a record number of new covid infections — nearly 130,000 across the uk. as the booster rollout continues, there are early signs omicron is leading to fewer hospitalisations than before. children are watching what we do more than listening to what we say. a new government campaign tells how teenagers of parents who smoke are four times more likely to smoke too. protests outside court as the kremlin bans one of russia's oldest and best known human rights organisations. as quickly as possible. oh, there we go! and questions and recriminations after england lose the ashes to australia after a comprehensive drubbing.

good evening. the government says it will keep �*under very close review�* its decision not to bring in further coronavirus restrictions in england as infections rise to a level not seen before in the pandemic. there are restrictions on socialising in the rest of the uk. the early indications are that the 0micron variant is not leading to the same level of hospitalisations as previous waves — but ministers say they're watching the data and will act if there's a large increase in the coming weeks. and there's concern about the impact on hospitals of the number of staff having to self—isolate. our health correspondent sophie hutchinson has the latest. a vaccination centre in lambeth in london. among the worst affected areas by 0micron in the uk. the

staff here say there is no shortage of demand for the jabs.— of demand for the “abs. i'm a schoolteacher _ of demand for the “abs. i'm a schoolteacher and h of demand for the jabs. i'm a schoolteacher and there - of demand for the jabs. i'm a schoolteacher and there is i of demand for the jabs. i'm a l schoolteacher and there is zero mitigation in class. i don't want to get sick. i'm 57 so i'm quite frightened of that and do not want to pass it on. it is frightened of that and do not want to pass it om— to pass it on. it is really important _ to pass it on. it is really important because - to pass it on. it is really important because i'm i to pass it on. it is really - important because i'm a recently retired _ important because i'm a recently retired senior event education at university— retired senior event education at university college so i have to do it for— university college so i have to do it for my— university college so i have to do it for my staff. university college so i have to do it for my staff-— it for my staff. unlike the rest of the uk which _ it for my staff. unlike the rest of the uk which is _ it for my staff. unlike the rest of the uk which is increased - the uk which is increased restrictions the government in england is relying on vaccinations to get the country through the latest wave of covid. we to get the country through the latest wave of covid.— latest wave of covid. we do watch carefully all _ latest wave of covid. we do watch carefully all the _ latest wave of covid. we do watch carefully all the data _ latest wave of covid. we do watch carefully all the data and - latest wave of covid. we do watch carefully all the data and we - latest wave of covid. we do watch carefully all the data and we have | carefully all the data and we have had some good news but it seems to be a bit milder in terms of severity but we do watch hospitalisations and botched the number of people in hospital. botched the number of people in hos - ital. ., ., botched the number of people in hosital. ., ., ., hospital. the data that the government _ hospital. the data that the government in _ hospital. the data that the government in england - hospital. the data that the i government in england are hospital. the data that the _ government in england are monitoring particular are hospitalisations which are increasing. but still far

from the peak of previous waves. under london which has been worst hit by 0micron the number of patients in intensive care units at hospitals like this are still well below a worrying thresholds. and some scientists say that the spread of the virus in england seems to be slowing. of the virus in england seems to be slowinu. ., , , ., of the virus in england seems to be slowin.. ., , . , of the virus in england seems to be slowin. .,, , ., , , slowing. cases are still rising, there was _ slowing. cases are still rising, there was a — slowing. cases are still rising, there was a suggestion - slowing. cases are still rising, there was a suggestion a - slowing. cases are still rising, there was a suggestion a fewl slowing. cases are still rising, - there was a suggestion a few days ago that we may have started to see the peak. i think that was maybe not borne out yesterday but on the other hand cases are not increasing as rapidly as a week ago and i think we can be fairly certain that they're not doubling every couple of days now. �* , . ., , , not doubling every couple of days now. , now. but the virus in wales is now growing exponentially. _ now. but the virus in wales is now growing exponentially. mirroring l growing exponentially. mirroring what happened over the last few weeks in england. the what happened over the last few weeks in england.— weeks in england. the rates are uuite weeks in england. the rates are quite stable _ weeks in england. the rates are quite stable around _ weeks in england. the rates are quite stable around the - weeks in england. the rates are quite stable around the 500 - weeks in england. the rates are - quite stable around the 500 mark ten days ago—

quite stable around the 500 mark ten days ago but now heading towards 1000~ _ days ago but now heading towards 1000 this— days ago but now heading towards 1000. this data comesjust before christmas — 1000. this data comesjust before christmas so we still have to watch and see _ christmas so we still have to watch and see what the christmas mixing and see what the christmas mixing and new— and see what the christmas mixing and new year mixing is going to produce — and new year mixing is going to roduce. a . ., and new year mixing is going to roduce. 1, . ~ ., produce. back in england the decision not _ produce. back in england the decision not to _ produce. back in england the decision not to add _ produce. back in england the decision not to add further i decision not to add further restrictions has been described as a lifeline for pubs, bars and clubs by the hospitality sector. it also says that allowing people to go out on new receive signals better times ahead. it new receive signals better times ahead. , ., , ., ., ahead. it is not 'ust about new year for us, it ahead. it is not 'ust about new year for us. it is — ahead. it is notjust about new year for us, it is bigger _ ahead. it is notjust about new year for us, it is bigger than _ ahead. it is notjust about new year for us, it is bigger than that. - ahead. it is notjust about new year for us, it is bigger than that. it - for us, it is bigger than that. it is the start of recovery and we believe that we have created a safe environment for people to come out and socialise and we think it is the best scenario given the fact that if we had closed potentially we would have seen more house parties and illegal events which would have been counter—productive. but illegal events which would have been counter-productive.— counter-productive. but there are concerns about _ counter-productive. but there are concerns about the _ counter-productive. but there are concerns about the wider impact i counter-productive. but there are l concerns about the wider impact of 0micron on the nhs. hospital leaders say while many people are coming to hospital with covid but not because of it, staff are also getting

infected. , of it, staff are also getting infected-— infected. it is clear as it is circulating _ infected. it is clear as it is circulating significantly . infected. it is clear as it is - circulating significantly amongst the community and of course it will be circulating amongst nhs staff and now we having to redeploy staff to fill the gaps being left in critical and essential services by those who are off with covid related absences. along with vaccination the government in england is urging people to remain cautious and impossible to celebrate outside on the receive. it will assess whether more restrictions are injanuary. sophie hutchinson, bbc news. well, let's look at the latest government data now. some of the figures are still being affected by delays over the holiday period, and some data has not yet been published. there were 129,101 new infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period. 18 deaths were recorded, that's of people who died within 28 days of a positive test. 0n vaccinations, more than 200,000 had boosters, bringing the total to more than and 32.5 million. 0ur political correspondent

jonathan blakejoins me now, all the uk nations say they're watching and responding to the data — but coming to different conclusions? and not for the first time in the pandemic the governments in westminster covering england and elsewhere in the uk have a stark difference in their approach. and ministers everywhere are weighing up political realities as well as the responsibility to protect public health and the economy. you could say that those in scotland, wales and northern ireland are taking more precautionary approach hoping to fend off a big increase in hospitalisations was at westminster borisjohnson and his ministers are holding out against imposing new restrictions will hang heavily on the boosterjab program. for now that means the political pressure on the prime minister has eased somewhat from those on his own side to opposed still to any new measures. but it is a precarious position and if you throw in staff shortages as a result of numbers isolating then things could get much more difficult very quickly and there is still so much unknown

0micron. another thing to watch is the availability of lateral flow tests which is now a key part of the government message telling people to take one before they go out socialising. but availability has been patchy although officials are confident that supply can cope. teenagers whose parents smoke are four times more likely to take up smoking, according to a new government campaign. doctors have urged parents and other caregivers to give up. in a new film issued by the nhs, health experts discuss the link between adult smoking and children taking up the habit. tim muffet has the story. our children are watching what we do much more than they are listening to what we say. so if we say to them, don't smoke cigarettes, and we are smoking ourselves, our behaviour is going to have a much greater impact. a new film from the nhs aimed at parents who smoke. why do children seem to take up the behaviour of the adults around them? despite a huge drop in smoking over the past 50 years, around one in eight adults in the uk still smoke, according to the office for national statistics.

and new research shows that teenagers whose parents or caregivers smoke are four times as likely to take it up. smoking is a habit, it is something that can be passed down through families. so the additional motivation to quit for parents will be knowing that if they do that, they substantially reduce the risk of their own children taking up smoking. this campaign is targeting conventional smoking rather than vaping. electronic cigarettes are widely seen as a safer alternative, although most do contain nicotine, which is addictive. the pandemic has also affected smoking habits. there had been higher rates of quitting, but also high rates of relapse and signs of an increase in smoking among younger people. that bad food that you're probably eating, not being motivated enough to do exercise, smoking, all of those behaviours are little bits

that your children are picking up. campaigners also stress that giving up smoking is one new year resolution that also benefits others. tim muffet, bbc news. the supreme court in russia has banned one of the country's best known and oldest human rights organisations, memorial, accusing it of violating a law requiring groups to register as foreign agents. it comes at the end of a year in which the kremlin has cracked down vigorously on its critics. 0ur moscow correspondent steve rosenberg reports. more and more, it feels as if russia is turning the clock back. liquidate, the judge says, as she orders one of russia's oldest civil rights groups, international memorial, to shut down. the n60 was found to have broken russia's draconian foreign agents law. disgraceful decision, the reaction from the gallery.

it's100% a political thing. and the substance of this political decision is just one more step from an authoritarian regime, to totalitarian. for more than 30 years, memorial has been shining a light on one of the darkest chapters of russian history. what became known as the great terror. of stalin's mass repressions. up to 20 million soviet citizens are believed to have been sent to the gulag, to stalin's prison camps. hundreds of thousands were executed. memorial was set up to keep the memory alive. the founding of memorial in the late 1980s was a symbol, a symbol of the soviet union opening up and facing up to its past, to the crimes ofjosef stalin. the shutting down of

memorial is a symbol, too. oh how in russia today the past is being reshaped, rewritten, and how civil society is under attack. vladimir putin has been using history to try to foster patriotism. so he focuses on the glories of russia's past. like the victory in world war ii. through this annual reading of names of the victims of political repression, memorial has tried to remind russians of their tragic past. now, though, it is being silenced. steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow. let's take a brief look at some of today's other news. police searching for missing a 12—year—old girl — leona peach — are asking for the public�*s help to locate her father as he may be able to help with their enquiries. leona was last seen in the hele park area of newton abbot at quarter past nine in the morning on the 20th

december. 0fficers believe she may have travelled to bideford to be with her dad billy peach. utility company bosses have suggested ways the government could stop household heating and electricity bills rising by big amounts this winter — as the wholesale price of gas continues to spike. representatives of the energy industry met ministers yesterday. among the ideas was a reduction in vat on energy bills, and a loan from the treasury to the energy industry china says its new space station has twice narrowly avoided collisions with satellites operated by the american entrepreneur, elon musk. the complaints were lodged with the un's space agency — although the incidents have not yet been independently verified. at least 20 people have died in severe flooding in north—eastern brazil. heavy rain in the state of bahia has forced 60,000 people to leave their homes, and caused two dams to give way. the state's governor has described it as the worst disaster in its history.

as the humanitarian crisis in afghanistan deepens this winter, many families are having to take drastic action to survive. hundreds of thousands of children already had to work in the country. now even more families are taking their kids out of school and sending them onto the streets, often earning only enough to buy a little bread. secunder kermani and camera journalist malik mudassir report from kabul. wherever you go in this city, you see children working. wafting incense into cars... ..picking through rubbish. even when billions were pouring into this country, many children had to help provide for theirfamilies. now amidst an economic collapse, the number is growing. child coughs. it is sam, and 13—year—old pervez is getting ready for work. he and his young cousins only

started polishing shoes in the last few months. translation: i earn 50 afghani a day, or 70-100 afghani. - in the past i earned around 150. right now, there is no work. when my dad stopped working, then i stopped going to school to earn some money. his father spends his day waiting for work as a labourer on the corner of the road. in the past, he earned just enough to get by. translation: i come here every day, but don't even earn ten afghani. - i can't even afford a piece of bread for lunch. it is the same for everyone here. pervez and his cousins walk the streets, sticking together in case other boys start fights with them. business is slow. translation: | get so sad, - it hurts my gut when people don't let us shine their shoes. then we don't even earn enough to buy two or three pieces of bread. sometimes we go home empty—handed

if we didn't get any work all day. with no customers, the boys take a break at a playground in the centre of kabul. they still have big dreams for the future. what do you want to do when you are older? engineer. doctor. pilot. when school starts again, will you go back to school or will you just carry on working? translation: if my dad finds work, we will go. i if he doesn't. .. the boys walk past the city's kebab vendors... ..and the displays on kabul�*s flower street, as well as civil servants demanding unpaid salaries, and huge queues outside banks. have you had lunch today? no. why? translation: we didn't find any work. _ so what will you do now? translation: nothing. we will stay hungry until the evening, until we earn some money. and can take some bread home.

eventually they buy a single piece of bread to share between them. soon after, they find a customer too. translation: from morning - to evening, most of those coming to my shop just want to shine shoes orare begging. maybe 150 people like that come here every day. the money pervez earns will help feed his family today. but food prices are rising. and the rent is overdue. are you happy you're helping yourfamily? translation: yes, i'm happy. but we should be in school. the good thing about school is that it can help us become something. secunder kermani, bbc news, kabul. plans to remove around 10,000 so—called "love locks" from a bridge over the river wye in derbyshire have been postponed.

the county council had wanted to take down the padlocks on weir bridge in bakewell, to carry out maintenance work, but have now paused the scheme until 2023. campaigners are pleased, saying it gives them time to decide what to do with the padlocks. cricket now, and australia have thrashed england to retain the ashes at melbourne. the visitors were all bowled out for only 68 runs in just over 80 minutes, their lowest total in australia since march 190a. joe wilson was watching. what was it on the faces of the australian players in melbourne? delight? of course. but surprise too? surely even they didn't expect everything this quickly. this easily. oh, he's got him! there's the comeback! england's latest collapse was a new low. ben stokes the first man out. well, the bowling was too good and australia have a limitless supply of it. scott boland got rid ofjoe root for 28.

scott boland was selected specifically for this match. he took six wickets for seven runs in england's second innings. any sense of resistance vanished. four noughts in the 68 all out. oh, there we go! the final wicket was taken by cameron green. 22 years old. a decade of ashes cricket ahead of him. who is next for england? their best players have been a distant second in this series. and no long—term issues will be solved in the next few days. but there are two more test matches. you have to have a really strong inner belief to be able to come back, and we need to put some pride back into the badge. and we need to give people back home something to celebrate. there might be a point when australia grow bored of beating england down under. but don't rely on it. there is no sign of it.

joe wilson, bbc news. it's been another busy day of action in the premier league. there were wins for west ham and crystal palace — and southampton held spurs to a 1—1 draw. nesta mcgregor reports. the good news for norwich city is they haven't had to postpone a game due to a covid outbreak. the bad news for norwich city is they haven't had to postpone a game due to a covid outbreak. thrashed 5—0 by arsenal on boxing day, they were 1—0 down to crystal palace afterjust eight minutes. odsonne edouard from the penalty spot. jean—philippe mateta made it 2—0. beautiful goalfrom him! then four minutes later, jeffrey schlupp, same corner, it was three. there were no goals in the second half, but norwich stay rooted to the foot of the table. the good, or bad news, they play again in four days' time. elsewhere, west ham went behind at watford... it's dennis! but were 4—1winners. this effort from said benrahma proved to be the winning goal. david moyes's side a lofty

fifth in the table. one place behind west ham, tottenham could only draw 1—1 with southampton. saints' skipperjames ward—prowse opened the scoring. 0h, struck it magnificently! then harry kane from the penalty spot made it even. the festive period continuing to produce a plethora of goals. nesta mcgregor, bbc news. there's more throughout the evening on the bbc news channel. we're back with the late news at ten. now on bbc one it's time for the news where you are. goodbye. a mummified body of an ancient eyptian pharaoh has been examined for the first time after being digitally unwrapped using high—tech scanners. dr sahar saleem is the lead author of the study and radiologist at the egyptian mummy project. she's been telling my colleague, ros atkins, how they were able to gain insights about the mummification and burial of the king.

the money was or actually is for a great king, a king who lived and ruled egypt 3500 years ago. he ruled for 21 years, and he was even worshiped as god after his death. so, this is how great the owner of the mummy is, first of all. and tell us about the technology you used to see him. this mummy is the only mummy from the royal kings of ancient egypt, of the new kingdom, that has not been unwrapped in the modern times, so the mummy is totally wrapped with the wrappings put on it 3000 years ago. so, we didn't want to disturb this beauty of the mummy, this precious object or figure.

so, we did a digital unwrapping of the mummy using the ct scan and the advanced technology, so we would remove the layers of the wrapping to have a glimpse on the face of the king and his condition and the amulets, jewellery he's wearing, but without actually touching the mummy or destroying it. so, you've got this incredible technology. help us understand what it revealed. what did you see using this technology? what did you discover? first of all, we got to see the face of the king that has been wrapped for more than 3000 years. nobody had a look at him. and it was amazing to look him in the face and to see how his facial features actually resembled his father. we have the mummy of his

father, ahmose i, so this was the first thing. and to get to know exactly his age was 35 years old when he died, quite young, with very good physical condition and very good health and good teeth, so he must have died with sort of an infection maybe, or a virus, so there is no evidence of why he died. and also we got to know the mummification style. the 30 amulets in between the wrappings inside the mummy, as well as the golden girdle the mummified king is wearing at his lower back. amazing information for amazing king.

hello again. horace england and saw some rain to start the day, it would more than scotland it was dry and we had some stunning weather watcher pictures sent to us showing us the sun halos, sun pillars and upper tangent arts. these are all optical phenomena caused by ice crystals in the atmosphere at reflecting sunlight with some being sunny today. some of that high cloud is on the sunlight picture just here but our eye is drawn to this area of low risk who are southwest. because it is this that will be bringing exceptionally mild air over the next few days behind this warm front. and across england, temperatures could get close to the national record for december, which currently stands at 17.7 and likely to get to 17 degrees

over the next few days most of the average for december is just eight to these temperatures are pretty crazy really. overnight the mist and five pages around to collect across the la scala weather will also be a frost but for the southwest the first times that milder air will be arriving by the end of the night with the mild air is accompanied by some heavy rain. now that ramp as i say is going to be heavy as it swings its way northwards and eastwards tomorrow. and following that, that's where we get that really mild air was the westerly winds boosting the temperatures, highs of 16 possibly 70 degrees across parts of england. very mild as well for wales and pretty mild for northern ireland and scotland as well. continue with that theme. on thursday those winds as to us with some heavy rain the company really for wales, western coast and hills of england and for northern ireland later in the day as well. temperatures at similar levels, 16 or possibly 17 across the very warmest part of england. for the north, 12 and glascow still well above average as it is 1a in

belfast. we could have some heavy rain and strong winds thursday night. may be lingering for a time on friday but otherwise there will be a lot of cloud across western areas with submission five pages and probably some spots of drizzle as well. the dross weather further east. temperatures still at their high across england and wales, still at the same kind of levels. and 2022 is going to start off where 2021 left off with those very mild winds and again extensive cloud and outbreaks of rain and drizzle for western coast and hills were probably quite murky. but those crazy temperatures persist.

this is bbc news. the headlines... the uk has reported another daily record for coronavirus infections — nearly 130,000, not including scotland or northern ireland. hospital admissions in london, one of the worst affected areas, are up by 53% week on week — but are still below the levels from the peak of the pandemic last january. a record number of covid infections in france as well — almost one hundred and 80,000 in a single day. the french government has already announced new measures. russia's supreme court has banned one of the country's oldest human rights organisations. the court ruled that memorial must be disbanded for breaking the law on foreign agents. the us secretary of state antony blinken has called for a ban on arms sales to the military in myanmar following an attack that killed at least 30 civilians last week.