this is bbc news. i'm james reynolds.e a surge in covid—i9 — as he comes close to admitting he's leaving the white house next year. the uk prime minister's most senior adviser — dominic cummings — quits hisjob after days of turmoil within the government. at least 42 people have died and 20 others are missing after typhoon vamco made landfall in the philippines — and is now heading for vietnam. and we'll be looking at how families plan to light up their diwali celebrations during lockdown. welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe

this is bbc news.the uk and around the world. president trump is about to announce details of operation warp speed — a programme to speed up development of coronavirus vaccines and treatments — after the us reports another record day of infections. we will be live in the rose garden. some states are taking drastic action to slow the spread — one ofjoe biden‘s top pandemic advisers warns of a disaster as the thanksgiving holiday season begins. we have a fire raging across the nation and the holidays threaten to be gasoline poured on that fire. it comes asjoe biden wins the state of georgia — putting increasing pressure on mr trump to admit he lost

in a statement, the bbc said.tates, despite the efforts of president trump and those around him, joe biden is preparing to enter the white house and there's been plenty of focus not just on what sort of president he might be but also on vice president elect harris. just how should her first name be said? here are a couple of versions from the last few days on bbc news. his choice for vice president making history, kamala harris will be the first female, first black and first asian in this role. kamala harris struggled when she ran to be the democratic party's pick for president. a few groups are not particularly friendly about kamala harris and some of the abuse wasjust horrendous. those versions are in fact incorrect and we know this because the then senator harris released a video four years ago with instructions on how to pronounce her name. robert revealed the answer in a recent e—mail to us after watching bbc news. thank you for all your comments this week. if you want to share your opinions about what you se

we asked bbc news a response to that and they told us. for a response to that and they told us: the use of prerecorded background footage on a green screen is not unusual. in fact we are using one right now because i am in a broom cupboard based studio. but while we're on the topic of abiding by covid—i9 guidelines, we have recorded your reactions to mp5 and generals being out and about without mask. some are annoyed that facemasks are not worn more often. others have problems when they are worn. sally lowe got in touch with us after watching this interview to say: at least one bbc reporter has found a solution to this problem. here is north of england correspondent dan johnson on air recently. the idea is that people across this city will be able to come get tested whenever they want. it is entirely voluntary, not mandatory, but whatever they wa nted mandatory, but whatever they wanted as they will be able to and get one. that appearance but with the approval of victoria palmer. she tweeted: the most high—profile way in which bbc news ha

tom symonds, bbc news., after four politicians were expelled from the territory's assembly. all 15 pro—democracy legislators announced their resignation yesterday, in solidarity with their colleagues, who beijing have deemed a threat to national security. the chinese government said that if the resignations were aimed at encouraging radical resistance, the attempt would fail. an investigation into equal pay at the bbc has found no unlawful acts of pay discrimination against women. the equality and human rights commission opened an inquiry last year after complaints about large differences between the salaries of male and female presenters. but the watchdog has made a number of recommendations, including a call for the bbc to improve transparency. david sillito reports. when the bbc was forced to publish the salaries of its highest paid stars, there was fury at the gap between many male and female presenters and correspondents. there were protests demanding equal pay. the bbc admitted there was a problem and

come on, bbc. a bit of common sense, maybe.s is a complaint we have heard before in recent weeks so we asked bbc news by response. they us. we appreciate that at times it was difficult to read the grass. 0n on wednesday morning those who had not been up all night following the twists and turns of the us presidential election workup on bbc one not to brea kfast workup on bbc one not to breakfast as normal but to the end of a marathon special programme funded by katty kay, christian fraser and in his final stint on the bbc... for 110w final stint on the bbc... for now we are finished. we will all be covering events as they come on. we are about to say goodbye from me. it is a special goodbye and thank you to the bbc and for all of you who watched. some viewers paid tribute to the coverage and to andrew neil in particular, with robbo tweeting. .. but andrew neil in particular, with robbo tweeting... but as coverage from the us continued through most of wednesday, both on the news channel and on bbc 0ne, on the news channel and on

what is the bbc not doing right, john? what have the bbc got wrong this time?sure jessica and i will be helping or hindering type but older and middle—class viewers are getting fed up with the bbc according to an ofcom survey and falling out of favour. they find the bbc is doing a lot of things to try attracting young audiences but they are not particularly working. young people are watching bbc west, about 87% were in 2017. now it has gone down to 79% but at the same time other viewers have been put off so it is not working at either a checking older viewers are younger viewers. jessica won on earth that we do? it is a bit of a rock and a ha rd we do? it is a bit of a rock and a hard place for the bbc because this whole idea that we desperately need to win back in theorist but then at the same time if we try to win back younger viewers, than older viewers say "where's the content for me?" i personally feel like the bbc offers pretty good range of stuff for all ages and it has got these dedicated channels like bbc three where young people can access self that's

this is bbc news. i'm sally bundock with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. this is bbc news. i'm sally bundock with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. joe biden‘s team begin full—scale preparations for his time in office, making the coronavirus pandemic its priority. the european union welcomes his election expressing hope mr biden will quickly rejoin the paris climate change accord and improve foreign relations. azerbaijan's president tells the bbc he sees no end to the fighting in nagorno—karabakh. frankly speaking, with this prime minister of armenia, i don't think that there is any possibility for peace. florida braces itself for storm eta which has brought devastation to central america. celebrations in ireland and india for the vic is biden and harris. —— victors. good to have you with us. the us president—elect, joe biden, is due to unveil a task force of experts charged with drawing up plans to tackle the virus. mr biden‘s team has al

nikki fox, bbc news.ago — saying it will set out the process for a robust independent investigation shortly. it's afterjournalist martin bashir, was accused of using underhand tactics to obtain the interview. lets speak to our correspondent helena wilkinson. where are we with this? for days we have had allegations about how martin bashir managed to secure that interview with princess diana. this lunchtime we have heard from the former chairman of the bbc, lord michael grade, and he doesn't mince his words. he says there is a very dark cloud hanging over bbc journalism. he has called for an independent inquiry, and says we need to get to the bottom of who knew what and when amongst senior bbc figures. we are going to hear in an itv documentary this evening and tomorrow night from the graphic designer who alleges that he was asked by martin bashir to forge bank statements, and it's those bank state m e nts statements, and it's those bank statements which princess diana's brother earl spencer says were used

you can follow the action on bbc radio five live and the bbc sport website.tions cup matches. the latest score from there is 6—5 italy. scotland are on the hunt for fourth straight victory — after ending their six nations campaign on a high, despite coming fourth. duncan weir is back in the side for them at fly half. later on, england get their tournament going, against georgia at twickenham. argentina beat new zealand for the first time in their history this morning. nikola sanchez became a national hero, scoring the only try and kicking all his side's points in a 25—15 victory. the might be no top flight men league football this weekend due to the international break — but we've got some big games in the wsl to look forward. the manchester derby is under way. league leaders manchester united up against rivals manchester city. 1—0 city approaching half time, in the early kick off. chloe kelly with early goal for city. that match one of four taking place today — with a midlands derby, between aston villa and birmingham, up next at 2.30. there are two more gam

sophie hutchinson, bbc news. stay with us on bbc news.ula i as he secures his seventh world title. benazir bhutto has claimed victory in pakistan's general election, and she's asked pakistan's president to name her as prime minister. jackson's been released on bail of $3 million after turning himself into police in santa barbara. it was the biggest demonstration so far of the fast—growing european anti—nuclear movement. the south african government has announced that it's opening the country's remaining whites—only beaches to people of all races. this will lead to a black majority government in this country and the destruction of the white civilisation. part of the centuries—old windsor castle, one of the queen's residences, has been consumed by fire for much of the day. 150 firemen have been battling the blaze, which has caused millions of pounds worth of damage. this is bbc world news. the latest headlines: spacex's first operational crewed flight is on its way to the international space station after launching from cape canaveral in fl

this is bbc news. i'm kasia madera. the headlines at 8pm — the number of people in england waiting more than a year for hospital treatment hits a 12—year high as nhs staff battle the second wave of the pandemic some hospitals are once again cancelling non—urgent treatments. i'm in quite a lot of pain. some days are worse than others. sometimes ijust go into a spasm. you are just left in a wasteland with no idea what's going on. the uk economy's roller coaster ride a big rebound over the summer, but signs of another dip as the second lockdown bites. baby deaths at the countess of chester hospital — a maternity ward nurse is charged with murdering eight children. separated by a screen — the nottingham care home that's hoping rapid covid tests could make face—to—face visits possible again. the government gives the go—ahead for a controversial new road tunnel alongside stonehenge. and the olympic boxer nicola adams has to pull out of strictly after her dance partner katya jones tests positive for coronavir

andy swiss, bbc news. 28—17. it was far more straightforward for england, 40—0 winners against georgia at twickenham. ben croucher reports. rugby at twickenham in 2020 looks a bit different. england are playing in blue for starters. the kits and players may change, the form has stayed constant, with jack willis on debut opening his international account for the six nations champions. it's a competition georgia harbour hopes ofjoining, but three more first—half tries demonstrated the gulf between them. jamie george had already scored two tries like this when he became the first english hooker to score a hat—trick. the close range tactic worked for dan robson, as well. georgia's first visit to twickenham was a pointless one. there has been a change in the air in scottish sport of late. their male footballers are on a roll. their rugby counterparts are on their best run this century. it was a tepid start in tuscany as italy found some florence flair to lead at half—time. scotland needed something a bit differ

and why was the bbc later from some “— and why was the bbc later from some —— and some other news outlets allocated big resources and airtime on your main channel, bbc one to a news event which then doesn't stick to the anticipated timeline? that was anticipated timeline? that was a problem facing bbc bosses and their tv schedule is twice this week. firstly on saturday when downing street announced a press c0 nfe re nce downing street announced a press conference on the new restrictions being introduced in england because of covid—i9. clearly big news and a special programme was hastily arranged for bbc one at liz30pm after the original downing street start time of 4pm but ahead of the new postponed five o'clock start. five o'clock came and went and so did six o'clock without an appearance from the prime minister, letting the presenter and the political correspondent chris mason along with a variety of guests with a lot of time to fill. there was praise for how they handled it, including from maureen hamilton, who wrote... but others were infuriated by the bbc‘s response to the delay, suc

this is "bbc world news america."ovid hospitalizations are reaching a new high. >> [chanting] anchor: pro-democracy lawmakers resign in protest after four members resign in china after being unpatriotic. plus, meeting santa in the age of social distancing. how st. nick and his helpers are making sure that christmas does not get canceled. laura: welcome to "bbc world news america." until them vaccine hits the market, we face with a u.s. president elect because a dark winter, trying to contain the virus. the red dots on this map show more than 50 million cases of coronavirus recorded worldwide. here and the u.s., more than 10 million americans have been infected. in a troubling record, more than 60,000 people are in the hospital fighting the virus in thu.s.. doctors are warning the icus are close to being overrun. we are seeing a rise in cases as the cold weather drives and indoor. the difference in case numbers, those red dot, that is striking. this doctor is a cardiologist in montreal and joins us now. why is it that

we are watching bbc news.oper... when he headed office, improper... when he headed off to barnard castle in the spring, that did a lot of cattle. —— damage. i don't believe he is what the prime minister needs. what is needed is a serious, heavyweight player with good politicaljudgment serious, heavyweight player with good political judgment who serious, heavyweight player with good politicaljudgment who has the trust of the prime minister and the trust of the prime minister and the trust of the parliamentary party in the house of commons, who is able and has the right to say to the prime minister, not what he wants to hear but what he needs to hear and to offer good and sound advice. forgive me, that is a matter i think now of absolute urgency. we have to be able to concentrate all our effort on dealing with the pandemic and dealing with brexit. other distractions, frankly, are just that. distractions that are not permissible at the moment. we have allegra stratton coming in from number 11 to number ten, do yo

this is bbc news.fficial, chris krebs, for issuing statements defending the integrity of the recent elections. in a tweet, the president accused the director of the cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency of having made a ‘highly inaccurate' statement in relation to the poll. and the president has decided to halve the number of us troops in afghanistan and iraq before he leaves office. he stopped short of a threatened full withdrawal. the move has faced criticism from both republicans and democrats who fear it will damage fragile peace talks with the taliban. as fighting continues between ethiopian federal forces and tigrayan insurgents in the north of the country, thousands of refugees have poured over the border into neighbouring sudan. the un says they are urgently in need of food and fuel, but a communications blackout in the region means there is limited access. now on bbc news, panorama. just talking to meg and naomi tonight, you really get a sense i'm afraid someone is going to hidden i

hugh pym, bbc news.hat he sees as the main challenges heading towards christmas. what will be absolutely crucial is reducing transmission of the virus, getting that vital r number below1 to show the virus is receding. and the challenge for the government at westminster for england is what sort of regime to have after 2 december, once the current lockdown ends, how you bring back a tiered system with maybe tougher restrictions in some areas? and what we learned today is this calculation used by experts on the sage committee that, for every day of relaxation, you need five days of tougher restrictions. whether that would apply either side of christmas or after christmas, if you allowed a relaxation over the festive season, is really not completely clear at this stage. but what's become very, very clear today is that scientific advisers are working very hard to come up with some sort of package of measures to allow at least some mixing of families over the christmas season. and later on, we'll find out how

jonny dymond, bbc news. rights legislation protecting disabled people in employment, education and the provision of goods and services. despite that, new research for the bbc suggests nearly a quarter of young disabled people feel they can't lead independent lives. 60% say they find pubs and clubs inaccessible. and four out of five people asked feel the needs of disabled people have been overlooked during the pandemic. 0ur disability news correspondent nikki fox reports. the voices of disabled people in the uk. if you see me walking up a flight of stairs and your heart breaks because i'm struggling to walk up the stairs, you should ask why i am taking the stairs, you should ask why there is no step free access into the building. just some of the problems nearly 14 million people face right now. we're still getting driven past on the street by taxis. that's, like, basic. that's super basic. 25 years on from a breakthrough in disability rights, what has actually changed? i often feel like a second—class citize

now on bbc news — our world.

you're watching bbc news.iden has warned that donald trump's refusal to begin the transition following his election defeat earlier this month could cost lives. he said president trump needs to work with the incoming team to co—ordinate vaccination programmes. mrtrump is continuing to insist, without evidence, that the presidential poll was rigged and has yet to concede. joe biden expressed his frustration at the politicisation of measures to deal with the covid—19 crisis, such as mask—wearing. does anybody understand why a governor would turn this into a political statement? it's about patriotism. it's about being patriotic. it's about saving life. for real. this is not hyperbole. it's about being patriotic. and i think you're seeing more and more, as this god—awful virus continues to spread, almost unabated, that governors are stepping up. lebo disekojoins me from washington. real frustration there from joe biden, and that stark warning that it will cost lives unless this transition period starts pretty quick

this is bbc news.ve coronavirus vaccine has been developed, initial tests suggest it is capable of preventing more than 90% of people from getting covid—19, according to preliminary findings. but experts warn of logistical challenges ahead. the armenian prime minister says he's signed a deal with the leaders of azerbaijan and russia to end the conflict in nagorno—karabakh. he described the deal as "inexpressibly painful". more now on the news that president trump has dismissed his defence secretary, mark esper. mr trump's announcement, on twitter, gave no reasons. during the summer, the two clashed over the president's suggestion that the military could be used to end the widespread protests against racial discrimination and injustice, although mark esper himself referred to american cities as "battlespaces" and said protesters needed "dominating". he's now been replaced by christopher miller who currently serves as director of the national counterterrorism centre. professorjosh kastenberg, is a profes

this is bbc news.st scotland. we'll have live coverage of that. the health secretary says he can't confirm which restrictions will be in place once the lockdown in england ends at the beginning of next month, amid reports the tier system could be strengthened. mr speaker it is too early to do the analysis that the honourable gentleman requests but of course we remain vigilant. well, soon he has to make a decision on the future of the lockdown so the earlier we get that information the better. a bbc investigation into the awarding of ppe government contracts shows £21 million of taxpayers money was paid in "consulting fees" to a recently—formed firm in miami, florida. anger as borisjohnson describes devolution

this is bbc news. i'm lukwesa burak. our top stories: the us reports another record day of infections, as the coronavirus continues its surge across the country. some states take drastic action to slow the spread — one ofjoe biden‘s top pandemic advisors warns of a disaster as the thanksgiving holiday season begins. we have a fire raging across the nation and fellow holidays threatened to be definitely imported on that fire. in the next hour president trump will give an update on the so—called ‘0peration warp speed' programme, which aims to speed up development of vaccines and treatments. cummings going — the uk prime minister's most senior adviser — dominic cummings — leaves hisjob in downing street. and we'll be looking at how families plan to celebrate diwali during lockdown. in the united states, the number of new coronavirus infections recorded each day has doubled in just three weeks. latest records show 150,000 new coronavirus cases — that's a one day record. with the thanksgiving holiday less t

lauren moss, bbc news.e were 23,254 new coronavirus new coronavirus infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period. that means that the average number of new cases reported per day, in the last week is now 23,016. 162 deaths were reported — that's people who died within 28 days of a positive covid—19 test. it means, on average in the past week, 260 deaths were announced every day. it takes the total number of deaths so far across the uk to 46,717. and tomorrow morning on the bbc news channel we'll be answering your questions on the national lockdown in england, and also restrictions in other parts of the uk. that's at 9:30 tomorrow morning. so send your questions to, hashtag, bbc your questions, or email them. even a one—month lockdown will cost the government billions of pounds in extra support for businesses and employees. our business correspondent katy austin has been analysing where the money will be spent and what impact it will have. when pubs and restaurants have to shut, by's and impact the diner

shaimaa khalil, bbc news, sydney.en cancelled or played behind closed doors — and without spectators. many sporting bodies have warned of financial ruin. now the government is announcing a £300 million rescue package, which will benefit 11 sports — including rugby union, rugby league and racing. but elite men's football and cricket won't get any help. katie gornall reports. sport has been struggling. with turnstiles closed since march many clu bs turnstiles closed since march many clubs around the country have been facing financial ruin but help is on the way with the government unveiling a rescue package worth hundreds of millions of pounds. today the sports minister announced we know the vast majority of sports, many of which operate on tight financial margins, i've been making serious cost reductions. the funding will target 11 sports, largely in the form of loans. horse racing will receive £40 million but by racing will receive £40 million but rugby union will be the main beneficiary and receive 135 million, refle

jonny dymond, bbc news.and outwit a needs. that's it for now, thank you very much for watching. hello there, we've got a bit more murky weather to come over the next few hours. now, this weather watcher picture, i quite like it. this is the fourth rail bridge of course or at least half of it. the other half is subsumed beneath low cloud, the fog and the murk. futher southwards meanwhile, we've got these bands of rain crossing england and wales moving at a northeastward direction thanks to an area of low pressure. this weak low pressure is also drifting northeastwards. but some of this rain is actually washing the fog out of the atmosphere. so, it's not quite as murky as it has been. still some mist, still some cloud. the really dense fog is away from that rain across northeast england, particularly eastern scotland and some patches through the central belt. and where it is worse, the fog, visibility down to 100 metres so it is really quite dense. tricky travel conditions are to be expected if you're out and

katy austin, bbc news. the headlines on bbc news...bia — opens with a call from king salman for coronavirus vaccines to be made available to everyone. a possible alternative to a covid—19 vaccine, for people without fully functioning immune systems, begins its final stage of trials. boris johnson faces renewed criticism for his decision to stand by the home secretary, priti patel, despite a report that found she had bullied staff. the government says mortgage lenders have agreed not to ask for an expensive fire risk survey when homeowners are putting their flats on the market — as long as the building doesn't have cladding. thousands of property sales have been held up by the requirement to obtain a survey, following the 6renfell tower fire. the government's also making available 700 thousand pounds to train more surveyors. we have got to tackle this issue where thousands of homeowners are finding themselves unable to sell or remortgage their properties. a terrible situation. so today we have reached agreement with the lenders and with

theo leggett, bbc news.me into effect today — the country split into five tiers, from zero to four. each of its 32 local authorities has initially been graded between levels one and three, with people in tier 3 being told to make only essential journeys outside their area. our scotland correspondent lorna gordon reports. it's all change in scotland. the government here shaking up the restrictions to curb the spread of covid. this cocktail bar in hamilton had switched to delivering food and drink. they can now welcome customers back, but they won't be allowed to serve them booze. we could open as a cafe but it would be a real struggle for us because pretty half of our gross that we make is from our drinks. and it's basically, that's completely obliterating half the business for us. as well as that, there's lot of established cafes around here, about eight around the vicinity who have been doing this for a long, long time and have a loyal customer base. more than 3 million people in scotland will be living und

lydia campell, bbc news.ff in just under ten minutes' time, and you can follow it on the bbc sport website and the red button. scotland are also in action against portugal which is also on the website. next to a saturday night of boxing with a difference. there are two fights tomorrow which are box office for very different reasons. 0ne sees the former world heavyweight champion mike tyson return to the ring 15 years after he last threw a competitive punch. at 5a, he's reported to be picking up over seven million pounds to face the former four weight world champion royjonesjunior, who's 51. hours before that fight in la, the powerhouse daniel dubois faces 0lympic medallist joe joyce in london in what's being billed as the best british heavyweight fight for a long time. i've been talking to our boxing correspondent mike costello, who says tyson will inevitably take the headlines. this is a fight, a carnival, a tragedy or a comedy, take your pick. but i have no real interest in watching these two men trying to

fergus walsh, bbc news.e of the scientists who advised pfizer on the vaccine, drjeremy faust, and asked him his reaction to the news of this latest breakthrough. i have to say today is one of the best days we have had in the year 2020. and to have the safety data which we absolutely insist upon, but a 90% number that we are hearing is exceeding the expectations that i had. there are some big question marks on what that means, we will get into that, but the top line is that this is a great day for science, and finally, a real reason for optimism. as you say that is so good to hearfor so many people, let's hear your question marks. they have to do with what this number, 90% means. certainly what they are telling us is 90% effective in preventing covid—i9, which is not the same thing as coronavirus infection. covid—i9 is a syndrome, it's like hiv causes aids, they are not the same thing, they are the virus and the syndrome. this data says that 90% effective against causing the syndrome, that's wonderful news. t

peter bowes, bbc news.ndemic now and the world health organisation has issued a warning saying: "we may be tired of covid 19 — but it is not tired of us." many countries are in their second wave of infections and are seeing the number of hospitalisations or new cases reaching figures not seen since the start of the pandemic. in some countries the outbreak is worse than its ever been. the us has seen a record number of new cases in a single 2a hour period, with more than 142,000 people being diagnosed with covid—19. and while cases are dropping in france, the number of people in hospital is now at an all time high of 32,638. in the uk, there's been a record rise, with 33,470 new infections and the second day since may where deaths exceeded 500. with more, here's simonjones. schoolchildren in liverpool and north—west england get tested as part of a citywide trial offering checks to everyone to try and stop the spread of the virus. definitely worth doing. 0bviously virus. definitely worth doing. obviously we h

katy austin, bbc news. 30 others injured in a series of rocket attacks in the afghan capital, kabul. the taliban has denied carrying out the attack which occurrred shortly before the us secretary of state, mike pompeo, was due to meet the group's negotiators in qatar. secunder kermani reports. it should have been an ordinary day at school. instead, panic and fear, as these children run for safety. cctv cameras captured the moment the rockets landed outside this popular bakery. translation: i was having breakfast when the rockets landed. 0ne hit a van belonging to a bakery. at least three people were wounded. they have been taken to hospital. a local resident filmed the rockets being fired from the street. this was the pick—up truck the attackers used. how they managed to get it inside the city is a major cause for concern. the taliban has denied responsibility, but violence has flaring across the country in recent weeks, despite ongoing but slow—moving peace talks. us secretary of state mike pompeo arrived

andy swiss, bbc news.mergency funding, to be announced by the government today to help them cope with the effects of the pandemic and loss of crowds. wigan warriors, one of the teams to lift a trophy in an empty stadium. several hundred million pounds will be made available to help these sports through grants or loans. the premier league and english football league won't benefit, however. the government insisting the sport is wealthy enough to support itself. cricket will also miss out. it's another huge day of tennis at the atp finals in london with rafael nadalfacing defending champion stefanos tsitsipas later. the winner goes into the semis, while the loser is out. meanwhile, world number one novak djokovic suffered just his fourth defeat of the year, losing in straight sets to daniil medvedev who's into the semis. djokovic plays alexander zverev, tomorrow, with the winner guaranteed to make the last four. world number seven zverev, meanwhile, came through his match against diego schwartzman, winning in

this is bbc news. self—isolating but showing no symptoms of coronavirus — prime minister boris johnson is under orders from nhs track and trace after meeting an mp who later tested positive. the former us president barack obama tells the bbc that america is more divided today than when he first ran for office 12 years ago. some of that is attributable to our current president, who actively fanned division because he felt it was good for his politics. scientists behind the first covid vaccine to be successful in early trials say its full impact will be felt next year, but warn of a hard winter ahead. the bigger impact will happen in summer. summer will help us anyway because the infection rate will go down in the summer. the side effects of statins could be down to patient anxiety and have nothing to do with what's in them, according to a new study. farewell to one of our best known entertainers — des o'connor has died at the age of 88. welcome to bbc news. the prime minister borisjohnson is self—isolat

paul adams, bbc news. vulnerable people in england will be offered free vitamin d this winter. this follows the lead of scotland, which is also providing free supplements to some people. the vitamin helps to keep bones, teeth and muscle healthy — but a new clinical trial has just started looking at whether it can also protect against coronavirus. 0ur science correspondent rebecca morelle reports. a dose of sunshine, helping us to make vitamin d, which is essential for our health. but at this time of year, the sun's in short supply. from october to march, people in the uk are advised to take vitamin d, and now in england people in care homes and those classed as clinically extremely vulnerable will get a free supply too. we know that with things like lockdown measures, people staying indoors much more often, maybe not going out as much because they're shielding, or they're housebound, here i think supplementation is, you know, a relatively easy and affordable way to sort of protect the health of the general

this is bbc news. the headlines: another breakthrough in the battle against coronavirus — a vaccine which data suggests is nearly 95% effective. i broke into an ear to ear grin when i heard the numbers. it really exceeded our best hopes and it is an incredibly exciting moment for us as a company and the world as we start to develop tools to fight the virus. on a day he hoped to "reframe" his premiership after days of in—fighting — boris johnson is instead self—isolating in downing street after meeting a tory mp who later tested positive for coronavirus. it doesn't matter that i'm as fit as a butcher's dog, i feel great, so many people do in my circumstances and it actually doesn't matter that i've had the disease and i'm bursting with antibodies. we've got to interrupt the spread of the disease. a warning from patients and staff — at a hospital in an area with the highest covid rates in the country. the doubters out there who don't believe in it, it's here. and this is very busy, the nurses don't stop.

simon king, bbc news.und the world, but of course it's a little bit different this year. 0utdoor celebrations around the uk have been called off due to the pandemic. and families are being urged to meet up virtually this weekend. meena trivedy is a music teacher and dancer. she teaches religious songs and says she'll be celebrating online this year. it is going to be very different this time and we just have to make it as special as we can, just by staying at home. obviously i have made lots of sweets and lots of food and, as you can see, there is rangoli so i haven't actually compromised on anything else, it's just that we can't see ourfamily, we can't see our friends. but on that occasion we are just going to use the zoom and make zoom calls so we can see everyone and wish happy diwali to everyone. everybody makes rangoli during diwali, everyone makes rangoli. but the occasion can be different for everyone because everybody‘s new year falls in a different time of the lunar calendar. for gujaratis, the ne

david shukman, bbc news.he most divisive us presidential elections in decades, pitting incumbent republican donald trump against his democratic challenger, joe biden. nearly 100 million people have already cast their ballots in early voting, putting the country on course for its highest turnout in a century. we'll be reporting from right across america, but first, here's our north america editor, jon sopel. jon. george, thank you very much. if you area george, thank you very much. if you are a lover of democracy, it is hard not to celebrate the fact that so many people want to line up and go and vote. it is extraordinary the level of turnout. but the joy of voting is also being matched by a serious trepidation about what might come next. it is a fragile moment, a pivotal moment for america, a divided nation. those issues, those arguments will probably rumble on for days. today, though, it is about getting out the vote. a pandemic, a president hospitalised in the midst of the campaign, racial unrest, an econom

this is bbc news the headlines at 4.00. the foreign secretary says the government is "listening" to conservative mps who're unhappy with the latest coronavirus restrictions for england. having a vote on the regulations in january, with a sunset in february if that doesn't pass again, i think, is the right combination of accountability and transparency, with taking the measures that the public need now. the french formula one driver romain grosjean escapes a huge crash at the bahrain grand prix, which saw his car split in two and erupt into flames. the race has now restarted. lewis hamilton tweeted that he was grateful grosjean was safe and it was a reminder that drivers put their lives on the line for the sport. do you think we could get the deal? let us work, let us work. the eu's chief negotiatior michel barnier continues talks in london over a post—brexit trade deal — but fishing is still a sticking point. and the man behind the mask of darth vader — weightlifter—turned—actor dave prowse has died at the age of 85. good a

this is bbc news. coronavirus vaccines to be available for all — as leaders from the world's biggest economies meet for an online summit hosted by saudi arabia. boris johnson faces questions about whether he tried to tone down an independent report which said home secretary priti patel broke the ministerial code by bullying staff. none of us want to see bullying or poor practices within the workplace, and the home secretary has been clear that she would never want to do that intentionally. the government is to change how it invests in big spending projects, to ensure the north of england gets a fair share of the cash. hello and welcome to our look ahead to what the the papers will be bringing us tomorrow. with me are the broadcaster penny smith and the sun's

iain watson, bbc news.respondent ellie price explained the significance of the change in tone. it's not in the prime minister's habit of giving concessions where they absolutely don't need to. and there is a strength of feeling, i heard from one conservative mp yesterday who said he had no confidence in the cack—handed way this is being dealt with, nor the way they were going to get us out of all of this. i think this will go some way to making some conservative mps feel a bit better, but then others, i heard from another mp this morning who said it's all good news but i still haven't decided how i'm going to vote. the crucial things will be tomorrow, there's going to be an impact assessment release. that's looking at the economics, the social side of how these tiers, the effect these tiers will have on that sort of thing. but i think it's interesting the tone actually from the government this morning. yesterday, we head for michael gove, the cabinet office minister who said mps need to take tough decisions

anne soy, bbc news.n to continue operating a car plant in xinjiang — a region of china underfierce scrutiny due to the treatment of the uighur ethnic minority there. mounting international concern has led some multinational companies to cut ties with the region. but volkswagen has told the bbc that there is so far no evidence that any of their employees have been through the detention camps, as our china correspondent john sudworth reports. volkswagen makes more than four million cars a year in china. its many factories here now a vital part of its global success story. except for one. opened seven years ago in xinjiang, this plant has found itself at the centre of a major controversy. sharing the vast desert landscape with a network of detention camps that china has built in recent years. images said to show the mass incarceration of xinjiang's uighurs and other minorities, and their mass transport, have helped make this one of the most pressing human rights issues of our time. and now vw is having to d

you're watching bbc news. i'm 0lly foster at the bbc sport centre.nglish football league, rick parry, says the return of fans will be a lifeline for many clubs. up to 4,000 will be allowed to attend matches from next wednesday, when the lockdown in england is lifted. there are 21 fixtures scheduled for tuesday, but those could be moved to get fans into those games, as well. it has taken everybody a little bit by surprise. we weren't really expecting anything before christmas. there is a lot of work to do quite quickly and it is really important that we get this right. we have a number of games taking place on the ist of december. in theory we will be as flexible as we can if they can be as flexible as we can if they can be moved to the second, but we don't know which clubs will be in which tier yet. i think it is one step at a time. the champions league returns tonight. chelsea can qualify for the last 16 if they beat renne and the other result in their group goes their way. they beat the french side 3—0 at stamford bridge earlier this month. frank l

dan johnson, bbc news. the headlines on bbc news...fections in england has dropped by 30% since the second lockdown was imposed. the prime minister calls for "unity" from his mps as he agrees to publish the data behind england's new tiers system ahead of a vote in the commons tomorrow. the arcadia retail chain is expected to go into administration today, threatening thousands of jobs. sir philip green's retail empire arcadia, is likely to call in the administrators — putting 13,000 jobs at risk. sources in the company — whose brands include topshop, burton and dorothy perkins — have told the bbc they don't expect a last—minute rescue deal, as greg mckenzie reports. this could be the end of the road for sir philip green's epic retailjourney, one that has brought him riches, a knighthood, but also infamy. arcadia's brand once dominated high street fashion. its chains have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. but its problems stretched further back than that, as it struggled to keep up with online retailers. the company, which inclu

faisal islam, bbc news.nto claims of bullying — which found that she broke the rules on ministerial behaviour. the inquiry looked into allegations about her conduct as a minister in three different government departments. the mild who investigated the bullying claims today resigned, after borisjohnson contradicted his advice. priti patel says she was sorry if her behaviour had upset people. with me is sir alistair graham, former head of the committee on standards in public life between 2004 and 2007. thank you forjoining us. festival, are you surprised by borisjohnson's decision? no, i am not surprised because he has been sitting on this issue for many months now, which is pretty scandalous in itself. so i am not surprised he has decided the political interests are more important than ethical decisions regarding this issue. do you think it is more about politics and anything else i do now?|j it is more about politics and anything else i do now? i do. i think it is very much about the balance of his cabinet,

putin, bbc news, derby.e were 21,350 new coronavirus infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period. that means that the average number of new cases reported per day in the last week is now 22,786. 1,487 people have been admitted to hospital on average each day over the week to last thursday. and 194 deaths were reported, that's people who died within 28 days of a positive covid—19 test. it means on average in the past week, 341 deaths were announced every day. it takes the total number of deaths so far across the uk to 49,238. in wales the 17—day lockdown has ended but experts say it will be another fortnight before the full impact of the restrictions is known. the lockdown has given way to a new regime of restrictions throughout wales allowing nonessential shops to reopen and giving permission to up to four people from different households to meet both indoors and outdoors. 0ur wales correspondent hywel griffith has spent the day in merthyr tydfil, which still has one of the highest rates of infection in

james landale, bbc news. stay with us on bbc news.service of remembrance at the cenotaph in london. the bombastic establishment outsider donald trump has defied the pollsters to take the keys to the oval office. i feel great about the election results. i voted for him because i genuinely believe that he cares about the country. it's keeping the candidate's name always in the public eye that counts. success or failure depends not only on public display, but on the local campaign headquarters and the heavy routine work of their women volunteers. berliners from both east and west linked hands and danced around their liberated territory. and with nobody to stop them, it wasn't long before the first attempts were made to destroy the structure itself. yasser arafat, who dominated the palestinian cause for so long, has died. the palestinian authority has declared a state of mourning. after 17 years of discussion, the result was greeted with an outburst ofjoy when the ministers who'd long felt only begrudgingly accepted among the ranks of cle