this is bbc news — welcome if you're watching here in the uk or around the globe. i'm james reynolds. our top stories: clashes between police and protesters in paris during demonstrations against proposed security law. turkey condemns the assassination of iran's top nuclear scientist and calls for his killers to be held accountable. the head of ethiopia's military says the army has entered the regional capital of tigray. and jumping for joy — with a young woman who's become the first professional transgender footballer in argentina's top division.

french riot police have clashed with protesters in paris after a day of demonstrations across the country. tens of thousands of people joined marches to protest against a new law, restricting the right to publish images of police. it comes after a video emerged of three officers beating a black music producer in his studio. our correspondent, lucy williamson, reports from paris. police are always a target at protests like this. today, they were the reason for them. the edges of a peaceful march through paris frayed by clashes between hardline groups and the police. water cannon and tear gas following the path of the unrest. among the buildings set on fire, one belonging to the bank of france, an anarchist sign scrawled on the wall outside. tensions have risen quickly here, thanks to a small group of agitators. most of this march has been

peaceful, but this new law banning the malicious dissemination of police identities has touched a raw nerve in france. translation: they have created a bill that would forbid us from filming, while we are filming unbelievable things. so, here i am in the street for my freedom, as you can see written on my mask. translation: obviously, the ban on recording audio and video of the police and not to be able to film what happens, that's obviously an attack on press freedom, simply put. a video of music producer michel zecler being beaten in his studio by police has sparked a furious reaction in france. recorded by a security camera and published on social media this week, many are asking whether it would ever have come to light under the new law. four police officers are now being investigated. last night on social media, president macron said the attack on michel zecler was unacceptable. "these images make us ashamed" he said. mobile phone cameras trained on police lines today reflected the placards calling on people

to film them as part of the protest. the last time so many people gathered for a protest here, it was to defend the right to publish blasphemous cartoons. after months of lockdown and curfew because of coronavirus, france has shown this year that it will tolerate restrictions on many things, just not on freedom of speech. lucy williamson, bbc news, paris. hospitalisations due to coronavirus have hit a new record high in the united states. according to the covid tracking project, there are now more than 91,000 people in hospital beds, and that number has been rising almost every day since late october. 0ur north america correspondent david willis joins me now from los angeles. david, there is a number you told me to memorise, 2750 24.

can you explain the significance of that number? you got it, james. that is the record so far for you got it, james. that is the record so farfor daily you got it, james. that is the record so far for daily debts. it occurred on the 15th of april this year, wednesday the 15th of april, a dark day for deaths. —— for daily debts. we're getting close to that number, such the surge here. 2300 on average over the last few days, 100,000 infections every single day and the fear is that that figure, 2300, could double within the next ten days so we would be seeing about 4000 deaths a day here. i also mentioned that 50 americans on average are dying because of the coronavirus now every single hour. hence the concern that this could simply overwhelm healthcare facilities here, james. what has

thanksgiving weekend been like where you are? it has been remarkably dark, dire and lonely for some people, those who have heeded the advice of the medical experts not to mix with family or certainly with other groups. they are expecting tomorrow, sunday, to be the busiest travelling day here because simply a lot of people simply ignored the advice and took to the airways or took to the roadways and —— airwaves. —— airwaves. the fear is that people would have mingled with other people this weekend, perhaps people who have the coronavirus, and that eventin have the coronavirus, and that event in itself will prove something of it —— something of a super spreader event. the vaccine is coming, does the fa ct vaccine is coming, does the fact that it may be in sight make it easier or harder for the americans to get through the americans to get through the next few months? do you know what, i think there are people here who think the

vaccine really couldn't come soon enough. i was mentioning there that there is a very real concern that kings will get worse before they get better. they are talking about approving, potentially approving, potentially approving a vaccine here on the 14th of december which is a couple of weeks from now. the hope is that the rollout could be fairly swift but it is looking as though it would take until spring next year, around may time at least, before about 7596 may time at least, before about 75% of americans have access to a vaccine. david willis, thank you so much. turkey has condemned the assassination of iran's top nuclear scientist. iran's president hasan rouhani has blamed israel for the killing of mohsen fakhrizadeh who was shot dead when gunmen ambushed his car on friday. here's our diplomatic correspondent paul adams. angry protests once more on the streets of the iranian capital, people here in no doubt about who was behind friday's killing. the father of iran's nuclear programme is now being treated like a martyr, his

assassination the subject of headlines and debate. attacks like this have happened before. ten years ago, israel carried out a campaign which killed four other nuclear scientists. but the death of mohsen fakhrizadeh poses a dilemma for iran's leadership — retaliate or bide their time? the supreme leader ali khamenei said the perpetrators, and those who commanded them, will be pursued and punished. but iran knows the next american president wants dialogue, not confrontation — hence a more cautious response from the country's pragmatic president. translation: this savage act shows that our enemies feel that global conditions are changing, and it's important for them to make the most of the remaining few weeks that they have to create uncertain conditions in the region. but our brave nation is smarter than to fall into the trap of zionists. but pressure is mounting. iran has yet to retaliate for the death of qasem soleimani,

killed by a us drone strike in january. iran's recent progress in its nuclear programme may have triggered this attack — a stark warning to iran's entire nuclear establishment. but it's also likely to make joe biden's difficultjob — coaxing iran back into negotiations — that much harder. paul adams, bbc news. the ethiopian prime minister, abiy ahmed, and the army chief of staff have issued statements claiming that federal government troops are now in total control of mekelle, the capital of tigray province. there's been no independent confirmation of the claim with regional communications cut off. tigrayan leader has indicated his forces would fight on. mark lobel reports. a big military win trumpeted on ethiopian state tv. there's praise for the heroic national defence force on capturing tigray‘s capital in what is described as its peoples' liberation. but is it that simple?

translation: our forces have freed more than 7000 members of our northern command and taken back control of our base. we have recovered tanks, armoured vehicles and heavy weapons that were looted. we are hunting anti—peace elements hidden in holes. but we only have one side's word for what is going on in the region, as tigray‘s phone lines and internet links are down. even if the capital mekelle has been taken, it is unclear how its adversaries the tplf — veterans of guerrilla warfare — will respond. it's possible that the tigrayan people's liberation movement has simply moved its forces into the mountains, into the rural area, and this could go on for some time, depending on the support that the tplf has from the tigrayan people. indeed, it's their support

either way that could be vital in determining what happens next — that's after enduring over three weeks of fighting around them. the capital has reportedly been shelled, so many of its 500,000 people are almost certainly living elsewhere. but tigray‘s six million population, including one tenth of whom who rely on humanitarian assistance, there are reports food, fuel, cash and medical supplies have run very low. many of them will also have been displaced, including over 40,000 people who have fled into neighbouring sudan. in sudan's umm rakouba camp, with very little clear information from across the border, many have an uncomfortable wait with our lives on hold. they are afraid of intercommunal violence. this is why i think that going forward, it will be important for the government

of ethiopia to establish peace, to have a silence of the guns, but also to ensure that there are no retaliation or reprisals between communities, because this is what many have mentioned to me as a primary source of fear. there is concern, too, at the nobel peace prize—winning european prime minister abiy ahmed's refusal to engage in mediators, including envoys sent by the african union. since the ethiopian government's refused to even allow them to travel to the tigray region, the ethiopian government has basically rejected any calls for international mediation and also domestic mediation, but the only way i think this could be resolved is through political dialogue. analysts now believe this conflict seems more likely to remain within ethiopian's borders, albeit with no clear end in sight. mark lobel, bbc news. the uk and france have agreed to double the number of officers patrolling french beaches, in a bid to stop migrants crossing to england. the british home secretary,

priti patel, and her french counterpart, gerald darmanin, said they wanted to make the route across the english channel unviable. the uk government has been under pressure to close off the route after 8,000 people used it this year. simonjones reports. destination dover. despite commitments by both britain and france to stop these dangerous crossings, the attempts have continued. now, britain will give france £28 million — some to pay for extra french officers to patrol the beaches and their equipment. the home office won't say how many patrols there will be, but it is being described as a major uplift. people are putting their lives at risk and sadly, we have seen fatalities this year in the channel and we have to stop that. here at the home office, this new agreement is being described as significant. but there have been a number of deals over the past couple of years with britain and france pledging on each occasion to work more closely than ever before, but the number of people arriving has continued

to go up. so far this month, around 700 migrants have reached the uk in small boats, which brings the total for this year to more than 8,000 people — that's more than four times the figure for last year — but officials insist a greater proportion are now being thwarted. groups supporting refugees say the uk needs to provide a safe and legal way for asylum claims to be made from abroad. we must learn that shutting the door in people's faces doesn't make this issue go away. and it's about time the home secretary took a fresh approach to this situation, which accepted that you are not going to stop people from making this crossing. and the un refugee agency says in the context of european migration, the numbers reaching the uk are manageable. simon jones, bbc news. you are watching bbc news, our main headline: clashes between police and protesters in paris during demonstrations against a proposed security law. turkey condemns the

assassination of iran's top nuclear scientist and calls for his killers to be held accountable. once the national lockdown here in england comes to an end on december 2, the country will be put into tiers. which tier you're in depends on the total number of cases — the number of cases in people over 60 and pressure on local healthcare services. some ministers are unhappy with the way the tiers have been allocated. with more, here's our political correspondent, iain watson. teignbridge has one of the lowest infection rates in the country, but from next week it will be in tier two, not tier one, because the same restrictions are imposed across the whole of devon. it's a similar story in other counties, where some areas with a lower level of the virus can still face tough rules. the government's advisers say a county—wide original approach is more effective than more local restrictions. but you can't keep politics out of a pandemic, and there is pressure from some of the government's own mps for a rethink.

the big question we have to ask ourselves, we had tier version one a couple of months ago, we've just lived through lockdown version two, and yet we now have vastly more people being moved up a phase despite being told this is the last push, this is the new panacea. in the times today, the cabinet office minister, michael gove, warned wavering mps not to rebel on tuesday when parliament votes on the restrictions. he said the tougher tiers were "grimly, inevitably necessary, " and without tougher action the "nhs would be broken." fears that the nhs could be overwhelmed might restrict the size of the conservative rebellion next week. but hope can also be a powerful weapon — so ministers have been hinting that some areas might get an early christmas present, and move out of tier three when the restrictions are reviewed in mid—december. but this isn't guaranteed, because i'm told that government scientists are extremely sceptical about whether this could or should happen. and the government is keen to show mps it is getting on top of the virus.

today the business minister, nadhim zahawi, was transformed into ministerfor vaccines, focusing on rolling out the inoculations once they're approved. i don't want to make any promises at this stage. i've got to make sure the whole system is working properly, and that is what your viewers want, what the nation would expect, from any minister, to make sure that everything is in place, that the vaccine safety procedures have been through, that we make sure that has all been done correctly, the mhra have to do that work, and then we can begin deployment. mass testing, seen as a means of exiting tier three, is being extended to redcar and cleveland, and teesside. if all this doesn't keep the rebellion down on tuesday, the government might need labour votes, but these will come at a price. there is no extra support for businesses in tier three and the hospitality industry has been hard hit at christmas. so we've got real concerns there. but also, we want to know how different parts of the country can come out of their tiers. borisjohnson says he wants

to squeeze the disease, but first he'll have to squeeze the rebellion in his own ranks. iain watson, bbc news, westminster. voters in switzerland will decide later on whether or not to make businesses financially and legally liable for human rights violations or environmental damage. if the swiss vote in favour in the referendum, the country could impose some of the world's strictest corporate responsibility rules. recent polls indicate that a slim majority supports the initiative to amend the swiss constitution, which was launched by an alliance of 130 non—governmental organisations. the archbishop of washington dc has been made the first african—american cardinal in the catholic church. wilton gregory was confirmed by the pope at a ceremony in the vatican. the archbishop is known for being outspoken on many issues, including sex abuse scandals. christopher white, national correspondent for the national catholic reporter, explained why it's a significant appointment.

wilton gregory was tapped in 2019 to come to washington, dc, at a time when it was really ground zero for the sex abuse crisis, you know, that year there had just been two archbishops of washington that had been implicated in a cover—up and the abuse itself, and he came in with a mandate for healing, he has been a long—time leader for catholic bishops, he was president of the bishops conference in 2002, during the first wave of the abuse crisis. and in the final act of his life he's once more tasked with cleaning up house. let's look at this latest set of cardinals more generally. the pope once said to the clergy that he wanted shepherds who smelled of sheep. do these cardinals pass the smell test? yes, these cardinals come from all over the world, pope francis has made it clear that just because you come from a traditional location where there has been a cardinal, that does not mean you are entitled to a cardinal‘s red hat.

in today's ceremony he named cardinals from brunei and rwanda, places that have never had cardinals before. i think for pope francis, putting the spotlight of the global church in places where they typically haven't had significance or a voice is a key priority of this papacy. i did some of the numbers. pope francis has now appointed 57% of the cardinal electors. it's his college now. how will that affect the future direction of the church? well, they will eventually select his replacement, when pope francis either steps down or dies, they will be the ones that go into the sistine chapel and vote for the next pope. and by selecting this majority of the current batch of cardinals, he gets to make a lasting impact on the church by reflecting his pastoral priorities in who he has selected to receive red hats. internationally, we hear less of francis than we did in the first year or two of his papacy.

is that because he settled down and is doing what he wants to do, is that because he got stuck, why is that? no, i think this pope, certainly he shook things up when he arrived on the scene, caused a splash. he has continued with that agenda, an agenda that has been close to the poor and the vulnerable and those in need, one that elevates those on the margins. but to a certain extent i think we've got used to it, because that's what the world has come to expect of pope francis. now, he's had a quiet year in some respects because of the covid lockdown. this is a pope who became a bit of a jet—setter, and he's been stuck in rome, like so many of us, at home. but i think as soon as lockdown restrictions are lifted we will see him back on the road again. boxing, and two of the legends of the ring, mike tyson and royjones junior, are fighting in an exhibition bout in los angeles. it's over 15 years since iron mike last fought competitively. the former world heavyweight champion is now 54 years old.

indeed he and his opponent have a combined age of over a century. royjoneanr, is a former four weight world champion and was once the best pound for pound fighter in the world. ahead of the big fight, i spoke to gareth a davies, a boxing writer with the daily telegraph. as you say, mike tyson was the undisputed heavyweight chain him between 1987 and 1990. roy jones him between 1987 and 1990. roy joneer was him between 1987 and 1990. roy jones jr was number £1 for pound and they are two old men, and it is an exhibition match and it is an exhibition match and this bizarre ruling from the californian state athletic condition, that there are known knockouts. how mike tyson will go for a no knockouts, i don't know! there are so many rubber next and the audience, i'm watching it because it is my duty if you like. i think we will see two old men in the ring for two rounds and i think

both ends will be released afterwords and it will be fine andi afterwords and it will be fine and i think it generated interest during the covert lockdown online because mike tyson was getting in shape and i think it is in a soldier fight more than anything else. —— covid lockdown. fight more than anything else. -- covid lockdown. it talked about either man going in for the kill if they could, and remember mike tyson's most printable quote, " everyone remember mike tyson's most printable quote, "everyone has a plan until they get punched in the head!" what happens if that happens? i think the other couple be in trouble! i don't think they will hold each other up think they will hold each other up because they want to get to the end of eight rounds. boxing isa the end of eight rounds. boxing is a serious business, they have 12 ounce gloves and neither men must get hurt tonight because it would be a travesty if it does, that is the danger in this because as you say, combined age of 105! both men are over 50! we have to seed is a bit of fun, crossed, no—one to seed is a bit of fun, crossed , no—one comes to seed is a bit of fun,

crossed, no—one comes out of this hurt and this is the modern age. these are freakshow fights and that is what we are watching tonight. and your prediction is both hands will be raised on end? no knockout or contest or boutonniere? ! that's just beaten —— or contest or boutonniere? ! that'sjust beaten —— no btn is. might expect that mike tyson will blow out after two rounds and they will give us a exhibition as ricky hatton recalled that, when fighters do not truly fight. fingers crossed that no—one gets seriously hurt tonight —— bitten ear. american footballer, sarah fuller, has became the first woman to play in a power five conference football game — the elite level of collegiate american football. the 21—year—old kicked off for the vanderbilt commodores in a road game against the missouri tigers

in columbia. she was called in for the match because many players were self—isolating. ms fuller wore a helmet with the slogan ‘play like a girl', encouraging girls to play sports. a young woman has become the first transgender footballer to be allowed to play professionally in argentina's top division. mara gomez has signed a contract with the women's team villa san carlos. she is expected to make a debut next week. the bbc‘s tim allman reports. mara gomez says football saved her life. for years, she's been playing in local leagues in buenos aires but now she's going professional. 0n social media, she posted a picture of herself signing a contract with her new club, the first trans player to reach this level in argentina. in a statement, she said: the role of trans women

in sport is controversial, with critics accusing them of having unfair biological advantages. but the authorities say that mara's testosterone levels are low, and her coach insists other players in the team are physically stronger than she is. argentina has been a pioneer in trans rights. legislation in 2012 gave people the right to self—identify. mara hopes she will serve as an inspiration to other transgender people, and — who knows? score a few goals while she's at it. tim allman, bbc news. hong kong leader carrie lam has said in a tv interview she keeps piles of cash at home because us—imposed sanctions mean she can't open a bank account. she told the hong kong international business channel that she had been targeted by tough new action from washington, along with 14 other officials. the us assets of city officials have been frozen but ms lam said she did not want people to avoid working in hong kong's public service because of this.

more on the website. do stay with us. hello there. sunday looks like being a dull and gloomy sort of day for many places. there was some sunshine on saturday. in kent and here in sussex, the temperature reached 14 degrees. with some sunshine in scotland, a lot colder here, though, only 3—4 in central areas after a frosty start. and sunday sees a frost in many parts of scotland to start the day, particularly in the north east, could be down to —5. it'll be milder to start sunday for northern ireland, england and wales because we're underneath this blanket of low cloud, so misty, murky weather for most of the day. it could brighten up a little bit across western parts of wales, perhaps into northumberland. it won't be as wet in northern england. more cloud comes into western scotland, but there'll still be some sunny spells for eastern scotland. and temperatures in a range 7—11 degrees, with the higher

temperatures more likely across western parts of the uk. some changes, though, as we head into the evening and overnight because the breeze picks up towards the north west, the cloud thickens and we start to push in some rain as well. now, that means it's going to be a much milder night across scotland, and as we head into monday morning, it should be frost—free. but we start with a lot of cloud. however, the weather will change a little bit because all that mistiness will get pushed away as these weather fronts push their way southwards with a little bit more of a breeze as well. most of the rain will be affecting scotland, northern ireland, pushing into the high ground in north—west england and wales. there won't be much rain heading its way southwards into southern england in the afternoon. and through the afternoon, we could actually get some sunshine as the rain clears from scotland. here, it'll turn a little bit cooler. 0therwise quite mild with that patchy rain, temperatures 10—11 degrees. now, that weather front pushes southwards out of the way, but willjust hang around a bit into the western side of the uk by tuesday morning. but in between those weather fronts, we've got

a northerly breeze. that's bringing in some clearer skies overnight, dropping the temperatures in eastern scotland and north—east england, so a frosty start here. and it will be a cold day for these parts as well because the cloud then starts to topple in again across scotland, and we'll see the crowd increasing in wales, western parts of england. sunshine for most of the day, though, i think, for the midlands, east anglia and the south—east. temperatures 8—9 degrees. 0ut towards the west where there's more cloud, maybe making ten in northern ireland. but it does turn chilly everywhere later on in the week. not only that, the winds will pick up and it turns much more unsettled.

this is bbc news, the headlines: french riot police have clashed with protesters in paris after a day of demonstrations across the country. protestors are angry at a new law, restricting the right to publish images of police. it comes after a video emerged of three officers apparently beating a black music producer in his studio. turkey has condemned the assassination of iran's top nuclear scientist. iranian president rouhani has blamed israel for the killing of mohsen fakhrizadeh. and he says the country's nuclear programme will continue. israel has previously accused mr fakhrizadeh of masterminding a covert nuclear weapons programme. voters in switzerland will decide later on sunday on whether or not to make businesses financially and legally liable for human rights violations or environmental damage. if the swiss vote in favour in the referendum, the country could impose some of the world's strictest corporate responsibility rules. charities and nhs services

who help problem gamblers say