access to a nationwide database,
:05:36. > :05:40.containing details of children available for adoption. They will
:05:40. > :05:46.have the right to take time off work to meet children they are
:05:46. > :05:50.considering. Adopted children who are two years old will get free
:05:50. > :05:53.nursery care each week. And the Government announced that adopters
:05:53. > :05:56.Government announced that adopters will get the same amount of paid
:05:56. > :06:00.leave as biological parents. will give confidence to anyone
:06:00. > :06:06.thinking about adopting, but we're on their side and we want to help
:06:06. > :06:09.them go through that process. We want to make sure the match is made
:06:10. > :06:14.as soon as possible so that a child can get a stable, loving home as
:06:14. > :06:17.soon as possible. Charities to campaign on adoption welcomed the
:06:17. > :06:21.announcement. But they say some families face problems years after
:06:21. > :06:26.an adoption has taken place. And more long-term help, they say, is
:06:26. > :06:30.needed. An American military adviser has
:06:30. > :06:34.been killed by an Afghan police woman inside the main police
:06:34. > :06:37.headquarters in Kabul. A woman, said to be the first female member
:06:37. > :06:42.of Afghan security forces to carry out such an attack, has been
:06:42. > :06:46.detained. As people head out for the last
:06:46. > :06:50.minute Christmas shopping, a survey of retailers across the UK suggests
:06:50. > :06:54.140 shops, including independent stores and major chains, are
:06:54. > :06:59.struggling to survive. Begbies Traynor says that the number in
:07:00. > :07:06.potential trouble rose by 35% in the three months to December. Some
:07:06. > :07:11.shops opened in midnight to maximise profits.
:07:11. > :07:15.-- opens till midnight. For some, the last day of Christmas shopping
:07:15. > :07:20.began very early indeed. Tesco and Marks and Spencer open some stores
:07:20. > :07:24.at midnight to cater for people try to avoid the last minute rush.
:07:24. > :07:29.came here yesterday and it was manic. You can see that there is no
:07:29. > :07:34.one about, it is easy, in and out in half an hour. I would rather
:07:34. > :07:39.stay up late and have a little longer in bed. That suits us. It is
:07:39. > :07:43.quite exciting. After a poor start to the Christmas shopping period,
:07:43. > :07:47.retailers say trade has picked up significantly over the past two
:07:47. > :07:52.weeks. Shopping centres like this one had been very crowded. Some
:07:52. > :07:58.have reported record numbers of customers in recent days. We have
:07:58. > :08:01.seen a lot of -- an upturn in consumer confidence, not great but
:08:01. > :08:05.edging up. Adding that will support people when they say, right, let's
:08:05. > :08:09.make sure we have a good Christmas. I think the last 10 days, they will
:08:09. > :08:12.have gone out and spent. British Retail Consortium has
:08:12. > :08:16.remaining cautious. It says that sales are likely to prove
:08:16. > :08:19.acceptable but not exceptional. It has certainly been a busy weekend
:08:19. > :08:22.on a British high street and retailers will be hoping that the
:08:22. > :08:25.money they have made over the past few days will enable them to face
:08:25. > :08:29.the new year with confidence. But if not, the chances are that some
:08:30. > :08:33.of them may not be around in 12 months' time. And there is no
:08:33. > :08:37.question that many are looking vulnerable. The report published
:08:37. > :08:41.today claims that 140 retailers, large and small, are in imminent
:08:41. > :08:46.danger of collapse, with thousands more in significant financial
:08:46. > :08:50.difficulty. If Christmas sales proved disappointing, more big-name
:08:50. > :08:56.chains -- more big-name chains could follow the likes of JJB
:08:56. > :09:00.Sports to become the latest victims of economic chill.
:09:00. > :09:06.Hugh Pym is on Oxford Street in central London. This is make-or-
:09:06. > :09:11.break time for many retailers. all retailers, it is a critical
:09:11. > :09:14.time. The final hours before they have to close their doors on
:09:14. > :09:19.Christmas Eve. The early indication from last week was that Christmas
:09:19. > :09:23.shopping has got off -- had got off to a slow start. Sales pictures
:09:23. > :09:26.published show that in November there was a flat picture with no
:09:26. > :09:30.growth at all. Food for figures, numbers of people going into major
:09:30. > :09:34.shopping centres, and that is not the only indication, suggested a
:09:34. > :09:40.fall. There is much hanging on this last minute rush which may well
:09:40. > :09:44.have happened. Major retailers are frustrated. December 23rd, a
:09:44. > :09:47.crucial day in the Christmas shopping season, was affected by
:09:47. > :09:51.Sunday trading hours, just six hours of trading allowed. They
:09:51. > :09:57.would have liked a bit of a dispensation on that. Who knows
:09:57. > :10:01.what has really happened over the last few days. We will not know the
:10:01. > :10:04.full picture Until retailers publish the details in January.
:10:04. > :10:08.official result of a referendum on Egypt's constitution will be
:10:08. > :10:12.published today. It is expected to have been passed with the support
:10:12. > :10:19.of around 60% of those who voted. But the opposition groups believe
:10:20. > :10:26.that the document will quash religious and other freedoms.
:10:26. > :10:31.Bethany Bell reports from Cairo. Egyptians are waiting to see if
:10:31. > :10:36.they have a new constitution. An early tally says that more than 60%
:10:36. > :10:40.voted Yes to the charter. But the result is not official. The
:10:40. > :10:44.referendum is being seen as the victory -- as a victory for Mohamed
:10:44. > :10:50.Morsi and his Islamist supporters. They say that it is an important
:10:50. > :10:54.milestone that will help Egypt get back on track. TRANSLATION: There
:10:54. > :10:59.was not any blood spilled. Injured son should be happy that the
:10:59. > :11:03.constitution has been approved in this way. -- Egyptians should be
:11:03. > :11:07.happy. Up minority groups like Egypt's Christians are worried that
:11:07. > :11:11.they will not be protected by the charter. Critics fear it has an
:11:11. > :11:16.Islamist agenda. The opposition says it will continue to fight
:11:16. > :11:21.against the constitution. It defies many of our basic values, like
:11:21. > :11:24.freedom of religion, independence of the judiciary. We will fight it
:11:24. > :11:29.and if we get a majority in the next parliamentary election, our
:11:30. > :11:34.first platform will be to abolish or a man's at the very least, the
:11:34. > :11:40.constitution. -- an end. Opposition protesters are still camped out in
:11:40. > :11:44.Tahrir Square. Few expect that this crisis will end soon. Many
:11:44. > :11:49.Egyptians are tired of the political upheaval. They hope a new
:11:49. > :11:55.constitution can bring instability. But others are afraid the country
:11:55. > :12:01.could be moving towards an Islamic state. -- bring in stability. Egypt
:12:01. > :12:04.is teeth badly divided. -- Egypt is deeply divided about its future.
:12:04. > :12:08.Three people have died in a road accident this morning in the east
:12:08. > :12:12.of Scotland. Logon and borders police say the accident happened on
:12:12. > :12:16.the A68 near Pathhead. One of the cars was carrying five people and
:12:16. > :12:21.ended up on its roof. The driver managed to escape and fire crews
:12:21. > :12:25.cut another man free but three passengers died at the scene.
:12:25. > :12:28.A homeless charity, Crisis, is warning that a shortage of
:12:28. > :12:32.affordable rented housing, particularly for people on benefits,
:12:32. > :12:35.will mean more people living on the streets. The charity is opening
:12:35. > :12:38.Christmas centres to provide food and shelter over the festive season
:12:38. > :12:42.and is calling for the Government to rethink changes to housing
:12:42. > :12:47.benefit. The Department for Work and Pensions says it is bringing
:12:47. > :12:51.fairness to a system that it says is out of control. Jon Brain is at
:12:51. > :12:57.a Christmas Centre in central London.
:12:57. > :13:00.A food, warmth and activities on display here. People taking part in
:13:00. > :13:04.everything that is being offered. Other problem is, what happens the
:13:04. > :13:08.rest of the year? Crisis claims that there are more people on the
:13:08. > :13:14.streets because of changes to housing benefit for people aged
:13:14. > :13:19.between 25 and 35. One of those affected is Danny. I used to be
:13:19. > :13:22.able to claim �180 a week, which gave me a flat. Now I can only
:13:23. > :13:26.claim �90 which gives me a shared room. That sounds fine but the
:13:26. > :13:32.landlords do not exist that will accept people on housing benefit at
:13:32. > :13:41.that rate. I am stuck and they cannot move on. It is a catch 22
:13:41. > :13:44.situation. -- I cannot move on. How big an impact higher -- how big an
:13:44. > :13:48.impact are these changes having two we think it will be a big impact.
:13:48. > :13:51.Part of the problem, the research shows, is that there is no shared
:13:51. > :13:55.accommodation available that is affordable or accessible for people
:13:55. > :13:58.on benefits. Why should people who are homeless or potentially
:13:58. > :14:01.homeless be treated better than those who were working? Many of
:14:01. > :14:06.them have to put up with this situation. There is something
:14:06. > :14:11.interesting about housing benefit. If you look at what is happening,
:14:11. > :14:14.the increase in housing benefit, 93% of those are working. You
:14:14. > :14:20.cannot make that distinction between working being good and
:14:20. > :14:24.housing benefit been bad. Thank you very much. This centre will be open
:14:24. > :14:27.over Christmas and for a few days beyond. The questionnaires, what
:14:27. > :14:33.happens after that? The government says this is about bringing
:14:33. > :14:37.fairness to a system that it says is out of control.
:14:37. > :14:41.The Queen has praised the UK's Olympic and Paralympic athletes in
:14:41. > :14:47.her Christmas message, to be broadcast in 3D for the first time.
:14:47. > :14:49.Buckingham Palace has released a short excerpt of the club, which
:14:49. > :14:56.was filmed earlier this month. Yesterday the Queen is the church
:14:56. > :15:00.service because of the cold but is expected to attend tomorrow.
:15:00. > :15:04.At the end of a memorable year for Britain and the Royal Family, the
:15:04. > :15:07.Queen's Christmas broadcast this year is expected to look back at
:15:07. > :15:11.some of the highlights, from her Diamond Jubilee when crowds
:15:11. > :15:15.celebrated her 60 years on the throne, and from below but -- and
:15:15. > :15:19.from the London Olympics. The broadcast was recorded earlier this
:15:19. > :15:22.month at Buckingham Palace. For the first time, a version has been made
:15:22. > :15:27.in 3D. The viewing of which requires not just a special
:15:27. > :15:31.television, but 3D glasses. The Queen, we're told, is happy with
:15:31. > :15:37.the result. In an extract issued in advance of the broadcast, she talks
:15:37. > :15:42.about the achievements all the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
:15:42. > :15:48.London hosted a splendid summer of sport, all those who saw the
:15:48. > :15:52.achievement and courage at the Olympic and Paralympic Games were
:15:52. > :15:58.further inspired by the skill, dedication, training and teamwork
:15:58. > :16:02.of our athletes. In pursuing their own sporting goals, they give the
:16:03. > :16:08.rest of us the opportunity to share something of the excitement and
:16:08. > :16:11.drama. Much of the Royal Family is now at Sandringham, the Queen's
:16:11. > :16:15.estate in Norfolk where they traditionally spend Christmas.
:16:15. > :16:19.Absent this year, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. They are