tonight at ten... the uk becomes the first country in the world to approve the vaccine developed by pfizer and biontech. the roll—out will start next week, with the over—80s, nhs workers, and staff in care homes at the front of the queue. as we celebrate this scientific achievement, we're not carried away with overoptimism or fall into the naive belief that the struggle is over. it's not. the vaccine is being produced in belgium and some are warning that supplies could be affected if there's no post—brexit deal with the eu. and the mhra, the uk regulator which approved the coronavirus vaccine in record time, insists that no corners have been cut. also tonight... non—essential shops have re—opened

in england for the first time in a month as the three—tier system comes into force. you can have a hug! there we are. relatives of those in england's care homes can visit again from today, provided they've tested negative for the virus. and we talk to the artist tracey emin about her new exhibition and the art that's kept her alive since her diagnosis of bladder cancer this summer. and coming up in a sport on bbc news... and coming up in sport on bbc news... football fans are finally able to return to some efl grounds for the first time in under nine months. good evening. the united kingdom has become the first country in the world to approve the coronavirus vaccine developed by pfizer and biontech. the roll—out will start next week with the over—80s, nhs workers,

and staff in care homes at the front of the queue. after that it will be allocated according to age and assessment of vulnerability. the prime minister warned that the tier system in england and the separate regimes in scotland, wales and northern ireland remained crucial and people needed to continue to follow the rules. the mhra, the regulator which approved the vaccine in record time, insisted that no corners had been cut in the process of approval. our medical editor, fergus walsh, has the latest. this is an historic moment. at last, there is a clear path out of this pandemic, thanks to vaccination. the uk is the first country in the world to approve the pfizer/biontech vaccine, seen here on the production line in belgium. the prime minister made clear the vaccine won't change life for now, but hope is on the horizon. prime minister, now we have a vaccine, how

important is this moment? when you consider the damage that, as i was saying earlier, the damage that this virus has done to human life across the planet, the economic damage, the social damage, to say nothing of the cost in life and suffering, it is a fantastic moment. more than 20,000 volunteers got two doses of the vaccine as part of the trials. it proved 95% effective at preventing covid, even among those in their 70s and 80s. side—effects were mostly mild. a small minority suffered headaches and fatigue. the independent medicines regulator, the mhra, began work on covid vaccines injune, and for the past two months has been reviewing more than 1,000 pages of data on pfizer's trials. no corners have been cut. our expert scientists and clinicians have worked round—the—clock,

carefully, methodically, poring over tables and analyses and graphs on every single piece of data. creating a completely new vaccine usually takes at least ten years, from design and development through trials to regulatory review and production. this has been compressed to less than a year. many stages were done in parallel, and pfizer began vaccine production at their own risk, even before they knew it worked. 800,000 doses of the vaccine should arrive in the uk within days. a0 million have been ordered in total, enough to immunise 20 million adults. but the vials have to be transported from belgium in special containers at an ultralow temperature. it's like a pizza box. they then get put into a thermal shipper, packed with dry ice,

that then maintains the temperature at —70, if unopened, for ten days. the committee which advises the government on immunisation says the elderly and front—line health and care workers should be first in line. we are suggesting that vaccines are offered in order to protect people who are most at risk of dying from covid—19, as well as to protect health and social care services, because by doing so, we also protect lives. age is by far the single most important factor in terms of risk from covid—19. getting rid of social distancing and other restrictions next year will depend on tens of millions of us being vaccinated. we need people to take it. this vaccine isn't going to help you if you don't take it. and you will need two doses of this vaccine, and most of the others,

to have full protection. more covid vaccines could be approved within weeks. the goal then, to immunise notjust the uk, but the world. fergus walsh, bbc news. both downing street and the uk medicines regulator appeared to contradict a claim by matt hancock, the health secretary, that swift approval of the vaccine had been possible because of brexit. the mhra said the supply had been authorised using provisions under existing european law which are still in place until new year's day. rolling out the vaccine will be a huge logistical exercise which could also be affected by a post—brexit deal, as the supplies will come from belgium. 0ur health editor, hugh pym, explains. the nhs is ready, though it has a huge task starting next week vaccinating first its staff, and other priority groups. and those likely to receive the jabs, including nurses who went

through the first wave, know how important that is. working as an icu nurse, especially in the first search, especially in the first surge, a lot of the nurses were living away from home and were concerned about bringing it home to their families. if we do have the vaccine, it means we can get back to living a more normal life. life has not been normal for the past several months. the official first phase priority list is headed by care home residents and carers, followed by the over 80s and front line health workers, then lower age groups and younger adults with health conditions. but it will be nhs and care staff and the over 80s who actually get it first. health leaders say hospitals will be the focal point next week. the idea for the first phase is that we concentrate on nhs hospitals delivering this vaccine, because of the particular requirements of the pfizer vaccine. but care homes are now wondering what all this means for their residents and why they don't now appear to be top of the list. it's really disappointing.

and obviously there is potential implications for our residents as well, should we get another outbreak of covid, then they are more likely to suffer some serious consequences of that. one reason is the way the doses are packed. it's emerged that approval by regulators is still required to allow them to be broken down into smaller consignments, to be taken into care homes. as soon as we have the regulatory sign—off that we can do that, we can get the jabs to the care homes so that the gps and nurses can then arrive and give the care home residents that covid vaccination, we will do that. in northern ireland, officials have set aside a new hospital emergency department as one of seven designated vaccination sites. the scottish government also plans to prioritise health and care staff. the first vaccines against covid will be administered in scotland on tuesday 8th december. so, you can perhaps understand why i have probably smiled more

in the last few minutes than you have seen me do in several months. there is now an accelerating drive to set up vaccination hubs for the wider population, including one at epsom racecourse. even a village hall in surrey is being prepared as a site for vaccinations in the local community. the new vaccine is on the way from pfizer's belgian plant. it's a shot in the arm for ministers. they'll hope that brexit doesn't affect the continued smooth running of this vital supply chain in the new year. hugh pym, bbc news. 0ur medical editor fergus walsh is here. there has been lots of talk today about a major milestone, how would you describe what has happened? well, huw today, for the first time we can say with certainty that we have a safe and effective covid vaccine, and that is an extraordinary achievement, to manage that in less than a year. yes, the uk was the first country to approve it but it has gone through the hands

ofa it but it has gone through the hands of a very well respected independent regulator, so the public can have confidence in this vaccine. all medicines have side—effects, but there were no serious adverse events on the trial, and the volunteers will be monitored for the next two yea rs. will be monitored for the next two years. and you have to set aside any side—effects against the real known profound dangers of covid, especially to the elderly, but also the lingering health problems you get with long covid. and we don't know whether the vaccine stops people from passing on the virus, we should find that out in the next six months, and we don't know how long any protection will last, we may need booster doses in years to come. so, the sooner we can start the mammoth task of immunisation, the better. fergal walsh, our mammoth task of immunisation, the better. fergalwalsh, our medical editor, many thanks. the latest government figures show there were 16,170 new coronavirus infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period. that means the average number

of new cases reported per day in the last week is now 14,790. there were 1,410 people admitted to hospital on average each day over the week to last sunday. and 648 deaths were reported, that's people who died within 28 days of a positive covid—19 test. that means on average in the past week, 453 deaths were announced every day. it takes the total number of deaths so far across the uk to 59,699. england has today moved out of national lockdown and into a three—tier system. more than 55 million people are in the highest two tiers, which means all shops are now open but there are strict rules on who you can meet indoors. 0ur political editor, laura kuenssberg, reports. would you like any drinks while you're waiting? back in business, the lucky ones maybe. wilmslow, like the rest of cheshire, woke up in tier 2 this morning.

so, halil, who lost 40% of his business to the virus, shedding staff, is able to get going again. i am very glad. i'm very happy to see the customers come back in here. rob's a local church leader, and is relieved to be out. we have escaped what has become at home a delightful little prison. but only 20 miles down the road in manchester, life feels very different, and so was the mood on a radio phone—in today. radio jingle: the sound of manchester... like more than 20 million others, they are living under the tightest rules still. pubs and restaurants shut, travel restricted, too. the only thing i want to say to borisjohnson is it's unjust and it's unfair. why is it we have come out in a higher tier than london? if he thinks that london's economy is more important than the north, thenjust come out and say it. we are having a furlough system in place, which is great, job retention, but there will be no jobs, if this carries on. reporter: have you lost authority within your party? that fear is one of the reasons why

borisjohnson was told in no uncertain terms by dozens of his own mps last night that the tier system is not universally popular, but limits are here to stay until easter, putting jobs in particular under pressure. now, the arrival of the vaccine is obviously wonderful news, but it will come too late to many who have lost theirjobs already, and i want to turn to the collapse of the arcadia group, and debenhams, in the last 48 hours. that's put 25,000 jobs at risk. what is he going to do now to protect the jobs and the pensions of all those affected by these closures? of course, supporting everyjob that we possibly can, as well as supporting every life and every livelihood, mr speaker, with a £200 billion programme. but i'd take him more seriously, frankly, if he actually could be bothered to vote for a moderate programme to keep the virus down and open up the economy. news of the vaccine has lifted people's eyes towards the end of this pandemic, but, in truth, whether in westminster, in edinburgh, cardiff or in belfast,

politicians are still going to be grappling with managing this virus and its effects for months to come, and for all of us, that means limits on our lives that ebb and flow in different corners of the country, and that don't always seem fair. but the disease doesn't care about fairness, and how everyone responds to the rules in place across the country will affect how the virus shapes the future for us all. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. as we've heard, non—essential shops have re—opened in england for the first time in a month. some shoppers queued from the early hours of the morning and the debenhams website crashed because of the interest in its closing down sale. as our consumer affairs correspondent sarah corker reports, some businesses are extending their trading hours to try to make up for their losses during the lockdown. the decorations are up, the festive discounts are on, and lockdown is lifted. county durham is in the highest, tier 3 level of restrictions,

but for retailers here in bishop auckland, it's a relief to be trading again. november, it was so difficult closing, it's one of the busiest months of retail for trade, so we really need to get december, people out spending money, to see us through. we have taken such a massive, massive hit this year, and unlike some of the bigger chains, we don't have the financial support that they get. so, we will lose a lot of our little independent businesses if people don't start to come back. and there is clearly pent—up demand. in birmingham, they queued before dawn for primark. 0n london's oxford street, trade was brisk. but it's been a difficult week for retail. the collapse of debenhams and arcadia, the owner of brands like topshop and dorothy perkins, has put 25,000 jobs at risk. and the demise of these retail giants will leave a big hole here in newcastle city centre, and on high streets across britain.

and today, bonmarche went into administration, with 1,500 staff affected. but shopping centres are trying to sparkle. tier 3 rules mean shops at the metrocentre in gateshead can open. cafes, though, can only do takeaways. we went to have a sandwich, but then we got told we had to go outside, so that was a bit difficult. i'm shocked it's so quiet, i was expecting it to be quite busy. i always have liked in—store buying rather than online. and so it is nice to come out and purchase things that you can see. managers hope longer opening hours will boost sales. stores can trade 24 hours a day. these three—and—a—bit weeks up to christmas will account for between 50% to 60% of some of our retailers‘ sales. so, the month of december obviously is absolutely key. the retail sector has lost billions of pounds‘ worth of sales in lockdown, and businesses are now banking on a late christmas rush. sarah corker, bbc news, in gateshead. for the past eight months we've been

reporting on how families in england are having to deal with the distress and frustration of not being able to visit their loved ones in care homes. but from today visitors who test negative for the virus will be allowed to visit care homes again. 0ur correspndentjon kay reports on a day that so many have been waiting for. nine long months without a cuddle, but for audrey, today's the day. i'm just going to get everything ready now, all right? if all goes well, the 95—year—old will finally be able to see her daughter. it'll be grand. it'll be grand to hug her. it'll be good. it will be good. i can't wait, i can't wait! it's so exciting for you. 0utside, her daughter christine is having a rapid covid test, with results in half an hour. 0ne nostril and then the other, all right? after months of having to chat on screens and through plastic, they will be able to have physical contact again, if this test comes back clear. how are you feeling?

oh, it's really exciting, and i can't wait! i really can't wait. i can't say any more than that. ijust hope i don't cry. go away, i want to see her! while she waits for the result, there is ppe to put on. staff here say the pilot scheme has gone well, but they do worry about getting enough tests, and the added costs, especially for smaller homes. i think it will be expensive, because we'll have to upskill our staff. we will probably have to put more staff on the floor. it's quite hard to recruit care staff at the moment, and i think even for things like ppe, and just finding those added areas for us to do it, i think it is going to be an expensive time. the test has come back negative, so it's finally time for that hug. how exciting is this? it's very, very exciting. it's not quite normal... all right, audrey? you can have a hug! ..but it's a start. and it's much, much better than nothing. applause. oh, this is amazing.

this is amazing. just like the old days, mum, isn't it? laughter. this is just brilliant. it's grand. it will be even nicer when we can touch skin, but this is pretty good, isn't it? yes. pretty good. jon kay, bbc news, devon. students travelling back to univerisites and colleges in england in the new year will have staggered starting dates with some not back until early february. it's being done to minimise transmission risks from the mass movement of students. the guidance also proposes that students should be offered testing when they return for the new term. this evening, for the first time since march, fans were able to attend english league football matches. 2,000 were allowed into the ground to watch shrewsbury town take on accrington stanley. and it wasn't just football opening its doors. gyms, swimming pools and grassroots sports are back too,

as our sports editor, dan roan, reports. football and fans reunited. some of the lucky shrewsbury supporters allowed back inside the meadow tonight, almost nine months since bortles force behind closed doors. it is wonderful once again to have supporters on the ground. it has been a lonely place for many weeks. i've been doing epa now for over 40 yea rs. i've been doing epa now for over 40 years. i don't think i realised just how important the fans are for a game of football. having past temperature checks and being allocated seats according to household groups, fans also had to wear facemasks household groups, fans also had to wearfacemasks on a household groups, fans also had to wear facemasks on a ground that, when foal, can hold five times as many. we are taking a hit during this, everybody is a season ticket holder site. it is not ideal financially. at the end of the day, it isa financially. at the end of the day, it is a small step to getting back to having full crowds in, proving to everybody that football can operate

safely. half-time refreshments were available, but only outside the ground. for those that had to wait so ground. for those that had to wait so long to return, an evening to cherish. we missed it so much, they feel so different to watch live football again. you forget, having watched it at home. it's fantastic. just supporting your team, getting behind them. seeing your friends and everything. a match day experience. in orderfor clubs everything. a match day experience. in order for clubs like shrewsbury town to start making money from gate receipts again, they will need a lot more fans back in the ground than this. but it's about more than just finances. tonight, marking a hugely encouraging return of the atmosphere and the passion of the sport has missed now for so long. not all clu bs a re missed now for so long. not all clubs are as lucky. for the many in tier 3, fans clubs are as lucky. for the many in tier3, fans are clubs are as lucky. for the many in tier 3, fans are still not omitted. manchester united's champions league defeat at paris st germain tonight was played out in front of an empty 0ld was played out in front of an empty

old trafford. elsewhere, sport was welcoming back spectators. from lingfield, one of four horse racing meetings today to do so, to this, the earliest of starts for some fitness fanatics. a midnight dip, as perdiswell leisure centre in worcester reopened at the first opportunity, with pools, gyms returning to action. and it's been another excellent night for chelsea in their champions league campaign. 0livier giroud, how smart is that? they beat spanish side sevilla 4—0, with all the goals scored by 0livier giroud. it means chelsea qualify for the knockout stage of the competition as group e winners. this year is set to be one of the hottest three years ever recorded according to the world meteorological 0rganisation. the announcement came as the un secretary—general made his strongest call so far for global action on climate change. 0ur chief environment correspondent justin rowlatt has more details.

as if suffering a pandemic wasn't enough, now we learn that 2020 is on track to be one of the three hottest years ever recorded, and that is not all. the past decade, obviously, is the warmest on record, and the last six years are the warmest years on record. the bad news is even the covid—19 lockdowns haven't made a difference. the coronavirus restrictions imposed around the world may have shut down our cities and lead to a small reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, but the world meteorological 0rganisation is saying today it hasn't been enough to stop the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from continuing to increase. the un chief, antonio guterres, told the bbc today global action is needed now. let's face facts, the state of our planet is broken.

humanity is waging war on nature. this is suicidal. the science is clear. for example, unless the world cuts fossil fuel production by 6% every year between now and 2030, things will get worse, much worse. i've been talking about this for a long, long time... sir david attenboroughjoined him to warn time is running out. young people are very impatient, and quite rightly so. for nothing to come out, except words, is very dispiriting. we need action. the un chief says the world now faces a moment of truth. he says the choice is very simple. start cutting carbon emissions now — or face disaster. justin rowlatt, bbc news. one of the most influential european politicians of the past half—century, the former president of france, valery giscard d'estaing,

has died at the age of 94. giscard was president from 1974 to 1981, and his time in office included periods of economic crisis and industrial unrest. he was a robust supporter of greater european union. one of britain's most celebrated artists, tracey emin, says her art has kept her alive after being diagnosed with bladder cancer this summer. the 57—year—old, who's had major surgery, said planning her new exhibition helped her to carry on. she was speaking ahead of the show‘s opening at the royal academy of arts in london, where she displays her works alongside those of edvard munch — who's inspired her since she was a teenager. in a conversation with our arts editor will gompertz she talked about her passion for painting and her love of life. edvard munch‘s work is about his emotions, and identifying them. 1870, 1890, it wasn't really cool to be a man, and go around saying,

"i'm filled with rage and jealousy." and with your paintings, are you a body through which these works are created? the work comes from an energy, and it's an energy that i can't hold within myself, that has to come out. and i think if it doesn't come out, ifeel like i'm going to spontaneously combust. these paintings are like, bang, totally direct. they're hiding nothing. she's not interested in beauty. she's interested the truth. and she's never shied away from that. you don't have to make art that makes people happy. you have to make art that makes people feel. it's like being a conductor. it's like "boomph!" you know, you really, really go for it. i think that painting is about unrequited love. a lot of people know what that feels like. at the moment, like, i want you to see my face. but you're not going to see it because we're stuck in these covid times, you know?

i haven't had a hug, i can't remember last time anybody hugged me. everyone's rushing out to buy puppies and kittens, because they need love and affection. what would you do, tracey, if you couldn't express yourself through art? i would have been dead a long time ago. were you making any of these works when you knew you were poorly? no, because... share it with the group — because i had something wrong with my bladder, it was just always presumed that's what the problem was. but the reason why i had them is because i had full—blown cancer. and it was picked up injune. less than four weeks later, i was having major surgery and having everything removed. even the things that i need, removed. to know that i could have possibly been dead by christmas, that could have so easily have been the outcome. and then people would have been coming to the show and i would have been dead. it would have been so tracey. when you've had a near death experience like that, when you have to really plan

for your death, because that looks like it's probably going to be the outcome, you are so grateful for every day. if i could maintain this attitude of feeling positive and having this kind of energy, all that i've lost, all the cancer, everything, would be worth it, because i feel so much more enlightened. how are you now? how are you feeling now? yeah, i'm good. yeah, every day i'm getting better. the artist tracey emin sharing her thoughts with the bbc‘s will gompertz. before we go, the news about the distribution of the coronavirus vaccine has prompted many questions from viewers ranging from safety to the way the vaccine will be allocated. 0ur health correspondent catherine burns has been speaking to mother and daughter stephanie and ingrid from west london and she put their questions to the former chair of the royal college of gps. how can we be confident that this is safe for everyone? with respect to this vaccine,

it has been through exactly the same rigour, the same scrutiny, the same regulator as any other medicine that we might give you. we certainly know there has been no short cuts to testing its safety. stephanie, you have got a big birthday coming up soon, you are going to be 80 injanuary, if you don't mind me saying. so when do you hope you will be getting this vaccine? i don't know where i am in the queue. i shouldn't be that high up because lots of people are more vulnerable. older people. but, on the other hand, the world would do without me, but it probably couldn't do without... i think ingrid is probably more use because she's a teacher. stephanie, first, congratulations for your big birthday. the fact is, you will be way ahead in the queue of your daughter, way ahead. and the reason is you are more likely, if you get the virus, to be very unwell with it. i have to say, you are more likely to die than your daughter.

so therefore it is much more important that we give people who are more vulnerable than those who are less vulnerable. even though probably not having you as a teacher is going to leave an awful lot of kids in the lurch. i'm quite happy to be in a queue. i would like to queue to move quite quickly, because then we can all start to get back to normal life. i'll tell you what i really feel, i feel a bit guilty. i don't know how we can judge the side effects in such a short space of time. so, the side effects that we know, because bear in mind about 20,000 people have had this vaccine already, is a slight redness around the injection site and some people might feeljust a little bit unwell, but not very unwell, for a couple of days afterwards, just like the flu vaccine. so the short—term side effects of this are very, very minimal. what interests me is how we are going to get all of these doddery old people lined up and out of their homes.