welcome to bbc news. our top stories: joe biden promises a hundred million vaccinations against covid in his first one hundred days as us president. i'm absolutely convinced that in the first 100 days we can change the course of the disease and change our country for the better. a 90—year—old british woman becomes the first person in the world to be given the pfizer vaccine to protect against covid—19. well, because it is free and the best thing that has ever happened. at the moment, so do, please go for it, that is what

i say. joe biden names retired general lloyd austin as us defence secretary. if approved he would become the first african—american to lead the pentagon. in yet another final attempt to unlock post—brexit trade talks, borisjohnson heads to brussels later to meet the european commission president. a champions league match in paris is abandoned, with teams walking off the pitch following an alleged racist slur. welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. the us president—elect, joe biden, has outlined his plans to combat a deepening coronavirus health emergency which has left record numbers of americans dead or in hospital. he promised that in his first

100 days, 100 million americans would be vaccinated. he said that he would push to re—open schools. in some states children haven't sat in a classroom for 10 months. at a news conference, mr biden also repeated an appeal for everyone to wear a mask during his first 100 days. masking, vaccination, opening schools, these are the three key goals for my first 100 days. it will start with my signing order on day one, for people to require mouth, under law, like federal buildings, interstate travel on planes, trains and buses. 100 million vaccine shots in the arms of american people in the first 100 days. both candidates declined to attend, szier, it's vaccine developed with

buying tack is expected to be given emergency approval by regulators on thursday and president trump the administration is on the case. a meeting on emergency approval for moderna is scheduled for next week. we just days away from authorisation from the fda and pushing them hard after which, we will begin mass distribution. we have a doctor from we have a doctorfrom harvard medical school. thank you for your time. we have seen people in britain getting the vaccine. the us still has not yet approved it. if americans are wondering why british people are getting and they are not, what is the answer? festival, a joyous occasion thing people being vaccinated across the

pond less then a year after this began, this is the pinnacle of scientific achievement, regardless of nationality. in the united states, there has been a gap with this ad education for a long time. the need for a longer safety tale was important that we could look patients in the eye and say it works and it is safe so we have a delayed timeframe, really owing to the fact that we wa nted owing to the fact that we wanted to see enough safety data so we can have that conversation. the us does not have a centralised health system in the way that the uk does. it is quite fragmented, different providers and different providers and different states, how is that going to affect a mass vaccination programme? going to affect a mass vaccination programme ?|j going to affect a mass vaccination programme? i think it will be chaotic and the numbers will climb, whether it's an organised fashion remains to be seen. it will be a little bit unpredictable and there will be eggs and flows

and this is a disadvantage of the system but if we can have 100 million vaccines in the first 100 days as the us president—elect is promising, it would be wonderful news if that can occurred. is that a realistic ambition? are not familiar with the production line per se, but i think that the us president—elect has surrounded himself with some of the greatest experts on this in the greatest experts on this in the country and in the world. i don't think they would let him get too far ahead, it may be aspirational but we should see hundreds of millions of doses in the world in coming months so in the world in coming months so it should be possible and am cautiously optimistic about that. so we have approval and the challenge of distribution andi the challenge of distribution and i suppose another big challenge now is convincing people to take the vaccine or any other that gets approved down the line. what is the best way to reach out to people who may range from being slightly sceptical to being completely opposed quite fanciful reasons?

were familiar with this, yes, if science came up with a cure for cancer and some dingbats will come up with some theory that it would cause infertility 01’ that it would cause infertility or something like that. people can say that this is the pinnacle of scientific achievement and people want to participate in that and they wa nted participate in that and they wanted feedback them and their neighbours are protected only to have an honest conversation about risk and benefits and the risks are small but we have to be frank and say we expect it to cause side—effects, not mark, i expect it but if it does not, it is still working but you should expect headache, fatigue and body aches, and a number people may have these symptoms but it has been safe in the trial so far and that is a conversation i anticipate. thank you for your time today,

doctor. 0n the first day of the uk's mass covid vaccination programme, thousands of people have received jabs. 90—year—old margaret keenan became the first person to be given the pfizer vaccine outside of clinical trials, which manufacturers say it is up to 95 per cent effective. the british government has ordered a0 million doses with 800,000 in the first batch. 0ur health editor hugh pym reports. an early morning hospital appointment. at first glance, nothing out of the ordinary. but this was unlike anything before. margaret, aged 90, was the very first patient to receive the newly—approved coronavirus vaccine. applause. there was a well deserved round of applause, and intense interest amongst media and health officials at this hospital vaccination clinic in coventry.

she seemed to take it all in her stride. so, margaret, first of all, tell us, how was it for you? it was fine, it was fine. i wasn't nervous at all. it was really good, yeah. and what do you say to those who might be having second thoughts about having this vaccine? i say go for it, go for it, because it's free, and it's the best thing that's ever happened... ..at the moment. so, do please go for it. that's what i say, you know? if i can do it, well, so can you. the matron who administered the historicjab said this significance only sunk in afterwards. i do this all the time. i've done hundreds of vaccinations, but never with such interest, and people, like, wanting to know what's going on and wanting to actually witness it, so it was really surreal. it's a world first, it

represents extraordinary progress by science, but for the nhs, this is a huge achievement, turning research into reality. around the uk, there were similar stories. in glasgow, the vaccine was delivered to the sec centre, with nhs staff among the first to receive the jabs. it's really exciting, it's lovely. you feel like you're a wee bit of history in the making. it's really lovely. in belfast, health staff queued to get theirjabs. the policy is for those doing the vaccinations to be vaccinated first. the health service in general has struggled throughout the fight with covid—19, so it feels like a momentous day. very privileged. at this vaccine centre in cardiff, one of seven in wales, more than 200 people have been booked in every day till friday. we do need people to be patient for that bit longer. let's get through to the spring. as we work through to the spring, we'll be vaccinating as many people as we can. it's a good day for the whole country.

the prime minister, on a visit to a london vaccination centre, wanted to rein in people's expectations. i urge people to contain their impatience. it's a very exciting moment but there's still a lot of work to be done and a lot of discipline to be maintained. the head of nhs england was urging people not to turn up without appointments. wait to hearfrom the nhs. we will make contact with you. the vaccine is being made available to us from the manufacturers on a phased basis, so the bulk of the vaccination is going to be injanuary, february, march and april. the priority groups now include the over 80s. harry and ranjan, who spoke to us yesterday, had their jabs together in newcastle, with badges to prove it. applause. margaret certainly won't forget her vaccination, nor will nhs staff on a dramatic and momentous day which they can only hope marks a turning point. hugh pym, bbc news, coventry.

let's get some of the day's other news. five people have been killed in a helicopter crash in the french alps. the pilot, who was able to eject, raised the alarm shortly after the aircraft went down in the savoie region, at an altitude of 1,800 metres. it's not clear what brought down the helicopter, which belonged to a private search and rescue company. new zealand prime minister jacinda ardern has led tributes to mark one year since the white island volcanic eruption, which killed 22 people and injured dozens. the majority were tourists from countries like australia, the united states and malaysia, who were part of a cruise ship that was travelling around new zealand. the uk prime minister, boris johnson will travel to brussels on wednesday to have dinner with the president of the european commission, ursula von de leyen. negotiations remain stuck with only weeks to go before the brexit transition period

ends on the 31st of december. the politicians hope that meeting in person will make a solution possible. 0ur deputy political editor vicki young has more. reporter: will there be a deal, prime minister? trade talks have run into trouble, and boris johnson will soon need to take some difficult decisions. i think the situation at the moment is very tricky. 0urfriends havejust got to understand that the uk has left the eu in order to be able to exercise democratic control over the way we do things, and then there is also the issue of fisheries, where we are a long way apart still, but hope springs eternal. there has been progress in another very tricky area. to avoid checks along the irish border, northern ireland will continue to follow some eu rules. but that means inspections on certain goods entering northern ireland from the rest of the uk. businesses there have been worried about extra paperwork and the impact

on food and medicine supplies. how do you start to unpeel the complexity that is northern ireland and not create any instability? so, i think if they've got some sort of solution today, albeit late, we would welcome it and we would be pleased, and we hope that with the detail coming out, they have listened to our concerns. this has been a hugely complicated and controversial issue where economic considerations have had to be seen in the context of a delicate peace process. positives have been difficult to find in recent days when it comes to brexit negotiations, but this is most certainly a very important positive for the island of ireland as a whole because what this does now is it provides the guarantees that ireland's place in the single market and the issues around the border are now all settled. hopefully this is a signal that the british government is in a deal—making mood. some see today's agreement as a positive sign for the broader trade talks,

but don't forget those arrangements in northern ireland will apply whether there is a deal or not, and eu sources say their chief negotiator, michel barnier, has told european ministers we are now tilting towards no deal. and while politicians talk, the uncertainty affects businesses everywhere. the manager of this sawmill in somerset says he is ready to adapt. we have to be as positive as we possibly can about it and move forward. we employ three, four people and a couple of part—timers, and having to let people go is the worst thing for me, so my biggest fear is having to let staff members go if there are price increases and we become less efficient and if we go into recession. tomorrow, boris johnson heads to brussels for dinner with the president of the european commission, a last chance to find a breakthrough and a trade deal that both sides can sign up to. vicki young, bbc news, westminster.

stay with us on bbc news, still to come: scientists in the netherlands fill a football stadium with aerosol sprays to see how cheering crowds might spread covid—19. 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 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: us president—electjoe biden pledges 100 million vaccinations across the united states in his first 100 days in office. thousands of people in the uk have been injected against covid—19 on the first day of a mass vaccination programme. the us president—electjoe biden has chosen retired army general, lloyd austin, as his defense secretary. if confirmed, general austin will be the first african—american to lead the pentagon.

his nomination was received favourably by a number of prominent figures, in particularformer presidential candidate and first lady hilary clinton who said, "i've known lloyd austin for 15 years. he will make history, and serve this country." benjamin crump, the us attorney who has represented the families of george floyd and breonna taylor also tweeted, saying that, "lloyd austin's nomination as defense secretary is another groundbreaking selection byjoe biden!" to get some insight into how significant this selection is. i'm joined christopher parker, professor of political science at the university of washington, who has written extensively on us and racial politics. we and racial politics. will get to race and politics we will get to race and politics in a minute, my first wa nt to politics in a minute, my first want to ask you about lloyd austin's altercations for this job? straight up, the guy was commander of central command which is arguably the most important command and american

military because it is all american forces in the middle east so they are not just american forces in the middle east so they are notjust going to put anybody of commander of central command, particularly during a time of conflict. so, it sounds like he is well qualified then. it is interesting to see quite a broad selection of voices approving of him. let's talk about race, then stopping the first black person to lead the pentagon if he is confirmed, what would be the significance of that? technically, colin powell was the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff back in the bush administration, the first bush administration so he spent time up there too and the pentagon but it is really important, simply because when a military has a joyous and exalted position and american society and black people served in military through the very beginning with the revolutionary war, actually revolting from you guys. so black folks have always served

in the military, but certain times, especially during the early years of the republic, there were times in which we we re there were times in which we were not even considered first—class citizens so to have a black person in charge of the military is completely appropriate and beyond that, we have already had a black person that was secretary of state, again, colin powell, and then the attorney—general‘s office with ms lynch, so to have a black person finally in charge of the pentagon and defence is a really important thing for us. a really important thing for us. and more broadly joe biden has promised to make his administration the most diverse and american history, is he on track for that? yes, he's on track for that? yes, he's on track but it seems like he's really kind dragging his feet. we still have yet to see a prominent latino that is part of the upper exelon of the cabinet, so he needs that. he is really lagging there, but so

far so good, but he needs to build that down when it comes to latinos. so, yes, but he needs to do that. this is something on which he needs to remain focused, because it is by and large because of people of colour that he is in the position he has right now. black people rescued his campaign in south carolina, we turned out in full force, in wisconsin, pennsylvania, the so—called blue wall states, and we also deliver georgia to him so we also deliver georgia to him so he needs to continue with that. we will wait and see if he does. christopher parker from the university of washington, thank you for your time. the us supreme court has rejected a lawsuit brought by allies of donald trump, seeking to overturn the results of the election in pennsylvania. the court dismissed the request to discount more than 2.5 million postal votes,

without stating any reasons. it's the latest of dozens of legal cases brought by the trump camp to fail in the courts. a european champions league football match in france will have to be completed on wednesday, after both teams walked off the pitch, accusing a match official of racism. players from paris st germain and istanbul basakshir stopped playing 1a minutes into the game, and refused to continue. i'm joined by our reporter paul hawkins. what exactly do we know about the incident? the 14th minute of the match, the referee goes over to the basakshir assistant coach who was from cameroon, shows him a red card, he is objected to the decision stopping he then turns to the fourth match official who stands between the two teams' managerial sites in the dugout, he turns to them and he says,

why are you referring to me by the colour of my skin, i am paraphrasing here. the fourth official, he is using the romanian word for black, the fourth match official is from romania, there is then another clip that we have seen some footage, the striker for the turkish side says, why, when you mention a black guy, do you have to say this guy, the implication being that you wouldn't describe the coach that way if he was white. a paris st germain striker is overheard in the footage saying, is he serious? we are heading in, that's it. and then all of the players from each side appear to show solidarity, they walked down the tunnel, they walked down the tunnel, they don't reappear. st germain, the governing body for football in europe offered to

swa p football in europe offered to swap that fourth match official for someone else, the offer hasn't been taken up and the game is set to resume on wednesday with a completely different set of match officials. there is going to be a dutch referee and the rest of them are going to be from the netherlands and poland. all right, paul, thank you for talking us through what happened. scientists are using the netherlands' largest football stadium to model how a cheering football crowd might spread germs through the air. their hope is that by finding out more about the behaviour of aerosols or airborne particles, they will be able to remove them from the air and get fans back into stadiums and concert halls. aruna iyengar has this report. empty stadiums, cardboard cutout fans, and now, strict limits on numbers. that has been the face of all since march. now this experiment at this stadium in the netherlands might bring back full throated singing on the terraces

stopping aerosols like these spray stopping aerosols like these spray saliva like treatments dominic droplets which simulate a noisy crowd. what you see as actually a small generator that is generating droplets, presenting saliva and the small droplets will actually evaporate on the residue will be floating around here, and the number of this remaining particles is actually measured by these kind of sensors, and they count the number and the size of each of these particles. if the concentration of particles is higher then our clea ners of particles is higher then our cleaners in these black towers can be deployed. tubes running below the seats can remove clea n below the seats can remove clean air. even in a worst-case scenario, you clean air. even in a worst-case scenario, you can clean air. even in a worst-case scenario, you can show that by aircleaning scenario, you can show that by air cleaning technologies that do exist that you can drastically reduce those concentrations and make this stadium safe in terms of aerosol transmission of the virus. data is being gathered during the weeks of testing to show the effect is for a full

capacity crowd of around 55,000. researchers are hoping to get permission to experiment with a real crowd of 730 football fa ns with a real crowd of 730 football fans seated close together. it may be impossible together. it may be impossible to get back to full grounds, but by making mass testing, facemasks and in our ventilation and clean air, that goal may be a more realistic target. song writers and musicians have told british parliamentarians that they are struggling to make ends meet because of the way streaming services pay royalties stopping they were giving evidence to a committee. 0ne artist described the current system is ridiculous and has called for it to be changed. and finally, some amazing

pictures from a litter route in china, with a difference. dangling more than 1,000 feet in the air, a team of courageous rubbish collectors abseil down tianmen mountain clearing up the waste left behind by tourists. hello there. low pressure will continue to bring more unsettled weather to our shores for the rest of this week and very slowly, those temperatures will be creeping up as we reach the end of the week and into the weekend. now for wednesday, we'll have some showers across eastern areas. some sunshine will develop, though, behind it is this ridge of high pressure that builds in and then there will be rain pushing to western areas later on all courtesy of this new frontal system. so we'll start off rather grey, misty, murky conditions with some showery bursts of rain through this morning. they should eventually clear away, it's an improving picture with some sunshine developing though showers holding on across northeastern scotland. later in the day for northern ireland, western fringes of england, wales and practically into the south west we will see thicker cloud moving in here with outbreaks of rain.

temperatures slowly climbing but again it's going to be another chilly day for most, temperatures range from to 5—7 celsius quite typically. as we head through wednesday night, we will start to see that cloud thickening up across the east as well. it looks like most of the heaviest rain will start to push across wales, the south west england, to the channel islands. elsewhere, we will hold onto quite a bit of cloud, some light and patchy rain under clearing skies across the north, it will be quite chillier otherwise, less cold than it's been on other nights. on thursday, we are in between weather systems although we have this weather front affecting the northern half of the uk. we've got a slack airflow once again so winds will be light, rather grey skies for many with some patchy light rain or drizzle, little bit heavier across scotland. could see a touch of winteriness over the high grounds. the air is still quite cool with those highs ranging from 5—8 celsius. but slowly coming up across the south west, 9—10 celsius there for cardiff and for plymouth. as we head on into friday, a more substantial frontal system spreads its way eastwards across the country. this one will bring a bit

of a change to the weather, some heavier rain at times will make its way towards the eastern side of the country, winds stronger for a time, and then skies will brighten up across western areas, perhaps one or two showers here. so, it's out west where will start to see temperatures lift by the end of friday, 10—11 celsius here. a little bit less cold further east, too. still on the chilly side — with temperatures in single figures. into the weekend, we hold onto a lot of cloud, some rain in northern and western areas. by sunday, we'll see another area of low pressure which will bring windier weather, some milder air, and also outbreaks of rain.

this is bbc news.

the headlines: joe biden has put forward his plans to deal with a worsening coronavirus health crisis which has killed nearly 300,000 americans. the us president—elect promised that one hundred million vaccinations would be carried out in his first 100 days in office. britain has become the first country to begin a mass coronavirus vaccination programme, with an authorized, fully tested jab. 70 hubs have been set up at hospitals around britain. 90—year—old margaret keenan, got the first dose of the pfizer biontech jab, outside of the clinical trials. boris johnson will travel to brussels on wedneday to have dinner with the president of the european commission in a last—ditch effort to reach a trade agreement. negotiations remain stuck with only weeks to go before the transition period ends at the end of december.