here is our political editor, laura kuenssberg. here is our political editor, laura kuenssberg. agreed that number ten believes will pull power back to this building from brussels. a vast trade and security agreement the prime minister and brexiteers promised. until a matter of hours ago, it wasn't guaranteed, but look, the optimist really did have something to cheer. his ubiquitous thumbs up, achievement relief written all over his face. i am very pleased to tell you this afternoon 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. because although we have left the eu, this country will remain culturally, emotionally, historically strategically, geologically attached to europe. can you tell the public honestly, where did the uk give the most ground and where did the eu compromise the most, do you think? it would be fair to say that we wanted, we wanted to make sure, for instance, that we got access to, got complete control over our fisheries from the get go, and that is to say we had a

thank you, laura kuenssberg.iversity students in the uk and the level of support they've been given during the pandemic. the body which represents universities says demand for mental health support this year has doubled — and in some cases quadrupled — and it's calling on the uk government for extra funding for student mental health services. bbc three's hannah price has been speaking to the familes of two students who, according to the families, took their own lives in the last few months. it's like a light‘s been turned off, it's not gone back on and it never will. finn was my baby brother. it's almost indescribable. you feel like the floor has been swept out from under your feet. two families mourning the loss of loved ones. students will bargate and finn kitson were found dead in october. police say there were no suspicious circumstances involved in the two separate incidents. inquests have opened into their deaths. up there is st mary's church, which is where willis buried. six days after going missing, will

let's join our political editor laura kuenssberg.between the eu chief and the prime minister has finished in the last half an hour or so, i'm not sure it has changed very much of what seemed, frankly, like a pretty tricky stalemate on both sides. remember, we have left the european union already. the government has also got a mandate to ta ke government has also got a mandate to take us out of the single market and the customs union, so things are changing in any way. in the last few months, these talks have been all about trying to sort out everything else. exactly what should our relationships be across the channel? exactly how your business work? how do we unplug from the european union after four decades inside without there being disruption? and that is really what is at stake here, something that could feel quite chaotic at the beginning of next year or a smoother change. so that's why it matters, but what, tonight, really are the chances of a deal? it's been a long day after a long few weeks and, tonight, it still seems in the

our political editor laura kuenssberg has a report. laura: time is finally up. deal at last agreed. number 10 believes it will po l power backis building from brussels. a vast trade and security agreement that the prime minister and breomteer's e. until hours ago, it wasn't guaranteed, but look, the optimists really did have something to cheer for the thumbs--ubiquitous thumbs up, relief written all over his face. prime min. johnson: i'm pleased to tell you that we have completed the biggest radio y can work 650 billion pounds a year, a comprehensive, canada-style free trade deal between the u.k. and the eu. we have also today resolved the question that has bedeviled our politics for decades. it is up to us all together as a newly andly t independent nation, to realize the immensity of this moment and to make the most of it. laura: can you tell the public honestly where did the u.k. give the most ground, and d whe the eu compromise the most, do you think? prime min. johnson: we wanted to make sure, for instance, that w got access to -- complete control of our fi

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. have welcomed the trade deal, saying it comes as a "huge relief". the details of the nearly 2,000—page document will be poured over in the days to come. the deal does finally give businesses some certainty but big challenges remain, with just days to go before the transition period ends. here's our business editor, simonjack. it's been tough to land, but after a titanic struggle overfish, which will see domestic boats get 25% more of the uk water's catch over the next five years, a trade deal was netted — a perfect last—minute christmas present for businesses that feared the damaging consequences of cutting the uk adrift from the eu. this is a huge relief to british industry. our economy has suffered an awful lot of damage this year and we couldn't really take any more. so, yes, we've still to see the details, but i think a tariff— and quota—free deal means that our factories and farmers stay in business. we now have 2,000 pages and seven days to be ready, so we're going to need immed

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster.journey of discovery as they explore new destinations around the globe and uncover hidden sides to some of the world‘s favourite holiday hotspots. 0n the show this week... the panto survivors keeping the show on the road. hello, me darlin‘s! the native american woman making waves in the grand canyon. the roman empire‘s sunken party town. and how to run up a sand dune. it‘s tough. ijust keep thinking, relentless forward motion, just one step in front of the other. hello, and welcome to the travel show, coming to you from the festive windsor. now, in spite of the glimmers of hope we are hearing on the news, for many of us, travel is still impractical but never fear, we are here to bring you inspiration amid all these dark and gloomy nights. first, though... for britain‘s theatres, christmas can only mean one thing — panto. singing, dancing, comedy, romance and belting catchphrases. all based in a traditional fairytale setting. pantomime has every ingredient needed for a fun family night

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster.t where the proposed face—to—face meeting between the leaders could lead. well, it does change the mood music. you know, for those around the eu negotiating team, for example, there's a bit of a sigh of relief because, for eu and uk negotiators, they feel they've been round and round and round the same three main sticking points for absolutely months now, with each repeating their arguments, and frustration on both sides getting very high indeed. so haven't we been saying for quite a long time, what you need is political involvement at the highest level, either to have a whisper in the ear of those negotiators to say, "look, now is time for those difficult compromises that need to be made by both sides to reach a deal," or to have, you know, personal involvement. so the fact that boris johnson is coming here — even though the eu says they don't know what he'll say — makes those who want a deal, compared to the real gloom that was felt here this morning, that hope hasn't quite entirely

laura kuenssberg, bbc news.the view from scotland with alexandra mackenzie in glasgow, but first let‘s speak to james williams in cardiff. not long to tell, midnight is when lockdown comes into force where you are. absolutely, three days after announcing tougher christmas wills and a wales wide lockdown from the 28th of december the 1st minister has accelerated and tightened restrictions in light of this new variant detected right across wales. suffer midnight the whole of wales will enter its third national lockdown and for christmas, two households will be able to meet plus one other single person household but only for christmas day itself. following these announcements we seen following these announcements we seen huge following these announcements we seen huge queues following these announcements we seen huge queues at many welsh shops and many people trying to do it last—minute christmas shopping in person leading the first minister to call on them not to do that. these announcements will be a big blow to

laura kuenssberg, bbc news.ntly parked up on the motorway leading into the port of dover. there have been talks between the uk and france on the possibility of testing lorry drivers and travellers crossing the channel from britain. but no decisions are expected until tuesday. currently no lorries, vans or passengers are being allowed to sailfrom dover, and eurostar rail services have also been suspended. from dover —— our transport correspondent caroline davies reports. frustration, confusion, anger. not everyone at dover this morning had heard that lorries from the uk were not allowed to cross into france. merry christmas! he wasn't the only angry driver. this man arrived in his van last night. i have a ticket at 11 o'clock. at seven o'clock, the french say, closed. it is not one day, two days ago, say, closed tomorrow at 11 o'clock, say, i come in quickly, you know, it is not make very good. for days now, we have seen queues of lorries stretching back from dover as businesses prepare both for christmas, but al

laura kuenssberg, bbc news.england has confirmed tonight that more than 900 lorries are currently parked up on the m20 waiting to get into the port of dover. there have been conversatons between the french and uk governments including the possibility of testing lorry drivers and travellers crossing the channel from britain. no decision is expected until tomorrow lunchtime. currently no lorries, vans or passengers are being allowed to sailfrom dover, and eurostar rail services have also been suspended. flights have been stopped. from dover, our transport correspondent caroline davies reports. frustration, confusion, anger. not everyone at dover this morning had heard that lorries from the uk were not allowed to cross into france. merry christmas! he wasn't the only angry driver. this man arrived in his van last night. i have a ticket at 11 o'clock. at seven o'clock, the french say, closed. it is not one day, two days ago, say, closed tomorrow at 11 o'clock, say, i come in quickly, you know, it is not make very go

laura kuenssberg, bbc news. in south africa, a new variant of the virus has been discovered.in the eastern cape province where there has been a surge in recent cases. they share one thing in common. what do we know? well, for starters, it was discovered earlier this month by local scientists during routine surveillance of the virus. we also know it appears to be unrelated to the new variant currently being seen in the uk. both these variants have one thing in common. one mutation that has to do with how the virus attaches itself to human sales. experts believe this is the reason behind the spike of cases that they have seen in the uk and here in south africa. while researchers in the uk say the new variant is 70% more transmissible, here in south africa local experts say they are also gathering data that they suspect that this may be the case, too. where did it come from? the first cases were discovered in the eastern cape province but the virus has spread to the western cape. scientists say it is not clear at this stage of these new variants are more deadly, they say more re

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster.deal saying it has come as a "huge relief" despite being so late in the day. the details of the 2000 page document will be poured over in the hours and days to come. it finally gives businesses some certainty — but there are still big challenges ahead with just days until the uk leaves the eu. here‘s our business editor simonjack. it has been a hard one to land, but after a titanic struggle over fish, the uk has finally netted a trade deal, a perfect last minute christmas present for businesses that feared the damaging consequences of cutting ourselves adrift from the eu. this is a huge relief to british industry. our economy has suffered an awful lot of damage this year and we couldn‘t really take any more. so, yes, we are still to see the details, but i think a tariff— and quota—free deal means that our factories and farmers stay in business. we now have 2,000 pages and seven days to be ready. so, we‘re going to need immediate guidance for businesses. we‘re going to need to agree wit

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster.our party — sir keir starmer — gave his reaction to the deal. he said his party would support the deal, but was adamant a better one could have been reached. it is not the deal that the government promised. far from it. and there are serious questions about the government‘s preparedness for the new arrangements. as ever, leaving everything to the last minute has made it even more difficult for businesses to be ready. a better deal could have been negotiated. of course the trade deal will apply across the nations of the uk, so how have they received it? the first minister of wales, mark drakeford, said the deal was not what he had hoped it would be. the welsh government has long argued that a deal was far preferable to no deal. in that sense, we are glad to see a deal struck today. but this is not the deal that we were promised. it will still be a difficult deal for wales, but it provides a platform from to which we can return to argue for improvements in the future. and northern irelan

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster.aders have welcomed the trade deal, saying it comes as a huge relief. the details of the nearly 2,000 page document will be poured over in the days to come. the deal does finally give businesses some certainty, but big challenges remain, with just days to go before the transition period ends. here's our business editor, simonjack. it's been tough to land, but after a titanic struggle overfish, which will see domestic boats get 25% more of the uk water's catch over the next five years, a trade deal was netted — a perfect last—minute christmas present for businesses that feared the damaging consequences of cutting the uk adrift from the eu. this is a huge relief to british industry. our economy has suffered an awful lot of damage this year and we couldn't really take any more. so, yes, we've still to see the details, but i think a tariff— and quota—free deal means that our factories and farmers stay in business. we now have 2,000 pages and seven days to be ready, so we're going to need i

our political editor laura kuenssberg reports. time is finally up.at last agreed that number ten believes will pull power back to this building from brussels. a vast trade and security agreement, the prime minister and brexiteers promised. until a matter of hours ago, it wasn't guaranteed, but look, the optimist really did have something to cheer. his ubiquitous thumbs up, achievement, relief written all over his face. i'm very pleased to tell you this afternoon that 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. and we have also today resolved a question that has bedeviled our politics for decades. and it is up to us altogether, as a newly and truly independent nation, to realise the immensity of this moment and to make the most of it. can you tell the public honestly, where did the uk give the most ground and where did the eu compromise the most, do you think? we wanted to make sure, for instance, that we got access to, got complete control over our fi

he was speaking to our political editor laura kuenssberg.he 1246 page document — the cargo of an raf plane to get back here. ready for boris johnson's signature. here it is. the man who campaigned for brexit, became prime minister because of it, and now his deal, this day, scrolled into history. what this deal does is it satisfies the request of the british people to take back control, and what that meant was that we now have the freedom to do things differently and do things better if we choose. in the knowledge that there are no barriers to... but, prime minister, that's just factually not the case. it's not true that there will not be more barriers. you have got more political control, but you can't sit there and say that there won't be extra friction. there will be changes, and we've been very clear with people that they'll have to get ready forjanuary the 1st, that things will work differently, and at the same time we cannot only exploit the advantages of a zero tariff, zero quota deal with the eu. people said that that was impossible.

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. from the uk today. families have been making the most of the holidays and spending some time playing in the snow. children were out sledging near stourbridge in the west midlands. more snow and ice is forecast in scotland, north wales and northern england between now and the new year. that's all from the bbc news at six we're back at a quarter past ten now on bbc one we nowjoin the bbc‘s news teams where you are. hello. this is bbc news with me, george alagiah. the prime minister has urged people to redouble their effo rts has urged people to redouble their efforts to contain the virus, describing the country as being at a critical moment, with freedom within reach. at a downing street press briefing, borisjohnson reach. at a downing street press briefing, boris johnson explained that, due to a new guidance, the first dose of the newly approved at oxford—astrazeneca vaccine will vulnerable people can be vaccinated as quickly as possible. we have had new advice from the joint committee

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. stay with us on bbc news. selling his entire catalogue of 600 songs. 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 to mourn 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 world news. the latest headline: a report into last year's christchurch terror attack on two mosques has found new zealan

laura kuenssberg reports.ere, then a short hop for the 1,2a6—page document — the cargo of an raf plane to get back here. ready for boris johnson's signature. here it is. the man who campaigned for brexit became prime minister because of it, and now his deal, this day, scrolled into history. what this deal does is it satisfies the request of the british people to take back control, and what that meant was that we now have the freedom to do things differently and do things better if we choose. in the knowledge that there are no barriers to... but, prime minister, that's just factually not the case. it's not true that there will not be more barriers. you have got more political control, but you can't sit there and say that there won't be extra friction. there will be changes, and we've been very clear with people that they'll have to get ready forjanuary the 1st, that things will work differently, and at the same time, we cannot only exploit the advantages of a zero tariff, zero quota deal with the eu. people sai

laura kuenssberg, bbc news. in south africa, another variant of the virus has been found there.y economics team working in the eastern cape residence where there has been a surge in recent cases. even though the there is a difference between there is a difference between the variant found in the uk, what we know about it? so what do we know about south africa's new variant of covid—i9? well, for starters, it was discovered earlier this month by local scientists during routine surveillance of the virus. we also know that it appears to be unrelated to the new variant currently being seen in the uk. but both these variants are one thing in common: one mutation that has to do with how the virus attaches itself to human cells. experts believe this is the reason behind the spike of cases that we are seeing in the uk and here in south africa. while researchers in the uk say the new variant there is 70% more transmissible, here in south africa, though, experts say there are also gathering data, but expect that this might be the case, too. so, where did it come from? the first cases were

here's our political editor laura kuenssberg.e eu system without a deal in place? there are plenty of other foreign leaders to greet. boris johnson's guest today, the crown prince of abu dhabi. we're not allowed to shake hands. the prime minister cannot shake hands with him. with only four days to go he's warned tonight there will be nothing to shake on with the eu. reporter: is it all over, prime minister? there's now a strong possibility — strong possibility — that we will have a solution that is much more like an australian relationship with the eu than a canadian relationship with the eu. that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. there are plenty of ways, as i've said, that we can turn to the advantage of both sides. a relationship like australia really means no deal and maybe massive disruption. under the eu's emergency plans, out today, uk transport could only move around the continent if it sticks to european rules, even though sharing regulations is at the center of the clash in the talks. some firms are already fed up. alcalin

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster.annah streeter, senior investment and markets analyst at hargreaves la nsdown. she's in bristol, in the west of england. great to see you, susanna. lots to talk about here. despite some of the negative sentiment we have heard and laura's heath there are, are they still hope that a deal will happen? certainly, hopes are riding high that a deal will be done. if you look at what has happened to stirling this week, it has crept up, did waver a little bit yesterday after those slightly more pessimistic comments that came through against the euro, but certainly the expectation across the market is that these difficulties will be ironed out and a deal is done. if it isn't, certainly the bank of england warned yesterday that there would be further pressure on sterling to be expected and that uk growth will be hit as well and that prices will rise certainly for the short term, so that certainly concentrated mindsa so that certainly concentrated minds a little, the bank has said though that the

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. tightening restrictions as the numbers of covid cases rise steeply. germany started a christmas lockdown on wednesday — festivities are limited to the smallest of family gatherings. schools and nonessential shops are closed. slovakia is also back into lockdown as the virus spreads uncontrollably. denmark's prime minister has closed shops over the holidays, and announced a full lockdown from december 25th to january third. the netherlands saw daily infections rise by more than ii—thousand, a new record. a five—week lockdown began there on tuesday. and turkey reported a record daily death toll of 240. its reported nearly two million cases, the sixth highest in the world. let's get some of the day's other news brazil will start a mass coronavirus vaccination programme in february. president jair bolsonaro says the government will buy millions of doses, once regulators approve one of the new vaccines. the country reported another 70—thousand cases of covid—i9 on wednesday bring the total

laura kuenssberg, thank you. live now to our europe editor, katya adler, in brussels. with what you are hearing? clearly, because we are hearing? clearly, because we are hearing things from the negotiators who are right here in brussels finishing off this deal. they stayed awake throughout the night, haggling over the last details on fish. do you remember the last months we kept saying over and over again the three outstanding issues, competition regulations, the eu saying it needs what it calls fair competition rules in order to give the uk tariff and quota free access to its single market. also the governance of the deal, so if either side break their word in this deal what could happen. then the third issue was on fish as well and that is where we are. don't forget, it is notjust a negotiation between the eu and the uk but also between the eu and the uk but also between eu member states as well. we wait to see the details but essentially the prime minister needs to say he has kept post—brexit sovereignty and the eu needs to say it has been able to protect its single

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster.s. just to remind you, the house of commons has approved the bill, but in orderfor to become law, it needs not to pass the upper chamber, the house of lords, and there has been a very short debate and voting will happening remotely. that voting process will take around ten minutes. they are voting on another amendment now come but it is expected at those an immense will be defeated because this is a rushed debate, and we do expect that the house of lords will vote for this and approve this quite quickly. 0nce it does so, they would've been coordination with buckingham palace in the queen, and the queen will give her royal assent, at which point, after the commons and dealers have both voted in favour, that royal assent will take place, the queen herself is actually in windsor at the moment. as soon as that royal ascents takes place, the bill becomes law and it will come into action at 11pm on the 31st of december. we will keep an eye on that vote. new york was the epicentre of the init

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster.between the european commission president, ursula von der leyen, and the british prime minister, boris johnson could lead. our europe editor katya adler, looks at where it could lead. well, it does change the mood music. you know, for those around the eu negotiating team, for example, there's a bit of a sigh of relief because, for eu and uk negotiators, they feel they've been round and round and round the same three main sticking points for absolutely months now, with each repeating their arguments, and frustration on both sides getting very high indeed. so haven't we been saying for quite a long time, what you need is political involvement at the highest level, either to have a whisper in the ear of those negotiators to say, "look, now is time for those difficult compromises that need to be made by both sides to reach a deal," or to have, you know, personal involvement. so the fact that boris johnson is coming here — even though the eu says they don't know what he'll say — makes those

our political editor laura kuenssberg is at westminster tonight. t, for most of us, the reality is that it is months away. right now, what we got to contend with is the tier system. that's right, whether it is the new toughened up to system with three different categories in england, five in scotland or rules in wales and northern ireland, the scientific triumph is not going to change the reality for most of us in daily life anytime soon. and, despite something of a parliamentary kicking from some of his own mps last night, that means, for boris johnson, this new regime of toughened up tiers came into force at midnight last night. would you like any drinks, while you're waiting? back in business, the lucky ones maybe. wilmslow, like the rest of cheshire, woke up in tier 2 this morning. so, halil, who lost a0% of his business to the virus, shedding staff, is able to get going again. i am very glad. i'm very happy to see the customers come back in here. rob's a local church leader, and is relieved to be out. we have escaped what has become at home a d

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. with me is our news reporter paul hawkins.overnment warning that a deal may not be possible. what are we hearing from the european side? it's sounding gloomy, one eu source it feels like a saint neck, that is santa claus, did not bring what you wanted and we keep hoping every day that he may after all. these face—to—face meetings, it may result in something, they could bea result in something, they could be a concession from one side oi’ be a concession from one side or the other, and things can change with the dynamic in a room as opposed to the online call, but as it stands, these are, there are three main sticking points, fission, competition rules, and housing sources, i.e. governors, and at the moment they are quite fundamental gaps —— fishing. i would say that the outlook from the european side is not only more optimistic than in the uk side. the uk government under borisjohnson, side. the uk government under boris johnson, under theresa may, said that no deal is better than a bad deal. to the field — do they seem feel t

laura kuenssberg, bbc news.al restrictions to curb rising coronavirus infection rates over the christmas and new year period. the measures taken by rome come into effect on monday. people will only be allowed to leave their homes once and are banned from leaving their region. to switzerland — on tuesday, it'll start a "light" lockdown. ba rs a nd restau ra nts will shut for a month. people are advised to stay at home and not travel during the festive period. austria will go into its third lockdown of the pandemic starting on the 26th of december until the 24th of january. shops, restaurants and schools will be allowed to re—open the from the 18th of january. sweden for the first time is now recommending people wear face masks on public transport during peak hours. the number of people allowed to meet in restaurants has also been reduced. in france, president emmanuel macron is said to be stable after falling ill with covid—i9. his doctor says he's suffering from fatigue, coughing and stiffness. mr macron himself

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. labour party — sir keir starmer — gave his reaction to the deal. he said his party would support the deal, but was adamant a better one could have been reached... it is not the deal that the government promised. far from it. and there are serious questions about the government‘s preparedness for the new arrangements. as ever, leaving everything to the last minute has made it even more difficult for businesses to be ready. a better deal could have been negotiated. let‘s speak now to the conservative mp and former business secretary, andrea leadsom. i know from your social media feed that you are over the moon today. prime minister boris johnson that you are over the moon today. prime minister borisjohnson was asks that press conference whether the uk would definitely be better off. will it be? without any question, yes! this this is a huge day for celebration. this is the culmination of something that has taken four and culmination of something that has taken fourand a culmination of s

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster.mep for london from 2000 to 2019. we heard the prime minister telling laura that he is having his cake and eating it, whereas serco starmer said it's a thin deal but it is the only deal you have, and it's a possibility now to build on it. we are where we are. how possibility now to build on it. we are where we are. how do you build on it? you can build on it, of course, and nobody disagrees with that. the problem is, by voting for the deal, labour has actually said they are complicit in it, and it will be very difficult in future labour to make any comment and constructive critical comment if this deal goes through, and now this deal has gone through and labour have voted for it. labour is now complicit in it. my view was that it would have been much betterfor the party to abstain. this is not a good deal, and i think we need to understand this. it's an eu deal. unit benefits from it in terms of the trade than britain does. —— the eu benefits more. financial services, 80% of british gd

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster.ntil the transition period ends — that's the uk's temporary relationship with the eu since brexit happened. so whether there's a deal or not, there will in any case be an impact on many aspects of people's lives. our deputy political editor vicki young looks at some of the changes ahead. the uk and eu need a new set of rules for how we live, work and do business together. things are about to change, whether there is a trade deal or not. you will no longer be allowed to move freely between the uk and the eu to live or work. when it comes to holidays, visas will not be required but visits will be limited to 90 days in any six—month period. you'll have to make sure your passport has at least six months left on it and free health care will not be guaranteed. you will need extra driving documents for some countries and extra paperwork for any pets. now, what about trade? whatever happens, businesses that import and export goods will need to fill out more forms and there will be added checks

laura kuenssberg, bbc news.r new strain of the coronavirus has been discovered. scientists there say they are working with the world health organization to investigate the new variant. it was identified by a genomics team working in the country's eastern cape province where there have been a surge in recent cases. the bbc‘s pumza fihlani is injohannesburg and says even though the new variant of the virus in south africa is different to the one found in the uk, they do share one thing in common. so what do we know about south africa's new variant of covid—i9? well, for starters, it was discovered earlier this month by local scientists during routine surveillance of the virus. we also know that it appears to be unrelated to the new variant currently being seen in the uk. but both these variants are one thing in common: one mutation that has to do with how the virus attaches itself to human cells. experts believe this is the reason behind the spike of cases that we are seeing in the uk and here in south africa. whi

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster.ened in england for the first time in a month. some shoppers queued from the early hours of the morning and the debenhams website crashed because of the interest in its closing down sale. as our consumer affairs correspondent sarah corker reports, some businesses are extending their trading hours to try to make up for their losses during the lockdown. the decorations are up, the festive discounts are on, and lockdown is lifted. county durham is in the highest, tier 3 level of restrictions, but for retailers here in bishop auckland, it's a relief to be trading again. november, it was so difficult closing, it's one of the busiest months of retail for trade, so we really need to get december, people out spending money, to see us through. we have taken such a massive, massive hit this year, and unlike some of the bigger chains, we don't have the financial support that they get. so, we will lose a lot of our little independent businesses if people don't start to come back. and there is clea

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster.'s other news countries all over europe are tightening restrictions as the numbers of covid cases rise steeply. germany has started a christmas lockdown today— festivities are limited to the smallest of family gatherings, and schools and non—essential shops are closed. slovakia is also back into lockdown as the virus spreads uncontrollably. denmark's prime minister has announced a full lockdown from december 25th to january 3rd. brazil will start a mass coronavirus vaccination programme in february. president jair bolsonaro says the government will buy millions of doses, once regulators approve one of the new vaccines. the country reported another 70—thousand cases of covid—i9 on wednesday bring the total close to seven million. the death toll in brazil is the second highest in the world. a new round of stimulus checks will be making their way to americans suffering the economic crisis caused by the pandemic. after months of stalled negotiations, congressional leaders have reached a 90

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. minorities, including the uighur community, are being forced by the chinese authorities to pick cotton in the far western region of xinjiang, that's according to information seen by the bbc. the evidence suggests that china's cotton crop, which makes up a fifth of the world's total supply, could be far more dependent on forced labour than was previously thought. over the past few years, more than a million uighurs are thought to have been detained in so—called ‘re—education' camps. china denies claims of torture and carrying out forced sterilisations and abortions. in response to the latest evidence, the chinese government has told the bbc that claims of forced labour are "entirely fabricated". 0ur china correspondent, john sudworth, has this special investigation from xinjiang, a region where foreign journalists are followed very closely and monitored. xinjiang makes mountains of cotton, a fifth of the world's total and our investigation will only heighten concerns about this product

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster.ngland for the first time in a month. some shoppers queued from the early hours of the morning and the debenhams website crashed because of the interest in its closing down sale. as our consumer affairs correspondent sarah corker reports, some businesses are extending their trading hours to try to recoup their losses during the lockdown. the decorations are up, the festive discounts are on, and lockdown is lifted. county durham is in the highest tier 3 level of restrictions, but for retailers here in bishop auckland, it's a relief to be trading again. november, it was so difficult, closing. it's one of the busiest months of retailfor trade, so we really to get december you know, people outspending money to see us through. we have taken such a massive, massive hit this year, and unlike some of the bigger chains, we don't have the financial support that they get, so we will lose a lot of our little independent businesses if people don't start to come back. and there clearly is pent—up de

our political editor laura kuenssberg reports. time is finally up. that number ten believes will pull power back to this building from brussels. a vast trade and security agreement, the prime minister and brexiteers promised. until a matter of hours ago, it wasn't guaranteed, but look, the optimist really did have something to cheer. his ubiquitous thumbs up, achievement, relief written all over his face. i'm very pleased to tell you this afternoon that we have completed the biggest trade deal yet, worth £660 billion a year, a comprehensive ca nada—style free trade deal between the uk and the eu. and we have also today resolved a question that has bedeviled our politics for decades. and it is up to us altogether, as a newly and truly independent nation, to realise the immensity of this moment and to make the most of it. can you tell the public honestly, where did the uk give the most ground and where did the eu compromise the most, do you think? we wanted to make sure, for instance, that we got access to, got complete control over our fisheries from

here's our political editor laura kuenssberg. laura kuenssberg. he ready to walk out of ti system is he ready to walk out of the eu system without a deal in place? there are plenty of other foreign leaders to great. today, the crown prince of abu dhabi. the prime minister cannot shake hands with him. with only four days to go he has won tonight there will be nothing to shake on with the eu. has won tonight there will be nothing to shake on with the eue it all over, prime minister? there is now a strong possibility that we will have a solution that is much more like an australian relationship with the eu than a canadian relationship with the eu. that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. there are plenty of ways, as i have said, that we can turn to the advantage of both sides. i relationship with australia really means no deal and maybe massive destruction. uk transport could only move around the continent if it sticks to european rows, continent if it sticks to european i’ows , even continent if it sticks to european rows, even though s

laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster.e approach in different parts of the uk has changed today, so let's visit scotland, wales and northern ireland to find out more, in a moment we'll hear from james shaw in glasgow, and emma vardy in lisburn, but first to sian lloyd in cardiff. here in wales, tighter restrictions are on their way. nonessential shops and close contact services like hairdressers, together with fitness and leisure centres, must close from the end of trading on christmas eve and all hospitality venues must shut from 6pm on christmas day. the five—day christmas covid window that had already been agreed remains in place, but the welsh government have told people here they can only form of a bubble of two households by law — although a single person can join them. from 28th december, wales goes into lockdown — which means people are expected to stay at home and public facilities will close. there is no end in sight to these restrictions, but we are told they will be reviewed every three weeks. here in scotland,

here's our political editor laura kuenssberg.lk out of the eu system without a deal in place? there are plenty of other foreign leaders to greet. boris johnson's guest today, the crown prince of abu dhabi. we're not allowed to shake hands. the prime minister cannot shake hands with him. with only four days to go he's warned tonight there will be nothing to shake on with the eu. reporter: is it all over, prime minister? there's now a strong possibility — strong possibility — that we will have a solution that is much more like an australian relationship with the eu than a canadian relationship with the eu. that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. there are plenty of ways, as i've said, that we can turn to the advantage of both sides. a relationship like australia really means no deal and maybe massive disruption. under the eu's emergency plans, out today, uk transport could only move around the continent if it sticks to european rules, even though sharing regulations is at the centre of the clash in the talks. some firms are already fed