this is bbc news broadcasting to viewers in the uk and around the world. the headlines... no new coronavirus restrictions will be introduced in england before the new year. but the health secretary says people should remain cautious — and that the figures are being monitored. we will watch the situation very carefully and should, in the future, we need to act, of course, we will not hesitate to do so. as covid cases increase rapidly in france, home working will become mandatory for at least three days per week where possible. in new york, children aged 12 and over have to be fully vaccinated to go into restaurants and leisure facilities, as infections rise in the city. remembering archbishop desmond tutu

— south africa has begun a week of events to commemorate the anti—apartheid leader, who died on sunday. we meet gabriela camara — star mexican chef — and talk to her about the intersection of cooking and cultural identity. hello, welcome to bbc news. the uk health secretary saijd javid has ruled out introducing any new covid restrictions in england before the new year. ministers had been under pressure to respond to rising infection levels after the develoved administrations in scotland, wales and northern ireland all implemented measures to stem the spread of the omicron variant. scotland has seen its highest ever number of cases

this christmas period, 11,030 were recorded on boxing day, and today, just over 10,500. meanhile england confirmed 98,515 cases in the past day. the health secretary said 90% of covid cases in england are now thought to be the omicron variant and he urged people to be cautious with their new year's eve celebrations, saying the government won't hesitate to act in the future if necessary. here's our correspondent simonjones. after the christmas festivities, tough decisions. the government has been poring over the latest covid data to see if it thinks new measures are needed in england. but this afternoon, this decision... there will be no further measures before the new year. we won't be taking any further measures. of course, people should remain cautious as we approach new year celebrations and, you know, take a lateralflow test, that makes sense, celebrate outside if you can. have some ventilation

indoors if you can. please, remain cautious. at this bar in bristol, they say many customers have decided of their own accord to stay away. we've already lost a very, very big trading period already, a really key trading period. next month, it will have little impact because it's a quiet time of year anyway. the government will continue to look at hospital admissions, although, early findings last week suggested people with omicron were less likely to be admitted, along with staff absences and whether the nhs faces being overwhelmed. covid is having a significant impact on staffing in our emergency departments. the most common figure coming back at us is that departments are reporting 20—25% of their staff off because of covid related reasons at the moment, and that's a really, really big dealfor emergency departments. yesterday in wales, social distancing measures were reintroduced. from today in northern ireland, there are new restrictions for pubs and restaurants.

it will be table service only and a maximum of six people will be allowed to sit together. we have tried to be sensible to look after ourselves and each other. i am slightly bewildered, i don't understand them. i have come over from scotland, so everything is different. table service too has come in in scotland where alcohol is served, nightclubs will have to close for a period of at least three weeks. the scottish health secretary this morning visited a vaccination centre in perth. 0ver christmas, scotland recorded the highest number of daily covid cases since the start of the pandemic. it will still be very difficult for businesses, but, of course, if we let this virus get ahead of us, that would be even that would be even worse for the economy. downing street says it won't hesitate to act if more restrictions in england are needed in the future. today's briefing by scientists is one of a series of regular updates given to the prime minister. for now, it's a call for caution,

but new year celebrations are set to look very different in different parts of the uk. simon jones, bbc news. let's get more on the view from around the uk. in a minute we'll hear from out correspondent in northern ireland but first here's our correspondent catriona renton in glasgow. been hearing new restrictions were introduced here in scotland today in hospitality and indoor public venues, just as those new figures were released for the last three days. now come the provisional figures peaked at 11,030 cases reported yesterday on boxing day. now, that compares, for your information, with just over 7,000 on christmas eve. the figures reported for christmas day and today were also higher than at any other time in the pandemic too. the first minister is warning that that figure is likely to be higher still due to the lag in reporting time.

nicola sturgeon said that the expected wave of cases fuelled by the omicron variant was materialising. now, the new restrictions introduced today include distancing of a metre in pubs. table service in pubs and distancing of the metre in other inside public venues. yesterday, limits on crowds were introduced, so the large—scale public new year's events will be cancelled as a result of that. now, the restrictions are due to be reviewed on the 11th of january, but looking at those big rises in case numbers, the question will be what happens to hospital admissions, and that will inform what happens next year. from today, it's strongly recommended that people limit their mixing in private homes and that they continue to work from home. there are changes too to the laws around face coverings with some exemptions no longer accepted and people having to prove that they have a medical exemption. but the main focus is on hospitality.

it's a return to table service in pubs, cafes and also a return to the rule of six people or households at a table. now, to support the hospitality industry, there has been a £40 million package announced, but that is only for these measures. the finance minister has said that there is additional money available should additional restrictions be required. the power—sharing executive here will meet on thursday to review what is already in place and see if anything else is needed. there were warnings that significant interventions would be required after christmas according to health professionals. but they will be making those decisions based on figures that haven't yet been published. we will find out here in northern ireland on wednesday just exactly what effect omicron has had on our figures over the christmas period. well, the us has been seeing a spike in the number of covid cases — and it has to led to president biden

warning that some us hospitals could be "overrun" by covid. speaking during a virtual meeting with state governors, he said the us is generally well prepared to meet the surge of 0micron cases and its citizens need not panic. but he also urged americans to get their booster shots. because we have had so many vaccinated and boosted, we are not seeing hospitalisations rises sharply as we did in march of 2020 or even this past fall. america made progress. things are better, but we do know that with the rising cases, we still had tens of millions of unvaccinated people and we are seeing hospitalisations rice. these are hospitals in some places that will get overrun, but in terms of equipment and staff. new york city has made it compulsory for everyone aged 12 and above to be fully vaccinated against covid, in order to access indoor entertainment and sports activities. it has also become the first us city to require vaccines for all private

sector workers; jabs are already mandatory for state employees. cbs correspondent courtney kealy is in new york and gave us the reaction to the new mandate. well, here in new york, people are adhering to that, but with this quadruple rate of children in hospital since the 0micron variant came here, a lot of those children are not fully vaccinated. in fact, between the ages of five and 11, none were vaccinated. so the department of health right now in new york city is really warning parents to make sure that their children are getting vaccinations. children over 12 have to have both vaccinations to enter public areas like restaurants. so each state and each city does do things differently. new york state has definitely been in the forefront. bill de blasio, the current mayor, has said he doesn't want to see new york go back to the dark days of the early pandemic when the city essentially shut down. so there is a definite surge,

but there are all sorts of mandates and rules in place here in new york city. that is the latest from new york. an israeli hospital has begun giving a fourth shot of the coronavirus vaccine, in a clinical trial to find out whther it is safe and effective in containing the spread of covid. the trial in tel aviv includes 150 health care workers who received their third shot no later than august this year. israel is considering approving a fourth dose, or second booster, for vulnerable people as 0micron infections surge despite a comprehensive vaccination programme. there have been more covid—related flight cancellations today with more than 1,400 flights cancelled around the world. destinations in the united states and china have been the worst hit, with us airlines saying the disruption is due to crews testing positive or isolating. in all, since christmas eve, more than 8,000 flights have been grounded.

the end of the first day — of a week of events in south africa — to commemorate the life of the anti—apartheid leader archbishop desmond tutu. 0ur our other main story on bbc news. he died on sunday, aged 90. bells toll. the bells of cape town's st george's cathedral will toll for ten minutes a day — every day at noon — until friday. people have also been gathering outside the city's st george's cathedral and also outside his home, ahead of his funeral on the first of january. 0thers laid wreaths and lit candles in soweto. and these pictures are of south african president cyril ramaphosa arriving at the archbishop's residence to to offer condolences to his widow and other family members.

0ur correspondent nomsa maseko is in cape town — outside st george's cathedral. she told me what people had been saying to her about desmond tutu. people are reflecting about archbishop desmond tutu as a man who was small in stature but had a big heart. after all, he was the man who was chosen by nelson mandela to head the reconciliation process here back in 1994 when south africa became a democracy, a lot of people speak about the man who played a prominant role in ensuring that south africa does indeed become a democracy. so he wasn'tjust respected here in this country, but all over the world, and also with world leaders having paid their own tribute, speaking about the man, describing desmond tutu as a moral compass, not just for south africa, but also for than in their respective countries.

we are looking at archived footage of the man, but as i look at you, where you are there, i can see children coming up behind you, there are children coming to pay their respects as well as adults, and these will be people who perhaps know little about him, only know what is handed down from their parents and grandparents, and i suppose, is at a time for families to reflect and remember what the country has been through and what it has overcome? it is indeed a time to reflect, and also for families and schools to teach young people about south africa's history, but also the death of desmond tutu signals an end of an era of people who played a serious big role in laying down their lives to ensure that africa does indeed become a democracy, so young people have also been coming here with their parents to pay their respects and speak of a man who has kind—hearted,

a man who loved to dance, if you watch desmond tutu dancing, he was an old man with a lot of rhythm and he also had a very lovely sense of humour, so there will be lots of things to remember him by. more on covid. in the last few hours, sunak the french government has announced new measures, to deal with a spike in covid infections. working from home will become obligatory again where possible, for at least three days a week — although schools will open on schedule in the first week of january. there are also no plans to impose an evening curfew, joining us now is our correspondent hugh schofield. tell us more about what has been announced. tell us more about what has been announced-— tell us more about what has been announced. ~ ., , ., .., , announced. well, there was a cabinet meetin: announced. well, there was a cabinet

meeting this — announced. well, there was a cabinet meeting this afternoon _ announced. well, there was a cabinet meeting this afternoon convened - announced. well, there was a cabinet meeting this afternoon convened by l meeting this afternoon convened by president negron at a distance, he's down in the south of france and spoken via video link with government up in paris, because of, as you say commit a huge growth of omicron related covid and really, very, very sharp increase, may they are talking about 250,000 cases a day by early january. it's the same, of course here as it is in other european countries and what's interesting is that so far, this unprecedented wave of coded in the crisis in the hospitals that we have had with previous waves, but they draw some caution, but they're also very worried. that's why they are executing these new measures to try to slow down the rate. there is nothing drastic here. people have been talking about curfews on new year's eve, no new year's eve curfew. people talking about

delaying the start of the school term next monday, that's not going to happen. that will remain, there are these other measures, for example, new limits on the number of people at stadiums, 5000 at the ball matches and so on, 2000 for indirect events. this new push on home working, mandatory three days a week, maybe four if possible fire companies and the new rule at ballot consuming drinks and food at bars and restaurants. he can only do that sitting down. that's a return to it rule be had before. so, you know, it's not a drastic change, but it is a change which will make people, the hope is, think twice about going out on the think twice about their behaviour, think twice about some of the habits of covering up which they dropped or lost in the last month where we have seen, you know, people beginning to think that it was all

over when it obviously isn't. the use of vaccine _ over when it obviously isn't. the use of vaccine passports as we have come to call them also prevalent in france, it seems. adopted swifter and more widely in france than in other countries, it seems, but they are very much still there. that's another angle they are because these are being changed slightly, they would be called health passes and become vaccination passes, so very much specifically linked to the idea of vaccination. up until now, a health pass of vaccination. up until now, a health pas— of vaccination. up until now, a health as ., ., ., ,, health pass would allow you access to laces health pass would allow you access to places if — health pass would allow you access to places if you _ health pass would allow you access to places if you had _ health pass would allow you access to places if you had vaccination - to places if you had vaccination certificate, if you had your vaccines. 0r certificate, if you had your vaccines. or if you had a recent negative tests. so people who wear vaccination sceptics they could go out if they got a negative test before they went to the bar or wherever it was, that was causing them money, but it meant that they could still go out. that's disappearing. from now on, you have to have a clean and full of

vaccination site if you want to go out to. there are countries, but in particular where that is regarded as an infringement on civil liberties and france has adopted that can i wouldn't say with eagerness, but with relative ease and is now very much part of life.— much part of life. interesting. thank you _ much part of life. interesting. thank you very _ much part of life. interesting. thank you very much - much part of life. interesting. thank you very much for - much part of life. interesting. j thank you very much for now. much part of life. interesting. - thank you very much for now. that's the latest on the new restrictions in france. let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news... a frenchman held in iran for more than 18 months on espionage charges has begun a hunger strike to protest at his detention conditions, that's according to his family. benjamin briere, 36, was arrested in iran last may, allegedly while flying a drone and taking photographs in a prohibited area. he denies the accusations. geologists in iceland are warning that a series of tremors near the capital reykjavik could signal that a new volcanic eruption is on the way. thousands of mini quakes have been recorded in recent says — experts say the cause is magma

moving beneath the earth's surface. they're warning tourists to stay away — although it's not clear when a quake might happen. the canadian film—maker jean—marc vallee, whose work included the 0scar—nominated films dallas buyers club and the young victoria has died at the age of 58. he also won an emmy award for his work on the television series big little lies. the production company, hbo, described jean—marc vallee as a brilliant, truly phenomenal talent. more now on covid in the uk and the english premier league has announced 103 new coronavirus cases among club players and staff — the highest weekly number recorded since testing figures were first circulated in may last year. the league has also confirmed it has reverted to emergency measures following a raft

of top—flight postponements. here's the bbc sport's chetan pathak. i suspect no one will be too surprised by the rise in cases. it reflects what's happening in the country. it does emphasise just how tough things are for most of the teams in the league at the moment. the premier league could have come to a pause, but the clubs met last monday to discuss the busy fixture list which has already seen a number of postponements in december, but it was decided to keep going, even though some managers were against that. the rest of the major european football leagues are all in the usual winter breaks at the moment. in scotland, we have seen the premiereship brought forward because of covid. it started after yesterday's matches. spectator numbers have been capped. wales has imposed restrictions. nothing in england, the premier league is trying to continue as normal, despite, as you say, a record premier league players and testing positive for covid including boxing day.

the liverpool manager was asked about this earlier before tomorrow's trip. he's long voiced his frustrations about the number of games traditionally played during christmas and new year, but given that the coronavirus cases, he says it's not right that so many games are being played after boxing day, especially when it means some teams are playing just 48 hours after their last game. and that... it's a great fixture. everyone loves it, it's great for the people and players. really good for everybody. after that, we do not stop discussing, because if we don't discuss it, it stays like this, maybe it stays anyways like this, but the players need help and help needs to come from other areas, this case, the coaches and players, we have to deal with all of this, which is why we are pretty clear about that. jurgen klopp there, captainjordan henderson voiced his frustration saying

that he didn't think player welfare was being taken seriously enough. in the end, liverpool avoided playing two games in two days, because the game was called off. chelsea manager thomas tuchel has echoed those frustrations they haven't played for over two weeks following a break in their squad, they said today they are in a mad moment having only held one full training session over a fortnight and they play west ham tomorrow. gabriela camara is a star in the culinary world, a mexican chef running successful restaurants in both her home country and in the united states. she's been a "masterclass" instructor and an adviser to the mexican president. camara also insists food can be a tool for social good. she's been speaking to the bbc about the intersection of cooking and cultural identity.

my my name is gabriela camara. i live in mexico city. my start in that restaurant to her was when i open my first restaurant. it was sort of serendipitous but has become an institution in the city. i have since opened quite a few restaurants, 15, to be exact. in mexico, we have not on the incredible ingredients, but the cultural heritage, that we are very much into protecting, now that food has become such a hip pain and worthy of travel and worthy of visits from foreigners to mexico, and worthy of mexicans cooking abroad and incredible food. i feel very proud to be presenting the world with a sophistication that most people who are not familiar with mexican food i really surprised by. i think mexican gastronomy is

way up there with indian, chinese, french, italian, wonderful cuisines. restaurants, i believe, have become an engine of social change because shafts have gotten so much attention and food has gotten so much attention. especially after the pandemic, we have realised how major in our health what we eat is. so i think that combined with how much attention food has, how social media has become such a you know, food has become an eye candy for social media and for travel and it's an attraction, and shafts, we have sort of become personalities that we didn't used to be. so we are also agents of social change. 0ur voices are heard in ways that they weren't before, and i do believe that we

have a chance to be vocal about the causes that we care about. restaurants have become places where people are thinking about how we live and why we live the way we live. i insist restaurants really are an example all of what the wider world is, restaurants are little environments that have everything about the outside world just in this little nutshell, restaurants are. i've been very lucky to be able to observe this magnificence cultural heritage that we have in mexico through food and ingredients and traditions. that most people don't know of, so when they come to mexico, not only do they discover, you know, how colourful and

beautiful and extraordinarily attractive in terms of aesthetics mexico is, but also how delicious and sophisticated and complex it's flavours are. that's it. you're watching bbc news. that evening. i'm checking try to quit the latest sports news. it's rarely easy watching england to play cricket in australia. fans went there almost every emotion after a day of drama at the mcg, needing to win to keep alive their hopes of regaining the ashes. —— james anderson led an england fighback in the first couple of sessions on day two of the third test... as the aussies were limited to a first innings lead of 82. but no sooner than hopes were raised, it all went wrong with the bat again, as england crumbled to 31 for 4 at stumps.

0ur sports correspondent joe wilson reports: england's players were unsure for a while if they'd even be allowed in the ground. four covid cases amongst the support staff and their family. but after the tests, the test continued. and yes, england prospered. marnus labuschagne batting, ranked world number one, out for one. success for mark wood. and what about steve smith? well, here comes james anderson. he's got him, bowled him. england quickly dismissed australia's most esteemed batters. hey, we're in this! maybe? marcus harris persevered for australia. not always pretty, but past 50. and that feeling of optimism, it was sneaking away from england. as so often, they needed anderson. captain's grateful hands and harris was gone. but a late flourish helped australia build their lead. when their innings finally ended, they were 82 runs ahead. and in the last hour, the true context of the day's play — england batting again, zak crawley out for five. the very next ball — dawid malan — lbw. haseeb hameed couldn't last. faint edge, he was gone.

so jack leach was sent in to defend and defy. hm, 31 for4. and australia will be back for more. joe wilson, bbc news. just one game in the premier league tonight, with newcastle at home to manchester united. the visitors know a win will move them above spurs in the table into fifth. they are up against a newcastle team who've only won one league game this season with just 10 points from 18 games. it's the first time newcastle have found themselves in the relegation zone at christmas and manager eddie howe knows they need to turn things around fast: there is enough games there's enough time in this part. he is certainly aware also that time is against test and we cannot waste games and opportunities. if opportunities are there, we have to take them. every game we don't win becomes harder and harder to achieve what we need to do.

west brom have lost ground in the championship title race, and missed the chance to go second after losing to relegation—threatened derby county. the only goal of the game came after a terrible mix—up between defender cedric kipre and keeper samjohnstone, a derby substitute colin kazim—richards provided the finish. derby are still well adrift at the bottom of the table, west brom are three points off second. there was one match in rugby union's premiership, and harlequins moved up to third in the table after they beat northampton saints by 41 points to 27 in the "big game" at twickenham. quins were 21—7 down at the end of the first half but came from behind to comfortably win it it the end. louis lynagh finished off the pick of their 6 tries. it was a good day all round for harlequins fans, earlier their women's side comfortably beat wasps by 29 points to 5. heather cowell scored the pick of the four quins tries with this brilliant run, almost the entire length of the pitch. it was the first premier 15s match to take place at the ground. there were no fans at the welsh grand national

for the second year in a row. the welsh government's introduced covid rules which prevent more 0nly five horses finished a gruelling race which was won by the 13 to 2 shot i will do it, ridden by sam sheppard and trained by sam thomas. that's all the sport for now. you can follow their live coverage of the ball. kick off at eight p:m.. more for you later. goodbye. they have secretaries as people should remain cautious and the figures are being monitored. there is a sharp rise in the number of cases in scotland, the highest yet

as new restrictions come into force in bars and restaurants.