Uniquely Nelson

What do you know about Boxing Day, other than the fact it's a public holiday, and a good time to get a bargain? Have you ever wondered where the name comes from, or what the day has meant over the centuries? Boxing Day has links with giving money to servants as well as donating to charity rather than today's approach of shopping for cheaper goods in post-Christmas sales. Photo: 123RF As it turns out, the exact roots are unknown. But there are a few theories, stretching all the way back to the Middle Ages. It originated in the United Kingdom and one theory is that it was originally a day to compensate servants. "In the Middle Ages and the early modern era, the servants all had to work on Christmas Day," explains Carole Cusack, a professor of religious studies at the University of Sydney. "Their servitude meant that they had to put the needs of the people they worked for first." Boxing Day became "their time to spend with their family". "That's your first idea - that it's a kind of gift in the sense of having some time off to spend with families," Professor Cusack says. Clues to the origin of the "boxing" name can be found in the Oxford English Dictionary which referred to a day "on which post-men, errand-boys, and servants of various kinds expect to receive a Christmas-box". A "Christmas box" was an old way of referring to giving money to servants around Christmas time. The Macquarie Dictionary also describes the day as traditionally being when "Christmas boxes or presents were given to employees". Photo: 123RF Constant Mews, the director of the Centre for Religious studies at Monash University, grew up in South London and recalls this old tradition continuing into his childhood. "In England when the rubbish men came around on Boxing Day you would give them something," he recalls. "It was about giving gifts to others, and it's a charitable activity." The second theory also relates to charity. "During the season of Advent, the Ecclesiastical season prior to Christmas, there was a box in the Parish church into which people put money for the poor," Professor Cusack says. "After Christmas was over it was then opened up and the money or the gifts that people had put into it was given to the poorest people in the Parish." December 26 was also the Feast of Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr and a figure known for acts of charity. It's said Stephen was a Greek Jew who lived in Jerusalem and converted to Christianity. He was accused of blasphemy and later stoned to death after being made to stand trial. "I suspect that it was placed there deliberately after Christmas as a sobering reminder," Professor Mews says. "I think part of the history of Boxing Day was to remember it's not just about the cosy feeling of the birth of the saviour, but it's also a memory that Christian life can involve persecution and martyrdom. "This was what that role of that feast of Saint Stephen was serving to remind us of." Links to Romans Professor Mews says Boxing Day also has links to the ancient Romans, as far back as 133 BCE. In honour of the god Saturn, the Romans took part in a week-long December festival called Saturnalia, which involved feasting, parties, drinking and giving gifts. "They had a December madness - they spoke about the December freedom - when the customary restraints of society were loosened," Professor Mews says. Certain traditions from Saturnalia such as gift giving, lighting candles, and decorating houses in green wreaths endure as Christian festivities. In the early modern era, the charity 'Christmas boxes' were also regarded as a good luck charm. Professor Cusack says it was the "great age of exploration", the time when Columbus made it to the New World in 1492. "The Christmas box was generally just a small wooden box, and it was placed on each ship while it was still in port before it set out to do its voyage of trade or voyage of exploration," she says. "It was blessed by a priest or minister, and crewmen who wanted to pray for a safe return would put a small amount of money into the box." The box was then sealed up and kept on board for the rest of the voyage. "If the ship came home safely, the box was then handed to the priest or minister who had blessed it in return for further prayers or service of thanksgiving for them all having been spared," Professor Cusack says. They kept the box until Christmas and shared its content with the poor on Boxing Day. 'A rich person's playground' By the 1700s, Boxing Day customs had begun to take a different turn. "When you get into the 18th century, the century of enlightenment, where belief in Christianity starts to waiver a bit, and certainly the control of the church becomes recast, Boxing Day becomes the day for the fox hunt," Professor Cusack says. "By that stage it's become a day off where people can relax. Christmas, the kind of religious bit, is over. Everybody is enjoying themselves, and one way the upper class deemed to enjoy themselves was to hunt. "So the idea that Boxing Day is a holiday for people to enjoy themselves, has become much more common." A hunt gets underway in Kent, England. (file pic) Photo: AFP Boxing Day was officially recognised as a bank holiday in England, Northern Ireland and Wales in 1871 after Queen Victoria included it in the Bank Holidays Act. The bank holiday is still embraced by some countries that fall under the British Commonwealth, including Australia and New Zealand. "If you think about Australia now, the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race starts on Boxing Day - and that again is a rich person's playground, a bit like the fox hunting tradition," Professor Cusack says. However, the traditional sailing race has been cancelled this year due to the latest Covid-19 outbreak in New South Wales. And then you have the Boxing Day sales. "The reality is is that Christmas presents have become a big part of the commercial cycle, and of course, now when we think of Boxing Day we think of sales," Professor Mews says. "We've actually lost that sense of the obligation to remember others." - ABC

The experimental jab is being offered to people who have been in close contact with a confirmed Covid-19 case within the past eight days. Photo: KTS / Science Photo Library via AFP If it proves effective, it could protect vulnerable people who haven't yet been, or can't be, vaccinated. And it could help to contain outbreaks. The trial, run at University College London Hospitals (UCLH) NHS Trust, is looking at whether an injection of two different antibodies could prevent someone who has been exposed to Covid from developing the disease - or at least from becoming very ill. Vaccines take weeks to offer full protection, meaning it's too late for them to be given once someone already has the virus brewing in their system. But this monoclonal antibody treatment, developed by the drugs company AstraZeneca, should work to neutralise the virus immediately. And it gives ongoing protection for up to a year. It could mean healthcare workers, hospital patients and care home residents could be given the treatment if they have been exposed to a known Covid case. It could be offered to people with health vulnerabilities by their GPs. And it could be used to prevent one or two cases turning into an outbreak in settings like student accommodation. The team, led by UCLH virologist Dr Catherine Houlihan, wants to recruit 1000 volunteers. They are targeting recruitment at areas where people are likely to have been exposed including hospitals and student accommodation. People wanting to take part will have to show their close contact has tested positive. The jab works by "donating" antibodies, Houlihan said - "it skips out that stage of your body doing the work" to make them. "We know that this antibody combination can neutralise the virus, so we hope to find that giving this treatment via injection can lead to immediate protection against the development of Covid-19 in people who have been exposed - when it would be too late to offer a vaccine." She explained this technique was already used post-exposure for other viruses like rabies, and chickenpox in pregnant women. Pre-exposure Another trial already underway at UCLH is looking at whether the same antibody treatment could be used before someone is exposed to coronavirus, to prevent them ever catching it. This could be particularly useful for people who have immune deficiencies or are going through immune-suppressing treatment like chemotherapy. Infectious diseases consultant Dr Nicky Longley, who is running the pre-exposure trial, said it was being trialled on people with conditions like cancer and HIV which "may affect the ability of their immune system to respond to a vaccine. "We want to reassure anyone for whom a vaccine may not work that we can offer an alternative which is just as protective." It might also be useful to protect vulnerable people as a stopgap before they can be given a vaccine, Houlihan confirmed. But she said it was not being suggested as an alternative to the vaccine. And it's also likely to cost considerably more, at hundreds of pounds a dose. Along with UCLH, the antibody treatment will be trialled at multiple sites in the US as well as in Wakefield, Manchester, Southampton and Hull in the UK. But only the London site has begun recruiting and jabbing people. The first results for both arms of the trial - using antibodies before and after exposure to Covid - are expected in the northern hemisphere spring. - BBC

What do you know about Boxing Day, other than the fact it's a public holiday, and a good time to get a bargain? Boxing Day has links with giving money to servants as well as donating to charity rather than today's approach of shopping for cheaper goods in post-Christmas sales. Photo: 123RF Have you ever wondered where the name comes from, or what the day has meant over the centuries? As it turns out, the exact roots are unknown. But there are a few theories, stretching all the way back to the Middle Ages. It originated in the United Kingdom and one theory is that it was originally a day to compensate servants. "In the Middle Ages and the early modern era, the servants all had to work on Christmas Day," explains Carole Cusack, a professor of religious studies at the University of Sydney. "Their servitude meant that they had to put the needs of the people they worked for first." Boxing Day became "their time to spend with their family". "That's your first idea - that it's a kind of gift in the sense of having some time off to spend with families," Professor Cusack says. Clues to the origin of the "boxing" name can be found in the Oxford English Dictionary which referred to a day "on which post-men, errand-boys, and servants of various kinds expect to receive a Christmas-box". A "Christmas box" was an old way of referring to giving money to servants around Christmas time. The Macquarie Dictionary also describes the day as traditionally being when "Christmas boxes or presents were given to employees". Photo: 123RF Constant Mews, the director of the Centre for Religious studies at Monash University, grew up in South London and recalls this old tradition continuing into his childhood. "In England when the rubbish men came around on Boxing Day you would give them something," he recalls. "It was about giving gifts to others, and it's a charitable activity." The second theory also relates to charity. "During the season of Advent, the Ecclesiastical season prior to Christmas, there was a box in the Parish church into which people put money for the poor," Professor Cusack says. "After Christmas was over it was then opened up and the money or the gifts that people had put into it was given to the poorest people in the Parish." December 26 was also the Feast of Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr and a figure known for acts of charity. It's said Stephen was a Greek Jew who lived in Jerusalem and converted to Christianity. He was accused of blasphemy and later stoned to death after being made to stand trial. "I suspect that it was placed there deliberately after Christmas as a sobering reminder," Professor Mews says. "I think part of the history of Boxing Day was to remember it's not just about the cosy feeling of the birth of the saviour, but it's also a memory that Christian life can involve persecution and martyrdom. "This was what that role of that feast of Saint Stephen was serving to remind us of." Links to Romans Professor Mews says Boxing Day also has links to the ancient Romans, as far back as 133 BCE. In honour of the god Saturn, the Romans took part in a week-long December festival called Saturnalia, which involved feasting, parties, drinking and giving gifts. "They had a December madness - they spoke about the December freedom - when the customary restraints of society were loosened," Professor Mews says. Certain traditions from Saturnalia such as gift giving, lighting candles, and decorating houses in green wreaths endure as Christian festivities. In the early modern era, the charity 'Christmas boxes' were also regarded as a good luck charm. Professor Cusack says it was the "great age of exploration", the time when Columbus made it to the New World in 1492. "The Christmas box was generally just a small wooden box, and it was placed on each ship while it was still in port before it set out to do its voyage of trade or voyage of exploration," she says. "It was blessed by a priest or minister, and crewmen who wanted to pray for a safe return would put a small amount of money into the box." The box was then sealed up and kept on board for the rest of the voyage. "If the ship came home safely, the box was then handed to the priest or minister who had blessed it in return for further prayers or service of thanksgiving for them all having been spared," Professor Cusack says. They kept the box until Christmas and shared its content with the poor on Boxing Day. 'A rich person's playground' By the 1700s, Boxing Day customs had begun to take a different turn. "When you get into the 18th century, the century of enlightenment, where belief in Christianity starts to waiver a bit, and certainly the control of the church becomes recast, Boxing Day becomes the day for the fox hunt," Professor Cusack says. "By that stage it's become a day off where people can relax. Christmas, the kind of religious bit, is over. Everybody is enjoying themselves, and one way the upper class deemed to enjoy themselves was to hunt. "So the idea that Boxing Day is a holiday for people to enjoy themselves, has become much more common." A hunt gets underway in Kent, England. (file pic) Photo: AFP Boxing Day was officially recognised as a bank holiday in England, Northern Ireland and Wales in 1871 after Queen Victoria included it in the Bank Holidays Act. The bank holiday is still embraced by some countries that fall under the British Commonwealth, including Australia and New Zealand. "If you think about Australia now, the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race starts on Boxing Day - and that again is a rich person's playground, a bit like the fox hunting tradition," Professor Cusack says. However, the traditional sailing race has been cancelled this year due to the latest Covid-19 outbreak in New South Wales. And then you have the Boxing Day sales. "The reality is is that Christmas presents have become a big part of the commercial cycle, and of course, now when we think of Boxing Day we think of sales," Professor Mews says. "We've actually lost that sense of the obligation to remember others." - ABC

A boat accident on Lake Albert on the border of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo has left at least 26 people dead. Poor safety and changing weather have led to a series of accidents on Lake Albert over the years. (file pic) Photo: Getty Images A "strong wind" caused the vessel to go under water, a local official told AFP news agency. Dozens of people were on board and at least 21 people were rescued, Ashraf Oromo said. A marine officer said poor safety and fast-changing weather meant accidents were common on the lake. The boat was travelling between two locations on the Ugandan side on Wednesday when strong winds blew up and it capsized. Rescuers did not expect to find any more survivors, Oromo said. However, local media quoted the chief of the locality who suggested that the search was ongoing. Both Congolese and Ugandan nationals were on the boat and were among the victims, Tchovidong said. "Because of failure to adhere to safety measures and fast-changing weather patterns, Lake Albert has many accidents," regional police marine officer Samuel Onyango told AFP. One official said that many of the victims were trying to return illegally to the Democratic Republic Congo (DRC) to avoid the coronavirus restrictions that have stopped most traffic between the DRC and Uganda, according to the Associated Press news agency. Vital Adubanga, president of the Wangongo chiefdom in eastern Congo's Ituri province, said that night boats were prohibited but the ban was frequently ignored. Many of those on board were traders attempting to reach a weekly market, Adubanga as well as Ugandan website The Daily Monitor said. Lake Albert, which is Africa's seventh-largest lake, has been the scene of considerable loss of life in previous boat accidents. In 2014, more than 250 refugees died when a vessel capsized while carrying far more people than its capacity. And in another Christmas accident, in 2016, 30 members of a Ugandan football team drowned on the lake when a boat sank. - BBC

Pope Francis has called on world leaders to ensure unfettered access to coronavirus vaccines for everyone. This handout photo taken on December 25, 2020, and released by the Vatican press office, the Vatican Media, shows Pope Francis (C) delivering his streamed Urbi et Orbi blessing from the Vatican Blessing hall. Photo: VATICAN MEDIA via AFP In a Christmas Day address delivered online for the first time, the pontiff warned against putting up "walls" to treatments. The pandemic meant this year the annual Urbi et Orbi message was not presented from the balcony at St Peter's Basilica to huge crowds, as is tradition. Instead the Pope spoke from a lectern in a chamber inside the Vatican. Pope Francis' warning comes amid concerns that wealthier countries are buying up disproportionate doses of vaccines to the detriment of poorer ones. "May the Son of God renew in political and government leaders a spirit of international cooperation, starting with health care, so that all will be ensured access to vaccines and treatment," he said. "In the face of a challenge that knows no borders, we cannot erect walls. All of us are in the same boat." The Pope said the effects of the health crisis showed the need for global unity was greater than ever. "At this moment in history, marked by the ecological crisis and grave economic and social imbalances only worsened by the coronavirus pandemic, it is all the more important for us to acknowledge one another as brothers and sisters." The pontiff called for generosity and support to victims of the pandemic, singling out women suffering domestic violence during lockdown. Turning to other troubles in the world, the Pope called for peace and reconciliation in Syria, Yemen, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh, South Sudan, Nigeria, Cameroon and Iraq. He is due to visit Iraq in March in what would be the first such trip to the war-torn country by a pontiff. - BBC

A parked motor home exploded in downtown Nashville on Christmas morning in what police described as an "intentional act," and fire officials reported taking three people to hospital but none were critically injured. Nashville Fire Department staff on a street damaged by the explosion. Photo: AFP / Nashville Fire Department handout Police initially responded to an emergency call of "shots fired" in the downtown tourist area about 6am local time, when they reported seeing the vehicle, said Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron, without specifying what made it suspicious. "Circumstances about the vehicle caused the officers to call the bomb squad," Aaron said. The bomb squad was on the way when the explosion occurred. "We do believe that the explosion was an intentional act," he said, describing the explosion as "significant" and adding that police were working with federal authorities including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Andrew McCabe, a former deputy FBI director, told CNN police may have been the target of the explosions given they were answering the report of a suspicious vehicle when it blew up. He said an explosion of this size would be investigated as a possible act of terrorism, whether domestic or foreign. Moments before the blast, police officers went door-to-door in nearby buildings to hustle residents to safety and motioned a man walking his dog near the vehicle to change direction. Police said it was not immediately clear if anyone was inside the motor home when it exploded. The explosion, which could be felt nine blocks away, knocked one officer off his feet and caused what was hoped to be only a temporary hearing loss, the spokesman said. Residents reported seeing a number of other vehicles on fire amid the debris. Most of the buildings were closed given the hour and Christmas holiday in the heart of the city, the capital of both the state of Tennessee and US country music. "There was trees lying everywhere, glass laying everywhere," Nashville resident Buck McCoy told CNN. The explosion destroyed several other vehicles and damaged several buildings, launching black smoke in the sky that could be seen for miles. "We are not aware of any other attempted explosion," the spokesman said. Nashville Mayor John Cooper urged people to stay away from the downtown area, as police and federal authorities investigated, aided by bomb dogs and surveillance camera footage. President Donald Trump was briefed on the explosion, a White House spokesman said. - Reuters

The Queen has used her Christmas Day message to reassure anyone struggling without friends and family this year that they "are not alone". Queen Elizabeth II after giving her Christmas Speech 2020. Photo: AFP She said what many people want "for Christmas is a simple hug or a squeeze of the hand" - but "even on the darkest nights there is hope in the new dawn". The 94-year-old praised acts of kindness, saying the pandemic "brought us closer" despite causing hardship. The Queen, like so many, is spending the day apart from her family. "Remarkably, a year that has necessarily kept people apart has, in many ways, brought us closer," the monarch said in the broadcast, adding that the Royal Family has been "inspired" by people volunteering in their communities. "In the United Kingdom and around the world, people have risen magnificently to the challenges of the year, and I am so proud and moved by this quiet, indomitable spirit." She lamented that "people of all faiths have been unable to gather as they would wish for their festivals", but said "we need life to go on". The Queen highlighted Diwali celebrations last month in Windsor - where she is spending Christmas with the Duke of Edinburgh for the first time in decades - as an example of "joyous moments of hope and unity despite social distancing". "Of course for many, this time of year will be tinged with sadness - some mourning the loss of those dear to them and others missing friends and family members distanced for safety, when all they really want for Christmas is a simple hug or a squeeze of the hand," she added. "If you are among them, you are not alone, and let me assure you of my thoughts and prayers." She gave particular thanks to young people, to frontline workers, and to "good Samaritans [who] have emerged across society, showing care and respect for all". "We continue to be inspired by the kindness of strangers and draw comfort that even on the darkest nights there is hope in the new dawn," she said. Referring to the centenary of the Unknown Warrior's burial in Westminster Abbey, she said: "The Unknown Warrior was not exceptional, that's the point. He represents millions like him who, throughout our history, have put the lives of others above their own and will be doing so today. "For me, this is a source of enduring hope in difficult and unpredictable times." This year's message was recorded in mid-December with a pared-back film crew and in accordance with government guidance. She added: "Let the light of Christmas, the spirit of selflessness, love and above all, hope, guide us in the times ahead." The Queen and Prince Philip, 99, have been living at Windsor Castle during the pandemic with a small household staff. It is thought to be the first year the couple have not spent Christmas at their Sandringham home since the mid-1980s. The Royal Family usually spends Christmas Day together, but will not visit each other this year because of coronavirus restrictions. The Queen also worshipped privately rather than attending a church service, as she usually does - in order, it is understood, to avoid crowds of well-wishers congregating. On Christmas Day, the Royal Family tweeted a video of St George's Chapel choir singing. Wishing all our followers a very Merry Christmas!St George’s Chapel choir sing ‘We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year’.The Chapel, situated in the grounds of Windsor Castle, has a unique Royal history. Find out more: https://t.co/zB4IbaTcbi pic.twitter.com/dYDvfKW4Cx — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) December 25, 2020 The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge acknowledged those going through a particularly difficult time this year because of the pandemic, tweeting pictures of people working through the festive season. This Christmas our thoughts are with those of you who are spending today alone, those of you who are mourning the loss of a loved one, and those of you on the frontline who are still mustering the energy to put your own lives on hold to look after the rest of us. pic.twitter.com/VvW3rV4fRz — The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) December 25, 2020 Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall sent their Christmas wishes on social media, telling followers, "Here's to a better new year." Wishing you all a happy Christmas and here’s to a better New Year! pic.twitter.com/M8479EHfZI — The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (@ClarenceHouse) December 25, 2020 The Queen's address marks the end of a year that saw her go for seven months - March to October - without carrying out public engagements outside of a royal residence. During that time, her eldest child, Prince Charles, 72, contracted coronavirus and displayed mild symptoms. Palace sources also told the BBC that Prince William tested positive in April - though Kensington Palace refused to comment officially. The royals have spent some time together during the pandemic. The Queen and several other senior royals attended a socially-distanced Christmas carol concert at Windsor Castle this month. The Christmas broadcast was the Queen's third televised address this year, which is unusual for the monarch. In April, as the first wave of the pandemic saw people across the country told to stay at home, she vowed that the the UK "will succeed" in its fight against the virus. In a rallying message, she lamented the "painful sense of separation from their loved ones" that social distancing was causing people - but said it was "the right thing to do". The following month, in a poignant address to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day, she said people's response to the virus had filled empty streets with "love". In last year's Christmas speech, she described 2019 - which saw intense political debate over Brexit and a number of personal events affecting the Royal Family - as "quite bumpy". She said the path is never "smooth" but "small steps" can heal divisions. - BBC

EU ambassadors have received a Christmas Day briefing on the post-Brexit trade deal reached with the UK. European ambassadors during the briefing of European Union member states in Brussels on 25 December. Photo: AFP EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier updated them on the agreement, reached after months of fraught talks on fishing rights and business rules. MPs will vote on the deal in Parliament on 30 December, with the UK set to exit existing trading rules on 31 December. The 1246-page document, which includes about 800 pages of annexes and footnotes, has been seen by the BBC. A 34-page summary of the deal has been published on the UK government's website, but not the complete text. Labour said it was a "thin agreement" but they would back it as the only alternative to no deal, meaning it should win approval. The European Parliament needs to ratify the deal but it is unlikely to do so until the new year, meaning its application will formally be provisional until then. Sebastian Fischer, a spokesman for the German presidency of the Council of the EU, joked ahead of the EU diplomats' meeting that he was looking forward to it "because nothing is more fun than to celebrate Christmas among socially distanced colleagues". Meanwhile, French Europe minister Clement Beaune said it was a "good agreement", adding that the EU had not accepted a deal "at all costs". In a Christmas video message, posted on Twitter on Thursday evening, Prime Minister Boris Johnson brandished a draft copy of the document. He said: "Tonight, on Christmas Eve, I have a small present for anyone who may be looking for something to read in that sleepy post-Christmas lunch moment, and here it is, tidings, glad tidings of great joy because this is a deal. "A deal to give certainty to business, travellers, and all investors in our country from January 1. A deal with our friends and partners in the EU." European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen described the agreement as "fair" and "balanced", saying it was now "time to turn the page and look to the future". The UK "remains a trusted partner," she added. Struck four and a half years after the UK voted to leave the EU, the deal will define the future relationship for decades. European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier attending a meeting in Brussels. Photo: AFP According to the text of the deal, those issued with a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before the end of 2020 can use it before its expiry date, after which, the UK will issue a new card - called the UK Global Health Insurance Card. Similar to the EHIC - which entitles people to state-provided medical treatment if they fall ill or have an accident in any EU country, or in Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein - the new card will cover chronic or existing illnesses and routine maternity care as well as emergencies. The agreement says any specialised treatment, such as dialysis or cancer treatment, "must be subject to a prior agreement between the insured person and the unit providing the treatment" to ensure the treatment is available. Meanwhile, goods will continue to be traded free of tariffs and quotas and there will be independent arbitration to resolve future disputes. It will mean big changes for business, with the UK and EU forming two separate markets, and the end of free movement. But it will have come as a major relief to many British businesses, already reeling from the impact of coronavirus, who feared disruption at the borders and the imposition of tariffs, or taxes on imports. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer - who campaigned against Brexit - said the deal did not provide adequate protections for jobs, manufacturing, financial services or workplace rights and was "not the deal the government promised". But with no time left to renegotiate, the only choice was between "this deal or no deal," he added. Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said his party needed to see the full text, but would not support a "bad deal". Parliament will sit on 30 December to vote on the trade deal. Dr Joelle Grogan, senior lecturer in law at Middlesex University London, told BBC News: "To put this in real context, if I spend the next five days before Parliament is recalled on Wednesday spending 10 hours a day just reading that document, I will have a maximum of two minutes and 30 seconds to fully understand, analyse and comment on it." At a press conference on Thursday, Johnson said the agreement would "protect jobs across this country". He said the UK had not got all it wanted on financial services, a vital part of the UK economy, but insisted the deal was "nonetheless going to enable our dynamic City of London to get on and prosper as never before". Boris Johnson calling the president of the European Commission via video yesterday. Photo: Pippa Fowles / No10 Downing Street / Anadolu Agency via AFP The basics A Brexit deal has been agreed, days before a deadline. It means that the UK and the EU can continue to trade without extra taxes being put on goods - but all the details are not yet known. What took so long? The UK voted to leave the EU in 2016 and actually left on 31 January 2020, but leaders had until the end of 2020 to work out a trade deal. There are big changes ahead. Although it's a trade deal that has been agreed, there will also be changes to how people travel between the EU and UK, and to the way they live and work. The prime minister also acknowledged he had been forced to give ground on his demands on fishing. Fishing makes up 0.12 percent of the UK's economy but the negotiations went down to the wire over what EU boats were allowed to catch in UK waters. In future, 25 percent of EU boats' fishing rights in UK waters will be transferred to the UK fishing fleet, over a period of five-and-a-half years. Barrie Deas, the head of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations, said "significant concessions" meant there would be "a lot of disappointed and frustrated fishermen". Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said fishing got a "bad deal", adding: "Brexit is happening against Scotland's will... It's time to chart our own future as an independent, European nation." Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford said a deal was better than no deal but said it was "thin" and not what Wales was promised. The deal also means that, except for Northern Ireland, the UK will no longer participate in the Erasmus student exchange scheme. Johnson said it was being replaced with the Turing Scheme, which will include universities outside the EU. In another development following the deal announcement, the UK Mission to the EU said people with a driving licence issued in the UK would not need to use an International Drivers Licence in the EU. - BBC

By Rebecca Armitage and Lucia Stein for the ABC Christmas at Sandringham is about family and tradition. It's light-hearted moments where the Royals come together to play board games or exchange gifts and more formal ones dictated by extremely strict protocols developed over decades. Members of the UK's Royal family, including the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh leave St Mary Magdalene church in Sandringham on Christmas Day, 2017. Photo: AFP For those lucky enough to make the list, it means having up to seven outfits ready for Christmas Day alone - and that doesn't include a pair of stretchy pants for dinner. But after a year plagued by coronavirus, lockdowns and scandal, it appears Christmas will be a much more toned-down affair with everyone spending the holiday apart. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will instead spend the holiday at Windsor Castle, celebrating "quietly" at their Berkshire residence. That means we won't be seeing the usual snaps of the family strolling to St Mary Magdalene church in Sandringham for the Christmas service. Instead, the BBC reports that the Queen will skip church on Christmas Day to avoid large crowds. Her Christmas Day speech will be broadcast at 15:00 GMT. As for the other members of the Royal family, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge haven't confirmed what they'll be doing yet, telling a crowd earlier this month that "it's difficult to know what to do for the best". Prince Harry and Meghan's plans are also still in the air, although there are reports they may be spending it at their home in the United States with Meghan's mother, Doria, following others in the family in having a more scaled-back festive season. We’re thrilled to receive wonderful Christmas wishes from our Patron, The Duchess of Sussex, who also made a personal donation, helping dogs, cats and our community. From all of us at Mayhew, thank you and Merry Christmas.Find out more! https://t.co/5o2RHLveRM pic.twitter.com/uBV19F6Odt — Mayhew (@themayhew) December 23, 2020 Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, depart after the Royal Family's traditional Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham on Christmas day in 2018. Photo: Paul ELLIS / AFP Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall have confirmed they'll spend the December 25 at their estate in Gloucestershire. It is also understood that some family members will visit the Queen and Prince Phillip over the holidays, though not much is known about who will make the list and where they will visit. The Royal family usually spends Christmas at the Queen's private estate in Sandringham. And it wouldn't be a Royal event without its rules and traditions - including a process for how guests are supposed to arrive on Christmas Eve. Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall are spending Christmas in Gloucestershire without the rest of the royal clan. (file pic) Photo: AFP The idea is that the family appears in reverse order of succession - so Princess Beatrice is not allowed to get there after her cousin, Prince William. That would be considered rude. The idea is that they all meet at the estate on Christmas Eve for an afternoon tea and finish decorating their six-metre-high tree. It's typically adorned with regal-themed baubles - including mini crowns, a golden throne, a piper wearing a kilt, and mini corgis. Gifts are also exchanged the day before Christmas in a nod to the Windsor family's German heritage. They are meant to be simple or funny, rather than extravagant. Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, for instance, gave the Queen handmade chutney at her first Christmas with the Royals. "I was slightly worried about it, but I noticed the next day that it was on the table," the Duchess of Cambridge said in a documentary made in honour of the Queen's 90th birthday. "I think such a simple gesture went such a long way for me." Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, left, talks to Meghan, Duchess of Sussex as they arrive for the Royal Family's traditional Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, in 2018. Photo: AFP Outfit for every occasion Christmas with the Royals at Sandringham can require five to seven outfit changes a day, including black-tie options for the evening. The Queen's personal dresser Angela Kelly recently wrote a book about the mammoth efforts required to style a monarch. She says during the festive season, the Queen "is just as busy as she would be in London, with more guests to entertain". In the latest season of The Crown, the black tie dinner for Christmas 1990 serves as the dramatic crescendo of the series, with Diana donning a daring backless halter dress as she makes a key realisation about her place within the Royal family. But perhaps the most important and visible sartorial choice for the Royals is what they wear to St Mary Magdalene church on Christmas morning. Kelly says she always gives the Queen's guests a heads up about which colour she has decided to wear for the stroll into the church. "When it comes to the Royal Family, it doesn't matter if they wear the same colour as the Queen because they are family," she explains. "Other guests though, feel they shouldn't be in the same colour as Her Majesty, although the Queen would not mind if this did happen." The Queen makes a colour statement at Christmas, as with the outfit she wore on Christmas Day in 2012. Photo: AFP More changes ahead? The Royal family has adopted new traditions in the past. During the '60s, when the Queen's children were small, the family used to celebrate Christmas at Windsor Castle. But when the castle was being rewired in 1988, the family went to Sandringham and have continued to go there for the holiday ever since, according to the Royal family's website. The official word has been that this year will hopefully be the only time that plans change. "Like everyone they hope things will get back to normal in 2021," a palace spokesperson said. - ABC

South Korea's Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun says 1241 new coronavirus cases were reported the day before, the highest daily count recorded, with a large outbreak at a prison in Seoul. A medical staff member wearing protective gear prepares to test visitors for Covid-19 at a temporary testing station in Seoul on December 23, 2020. Photo: AFP / Jung Yeon-je South Korea had early success in quickly controlling outbreaks with aggressive testing and contact tracing but has struggled to contain the recent surge in cases. Tougher restrictions to stem new cases were taken this week including a ban on social gathering of more than five people, and ski resorts and tourist spots have been shut in a bid to stop the spread during the Christmas and New Year holidays. "The daily record of confirmed cases was renewed yesterday at 1241 cases," Chung said at a coronavirus response meeting, adding despite a large majority of the public heeding the government warning, many still flout social distancing rules. The new cases reported include an outbreak in Seoul, Chung said but he did not specify the number of cases there. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency later said the national tally of confirmed cases grew to 54,770 and there were 17 additional deaths bringing the total to 773. Testing has been ramped up to track cases from unknown origin and infected people who are not displaying symptoms. Chung said the daily testing in Seoul and outlying regions have surpassed 110,000. -Reuters