some breaking news, the us has just topped 20 million cases of coronavirus. this come as research confirms the the new coronavirus variant discovered in the uk has a much quicker rate of transmission. if the new variant is now present, with this increase in the r number, all of a sudden instead of a decrease of 30%, we get a massive increase, the number of cases over the same period could triple. so, this is more or less the most serious change in the virus that we've seen. the us struggles to roll out the covid vaccine as it records over 20 million cases, according to thejohn hopkins university. a new era begins, as the brexit transition period ends and the uk completes its formal separation from the european union. now on bbc news sportday.

hello and welcome to sportsday — i'm sarah mulkerrins, coming up... 2021 is off to a flyer for bristol — as the bears win to move second in the premiership and hand newcastle their first loss of the season. amid rising coronavirus cases — japan's prime minister says the olympics and paralympics in tokyo will go ahead. and we hear from the boxing sensation both in the ring and on social media — as ryan garcia gets set to take on britain's luke campbell in texas this weekend. welcome along to the programme and

a very happy new year to you all. we've seen a number of sporting fixtures postponed due coronavirus cases over this festive period — and rugby union's premiership was no different. with harlequins against worcester called off — bristol against newcastle was the only game played today. and 2021 started off with a win for the home side, to move them second on the table. patrick gearey watched it. in english rugby right now it really is the taking part that counts. coverts claim to fixtures this weekend the starting is succeeding. newcastle last match was called off. a chance to rest or rest. just have a minute in bears came from fiji via the british army. breck delete that expert behind enemy lines. newcastle responded on his league debut evaded every blocker to score. second against third only for pointing at the break this would surely be tight. and yet subtly nathan hughes

found himself alone. and clear. newcastle a re found himself alone. and clear. newcastle are the surprise of the season so newcastle are the surprise of the season so far. then about he set up a rentalfor the points. in this season a rentalfor the points. in this season of cancellation and confusion now we had a contest without one —— one by sheerforce. the discussion score by bristol detroit was a collective work. right now after all is about sticking together. there two welsh derbies in the pro 14 this evening are going ahead. fresh from their win against ospreys on boxing day, scarlets are hosting dragons — with prop wynjones making his 100th appearance for the side. the second half is just kicked off. later ospreys will try to bounce back from that defeat with a trip to cardiff blues. commentary of both bbc radio wales and the bbc sport website and app. now to what could be the biggest sporting events of 2021 — the delayed olympics and paralympics in tokyo. japan's prime minister

says they will go ahead, despite concern over rising coronavirus cases. tokyo is reporting over 1,000 daily infections for the first time. our correspondent katie gornall has more. when the tokyo olympics were first postponed nine months ago it was felt back then by the ioc that a one—year delay would be enough for the world to get this pandemic under control. and for the games to get back on track. but the recent surge in cases in tokyo reallyjust underlines the huge difficulties still facing organisers. remember the cost for these games is already increased by more than £2 billion because of the pandemic. they've had significantly lower their expectations was up in the publics appetite in japan for these games seems to be decreasing all the time. despite that, publicly officials seem optimistic. in response to this news the japanese prime minister said the games will go ahead in the summerand be said the games will go ahead in the summer and be safe and secure. but

the question still remains, what form will they take? the next few months will be critical and a lot depends on the success and speed of the japanese vaccination program. but the ioc has already said that another postponement is out of the question. this really is the last chance saloon. officials are confident that a form of the games will take place in july. confident that a form of the games will take place injuly. i think given the current situation, no one can really say with any certainty exactly what these tokyo olympics will look like. there are two games in the premier league this evening. everton are hosting west ham — david moyes still looking for a first win at goodison park since leaving everton in 2013. goalless there early in the second half. in the late game manchester united, who are currently second, can keep the pressure on leaders liverpool with a result against aston villa. elsewhere today, the tottenham boss jose mourinho has said the handling of his side's late postponement against fulham was "unprofessional". the match was called off less than three hours before kick off

on wednesday by the premier league after an outbreak of coronavirus in the fulham camp. i don't want to speak to much about it. just to say that i felt... unprofessional. we didn't play. and thatis unprofessional. we didn't play. and that is disrupted a week of work. not to play and not to train like we would like the days before. of course doesn't help. let's take a quick look at some other stories making the news. in the last couple of hours two of tomorrow's championship fixtures have been postponed due to coronavirus concerns. luton will no longer host queens park rangers after the hatters recorded positive tests amongst players and staff. and bristol city's game at brentford is off over fears of a possible outbreak among robins players. al boum photo remains on course to seek a third cheltenham gold cup

victory after a winning return at tramore. the nine—year—old, ridden by paul townend for trainer willie mullins, won the new year's day chase for the third year running. england's alex hales scored 45 off 19 balls for sydney thunder in the big bash league, as his side beat the melbourne renegades on the duckworth—lewis method. hales hit seven fours and two sixes his thunder side have five wins from their six matches and sit top of the league standings. two time winner gary anderson booked his place in the semi—finals of the world darts championship at alexandra palace. the scot cruised through his quarter—final against dirk van diven border. he took less than an hour to beat the dutchman by 5 sets to one.

england's stephen bunting is also through to the last four. bunting saw off kryzystof ratajski of poland, winning by 5 sets to 3. if you haven't heard the name ryan garcia, you might have at least seen him, the mexican american is one of the most ‘followed' boxers on social media, and tomorrow he takes on 2012 olympic gold medallist luke campbell in dallas, texas. alex gulrajani reports. the power of social media. while ryan garcia is famed online for videos like these it's performances like this inside the ring that is gaining the young mexican—american a fearsome reputation. gaining the young mexican—american a fearsome reputationlj gaining the young mexican—american a fearsome reputation. i knock some of the out, i posted a million people have seen it now turns up by 49. because at present could share it to that person and person. no followers that's an amazing knock out for that nobody can hear about it. garcia is one of the most. delete not follow boxes on social media. on instagram

alone he is 7.8 million of them. more than heavyweight champion tyson theory. in multi—weight many packet out. still some work to do to catch up out. still some work to do to catch up on anthonyjoshua and floyd mayweather. the casual people in social media they don't want to see technique. they don't care to see my hands up. they don't care about any of that. they want to see speed or power. people that really are hayden thursday it has not up, your eyes are closed with a guess what, is adding more comments, more things to talk about. it's all a show. adding more comments, more things to talk about. it's all a showlj adding more comments, more things to talk about. it's all a show. i do it on purpose. one minute not drawn in by this is his opponent lou campbell won olympic gold and 2012 but his ambition to win a professional world title has so far come up short. for me, every fight is a world title fight. and that i got a win. i'm preparing for my hardest fight yet. not i'm preparing for ryan garcia. i'm preparing fora not i'm preparing for ryan garcia. i'm preparing for a welt level opponent was and i know there's huge

performances to come for me. when it's all done and said on the spot i wa nt it's all done and said on the spot i want people to know my name for a world—class fighter. while he boxed all the best and beat him. and what | fight it all the best and beat him. and what i fight it was. and that will undoubtedly come with victory in texas. but as a young hotshot looking for that recognition too. tomorrow marks the 50th anniversary of one of scotland's worst peacetime tragedies. the ibrox disaster saw 66 people die in a crush when leaving the old firm derby. andrew picken has been to find out how the tragedy still impacts communities across scotland 50 years on. 1971 was only two days old when ranges melt septic i boxes up the game was dull and many fans started leaving before late goals for either side during the last five minutes. the day became infamous for the

deadly crash which developed on a stairway at the rangers end of the stadium. among the victims were five teenagers who never came home. we we re teenagers who never came home. we were all together just joking teenagers who never came home. we were all togetherjustjoking and having a wee bit of banter. they we re having a wee bit of banter. they were rangers supporters we were celtic supporters it was nothing like that. we were pals. celtic fans we re like that. we were pals. celtic fans were among the fans that left early that day. it wasn't until we got back where the supporters just to stop on the way back. all the boys we re stop on the way back. all the boys were going for... it was when you came out of the pub one of us in an insta nt came out of the pub one of us in an instant i boxes had been fatalities. at the rangers end for that was a first of us knowing about anything happening at all. the boys were among the 66 dead and 145 injured.

50 yea rs among the 66 dead and 145 injured. 50 years on modern science has given usa 50 years on modern science has given us a head or understanding of what went wrong. in a crowd that's back to the levels of densities that eyewitnesses were complementing and ona eyewitnesses were complementing and on a slope then you get the gravitational force added to the fall. as each person falls onto others then you get a cascade dynamic to stop as soon as that hits steel well, when flesh and bone meets steel and stone that can only be one winner. in the wake of the disaster they have rebuilt the stadium making it one of the safest in europe. across scotland on january two the people will mark the 50th anniversary of the ibrox disaster. you can see the full documentary disclosure: stairway thirteen on the bbc iplayer. now finally, some nice news for one

sporting couple starting off the new year asjockeys tom marquand and hollie doyle have announced their engagement. they shared the news on social media just before midnight after a pretty decent 2020 for them both. marquand was third in the flat jockeys‘ title race, one ahead of hollie — who herself was the first woman to ride five winners at one meeting and she finished 3rd at the bbc sports personality of the year. congrats to them. that's all from sportsday. on bbc news it the travel show. bye— bye. let's be honest, it hasn't been the best year for travel. but amid the gloom we still found moments of inspiration. and seen parts of the

world i'll be virtually. that will ta ke world i'll be virtually. that will take your breath away. i can't do it. welcome to our look back at 2020. what a year it's been. and it all 2020. what a year it's been. and it a ll started 2020. what a year it's been. and it all started so well. lucy took a trip to a simulated martian outpost in the caves of northern spain. in argentina mike went to the world second—biggest wetland and took a dunking. and i went underwater to swim with sharks in the maldives. but then disaster struck. lockdowns,

border closures in holiday cancellations for the foreseeable future leaving some of us still out of pocket. but back in those early daysin of pocket. but back in those early days in march, simplyjust finding a way back home was the main problem facing many. my situation is i'm stranded. virgin cancelled my flight yesterday. do to leave at 6:25pm miami. iwas yesterday. do to leave at 6:25pm miami. i was told the day before that of the cancellation. the advice we've been given has been quite confusing. i'm obviously not a flue nt confusing. i'm obviously not a fluent italian speake rs confusing. i'm obviously not a fluent italian speakers so that's partly my fault. but in general, the advice given has change every few days and it varies by region quite a lot. now it's not possible to travel to the neighbouring islands. 0r into the city unless you have a reason to do so. we also have a curfew and place here between 10pm and five a:m.. we just place here between 10pm and five a:m.. wejust want to place here between 10pm and five a:m.. we just want to get back to friends and family. i got a new grandson who is going to be six

months old