. on bbc news. —— more news is on ourwebsite. —— on bbc news. —— more news is on our website. —— thanky northwards across the country to end christmas day and into the early hours of boxing day. most of that rain and hill snow will become confined to the north of the country, certainly across scotland through the day, and then we will see something a bit brighter with some showers following in across the south. so this weather front has continued to journey northwards as it bumped into the cold air which has been sitting across the north and east of the country — that's where we've been seeing the rain turn to snow initially across the hills of north wales, the north midlands, and also northern ireland, but very much so across the pennines and in towards central and southern scotland, some drifting with strong winds as we head through the course of boxing day morning. into the afternoon, that rain and hill snow becomes confined to the hills of scotland. something a little bit drier further south — a legacy of cloud, mind you. there will be some brightness for northern ireland, wales, t

drew savage, bbc news. to be talked about, savage, bbc news.out, you know, i— savage, bbc news. to be talked about, you know, i chance - savage, bbc news. to be talked about, you know, i chance at. savage, bbc news. to be talked | about, you know, i chance at the savage, bbc news. to be talked - about, you know, i chance at the top four, it's a big turnaround for us. look, we have got a long way to go, we have got to try to maintain it. we have to get our standards back from our performances are not close to where they should be, but hopefully we can get ready and be like the good teams and get better in the second half of the season. crystal palace's second win in four games has taken them into the top ten... a place the team they beat can only dream of. 0dsonne edouard had given palace the lead against norwich from a penalty, before two further goals before half time from jean—philippe mateta and jeffrey schlupp gave them a comfortable win. 3—nil it finished, leaving norwich bottom of the league. chelsea defender ben chilwell could miss the r

hugh pym, bbc news. rising sharply in the us, by over 40% to a 7—day average of 123,000 new recorded infections a day. hospitalisations due to covid have also jumped by 45% in the last month. the us infectious diseases expert dr anthony fauci says the high transmissibility of the 0micron variant means it could cause many additional deaths and he's leading calls for americans to get their booster shots. we are in the situation where we are now facing a very important delta surge and we're looking over our shoulder at an oncoming 0micron surge. clearly, unvaccinated individuals are really at a higher risk of serious involvement, including hospitalisation. the fully vaccinated are doing much better off. the optimum protection is fully vaccinated plus a boost. so the bottom line of what we have been telling you all along, it is critical to get vaccinated. if you are vaccinated, it is critical for optimum protection to get boosted. the british socialite ghislaine maxwell, who's facing sex trafficking charges

it's the strictly come dancing final tomorrow night — now on bbc news it's time for newswatch. llo and welcome to the last news watch of 2021. as covid—19 cases rates sharply, as bbc news focused too much on the governments political troubles? and is it strictly necessary to feature bbc celebrity dancing show on bbc news? notwithstanding which looks increasingly like a health emergency over the omicron variant of covid—19, the government has faced a legion of difficulties this week. on tuesday night, there was the biggest backbench rebellion of boris johnson's premiership of the covid—19 regulations. the conservatives lost the by election with the seat that they've held for more than 20 years of the majority of 23,000. and details of parties around westminster last december continued to swirl around. here is hell and reporting on sunday with the latest revelations about what went on in downing street a year ago. it's the christmas quiz the downing street said was virtual but it's not opposing very real questions for the prime minister. pictured here in hosting a round of the 15t

rebecca morelle, bbc news.om kerss has been explaining the significance of the significance of the telescope and its expensive price tag.. it started way back in the 90s, it started way back in the 90s, i have been following this mission my entire professional life and as a student. it has taken a long time to get here. it is a red letter day for astronomy. yes, it is expensive but it's a highly capable platform for astronomy and it will provide as much as ten years of absolutely cutting edge astronomical observations. when you look at for example the success of something like hubble than the price tag seems a bit more reasonable. these things are worth paying for because they make a tremendous contribution to the scientific community. stay with us on bbc news, still to come... residents on the spanish island of la palma, breathe a sigh of relief as the volcanic eruption finally comes to an end after three months. this is bbc news, the latest headlines. queen elizabeth speaks about her grief over the death of h

matt graveling, bbc news. be new year's eve without some age—old traditions. but even the most familiar ways to ring in the new year around the world need a bit of practice, as tanya dendrinos reports. anticipation for the year ahead. traditional rituals were performed by peruvian shamans in lima as they made their predictions for 2022. from local politics to geopolitics, there was plenty being visualised — including, of course, football. translation: the peruvian national team, we can see i that they are going to the world cup. albeit another year of more subdued celebrations, the global welcoming committee is ready. holidaymakers were lining the shore of copacabana beach in brazil, while in new york, the iconic times square ball drop was tested. those 60 seconds, when the entire world is watching that ball behind me, we're all counting down together in unison, filled with joy — it's truly this thunderstruck moment where the world comes together in joy to count down the new year. nothing like it. across the a

rebecca morelle, bbc news. o the pandemic, but it simply wouldn't be new year's eve without some age—old traditions. but even the most familiar ways to welcome in the new year need a bit of practice, as tanya dendrinos reports. anticipation for the year ahead. traditional rituals were performed by peruvian shamans in lima as they made their predictions for 2022. from local politics to geopolitics, there was plenty being visualised — including, of course, football. translation: the peruvian national team, we can see i that they are going to the world cup. albeit another year of more subdued celebrations, the global welcoming committee is ready. holidaymakers were lining the shore of copacabana beach in brazil, while in new york, the iconic times square ball drop was tested. those 60 seconds, when the entire world is watching that ball behind me, we're all counting down together in unison, filled with joy — it's truly this thunderstruck moment where the world comes together in joy to count down the new year. nothi

this is bbc news. i'm simon pusey, with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. millions of travellers face disruption over christmas, as the world—wide record surge in omicron cases means cancelled flights and staff shortages. i'm worried about the variant, omicron and all that. at the same time i'm just — let's get back to living our lives a little bit. a christmas midnight mass at the church of the nativity in bethlehem. and a message from the pope calling for more solidarity with the poor. the queen is expected to give a very personal christmas message this year — her first since the death of her husband prince philip. final preparations are under way for the launch of a space telescope that could transform our understanding of the universe. and, provided you've been good, father christmas is coming to a chimney near you. hello and welcome to the programme. for much of the world christmas day has begun, but the shadow of the omicron variant continues to loom large. infectio

steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow. nment has defended its decision to hold off on introducing new coronavirus restrictions in england before the new year, saying it will monitor the situation closely. there are restrictions on socialising in the other nations that form the uk: wales, scotland and northern ireland. the latest data shows that there have again been record numbers of cases across the country. our health correspondent, sophie hutchinson reports. a vaccination centre in lambeth in london. among the boroughs worst affected areas by omicron in the uk. the staff here say there is no shortage of demand for the jabs. i'm a schoolteacher, i've got to go back. there's zero mitigation in class. i don't want to get sick. i'm 57, so i'm quite frightened of that and i don't want to pass it on to my loved ones. it's really important because i'm a recently retired senior head of education at university college so i preach it to my staff so i have to jolly well do it as well! unlike the rest of the uk which has increased r

tanya dendrinos, bbc news. raised almost a million dollars at auction at christie's in new york. wikipedia's founder, jimmy wales, sold the apple computer he used to develop the site 20 years ago for almost $200,000. the rest was raised by the sale of the image of the first words he ever typed on wikipedia, "hello world". it was sold as a non—fungible token, a unique digital object that confers ownership through blockchain technology. it's little more than a week until christmas — and the usual excitement is mounting. many children have sent their lists to santa and the grown ups are shopping for that perfect present. covid has obviously had an impact — but there is one place where the festive spirit can never be extinguished — the bbc�*s tim allman explains. # it's beginning to look a lot like christmas. # everywhere you go...# in this part of finland it really is christmas every day. rovaniemi in lapland calls itself the official home of santa claus. and here he is — honestly, truly, the real thing, notjust a

this is bbc world news. s revealed the details of a series of brutal mass killings of civilians by the myanmar military. voters in chile have elected the country's youngest ever president. gabriel boric, a left wing former student activist, is 35. president biden's flagship piece of legislation, known as build back better, looks in deep trouble after a key senatorfrom his own democratic party said he wouldn't support it. senatorjoe manchin, who represents the conservative state of west virginia, told fox news he'd tried to reach a compromise on the bill, priced at $1.7 trillion. if i can't go home and explain it to the people of west virginia, i can't vote for it. and i cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation. i just can't. i've tried everything humanly possible. i can't get there. he couldn't and he wouldn't. now, this really matters due to the finely balanced composition of the senate, meaning president biden cannot afford to lose a single democratic vote. the white house fired back, saying t

nicholas witchell, bbc news. stay with us here on bbc news. joni mitchell 50 years after the classic christmasjoni mitchell song the video is finally released. the world of music's been paying tribute to george michael, who's died from suspected heart failure at the age of 53. he sold well over 100 million albums in a career spanning more than three decades. the united states' troops have been trying to overthrow the dictatorship of general manuel noriega. the pentagon said it's failed in its principle objective to capture noriega and take him to the united states to face drugs charges. the hammer and sickle| was hastily taken away. m its place. — the russian flag was hoisted over what is now— no longer the soviet union, but the commonwealth of independent states. | day broke slowly over lockerbie, over the cockpit of pan am's maid of the seas, nosedown in the soft earth. you could see what happens when a plane eight storeys high, a football pitch wide falls from 30,000 feet. christmas has returned to albania after a communist ban lasting more

fergus walsh, bbc news. rnment's latest coronavirus figures for the uk show there were over 58,000 new infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period. on average, over 19,000 cases were reported per day in the last week. close to 7,500 people were in hospital with covid as of yesterday. there were 120 deaths — that's of people who died within 28 days of a positive test, which means the average number of deaths over the past seven days was 119. the total number of people who've died with covid now stands at 146,255. on vaccinations, 89% of people aged 12 and over have now received a first dose. and 81% have been double jabbed. and more than 22 million people have received their boosterjab. scotland's first minister nicola sturgeon has expressed deep alarm at the growth of the omicron variant, saying they face a tsunami of cases. she said that from tomorrow all household contacts of any covid cases should isolate for ten days, regardless of vaccination status and even if they initially get a negative pcr test

and coming up in sport on the bbc news channel... r league and efl clubs choose to play their festive fixtures despite a record number of positive covid tests in the last week. good evening. borisjohnson has stopped short of bringing in new covid measures in england, but he insisted the government wouldn't hesitate to take further action to protect the public if needed. speaking after chairing a special cabinet meeting this afternoon, mrjohnson said the data on covid was being monitored hour by hour, as the omicron variant continues to spread with speed across the country. there had been speculation that the rules in england might be tightened, amid reports of splits among senior ministers over whether to take action. meanwhile, scotland's first minister nicola sturgeon confirmed there will be no new restrictions in scotland ahead of christmas. it all came as the queen cancelled her traditional christmas at sandringham in norfolk, amid concerns about omicron, choosing instead to stay in windsor. here is our deputy political editor vic

tim allman, bbc news. of the boxing day test in melbourne as england try to fight back in the ashes. they didn't make the best start — losing three wickets before lunch. they've steadied the ship a little in the afternoon, withjoe root scoring 50 — before he was caught off starc. but the crucial wicket of ben stokes fell a few minutes ago. england are 125 for five. australia lead the series 2—0. that's about it from me. you can reach me on twitter. i'm @sipusey. you can also go to our website, bbc.com/news. thank you for watching. to stay with us. ——do. hello, there, and a very merry christmas to you. we've been seeing a band of rain and hill snow working its way northwards across the country to end christmas day and into the early hours of boxing day. most of that rain and hill snow will become confined to the north of the country, certainly across scotland through the day, and then we'll see something a little bit brighter with some showers following in across the south. so this weather front has continue

this is bbc news. our top stories: the british socialite ghislaine maxwell is found guilty on five counts of grooming and trafficking teenage girls for abuse by a jury in new york. maxwell procured the girls for the financier and convicted sex offenderjeffrey epstein. she faces the rest of her life behind bars. no matter who you are, no matter what kinds of circles you travel in, no matter how much money you have, no matter how many years have passed since the sexual abuse, justice is still possible. we'll be looking at the implications of the verdict for prince andrew, who is named in a lawsuit brought by a woman who says she was groomed by maxwell and abused by the prince. and record numbers of covid infections are recorded across europe and the us driven by the omicron variant. the world health organization warns of huge strains on health systems. welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. a jury in new york has found the british socialite ghislaine maxwell guilty of having helped

this is bbc news.r minnesota police officer, has been found guilty of manslaughter for killing daunte wright during a traffic check. researchers in britain say people catching omicron are up to 70% less likely to need hospital care compared with previous coronavirus variants. president biden has signed into a bill that requires all companies to prove that goods imported from china's xinjiang region were not produced with forced labour. washington says genocide is being committed against the uyghur muslim minority there — an assertion china denies. us firms doing business in xinjiang, including coca—cola, nike and apple, have criticised the legislation. dr erkin sidick is a uyghur american and he is president of the uyghur projects foundation. hejoins me now from los angeles. thank you forjoining us. the vote passed unanimously and thatis vote passed unanimously and that is quite unusual in america so what affect you think you will have? we are very happy about this bill. it means that part of the work

hello and welcome to bbc news. s around travelling into the uk have been tightened again — in a bid to control the spread of the new omicron variant of covid. the british government says the move is necessary, because of an increase in cases of the strain which are directly linked to foreign travel. anyone arriving into the uk from tuesday morning will need proof of a negative covid test taken within 48 hours prior to depature. they will also need to take a pcr test before the end of their second day in the uk and will have to self—isolate until they receive their negative test result. the travel industry has strongly criticised the move, with one industry executive saying "the introduction of pre—departure "testing with little warning is a hammer blow". nigeria is to be added to the uk government's travel red list from tomorrow morning. anyone arriving into the uk from a red list country will need to pay for — and self—isolate in — a pre—booked government—approved hotel for 10 days. our business correspondent, kati

rebecca morelle, bbc news. imply wouldn't be new year's eve without some age—old traditions. tanya dendrinos has more. anticipation for the year ahead. traditional rituals were performed by peruvian shaman is in lima as they made their predictions for 2022. from local politics to geopolitics, there was plenty being visualised. including, of course, football. translation: the peruvian national team, we consider they are going to the world cup. consider they are going to the world cop-— consider they are going to the world cup. albeit another year of more subdued _ world cup. albeit another year of more subdued celebrations, the global welcoming committee is ready. holidaymakers were lining the shore of copacabana beachin lining the shore of copacabana beach in brazil while in new york, the iconic times square ball drop was tested.- york, the iconic times square ball drop was tested. those 60 seconds when _ ball drop was tested. those 60 seconds when the _ ball drop was tested. those 60 seconds when the entire - b

this is bbc news. i'm krupa padhy with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. american prosecutors charge the parents of a teenager accused of a massacre at a school, saying they share responsibility. i will be reiterating today the gun ownership is a right, and with that right comes great responsibility. the first data on the omicron variant of covid suggests vaccines are less effective at stopping it spreading, but they do make the symptoms less serious. it's possible that the omicron variant is able to overcome and cause infections, even in previously vaccinated people. however, if they develop only mild illness, that means that the vaccines are still providing protection. scientists say they can now use gene—editing technology to determine the sex of mice, creating female or male—only litters. pope francis uses his visit to cyprus to liken the fate of people fleeing war and poverty to slavery and torture. times have changed in new york, but queueing remains a constant. we

jenny hill, bbc news, berlin. lica, la sagrada familia. just in time for christmas, a colossal 12—point star, with a width of more than seven metres has been illuminated, perched on top of the newly completed tower of the virgin mary. tanya dendrinos reports. an imposing icon of the barcelona skyline. and this, the newest piece of the sagrada familia puzzle. the completed tower of the virgin mary adorned with 800 windows. on its pinnacle, a 5.5 ton, 12—point star illuminated for the first time. below, a sea of onlookers thankful to witness history. translation: it is like. an opening for everyone, a light of hope for everyone. with no exception. translation: it was | very emotional because it has been under construction for such a long time and little by little come to fruition. even the eyes of the vatican were on the occasion. translation: peace and good wishes from this cordial - franciscan greeting. i join all of you from rome at this moment. sagrada familia is the masterpiece of architect antoni gaudi. constru

tomos morgan, bbc news.spite many countries avoiding lockdowns over the holidays, cases of the virus are surging around the world. let's take a look at some countries reaching a record number of cases. in france, health officials have registered more than 100,000 daily infections. that's a new record for three consecutive days. italy has registered more than 50,000 daily cases, their highest number since the beginning of the pandemic. and in australia, a new record of cases forced testing clinics to close, as more than 9,000 were reported on christmas day. the surge has disrupted holiday plans for many families, some even having to spend christmas isolating. the bbc�*s azadeh moshiri reports. positive covid tests, travel restrictions and flight cancellations — for some this is not the merriest holiday season. many governments have insisted christmas is not cancelled this year but with the omicron very spreading and cases of coronavirus on the rise, many have been forced to spend christmas in isolation. this

announcer: and now, "bbc world news". >> i am nada tk and this is "bbc world news america."s famine in madagascar. u.n. is calling for urgent eight is a prolonged drought has left more than one million people on the brink of starvation. >> this used to be one of madagascar's biggest and longest rivers. but now, it is dry and turned into a dust bowl. nada: the u.s. supreme court allows legal challenges to a controversial abortion law in texas, but the measure itself remains in place. a british court rules that wikileaks founder julian assange can be extradited to face charges here in the united states. he plans to appeal the ruling. plus, they fled afghanistan but will never stop fighting for their country. we meet the women lawmakers who are still making a difference months after the taliban takeover. ♪ nada: welcome to "world news america" on pbs and around the globe. we begin tonight's coverage in madagascar, wherthe native nations is warning the country is on the brink of famine. over one million people on the island are battling severe hunger with 30,000 of them facing c

patrick gearey, bbc news. he day's premier league results. manchester city have stretched their lead at the top of the table to three points. they thrashed newcastle a—0. and then nearest rivals liverpool were held to a 2—2 draw at tottenham. that game, definitely one to watch later, with plenty of drama and incident. elsewhere, wolves v chelsea was 0—0. celtic have won the scottish league cup for the 20th time. they beat hibernian 2—1 at hampden park as adam wild reports. it has been some time since scottish football had a full house for a cup final. the noise that hampden park suggested those there were making the most of it. they had to wait, though, for the game the occasion deserved. paul hanlon eventually heading hibs in front with a determination matched only by his jubilation. it was a lead that lasted little over a minute, kyogo furuhashi finally taking a celtic chance, they control perfect, the finish unstoppable. if that was impressive, his second was quite exquisite. only one touch needed this time,

now on bbc news, bbc wales investigates

to talk to us on bbc world news. s. thank you for having me- _ key information about the severity of the latest covid variant has begun to emerge in south africa. the country was the first to identify omicron and doctors there say early indications are the number of deaths, and people needing intensive care is lower than at the same stage in previous waves of the virus. our africa correspondent andrew harding reports. behind their masks, south africans have watched the omicron variant sprint through this country. but although hospital admissions are climbing here, the early data is now being widely interpreted as encouraging. take the number of people needing oxygen or intensive care in the city where omicron was first detected. in the past three waves, about two out of every three patients admitted were cases of severe disease. and right now, we have only one out of four cases that is severe. a marked difference. so it looks like, at this stage — you know, early data, we don't want to overinterpret it — but the signs

this is bbc news. least 38 people were killed. several charred bodies were found in burnt—out vehicles in kayah state. the charity says two of its humanitarian staff are missing. the queen has used her christmas day message to pay tribute to her late husband prince philip. he died in april, aged 99. the couple had been married for 73 years. queen elizabeth said she understood why christmas was hard for those who had lost loved ones this year. covid infections in france have passed 100,000 cases in a 24—hour period. health officials say the 0micron strain is set to become the dominant variant by the end of the year as the french covid—19 situation continues to deteriorate. the former england test cricket captain ray illingworth has died.

this is bbc news. eenage girls for sexual abuse. the jury in new york found the sixty—year—old guilty on five out of six charges connected with procuring victims and facilitating the abuse. the verdict was reached after five days of deliberation. maxwell procured the girls for the late us financier and convicted sex offenderjeffrey epstein. she faces the rest of her life behind bars, with the most serious of the counts carrying a possible prison sentence of a0 years. maxwell's defence team say they will appeal the verdict. record numbers of coronavirus infections have been recorded by several european countries, with the omicron variant fuelling a surge in cases. the world health organization says the virus is straining health care systems around the world, warning that the omicron and delta variants were causing a tsunami of cases.

you are watching bbc news. the latest headlines on bbc news...irst since the death of her husband prince philip. and lift off. a rocket carrying a space telescope that could transform our understanding of the unified mac universe has launched from the european space centre. let's get more on our top story... queen elizabeth will spend christmas day at windsor castle with a smaller group of family members than in previous years. charlotte gallagher reports from windsor castle. merry christmas here from windsor where the queen will be spending christmas. she wanted to have sand ring him —— she want to be at sandringham having her big traditional christmas, but last week that was cancelled and the decision was made to stay here because of the omicron variant. we think there are a couple of reasons behind that firstly, she always wants to be seen doing the right thing and setting an example and perhaps having a large family gathering, plus the crowds that come to sandringham to see the queen might not have been seen as a good thing. also she is 95 an

this is bbc news. i'm rich preston.ross europe as extra measures are announced to combat the growing threat of the omicron variant. as cases jump sharply in the us, the country's top health official warns of the risks of not getting jabbed. clearly, unvaccinated individuals are really at a higher risk of serious involvement, including hospitalisation. british socialite ghislaine maxwell, who's on trial on sex trafficking charges, tells the us court she won't be giving evidence. more pressure on borisjohnson, the man appointed to investigate whether government christmas parties were held during lockdown last christmas has stepped down from the role after it emerged a party was held in his own department. hundreds of thousands displaced and at least 12 dead

this is bbc news. i'm simon pusey. our top stories: after the glimmer of hope, more gloom with the highest daily recorded cases of covid since the pandemic began. millions of travellers around the world face disruption over christmas as the surge in omicron cases means cancelled flights and staff shortages. a christmas midnight mass is celebrated at the church of the nativity in bethlehem, built on the spot where it's believed jesus was born. the queen is expected to give a very personal christmas message this year — her first since the death of her husband prince philip. hello and welcome to bbc news. the uk has again recorded its highest number of daily coronavirus cases since the pandemic began with more than 120,000 new infections. european countries have also reported record numbers of cases with italy, greece and spain introducing mandatory face coverings outdoors. 0fficial findings that 0micron may be less likely to result in serious illness than delta offer a "glimmer of christmas hope", accordi

this is bbc news. details of a series of brutal mass killings of civilians by the myanmar military. —— by the myanmar military. voters in chile have elected the country's youngest ever president. gabriel boric, a left wing former student activist, is 35. britain's health secretary sajid javid has said he can't rule out more covid restrictions being imposed in england before christmas. many scientists have said it would be better for the government to act sooner rather than later because, without intervention, there could soon be at least 3,000 hospital admissions every day with the omicron variant. our medical editor fergus walsh has the latest. # driving home for christmas... this christmas, the hot ticket for many is not to see a football match, but to get a boosterjab. wembley stadium had 10,000 vaccines available today and many were keen to get them before heading home to see family. i would prefer to have it done before christmas. i've got an elderly grandfather who's 90 years old, so i want to be

this is bbc news.arrow self—interest" over the treatment of migrants as he pays a visit to the greek island of lesbos. more than 20 countries join an urgent demand for the taliban leadership in afghanistan to honour its promises over the safety of state workers and soldiers. japan is one of the world's biggest users of coal even though it has no coal reserves of its own — only china imports more — and japan is also still building new coal—powered power stations. at the same time, the tokyo government is promising to reach net carbon zero by 2050. and it appears to see hydrogen as one of the key ways to do that. but how do they produce the hydrogen? rupert wingfield hayes has been finding out. i would say that's a totaljoke. that's just ridiculous. takao sakai and his fellow activists are furious. the reason — this giant new coal—fired power station being built in their home town. i'm totally against the burning of fossilfuels because i'm so worried about the future of young generations. translation: i

jimmy lumsden, bbc news. ~ .., . bbc news. conceded the goal, it was challenging _ bbc news. when we conceded the goal, it was challenging for _ bbc news. when we conceded the goal, it was challenging for us. _ bbc news. when we conceded the goal, it was challenging for us. i _ bbc news. when we conceded the goal, it was challenging for us. i was - it was challenging for us. i was really proud about the team, doing this difficult period, we stick together. we pulled our sleeves up and we accepted the fight and then we get awarded with the third goal, but i think through the game, we went through a lot and that game will give us confidence for the rest of the season. three days after going out of the europa league, leicester showed why newcastle might struggle to stay in the premier league. they won 4—0 at the king power stadium. a youri tielemans penalty put leicester ahead — before patson daka made it 2—0. tielemans got his second of the afternoon in the closing stages to seal the win, but there was still time for one more. j

aleem maqbool, bbc news, in new york.nt vladimir putin that the us and its allies will "respond decisively" if russia further invades ukraine — this during the second call between the two leaders in less than a month amid concerns over russian troops massing at the ukrainian border. a kremlin spokesperson said that putin had made it clear that any new large—scale sanctions would be a "colossal mistake". 0ur washington correspondent gary 0'donoghue has the details. president biden and vladimir putin spoke for 50 minutes and if you need any kind of indication of how serious the situation is, this is the second time in three weeks they've had a call between one another to discuss the situation on the ground. we understand that the discussion was robust and serious — and substantive, according to the americans. joe biden laid out two paths, according to his officials — one of diplomacy and discussion, where russia could de—escalate and get back to the negotiation table, but also a separate path, he said, that would be about d

hugh pym, bbc news. migration rules, so that social care workers from abroad can help to alleviate staff shortages in britain. the temporary measures are expected to take effect in the new year and will be in place for at least 12 months. care providers are experiencing high vacancy rates and turnover — and pressure on staffing is being made worse by the recent spread of 0micron. the 0micron variant is spreading fast in parts of europe. as we heard a little earlier, on thursday, france reported a new record high in the number of daily infections. and in spain, where the wearing of facemasks outdoors is compulsory again — the 73,000 cases recorded on thursday represented the third consecutive high, in as many days. so a curfew is in force in catalonia in northeastern spain, where residents are banned from leaving their homes between one o'clock and 6 in the morning. dr quique bassat is a research professor at the barcelona institute for global health and has with more on what the situation is like there. w

this is bbc news.. james and jennifer crumbley have also been charged with manslaughter. their son ethan carried out the mass shooting with a semi—automatic pistol bought by his father. the first data on the omicron variant of covid suggests vaccines are less effective at stopping it spreading. scientists in south africa have reported a surge in the number of people being reinfected. it's the first real—world evidence indicating the new variant may evade immune defences. and on the second day of his visit to cyprus, pope francis has addressed thousands of roman catholic worshippers at a football stadium in nicosia. the pontiff condemned what he said was slavery and torture being suffered by people fleeing war and poverty. now on bbc news, it's time for click. this week— poetry bot rights are classic. electric truck goes round the bend. and it's time we stop, hey, what's that sound?

fergus walsh, bbc news. d france reporting new, single—day records on thursday. italy and spain are the latest countries to introduce increased restrictions in an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus. our europe correspondent nick beake has this report. the festive message to spaniards this year — wear a mask, even outside. across europe, governments are issuing health warnings rather than glad tidings. at a time when families come together, the advice is to keep your distance. belgium is now inviting children as young as five to get vaccinated. covid cases here have been falling for the past ten days, but cinemas and theatres are set to close, although pubs will stay open. it's really a political choice that is not really supported by scientific. i feel like there are rules, but no—one really cares. it helps me to study that - all the nightclubs are closed! exhausted doctors and nurses are pleading with the public to follow the rules. the measures have their effect, and they permit us professionals to co

sophie long, bbc news, seattle. stay with us on bbc news. still to come... ins with allies in asia, while politicians focus on china's intentions towards taiwan. it's quite clear that the worst victims of this disaster are the poor people living in the slums which have sprung up around the factory. we feel so helpless. the children are dying in front of me and i can't do anything. charles manson is the mystical leader of the hippie cult suspected of killing sharon tate and at least six other people in los angeles. at 11 o'clock this morning, just half a metre of- rock separated britain i from continental europe. it took the drills just i a few moments to cut through the final obstacle, - then philippe cossette, a miner from calais, was shaking hands and exchanging flags _ with his opposite . number from dover. this is bbc world news. the latest headlines... the women's tennis association has suspended all tournaments in china, saying it has serious doubts that chinese tennis star peng shuai is "free, safe and not subject to intimidation". the first case of th

mark lobel, bbc news.sed by storm arwen. army troops will continue to support residents in remote areas. mark mcalindon sent this report from northumberland. on saturday, royal artillery troops arrived at the west hartford fire station near cramlington to be briefed on battle plans of an unfamiliar kind. we�*re a very flexible organisation. we�*re trained and prepared for a range of tasks, um, be it abroad or at home. and, in this case, you know, in this period of goodwill, what better... what more rewarding task could there be than, you know, providing support and comfort to our local towns and villages? here to meet them was the mp for the enormous berwick—on—tweed constituency, where many have endured more than a week without power. these are very unusual events. and what we need to make sure is that when and if they do happen, that the ability to look after those most vulnerable who need it whilst the repairs are made is the critical part. in rothbury, small detachments collected supplies to take to re

rebecca morelle, bbc news.al, khartoum, have fired tear gas in an effort to disperse the latest pro democracy protests. the demonstrators converged on the presidential palace for the second time in a week, but were met by a heavy security presence. earlier, the military government restricted phone and internet services and blocked roads leading to the city. at least 48 protestors have been killed since a coup in october. the latest headlines on bbc news... queen elizabeth speaks about her personal grief over the death of her husband, prince philip, in her christmas day message, saying there was "one familiar laugh missing", amid the continuing impact of the pandemic. a 19—year—old man has been arrested on suspicion of trespassing in the grounds of windsor castle, the official residence of queen elizabeth. members of the royal family have been informed. in his christmas message, pope francis highlighted the tragedies in yemen and syria, which he said are being passed over in silence. volunteers are working at va

sophie hutchinson, bbc news. stay with us on bbc news.its sun shield in a complex process involving hundreds of moving parts. the most ambitious financial and political change ever attempted has got under way with the introduction of the euro. tomorrow in holland we're going to use money we picked up in belgium today, and then we will be in france and, again, it will be the same money. it has got to be the way to go. george harrison, i 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. big ben bongs this is bbc news. the latest headlines: president biden has again told russia's president putin that the us will "respond decisively" if russia invades ukraine. after ghislaine maxwell is found guilty of grooming underage girls to be abused byjeffrey epstein, a key witness says she hopes it will bring some solace to other survivors. wildfires

jim reed, bbc news.labinjo—hughes has said his killers should never be freed. peter halcrow also said someone should have stepped in when "alarm bells" were ringing. arthur was killed in solihull last year by his father, thomas hughes, who was sentenced to 21 years for manslaughter, and his partner, emma tustin, who was jailed for life for his murder. their sentences are being examined to consider whether they were too lenient. first storm arwen wreacked havoc on large parts of the uk. now, storm barra is sweeping in from the atlantic. there are weather warnings for snow and strong winds in some areas. several hundred homes are still without power, 11 days after arwen hit. in a moment we'll speak to danny savage in county durham but first chris page, who's in newcastle in county down. chris, what are conditions like there? , . ., chris, what are conditions like there? , ,, ., . chris, what are conditions like there? , ,,., ., ,, there? yes, storm barra is still roarina. there? yes, storm barra is still r

this is bbc news. lth organisation that the new coronavirus variant is spreading at an unprecedented rate. in the uk, a blow to prime minister borisjohnson�*s authority as dozens of his fellow mp vote against covid restrictions. the arctic is among the fastest warming regions in the world, heating at more than twice the global average. on tuesday, the world meteorological organisation recognised a new arctic temperature record, after the russian town of verkhoyansk hit 38 degrees celsius in june 2020. professor randy cerveny is the rapporteur on extreme records at the world meteorological organisation and was part of the team that worked to verify this temperature in the arctic. hejoins me live now from phoenix arizona. why did it take so long to verify a record that was produced injune verify a record that was produced in june 2020? verify a record that was produced injune 2020? in verify a record that was produced in june 2020? in order to make sure — produced in june 2020? in order to make sure that

this is bbc news. record high for the second day running. more than 88,000 new cases have been confirmed. it follows warnings about the speed of the new strain�*s spread. turkey has cut its interest rate for the fourth time in as many months, sending its currency tumbling to new lows. president erdogan said turkey's destiny would not be determined by speculators. the defence in the sex abuse trial of ghislaine maxwell in new york has called its first witness. cimberly espinosa, a former assistant to the british socialite, described her as fair but demanding. thousands of people are seeking refuge from a super typhoon which is battering the southern philippines. the red cross said it was one of the strongest typhoons this year and warned that climate change was making storms more ferocious.

this is bbc news.facing disruption over christmas, as the world—wide record surge in 0micron cases means cancelled flights and staff shortages. a christmas midnight mass at the church of the nativity in bethlehem. and a message from the pope calling for more solidarity with the poor. the queen is expected to give a very personal christmas message later. herfirst since the death of her husband, prince philip. she'll speak beside a framed photograph of the couple taken during their diamond wedding anniversary in 2007 and she'll wear the same sapphire brooch that she wore on her honeymoon. there are some flashing images in this report from our royal correspondent, nicholas witchell. rehearsing at windsor for their part in the queen's christmas broadcast, the central band of the royal british legion will play the national anthem which begins the broadcast. this year's christmas message — a still from which has been issued by buckingham palace — will be an unusually personal one. the queen is wearing a broo