the highest total since april. the continued spread of the virus could soon be slowed by a second vaccine from astrazeneca which has been approved. ireland's prime minister has announced a return to lockdown during january. ireland has extended a ban on travel from britain, blaming increased cases of covid—19 on the new variant first identified in the uk. borisjohnson has signed britain's post—brexit trade agreement with the european union. in brussels, ursula von der leyen signed the deal on behalf of the eu. the agreement also won the backing of british mps in the house of commons. and rescuers in norway are still searching for people missing following a landslide. houses were crushed and buried in mud after the landslide hit a village near oslo after heavy rain.

hello and welcome to our look ahead to what the papers will be bringing us tomorrow. with me are sam lister, deputy political editor at the daily express and lizzy buchan, political correspondent at the daily mirror. tomorrow's front pages. the daily telegraph reports that borisjohnson has said britain is in a race to roll out a freshly approved covid vaccine in order to avoid a third national lockdown, as the new variant of the virus surges across the country. the ‘i' reports the oxford/astrazeneca jab will be rolled out from next week, with enough vaccines on order to cover all uk adults. the daily mirror says covid has claimed its highest daily death toll since april. the financial times also picks up on the latest coronavirus figures released today, saying the uk is in a "very dangerous situation" as it faces a "grim and depressing picture" of rising infections and deaths as millions more are placed in

the tightest tier of restrictions. according to the independent, critically ill patients are being transferred from the south of england to hospitals hundred of miles away, as nhs bosses reveal london is set to run out of critical care beds within a week. the guardian carries a picture of borisjohnson signing the uk's brexit trade deal with the eu inside 10 downing street amid criticism of limited time for scrutiny. the daily express lends its support to the brexit deal, saying britain is finally free from the eu, and it adds borisjohnson is confident a game—changing vaccine will end the uk's "covid nightmare." while the daily mail reflects on the oxford covid vaccine and a brexit trade deal both being given the green light, making it a historic day. let us begin. normally this week between christmas and new year's, nothing happens or barely anything happens. now, in a single day. we head a vaccine

approved, i brexit deal is about to go through an announcement of a for the lockdown. that's enough news for all year. the guardian kicked off with brexit with aim rather mammoth looking 1200 pages —— with a rather. aim rather mammoth looking 1200 pages -- with a rather. he signed it and we really are... this is a momentous day. we've got so much news today that perhaps ordinarily, this would dominate the pages, but it hasn't. great photo with boris johnson with lord frost. after it was signed in brussels by ursula von der leyen, mps posted on this afternoon. the lords are still

discussing it tonight but we expected to be passed very shortly. we expect it to take effect possibly around midnight, but certainly, it's all going to be signed off by the morning. lizzy, looking at the picture, couldn't brussels havejust faxed it? where with the drama be? after four years of the most fraught battles we would get to this point, and borisjohnson battles we would get to this point, and boris johnson would battles we would get to this point, and borisjohnson would get is deal through the commons with more than 500 mp5 through the commons with more than 500 mps backing him. we definitely, todayis 500 mps backing him. we definitely, today is a day that we never thought we'd reach at times. it was interesting seeing theresa may behind there. i remember the times where she was losing about 200 votes and all ofa where she was losing about 200 votes and all of a sudden, it's flipped around to boris johnson and all of a sudden, it's flipped around to borisjohnson winning. what essentially has happened to change all this? that really was the

turning point, the general election. it was very difficult for labour to continue to oppose exit in the way they have been doing. the prime minister had a huge majority than, and that just changed minister had a huge majority than, and thatjust changed everything. i think theresa may, the pictures we've seen of her today, the speech she gave, i think she's obviously very pleased that we're in the position we are now the country, but i'm sure there's an element of regret in her speech. she's unhappy with labour ‘s position today. i think she felt they should have backed her deal all those many months ago. lizzy, does this count asa months ago. lizzy, does this count as a hard or soft brexit? months ago. lizzy, does this count as a hard or soft brexit7|j months ago. lizzy, does this count as a hard or soft brexit? i think those terms kind of don't really exist any more. we were talking about it for years! i mean, looking

at this, we are at a point where the transmission period was due today and tomorrow —— transition period. we've reached a point where an even the mps that weren't so happy with the mps that weren't so happy with the deal see this is the best option. otherwise, no dealtomorrow. keirstarmer option. otherwise, no dealtomorrow. keir starmer was saying in the comments that he has concerns about it, but labour wasn't able to pick apart that because if they opposed it, it would have been a no—deal brexit. so, there's not really a choice there. keir starmer did have a small rebellion, which makes a change, whereas the tories were in voting for the deal. let's look at the financial times now. it deals with both the stories we were talking about. brexit trade deal

passed by parliament marking a abrupt end to a 47 year alliance. —— an abrupt end. it doesn't finish until the lords pass it and then the queen gives royal assent. how does she do that? does she sign it windsor at midnight? this isn't strong point, but certainly, the house of lords will wait until they have that royal assent from the palace. so, ithink have that royal assent from the palace. so, i think it will be, we are looking around midnight. but today, this is... i would say, it just won't be. the wrangling over the actual exit process on the terms of our future relationship have now been finished, but that doesn't mean

incrimination ‘s and the wrangling will go on for years to come. we saw from the snp today that they will certainly be making this point of their discussions for many years to come, i'm sure. that's quite useful. we will bear that in mind as the time approaches midnight and we wait to hear from the lords and the palace. lizzy, is it this it for brexit? you just said hard brexit, soft brexit, forget it. but on the wider point, is it it for britain's relationship with the eu, or why wouldn't we spend the next 47 years talking about as well? it's definitely not it for our relationship with the eu. if boris johnson, borisjohnson has said he will always want to have a close partnership with our neighbours. sam is right that whilst the exit

mechanism is sorted out in theory, we are still going to be debating out we are still going to be debating our future relationship with europe for many years to come. in the deal, there are plenty of elements that are going to be going back and forth with brussels, particularly around issues like fishing over the coming years. i think what has changed is that all becomes something that is perhaps more technical and more specialist area that people, i won't be dominating the public conversation as a relationship with europe —— it won't be. conversation as a relationship with europe -- it won't be. let's keep it ion europe -- it won't be. let's keep it i on the financial europe -- it won't be. let's keep it ion the financial times. virus surged grim picture butjab hailed asa surged grim picture butjab hailed as a game changer. two stories are coming together. i feel like this will be a gcs she could question —— gcse question. are they right?

absolutely. the government has a lwa ys absolutely. the government has always made it clear that the vaccine is a way out, even before it was even hoped that we might have this kind of day—to—day where it signed off. the signing off today of the oxford astrazeneca vaccine is a real game changer because of the pfizer vaccine, which was passed a month ago, that has to be put into very deep, cold storage, —70 degrees. the oxford one is much easier to store and it's also cheaper. we've already got 100 million of these on order, and that's enough to vaccinate the entire adult population. so, it really is a game changer but the main problem now is how to actually get those jabs out. i think there's been a slight hold up in terms of getting them out straightaway, because the company has to sign off

each individual batch, each batch has to be checked and that's causing a slight delay. but there are intense efforts going on to get these out quickly, and they're hoping to do to million a week, as quickly as possible. that really would make a massive difference in this fight. of would make a massive difference in this fight. of course there's a big difference between 100 million doses on order and 100 million doses ready to go. is game changer the right phrase?|j think is game changer the right phrase?” think we would certainly agree it's incredibly exciting. i do think there are some concerns about, as you say, the difference between 100 million on order and how many are actually available. obviously, it's onlyjust been actually available. obviously, it's only just been approved, actually available. obviously, it's onlyjust been approved, but i think the figure that was given him next week is 530,000 doses to kick—start things on monday. which obviously is a real bonus, but not quite the 4 million figure we were promised by

the end of the year. it's all going to depend very much on how quickly we can get those doses into this country and then how quickly gp surgeries, vaccine centres can be deployed to get them out. it's certainly a very exciting development. it's also astonishing that it comes, you can spend one day thinking almost this is the worst time, buta thinking almost this is the worst time, but a vaccine is about to arrive. it's difficult. i think the whole nation woke up this morning with a spring in their step when they heard this news. it certainly giving hope to me, i'm sure to many others. by the end of the day, we have this distressing press conference from number ten. the deputy chief medical officer giving quite a bleak assessment of where we are at the

moment, and although the vaccine will be a game changer, obviously it ta kes will be a game changer, obviously it takes time to get that out there. where we are now is actually right in the eye of the storm, so it is quite... it's cliche, but it is a roller coaster. one minute you are high, the next, you're in quite a low. i think obviously, spring is 110w low. i think obviously, spring is now the point that everyone seems to be aiming for. that is when the government hopes to have quite a significant number of the people it wa nts to significant number of the people it wants to get vaccinated vaccinated. that's the real turning point we think or hope. let's look at the eye. it has a reasonably straightforward headline. the question is when they will arrive. the fourth point, three quarters of england now under toughest year for restrictions —— the i. i don't know

which tier you are in, but if you are in tier4, which tier you are in, but if you are in tier 4, the rest of the country joined you. i'm in tier 4. now, 78% of the country isjoining me. yeah, i think we only have, i think it's only the silly aisles that are not in tier 3 or four. we had the vaccine and all of its exciting news and then matt hancock doing the latest reviews —— sicily aisles. a large majority of the country will go into the new year in tier4 country will go into the new year in tier 4 restrictions, which is really tough on businesses, it's tough on people just trying to live their lives. but obviously, one of the things the government's not doing this for a laugh, we've seen in the days running up to christmas, very,

very concerning reports about hospitals, about the capacity of the nhs. the struggles that doctors are facing, bed shortages, ambulances. so, it is a difficult time and waltzed the vaccine is giving us some hope, the prime minister felt really tough measures need to be taken —— whilst at the vaccine. really tough measures need to be taken -- whilst at the vaccine. how is tier 4? i'm so fed up! you haven't met tier 5 yet! this is not being done for laughs, it's being done because there is no real alternative, the government is convinced. there was a lot of unhappiness in the commons among conservative mps who believe strongly that lockdown is not the

way to go