if you want to share your opinions about what you see or hear on bbc news on tv, radio, online and social. uk, or you can find us on twitter, @newswatchbbc. you can call us on 0370 010 6676. and do have a look at previous interviews on our website, bbc.co.uk/newswatch. that's all from us. we'll be back to hear your thoughts about bbc news coverage again next week. goodbye. hello. friday brought rain for some, a little bit of brightness for others, and it's actually a similar story as we head on into the weekend. there are some clear skies to come. the skies clearing across western parts of the uk as we head through this evening and tonight. that could allow for some pretty low temperatures by the end of the night, across parts of northern ireland particularly. elsewhere, we keep a lot of cloud and some showery right and those temperatures will hold up. but as we go through tomorrow, we're going to take these clear skies in the west and we are going to push them a little further eastwards. now having said that, i think across eastern scotland and the eastern side of england, we will hold o

editorfor bbc news. by toby castle, deputy news editor for bbc news. toby, thank you for coming on news watch and let's start with the fa ct watch and let's start with the fact that huge parts of the uk have been in here 3a weeks, even months. why did bbc news make such a big deal about london going into tier three? well, i think we made a big deal about london going in this week to tier 3 because it was a big new story. and that's not to say that when leicester went into tighter restrictions, or nottingham or liverpool or greater manchester, those were also big news stories for bbc news. and i would say that we covered those in great detail using our specialist correspondents and those correspondents based around the country to reflect the regional nature. but this week, the decision that london was to go into the tightest of restrictions just as we approached london was a big, big news story. 20 minutes of a 30 minute bulletin, as one of our viewers noticed? all those people have to do is look at our coverage

this is bbc news. i'm nuala mcgovern with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. the uk reports a record 40,000 new infections in the past 2a hours. doctors say some services are stretched to the limit. we see patients who are coming in who have covid symptoms, but we also see other patients coming in with other problems who turn out to be covid—positive. and between that, there is a great deal of difficulty getting those patients through into the wards. after president trump finally signs a coronavirus relief bill, democrats in the house of representatives are trying to increase the pay—outs to americans. also in the programme, a major study of the atlantic ocean has discovered species previously unknown to science. and how new yorkers are banishing the bad memories of 2020 with the aid of a paper shredder. hello, and welcome. there've been a record number of cases of coronavirus in the uk over the past 2a hours. the figure, more than 41,000, may include cases not recorded ove

dominic hughes, bbc news. on travel to the country from the united kingdom and south africa until january 6 due to the new more infectious variant of covid—19. ireland's prime minister, micheal martin, has also announced that tough public health restrictions will remain in place for the next four weeks to try and stop the spread in his country. i've always been clear that we will do what we need to do to suppress the virus when it is growing, and it is now growing exponentially. the truth is that with the presence of the new strain and the pace of growth, this is not a time for nuance in oui’ response. we must apply the brakes to movement and physical interaction across the country. we must return to full scale level five restrictions for a period of at least one month. california has detected its first known case of the so—called "uk variant" of the coronvirus. the newly discovered strain of the virus is highly infectious and is currently spreading rapidly across the uk. the california governor, gavin newsom,

if you want to share your opinions about what you see or hear on bbc news on tv, radio, online and social@bbc. co. uk, or you can find us on twitter, @newswatchbbc. you can call us on 0370 010 6676. and do have a look at previous interviews on our website, bbc.co.uk/newswatch. that's all from us. we'll be back to hear your thoughts about bbc news coverage again next week. goodbye. hello there. friday was another unsettled day, a day that brought many of us outbreaks of rain. the rain was most persistent in aberdeenshire but, equally, there were a few brighter moments — for example, here in cornwall to allow these rather stunning rainbows to develop. we have at the moment a very slow—moving area of low pressure crossing the country. further patches of rain moving generally slowly eastwards and with the winds very light, again, we're starting to see some dense patches of fog form particularly across eastern england. visibility is already down to 100 metres in places with the foggy weather really from essex northwards into the east midlands, perhaps east anglia, lincolnshire, and yorkshire.

this is bbc news. merry christmas. i'm lukwesa burak with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. after lots of heated negotitions, the european union and united kingdom finally reach a post—brexit trade deal. both sides hail the agreement as a "big success". it is fair, it is a balanced deal, and it is the right and responsible thing to do for both sides. we have completed the biggest trade deal yet, worth £660 billion a year, a comprehensive, canada—style free trade deal between the uk and the eu. the final hurdle was access to fishing waters. but what will it mean forfishermen on either side of the channel? and a socially distanced christmas in bethlehem, as pilgrims stay away from the festive celebrations. four and a half years after britain voted to leave the eu, a post—brexit trade deal has finally been agreed. the uk prime minister, borisjohnson, said britain had achieved a £660 billion per year trade agreement which would protectjobs. but the opposition labour party sai

this is bbc news. s of governments around the globe ban arrivals from the uk after the country announced cases of a new, more infectious strain of coronavirus. in the us, republicans and democrats and months of wrangling to agree on a $900 billion financial relief package for those hit hardest by the pandemic. the italian authorities have destroyed hundreds of millions of pounds' worth of the amphetamine captagon, seized when shipments from syria were intercepted. it was part of a coordinated effort against a trade in lucrative narcotics likely to be run by the syrian regime and its allies. captagon is used recreationally across the middle east but is also taken by militants fighting on the frontlines. our correspondent, quentin sommerville, gained exclusive access to the operation in naples. syria's war can seem a million miles away from europe but tonight, in naples, it intrudes once again. italy's financial crimes police are on a night—time mission that has been months in the making. earlier this sum

damien mcguinness, bbc news, berlin. reported cases of the new variant of coronavirus — which was first detected in the united kingdom. norway's institute of public health says, its traced the new variant back to two travellers from the uk, who entered the country in early december. the portuguese island of madeira has also blamed travellers from the uk for an outbreak — but has not specified how many people are infected. and, it's a similar story injordan — which has reported its first two cases of the variant. canada, australia, italy and the netherlands have also confirmed cases of the new variant which scientists say is up to 70% more transmissible. in other news: south africa has registered more than a million cases of covid—19 since the outbreak began in march. it comes just a few days after the south african authorities confirmed that a new faster spreading coronavirus variant, had been detected. some hospitals and medical centres have reported a severe rise in admissions, placing a heavy strain on resources. afgh

tim allman, bbc news. for the boys and girls of the world, and it might be concerned over the health of sa nta concerned over the health of santa claus. but confirmation of the christmas will be able to make his all—important present delivery. the leaders have made a special exemption on quarantine rules. children are reminded physical distancing will remain in force. however centre will not be susceptible to covid—19.” understand the concern for sa nta understand the concern for santa because he is of old age in one of the older age groups but i can tell you that santa claus is immune to this virus and we had a brief chat with him and he is doing very well. mrs clause is doing very well and they are very busy right now. that is the official word from the world health organization stop joe biden from the world health organization stopjoe biden has been formally certified as the next president of the united states. results from electoral colleges taking him over the 270 threshold required to bring in the pre

hugh pym, bbc news. ng to fall, there were 16,298 new coronavirus infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period. the average number of new cases reported per day in the last week, is now 14,448. 1,368 people had been admitted to hospital on average each day over the week to november 30th. 504 deaths were reported, that's people who died within 28 days of a positive covid—19 test. that means on average in the past week , 438 deaths were announced every day. it takes the total number of deaths so far across the uk to 60,617. councils in greater manchester have become the latest to pause rapid testing for care home visitors over concerns they fail to detect enough infections. figures suggest lateral flow tests — which can produce results within 15 minutes — miss about a third of the most infectious cases picked up by conventional laboratory tests. the government says rapid testing as way of reducing, rather than eliminating, risk and can quickly identify those who are carrying the virus. 0ur health corres

now on bbc news,

this is bbc news. i'm freya cole with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk, pbs in america and around the world. a deal is done — the european union and united kingdom finally reach a post—brexit trade deal — after heated negotiations. both sides hail the agreement a big success. we have completed the biggest trade deal yet, worth £660 billion a year. a comprehensive ca nada—style free trade deal. it is fair, it is a balanced deal, and it is the right and responsible thing to do for both sides. stalled over christmas. a covid stimulus package, designed to revive the us economy, struggles to make progress in congress. a quiet christmas in bethlehem, as pilgrims are told to stay away from the celebrations. hello and welcome. 4.5 years after britain voted to leave the eu, a post brexit trade deal has finally been agreed. the uk prime minister, borisjohnson, said britain had achieved a 660 billion pound per year trade agreement — which would protectjobs. but the opposition labour party, said the deal

andy moore, bbc news.ven a briefing about the post—brexit trade deal reached with the uk, by the bloc‘s chief negotiator michel barnier. uk mps will vote on the deal in parliament next week, before the existing trade rules expire on the 31st of december. here's our political correspondent leila nathoo. glad tidings of greatjoy, because this is a deal. some light reading. the post—brexit deal agreed yesterday between britain and the eu runs to more than 1,200 pages. this morning, the man who negotiated it for the eu side, michel barnier, briefed ambassadors of eu member states on its detail. reporter: what is the plan for today, then? mission accomplished! what's in that blue folder sets out how the eu and uk will trade and co—operate from the new year. to finally have something on paper is a success for both sides. the deal was done in the nick of time, with the uk already out of the eu and transition arrangements expiring within days. mps and peers will have until wednesday to digest the detail, before be

stay with us on bbc news. randed giraffes in kenya. john lennon was shot at the entrance to the dakota building in the centre of new york. there's been a crowd here standing in more or less silent vigil, and the flowers have been piling up. the 14th ceasefire of this war ended at the walls of the old city of dubrovnik. this morning, witnesses said shells were landing every 20 seconds. people are celebrating the passing of a man they hold responsible for hundreds of deaths and oppression. elsewhere, people have been gathering tomorrow and his passing. imelda marcos, the widow of the former president of the philippines, has gone on trial in manila. she's facing seven charges of tax evasion, estimated at £120 million. she pleaded not guilty. the prince and princess of wales are to separate. a statement from buckingham palace said the decision had been reached amicably. this is bbc news. the latest headlines: donald trump's personal lawyer — rudy giuliani — says he's getting great care and feeling good despite bein

this is bbc news. d in san francisco to help curb a surgeon coronavirus cases. brexit trade talks have been temporarily put on hold without agreement. the lead negotiators say the eu president and the british prime minister will talk directly on saturday. tough new coronavirus restrictions have come into force in wales this evening. pubs, bars and restaurants have to close at 6pm and can't sell alcohol on the premises. the first minister —— first minister says wales is experiencing an unmistakable rise in infections again with a record number of covid related patients in hospital. 0ur wales correspondent hywel griffith reports. pints and profits down the drain. for this pub in cardiff, a dry december isn't viable, and so it will close. like many brewers and landlords around wales, simon doesn't accept that pubs are the place where the virus is spreading. he says the new restrictions don't make sense. how can it be right and safe to open to serve food in pubs but not alcohol? it defies logic. why is 6pm

this is bbc news. masks for his first hundred days in office in order to limit the spread of coronavirus. britain and the eu will resume talks on a post brexit trade agreement today amid signs the chances of a deal the next three days are fading. 2020 has been a difficult year for the russian president vladimir putin are not is because of the pandemic. in recent months the kremlin has faced a series of challenges on its own doorstep, including mass protests in belarus, war in the south caucasus and a rise in pro—european sentiment in moldova. 0ur moscow correspondent steve rosenberg assesses what these dramatic events mean for russia's influence in its own back yard. across russia's former empire, we're seeing seismic change. in belarus, people power is challenging a dictator who's being propped up by moscow. to the south, armenia and azerbaijan have been at war. add to that a revolution in kyrgyzstan and the new pro—europe president in moldova, and the result is one huge headache for the kremlin. vlad

branwen jeffreys, bbc news. number of new cases reported per day in the last week is 23,959. the number of people being admitted to hospital is rising too — 1,707 on average each day between now and last sunday. 489 deaths were reported for the last 24 hours, that's people who died within 28 days of a positive covid—19 test. on average in the past week there were 434 deaths per day. the total number of uk deaths is now 66,541. scotland's public health minister has been sacked after figures released earlier this week showed the number of people dying from drug misuse in scotland had reached record levels. labour and the liberal democrats had been demanding joe fitzpatrick‘s resignation and were preparing a vote of no confidence in him at holyrood. first minister nicola sturgeon has thanked mr fitzpatrick for his work and insisted the scottish government is determined to tackle the drugs crisis. there were more than one—thousand—250 drug related deaths last year, the worst such rate in europe. the chief constable

this is bbc news. i'm freya cole with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk, pbs in america and around the world. possible human remains are found near the debris of a large explosion in the centre of the us city of nashville. european union ambassadors receive hard copies of the post—brexit trade deal in a christmas day briefing led by michel barnier. still no resolution over the us covid stimulus bill — millions could lose benefits if donald trump doesn't sign it into law. and joining the ranks of pop legends like the beatles and the spice girls — a couple who sing about sausage rolls become the third act in uk chart history to score three consecutive christmas number ones. possible human remains have been found near the debris of a large explosion in the centre of the us city of nashville. the area has been sealed off and a large police investigation is now under way into what the authorities have confirmed was an intentional act. tanya dendrinos reports. blackened smoke and a street ablaze. as

anne soy, bbc news. stancing and other coronavirus restrictions, normal new year's eve celebrations will have to be curtailed. but, in new york, they insist the show will go on as much as possible. the bbc‘s tim allman explains. the more things change, the more they stay the same. workers finishing preparations to the giant crystal ball that will see out the old and see in the new. it weighs six tonnes, has a diameter of more than 3.5 metres, and is clad in thousands of waterford crystal triangles. a very big ball for a very big night. this year's new year's eve is the most anticipated since the millennium, and the tradition remains the same. this beautiful waterford crystal ball will drop at midnight, the entire world will count down with us here in new york, as we celebrate the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021. newsreel: millions down broadway, and the great white way is swinging it! they've been celebrating the new year at times square for more than a century. but don't expect scenes like this as

damien mcguinness, bbc news, berlin. reported cases of the new variant of coronavirus — which was first detected in the united kingdom. norway's institute of public health says, its traced the new variant back to 2 travellers from the uk, who entered the country in early december. the portuguese island of madeira has also blamed travellers from the uk for an outbreak — but has not specified how many people are infected. and, it's a similar story injordan — which has reported its first 2 cases of the variant. canada, australia, italy and the netherlands have also confirmed cases of the new variant which scientists say is up to 70% more transmissible. in other news: south africa has registered more than a million cases of covid—i9 since the outbreak began in march. it comes just a few days after the south african authorities confirmed that a new faster spreading coronavirus variant, had been detected. some hospitals and medical centres have reported a severe rise in admissions, placing a heavy strain on resources. afghan o

stay with us on bbc news. weeks to the inauguration of us president—elect joe biden. our world affairs editor, john simpson, assesses the challenges the new president will face. the most ambitious financial and political change ever attempted has got under way with the introduction of the euro. tomorrow in holland we are going to use the money we picked up in belgium today, and then we will be in france, and again it will be the same money. it's just got to be the way to go. george harrison, the former beatle, is recovering in hospital after being stabbed at his oxfordshire home. a 33—year—old man from liverpool is being interviewed by police on suspicion of attempted murder. i think it was good. just good? no, fantastic. that's better. bells toll this is bbc news. the latest headlines: there are reports president trump has signed the pandemic aid and spending bill. millions of americans temporarily lost their benefits when he refused to sign the $2.3 trillion covid relief bill into law. south africa has regist

this is bbc news, i'm lukwesa burak. these are the latest headlines. s is confirmed in canada. some eu countries begin vaccinations against covid—19, one day ahead of the planned co—ordinated rollout across the bloc. us federal agents searched the house on the outskirts of nashville as part of their investigation into the christmas day explosion in the city. in around 15 minutes, viewers on bbc one willjoin us for a round up of the news with clive myrie. and at 11.30, we'll have a full paper review but let's have a quick look at some of the front pages... senior conservative mps are concerned about plans to rush boris johnson's christmassy brexit deal through parliament before the year's end, so says at the observer.

thank you forjoy on bbc news. usands of people from ethnic minorities, including the uighur community, are being forced by the chinese authorities to pick cotton in the far western region of xinjiang. china's cotton crop, which makes up a fifth of the world's total supply, could be far more dependent on forced labour than previously thought. the chinese government denies the claims, saying that a program to transfer more than 2 million people into factories and fields is part of a massive poverty alleviation campaign. 0ur china correspondent john sudworth reports. xinjiang makes mountains of cotton, a fifth of the world's total and our investigation will only heighten concerns about this product, although the evidence wasn't easy to find. they're waiting for us. we're turned back at checkpoints... we'll pay, we'll pay. ..stopped from filming... we'll pay. ..questioned. .. ..and followed. the one behind is also following us. this is one site we're trying to get to — a giant re—education camp. but, more recently, som

hello and welcome to bbc news. aly is imposing a nationwide lockdown over much of the christmas and new year period — a measure aimed at reducing the sharp rise in coronavirus infections. italians will only be allowed to travel for work, health, or emergency reasons on a limited number of days. with brief exceptions, all but essential shops will remain closed. italy follows countries like the netherlands and germany, which have imposed lockdowns until january. translation: we must intervene but i assure you this is not an easy decision. it is difficult to reinforce a series of necessary measures to better face the upcoming holidays and protect ourselves against of the resumption of work activities in january. with me is our news reporter paul hawkins. paul, right across europe then, we will want things are going to get worse and of course in winter it looks like they are. yeah, starting with italy and as you say following the netherlands and germany in introducing a national lockdown over the festive period. what do

rebecca morelle, bbc news. ot police — over calls for a new security law to be dropped completely. this is despite the government back tracking on the most controversial clause — concerning limits on filming police officers on duty. our reporterjothohnson has more. this our reporterjothohnson has more. was the scenl paris this was the scene on the streets of paris on saturday as peaceful rallies over a controversial draft security law turned violent for a second consecutive weekend. officers fired tear gas and a pocket of demonstrators set cars and barricades on fire. shop windows we re barricades on fire. shop windows were smashed by some hooded protesters and a bank was ransacked and torched. the protest started over a clause in a draft security law which aimed to restrict how people share images are fond duty police making it a criminal offence if there was an intent to harm their physical or psychological integrity. the public backed down in the face of pressure and said the controversial clause would be rew

anisa kadri, bbc news. you are watching bbc news.hat first emerged in england is spreading across many european countries and has now been confirmed in canada and japan. let's stay with that now — and i've been speaking to jason kindrachuk, assistant professor of emerging viruses at the university of manitoba in canada. i asked him how he felt about the new strain. i live in a perpetual state of worry because of the work we do, but if we look at the way we have produced the two vaccines, they use the higher spike protein itself so the hope is if you have a few mutations that show up, you still have the antibodies for the entire protein. i think you are seeing a lot of people stepping back and saying we think there will still be a benefit. we can certainly see the data to validate that. one other factor people discuss is the impact on severity of disease. could this have something to do with the age groups it has been detected in — and that is the under—60s? yes, when we certainly see the transmission rates, it gives us a question as

in sport on bbc news.in murphy admits he saw cocaine present the night before he tested positive for the drug, and is now living with the consequences with a three—month ban. good afternoon, and welcome to the bbc news at one. the bbc understands that some of the first doses of the pfizer coronavirus vaccine will be transported via eurotunnel from belgium later today. it was given the green light by uk medical regulators yesterday — and the firstjab could be given as early as monday. england's deputy chief medical officer professor jonathan van—tam has insisted every effort will be made to get the newly—approved vaccine into care homes as soon as possible — despite the logistical challenges. the vaccine has to be kept at minus 70 celsius, and can be exposed to higher temperatures only under strict conditions, for a limited time. our health correspondent anna collinson reports. it is the day after what has been called a day to remember, the uk has now approved its first coronavirus vaccine, now, the next ch

chi chi izundu, bbc news. emain in place across the world, as countries try to keep the pandemic under control. cases are rising in russia, but president vladimir putin says he won't impose a new national lockdown as he tries to protect the economy. 0ur moscow correspondent sarah rainsford reports. red square is at its picture—postcard best. no sign here of covid—19 cancelling christmas, despite the spiralling infection rate. there are precautions and many things have been scaled back this year, but there's no lockdown, and people told me they are fine with that. translation: i think there is enough restrictions. lots of people wear masks and gloves. i don't think we need anything stricter. translation: we don't need a lockdown, that would stop people earning wages and feeding their families. that happened in spring, and it was really bad. meanwhile, on another ice rink not far away, this is how moscow is dealing with covid. in october, we visited one of multiple giant temporary hospitals. there were free beds

yolande knell, bbc news, on the west bank. a have been protesting against new market—friendly reforms that they say are against their interests. thousands have gathered to voice their discontent and this week, they called on the rest of india to join them in a national strike. today, "hundreds" of protestors have marched on the indian consulate in birmingham, to show their solidairty with the farmers in india. ankur desai has the latest. hundreds of protesters have flooded the streets of birmingham city centre here at the jewellry corner outside the indian consulate, to show solidarity with the farmers who have been protesting against the recent agricultural reforms in india by the government. now, many turned up around 10.30, 11am this morning, the numbers swelled into the 6—700s. many remained in their cars gridlock in the area here, and some were protesting on their feet. they were walking up and down the main high street, and they were posting banners and chanting in solidarity with indian farmers. now, many british asians

hugh pym, bbc news. iod. that means that the average number of new cases reported per day in the last week is now 42,765. and 964 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, 554 deaths were announced every day. it takes the total number of deaths so far across the uk to 73,512. hughjoins me hugh joins me now. we're ending a very bad year in a really serious situation? yes, reeta, and it won't get any easierfor the nhs yes, reeta, and it won't get any easier for the nhs at all, even harder because what the fear is that we haven't had any case numbers really which might reflect the mixing of households on christmas day. that is probably yet to come through. already, you can see cases going up even higher, above 50,000 toa going up even higher, above 50,000 to a new high. the message really from the front line is that they wa nt from the front line is that they want the public, they are pleading with the publicjust to want th

tim allman, bbc news. willingness of people to get vaccinated against covid—i9 appears to have increased since the first two vaccines were authorised by the fda, and healthcare workers and nursing home residents began to receive the shots. fresh surveys suggest attitudes have shifted, and a clear majority are now eager to be vaccinated — although resistance has not entirely vanished. mohamed younis, editor in chief of gallup, told us more. as of our poll that ended in november, 63% of americans are now willing to take a vaccine at no cost approved by the fda. we saw with the astrazeneca trials slowdown where one of the participants had an adverse reaction back in september, that number dropped down to 50% of americans. so at this point most are willing to take the vaccine at no cost and it is a backup essentially to where we started injuly with 66% of americans. although there are interesting political differences. what drove some of the original scepticism towards the vaccine? i think the timing of the po

you're watching bbc news. able pressure on the nhs, over covid restrictions this christmas. as the festive season continues, healthcare trusts across england want the government to proceed with caution, because of a possible third wave of infections. people are really worried that if we relax the restrictions now, the nhs simply won't be able to cope with all of the work that it needs to do in late december, january and february. the government is to review the current tier list next week. also tonight — more pessimism over brexit talks between the uk and eu, ahead of tomorrow's deadline. how best to battle climate change. the un says only ambitious targets to cut carbon emissions can save the planet. and a thrilling match between scarlets and bath on the opening weekend of the european champions cup. good evening. there are fresh warnings tonight that any relaxation of coronavirus restrictions over the christmas period could risk a third wave of infections. in an open letter, nhs providers, which represents mo

leila nathoo, bbc news. the new uk coronavirus strain has been confirmed in france, according to the country's health ministry. it says the patient arrived on french soilfrom london on the 19th of december. last sunday, president macron shut the country's border with britain after the new, more tra nsmissble variant was found to be spreading in large parts of the south east of england and in london. more than 3,000 lorry drivers have been spending christmas day in their cabs near dover in kent. extra military personnel have been deployed to help clear the backlog of lorries waiting to cross the channel. one of the stipulations that france imposed is that lorry drivers must test negative for coronavirus. the uk's transport secretary says of the 10,000 tests carried out in the past 2a hours, 2a have come back positive. frankie mccamley reports. this is not the christmas thousands of drivers here were expecting. some have been stuck here at manston airfield for up to four days with no access to washing facilitie

the latest headlines on bbc news... her covid restrictions — as rule changes come into force. as the uk grapples with a new strain of coronavirus — france and spain confirm their first cases of the variant. millions of americans face losing unemployment benefits — as the standoff between donald trump and congress over a coronavirus stimulus package continues. scrutiny of the brexit trade agreement with the european union has begun after the full document was published less than a week before it is due to be implemented. the agreement runs to more than 1,200 pages — and will be put to an emergency vote in the british parliament on wednesday. our political correspondent leila nathoo has the story. in brussels yesterday, a christmas day briefing for eu ambassadors on the deal by the man who led the negotiations for their side. mission accomplished. what's in that blue folder sets out how the eu and uk will trade and co—operate from january, a success for both sides to have more than 1,200 pages of text setting out a new rel

fergus walsh, bbc news. reporting 3,900 daily deaths in the united staes — that is a new record. let's go live now to ohio. doctor tara smith is a professor of epidemiology at kent state university college of public health. thank you very much indeed for your time. first of all, this latest figure from the states, thatis latest figure from the states, that is the equivalent of well over 911 every day at the moment. the obvious question i guess, why are these figures so bad? we are still seeing increases in cases after thanksgiving, so people that have been affected weeks ago in the hospital or in some cases several weeks and are now passing away. we currently have about 125,000 people hospitalised in the united states, so unfortunately we don't expect that death number to go down any time in the near future. if these figures have been triggered by thanksgiving there are likely to be worse figures to come triggered by christmas? absolutely. the agency, we have seen the highest number of airport travel days, ov

caroline davies, bbc news. onavirus in southeast england has been blamed for the introduction of strict tier four mixing rules for millions of people, and other countries placing the uk on a travel ban. so why is it causing concern? firstly it is rapidly replacing other versions of the virus, and now accounts for the majority of cases in london and the south east. there have been changes to the spike protein — this is the key the virus uses to unlock the doorway to our body's cells. some of those mutations have already been shown in the lab to increase the ability of the virus to infect cells. all of these factors have come together to have come together to build a case for a virus that can spread more easily thoughout the population. i'm joined now by dave kennedy, assistant professor of biology at penn state in the centre for disease control and prevention infectious disease dynamics. thank you forjoining us. with pointing out that this virus is mutating many times and why is this variant so much more dangerou

rachel stanton, bbc news. ontinuing to cause misery all around the world. social distancing and other restrictions means normal new year's eve celebrations will have to be curtailed. but in new york, they insist the show will go on — as much as possible. the bbc‘s tim allman explains. the more things change, the more they stay the same. workers finishing preparations to the giant crystal ball that will see out the old and see in the new. it weighs six tonnes, has a diameter of more than 3.5 metres, and is clad in thousands of waterford crystal triangles. a very big ball for a very big night. this year's new year's eve is the most anticipated since the millennium, and the tradition remains the same. this beautiful waterford crystal ball will drop at midnight, the entire world will count down with us here in new york, as we celebrate the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021. newsreel: millions down broadway, and the great white way is swinging it! they've been celebrating the new year at times square for more th

nicholas witchell, bbc news. this is bbc news.weren't more casualties after a huge explosion tore through a historic part of the city. three people are known to have been injured and possible human remains have been found in the debris. tough new covid restrictions have come into effect in more parts of the uk as the spread of the virus continues. millions more people have now been moved to tier 4 in england — the highest level. people in wales, scotland and northern ireland are also facing tougher restrictions. eu ambassadors have been given a briefing about the post—brexit trade deal reached with the uk by the bloc‘s chief negotiator, michel barnier. in the uk, mps will vote on the deal in parliament before the existing trade rules expire at the end of the month.

lisa hampele, bbc news. this is bbc news, the headlines...ast—ditch bid for a breakthrough. poland has been rocked by weeks of protests over a ruling by the constitutional court that has all but outlawed abortion. the ruling, which bans termination even in cases of foetal defects, hasn‘t come into force yet, but critics say it will drive even more polish women to seek abortions abroad. those countries include neighbours such as the czech republic, from where our correspondent rob cameron sends this report. once it comes into effect, poland‘s strict new law will make abortion all but illegal. it will only be possible in cases of rape, incest, or where the mother‘s health is in danger. it has forced thousands onto the streets, and some to leave their homeland. anna, not her real name, grew up in a conservative catholic household in southern poland, but an unwanted pregnancy changed everything. so i was 22 years old, i was studying at the time and i still had one year left, and it was an accident. i found out pretty soon and it was a shock. i ha

tim allman, bbc news. this is bbc news.ion in the centre of the us city of nashville. european union ambassadors receive hard copies of the post—brexit trade deal in a christmas day briefing led by michel barnier. more now on that story. joey degraw owns a bar in downtown nashville, close to the explosion site. he gave us his account to what happened in the early hours of christmas day. there was a bomb that went off, it turns out, and very close to — half a block from our place called nashville underground, right on broadway. we're the largest bar—restaura nt and only just a half a block, so it was pretty devastating. nashville doesn't see stuff like this much. can you tell us a little bit about what you felt or what you heard? yeah, i can tell you a lot about it. my brother, gavin, and i live on the same floor in a high—rise building just a couple of blocks away from the bar. it literally knocked us out of bed — i thought it was an earthquake — and we panicked. i put my pants on, ran out in the hallway and tried to figure

daniel sandford, bbc news. anned — and more than 40 countries have stopped arrivals from from britain following fears of a new form of covid. coming up. and follow that star — or rather two planets, as jupiter and saturn align in the night sky for the first time in four centuries. coming up on sportsday on bbc news. mikel arteta says he has no plans to walk away from his job as arsenal manager. that's despite the club dropping to 15th in the premier league table. it was the rapid spread of a new variant of coronavirus that helped convince ministers to tighten the mixing rules for millions of people over christmas. it was first detected in october and some scientists have suggested it could be up to 70% more infectious. the usual guidance for avoiding infections remains the same — including keeping your distance and covering your face. but more and more is being learnt about how the virus is transmitted. 0ur science editor david shukman has been looking at the research. the virus may be changing but it's still sp

hello and welcome to bbc news. e watching in the uk or around the world, the uk is increasingly isolated after admitting a new strain of covid—19 is out of control. almost all of europe passband flights in the uk but the european union is set to announce a unified plan on tuesday that could exempt lorries and freight to ensure trade routes could resume safely as soon as possible. in africa and the middle east, turkey israel morocco and saudi arabia or all of those to ban flights in the uk. in asia, india and hong kong, a key travel hub have suspended flights as well. in south america, argentina columbia also taken swift action and so is canada, although the united states has not. the french ban on some freight lorries is to act for 48 hours, most freight is getting through and talks to find a solution is continuing asa find a solution is continuing as a political correspondent reports. you shall not pass. travel is blocked. instead of trucks flowing, stuffed with christmas parcels and supplies, the motorway is a car

rhal ssan, bbc news. stay with us on bbc news. deniers and anti—vaxxers spread their ideas on social media. we'll be asking why 2020 has been the perfect storm for conspiracy theories. the most ambitious financial and political change ever attempted has got under way with the introduction of the euro. tomorrow in holland, we are going to use money we picked up in belgium today, and then we will be in france, and again, it'll be the same money. it's just got to be the way to go. george harrison, the former beatle, is recovering in hospital after being stabbed at his oxfordshire home. a 33—year—old man from liverpool is being interviewed by police on suspicion of attempted murder. i think it was good. just good? no, fantastic! that's better! bells toll this is bbc world news. the latest headlines: president trump has approved a $2 trillion government spending and coronavirus stimulus package days after objecting to elements of the bill. south africa has registered more than a million cases of covid—19, just a few days after a new fa

emma vardy, bbc news. that people with a history of significant allergic reactions should not have the pfizer—biontech coronavirus vaccine. it comes after two nhs workers had an adverse response to the jab yesterday. they've both recovered already. thousands of other people have received the vaccine without any issues. our health correspondent, dominic hughes, reports. they've been together ever since they met while working at basildon hospital more than five decades ago. now, vic and penny griffiths have returned to the place where they each served for a0 years, from where the covid vaccine offers some hope of better days ahead. our zest for life doesn't diminish when you get older, but the anxieties are there about catching something or doing something that may stop the span of your life. as far as i'm concerned, both of us want to have it done and get on with life. sharp scratch now, angela. but as vaccinations continue, a warning from the medicines regulator — two nhs staff, both with a history of seri

tim allman, bbc news. oys and girls of the world, who might be a little concerned about the health of santa claus. the world health organization has confrimed the world health organization has confirmed father christmas will be able to make his all important present deliveries, with world leaders making a special exemption on quarantine rules. all children have of course been reminded physical distancing will be strictly enforced but the good news is santa isn't susceptible to covid—19. japan for the first time will cancel its annual winter festival because of a surge of the covid—19 virus. it usually a tt ra cts the covid—19 virus. it usually attracts up to 2 million visitors. its main event is an ice sculpture contest with sculptures up to 15 metres high. the sculpting will now be streamed online. and the menus again,joe streamed online. and the menus again, joe biden has been formally certified as the next president of the united states. results from electoral colleges have taken him over the 270 votes t

this is bbc news. headlines. millions of people in england and wales are told to stay at home on the first day of tough, new coronavirus restrictions — as action is taken on a new variant of the virus the new variant is out of control, we need to bring it under control and this news about the new variant has been an incredibly difficult end to a frankly awful year. the health secretary labels crowded scenes at london stations last night as ‘irresponsible' — the transport secretary says extra police officers will be deployed to enforce the rules. france and germany become the latest countries to ban travel between the uk — as european officials prepare

hugh pym, bbc news. let's get some of the day's other news...dred people have now needed say more than 400 people have now needed hospital treatment — and one man has died — because of an unidentified illness. residents in one town reported a range of symptoms in the last two days, including seizures, dizziness and vomiting. so far, samples of blood and spinal fluid have appeared normal. same—sex couples in northern ireland can now convert their civil partnerships into marriages. chris and henry flanagan—kane were the first male couple in the uk to get a civil partnership, and mounted a long legal challenge to allow them to be married today. the former french president nicolas sarkozy has said he'll go "all the way" to clear his name of corruption charges — as he defended himself in court for the first time. in one of several cases against him, he is accused of trying to bribe a judge with a plum job in exchange for information on a campaign finances inquiry. mr sarkozy denies all the charges. ghanaians have been voting for a new president and p

jim reed, bbc news.manufactured at pfizer's belgian manufacturing plant in puurs, and nick beake is there. and the pressure is now on. and the pressure is now onm and the pressure is now on. it is, this place is home to 18,000 people, but is creating hope for millions of people across the globe including in the united kingdom. in the past half an hourorso, we the united kingdom. in the past half an hour or so, we have heard about the distribution plans to get the vaccine to the uk. we are told very soon, lorries will be rolling out of this plant heading towards the united kingdom and, on board, there will be thermo boxes between 1,000 and 5,000 vaccines in each particular box at a very low temperature, —70 celsius. there will be real—time monitoring to make sure that temperature does not divert in any way. i has to the company behind this whether they are concerned about possible disruption because of the uk leaving the brexit transition period at the end of this month —— i asked the company. they said i