towards the end of the week. bye— bye. this is bbc news. welcome if you're watching here in the uk or around the globe. i'm aaron safir. our top stories: donald trump's personal lawyer, rudy giuliani, says he's getting great care and feeling good, despite being hospitalised with 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. south korea raises its coronavirus alert level to the second highest tier as it battles a rise in infections.

hello and welcome. donald trump's personal lawyer rudy giuliani is in hospital after contracting covid—19. he is understood to be receiving treatment in the georgetown university medical facility in washington. mr giuliani has tweeted his thanks to well—wishers and saying that he's "getting great care and feeling good. recovering quickly and keeping up with everything." 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. he's been spearheading mr trump's efforts to overturn the results of november's election. 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. earlier, i spoke to veteran political reporter andrew kirtzman, who is writing a biography of rudy giuliani. he explained the relationship between the president and the former mayor of new york. i think that donald trump came calling in 2016 when very few other candidates were ringing the phone for giuliani, and donald trump needed giuliani and giuliani needed trump and, you know, in classic giuliani form, you know, he does nothing halfway and he has been as bombastic an advocate trump has ever had and,

you know, he has gotten trump into trouble and it was giuliani who arguably led trump down the ukraine path and got trump impeached, but there is a loyalty there and trump — giuliani has survived when many other aides of trump have not. and mayors of new york city are often quite well known outside of that city and outside of the united states, but perhaps none more so than giuliani, who was, of course, the mayor of new york city during the 9/11 attacks and became a global figure — ‘america's mayor‘ is what they called him, wasn't it? i wonder how much the perception has changed over the years as he has come closer to president trump? right. well, he has done a tremendous amount of damage to his own reputation in service of trump. i mean, his attacks on trump's adversaries have been vituperative 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 hasjust been kind of one pr disaster after another. crosstalk. andrew, forgive me — you mentioned rudy giuliani's role in president trump's legal attempts to deny, to overturn the election result. if mr giuliani is in hospital for a while and he is not able to return to that role, what implications is that going to have on the president's attempts to overturn the election? well, i mean, it is not as though the attempts were going that well! i mean, they havejust taken a battering.

and so, you know, 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. and, i don't know, forall i know — i mean, the public relations effort will never cease. donald trump will always claim that the election was stolen. but giuliani was leading kind of the legal efforts, such as they were, and failing badly at them. so, you know, this could be it for that part of the fight. interesting take therefore andrew kirtzman, biographer of rudy giuliani. —— take there from. talks to secure a trade deal between the uk and the european union will resume again on monday after talks this weekend. 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 31. our 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 a 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 11.5 years since the eu referendum, another crucial moment of decision beckons. our 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. katya adler in brussels. i think she will have a busy few days! 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 is optimistic they may be able to gain the upper hand later today but for now, the threat remains to

the township of happy valley. the fire has reached around 700 metres short of the township itself. we've asked people to leave. some have chosen to stay and fight for their homes. we have emergency response crews there as we speak now, supporting them on the ground with those fires. it is a very complex environment. as you know, it's the world's largest sand island, 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. our correspondent shaimaa khalil gave me this update. she is in sydney. the firefighters have been battling those blazes for weeks now — for about six weeks — because of that illegal campfire that started in mid october, as you mentioned. the fire warnings have now been raised to emergency level and the people of happy valley have been urged to leave

immediately and some have chosen to stay, as we heard from brian cox there, 35 households have decided to defend their homes and some are actually trained firefighters and some have prepared their homes for the fires, but i think the real concern really — even though they are throwing everything they have at it — the fires are just going to get out of control. you know, we have been having really, really hot weather so the combination of high temperatures and strong winds and of dry land, that has let things get out of control. we know that 100 fire personnel are working to control those fires, 25 water—carrying air planes. they are planning to drop about1 million litres of water to try to keep those fires in check but really, as many firefighters have told us throughout the month throughout the months of the bushfire season last year, what they need for this fire to be controlled, what they need to put it out is rain — and lots of it — and that is not what they are

getting right now. and you mentioned last season's — last year's bushfire season, you know, the worst on record by many measures. i suppose memories of that are still lingering and i wonder how much attention this fire is getting in the rest of australia and if people are worried that this is a harbinger of things to come. look, ithink, you know, memories of the last fire season — which, of course, has been dubbed the black summer — are on everybody‘s mind right now. i think there is a collective nervousness, if you will, watching what is happening on fraser island at the moment. you know, we were travelling across the east coast of new south wales, where some of the areas were badly hit last summer, and the one thing that people tell you is that when you get days like today — when it is hot and windy — it almost triggers something in you, it triggers the memories of what happened, the trauma of what happened and even though the conditions this summer are different, we are told, from different reports, that we won't maybe have the big, huge, uncontrollable bushfires that

were really, really high — high as some buildings on different occasions — that it is going to be more grass fires for this summer. still a great deal of nervousness about what is to come, especially if the hot conditions continue to, you know, continue through the summer. all you need then is dry land and really strong winds and a spark to get things out of control. shaimaa khalil. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: sticking their neck out — the conservationists rescuing a group of stranded giraffes in kenya. 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 ceasefire 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 tomorrow and 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's personal lawyer — rudy giuliani — says he's getting great care and feeling good despite being hospitalised with coronavirus. a day of last—ditch talks between the uk and the eu —

but still no breakthrough in a possible trade deal. south korea is raising its coronavirus alert level to the second highest tier with infections rising to more than 600 a day. the military is being mobilised to help with expanded testing and new restrictions on daily life are imminent. mark lobel reports. up to now, south korea has been dealing with the pressure of the pandemic with flying colours. like their students taking important exams in these even more challenging times. achieving top marks with the top testing and contact tracing. but their latest assessments do not look good, now that daily cases have risen to a nine—day high. translation: this crisis is different from the crisis so far. there is no focused target on epidemic prevention measures. this could result in a much larger spread which is incomparable to previous outbreaks. if the medical system

reaches its limit, it will cause great damage to all of us. like other countries witnessing a resurgence in this crisis, it's introducing new measures. for three weeks from tuesday, in the capital, seoul, and surrounding areas, gatherings will be limited to 50 people. restaurants and some shops will close at night and gyms and karaoke bars will shut. as the country prepares for bare stadiums and a curtailed nightlife, prime minister chung sye—kyun said south korea is facing a critical period in its fight against covid—19. meanwhile, a cluster of covid cases in hong kong has meant a postponement for a second time of a much anticipated quarantine free travel bubble between it and singapore — a reminder ofjust how difficult it is proving to get international air travel off the ground.

mark lobel, bbc news. that stay with fighting coronavirus. —— let's stay. batches of the pfizer—biontech coronavirus vaccine have begun arriving at hospitals in england, ahead of the first jabs being administered on tuesday. 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 just so exciting, it is 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 soon 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're on the brink of the first big step out of the crisis but there's a long way to go. david shukman, 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. we will bring you those results when we get them. 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. a team of conservationists

in kenya has begun the daring rescue of eight giraffes, who became stranded by rising floodwater. a specially—adapted barge was used to float the animals to safety one—by—one after they became trapped on an island in lake baringo in the east of the country. the bbc‘s tim allman has more. like a carefully planned military operation, the rescue team began their work. the first priority? find a giraffe. wading through the floodwaters of longicharo island, soon enough, they did. meet asiwa, said to be the most vulnerable of the animal stranded here. they are known as rothschild giraffes — an endangered species only reintroduced to this area 10 years ago. there believed to be only 3,000 of them left in africa and about 800 of them in kenya. once she was subdued, she was led onto a barge so she could be transported to the mainland. this had once been a peninsula but the rising levels of lake baringo meant that it was now in island.

these giraffes need space, hence the need for this rather picturesque rescue. one very important passenger who seemed perfectly content to watch the world go by. back on dry land, asiwa was released to her new home. so far two giraffes have been rescued. another six will be moved in the coming months. a big day for asiwa — a moment of triumph for her rescuers. tim allman, bbc news. a great story. 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. thanks for watching here on bbc news. 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 and the fog

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'lljust 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 in hospital after testing positive for the coronavirus. mr giuliani, who is 76, is understood to be receiving treatment in the georgetown university medical facility in washington. in a tweet, he said he was getting good care and feeling good. 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. fire fighters 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.