welcome to bbc news, i'm james reynolds, our top stories: a panel of us experts recommends that the szier covid—19 vaccine be given approvalfor use. the fda normally follows their advice. a stark warning from britain's prime minister. borisjohnson says there's a ‘strong possibility‘ that the uk will fail to strike a post—brexit trade deal with the european union. i stand ready to talk to anybody, our friends and partners in the eu, whenever they want. at the moment, i have to tell you, in all candour, the treaty is not there yet. pushing the poorest further into poverty. how coronavirus is hitting those who are already struggling, and making a hard situation even worse. and, the british actress, barbara windsor, best known for her roles in eastenders

and the carry on films, has died aged 83. welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. let's start with the news that broke in the past few hours, a top us government advisory panel has recommended the authorization of the country's first vaccine against covid—i9. the committee agreed 17 to 4 that the known benefits of the vaccine, developed by pfizer and germany's biontech, outweigh the risks in those over 16 years of age. the formal approval from the food and drug administration is expected to follow very soon and the first patients in the us could receive the vaccine as early as next monday. here's what the head of the fda's office of vaccines research and review said as the meeting concluded. i just wanted to thank the committee for voting

on this very complex topic, i wanted to thank the committee for the discussion and their suggestions. we very much appreciate their input on this very important topic and we will take what we have heard today into consideration when deciding on, not only the eua issue here but also how to move on in the development of this product, thank you so much. speaking before the vote, vice president mike pence said this could be a turning point for the spread of coronavirus in the us. we are living in a challenging time. cases rising, but you need to be assured, we have never been more prepared to combat this virus than we are today, and people deserve to know that we are just a few short days away from what i believe will be the beginning of the end of the coronavirus pandemic in america.

we can now speak to dr krutika kuppali who is assistant professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at medical university of south carolina. welcome back. you are often on this programme without. how rigourous is the vetting procedure this vaccine? it has been very rigourous. the fda is the gold standard here in the united states for evaluating the vaccine clinical trials and they went through a very thorough review of the clinical trails that have been conducted thus far for the coronavirus vaccine, so the salience is very sound. i listened to the entire committee meeting today and they had a very great discussion. how will it be distributed in the states and where you are? the way it is being distributed in the states is that, the federal government distributes it to each state and then the state distributes it to the hospitals that have

the capacity to store the pfizer vaccine as it is required to have an ultra cold storage system, so where i am and south carolina, our healthcare and south carolina, our healthca re system and south carolina, our healthcare system is going to be one of the places that will be one of the places that will be distributing the vaccine, and in this first wave, the cdc has recommended healthca re workers and residents of long—term care facilities would be in the first wave to have the vaccine. is that the right order with yellow that is, i'd believe that is the right order. healthcare workers on the front lines, we are putting ourselves at risk, we need healthcare workers as cases surge here in the united states, today alone we had 14,000 new cases, our hospitals are at capacity. we have over 100,000 people in the hospital, over 3000 deaths so we need our healthcare workers to be healthy so that we can take ca re of healthy so that we can take care of the patient. that

special challenge of refrigeration that this vaccine needs, how might that work if there is a care home in an isolated area? so there are also partnerships with pharmacies that are going to be helping to distribute the vaccine to care homes as well, so vaccine to care homes as well, so here there are two pharmacies, cvs and walgreens helping to distribute to care homes as well. clinical trials of a covid—19 vaccine in australia have been abandoned, after participants returned false positive hiv test results. the developers of the vaccine — the university of queensland and the biotech firm, csl — stressed there had been no serious safety concerns. it is one of four coronavirus vaccines which australia's government has committed to purchasing. prime minister, scott morrison, says it was not a wasted investment. every sense, we have invested in getting the best and most early available and safe

vaccines for australians in the middle of the covid—19 pandemic has been money well spent copy every single cent copy i mean, there are no guarantees when it comes to vaccine development and if you don't put the investment in across a range of opportunities and options, then you don't get one come out the other end and i think the expectation that there would be a 100% success rate across these is naive. it isjust a 100% success rate across these is naive. it is just not true. scott morrison there. let's get some of the day's other news. israel and morocco have agreed to establish diplomatic relations. the israeli prime minister, benjamin neta nyahu, described the deal as extraordinary. morocco is the fourth arab country to normalise ties with israel in recent months — after the uae, bahrain and sudan. palestinians have called the agreement unacceptable, saying it encouraged israel's denial of their rights. the short—term letting website airbnb has begun trading on the stock market for the first time. its share price opened far

higher than originally predicted. the company is valued at more than a $100 billion. it's the biggest debut sale of shares by a us firm this year. crowds have gathered in front of the argentine congress building in buenos aires where mps are debating a bill to legalise abortion. if passed, it would allow terminations up to the fourteenth week of pregnancy. supporters of reform wearing trademark green scarves have been dancing and singing and banging carnival drums, while groups of opponents in blue have been holding prayer vigils. conservationists say decades of efforts to save the european bison are proving successful. according to the latest update of the official extinction list, more than 6,000 of the large mammals are scattered across poland, belarus and russia. they were almost wiped out by hunting and habitat loss a century ago, surviving only in zoos. the uk prime minister boris johnson has said there's a strong possibility of a no—deal brexit after he and the european commission president, ursula von der leyen failed to break the deadlock last

night in the negotiations. his comments come after the european commission set out contingency plans to ease disruption if britain and the eu fail to secure an agreement. talks will continue until sunday. a decision would then be made on whether or not the discussions are worth continuing. the prime minister urged the uk to start preparing for a no—deal outcome. we need to be very, very clear, there is now a strong possibility, strong possibility, that we will have a solution that is much more like an australian relationship with the eu than a canadian relationship with the eu. that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. there are plenty of ways, as i have said, that we can turn that to the advantage of both sides in the conversation. there are plenty of opportunities for the uk. at the moment the uk is in a transition period until the end of december and wants continued access to the eu's single market.

european commission president ursula von der leyen laid out the conditions for this to happen. i had a very long conversation yesterday night with the prime minister boris johnson, it was a good conversation, but it is difficult. we are willing to grant access to the single market to our british friends, it's the largest single market in the world, but the conditions have to be fair. they have to be fair for our workers and for our companies, and this fine balance of fairness has not been achieved so far. our negotiators are still working and we will take a decision on sunday. brandon bernard is due to become the ninth person to be executed by the us federal government in the last five months. by way of comparison, there were only three federal executions between 1988 and june 2020.

mr bernard's legal team has filed a emergency stay of execution with the supreme court. leboo diseko reports from washington. for the last 20 years, brendan benard has been on death row. on wednesday, his lawyers were u nsuccessful on wednesday, his lawyers were unsuccessful in a last ditch appeal to stop as execution. it means tonight, he could become the first of five gnederal prisoners to be executed during the presidential transition.“ they would be able to go back in time, i would definitely, a whole bunch of different scenarios. donald trump would have overseen the deaths of 13 federal inmates when he leaves office, more than any president in overa office, more than any president in over a century. the federal death penalty was reinstated in 1998 but executions were rare, just three have taken place since then and none since 2003. but injuly, since then and none since 2003. but in july, the since then and none since 2003. but injuly, the trump administration resumed the practice after a 17 year

hiatus. brendan benard's case has attracted the support of celebrities like kim kardashian west, the reality star and prison reform activist has called on her followers to tweet mr trump to save mr benard. tomorrow, another federal execution is scheduled at the same penitentiary and indiana. these executions come just weeks forjoe biden tax office that he has said that he will seek to end the death penalty. the incumbent president would usually do for to his —— defer to his successor, but donald trump's attorney general has said he is just following the law. he says he owes it to the victims and theirfamilies to he owes it to the victims and their families to carry forward this sentence. some of the poorest countries in the world face severe hardship from some of the long—term consequences of the long—term consequences of the long—term consequences of the pandemic. organisations such as the world bank and oxfa m such as the world bank and oxfam have warmed up to 70 million people could be pushed into extreme poverty, that

would undo the progress. the squeeze on household income right here in britain as having a direct impact on life elsewhere. spitalfields in east london has attracted migrants for centuries. in the 17th it was french protestants. in the late 19th jews settled here. today it is a home from home for bangladeshi migrants. one of the things migrants have always done, once they establish themselves and their new lives in places like this, is to start sending money back home. my own family has done that. the problem is, this year, 2020, covid has put a stop to that vital flow of cash. from barbers to waiters, they all want to help relatives. roughly one in every $20 in the bangladeshi economy comes from families abroad. athaur rahman used to send £2000 per year but since march his earnings as an electrician have plummeted. he says hello to you, as well.

i'm short of income here, i can't then send money to bangladesh. this is money they really depend on. absolutely. we support the children's education and we are not able to do that for them so it makes us sad here. athaur‘s cousin taiyab is desperate and is about to sell two of his cows just to keep going. translation: my cousins were helping me before. that made it possible to cover our living costs. now, because of the pandemic, we don't get any help from anyone. i don't know how we will survive in the days ahead. only allah knows how we will live. there are 15 people in the extended family to support. translation: it's hard to buy food, pay for the children's education and pay our expenses. this loss of income comes on top of the faltering global economy with devastating consequences around the world. 20 years of incredible progress

on health and millions of people coming out of poverty has really stopped. south africa's struggle against tuberculosis is a classic example of how covid has hijacked health care. next to prosperous cape town lies the settlement of khayelitsha. tb is a disease that thrives on poverty and overcrowding. limited resources have been diverted to fighting covid—19, leaving thousands undiagnosed with tb. each one of them could infect up to ten other people. it is a ticking time bomb and i just want to remind the viewers that tb remains the leading infectious disease killer globally, certainly in south africa. twice the number of people die from tb in south africa compared to covid—19. the arrival of covid vaccines brings hope but even this has the potential to widen the gap between rich and poor countries. if the first 2 billion doses of covid vaccines go only to rich countries, then not only will the pandemic

last much longer but we will see twice as many deaths. we are not safe until everyone is safe. the pandemic has exposed the way in which the well—being of people around the world, whether they live in the north or south, whether they are rich or poor, is a shared problem, needing global solutions. george alagiah, bbc news. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: the hollywood star viola davis tells us about her new role as the pioneering blues singer, ma rainey. 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. a panel of us experts recommends that the szier covid—19 vaccine be given approvalfor use. a final verdict from the food and drug administration is expected within days.

a stark warning from britain's prime minister. borisjohnson, says there‘s a ‘strong possibility‘ that the uk will fail to strike a post—brexit trade deal so, if the transition period does end in three weeks without a trade deal — it will mean changes for many people in the uk. here‘s our deputy political editor, vicki young. trade deals make things run more smoothly for businesses. since leaving the eu, britain has agreed dozens of them, but the one that‘s arguably the most important of all has run into trouble. for decades, the uk and the rest of the european union have bought and sold goods across borders without checks or taxes, known as tariffs. but if there‘s no deal, then companies will have to operate under rules set by the world trade organization. that means that most of the food imported to the uk from the eu would attract an extra tax. the british retail consortium has calculated that it

will mean 48% on beef mince, 16% on cucumbers and 57% on cheddar cheese. when it comes to exports from the uk to the eu, it will mean a tariff of 10% on cars and 35% on dairy products. both sides are putting measures in place to reduce disruption from the start of january. in key areas such as transport, the eu said today that it would allow things to carry on broadly as they are, but only if the uk continue to follow existing rules on standards. and today, the eu has outlined temporary measures for areas other than trade. so, on aviation, they‘re saying that, for six months, uk planes can still fly to the eu, but they have to go to a single destination and then return.

existing safety certificates would continue to be valid. and on fishing, they‘re saying that both sides should continue to access each other‘s waters for up to one year, but the uk would have to agree all of this. and there are other aspects of our relationship, including financial services and data sharing, that also need to be ironed out. this won‘t necessarily involve a negotiation. many things are changing, whether there‘s a trade deal or not. we‘ll no longer be able to move freely between the uk and the eu, to live and work. when it comes to holidays you won‘t need a visa, but visits will be time—limited. free health care will no longer be guaranteed. we‘ll need different driving documents for some countries and extra paperwork for pets. all of those things have been agreed, but there‘s plenty more that will need to be discussed if trade talks collapse in the next few days. vicki young, bbc news. dame barbara windsor, one of britain‘s most beloved entertainment stars, has died aged 83. she was best known for her

roles in the soap eastenders and the carry on films. dame barbara was diagnosed with alzheimer‘s disease in 2014 and made the news public in 2018. her husband, scott mitchell, says she died on thursday night at a london care home. i‘m joined by our correspondent peter bowes in los angeles. when you look at the how do you some corrupt? you're absolutely right, she was tiny in stature but had that bubbly personality, and incredibly infectious laugh with me her perfect for the many comedic roles that she performed in some of the serious roles as well. it was a long career which started in the late 19505, which started in the late 1950s, appearing on stage, a

fixture on british television for several decades and she made her name on eastenders but also the carry on films. her husband said she will be remembered the love, fun, friendship and brightness she brought to all of our lives and thatis brought to all of our lives and that is a perfect way of describing her. it‘s a way she is seen by so many fans as an entertainment figure. she was the most tissue entertainers and there is that final chapter in eastenders. it seemed to be a soap invented almost purely for her. yes, it was an extraordinary final chapter and i read that at that point before she started, she was beginning to question the kinds of roles she could take on, she was getting a little older and peggy mitchell came along, the matriarch of the pub that the programme centres around, and it was just programme centres around, and it wasjust made programme centres around, and it was just made for her. she was a londoner, she had that

cockney accent, she understood, clearly she understood londoners and some of the difficult times people went through, and the london sense of humour as well and all those ingredients went together to make her perfect in that role, and it was a role she stayed in for some 22 years. 2021 think it was. thank you so much for reflecting on that long amazing life of dame barbara woods. ma rainey‘s black bottom is one of the most anticipated films of the year and hotly tipped for oscar success. adapted from a cycle of plays by the pulitzer prize—winning playwright, august wilson — which chronicle the 20th century african american experience— it tells the story of the trailblazing blues singer ma rainey. the drama stars viola davis and chadwick boseman, who died of colon cancer this year. our arts editor, will gompertz spoke to viola davis and director george c wolfe. testing, one, two,. one, two, you know what to do.

# i'm on my way # as crazy as i can be you‘re playing ma rainey, the legendary mother of the blues. it's the 19205. she‘s a very powerful black woman who knows her status but she is in conflict with white producers who control to a certain extent her creativity. you could argue you are also a powerful black woman now, nearly 100 years later. has much changed in the entertainment industry? there is still a huge deficit in terms of being in the total position of power, so that we don‘t have to go to white producers or white studio execs and have to over explain our work and over explain our artistry. we still have to achieve that. you care nothing about me. all you want is my voice. we‘re at the beginning of a race that has been

going on for a01 years. that‘s like saying, i‘ve got to run for 50,000 miles and i just started yesterday and i was walking. laughter we still have a long way to go. but i feel like at least there is movement. i‘m going to get me a band and make me some records. the character levee played by chadwick boseman who tragically died after making the movie, what was the process of making the movie with him like? he wasn‘t interested in black panther any more. he was a character actor trapped in a leading man‘s body. he wasn‘t interested in chadwick. he wasn‘t interested in being the sexy lead of a movie. he was interested in the transformational value of the business. ma rainey is here. applause

the fact it's set in 1927 and it deals with the dynamics of art, coming into contact with management, that it deals with race and the difference between the south and the north, every single thing that is still unresolved within the united states is, of course, going to resonate. # i‘m on my way # crazy as i can be...# a reminder of our main story. a panel of experts in the united states has endorsed the pfizer biontech coronavirus vaccine for emergency use. it paves the way for approval. pfizer says its vaccine has an advocacy rate of 95%. other countries have also given the vaccine the green light. cases are continuing to search in the us, on wednesday, more than 3000 deaths. a record high. if the fda signs off, it clears the

way for the complicated task of distributing it across 50 states. more on our website. do stay with us. hello again. although skies across the uk on thursday were almost uniformly grey and drab, skies like these overhead in llangollen were pretty commonplace across the country. there were, however, big temperature contrasts from place to place. in the west, we had some milder atlantic air moving in. whereas across central and eastern england along with the whole of scotland, we had much colder continental air. in the west, temperatures reached double figures, it was actually quite mild, 10—11 celsius. but across central and eastern england and scotland, temperatures were more typically around 5—6 celsius. we only managed to get 4 in dalwhinnie in the highlands of scotland. so, there were some big contrasts. those contrasts were driven, really, by this weather front that‘s been bringing rain eastwards over recent hours. and it‘s, as well, been one of those nights where the milder air has been pushing in. temperatures for some have actually been rising throughout the night as well. so, for most of us,

friday will get off to a relatively mild note but across eastern england, eastern scotland, there will still be some rain around. in fact, the rain will linger in aberdeenshire pretty much all day, bringing a risk of some localised flooding. but i suspect there will for a time in the morning be some low cloud for north east england and eastern scotland with some hill fog patches around. now, the skies do try to brighten up from the west but there will be plenty of showers coming through later on in the day. that milder air pushing into pretty much all of the uk though as we head towards the afternoon. so, temperatures will be

lifting across those central and eastern areas. the weekend , well, we‘ve still got low pressure loitering on the weather chart. that will continue to bring some rainfora time across scotland. the rain quite slow to ease across eastern areas of england — none of it particularly heavy, mind you , but later in the day, we‘ll start to see a ridge of high pressure building in from the west and that means that we should see more in the way of sunshine for northern ireland, temperatures though on the mild side, reaching a high towards the south west of 13 celsius. that‘s your latest weather.

this is bbc news,

the headlines: a panel of experts in the united states has endorsed the pfizer biontech coronavirus vaccine for emergency use. it paves the way for approval by the us food and drug administration. the us hopes to have around a0 million doses of the vaccine ready by the end of the year. britain‘s prime minister has issued a warning that leaving the eu‘s single market and customs union, without a trade deal, is now a strong possibility. borisjohnson, said the eu‘s current offer was unacceptable because it would keep the uk locked into its legal system. talks will continue with the eu until sunday. the british actress dame barbara windsor, best known for her roles in the carry on films, has died aged 83. she later successfully crossed the generational divide, and becamejust as revered for her role as peggy mitchell, the queen vic‘s landlady, in the bbc soap eastenders. she was diagnosed with alzheimer‘s disease six years ago.