tonight at 10pm... a vaccine developed by scientists at oxford is set to transform the battle against coronavirus around the world. the breakthrough, in collaboration with the pharma giant astrazeneca, will mean a vaccine that's relatively cheap and easy to deliver. i can definitely see a future beyond the pandemic. i think that we will be able to roll out vaccines in the first half of next year and have a big impact here in the uk. following a large—scale trial, the vaccine could be up to 90% effective — ministers say there's some way to go but the news is exciting. this is not a pandemic without end. we can take great heart from today's news, which has the makings of a wonderful british scientific achievement. we'll have the latest

on the oxford vaccine, as ministers warn that more english regions will find themselves in the highest tier of restrictions from next week. we'll be reporting from leicester, which has been under restrictions for longer than any other city in the uk. limited numbers of spectators will be allowed back in to sports grounds in england, but not in the highest tier, tier 3. and we meet the young finnish prime minister, whose first year in office has been marked by praise for her handling of the pandemic. and coming up in sport on bbc news... burnley get their first win of the premier league season, beating crystal palace at turf moor to move out of the relegation zone. good evening. a vaccine developed by scientists at the university of oxford is set to transform the battle against coronavirus across the globe.

in trials, the vaccine proved highly effective at stopping people developing symptoms of covid—19. the results suggest 70% protection — but, by adjusting the dose, the protection could rise to as high as 90%. and, while other vaccines have reported higher protection, the great advantage of the oxford one is that it's cheaper, it's far easier to store, and thus easier to deliver around the world. during the day, the prime minister described the results as "incredibly exciting", but urged caution in the meantime, as he outlines the restrictions for england after the current lockdown ends on 2nd december. more on that in a moment. first, our medical editor, fergus walsh, reports on the oxford vaccine. for the first time since this wretched virus took hold we can see a route out of the pandemic. we are just delighted here at oxford. huge, huge congratulations to you all and your teams. it's the third goal in the back of the net now. oxford has created a vaccine not

just for britain but for the world. the scientists involved say it brings us closer to a return to normal life. i can definitely see a future beyond the pandemic. i think that we will be able to roll out vaccines in the first half of next year and have a big impact here in the uk. but, for humanity, we have to be able to distribute all around the world, and that's going to take a bit longer. in less than a year, scientists here have created a brand—new vaccine and run large—scale trials. now, at last, they know it works. there were more than 20,000 volunteers on the trial in the uk and brazil. overall, two doses of the vaccine were around 70% effective in preventing covid—19. but, among volunteers who got a half dose followed by a full one, effectiveness rose to 90%. importantly, there were no cases of serious covid disease among those who got the vaccine.

the uk has pre—ordered enough doses to immunise 50 million people in the uk. the elderly in care homes would be first in line, then the over—80s and front—line health workers. along with pfizer and moderna, it means there are now three covid vaccines which could be approved next month. like the pfizer and moderna vaccines, the key to the oxford jab is the spike protein which sits on the surface of coronavirus. scientists have taken the gene for this protein and put it into a virus that causes the common cold in chimpanzees. the virus has been modified and disabled so it can't cause disease in humans. once in the body, the vaccine instructs cells to make the coronavirus spike protein. this prompts the immune system to create y—shaped antibodies. in event of future exposure, these should latch onto coronavirus

and prevent infection. and it stimulates t cells, another part of the immune system. these should destroy cells that have become infected. this is a really important day for scientists here in oxford and for the fight against coronavirus. the data is still being analysed but their vaccine appears to prevent serious illness with covid and most infections. now, that could have a major impact on the pandemic here in the uk and worldwide. although the vaccine was created in record time, oxford says no shortcuts have been taken with safety, and side effects have been mostly mild. edward was one of the very first volunteers. it's pretty amazing how fast everything is, but really how careful and considered everything has been done. everything is there — we can trust it, so it's really exciting to see the results.

astrazeneca, oxford's commercial partner, has pledged never to make a profit from the vaccine in poorer countries, and theirjab is far cheaper, easier to store and transport around the world than others. the supply chain in place for next year would give a capacity of up to 3 billion doses, which would include notjust the developed world but many regions of the developing world as well. because this vaccine is just refrigerated it makes it much easier to distribute and administer. but don't underestimate the hurdles ahead. immunising the uk, let alone the world, will be a huge undertaking. drive—through centres like this one in greater manchester, currently providing flu jabs, are likely to be used for covid vaccines. and, even if a million adults a week are immunised, it will be months before these vials help clear a path through the pandemic.

fergus is back from oxford and with me now. this is the third vaccine we have been discussing. lots of excitement understandably about this one. question for lots of people at home is when, when will we see the vaccine, when will people be treated with it? astonishingly, we now have three vaccines that can prevent serious covid infection. it's going to ta ke serious covid infection. it's going to take a week or two for astrazeneca to get their paperwork together and submit it to regulators. pfizer has done that. we might see the first vaccines being approved early in december and we might see some immunisation before the end of the year, but the vast majority will be done in 2021 stop the prime minister says he would like the vast majority of vulnerable people to have been immunised by easter in early april. well, there are 12 million over 65 is. add to that all the front line health care workers. the younger you are, the longer you will have to wait. if you

are under50, longer you will have to wait. if you are under 50, you might have to wait until the summer, but we need adults to ta ke until the summer, but we need adults to take up the offer of vaccination. it's not going to be compulsory. we need may be 60 or 70% of adults to be immunised to of the virus. we don't know how long protection will last. at some point we might need booster doses. we shouldn't expect the vaccine to change our lives this winter but, thanks to science, the path out of this pandemic is looking ever clearer. fergus, thank you very much. the lockdown in england will end next week, and then there'll be a return to the three regional tiers of restrictions. the details will come on thursday, but there's already a warning that more areas will find themselves in the highest tier. the prime minister said that, in all areas of england, the rule of six returns. up to six people will be able to meet outdoors, and all shops, gyms, swimming pools and hairdressers will be able to reopen.

in tiers i and 2, pubs and restaurants will have to shut by iipm. but in tier 3, all hospitality will remain closed, except for delivery and takeaway. our political editor, laura kuenssberg, has more. what will we wake up to next wednesday? in england, at least, how we have to live with the virus will change again. after four weeks of closed doors, tight limits on our lives will loosen once more. but, just as the prime minister is still stuck inside, some restrictions will stay. speaker: prime minister boris johnson... as he explained to the commons from inside number ten. the national restrictions in england will end on the 2nd of december, and they will not be renewed. without sensible precautions, we would risk the virus escalating into a winter or new year surge. the incidence of the disease is, alas, still

widespread in many areas. so we're not going to replace national measures with a free—for—all. uniform instructions that closed pubs and so many firms will disappear, replaced by a stricter tier system. where the disease is at its most dangerous, the rules will be drawn tighter. but the map of who and where is not yet final. this will be still a hard winter. christmas cannot be normal and there's a long road to spring. but we have turned a corner and the escape route is in sight. labour's consistently backed the government's big decisions on coronavirus, but will they this time around? too early to say. the prime minister proposes a return to the three—tier system. that's risky, because the previous three—tier system didn't work. tieri areas drifted to tier 2, almost all tier 2 areas ended up in tier 3, and those in tier 3

couldn't see a way out, and we ended up in national lockdown. the tier system hasn't always been easy to explain. speaker: i think we're just going to have to stop for a moment so we can have it checked. and borisjohnson was struggling to make it heard when his it misfired this afternoon. it's not our end, prime minister. it could well be yours. i wonder if mr hancock would like to take over with the answer. laughter. and this is far from sudden freedom. the disease is still very much here. swale in kent is now the second worst hit area in the country, and businesses aren't sure how people will react. i think a lot of people will be a bit more cautious and it might just stop a few people going places and doing things like that usually would, or being a little bit more careful. eloise grove, who had the virus, is calling for caution. having recovered from it, it knocks you off your feet. i don't want a longer lockdown but i think we're going to have to have a longer lockdown. i think we're going to have to be a little bit stricter.

it's not yet clear how much of england will be under close controls. wales has recently lifted another lockdown. northern ireland is about to tighten its rules, and scotland is under five different categories. so it's no surprise, while all four nations are trying to work out a common plan for christmas, it's not straightforward. i'm afraid the virus won't take christmas off. so we are trying as hard as we can to reach a sensible balance. so it is possible, likely in fact, that some households may be able to form slightly larger bubbles with each other for a short period over christmas. that caution echoed tonight even by the consummate optimist, the prime minister, talking to the country. it is not the moment to let the virus rip for the sake of christmas parties. tis the season to be jolly, but tis also the season to be jolly careful, especially with elderly relatives. yet the virus, the pandemic,

has already taken so much. change, if not a certain end, is now in sight. and a trio of three important things to hold in your heads tonight. first, we do not know exactly what the map of this new tier system will look like. the question on many people's minds will, of course, be, how are the rules going to affect me? it's not thursday that the westminster government will say which parts of england are going to be in which category. we are going to have to be patient until we know that, and i think that will also shape the extent of the political pushback to this new system that there may or may not be, both tory mps and the main opposition have been a bit qualified in some of the support they may or may not give to this new system. second, if you are watching in scotland, you know there are five tiers, not three. in northern ireland, they are about to

tighten restrictions again. in wales, it's not long since they exited their short, sharp lockdown. there is still a real patchwork across the four different countries of the uk, and that is why lastly i am afraid we can't say to people tonight exactly what things are going to look like when it comes to those holidays at christmas that so many people want to be able to look forward to. the four different administrations have been talking intensively about this today. they are trying to figure out a way forward , are trying to figure out a way forward, and i think it's pretty clear that some deal of some sort will be done, but there are lots of considerations about transport, lots of considerations about how many households should be allowed to get together. it's possible but not definite that there will be a final blueprint for that tomorrow. apart from anything else, whatever decisions the politicians actually make, all of the progress of this, whatever happens in the next few weeks and months is still dependent on that one huge factor, how we all

respond to rules and regulations, as they change around us in the time to come. the latest government figures show there were 15,450 new coronavirus infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period. the average number of new cases reported per day in the last week is now 19,545. just over 1,665 people have been admitted to hospital on average each day over the week to last thursday. 206 deaths were reported — that's people who died within 28 days of a positive covid—19 test. the figure is usually lower after the weekend. it means, on average, in the past week, 4111 deaths were announced every day. it takes the official number of total deaths so far across the uk to 55,230. since the first lockdown

was announced back in march, the city of leicester has been living continuously under some kind of restrictions — longer than any other city in the uk. and yet infection rates there have risen significantly in the past few weeks. now there are fears the region may be placed in the strictest tier, tier 3, on thursday. our correspondent, sian lloyd, looks at why leicester has been hit so hard, and how it's affected people there. now in its third lockdown, will leicester face the most severe restrictions again? people living here and across the wider county have been warned that, with cases rising sharply, it is looking likely. julie clapham lost weeks of trade when leicester went into local lockdown injune. today, she was excited to hear that the business she has run for 35 years will be able to reopen, but she says uncertainty has taken its toll. the mental anguish of being a shopkeeper of a small family business in this town has been

unbelievable this year. i talk to people on this street every day that don't know how they are going to pay their rent. remember, this is leicester's third lockdown. it might be a national second lockdown, but have we ever come out of lockdown in leicester? local public health officials are concerned that transmission rates are still being pushed up due to households mixing. they have implored people to stick to the rules. but there is acknowledgement, too, of so—called lockdown fatigue. it doesn't seem like anyone is listening. and itjust seems to get worse. that's society for you. perhaps people are not taking it as seriously as they should do, maybe. that is understandable because we have spent so much time in lockdown and we need to enjoy life and do things we normally do. when i had covid i felt completely, totally wiped out. normally, i've got a lot of energy. 20—year—old chloe has just got over covid. she is trying to establish a career in the hospitality sector,

having been made redundant once, she had hoped to start a newjob in a hotel. i've been in the waiting game for a very long time now, to be honest. obviously it is nerve—racking because you don't know what's going to happen. and what's not. but i hope we are not in the highest tier. pubs across england face an anxious wait. landlords like ray cooper know there will be more restrictions on their trade and are desperate to know where they stand. if we are in tier 2, we've got a chance. and we can fight and get through it. if we go into tier 3, it's going to be the nail in the coffin and it's going to end a lot of our local pubs. i don't think a lot of the pubs will not come back from this. tonight, the lights may be twinkling, but for many here, any festive cheer will depend on where people find themselves on thursday. sian lloyd, bbc news, leicester. shops will reopen in england

after the 2nd december — but, for areas in tier 3, hospitality will remain closed, with the exception of takeaway, drive—through or delivery. for many businesses, the run—up to christmas is crucial. our business editor, simonjack, is with me. he spoke to a range of business people today, what are they saying? for some sectors massive relief in the retail sector, those that had to close during lockdown thought it was essential for them to open in december to try to sell some stock they had bought in. so not a bumper christmas but it is back on. but a very bleak outlook in the hospitality industry, the prime minister said to date many english regions would go into a higher tier than the one they entered from. so in tier3 than the one they entered from. so in tier 3 basically closed apart

from takeaways and in tier 2 you can only sell drinks with food. the british pub association said it would destroy the sector, so that is despair and some anger because they feel the evidence that they're part of the problem of spreading the virus is pretty flimsy and there are literally begging the government to reconsider what tier 2 in particular it would look like. thank you. ministers at stormont have agreed to give every household in northern ireland prepaid cards to use at high street businesses. the full details are yet to be announced, but it's thought every household will get £200. it's part of a package of business support measures announced today to help those hit by tightened restrictions. daily testing could be used to reduce the amount of time people have to self—isolate after being in close contact with someone who has coronavirus. at the moment, people have to isolate for two weeks. now there are also plans to introduce widespread testing in the community

across all areas that are in tier 3 in england, following trials in liverpool, as our health editor, hugh pym, explains. mass testing in liverpool. a trial run for a policy which will now be rolled out much more widely in england. offered to all residents, administered partly by military staff, it has picked up some people who didn't have symptoms. the city's leaders say along with local restrictions, it has helped get on top of the virus. it is not a panacea on its own, but together with the other measures, you know, the social distancing measures and the other things in place, it can help reduce the spread of the virus. the infection rate has been cut by two thirds but there has been a big variation in take—up of testing, with a lower response in more deprived areas. the rapid testing kits used in some areas like liverpool are now being sent out to many other communities.

they will also be used in a new plan to transform the way self isolation is administered. if you have been in contact with someone who has the virus, you currently need to self—isolate for 1h days. under the pilot scheme, you would be tested every day for seven days. you should get the results within 30 minutes and if negative, you can go about your normal daily routine. if positive, you will have to self—isolate. rapid virus testing is to be used at care homes. today caroline had a temperature test as a precaution. but she could only see her mother—in—law, wendy, through the window. there is now a plan for testing at all care homes in england by early next year to allow proper visits. one owner welcomed the idea but said it would be hard to administer. it cannot come soon enough, really because it has been heartbreaking for people who have not been able to see their loved ones since march. we want this to happen quickly, in the right way, and safe. we've got to do it. it's just the speed that worries me and the expectations

the government has given. we will cooperate but i don't want it to be put the blame on care homes if it doesn't quite work properly. but some academics argue that the rapid testing technology is not as accurate as the established system so would be unreliable if used as a model for mass testing in every community. i have not seen evidence that that would do more good than harm. that is my great worry. and i think we should do a lot more research before rolling this out on a huge scale at huge expense. government advisers say these kits with rapid results are accurate and could play a major role in suppressing the virus, but it is a highly ambitious plan and a step into the unknown. hugh pym, bbc news. the news that spectators will be allowed to return to some sporting events in england, in limited numbers, in tiers 1 and 2, will be welcomed by clubs and organisations which have struggled over the past eight months. up to 4,000 spectators will be allowed to some events

when the current lockdown in england ends on 2nd december. restrictions on grass—roots sports and gyms are also being relaxed, as our sports editor, dan roan, explains. commentator: he scores! jamie vardy has got his second! eight months have passed since this, the last premier league match fans were present at, but today finally came the news sport had been desperately hoping for — crowds will be allowed back into the grounds and venues in lower—risk areas from next week. under the new system, 4,000 people can attend outdoor events in tier1 areas, or 50% of capacity, depending which is smaller. in tier 2 the number will be capped at 2,000, but spectators will continue to be banned in the highest risk tier 3 areas. this could be a lifeline, particularly for those clubs in league 1 and league 2 and national league, for which 4,000 fans is a significant amount. of course, we don't yet know which geographical area the clubs will fall in, and it probably won't make a great deal of difference to the big clubs.

for months now, sports have insisted the return of fans can be achieved safely, and indoor events such as last week's atp finals tennis in london will now be able to have up to 1,000 spectators if they are in lower—risk areas. with fans not allowed inside grounds and venues like this since march, today's news will come as a major boost to sports that depend on gate receipts, and a first step back, perhaps, towards the return of the passion and the atmosphere that clubs up and down the country have missed so much. there was further good news today for grassroots sport with organised outdoor activities able to resume from next week in all tiers. former international robbie savage who coaches a junior football team and campaigned for a return of children's sport told me just how much the decision meant. well, you can see i have a big smile on my face. it means so much to the youngsters all around the country, it was imperative that it was brought back for the physical and mental well—being.

the pressures on children in modern day society is massive anyway, so they need a release, and that release coming now is going to be welcomed. there was welcome news for cash—strapped indoor sports too with facilities like pools able to reopen next week in all tiers and former olympic gold medalist rebecca adlington, who now spends time coaching the next generation of swimmers, believes the move is essential. for many, many people swimming is the only form of exercise that they can do, especially for the kind of elderly or rehab, or any sort of injury. so i'd be really concerned that the obesity rate in more inactive adults will rise as well, so we really need to tackle these issues so we don't overwhelm the nhs from that side of things as well. there are still frustrations. while gyms can also reopen, group activities such as exercise classes will be restricted in tier 3. today is an important milestone, but for sport lots of hard work still lies ahead. dan roan, bbc news. overall levels of carbon

dioxide in the atmosphere have continued to rise, despite coronavirus lockdowns. emissions of co2 which cause global warming fell sharply in the first half of the year, as governments around the world shut down their economies because of the pandemic. but, in its annual assessment, the world meteorological organisation described the impact as a "blip". it's nearly a year since the voters of finland elected a 34—year—old, sanna marin, as prime minister, and her government has largely been praised for its handling of the pandemic. finland is among the countries coping best with coronavirus, recording lower rates of infection and deaths than many other european countries. our correspondent, megha mohan, spoke to the finnish prime minister as part of the bbc‘s 100 women season — which launches tomorrow. these were the images that went viral around the world in december last year. finland's new centre—left female led coalition government, with four leaders in their 30s.

within months, they faced a pandemic. like new zealand, taiwan and germany, finland has been praised for its quick, decisive response to coronavirus. well, of course there are countries led by men that have also done well. so i don't think it's a gender—based issue. i think we should more focus on how the countries that have done well, what they have done. what they have learned. and that we also have a response together because it is a global pandemic. the finnish government enacted the emergency powers act, last used in world war ii, which allowed them to restrict movements and gave them control over people's salaries. which they didn't take, in the end. nice to meet you. shall we walk up together? finland's prime minister, 35—year—old sanna marin, raised by a single mother, was the first in her family to go to university. do you prep yourself up before doing these questions?

they ask, and i will answer honestly. yeah. so you don't need any preparation. but with only one black female mp, critics say her government may not be as representative as it looks. it's something coalition leader maria ohisalo agrees with. i think the representation with five white, educated females, it's not very representative. in the end, if we really look at the equality it doesn't show yet. the covid crisis has been very tough on many people. the most important thing is that we are trying to make decisions in a way that helps ordinary people in their ordinary lives. in crisis and also in normal times. ambitious decisions made all the more challenging by the pandemic. megha mohan, bbc news.

at oxford university that's been shown to be highly effective in preventing symptoms of covid—19. as we heard earlier, there are questions about the speed at which scientists been able to produce a vaccine, and further questions about the timetable for vaccinating millions of people. here's our health correspondent, catherine burns. there's no such thing as a vaccine that is 100% effective for every single person. researchers trying to find a vaccine for coronavirus were set a target, to make it at least 50% effective. this oxford vaccine averages out at about 70%, so it has done that, and then some. so how does it stack up against other vaccines? there is a range. flu tends to be about 40—60% effective. at the other end of the scale, chickenpox is about 98% effective for children. the important thing to remember is that this vaccine has been shown to be highly effective. some people are asking, "how can scientists be