27/12/2017 Breakfast

Hello - this is Breakfast

with Roger Johnson.

Disruption as heavy

snow hits the UK.

Parts of the Midlands

and South Wales have been worst hit.

14,000 homes are without power

and the M1 is one of several major

routes to be affected.

Good morning - it's

Wednesday 27th December.

Also on the programme:

The first of a group of critically

ill children are evacuated

from a rebel-held suburb

of the Syrian capital Damascus.

The company which ran Grenfell Tower

hands control of thousands of other

properties back to the council,

saying it can't guarantee tenants

the service they expect.

In sport, there's hope for England

in the fourth Ashes Test,

after Stuart Broad sets off

an Australia collapse on day two

in Melbourne.

Phil has the rest of the weather for

the UK. A very good morning. A cold,

bright day to many cup -- parts of

the British Isles but in the Nicks,

snow has been falling and continues

to fall in some areas. -- in the

mix.

Good morning.

First, our main story.

Thousands of homes are without power

in England and Wales,

as overnight snowfall has

brought down power lines.

Western Power says 14,000

properties are affected,

from Cornwall to Sheffield.

Meanwhile, parts of the M1,

M5 and M42 motorways are also

affected by snow.

And some flights were diverted

from Birmingham Airport

after the runway was

shut for a short time.

Let's get more from our news

correspondent Andy Moore.

This really has happened in the last

few hours but it's causing a lot of

chaos in certain areas.

Overnight,

an unusual combination of heavy rain

turning to snow and that has caused

quite a few problems. First of all,

with the Western Power distribution

company dealing with lots of

different problems across the

south-west and Midlands and South

Wales, more than 14,000 properties

without power. The flooding, the

Environment Agency in England says

there are currently 14 flood

warnings and 96 alerts, with

flooding on some major roads. The

836, the 814 new Cambridgeshire. --

be a 36. -- the 814 now. The airport

was closed for more than an hour.

Luton Airport is warning the snow is

about to hit them about now. They

are warning passengers to check

before they travel to the airport.

Overnight, snow on the roads.

Lorries on the M5 were having

pressure with the incline. In the

North of Scotland, Northern Ireland

and the east coast, problems with

ice.

Thank you very much indeed. The

travel chaos ensuing as a result of

that snow. We will keep you

up-to-date. You can get in touch

with us and let us know how the

weather is wherever you are. Email

us your photographs.

[email protected] or go to

Facebook or Twitter. Send us your

pictures and use the hashtag

#BBCBreakfast. We will keep you

posted with the weather.

Aid workers who have started to

evacuate critically ill children,

rebel-held suburb near Damascus are

doing this following negotiations to

allow children with cancer to be

transferred from eastern Ghouta into

Damascus to treatment.

These photos posted on Twitter

by the Syrian Red Crescent,

an international committee

of the Red Cross.

A sign of hope for just a few.

Four patients with critical medical

conditions will now receive

treatment in a hospital in Damascus.

In the rebel held suburb

of Eastern Ghouta, the most

vulnerable have little help.

Sick and malnourished,

trapped under siege since 2013.

On Christmas Day,

the BBC aired a story

of a young baby, two-months-old

who lost an eye and suffered severe

injuries in a suspected

government attack.

UN efforts to arrange medical

evacuations from Ghouta have

until now fallen on deaf ears.

Last month, nine people

who needed urgent

medical care died after a request

to get them out were denied.

Now the attention

turns to those who can

still be saved.

Including seven children

with curable cancer.

But without the medicine

to treat them.

If we can save these

seven children maybe

we may also be able to get out

the other 125 children in Ghouta

who we understand are in desperate

need of sophisticated

medical support which they

cannot get in Ghouta.

The Syrian Red Crescent says

the evacuations last night took

a long time to negotiate.

The first of 29 critical cases

approved by authorities.

The remainder will be evacuated

to Damascus over the coming days.

It may seem just a drop in the ocean

in the plight of so many.

But it is perhaps a small

change in what has

been an unforgiving ordeal

for the people of eastern Ghouta.

The company that ran

the Grenfell Tower is handing back

control of the other properties it

manages to the local council.

The Kensington and Chelsea Tenant

Management Organisation says

the temporary move is because it

can't guarantee the right

level of service.

The organisation was heavily

criticised after June's fire,

but some residents say they don't

think the council has the capacity

to manage any of its housing stock.

Britain's workers could see another

year without a pay rise,

that's according to the Resolution

Foundation think tank,

which looks at living

standards in the UK.

It said a year-on-year rise in real

pay wouldn't be noticeable

until December next year.

The government says it is cutting

taxes for millions and raising pay

through the National Living Wage.

We will talk to the foundation later

in the programme. People who have

their credit mistakenly issued will

be protected under proposals. There

are concerns that some businesses

may be deliberately sending claims

to the wrong address is in order to

exploit people's debt and ruin our

rating.

Most businesses responsibly

collect their debts but what we want

to do is protect vulnerable

consumers against the minority of

cowboy companies that can devastate

innocent people's credit ratings

without them even knowing so we've

got a package of measures which will

deal with that problem. The minority

of rogue companies.

The demand for holidays is set

to remain strong in 2018,

despite a squeeze on wages,

according to the Association

of British Travel Agents.

It says that squeezed budgets

won't put people off trying

out new destinations

over the next 12 months.

It also says that despite tough

financial times, holidays remain

a spending priority for consumers.

The kind of things we found this

year, won the findings is that

people, even though we are going

through tough economic times, 30%

said they intend to spend more money

on summer holidays rather than less

next year and a 5% increase in

bookings so were all very positive

and it shows them when people are

thinking they can make cuts, those

qualities are one of the last things

to go. -- those holidays.

A fireworks explosion

has injured 39 people -

including six children -

during a popular Cuban Carnival.

The centuries-old festival

in the town of Remedios attracts

thousands of Cubans and tourists

every Christmas Eve.

State media reported that those

injured all appear to be local

residents, with their conditions

ranging from stable to critical.

The cause of the explosion

is under investigation.

Andy Murray's brother-in-law has

become the youngest person ever

to reach the South Pole on his own.

27-year-old Lieutenant Scott Sears

completed his solo trip

without any external

help, on Christmas Day,

after just 38 days.

Scott, who is the brother

of Andy Murray's wife Kim,

said sausage snacks and shortbread

helped him on his final day.

The previous record

holder was aged 30.

Many of us wouldn't mind spending

a few extra pennies on our pets,

to make sure that

they're warm and cosy.

But imagine the cost of doing that

for hundreds of animals.

Now one zoo is using new technology

to cut its bills while keeping

the animals happy,

as Zoe Kleinman reports.

These graceful creatures are a type

of antelope called nyala. Originally

from southern Africa, they argue is

to a warmer climate than Tamara

Wales when Hampshire and keeping

them warm, especially at this time

time of year, is dear. These nyala,

like a lot of antelope species, are

active at dawn and dusk.

Our total

electricity bill for the zoo is

around a year 's and we think a

third of that is from animal houses

serve our point of view, this

electric heating of animal stalls is

a big part of our carbon footprint

and Bill that we are trying to

tackle.

Wild animals, plunging

temperatures and no front door. So

how do you keep this hurt warm? You

might think with the thermostat on

the wall, that would do the job of

the thermostat would turn the

heating on when it was cold

regardless of whether or not an

animal was the hour. They tried

motion sensors but when animals are

sleeping, they don't move much and

heating could turn off. One solution

is an algorithm using data from an

infrared sensor. Following a chance

meeting, IBM stepped in to help and

that is how artificial intelligence

ended up here in the natural world.

What we got some sense of that.

Looking down on the nyala to detect

whether they are there or not

annexed to that is a little computer

with an infrared camera to take a

photo to see if the algorithm in --

the algorithm is devised. As we can

see on the little display, the

moment it shows the rice and animals

that, detecting that nyala is

present and it would have turned the

heat on.

Now, it's an experiment but

the algorithm -- the algorithm is

making the right decision 96% of the

time.

, The next stage is to connect

it to the heat and see how the

animals behave when heating is

turned on and off. Will they behave

as they normally do and sleep in

normal positions or will they wander

off and look for a warm patches

somewhere else?

But now, the nyalas

are in bed with technology and they

seem to be into it.

I spent many a happy day out at

Marwell Zoo. It is a great place.

They are stuck in their cars on any

of these roads? Philip is with us.

This snow that seems to be falling

across a large swathe of the

country. It seems to be the main

story but

country. It seems to be the main

story but most people.

country. It seems to be the main

story but most people.

Over the

story but most people.

Over the past couple of days, people

shouldn't be too surprised. You say

Over the past couple of days, people

shouldn't be too surprised. You say

a large swathe of the country, it's

quite specific. I will break the

country down. A day of sunny spells

and showers. Where is all this snow?

In the north and west, more likely

across southern and eastern parts. A

combination of rain, sleet, snow.

The snow was out west overnight

through Wales, parts of the

Midlands, in several areas. We will

just pick it up in the more recent

hours. It was through Wales and now

you see, it's on the back edge, the

northern and western flanks in an

area of low pressure which is

chaining its way slowly but short

ever slowly towards the southern

parts of the North Sea. The snow is

around for just a few hours. It's

already caused issues on the roads.

It's disrupted the power and close

to Bristol airport for a time. There

is an ice issue further to the

north. A combination of rain, sleet,

snow and pretty strong winds. Pretty

miserable is. It will churn its way

a little bit further so that come

the afternoon, East Anglia, you've

got it for keeps. Elsewhere, it is a

decent day. There is a peppering of

showers. There is a lot of sunshine.

These are the maximum temperatures,

three, four degrees, that's as good

as it gets. Underneath those

clearing skies, we end up with a

pretty chilly night and quite

widespread frost. Just watch out. If

you're on the move first on Thursday

morning, ice could be a bit of an

issue. Do you know what? Thursday is

a pretty decent day as well. It's

bright, it's cold, it's crisp. There

is a sign of something changing back

into the south-west. This will

eventually spring much milder out.

Back across many parts of the

British Isles. It turns a bit more

unsettled as we get through the

weekend and on towards the New Year

period is in the short-term, across

the south-eastern corner of the

British Isles. Begin at something

much more wintry. Rain, sleet, snow

and strong winds. Just keep the

thought about ice underneath. Bill

has got the weather. We got

thought about ice underneath. Bill

has got the weather. We got lots of

photographs coming in. Please do

email us if you've got snow

affecting you.

It is time to look at the papers.

Paul Horrocks, former newspaper

editor, is here to tell us what's

caught his eye.

We'll speak to him in a minute.

The front pages. The Guardian, first

of all, the main story is about

research on Brexit. The Chancellor

is being urged to show some of the

Brexit research. A photo of some

brave people going into the ocean.

The Times. A disturbing story.

YouTube is a shop window for videos

of child abuse. The front page of

The Mirror this morning. This is the

woman sentenced in Egypt for

bringing in painkillers to her

partner in Egypt, Laura. She was

given a jail term. Christmas is not

a happy time for her. The Telegraph,

finally. Police spark shoplifting

boom by not probing the theft of

under £200. Eye-catching. Your first

story of the morning. Slightly

worrying.

Shopping, obviously, is

the story of the last day or so.

This is a new twist. Police have

been accused of encouraging

shoplifting by not officially

probing theft under £200. It now

looks like those caught stealing

goods less than £200 are dealt with

by post much in the same way as

speeders are. What they are saying

is this decriminalisation of

shoplifting, what they are talking

about, is encouraging gangs to go on

shoplifting sprees knowing that the

police are not actually going to

turn up. They are deliberately

targeting goods under £200 and

selling them quickly on to the drug

abuse, et cetera.

That puts the onus

of stopping incidents occurring on

private security guards.

And police

will say we had to prioritise so

many different services with cuts

that this is effective policing.

Slightly worrying. I have got a

paper but I am not sure...

The

Mirror.

Yeah.

A big spread in the

Mirror along with other papers. The

one we just mentioned. Laura, who

was jailed in Egypt for taking the

290 painkillers to her partner in

Egypt which are illegal over there.

The Mirror have been talking to her

family. Her mother was there on the

day of her sentence. They are saying

she will find it very, very hard to

survive these terrible conditions in

this prison. Now, the focus is not

just on the appeal, which can take a

long time because the legal system

over there is complicated, but they

want to take it from a poor

condition jail to a better one. She

was held in a single cell with rent

of five of us.

You cannot imagine

the fear. You had it in Iran

recently. -- 25 others.

She may

suffer a mental breakdown.

The Sun.

The Queen's Speech a winner. The BBC

will be chuffed. It looks like the

BBC has dominated the television

ratings. Number one was Her Majesty

probably thanks to the Meghan Markle

effect. The annual broadcast on

Christmas Day brought in 7.7 million

viewers across BBC One and ITV, of

course, beating Strictly and Dr Who

into second. Mrs Brown's Boy's

third.

In this picture, Karen

Murdoch took this picture. This is

the shot all the papers have used.

The famous Royal Photographer was

even there. It is the luck of the

draw, it is where you are standing.

The lesson is always have your

camera ready, but it also shows how

good a mobile phone camera can be.

She has a good name for that job.

She has a good agent as well selling

those voters.

We will hear it more

from you in an hour on the papers.

This is Breakfast on BBC News. We

have spoken about the snow falling

overnight causing problems with

power supplies and travel. 40,000

properties are without electricity.

-- 14,000. There are also issues on

the M1 and M2. We will talk to an

expert. How bad is the situation

where you are?

I have been here

westbound on the A14 since two. We

have had five inches of snow. I have

been sitting here waiting for

someone to move. I am on an incline.

Lorries and vans in front unable to

get up.

We are seeing the

photographs on the screen you sent

through from where you are stuck.

The A14, I hesitate to say, it is

normally quite a free-flowing

cross-country road, dual

carriageway. It looks like a winter

wonderland.

It does. I mean, I have

just come the way back from near

Cambridge heading back towards the

airport. I do that every other day.

Well, I have never seen it like

this. Someone has to get the

gritters out and break it down. Even

on the other carriageway, nothing is

moving. You might see a vehicle

every 20 minutes.

You said it caught

everyone out. By the looks of the

photograph, there was not a lot of

grit on the road because the snow

really stuck. Was it listed

conditions?

It was very heavy. --

blizzard. From Cambridge it was up

to plus five at one o'clock this

morning. Then it just got lower and

lower. Torrential rain in Cambridge,

obviously. The temperature dropped

and it turned to snow. It is not

like it is -5, -10, where the salt

would not work. It is not that cold.

The snow is just sticking.

One

hesitate to ask, but I do not know

if you are catching a flight to East

Midlands Airport, but you will not

get there soon, it looks like.

I am

working on getting back to the

airport and then back to the

Cambridge area. Depending on how

long this goes, I might have to go

back to Cambridge later on today. It

all depends on what time this gets

fixed.

We are grateful to you for

taking the time to talk to us and

sending those photographs. We wish

you a safe journey whether it is to

the airport also foamed. Simon, a

lorry driver. -- airport or home. We

will talk to experts after seven

o'clock on Breakfast this morning

about it. It is not snowing in

Australia. It has been quite worn

down there.

Things are heating up, I

can tell you. England are delighted

to say it is the second day and it

has been going their way.

A bit too

little, too late.

I thought you

would say that. Debutant Tom, to

take out captain, Steve Smith, an

incredible day for him. Fingers

crossed it will continue.

Steve

Smith fell for 78. That set out in

Australia collapsed. Stuart Broad,

4- 51. The hosts all out for three

227. Joe Root went as well. Joe Root

and Alastair Cook are looking solid

with Joe Root 72 not out and England

149- two.

Harry Kane has broken the record for

the most Premier League goals in a

calendar year. He moved past Alan

Shearer's mark with yet another

hat-trick, in Tottenham's 5-2 win

over Southampton. That's 56 goals

for club and country, two more than

Lionel Messi. Joe Lynskey has more

on that and the best of the rest of

the action from yesterday.

of the action from yesterday.

They either England strikers who set

their own bath. But 2017 is when

Harry Kane made history. -- bar.

He

has done it! It has been a very

Merry Christmas.

In front of the

goal, he is unstoppable. Harry Kane

chases records like through balls.

Fantastic. I am proud of it.

Compared to the players, Lionel

Messi, Alan Shearer, that is what

it's all about.

Somebody would fade

after one season. Now he is an icon.

Harry Shearer set the record. There

are more recent comparisons.

Tottenham Hotspur call them one of

his own. Harry Kane will not win the

league this year, but second place

could still be in reach.

Manchester

United, zero, Burnley, two.

They

found their way back to a 2-2 draw.

Is this a difficult spell for you?

Why is that? The team that deserved

to win both matches is asked.

Liverpool at Anfield. Swansea met

them at their most ruthless. Five

goals for the local boy. A first

Premier League strikes were trained.

For Swansea, it is facing teams

around you that matters. That is why

West Ham thought this goal was so

priceless. Controversy was coming

with Bournemouth.

It will not count.

The flag is up. Wilson are getting a

touch. Discussions are long and

involved. It is a gold.

The referee

transformed the motion. -- goal.

When records come, it is best to

save them.

Celtic have extended their lead at

the top of the Scottish Premiership

to 11 points thanks to a 2-0 win at

Dundee. James Forrest and Leigh

Griffiths with the goals. Aberdeen

can narrow the gap again this

evening, when they take on Partick

Thistle. Next for Celtic is the

visit of Old Firm rivals Rangers on

Saturday.

This win gave trainer Nicky

Henderson a double after victory in

the Christmas hurdle. Boxing Day

racing is always the highlight of

the year.

It is not Boxing Day

without it. It is really good.

Fingers crossed for England. It is

possibly too little, too late.

We

will take every glimmer of hope we

can get.

Thank you.

Thank you for

your pictures of snow. We will talk

about the weather in a moment. Stay

with us. Headlines are on the way.

Hello, this is Breakfast

with Roger Johnson.

Good morning.

Here's a summary of today's main

stories from BBC News:

Thousands of homes are without power

in England and Wales,

as overnight snowfall has

brought down power lines.

Western Power says 14,000

properties are affected,

from Cornwall to Sheffield.

Meanwhile, parts of the M1,

M5 and M42 motorways are also

affected by snow.

And some flights were diverted

from Birmingham Airport

after the runway was

shut for a short time.

Let's get more from our news

correspondent Andy Moore.

He is following developments. There

is chaos in certain areas. Problems

in Bath and Bristol and the

Midlands.

Spoke to a truck driver

who has been stuck on the A14 for a

few hours. Problems in

Leicestershire on the M1. Problems

on the M5 when lorries have problems

going up an incline. And it's not

just the snow. Heavy flooding as

well in parts of the country. That

combination of conditions has caused

power outages. About 14,000 homes

are without power in the West

Midlands, south Wales, the West

Country. Birmingham airport is

closed. One flight was diverted.

Luton Airport is expecting to be hit

by snow.

Thank you very much.

Let us get the latest from the

weather centre. Philip is standing

by. A large part of the country was

unaffected but it is causing

disruption in areas that are seeing

snow.

Quite often we get hammered when we

talk about snow in southern Britain.

People in Warwickshire and

Leicestershire don't think they are

in the south-east and they have had

a good covering of snow. It came in

through Wales, into the Midlands,

down into the south-west. Those are

the depths that we recorded. It's

been really quite noticeable in the

number of locations. The whole

system gradually working its way

further east. Falling to just a few

hours. This is the

further east. Falling to just a few

hours. This is the situation we

expect to see over the next few

hours. We see our area of concern

has shifted out of the West Country

and we looking -- we are looking up

into the East Midlands and the M1

and into the Greater London area.

Then it moves away and turns more

towards rain and sleet rather than

snow as we get on into the

afternoon. It really is quite

confined. The greater part of the

British Isles, into a decent and

cold day. Particularly in the high

ground of Wales. In the short-term,

increasingly looking towards the

Eastern Midlands and the south-east

and maybe a wee bit into East

Anglia.

The Syrian Red Crescent aid agency

says it has started to evacuate

critically ill civilians,

including 18 children,

from a rebel held

suburb of Damascus.

The first four patients

left Eastern Ghouta,

which has been under government

siege for four years.

The operation is the result

of negotiations between

the United Nations and Syrian

President Bashar al-Assad.

The company that ran

the Grenfell Tower is handing back

control of the other properties it

manages to the local council.

The Kensington and Chelsea Tenant

Management Organisation says

the temporary move is because it

can't guarantee the right

level of service.

The organisation was heavily

criticised after June's fire,

but some residents say they don't

think the council has the capacity

to manage any of its housing stock.

Britain's workers could see another

year without a pay rise,

that's according to the Resolution

Foundation think tank,

which looks at living

standards in the UK.

It said a year-on-year rise in real

pay wouldn't be noticeable

until December next year.

The government says it is cutting

taxes for millions and raising pay

through the National Living Wage.

Andy Murray's brother-in-law has

become the youngest person ever

There are concerns some businesses

may be deliberately sending claims

to the wrong addresses in order to

exploit people's debt and

to the wrong addresses in order to

exploit people's debt and ruin their

rating.

Most businesses responsibly

collect their debts but what we want

to do is protect vulnerable

consumers against the minority of

cowboy companies that can devastate

innocent people's credit ratings

without them even knowing.

So would got a package of measures

to deal with that and rein in the

minority of rogue companies. -- so

we have caught. -- so we have got.

Andy Murray's brother-in-law has

become the youngest person ever

to reach the South Pole on his own.

27-year-old Lieutenant Scott Sears

completed his solo trip

without any external

help, on Christmas Day,

after just 38 days.

Scott, who is the brother

of Andy Murray's wife Kim,

said sausage snacks and shortbread

helped him on his final day.

Thank you very much for all your

pictures.

Now on BBC Breakfast it's time

for the Travel Show,

and a look back at some of the top

destinations of 2017.

That's just a taste of what's coming

up in the next half-hour,

as we take a look back at some

of the best bits on what has been

a truly memorable year.

It's taken us to all four

corners of the world,

we've met some amazing people

with some fantastic stories.

But first, let's kick

off with these ones.

In a moment we've got me fishing

for my lunch here in Finnish Lapland

and then Rajan gets to be the first

member of the public to take a ride

on Europe's tallest

and fastest rollercoaster.

But first, back in January Henry

travelled to Turkey to explore

a massive underground city recently

found that is slowly revealing some

fascinating stories

about the country's history.

Wow, look at all of this.

I find it hard to believe that

people were living on top

of here and all of this

was actually hidden,

so they had no idea this was here.

That is insane!

Wow, that ceiling is unique.

What's all this?

This is a mystery and,

according to the scientists,

the monastery dates back

to the sixth century A.D.

The winding tunnels and hidden

openings offered protection

from attacking armies.

Wow!

Look at that!

I've actually heard of this spot

because all of the archaeologists

were very excited about this.

This is a church, an underground

cave church, dating back

to the 12th century.

Going forward there are plans

to turn sections of the cave network

into an archaeological park with art

galleries and boutique hotels.

Authorities hope to open it

to the public in 2018 when visitors

can see the excavations

in their full glory.

It's -13 degrees Celsius today

and guess what I've got lined up?

It's a great way to keep warm.

If you're cold, do that!

Yeah.

The real thrill here is actually

trying to catch fish with a rod.

Can I have a go?

Yep.

There are fish below are swimming

under one metre of ice.

I'm keeping warm!

Well done!

It's getting tougher now.

Argh!

There's layers under, so...

Ah!

Give me some reindeer hide!

There's a real emphasis on low

impact tourism here,

which is playing a big part

in protecting this fragile

Arctic ecosystem.

You should admire my technique here.

Multitasking.

Yeah, multiple chances to get fish.

Fishing isn't just done

for the tourists, it's a real fact

of life for many of

the people who live here.

With only a handful of shops around,

most fish still have to be caught

rather than bought,

otherwise nobody eats.

Did we get a fish?

Look at that!

It's a pike.

It's a pike!

And it's been messing up my net.

So fish and potatoes on Monday,

potatoes and fish on Tuesday...

Wednesday, maybe reindeer bits,

Thursday fish and potatoes.

Good diet!

PortAventura is a well-established

theme park, Spain's biggest in fact,

and they get about 4 million

visitors here a year.

But now they're building something

that they say will take it

to a different level and will give

us one of the most amazing

experiences in the world.

I've come to Ferrari Land,

licensed by the famous car brand,

just as the finishing touches

are being put to the site days

before the launch.

There are 11 rides here in total,

but one in particular is hogging

the limelight as

the main attraction.

A velocity accelerator

ride called Red Force.

Two years in the making,

it's now Europe's and fastest ever

rollercoaster.

112 metres high at

a speed of 180km/h.

That's nought to 180

in five seconds flat!

Shall we go for it then?

Yeah, let's go for it.

Come on, let's do it.

Just do it.

Oh, we're going to get the best

views from the front.

You feel the force

on your face as well.

Right...right.

There's a loose bolt there.

Should that be...

Oh, there's a loose bolt, is there?

Hands up?

Yep, thanks up.

You don't want to miss it.

OK, I'll try my best!

I'll try my best.

See if you can tell

the difference...

Here we go!

..between the seasoned coaster

and the rookie TV presenter.

No, I knew you wouldn't be able to.

You know, over the past year

we estimate The Travel Show team

have clocked up over 60 countries,

travelled through 24 different time

zones, countless times,

to bring you some of the best

stories from all over the world.

And here are a couple where we met

some truly inspirational

and remarkable people.

In a moment we'll see Rajan report

from the Gir National Park,

in western India, where he went

on patrol with the real-life cat

women who help to protect

the endangered Asiatic lion.

But first, earlier this month

I headed to America to join disabled

athletes from across the globe

who travelled to Maryland to take

part in a championship that pushes

them to the limit and beyond.

The Working Wounded Games has

adaptive athletes compete

across a range of body building

and weightlifting challenges.

Volunteers!

Most Para-sport is categorised

by ability, but the Working Wounded

Games are different.

By modifying rules for each

individual athlete, they encourage

people with a range of capabilities

to compete together.

Let's go!

And one 18-year-old competitor

is getting a lot of attention.

Tell me what you're trying to do.

And it's mainly because

of your right-hand?

Nora has never been able

to complete a pull-up.

Unless she can now figure out a way,

she'll finish last in this round.

This is going to be a real challenge

for her, physically and mentally.

Go, go, go!

Yeah!

Two in a row!

How many had she done?

There's no let up.

It's then on to the

rest of the workout.

Yeah!

You were crying, you had tears.

Your coach was hugging you.

Why were you so emotional?

It's OK, take your time.

Was that the first time you've

been able to do pullups?

Yeah, I haven't been close.

It's Norwegian power!

Definitely.

On average, the unarmed rangers

cover 25 kilometres a day and have

to tackle venomous snakes,

leopards and poachers,

as well as lions.

If they did get agitated,

how would you be able to tell

from the animal?

How would you know if you are safe,

being this close to the animal?

And it did get dangerous

for Jayshree early on in her career

here.

Applications from women for these

posts have rocketed and the rangers

Applications from women for these

posts have rocketed and the rangers

are role models and trailblazers

in the region today.

Look at that mouth!

The good news is that from once

being in danger of extinction,

numbers have climbed to over 500.

The next much more welcome problem

is if the sanctuary is actually big

enough for their growing population.

Up next, a couple of films that

put my fellow presenters

to the test.

Back in September, Carmen

faced her fears and took on some

of Japan's more challenging

traditional dishes.

First, back in January we skipped

a hotel and arranged for Christa

to spend the night in a drafty

English church instead.

Thankfully she survived,

but I'm not sure she'll be booking

again next year.

I am here for a spot

of champing - church camping.

It's available at 12 historic

venues around the country.

Beautiful, ancient sites that

are rarely, if ever,

used as places of mass

worship any more.

A very big hotel room.

Money raised from letting champers

like me stay means the crumbling

buildings are spared a slow

and inevitable decline.

Somebody at the pub just told me

that tonight is supposed to be

the coldest night of the year,

so that's good, as I head

into my unheated church

room for the night.

I've got my air bed...

Sleeping bag...

I've just got into bed

and it's quite...

I'm quite comfy, actually.

Quite cosy, given how cold

it is and I can see my breath.

I'm going to try to go to sleep now

and try and forget that I am

entirely surrounded by graves.

It is quite cold.

I'm notably quite cold.

I think a jolly good reason that

champing is usually only done

during the summer.

Deciding to come champing

in the dead of winter

was a really terrible idea.

Wow, look at this octopus.

This is Tsukiji in Tokyo.

This is the world's

biggest fish market.

The early morning tuna auctions

are the biggest attraction.

But just the sheer range

of creatures here makes

for fascinating browsing.

This is all so fresh.

I think I need

something with a kick.

The outer market is where you can

try some of the more exotic

flavours.

This is fish fermented

with its own entrails in a salty

liquid usually made

from wheat, miso and soy.

Mmm!

LAUGHS

Very strong!

It is really chewy,

really, very very strong.

SPEAKS JAPANESE.

Carmen there taking on some

of Japan's more challenging tastes.

So to finish off this

special look back at 2017,

here's a run through of some

of my personal favourites

of the year.

And over the past 12 months we have

been so privileged to really see up

close some amazing animals all over

the world, and meet the people

who live and work alongside them.

I can't think of a better way

to finish the programme

than to share with you some

of those stories again.

Wow, look at that!

They are so cute!

I'm amazed at how much

banana a little monkey

like that can eat.

LAUGHS

That monkey must have eaten

at least ten bananas.

They can eat more than ten.

The villagers here believe

these monkeys are sacred.

There are two types -

the cheeky mona, and the black

and white colubus,

which is slightly more aloof.

Harming either species is strictly

forbidden under local law,

which means these villages

havebecome a century.

In fact the monkeys here are loved

so much, that once they die

they are given a proper burial.

Here, the monkeys belong

to the gods, so the villagers have

to stay with the monkeys

peacefully here.

If we harm them or punish,

we get the same punishment

from the gods.

So we have to stay with them

peacefully, and that is why

the monkeys are unique

from other parts of Ghana.

What kind of patients do you have?

We have all kinds of

illnesses, sicknesses,

knife wounds, gunshot wounds.

Some have diarrhoea,

constipation, cataracts,

some have serious cancer, tumours.

The most difficult case

are the victims of landmines.

For this elephant, each day starts

with her prosthetic leg

being fitted, so she can

walk out for breakfast.

Adult females weigh just under

three tons on average.

So the prosthetic is needed to give

vital relief to her other three legs

which are under enormous pressure.

How long did it take her to get used

to the prosthetic leg?

Five to seven day.

The focus here is working

with elephant owners

in the community to help any animal

that needs medical attention.

They also have a nursery section

and I am fortunate enough to be

able to see...

What is the baby's name?

His name Mina.

Amazing to see elephants like these

that might have died in the wild,

learning the ins and outs

of what goes on here it has

been absolutely amazing.

I won't forget it any time soon.

I am heading out early

in the morning to see something I am

told you can only

see here and abide.

It is a new twist

on traditional Arabian

falconry and I hear it is going

to be truly breathtaking.

OK.

We're about to release

Oberon from the basket.

So what's going to happen next is,

I've untied him, you'll see

We're about to release

Oberon from the basket.

So what's going to happen next is,

I've untied him, you'll see

he is wearing a transmitter

on his tail, that is so I can

find him if he flies away.

Ready, guys?

Five, four, three, two, one...

Wow!

Amazing.

Well done.

Did you want a go?

Oh yeah, I'd love to.

Oh yes.

Peter has helped to hand rear

these birds from birth,

and the bond of trust

between them is vital.

It is clear that for him

the falcon's welfare is paramount

and months of work goes

into training the birds to get them

used to the sights and sounds

of the balloon and its passengers.

If practised correctly,

these birds are in good shape.

Essentially the bird

is not suffering?

Absolutely.

What more could you ask for?

Unique experience,

and what a beautiful animal.

That's it for our look back at 2017

here on the Travel Show.

We have had such a great time seeing

even more of the world

and being able to share that

with you guys, and I hope you have

enjoyed not just following me

but the rest of the Travel Show team

too, as we explore

the world together.

Please make sure you join us again

in 2018, but in the meantime,

all that remains is for me

to say goodbye from here

in Finnish Lapland, and join

the rest of the team,

wherever they are in the world,

in wishing you a happy and healthy

New Year.

Bye-bye.

Hello - this is Breakfast

with Roger Johnson.

Disruption as heavy

snow hits the UK.

Parts of the Midlands

and South Wales have been worst hit.

More than 10,000 homes

are without power and the M1 is one

of several major

routes to be affected.

The overnight snow that has caused

so many problems is moving further

to the east and in the next few

hours, falls across Lincolnshire,

the East Midlands and perhaps down

into the south-east. More in just a

few minutes.

Good morning - it's

Wednesday 27th December.

We'll have the latest

throughout the morning.

Also ahead:

The first of a group of critically

ill children are evacuated

from a rebel-held suburb

of the Syrian capital Damascus.

The company which ran Grenfell Tower

hands control of thousands of other

properties back to the council,

saying it can't guarantee tenants

the service they expect.

In sport, there's hope for England

in the fourth Ashes Test,

after Stuart Broad sets off

an Australia collapse on day two

in Melbourne.

More later.

Thousands of homes are without power

in England and Wales,

as overnight snowfall has

brought down power lines.

Western Power says 14,000

properties are affected,

from Cornwall to Sheffield.

Meanwhile, parts of the M1,

M5 and M42 motorways are also

affected by snow.

And some flights were diverted

from Birmingham Airport

after the runway was

shut for a short time.

Let's get more from our news

correspondent Andy Moore.

Overnight, an unusual

combination of heavy rain

turning to snow and that has caused

quite a few problems.

Leicestershire, Northamptonshire is

supposed to be the worst with snow.

A lorry has come up the road because

of snowy conditions on the M1.

Motorists have been stuck on the A14

for about three

Motorists have been stuck on the A14

for about three hours, a total

standstill. Western Power says the

worst problems have been a

Worcestershire and Gloucestershire

and Warwickshire, they have that

engineers out from 1:30am Birmingham

airport was closed for one hour last

night as they cleared the runway. At

least one flight was diverted. Luton

Airport is on standby for snow and

sleet. As the bear heavy rain, in

England, currently 14 flood warnings

and 100 flood alerts. But rain has

been causing problems on some of the

roads as well. In the far north of

Scotland and Northern Ireland and

down the east coast, there is a

weather warning of severe ice and

Northumbria police are warning

motorists about that.

Let's talk now to Frank Bird

from Highways England.

He's in their East Midlands

Regional Control Centre.

Good morning and thank you very much

indeed. How bad is the weather where

you are?

The West Midlands, the

worst is now over. We had a good

downfall of snow through the night.

It was probably at its height just

after midnight. We invoked across

the country a number of regions,

bringing extra people in, more

resources. Within pretty much going

back to back and round-the-clock.

Again, most predominantly, I can

speak about the West Midlands

because that is the region where we

have most of the figures for now.

Around 2000 tons of salt have been

put down. Just to keep the roads

open. We've been pretty successful.

A few minor hiccups. Most of the

incidents have been caused by poor

driving skills. Overall, again, we

are quite pleased that motorists

have taken it quite easy when they

are out on the road. There haven't

been too many serious injuries.

I

appreciate you are not in control of

the whole country but while we were

speaking, we are looking at a shot

of the A14 which is covered in snow.

Were there areas where the salting

and the gritting has not worked?

It

hasn't caught us out. One of the

real difficulties is that when snow

is falling, almost a slew -- as soon

as the salting vehicle has gotten

through, the snow reappears. It is a

battle that we are constantly

fighting. Now that the snow has

finished into the East Midlands,

we've now managed to recover our

network and we are now moving some

of our things to try and support the

East Midlands region so it's like

chasing the storm, really. It's a

very difficult battle. If you've

ever tried clearing your back

garden, the minute you remove the

snow, you turn your back for five

minutes and as deep as it was

before.

Thank you very much for

taking the time to talk to was. --

to us.

Let's listen to where the snow is

heading. Philip Avery is tracking

things for us. By no means all

heading. Philip Avery is tracking

things for us. By no means all areas

clear?

Absolutely not. An issue quite

widely across the southern half of

Britain. I'm showing you the latest

we are getting from our Weather

Watchers. Lincolnshire and

Leicestershire. Extension. --

extensively across Warwickshire and

into the south-west because the snow

was around for a few hours. Seven

centimetres depth. Now this health

system and it's all wrapped around

an area of low pressure is heading

up towards the south part of the

North Sea. The cold air is flooding

down onto the northern and western

flanks of this area of low pressure

so the small area is quite discreet.

The forecasters gone pretty well our

point of view. At Andi Mohr was

suggesting, there is an ice issue

across Scotland, Northern Ireland

and the North of England. . -- Andy

Moore. I'm taking you into the early

afternoon. As the day warms up a

touch, I don't think the settled

snow will lie around for too long.

But we will see a conversion more of

that is no going back towards rain

but I wouldn't be surprised if even

into this afternoon across parts of

East Anglia, you're saying you would

see something a bit wintry. But the

real concern is the sway from

Lincolnshire to Bedfordshire. Down

in towards the Greater London area

where we could well see another two

or three hours of snow falling and

lying in some parts. The hide it, a

decent day and a cold day but in the

short-term, there are real weather

issues.

Looking at some of the pictures you

are sending on Twitter. Someone has

said he has given up and gone home

and turned around. The problems are

continuing. You can email us your

pictures and will follow the track

of the snow.

Aid workers who have started

to evacuate critically ill children,

rebel-held suburb near Damascus are

doing this following negotiations

to allow children with cancer to be

transferred from eastern Ghouta

into Damascus to treatment.

These photos posted on Twitter

by the Syrian Red Crescent,

an international committee

of the Red Cross.

A sign of hope for just a few.

Four patients with critical medical

conditions will now receive

treatment in a hospital in Damascus.

In the rebel held suburb

of Eastern Ghouta, the most

vulnerable have little help.

Sick and malnourished,

trapped under siege since 2013.

On Christmas Day,

the BBC aired a story

of a young baby, two-months-old

who lost an eye and suffered severe

injuries in a suspected

government attack.

UN efforts to arrange medical

evacuations from Ghouta have

until now fallen on deaf ears.

Last month, nine people

who needed urgent

medical care died after a request

to get them out were denied.

Now the attention

turns to those who can

still be saved.

Including seven children

with curable cancer

but without the medicine

to treat them.

If we can save these

seven children, maybe

we may also be able to get out

the other 125 children in Ghouta

who we understand are in desperate

need of sophisticated

medical support which they

cannot get in Ghouta.

The Syrian Red Crescent says

the evacuations last night took

a long time to negotiate.

The first of 29 critical cases

approved by authorities.

The remainder will be evacuated

to Damascus over the coming days.

It may seem just a drop in the ocean

in the plight of so many.

But it is perhaps a small

change in what has

been an unforgiving ordeal

for the people of eastern Ghouta.

Britain's workers could see another

year without a pay rise,

that's according to the Resolution

Foundation think tank,

which looks at living

standards in the UK.

It said a year-on-year rise in real

pay wouldn't be noticeable

until December next year.

The government says it is cutting

taxes for millions and raising pay

through the National Living Wage.

A fireworks explosion

has injured 39 people -

including six children -

during a popular Cuban Carnival.

The centuries-old festival

in the town of Remedios attracts

thousands of Cubans and tourists

every Christmas Eve.

State media reported that those

injured all appear to be local

residents, with their conditions

ranging from stable to critical.

The cause of the explosion

is under investigation.

Andy Murray's brother-in-law has

become the youngest person ever

to reach the South Pole on his own.

27-year-old Lieutenant Scott Sears

completed his solo trip

without any external

help, on Christmas Day,

after just 38 days.

Scott, who is the brother

of Andy Murray's wife Kim,

said sausage snacks and shortbread

helped him on his final day.

The previous record

holder was aged 30.

Very well done.

More than six months

after the devastating Grenfell Tower

fire, the much-criticised

organisation which managed the block

has handed back responsibility

for thousands of its properties

to the local council.

However survivors and local

residents, marking their first

Christmas since the disaster,

have criticised the move.

Let's talk to Joe Delaney

who is a resident on the Grenfell

Recovery Scrutiny Committee.

He's in our London newsroom.

Thank you to speaking to a spike in

early. Some people have criticised

it. Now you have caught this

organisation to be scrapped. A

pleased that they are handing back

this responsibility?

Not in the way

it happened and how they have

announced it. It was shabby and

underhanded to announce it on Friday

before Christmas. They hoped this

would slip under the radar and

nobody would notice.

Why are they

trying to pull the wool as you are

saying?

There was an AGM of the Ti

Amo, and residents moved to make

sure that was adjourned. -- TMO. We

weren't happy with them taking back

control of services because they

lacked the capacity and competence

and now they have decided to

announce this before Christmas.

Kensington and Chelsea Council could

not even arrange Christmas meal

payments for those still trapped in

hotels six months later after the

fire. The Christmas meal payment in

time to Christmas wasn't there. How

can we expect them to manage all

these homes?

Explain to people who

don't understand, the management of

these buildings. Other management

has worked in the past?

It is an

arm's-length management

organisation. They handle all of the

housing and landlord

responsibilities to the council.

That was just pretty much a sop.

They've always been based in

Kensington and Chelsea Council

buildings. It's pretty much been

arm's-length only. The big concern

that locals have is the council are

attempting to win up this

organisation so that any chances of

a corporate manslaughter charge will

fall apart. Kensington and Chelsea

want to butchers might -- push as

much of this responsibility onto the

tenant management organisation. So

that neither of them will end up

being sick you did for corporate

manslaughter.

It is our

understanding that user is not what

they are trying but they can't avoid

that. If those charges will be

brought, they can be brought anyway.

A dead organisation is like a dead

person. It cannot be prosecuted for

crimes. The first thing they tried

at the AGM was to say we take back

all these services. When we stop to

that, now all of a sudden they've

already done step one in that plan

that they announced several months

ago. That's why the real concern and

we don't want to see this move go

ahead at this time.

We want it wound up, but now we want

it on our terms.

You mentioned the

meal payments. As we understand it,

a handful do not have that money.

More than a handful. I have spoken

to dozens still in hotels. Anyone

who had it, they were not made in

time for Christmas. The council

cannot even make a Christmas meal

payment before 2018, and they are

expected to run tens of thousands of

properties? It is a disaster in the

making.

How difficult has Christmas

been for those in the area?

It has

been unusual, I have to say. I was

around the area yesterday. Even

though it is Christmas, it is more

quiet than usual. It has been more

subdued for everyone. It has been

more contempt -- contemplative. It

has been amazing, the spirit. It

will continue to be amazing, but we

will look after each other, even if

the council will not look after us

as it should be doing.

Thank you. We

are grateful to you for taking the

time to talk to us.

The weather is making the headlines

this morning with snow making its

way across the southern portion of

the country. Here is the latest.

Good morning.

the country. Here is the latest.

Good morning.

Good morning.

A busy

morning as you can imagine. Not

everyone is getting this problem.

Frost and highs are an issue in the

north of the British Isles. Then

sunny spells and showers. It is the

south-eastern quarter, quite a large

area, has been a large area, with

issues of rain and sleet and snow.

The latest snow depths. These came

in at 7am. My colleagues are looking

at these for us. The depth, - seven

centimetres in a number of

locations. This band weather goes

through. Snow behind it. Falling

snow all the way from Lincolnshire

to Bedfordshire. The northern home

county areas getting up into

Warwickshire as well and down

towards the south-east. Further

north, the issue is about ice.

Scotland, Northern Ireland, the

north of England. Clear skies,

moisture on the roads. Do not get

caught out. Once we get the

lunchtime, early afternoon, much of

the snow has converted back as it

started life back in the west and

south-western approaches as rain

rather than snow. The mid-afternoon,

showers in the north and west of

Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Because of the temperature profile,

wintry showers on the higher ground.

Still ahead, wintriness in

Lincolnshire and East Anglia well

into the afternoon. You do not get

rid of it from East Anglia until

after dark. Behind that, bright

skies. A cold and crisp day followed

by a chilly night. A night where ice

may be an issue, especially with

showers through the day. Then we are

running to Thursday. Highs on

untreated surfaces. Treacherous. --

ice. Then something of a change for

the latter part of the week. The

first signs of mild air coming in

initially into the British Isles and

then more widely towards the

weekend. In the short-term, it is

all about the wintry weather in the

eastern Midlands and the south-east.

The legacy left behind in Wales and

the West Country in the West

Midlands further north with issues

in the short-term with ice. Back to

you. Thank you for the forecast and

for all the this morning. -- the

pictures.

In the festive spirit

of reconciliation, we're bringing

together two sides of a story

from 2017 to see if they can call

a Christmas truce.

Today, we're talking Brexit,

with the Conservative MP

Iain Duncan Smith, who campaigned

to leave the EU, and the Labour MP

Liz Kendall, who supported Remain.

Let's see them discuss what's

been achieved so far,

and what needs to happen in 2018.

Hi.

Happy Christmas.

Happy Christmas

to you. Why did the chewing gum

cross other side? I am an optimist

that we will agree. It will be

bumpy. There will be wonderful

moments of crisis. There will be

moments where we get a sense of

where we are heading. That is what

it will be like in the next 8-9

months. One of my real frustrations

about this year has been the, sorry

to say, quite vacuous soundbites

which the government has been hiding

behind when people desperately need

some certainty at both through the

transition period and for

some certainty at both through the

transition period and for the end

goal. And every time you feel you

are making progress towards that, it

is undermined by comments like

nothing is agreed until everything

is agreed. And we need to get some

certainty. The people we are

negotiating with need to know where

we want to end up.

Crack another

one. Deal at dawn. Total triumph

wore a festive fudge? I hope because

of the issue around the border

between the Republic of Ireland and

Northern Ireland, we need to have an

agreement, I hope, that we achieve

staying in the single market, the

customs union, for the rest of the

country.

There will be a reasonable

agreement.

Are you a Canada Plus,

Plus, Plus person?

We need to have

something that is already out there,

not something from scratch. People

recognised at the end of it all we

want a reasonable relationship after

leaving. We are leaving the customs

union and the single market.

I hope

that does not happen.

I am

optimistic. I think...

I am sure you

are. I am a glass half full kind of

Remainer too.

Happy Christmas.

Happy

Christmas to you.

Single market and

customs union. Oh, yes, there you

go. I want one of those as well. I

am very proud to be British.

God,

they are hard. A bit like

negotiations, really.

There you go,

a lot of festive spirit.

That was Conservative MP Iain Duncan

Smith, and the Labour MP Liz

Kendall, reflecting on the last year

of Brexit ups and downs. Many more

of those to come in 2018, I suspect.

Time now

for a look at the newspapers.

Paul Horrocks, former newspaper

editor, is here to tell us

what's caught his eye.

We'll speak to him in a minute.

The front pages. We start with the

Guardian. The main story, sticking

with the Brexit theme we were just

discussing. Reveal Brexit research,

MPs ask. The picture is of some

festive revellers. The Times. A

slightly disturbing story. YouTube

is a shop window for videos of child

abuse, suggesting people make

appalling videos and put clips on

YouTube to potentially bring people

to their website to buy them. The

Mirror. It has the story of a woman

imprisoned in Egypt for taking the

painkiller tablets into the country.

She says it was to give to her

partner. She has been put into jail

in Egypt. Her interview suggests not

all is well with her mental state.

And finally for this quick look at

the pages, police spark shoplifting

boom by not probing theft under

£200. We talk about that before. It

is basically a shoplifter charter

because they will not take up any

issue under 200 pounds. The

Telegraph. You will talk about

senior fireman.

A familiar story of

boomerang bosses leaving highly paid

jobs with good and generous

retirement and redundancy packages

rehired the next day, or the next

month, on equally good pay. Now it

is the fire service which is being

looked at. Senior fire officer is I

been banned from claiming generous

retirement pay-outs and returning a

day lead us. -- officers are. They

have been claiming lump sums. --

later. One got £400,000 for being

rehired the next month. We need

these essential skills and