new coronavirus restrictions come into force in scotland, wales and northern ireland — to try to limit the spread of the omicron variant.

new south wales has, of course, eased its restrictions. it's come out of lockdown. it's opened both its domestic and international borders for australians and for visa—holders, and there was an expectation that these cases were going to rise, but that number has sharply risen in the last week or so. today, the state has reported more than 5,700 covid—19 cases. about 80% of that is of the omicron variant. and these are big numbers, in an australian context. so i think even if it'sjust an idea that's being floated, even if it's just being discussed, it's going to make that divide between the vaccinated and unvaccinated even deeper, and i think it also shows you a certain nervousness from the state government's side about whether or not the health care is going to handle more cases. the former british prime minister gordon brown has described the failure to distribute covid vaccines to poorer countries as a "stain on our global soul". speaking to the bbc, mr brown said that everyone will suffer without a push to get the whole world immunised next year. so far, 8 bi

very mild, too, for wales, and pretty mild for northern ireland and scotland as well. we continue with that theme. on thursday, those south—westerly winds still us. still some heavy rain the come, particularly for wales, western coasts and hills of england and for northern ireland later in the day as well. temperatures, similar levels, 16, possibly 17 across the very warmest parts of england. further north, 12 in glascow. that's still well above average, as is 11! in belfast. now, we could have some heavy rain and strong winds thursday night. maybe lingering for a time on friday, but otherwise there'll be a lot of cloud across western areas with some mist and fog patches and probably some spots of drizzle as well. the driest weather will be further east. temperatures still at their highest across england and wales, still at those same kind of levels. and 2022 is going to start off where 2021 left off with those very mild south—westerly winds. again extensive cloud, outbreaks of rain and drizzle for western coasts and hills, probably quite murky. but those crazy tem

new covid infections in england and wales hit a record daily high, as the government defends its decision not to introduce further restrictions in england before january. we want to party all night long! members of the hospitality industry welcome the move, calling it a "lifeline". protests outside court, as the kremlin bans one of russia's oldest and best known human rights organisations. right, those are our headlights. i will be back with more in half an hour. now on bbc news, our world. six years ago, amsha escaped from captivity in northern iraq, after being held by is militants. today, she is risking her life to clear her homeland of unexploded mines. in the summer of 2014, is militants swept across northern iraq. gunfire in sinjar, they would go on to commit a massacre, taking thousands of young women like amsha captive. almost seven years later, much of the region remains in ruins and thousands remain missing. despite everything, amsha chose to remain in sinjar. now every day, she confronts the deadly legacy left hidden by herformer captors. on the 3rd of august 2014, is militants

especially in england and wales, also for northern ireland. that is a trend that continues as we go through the end of the year. we are going to see several areas of low pressure coming our way. drier, brighter moments in between. all the while with these areas of low pressure, we will be pumping mild, even very mild air, northwards across the uk. temperatures in south—east thing and for a time may be approaching 17 celsius. all areas are going to turn much milder. wet at times. mild weather continuing into the start of the new year. this is bbc news, the headlines... 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 coronavirus pandemic. in his christmas message pope francis highlighted the tragedies in yemen and syria which he said are being passed over in silence. and lift off. the world's most powerful telescope has blasted into space, soon to offer unprecedented images of the universe. c

it is a touch milder, especially in england and wales. that is a trend that continues as we go towards the end of the year. we will see several areas of low pressure coming our way with spells of wind and rain, drier and brighter moments in between, but all the while we will be pumping mild air northwards across the uk, and temperatures in south—east england for a time midweek may be approaching 17 celsius. but all areas will turn much milder, but wet at times, and the mild weather continuing into the start of the new year. this is bbc news. the headlines. 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 windsor castle grounds, 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

if you wear an editor in wales.— editor in wales. it's absolutely ludicrous _ editor in wales. it's absolutely ludicrous. i— editor in wales. it's absolutely ludicrous. i don't _ editor in wales. it's absolutely ludicrous. i don't know - editor in wales. it's absolutely ludicrous. i don't know where l editor in wales. it's absolutely l ludicrous. i don't know where to start. all of these rules are ridiculous and conflicted each other. why is that? i don't understand that. i get that they are trying to encourage people to work from home, but then it doesn't make sense to the person on the streets, why can i go to the pub and rub up against people they are, going to the toilet, loads of people walking back and forth, people having too many drinks and getting too close, but i cannot go to where, where workplaces are taking precautions, desks are spaced at prayer, everyone has to test before they go and commit doesn't make sense. i'm not sure where to start with that. it's ridiculous. sure where to start with that. it's ridiculous— s

fewer restrictions in wales or more in england? restrictions in wales or more in encland? �* , , restrictions in wales or more in encland? h , '. restrictions in wales or more in encland? h , m england? it's very difficult because it's a public— england? it's very difficult because it's a public health _ england? it's very difficult because it's a public health missions, - england? it's very difficult because it's a public health missions, to - england? it's very difficult because it's a public health missions, to do | it's a public health missions, to do with the sage numbers, government policy and interpretation. what we have here is a big hit on the economic impact on the industry. that's a huge factor now. through the 21 months there's been financial alignment if not restriction alignment. we've had fulham in the past which is worth about 450—500 million pounds a month to our businesses —— microwave had furlough in the past. that amounts to about 60 million in britain forfour — five weeks. we can see the economic hit and just around the corner, if businesse

wales and in towards the south—west. here it's going to be mild, it's looking a bit cooler further north. for monday, we start the new week off on a bright note across the northern half of the country, here we will have some blustery showers, wintry on the hills, england and wales will be plagued by this weather front so it could be quite cloudy and quite wet in parts of wales and into northern england, i think the south—east quadrant could be a bit drier, perhaps a little bit brighter. very mild here, a bit fresherfurther north. that weather front clears away from england and wales into tuesday, we start to see high pressure building in the south, but you will notice low pressure to the north of the uk. that will bring wet and windy weather for a time, but after wednesday, certainly thursday and friday, it looks like that area of high pressure will win out, push northwards and clear the wet and windy weather away from the uk, and we will all be in the mild air. this upcoming week is looking pretty mild for this time o

scotland, wales and northern _ an hour call. scotland, wales and northern ireland - an hour call. scotland, wales and northern ireland had - and northern ireland had already advised staff to work remotely wherever possible. 30% of workers in england did some work from home. that had an impact on city centres and even though many people are yet to go back to the office full—time in the last week in november seven intended travel to work at least once. in sheffield, this restaurant has already been affected by plan b. we lost about — been affected by plan b. we lost about 100 _ been affected by plan b. - lost about 100 covers. we foresee more, not to mention the walk in trade over christmas and new year. this is a really devastating blow. the auestion a really devastating blow. the question in — a really devastating blow. the question in many _ a really devastating blow. the question in many peoples minds as they make their morning coffee and commute to the laptop, how long will they be working from home? but how will these measures affect an economy still recovering from the

wales and in towards the south—west. here it's going to be mild, it's looking a bit cooler further north. for monday, we start the new week off on a bright note across the northern half of the country, here we will have some blustery showers, wintry on the hills, england and wales will be plagued by this weather front so it could be quite cloudy and quite wet in parts of wales and into northern england, i think the south—east quadrant could be a bit drier, perhaps a little bit brighter. very mild here, a bit fresherfurther north. that weather front clears away from england and wales into tuesday, we start to see high pressure building in the south, but you will notice low pressure to the north of the uk. that will bring wet and windy weather for a time, but after wednesday, certainly thursday and friday, it looks like that area of high pressure will win out, push northwards and clear the wet and windy weather away from the uk, and we will all be in the mild air. this upcoming week is looking pretty mild for this time o

for wales and the midlands and lincolnshire. best of any sunshine for scotland, northern ireland and northern england. a bit cooler here than i will be on sunday as temperatures return to average and still being mild in the south. hello this is bbc news. the headlines... days before a likely backbench rebellion, uk prime minister borisjohson faces fresh questions about christmas gatherings at downing street a year ago — after a photo emerges of him taking part in a quiz. the nhs in england is extending its vaccination programme as it tries to get on top of the omicron variant — 30 to 39 year olds can book a virus booster jab from tomorrow. g7 foreign ministers warn iran that �*time is running out�* to rescue the nuclear deal. emergency teams search for survivors in six us states after more than 70 people die in the largest outbreaks of tornadoes in us history. and the battle for the chequered flag as max verstappen starts on pole position to take on lewis hamilton in the formula one title decider in abu dhabi. now on bbc

people in scotland, wales _ about having theirjabs. people in scotland, wales and _ about having theirjabs. people in scotland, wales and northern - about having theirjabs. people in - scotland, wales and northern ireland are being encouraged to get a jab to with vaccination centres closed over christmas until the 27th. even as the push on boosters continue, experts are mulling over the latest more hopeful research on the omicron variant, indicating it could be less severe than delta.— variant, indicating it could be less severe than delta. potentially this is aood severe than delta. potentially this is good news. _ severe than delta. potentially this is good news, if _ severe than delta. potentially this is good news, if omicron - severe than delta. potentially this is good news, if omicron really - severe than delta. potentially this is good news, if omicron really is| is good news, if omicron really is less nasty, and it is certainly shaping up to look less nasty, that's fantastic, what better christmas present could we have? but

wales and in towards the south—west. here is going to be mild, it is looking a bit cooler further north. for monday, we start the new week off on a bright note across the northern half of the country, here we will have some blustery showers, wintry on the hills, england and wales will be played by this weather front so it could be quite cloudy and quite wet in parts of wales and into northern england, i think the south—east quadrant could be a bit drier, perhaps a little bit brighter. very mild here, a bit fresherfurther north. but weather front clears away from england and wales on tuesday, we start to see high pressure building on the south, but you will notice low pressure to the north of the uk. that will bring wet and windy weather for a uk. that will bring wet and windy weatherfor a time, uk. that will bring wet and windy weather for a time, but after wednesday, certainly thursday and friday, it looks like that area of high pressure will wind out, push northwards and clear the wet and windy weather away from the

some areas saw some sunshine, scotland, northern england, wales and the south—west of england, wales and the south—west of england, but even where there was sunshine there was some unrest and fog patches around. similar story into sunday. chilly where ever you are. northern areas will have the best of the sunshine. it is all down to this blocking area of high pressure, stagnant weather pattern, very little wind to disturb it and move this cloud around. it looks like the cloud i was going to hang around areas where it was cloudy today. central, southern, eastern england. a bit of missed an workaround. under clear skies, scotland, northern england, wales, it will be colder. much colder across parts of scotland, down 2—5, -6. across parts of scotland, down 2—5, —6. some mist and fog across sunny spots in the north, as you can see. but here is where the rest of the sunshine is, large parts of scotland, north—west england, into wales and the south—west. if you glamorous for northern ireland. much of central and southern england it will be another gloomy day, some mist and murk

look at these big rocks, theses been checking onto the coastline of west wales the seas are pretty angry when they throw brick size lumps of rocket there is power it feeling less intense. we do have a window is slightly clear when that set to come in during thursday. that means the showers that we got at the moment fading away over the next few hours but it's can be quite chilly for as but it's can be quite chilly for you perhaps head out first as you perhaps head outside the door first thing this morning. for many a fine start for many of you that should be a lovely sunrise. the early rising sun illuminate we'll illuminating this cloud. the next weather system not taking its time to move this way to its west england and wales but also eventually bringing milderair into and wales but also eventually bringing milder air into the southwest temperatures reach around 11 through the afternoon. still for most of us is another fairly chilly one with six or 7 c, more typical temperatures. as we head into friday that area of rain perhaps with a little bit of mountain snow clears out of the way. w

but tighter restrictions are now in force in wales, northern ireland and in scotland, which has seen a record rise in numbers. emergency talks between the government and the uk's energy industry, amid warnings that bills could go up by 50% next year, unless the government intervenes. england's hopes of an ashes comeback are fading rapidly, in a dramatic second day of the third test in melbourne. and missing for almost a week — a happy ending for the search and rescue dog, who got lost herself, in norfolk, as she's

the far south of wales and much of southern england, a lot of the day is going to be dry. it's blustery wherever you are — these are average speeds. some stronger gusts around particularly western coasts — 40—45 mph or so, so a risk of gales here — so it will feel colder than these temperatures might suggest, which are already down compared with what we had on friday. saturday evening and night, its central and eastern parts of england with outbreaks of rain. some snow to the higher parts of the pennines and peak district. a few showers in the west but some clear spells, too, and where you have the clear spells, a greater chance of a frost going into sunday morning, especially in the countryside. and on sunday, well, the low pressure�*s here. for many, it's far enough away to allow a drier day but close to that across especially eastern parts of england, there'll be some outbreaks of rain around. they may just fringe into eastern scotland at times and also push a little further west towards the midlands. much of scotland, northern ireland, wales and the western s

we hold on to the cloud for large parts of england and wales. we'll continue with this persistent rain as well for parts of wales and the midlands, into northern england, some areas pretty wet all day. brightest weather will be across scotland and northern ireland. a few blustery showers, wintry on the hills, will be milder across the south. single figures across the north. that weather front for england and wales clears away into tuesday. high pressure begins to build in here. it stays unsettled over the northern half of the country — lots of isobars and weather fronts. so windy for scotland and northern ireland and some rain, particularly for the north and west of scotland. england and wales, though, closer to that area of high pressure should be largely dry, some cloud around but also some good spells of sunshine. those temperatures will be around orjust a little above the seasonal norm. so as we head out of tuesday into wednesday, we continue with that area of high pressure across the south of the country so here, settled with light winds.

rain into the southwest of england, which will push northwards towards parts of wales, the midlands and east anglia through the day, tending to weaken as it goes. elsewhere, some of the mist and fog and cloud will tends to lift and break and we will see some spells of sunshine in the far north of england, northern ireland and scotland, albeit with some showers in the far north. temperatures ranging from 6 degrees in aberdeen to 12 in plymouth through the afternoon. and then through monday night, a bit more rain potentially down towards the south, another lump of wet weather starting to push into northern ireland, parts of northern england, southern scotland. the winds will start to pick up down towards the south and the west as well. very mild in the south, a little bit chilly up towards the north. and then as we go through tuesday, this area of wet weather will spread out of northern ireland, into southern scotland, northern england, parts of wales, perhaps into the midlands as well. we will see some sunny spells to the far north and to the far south, but it will be really quite windy

tighter restrictions remained in wales, scotland and northern ireland. and in december, england reintroduced some rules, moving into its so—called plan b. and as 0micron cases began to rise, so did cancellations. many hospitality firms reported a slump in christmas bookings, as fears of a new wave of infection convinced customers to stay at home. michael represents the night—time industries — bars and music venues and nightclubs — and he told me firms had learned to adapt, but many struggled to stay open. there were so many confusing guidelines and rules, even things where the local authorities and police were really struggling to interpret. so for an industry that had been somewhat beleaguered, it was a very difficult time, especially economically, they were struggling. but in terms of the culture side of things and venues and nightclubs, once they were given the opportunity, they were out of the blocks because some of those youngsters were starved of those social environments and they can go out and enjoy. 850,000 new 18—year—olds came of a

today's announcement is the third in wales in less than a week. and even more measures could follow. if we need to do more, the welsh government will not stand back. we never have. these are difficult decisions. they are not always popular decisions. but if the evidence says to us that more has to be done to prevent unnecessary deaths and avoidable harm, then that is what we will do. it's a warning which stirs strong feelings in the hospitality industry. nick runs five pubs. going back to the rule of six with table service and mandatory masks leaves him with one question. we just don't understand why. there is no evidence _ about transmission of the virus within hospitality. in fact we are amongst the safest sectors you can find. _ which direction wales takes next feels very uncertain. but now the focus is just on getting to the new year. after a long afternoon of talks, the devolved government here at stormont has announced new restrictions just in the last half hour or so. as in wales, the main measures tend to affect the hospitality industry, s

some parts of scotland and northern england, wales, and the south—west have been gloriously bright and sunny but cold elsewhere, it has been grey and gloomy. and there is little change as we move into part two of the weekend, some areas across the north and west some sunshine and other areas holding on that cloud. there is this area blocking the high pressure setting to the north of the uk, very few isobars in the chart and the winds will remain light but still quite breezy through the channel and into the far south—west. through tonight, where we hold on to the cloud, temperatures will hover above freezing, at four to seven degrees. but under clearer skies, in scotland and northern england in particular, it will turn cold, a widespread frost here and the risk of some dense mist and fog patches, too. so, for sunday, it is a cold start across certain parts of the north and in towards wales and the south—west and frost and mist and fog but here, you will have the sunshine. there is a greater chance of seeing a few breaks in the cloud from northern ireland but much of central, souther

note across scotland, the far north of england, but less cold, milder for northern ireland in towards wales and the south west. but here, we have more of the cloud, outbreaks of rain, which will be slowly spilling northwards and eastwards through the course of the day. quite a bit of cloud for most of england but the far north of england, scotland off that cold, frosty start, will be dry and sunny throughout the day. maybe just the odd wintry shower around, some patchy cloud, but it will be windy, particularly across the northern half of the country, as you can see here. these are the mean wind speeds. so, when you factor in the wind with that cold air, it really will feel chilly — colder than these temperatures suggest, 3—5 degrees in the north, seven to maybe 11 degrees across the south and south west. now, as we head through christmas day evening, it looks like the rain will start to push its way northwards and eastwards and overnight, as it bumps into that cold air, we could see a bit of snow for north wales on the hills first and then into northern england, central, southern scotla

if you wear an editor in wales.— editor in wales. it's absolutely ludicrous _ editor in wales. it's absolutely ludicrous. i— editor in wales. it's absolutely ludicrous. i don't _ editor in wales. it's absolutely ludicrous. i don't know - editor in wales. it's absolutely ludicrous. i don't know where l editor in wales. it's absolutely l ludicrous. i don't know where to start. all of these rules are ridiculous and conflicted each other. why is that? i don't understand that. i get that they are trying to encourage people to work from home, but then it doesn't make sense to the person on the

rain coming in across the south—west could well fall as snow on the tops of the hills in north—west wales. mild in the south but still cold in the north and windy wherever you are. hello and welcome to bbc news — i'll bring you all the latest headlines when we're joined by viewers on bbc one in just a few minutes but before that our top story this lunchtime: 1.74 million people in the uk had coronavirus on 19 december, according to a survey by the office for national statistics. that's up by more than 400,000 people on the figure three days earlier. this equates to one in 35 people or 2.7% of the population of the united kingdom. it comes amid news of "a glimmer of christmas hope" from the uk health security agency's drjenny harries who says new cononavirus data suggests that the omicron variant may be less likely to lead to serious illness than the delta variant. but dr harries cautions that more information is needed,

a total ban on spectators in wales from now on. china's birth rate continues to plummet despite ending its one and two—child policy,— we have a special report on the mother trying to encourage larger families. hello and welcome to bbc news. to watch the festive rugby derby, they will now have to watch from home. a total ban on spectators of sporting and large events a friend of nelson mandela, he was awarded the nobel peace prize in 1984 for his role in ending white minority rule. the south african president, cyril ramaphosa, said the death marked another chapter in the nation's farewell to a "generation of outstanding south africans". 0ur africa correspondent, andrew harding, looks back at his life. raise our hands and we say, we will be free! , , ., .,, ., ., ., be free! desmond tutu was a man of ho e. a be free! desmond tutu was a man of hepe- a south _ be free! desmond tutu was a man of hope. a south african _ be free! desmond tutu was a man of hope. a south african priest - be free! desmond tutu was a man of hope. a south

elsewhere, there will be quite a few heavy showers moving on through northern ireland, wales and england, but brightening up towards the south—west on through the afternoon, and temperatures, well, a little bit higher, but still feeling colder because of the wind. and here is a look at boxing day evening. some clearer spells down to the south and south—west, but you can see elsewhere a lot of cloud, still some showers or outbreaks of rain around. now we have had a battle between the mild and cold air for christmas weekend, beyond that, though, it is very clear it's the mild air that wins, with areas of low pressure coming in, bringing spells of wind and rain, but pushing mild air, even very mild air in places this is bbc news — these are the latest headlines in the uk and around the world. the world's most powerful telescope begins its journey to offer unprecedented images of the universe. queen elizabeth is expected to give a very personal christmas message this year — her first since the death of her husband prince philip. christmas day boosterjabs in england — thousands of p

of rain certainly through wales and into the midlands. mild in the south — double figure values here, little bit cooler further north. and that's how things look into monday. we hold onto the cloud for large parts of england and wales. we'll continue with this persistent rain as well for parts of wales in the midlands, into northern england, some areas pretty wet all day. brightest weather will be across scotland and northern ireland. a few blustery showers, wintry on the hills, will be milder across the south, single figures across the north. that weather front for england and wales clears away into tuesday. high pressure begins to build in here. it stays unsettled over the northern half of the country, lots of isobars and weather fronts. windy for scotland and northern ireland and some rain, particularly for the north and west of scotland. england and wales, closer to that area of high pressure, should be largely dry, some cloud around but also some good spells of sunshine. those temperatures will be around orjust a little above the s

he's willing to crop the dog's ears and send the pup to wales. when we ask, the breeder — flavian vargas — also says he can provide fraudulent pet passports. the price is £250. there's even a discount if we buy five or more. it's got all the vaccination stickers, a vet's stamp in all the right places but otherwise, it's completely blank. dodgy pet passports aren'tjust useful for covering up ear cropping. they can be used to bring in dogs that are legally too young to travel. we've got three puppies here that they've given a passport, sadly, the information in that passport is falsified, so they're declared to be older than they actually are. and the journeys they undertake are awful. you know, great lengths — certainly in excess of 2a hours, often no food, very little water, no stops. there were actually four puppies in this group that were seized, and sadly, one of them passed away. so, sometimes, we do see that. paula says that tougher importation rules will only work if someone actually looks at the animals at the border. currently, the

in wales, the situation was particularly dire. some hospitals have adequate quantities of ppe but others are just down to a few days�* worth of supplies. clandeboye agencies offered to supply some. within just a week of making contact, welsh officials had agreed an £8a0,000 contract with the sweet company. you will recall that last week i indicated that fluid resistant gowns were a particular worry area for us where we had less than a full week's supply left. i can confirm we are expecting a flight to land at cardiff airport this afternoon carrying 200,000 fluid—resistant gowns. the sweet company had ridden to the rescue. its gowns were rolled out to hospitals across wales — with some being rushed to intensive care units for immediate use. in england, a shortage of gowns had become so critical that northern ireland sent 250,000 of its own to protect front line workers. officials at the department of health and social care, or the dhsc, in whitehall, were working flat out to plug the ppe gap — and so, they too looked to th

in wales, the situation was particularly dire. some hospitals have adequate quantities of ppe, but others are down to just a few days' worth of supplies. clandeboye agencies offered to supply some. within just a week of making contact, welsh officials had agreed an £8a0,000 contract with the sweet company. you will recall that last week, i indicated that fluid—resistant gowns were a particular worry area for us, where we had less than a full week's supply left. i can confirm we are expecting a flight to land at cardiff airport this afternoon, carrying 200,000 fluid—resistant gowns. the sweet company had ridden to the rescue. its gowns were rolled out to hospitals across wales — with some being rushed to intensive—care units for immediate use. in england, a shortage of gowns had become so critical that northern ireland sent 250,000 of its own to protect front—line workers. officials at the department of health and social care, or the dhsc, in whitehall, were working flat out to plug the ppe gap — and so, they too looke

he's willing to crop the dog's ears and send the pup to wales. when we ask, the breeder, flavian vargas, says he can also provide fraudulent passports. the price is £250. there's even a discount if we buy five or more. it's got all the vaccination stickers, a vet's stamp in all the right places, but otherwise, it's completely blank. dodgy pet passports aren't just useful for covering up ear cropping. they can be used to bring in dogs that are legally too young to travel. we've got three puppies here, they're given a passport — sadly the information in the passport is falsified, so they're declared to be older than they actually are, and the journeys they undertake are awful. you know, great lengths, in excess of 2a hours, often no food, very little water, no stops. there were actually four puppies in this group that were seized, and sadly one passed away. so sometimes we do see that. paula is that tougher importation rules will only work if someone actually looks at the animals at the border. currently, there's no requirement to do so. the che

we hold on to the cloud for large parts of england and wales. we'll continue with this persistent rain as well for parts of wales, the midlands, into northern england. some areas pretty wet all day. brightest weather will be across scotland and northern ireland. a few blustery showers, wintry on the hills, it will be milder, though, across the south. single figures across the north. that weather front for england and wales clears away into tuesday. high pressure begins to build in here. it stays unsettled over the northern half of the country — lots of isobars and weather fronts. so windy for scotland and northern ireland and some rain, particularly for the north and the west of scotland. england and wales, though, closer to that area of high pressure, should be largely dry. some cloud around but also some good spells of sunshine. those temperatures will be around orjust a little above the seasonal norm. so as we head out of tuesday into wednesday, we continue with that area of high pressure across the south of the country so here, settled wit

that meant wales were champions. drama that deserved an audience. the women's six nations, felt the impact even more. restructured, reorganised, the culmination an england, france final. wonderful stuff from england. good support in there from harrison. they cannot stop winning. they are champions again in 2021. england couldn't stop winning, and neither it seemed could rachael blackmore. never getting carried away. in april, she became the first female jockey to win the grand national. the gender thing was never an issue. i just carried forward. it was just such a special race. i'm absolutely honoured to be able to put my name beside it. at the crucible, the roar was finally back. the snooker championships became the first major british event to welcome back fans. raising the roof, champion mark selby. fans returning in football and revolting proposals for european super league sparked outrage. fan power won for now. manchester city are the premier league champions. one of those involved was manchester city. having won the league cup, they added a

a little bit chilly again across northern parts of scotland, very mild down towards wales and the south west of england. and for wednesday, that band of rain associated with the frontal system will continue to journey its way north—eastwards, so we will see some wet weather for a time on wednesday. clearing many areas quite quickly. that rain lingering, though, for a good part of the afternoon in northern scotland. behind it, there will be some spells of sunshine, some areas of cloud, too. but some increasingly mild conditions, 15—16 degrees in the south, 13 there for belfast, ten in glasgow. the milder air is journeying northwards. it will continue to do so on thursday. quite a cloudy day for many, some mist and murk, some rain especially in the west. best chance of any sunshine in eastern parts, but highs of 16 or maybe 17 degrees. but even northern scotland will be up into double digits by this stage. another quite windy day in prospect. for friday, new year's eve, a lot of cloud around, some rain, especially in the west. best of any sunshine in the east, and still milder than it

a chilly day for most, turning milderfor wales. a chilly day for most, turning milder for southern wales south—west england. into next week, rapidly deepening area of low pressure swinging its way of the atlantic. this will bring gale force winds is becoming come into tuesday for some. we also might see some further mountain snow. that is today's weather. this is bbc news. these are the latest headlines in the uk and around the world... the parents of a us teenager accused of killing four students, have been arrested after going on the run. south african scientists say the new coronavirus variant 0micron appears to be spreading more than twice as fast as the delta variant. unvaccinated british mums who were severely ill with coronavirus, encourage pregnant women to get their covid jab in the uk. president biden says he does not accept moscow's demands over ukraine, as russian troops mass on the border. britain is witnessing a record spike in anti—semitism — we have a special report on what's behind the rise in attacks on the

yesterday in wales, social distancing measures were reintroduced. from today in northern ireland, there are new restrictions for pubs and restaurants. it will be table service only and a maximum of six people will be allowed to sit together. we try to be sensible and both protect ourselves and each other. i am slightly bewildered. i don't understand them. i have come over from scotland, so everything is different. table service too has come in in scotland where alcohol is served. nightclubs will have to close for a period of at least three weeks. the scottish health secretary this morning visited a vaccination centre in perth. this is still going to be very difficult for businesses, but of course if we let this virus run out of control or get ahead of us, that would be even worse for the economy. as people wait to hear what further new restrictions might be needed for the new year, the government has insisted that no decisions have yet been taken for england. today's briefing by scientists is one of a series of regular updates given to the prime min

over to daniel davies at bbc wales.— the record today. over to daniel davies at bbc wales. when will you ublish the davies at bbc wales. when will you publish the scientific _ davies at bbc wales. when will you publish the scientific evidence - davies at bbc wales. when will you publish the scientific evidence thatl publish the scientific evidence that has brought you back to announce restriclions— has brought you back to announce restrictions again so quickly? yes, the restrictions again so quickly? yes, ihe number— restrictions again so quickly? yes, the number of covid cases has risen but surely— the number of covid cases has risen but surely we are expecting that. you told — but surely we are expecting that. you told us to expect a tsunami of cases _ you told us to expect a tsunami of cases what — you told us to expect a tsunami of cases. what else have you seen and when _ cases. what else have you seen and when can— cases. what else have you seen and when can we — cases. what else have you seen and when can we see the evidence? we when can we see the evid

a view from wales, cloudy from dawn until dusk. it's the cloud that's going to win out for friday and the weekend. high pressure, lots of settled weather to come, but trapped underneath this high pressure, plenty of cloud. now, where there will have been some clear spells overnight — parts of eastern scotland, northeast england — the east midlands and east anglia. some dense patches in places, perhaps affecting travel, and some may lingerfor much of the day in a few spots. you get the idea for the forecast, though, for friday with lots of cloud around. the cloud thick enough to produce a bit of drizzle here and there. breezy with it through the channel islands into parts of south west england, south wales. through here, though, there could be a few sunny spells, as there will be towards parts of scotland and again north east england. temperatures on a par with thursday, although just tending to go a little bit lower, and that's a trend that continues through the weekend. friday night into saturday morning, a lot of cloud around

he's willing to crop the dog's ears and send the pup to wales. when we ask, the breeder, flavian vargas, says he can also provide fraudulent passports. the price is £250. there's even a discount if we buy five or more. it's got all the vaccination stickers, a vet's stamp in all the right places, but otherwise, it's completely blank. dodgy pet passports aren't just useful for covering dodgy pet passports aren't just useful for covering up ear cropping. they can be used to bring in dogs that are legally too young to travel. we've got three puppies here, they're given a passport — sadly, the information in the passport is falsified, so they're declared to be older than they actually are, and the journeys they undertake are awful. you know, great lengths, in excess of 2a hours, often no food, very little water, no stops. there were actually four puppies in this group that were seized, and sadly one passed away. so, sometimes we do see that. paula says that tougher importation rules will only work if someone actually looks at the animals at the bor

a total ban on spectators at sporting and large events in wales from now on. but in scotland, the premier league have moved their winter break forward due to measures to limiting maximum capacity in stadiums there, much to the dismay of fans. across all hospitality venues, the rule of six is back in wales, as is social distancing. smaller tables mean smaller profits and two metres means fewer guests. the two metre rule obviously has a massive effect. new year's eve, we've got full capacity but with the two metre rule we've probably lost 20% of the capacity so we have had to phone a few people and unfortunately cancel people for new year's eve. while restrictions in northern ireland and its scottish pubs and restaurants come into force tomorrow, the stormont executive said they would keep the measures under review. whilst first minister nicola sturgeon told the public theirs would be in place for at least three weeks. meanwhile, her counterpart further south, mark drakeford, said rules will be reviewed frequently. his next three—weekly assessment is due at th

from boxing day. similar to that in wales from boxing dav it— similar to that in wales from boxing dav it will— similar to that in wales from boxing day. it will also mean that large—scale hogmanay celebrations including _ large—scale hogmanay celebrations including the planned one here in our capital— including the planned one here in our capital will not proceed and i know— our capital will not proceed and i know how— our capital will not proceed and i know how disappointing this will be for those _ know how disappointing this will be for those looking forward to these events _ for those looking forward to these events and for the organisers of them _ events and for the organisers of them but — events and for the organisers of them but i — events and for the organisers of them but i want to underline why we think this _ them but i want to underline why we think this difficult decision is necessary. we note that the much higher— necessary. we note that the much higher transmissibility of omicron means— higher transmissibility of omicron means large gatherings have

much rain for the eastern part of the uk, such an arriving but thickening cloud will bring rain across wales, the west midlands and eventually the north west of england later in the day. it is bringing with it, milder air all the while the temperatures reaching 16 or 17 celsius. hello this is bbc news with ben brown. the headlines: borisjohnson defends the government's decision not to impose further covid restrictions in england before the new year and says as many as 90% of those seriously ill haven't had a third vaccine dose. the overwhelming majority of people who are currently ending up in intensive care in our hospitals are people who are not boosted. but the scottish parliament is being recalled to address the record numbers of covid infections in the country. high demand for covid pcr tests leaves people waiting for days and pharmacists warn of patchy supplies of rapid testing kits following changes to self—isolation rules. we don't know when these are going to be available, so it's very difficult to plan and let our patients and other people know in terms of when to come back and w

it's very interesting that scotland, wales— it's very interesting that scotland, wales or— it's very interesting that scotland, wales or northern ireland have imposed — wales or northern ireland have imposed stronger restrictions. it is quite _ imposed stronger restrictions. it is quite possible that one set of government will be vindicated and the other— government will be vindicated and the other will be seen as having been _ the other will be seen as having been on — the other will be seen as having been on the wrong side. but i think the main _ been on the wrong side. but i think the main hope is that because of the vaccines. _ the main hope is that because of the vaccines, because of increased understanding of covid we are not going _ understanding of covid we are not going to _ understanding of covid we are not going to hopefully see the hospitalisation and death that we did during the first and second waves — did during the first and second waves. ., , ., ., did during the first and second waves. ., _ waves. rosamound, everybody's talkinu waves. rosamound, everybody's

he's willing to crop the dog's ears and send the pup to wales. when we ask, the breeder — flavian vargas — also says he can provide fraudulent pet passports. the price is £250. there's even a discount if we buy five or more. it's got all the vaccination stickers, a vet's stamp in all the right places but otherwise, it's completely blank. dodgy pet passports aren'tjust useful for covering up ear cropping. they can be used to bring in dogs that are legally too young to travel. we've got three puppies here that they've given a passport. sadly, the information in that passport is falsified, so they're declared to be older than they actually are. and the journeys they undertake are awful. you know, great lengths — certainly in excess of 2a hours, often no food, very little water, no stops. there were actually four puppies in this group that were seized, and sadly, one of them passed away. so sometimes we do see that. paula says that tougher importation rules will only work if someone actually looks at the animals at the border. currently, there

new coronavirus restrictions come into force in scotland, wales and northern ireland — to try to limit the spread of the omicron variant. now on bbc news, it's time for our world — which was filmed in november, in the week before barbados removed the queen as its head of state and became the world's newest republic. british—barbadian daniel henry returned to his ancestral home to find out what islanders make of the move. for nearly 400 years, the british royal family has reigned over barbados. but next week, the islands will replace queen elizabeth with a president. my family is british and barbadian. so they have some big questions about it all. change is good. you can't stay the same all the time. i don't accept it. a history of slavery and colonial rule mean some are keen to move on from the past. it was a feudal system. daniel, you must compose yourself. you look as if you are ready to cry. and now the politicians have had their say, i am here to ask barbadians what it means, and why now. some people would say, why should we have an allegiance to the uk when in our hour of need

at home in wales, it's been... i've been looked at as a bit of a clown, yeah? but the stammer. .. . . influences your. . .your behaviour. it... it makes you into a bit of an outcast in...in your own head, and it's always like... it's as if your heads in a fish tank. commentator: out there, phil pugh. - anger was a big thing, yeah. the frustration, you'd be laughed at. i hated myself because i wasn't like other people. i've only ever spoken about it with my wife. no—one else. why did you want to hide it? the embarrassment you feel... well, it's...it�*s a constant fight. it's as if you're not normal. you look back, you know, history, literature, it's the stuttering fool. caaaa. .. plenty of time. caaaaa. . .. caaaaa. .. the caaa.... oh, come on! sorry. i'm sorry. um... the actor sir michael palin plays the stammering ken pile in the 1980s hit film a fish called wanda. he knewjust what it was like. his father, ted, stammered all his life. cathcart towers hotel? cathcart towers hotel. john cleese, who wrote the film, approached me and said he was writing a heis

across south—west england, wales and also northern ireland. and here is where we are likely to see the highest temperatures. still cool, particularly so across the north east of scotland where we have got a north easterly colder wind. now, as we head into the evening and overnight, that band of rain continues to push northwards as it hits the cold air across the highlands and the grampians, we'll see some fresh snow above 300 metres, potentially as much as ten centimetres falling at that kind of height. at lower levels, there may well be some snow flurries. there is also the risk of ice here and also the chance of a frost. but push further south across the rest of the uk, it will be fairly cloudy, some patchy mist and fog forming as well. so first thing on christmas eve, we've got this decaying front producing some snow flurries, we'll see some of those in the northern isles as well, a lot of cloud around, limited brightness, and then this next weather front brings rain across northern ireland, wales and south—west england. and the wind star