this is bbc news — i'm aaron safir with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. donald trump says his personal lawyer rudy giuliani has tested positive for coronavirus. a day of last—ditch talks between the uk and the eu but still no breakthrough in a possible trade deal. firefighters in australia tell people to leave a popular holiday island as bushfires burn out of control. as batches of the coronavirus vaccine arrive in hospitals in england, one official calls it the beginning of the end of the pandemic.

hello and welcome. donald trump's personal lawyer, rudy giuliani, is reported to be in hospital after contracting covid—19. the us president announced the news in a tweet, writing: there is no evidence of widespread fraud in the recent presidential election. here's our washington correspondent lebo diseko. he's one of donald trump's closest allies. now, rudy giuliani is the latest in the president's inner circle to be diagnosed with the coronavirus. this was him on wednesday

at an election hearing in michigan, asking a witness to remove her mask. would you be comfortable taking your mask off so that people could hear you more clearly? but for all the bad news about coronavirus, on sunday, some hope — two vaccines to be reviewed in the next two weeks for emergency use. and they could be given out within days afterwards. what we've said is within 2a hours of fda green lighting with authorisation, we'll ship to all of the states and territories that we work with. and within hours, they can be vaccinating. healthcare workers and nursing home residents will be among the first to be immunised, then essential workers and, finally, the general public. we may start to see some impact on the most susceptible people probably in the month of january and february, but on a population basis, for our lives to start getting back to normal, we're talking about april or may. there's still a long and perilous road to travel.

on sunday, warnings that the escalating surge in infections could be the most trying event in us history. the vaccine's critical but it's not going to save us from this current surge. only we can save us from this current surge, and we know precisely what to do. so if you have loved ones that you want to protect, you have to follow these guidelines. all this in a week where the us hit the grimmest of milestones — the highest ever new infections, hospitalisations and a life lost nearly every 30 seconds. lebo diseko, bbc news, washington. we can speak to veteran political reporter andrew kirtzman — author of a book about rudy giuliani's time as mayor of new york. he's currently writing a biography of mr giuliani. thank you very much forjoining us thank you very much forjoining us andrew. apart from the president's family, there is

no—one politically closer to president trump. he has been with him from the beginning of the president's political career. what has motivated rudy giuliani in that? i think that donald trump came calling in 2016 with very few other candidates were ringing the phone for giuliani. donald trump needed giuliani and giuliani needed trump. in classic giuliani form, he does nothing halfway stop he has been as bombastic as advocate trump has ever had. and he has gotten trump into trouble. it was giuliani who arguably lead trump down the ukraine path and got trump impeached but there isa got trump impeached but there is a loyalty there. trump and giuliani survive when many other aides of trump have not. the mayers of new york city are

very often well known throughout that city and outside of the united states but perhaps none more so than giuliani, who was the maker of new york city during the 9/11 attacks. they called him america's mayor. i wonder how much the perception has changed over the years as he has come closer to president trump? he has done a tremendous amount of damage to his own reputation in service of trump. his attacks on trump's adverse aries and his performances on television and elsewhere on behalf of trump have been enormously erratic, to the point where just recently in his efforts to argue trump's case for overturning the election, it resulted in a whole bunch of humiliating episodes from his appearance in the borat film to hosting a press conference at

the wrong four seasons. it has just been one pr disaster after another. andrew, forgive me, you mentioned his role in president trump's legal attem pts president trump's legal atte m pts to president trump's legal attempts to deny, to overturn the election result. if mr giuliani is in hospitalfor a while and he is not able to return to that role, what implications is that going to have on the president's attem pts have on the president's atte m pts to have on the president's attempts to overturn the election? it is not as though the attempts were going that well. i mean, they havejust taken a battering stop and so, could this be the death knell for the legal efforts, possibly. they have lost literally dozens of cases in court trying to overturn the results. i dunno, followed no, the public relations effort will never cease. donald trump will never cease. donald trump will always claim that the election was stolen but giuliani was leading the kind of legal efforts, such as they

were, and failing daily at them. this could be it for that pa rt them. this could be it for that part of the fight. andrew kirtzman, thank you so much for your time here in bbc news. talks to secure a trade deal between the uk and the european union have concluded for the night, and will resume again on monday. one of the trickiest areas of disagreement is fishing rights, but two other main issues — competition rules, and how a deal would be enforced — remain unresolved. if there's going to be a deal, it needs to be done by december 31st. 0ur political correspondent chris mason reports. back in brussels, the uk's chief negotiator, lord frost, arriving for what's described on the british side as the last roll of the dice in trade talks with the eu. we've been working very hard to try and get a deal. we're going to see what happens in negotiations today and we will be looking forward to meeting our european colleagues later on this afternoon. thank you very much.

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 european union, and so anything that undermines our ability to control our own waters, for instance, or undermines our ability to make our own laws isn't something we can accept. tonight, eu sources suggest agreement could be near on fishing rights. a uk government source said there had been no such breakthrough and the issue of fair competition and how any agreement is enforced remain sticking points. as lord frost arrived at the european commission, he was reminded that the french are worried about not being able to catch as many fish. reporter: lord frost, what's your message to emmanuel macron? and supporters of the french government will tell anyone

who'll listen, they'll say no to a deal they don't like. this is the framing of the relationship between the uk and the eu for years, decades, to come, and so we have to be absolutely convinced on both sides of the channel that it is the right framing for this relationship. and if it is not, we shouldn't sign it. if there is a deal, parliament will be asked to endorse it. that's likely to be a formality, given boris johnson's sizeable majority, but labour are divided about what to do. they regard no deal as a disaster but can't agree whether it would be wise to endorse any deal the government does. we'll have to look of course at the content of the deal, but also any legislation that comes upon. we're not going to give them a blank cheque but i think i have been very clear, both today and on previous programmes with you, andrew, that the most important thing is the government get a deal. and tonight on that big question, the likelihood of a deal, a big player in the drama of brexit, the irish prime

minister, said this. my gut instinct is that it's 50/50 right now. and i don't think one can be overly optimistic about a resolution emerging. and so there is still plenty to discuss in brussels. after the rows, the anger and the bitterness of the last four and a half years since the eu referendum, another crucial moment of decision beckons. 0ur europe editor katya adler, has been following events in brussels. you've had negotiators this afternoon inside the european commission building behind me, trying to thrash it out in what the uk's describing as the last roll of the dice in these negotiations. and just a few moments ago, i was hearing from some in the eu that a deal on fishing, one of the three key outstanding issues, was really nearly there. now, this has been strongly denied by the uk, and that is confusing.

but at 11:55pm, with a deal with such a lot at stake as this, it's not unusual to have mixed messaging like that. and what i'm also hearing is that on the other two outstanding issues between the two sides — that's the eu push to get the uk to sign up to what it calls fair competition rules, in order to get good access to its single market, and also, because there's very little trust, how to then enforce those rules or face stiff penalties for either side if they break them. well, on that issue, the two sides are still very far apart, because the uk says, after brexit, "we want to keep our national sovereignty, we want to be free to make up our own rules and regulations," and all of these then still are the issues that can make or break this deal. so we have another day of negotiations ahead of us, tomorrow. and after that, the prime minister and the president of the european commission, ursula von der leyen, will have another call to see where we are by then.

0ur reporter there in brussels. let's get some of the day's other news. around 100 people have been arrested in athens for defying a stay—at—home order to prevent the spread of covid—19. students and left wing activists gathered to mark the 12th anniversary of the death of a fifteen—year—old boy who was shot by the police. officials in pakistan have called for an immediate inquiry into six coronavirus—related deaths at a hospital in peshawar which run out of oxygen supplies. staff said supplies ran out late on saturday after a delivery of cylinders from the city of rawalpindi failed to happen. south korea is raising its coronavirus alert level to the second highest tier after infections rose last week to more than 500 a day. new restrictions will apply to the capital, seoul, and surrounding areas for the next three weeks. batches of the pfizer—biontech coronavirus vaccine have begun arriving at hospitals in england ahead of the first jabs being administered on tuesday.

a senior health offical says it's the ‘beginning of the end' of the pandemic. the uk was the first country in the world to approve the use of the vaccine. 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. so it's 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's 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. now it's hoped there will be 800,000 available in the coming week or so, with up to five 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. stay with us on bbc news — still to come: bright lights, big city — why the people of sao paulo may have to enjoy a drive—through christmas. john lennon was shot at the entrance to the dakota building

in the centre of new york. there's been a crowd here standing in more or less silent vigil and the flowers have been piling up. the 14th cease—fire of this war ended at the walls of the old city of dubrovnik. this morning, witnesses said shells were landing every 20 seconds. people are celebrating the passing of a man they hold responsible for hundreds of deaths and oppression. elsewhere, people have been gathering to mourn his passing. imelda marcos, the widow of the former president of the philippines, has gone on trial in manila. she's facing seven charges of tax evasion, estimated at £120 million. she pleaded not guilty. the prince and princess of wales are to separate. a statement from buckingham palace said the decision had been reached amicably.

this is bbc news — the latest headlines: donald trump says his personal lawyer — rudy giuliani — has tested positive for coronavirus. a day of last—ditch talks between the uk and the eu — but still no breakthrough in a possible trade deal. staying with that now and there have been conflicting accounts over the last few days about where progress has or hasn't been made. but the main sticking points have been known for months. our reality check correspondent chris morris looks at the main issues. 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, not just 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 there's 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 you 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. but outside the single market and the customs union, things will be very different. the choice now, a pretty hard form of brexit or no deal at all. chris morris, bbc news. polls have now closed in venezuela where people have been voting for members of the national assembly, the parliamentary body which has been controlled by parties in opposition to the president, nicolas maduro,

for the last five years. this time, the opposition boycotted the vote, meaning president maduro is certain to establish control. the vote came after a two—year power struggle between the president, seen voting here, and opposition leader juan guaido, who is currently recognised as venezuela's legitimate leader by the us and more than 50 other nations. residents of a coastal resort town on a popular australian holiday island have been told to leave immediately as a bushfire worsens. fire crews are battling to control the fire on fraser island, a unesco world heritage site, off the east coast of queensland. it was sparked by an illegal campfire in mid—october. the state coordinator of queensland fire and emergency services, brian cox joins me now from brisbane. thanks for taking some time away from your work to speak to

us. away from your work to speak to us. right now people are being told to leave their homes. what is it that your crews are focusing on right now, as it bringing that blaze under control or is it helping people get out of harm's way? it's actually both. so what we are trying to do right now, the fire has reached around 700 metres short of the township itself. we have asked people to leave, some have chosen to stay and fight for their homes. we have emergency response crews there as we speak supporting them on the ground with those fires. it is a very complex environment, so some of those burns of sand make it very difficult to get into so we are using increasingly more air operations to support them. yesterday, we actually dropped over1 million yesterday, we actually dropped over 1 million litres yesterday, we actually dropped over1 million litres of water in the fraser island area to try to contain these fires. we

have also increased our assets today, so we got another 2a aircraft that includes two large air tankers, one from new south wales, so we have asked them to come up today to help us. them to come up today to help us. and the planners we are trying to do some controlled burns in that area, so on the ground with got additional crews, ground with got additional crews , over ground with got additional crews, over 90 are on the ground at the moment to try to contain displays and with that backin contain displays and with that back in as well, we are including some of that air operational targeting ahead of that particular fire area but asi that particular fire area but as i said it is a very complex environment and also tender dry conditions at the moment. you mention some of the resources that you are bringing to bear, are you getting the kind of support you need ? are you getting the kind of support you need? this is potentially the beginning of another very extensive and dangerous bushfire season. absolutely, i've gotta say, we've had significant queensland emergency response during this fire. it has been a collective effort, we have had

parks and wildlife staff, local indigenous rangers, we've had support from new south wales with their crew and a large aerial tanker. any support that we have asked for, we have gotten, but because it is a complex environment, there is only so much you can do with crews on the ground because at the same time we don't want to put our crews at risk. some of these areas, literally you cannot get into them so we are going to have to get in from the airand run going to have to get in from the air and run crews can only work in the space they can get to. we are hoping today we're going to hit it with everything we've got, and try to sort of control that fire, and we are hoping by close of business today we may have it under control. we certainly hope so, too. brian cox, thank you very much for your time and we wish you and your crew the best. brazil has the third worst coronavirus outbreak in the world. it means christmas celebrations will look quite different

there this year. but as sophia tran—thomson reports, the country's most populous city has — hopefully — found a way for people to enjoy christmas safely. the magic of christmas from a distance. in the city of sao paulo, the epicentre of brazil's coronavirus outbreak, the drive—through luminna festival is brightening spirits for those taking precautions to stay safe. translation: the idea was to have a moment ofjoy, a moment when people can safely leave their homes to feel secure to enjoy time within a family, to feel the love, peace and hope that christmas gives, even if only for an hour. the elaborate installation of christmas decorations and glittering lights has been designed to be viewed entirely from the safety of a private car.

translation: this is a fantastic event. people were at home thinking about what they can do, and to have an event like this where your safe, it's really great. as brazil's covid cases continue to rise and officials warn of an imminent collapse in medical services, the dazzling installation is a bittersweet escape and a chance to celebrate christmas with caution. sophia tran—thompson, bbc news. an unusual christmas for many of us, i'm sure. the duke and duchess of cambridge began a tour of the country by train on sunday to meet frontline workers, care home staff and teachers to thank them for their efforts during the covid—19 pandemic. britain has been the hardest hit country in europe by the pandemic, with over 60,000 deaths. the royal couple will travel 1,250 miles across england, scotland and wales. you can reach me on twitter — i'm @aaronsafir. i will be back in a few minutes

with the headlines. well, frosty and quite foggy for some of us out there again at the moment, certainly the south east of england, into east anglia as well. some of this fog could persist right through the morning and into the afternoon, a bit like on sunday, so it's going to feel pretty raw in these areas. now at the moment, we're sort of between weather systems, one in central parts of europe there, more clouds out in the atlantic. we're kind of stuck in the middle where the skies have been clear. it's a really tricky area to forecast because you have areas of cloud, mist and fog floating around. you can see we've sort of been wrapped around by this dip in the jet stream where the cold air is sitting, so that fog reforms at night and we get the patchy frost across the uk as well.

so this is what it looks like through the early hours of monday morning. the frost will again be in the south east and parts of east anglia, but not exclusively. these are the city centre temperatures. in rural spots, it will be colder than that at 6am in the morning on monday. so the frost and the fog possibly persisting into the afternoon in some southern areas. but there's a lot of sunshine in the forecast as well. certainly western coastal areas here will have the best of the weather. liverpool, belfast and glasgow, too, in for some sunshine, but it's going to be nippy. now, here's monday evening into tuesday, rain moving in off the north sea. that'll sweep into the north of england, but particularly scotland. there will probably be some mountain snow here as well. and that's a low pressure which will park itself across northern parts of the uk on tuesday. it's not going to drift anywhere else, it'll just sort of sit there during the course of tuesday until it rains itself out. so, not a pretty day

at all across scotland, northern ireland and the north of england on tuesday. on top of that, we've got gale—force winds. it'll feel cold, raw in places like belfast and glasgow, even though the temperatures will be around seven or eight degrees. it's that strength of the wind that will make it feel pretty cold. now, wednesday actually doesn't look too bad across the uk. see that little blob of rain there? that's the remnants of the low pressure that we will have had on tuesday, so by wednesday, it should be gone. now there's just a hint that temperatures will be picking up a little bit towards the end of the week, so rather than chilly, well, it's going to be less cold towards the end of the week. bye— bye.

this is bbc news — the headlines: president trump's personal lawyer, rudy giuliani, is reported to be in hospital after testing positive for the coronavirus. mr giuliani is understood to be receiving treatment in the georgetown university medical facility in washington. earlier, the president tweeted that mr giuliani had tested positive for covid—19. negotiators from britain and the european union have given differing interpretations of whether they are getting closer to agreeing a post—brexit trade deal. eu officials say they are close to overcoming one of the key obstacles — an agreement on fishing rights, but the british side has denied this. firefighters on a holiday island in australia say they may soon be unable to prevent a huge bushfire from advancing after they ordered residents to leave immediately. the bushfire warning system on fraser island — off the coast of queensland — has been raised to emergency level. the commentator peter alliss, who became known as the voice

of golf, has died. he was 89.