this is bbc news. the headlines at eight. the uk's chief negotiator is back in brussels to resume brexit talks, with time running out to do a deal. we are going to see what happens in negotiations today and we will be looking forward to meeting our european colleagues later on this afternoon. croydon university hospital becomes one of the first to take delivery of the coronavirus vaccine in the uk — with the firstjabs set to be given on tuesday. obviously, i can't hold them in my hands because they are minus 70 degrees but you know they are here and we are amongst the first in the country to receive the vaccine and therefore the first in the world, i am so therefore the first in the world, i am so proud. overcrowding on its opening day forces nottingham's christmas market to close early.

thousands of turkeys are to be culled after a second outbreak of highly contagious bird flu in norfolk. that could be magical. we'll remember peter alliss, the voice of golf, who's died aged 89. and coming up at 8.30pm, tom brook marks the 40th anniversary ofjohn lennon's murder in 1980 in lennon remembered. good evening. the uk's chief brexit negotiator is back in brussels, in a last—ditch attempt to secure a trade deal with the eu. as he arrived, lord frost said they were ‘working very hard' to secure an agreement.

a phone call last night between the prime minister and the european commission president failed to get a breakthrough — and time is now running out. they did agree negotiators should continue talking. the environment secretary, george eustice, said a trade deal could still be done , but accepted the talks were in a "very difficult position". our political correspondent chris mason reports. back in brussels, the uk's chief negotiator for the last roll of the dice in trade talks with the eu. we have worked very hard to try and get a deal, we will see what happens in the negotiation today and we will be looking forward to meeting our european colleagues this afternoon. there is frustration in government at what is seen as the eu's failure to understand the importance of the uk's new—found independence. we want to be doing a free trade agreement

as a sovereign equal with the eu. anything that undermines our ability to control our own waters for instance, or our ability to make our own laws isn't something we can accept. big sticking points remain overfishing rights, fair competition and how any agreement is enforced. at its heart the disagreements illustrate the dilemma of brexit for both sides. the trade—off between the uk's sovereignty, taking back control, and its access to european markets. the french are worried about not being able to catch as many fish, and are happy to remind anyone who will listen they will say no to a deal they don't like. this is the framing of the relationship between the uk and eu for years, decades to come. so we have to be convinced on both sides of the channel it is the right

framing for this relationship. if it is not, we should not sign. if there is a deal, parliament will be asked to endorse it, likely to be a formality given the sizeable majority for borisjohnson, but labour are divided about what to do. they regard no deal as a disaster but cannot agree whether it would be wise to endorse any deal the government does. we will have to look at the content of a deal but also any legislation. we won't give them a blank cheque but i have been clear, today and on previous programmes with you, the most important thing is the government get a deal. we want that to be delivered. we will look at any legislation passed in parliament. this is where the action is for now, the negotiations in brussels. what is your message to emmanuel macron? after the rows, anger and bitterness of the last four and a half years since the eu referendum, another crucial moment of decision beckons. the uk left the eu at the end

of january, that much is sorted. speaking this evening the irish prime minister, micheal martin, says talks to secure a post—brexit trade deal are on a "knife edge" my gut instinct is that it is 50—50 andl my gut instinct is that it is 50—50 and i don't think one can be overly optimistic about a resolution emerging and my sense having spoken to some of the key principles is that this is a very challenging issue to resolve. and particularly around the level playing field. our political correspondent chris mason says time is running short for both sides to reach a deal. the uk left the eu at the end of january, that much is sorted. we entered a transition period where very little changed. that runs out at the end of this month. that is why this is a crunch point. both sides say they still want to do

a deal if they can. compromise has a habit of turning up fashionably late, so there is still a chance something could be done. there is also the chance no deal is arrived at, and in three and a half weeks, that is the prospect the uk faces. the main sticking points in these negotiations have been known for months. but that hasn't made them any easier to resolve. our reality check correspondent chris morris looks at the issues still on the table. the final days of negotiation, and while fishing may be a tiny part of the economy on both sides of the channel, it is of huge political importance. it was central to the "take back control" message in the 2016 referendum. what is at stake now is access to these uk waters where eu boats currently catch about £600 million of fish every year. the uk wants much of that back. so, it's about the uk

share of fishing quotas, notjust where you can fish but how much you can catch. there is also the timeline for measures coming into full force. the eu wants a status quo period of up to ten years. the uk says it should be much shorter. the other main area of disagreement is the level playing field, rules on fair competition for billions of pounds of business now and in the future. the two sides are trying to agree a common baseline on workers' rights and the environmental regulations that companies have to follow. if you cut regulations it can be cheaper to make stuff and the eu is worried the uk could do that in future. then, state aid or government subsidies for business. the uk is determined to assert its sovereignty and is refusing to follow eu rules. but the eu says it has to protect companies within its single market. so, the third main area of disagreement, how to enforce a deal and resolve any disputes. the eu is demanding the right to retaliate if the uk

breaks rules in one area, by hitting back into another, imposing tariffs or taxes for example where it thinks it might hurt the most. then, the question of who adjudicates disputes, and the potential role of the european court ofjustice. in this final push for a deal, it is worth emphasising even if an agreement is reached, there are big changes coming. new bureaucracy, checks and paperwork for traders and travellers crossing the border from january the 1st, a deal would remove some of them including tariffs on goods. outside the single market and customs union, things will be very different. the choice now, a hard form of brexit or no deal at all. chris morris, bbc news. and we'll find out how this story — and many others — are covered in tomorrow's front pages at 10:30 and 11:30 this evening in the papers — our guests joining me tonight are the broadcaster and journalist caroline frost and parliamentary

journalist tony grew. the medical director of nhs england says the mass vaccination programme for covid—19 starting this week marks "the beginning of the end" of the pandemic. but professor stephen powis warned it would take many months to vaccinate everybody who urgently needs protection. batches of the vaccine have started to arrive at hospitals. around 800,000 doses are expected to be available across the uk this coming week, with jabs starting on tuesday. our science editor david shukman reports. an unmarked van at croydon university hospital in south london with a delivery that could start to change the course of the pandemic. inside these boxes, the first vaccines for covid—19. ingenious research is creating light at the end of the tunnel. this is so exciting, a momentous occasion. the nhs has been planning

extensively to deliver the largest vaccination programme in our history. it is really exciting. the vaccines have to be stored at —70, only large hospitals can do that, so, distribution is complicated and will take time. nhs staff around the country have been working tirelessly to make sure we are prepared to commence vaccination on tuesday. this feels like the beginning of the end but, of course, it is a marathon, not a sprint, and it will take many months for us to vaccinate everybody who needs vaccination. so far, only the pfizer biontech vaccine has been approved in the uk, so, it is the one being used first. the roll—out of this vaccine will involve an operation on an extraordinary scale. there are something like 6.7 million peoplejudged to be the highest priority. residents of care homes, for example, and the over—80s. that requires 13.4 million

doses because everybody has to have two doses. it is hoped there will be 800,000 available in the coming week or so, with up to 5 million by the end of the year. but however this pans out, it will be a huge challenge. production is slower than hoped at the pfizer plant in belgium after problems with raw materials. but other vaccines may come on stream $0011, like the one by oxford university and astrazeneca now awaiting approval. the key factor in all of this is the readiness of the public to get vaccinated. the medicines regulator wants to reassure people. i would really like to emphasise that the highest standards of scrutiny, of safety, of effectiveness and quality have been met. international standards. so, this should be real confidence in the rigour of our approval. so, we are on the brink of the first big step out of the crisis. but there is a long way to go. david shukman, bbc news. let's take a look at the latest

government figures, they show there were 17,272 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 15,131. 1,345 people had been admitted to hospital on average each day over the week to last friday. 231 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, a29 deaths were announced every day. it takes the total number of deaths so far across the uk to 61,245. the organisers of a christmas market in nottingham say they've been forced to "temporarily close" just a day after opening , because of "unprecedented high footfall".

large crowds of people were standing close together at the venue , which is under tier 3 coronavirus restrictions. chris ellis reports from nottingham. this was yesterday at nottingham's christmas market, hundreds of people enjoying the stalls, but the crowd caused concerns. people were milling around together, no social distancing at all. people defecating in doorways, which was totally unacceptable, but with hospitality closed, there are no toilets for people to go to, and they weren't wearing masks. today, the shutters were down as stallholders were told a temporary closure was put in place. it's a massive blow, and we haven't done any markets. every one has been cancelled apart from this, so we were relying on this. i'll manage, but it's going to be a big struggle, yeah, bickle a big struggle for us all.

a decision will be taken later as to when the market will reopen. the organiser said it was the best way forward following unprecedented demand. it was due to run until christmas eve. chris ellis, bbc east midlands today, nottingham. thousands of turkeys are to be culled after a second outbreak of highly contagious bird flu in norfolk. the first outbreak was confirmed yesterday in a flock of turkeys near attleborough. then overnight came confirmation of the second, some 30 miles away at a farm near east winch. exclusion zones have been set up to prevent further spread of the disease. from norfolk, jenny kirk reports. enhanced bio—security measures at a poultry farm near the epicentre of norfolk‘s first outbreak near attleboro. the news that birds have contracted bird flu at what should be a lucrative time of year.

to have two outbreaks in such a short period of time is a massive concern. on top of everything else, it's really something we don't need at this time of the year. all the birds, believed to be tens of thousands, will be cold. of thousands, will be culled. an exclusion zone has been set up around the farm, which hasn't been named. the disease, spreading when birds migrate from mainland europe during winter. 30 miles away, a second cull has been ordered. defra wouldn't say which one was affected in this second outbreak, but we know we are somewhere near the epicentre of it here in east winch. drive through this area at this time of year and chances are you will see signs for turkeys for sale. the region accounts for 41% of the turkeys produced in england. the farmers union is urging vigilance. local producers say they are very worried.

the next seven days are crucial for mark gorton. if his flocks can survive you will have finished as christmas orders. across the uk from the 14th of december, owners of captive birds are legally required to keep them inside. with a fifth of the country's poultry farms in our region, farmers here are particularly worried. the headlines on bbc news: the uk's chief negotiator is back in brussels to resume brexit talks, with time running out to do a deal. croydon university hospital becomes one of the first to take delivery of the coronavirus vaccine in the uk with the first jabs set to be given on tuesday. overcrowding on its opening day forces nottingham's christmas market to close early. more now on the resumption of brexit

talks and the financial help that sheep farmers would receive if no trade deal is reached with the european union. the welsh government has also raised concerns about disruption at the country's ports. here's our wales political correspondent james williams. of all the welsh lamb that's exported, more than 90% of it is sold tariff—free to eu markets. trade will continue tariff—free if a deal is struck but if there isn't a deal, then export taxes on lamb products could be as high as 40%. we've looked at things such as a headage payment for ewes or indeed a slaughterhouse premium for lambs. any of those types of interventions would, by their definition, be quite short—term interventions to help with an immediate pressure on the sector. in the medium term, what we would do to help the sector is to identify new markets. but it is the short—term hit that worries welsh ministers, who called

today on the treasury to ensure that funding will be available. everyone around that cabinet table has assured me that the cheque book will open instantly, regulations will be looked at and support will be put in place. we don't want a no deal, sheep farms especially don't want a new deal, but let nobody on the other side of the english channel be in any doubt, we will have it if they are not going to treat us as an independent sovereign nation, and we will cope. from january the 1st, customs checks will be required on some of the lorries arriving in holyhead, but because there is still no agreed site near the port to carry out those checks, they will instead be done here for the first part of the year, in warrington, between liverpool and manchester. but even with the checks carried out 100 miles away, the welsh government is also preparing for potential congestion on anglesey. we've been making preparations for traffic disruption at the ports because of new frictions at the border. we have plans to provide for stacking for traffic,

for example, as it approaches in holyhead and in north wales. preparations are also being made on the other side of the irish sea, including more direct routes from ireland to mainland europe, bypassing welsh ports altogether. we are seeing new sailings from rosslare to santander and lisbon, to ostend, to zeebrugge and we hope to see a new one to le havre too because people cannot countenance possible delays. it was back to brussels today for the uk's chief negotiator to resume the trade talks. time really is running out but deal or no deal, big changes are on the way. nine people have been arrested outside the indian high commission this evening after fireworks were set off towards protestors. police also say four demonstrators have been fined. the protests are part of an international show of support, opposing agricultural reforms introduced by the indian government, which critics believe will reduce minimum pricing and market regulation.

the police say there were no reports of injuries and the demonstration has now concluded. the leader of the dup, arlene foster, has said there there needs to be a fresh examination of the irish state's involvement with the ira during the troubles in order to advance reconciliation. she's written to taoiseach micheal martin to request a meeting in the nearfuture. the irish government today said mr martin would meet mrs foster. our correspondent julian o'neill reports. in a letter written last week, mrs foster references several murders in which collusion between the garda and the ira has been found or alleged. they include the bomb attack on lord justice maurice gibson and his wife in 1987 and the murder of ten protestants at kingsmill in 1976. she states the irish government should urgently assist families seeking answers. the timing of her letter coincided with the pat finucane

case making headlines, and the dup leader notes comments by simon coveney, the irish foreign minister, on the need for truth through a public inquiry. mrs foster writes... this afternoon, an irish government spokesman said the taoiseach will meet mrs foster to discuss the issues she had raised. julian o'neill, bbc newsline. england's new coronavirus rules have presented many families with dilemmas — but they're proving particularly tricky for one retired couple in yorkshire. a county boundary running through their property means it straddles tiers 2 and 3, and the rules change as they go from the house to the garden. from the north and west yorkshire boundary, corinne wheatley reports.

be careful, because it's slippery. you're walking in part of the garden that's harrogate. it's all harrogate, all the way up to this square flowerbed here. and then it suddenly becomes leeds, because of the culvert that runs right through the garden, all the way down to wolf meadows park. so when you are inside the house, you are in... harrogate. in harrogate, so you're in tier 2. in the conservatory, i think we're in tier 3. sheila knew the border between north and west yorkshire ran through her garden in otley, but it's never been particularly significant until now. she and some neighbours live under the harrogate borough council area and are in tier 2, unlike most of the town, which comes under leeds city council and tier 3. so this is as far as i can go for tier 3. sheila and her husband might live in the same town as their daughter, but they're now under different rules. she can go out for a nice meal, and hopefully won't send us any pictures! laughing.

we're jealous! but the handful of neighbours who live on the leeds side of the border have seemingly been saved by the bins. their rubbish is collected by harrogate borough council, so they get to pass go, straight into tier 2. it's a bit of a nuisance, really, because it meant i couldn't go walking with my harrogate friends, you know, which i now can. now i'm officially tier 2. we don't know whether we'll be able to go into otley or whether to go into harrogate. we could go into harrogate to have a meal, i suppose. it's an unexpected bit of freedom, but they're hoping to avoid any conversations about exactly where they've travelled from. i'll carry on as normal, but as long as we're not apprehended on the border by the police! corinne wheatley, bbc look north, otley. the family of the renowned children's author, roald dahl, who died 30 years ago, has issued an apology for anti—semitic remarks he made during his lifetime. a statement condemning his comments has been published on his official website although not on the front page.

the statement reads: ‘those prejudiced remarks are incomprehensible to us and stand in marked contrast to the man we knew and to the values at the heart of roald dahl‘s stories, which have positively impacted young people for generations. the chief executive of the holocaust educational trust, karen pollock, told the bbc she had been aware of some of his anti—semitic remarks but felt she couldn't draw attention to it because of his popularity. i'm a big fan of roald dahl‘s books, like, i would say, the majority of the british population and around the world. they're a defining part of a lot of people's childhoods and made into classic films that we all remember and adore. i think i've always known about the anti—semitic remarks and roald dahl‘s anti—semitism, and actually on a personal level i've often found it uncomfortable to highlight it because it felt a bit like, you know, saying something bad about somebody who is so popular,

but the fact is it was blatant anti—semitism. he made a comment that said something to the effect of, you know, there must have been a reason why hitler didn't likejews. i'm not giving you the word—for—word quote. and there are a couple of other interviews that he'd given that similarly point to anti—semitism. why an apology now and why hidden away, as you say, in a website? i can't answer for them. i'm finding this interesting, an interesting development. karen pollock speaking over pictures of roald dahl who died in 1990. some breaking news coming to us from donald trump's official twitter account. we are going to miss those! news about his personal lawyer, the former mayor of new york rudy giuliani.

there you go. a health report on the former mayor of new york from the president of the united states. the bbc commentator peter alliss, who became known as the voice of golf, has died. he was 89. he won more than 20 tournaments during his career as a golfer, and played on eight ryder cup teams before becoming a commentator. katherine downes looks back at his life. his was the voice that brought the game of golf to life for millions. 0h! i think he enjoyed that one. for a sport defined by its quirks and characters, peter alliss was the perfect match. hello, what have you been doing? what a day i've had. the people and the noise, i've never had a moment to sit down.

golf was in his blood, his father percy had been a professional and under his guidance, young peter flourished. even when he was still playing, he had begun to make the move behind the microphone. i think this course is in wonderful condition at this time of year. his warmth and wit made him a regular on british television where he said the key to commentary was never to take it too seriously. it has enormous rewards, great sadness, great joy, great stupidity. great nonsense, you know. and it's really not all that serious. for all his fans, he did have his critics. might be a bit of a handful, those three. to some, he was the epitome of old—fashioned attitudes in a game in need of modernisation. i try to be an observer. you get into trouble sometimes if you don't say the right things to the right people. but there was never any debate

about his expertise. he's played it boldly. that could be magical. when the world's greatest golfers produced their greatest moments, alliss was the perfect guide. thank you. he was a great man in many respects. for his commentary, he came and took over from henry longhurst who was regarded as the doyenne of commentary. but peter took the mantle over and, to be honest, no one got near him. only last month he was commentating for the bbc on the masters, broadcasting from home due to the pandemic. that is ok. lovely feeling, five ahead, umpteen putts for victory, glory be. his excitement was undimmed, even after almost 60 years as golf‘s master storyteller. so, a rather strange masters has come to an end. it is not what we expected but it was still a good one. well done to everybody, and here's to next april when we'll do it all again.

now, could we be one step closer to discovering how life began? what looked like a shooting star landing in the australian desert was in fact a japanese space capsule carrying the first samples of rock from an asteroid — which could help explain the formation of the solar system as mark lobel reports. coming from right side and it is getting brighter and brighter. entering the earth's atmosphere. that fireball on your screen moving from right to left is a closely—watched space capsule whose contents could help explain the creation of our solar system. applause. there was joy and relief at the japanese aerospace exploration agency's mission control as the soil sample sent from the japanese space craft hayabusa ii, part of a six—year mission, parachuted down safely in the australian desert.

scientists are expecting about 0.1 of a gram will be returned for examination at their lab near tokyo from the asteroid ryugu, which lies some 300 million kilometres away. they will measure the rock's age, what it is made of and how it is formed, potentially offering vital clues as to how the sun and planets came to be. this one is special because this one is going to an asteroid that we think is really rich in organic material and in water so in the very earliest history of the earth we think it may have been pelted with asteroids like that and that is what gave us the water and the carbon to form our oceans and to enable life to flourish on earth. it's an exciting prospect, after a successful landing following what one member of the space agency here described