The King has used his second Christmas message to praise people’s “growing awareness of how we must protect our Earth”.
The monarchdescribed the natural world as a “manifestation of the divine” and said that caring for it is a “responsibility owned by people of all faiths and none”.
“We care for the Earth for the sake of our children’s children,” he said.
Alongside a clip of him being shown the work of Baus Taka Enterprise in Mombasa, Kenya, he said: “During my lifetime I’ve been so pleased to see a growing awareness of how we must protect the Earth and our natural world as the one home which we all share.
“I find great inspiration now from the way so many people recognise this.”
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King praises ‘growing’ green awareness
That message is also reflected in the Christmas story, he added, “which tells us that angels brought the message of hope first to shepherds”.
He described them as “people who lived simply along God’s creatures” and “those close to nature”.
He also referenced the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine as a “time of increasingly tragic conflict around the world” and said he “prays that we can also do all in our power to protect each other”.
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“The words of Jesus seem more than ever relevant: do to others as you would have them to you,” he said.
Reflections on coronation and caring for others
Reflecting on his coronation in May, he said he and Queen Camilla were “delighted” by the presence of hundreds of NHS, social care and other key workers at Westminster Abbey, describing them as an “essential backbone of our society”.
On the theme of caring for others, clips of him, Camilla, Prince William, the Princess of Wales, and their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte were played taking part in various community projects, including one organised by the Scouts and the Coronation Food Project.
“Throughout the year, my family have witnessed how people of all ages are making a difference to their communities,” the King said.
There were brief references to his mother, the late Queen, and “those who are no longer with us”, as well as the cost of living crisis – which he called a “time of real hardship to many”.
The message was filmed at Buckingham Palace, without his mother’s signature framed photographs of family members in the background – and a Christmas tree instead.
It ended with a performance by the Bexley Music Primary Choir from south London.
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Royals greet crowds at Sandringham
The King and his family are spending Christmas at the royal estate in Sandringham, Norfolk.
“Losing Gary, my soul mate, was beyond painful,” says Kathryn Croucher, whose husband died aged 42 in 2010.
“Every day was a struggle dealing with the knowledge he was HIV and Hepatitis C positive.”
“Mum always said she was given a death sentence,” recalls Ronan Fitzgerald. His mother, Jane, died aged 54 after being infected with Hepatitis C when she was 16. “It was a ticking time bomb.”
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The faces of the infected blood scandal.
More than 30,000 Britons were infected with HIV and Hepatitis C after being given contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s.
Around 3,000 people have died as a result of the scandal, while many more still live under the shadow of health problems, debilitating treatments and stigma. Now, the findings of a public inquiry, first announced in 2017, will finally be published.
These are 100 faces of infected blood victims that either they, or their families, have shared with Sky News.
Click the images to read their stories.
Sky News will have full coverage of the infected blood report on TV, online and on the Sky News app today.
Sky News would like to thank everyone who contributed to this project.
Julian Assange will be allowed to appeal against his extradition to the United States.
Two judges responded today to US assurances that Mr Assange will not face the death penalty – and can rely on the First Amendment right to free speech if he faced a trial for spying.
The WikiLeaks founder faces prosecution in the US over an alleged conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information after the publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
Edward Fitzgerald KC, representing Assange, criticised the assurances of Joe Biden’s US administration at the hearing. He said: “Based on the principle of the separation of powers, the US court can and will apply US law, whatever the executive may say or do.”
He added most of the promises were “blatantly inadequate” – but they had accepted the promise about the death penalty.
In written submissions, the barrister said while the assurance over the death penalty was “an unambiguous executive promise”, the other assurance does not give “any reliable promise as to future action”.
The barrister added: “What needs to be conclusively removed is the risk that he will be prevented from relying on the first amendment on grounds of nationality.”
But James Lewis KC, representing the US government, insisted the “judicial branch of the United States will take due notice of this solemn assurance given by its government in the course of international relations”.
In written submissions, he said there is “no question” that Assange, if extradited, “will be entitled to the full panoply of due process trial rights, including the right to raise, and seek to rely upon, the first amendment as a defence”.
He later told the court: “The assurance does make it clear that he will not be discriminated against because of his nationality.
“He can and will be able to raise all those arguments and his nationality will not prejudice a fair trial.”
Today’s decision is the latest chapter in 13 years of legal battles and detentions for Australian-born Mr Assange.
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The US authorities want to put Mr Assange on trial over 18 charges, nearly all under the Espionage Act.
They claim his actions with WikiLeaks were reckless, damaged national security, and endangered the lives of agents.
During a two-day hearing in February, lawyers for Mr Assange asked for permission to challenge a judge’s dismissal of the majority of his case to prevent his extradition.
In March, Dame Victoria Sharp and Mr Justice Johnson dismissed most of Mr Assange’s legal arguments – but said unless assurances were given by the US, he would be able to bring an appeal on three grounds.
These assurances are that Assange would be protected by and allowed to rely on the First Amendment – which protects freedom of speech in the US – that he is not “prejudiced at trial” due to his nationality, and that the death penalty is not imposed.
Supporters of Mr Assange have already been gathering outside the High Court to continue their calls for his release.
Mr Assange is currently being held in London’s high security Belmarsh prison.
Detective Inspector Lesley-Ann McGee said: “It was a warm, sunny day and there were lots of people out enjoying the weather in Saracen.
“I am asking them to get in touch with us with any information that could assist us in establishing the motive for this attack. If you saw, heard or know anything please contact us.
“I’m also asking people with dashcam or doorbell recording equipment to check for any footage that could assist our investigation.
“A family is mourning the loss of a loved one and it’s imperative we are able to answer how their loved one died.”