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Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Friday morning. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/34WltSM

The display over London included tributes to NHS staff and figures including Captain Sir Tom Moore. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3aUzpRb

LONDON — Britain’s long and sometimes acrimonious divorce from the European Union ended Thursday with an economic split that leaves the EU smaller and the U.K. freer but more isolated in a turbulent world. Britain left the European bloc’s vast single market for people, goods and services at 11 p.m. London time, midnight in Brussels, completing the biggest single economic change the country has experienced since World War II. A different U.K.-EU trade deal will bring new restrictions and red tape, but for British Brexit supporters, it means reclaiming national independence from the EU and its web of rules. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose support for Brexit helped push the country out of the EU, called it “an amazing moment for this country.” “We have our freedom in our hands, and it is up to us to make the most of it,” he said in a New Year’s video message. The break comes 11 months after a political Brexit that left the two sides in the limbo of a “transition period...

This New Year’s Eve is being celebrated like no other in most of the world, with many bidding farewell to a year they’d prefer to forget. From the South Pacific to New York City, pandemic restrictions on open air gatherings saw people turning to made-for-TV fireworks displays or packing it in early since they could not toast the end of 2020 in the presence of friends or carousing strangers. As midnight rolled from Asia to the Middle East, Europe, Africa and the Americas, the New Year’s experience mirrored national responses to the virus itself. Some countries and cities canceled or scaled back their festivities, while others without active outbreaks carried on like any other year. Australia was among the first to ring in 2021. In past years, 1 million people crowded Sydney’s harbor to watch fireworks. This time, most watched on television as authorities urged residents to stay home to see the seven minutes of pyrotechnics that lit up the Sydney Harbor Bridge and its sur...

The Tails and Paws train features posters of dozens of animals in need of a new home. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3n3C90Q

A new president with an agenda that's already set - and an outgoing president who's not leaving quietly. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/34XrnmC

This year could be a "make or break" moment in the fight against global warming. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/382ZTOi

Europeans in the UK, and British people around Europe, explain what Brexit will mean for them. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3858jVm

It was a year to forget for the arts and entertainment. But let's see what you can remember. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3n3I06k

Anisa Subedar fell in love with a visiting cat. It wanted attention, so she gave it attention. Then it disappeared. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3hz667Y

Many Chinese-Australians fear a "new McCarthyism" as Australia's values are tested by its China row. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3hxtS48

A number of artists have paid tribute to the artist, real name Daniel Dumile. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3o8wVm2

Campaigners say cutting of the 5% VAT rate on tampons and sanitary towels ends a 'sexist' tax. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3o6x0Gz

The beleaguered web browser plug-in will no longer receive security updates from Adobe. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/34W9e8D

Nearly 180,000 retail jobs were last year, up by almost a quarter on the previous year, analysts say. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3baUO8X

The station will reflect on the world's longest-running serial drama across its output on Friday. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/351HtvH

CANBERRA, Australia — This New Year’s Eve is being celebrated like no other, with pandemic restrictions limiting crowds and many people bidding farewell to a year they’d prefer to forget. Australia will be among the first nations to ring in 2021 because of its proximity to the International Date Line. In past years 1 million people crowded Sydney’s harbor to watch fireworks that center on the Sydney Harbor Bridge. Authorities this year are advising revelers to watch on television. People are only allowed in downtown Sydney if they have a restaurant reservation or are one of five guests of an inner-city apartment resident. People won’t be allowed in the city center without a permit. Some haborside restaurants are charging up to 1,690 Australian dollars ($1,294) for a seat, Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported Wednesday. Sydney is Australia’s most populous city and has its most active community transmission of COVID-19 in recent weeks. Melbourne, Australia’s ...

As we enter 2021 it's time to predict what's going to happen. Aston Villa topping the Premier League? Scotland winning Euro 2020? from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3rFpdlt

Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg on the video assistant referee, social media and his tattoo collection. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/34Yw7bM

Samuel Little is thought to have killed 93 women, with his murders going undetected for decades. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3huyKHj

The Chinese influencer and environmentalist Wang Xiangjun was known for his love of glaciers. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3aVaVHf

The unrest in the St Pauls area of Bristol in 1980 was a defining moment for many black people in the city. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3pA08qb

BEIJING — China has given conditional approval to a coronavirus vaccine developed by state-owned Sinopharm. The vaccine is the first one approved for general use in China. Chen Shifei, the deputy commissioner of China’s National Medical Products Administration, said at a news conference Thursday that the decision had been made the previous night. The vaccine is an inactivated, two-dose vaccine from the Beijing Institute of Biological Products, a subsidiary of state-owned conglomerate Sinopharm. The company announced Wednesday that preliminary data from last-stage trials had shown it to be 79.3% effective. Sinopharm is one of at least five Chinese developers that are in a global race to create vaccines for the disease that has killed more than 1.8 million people. The Beijing Institute vaccine is already under mass production, though officials did not answer questions about current production capacity. “Production capacity is a dynamic and continuous process,” said Mao Junf...

More areas in England join the top restrictions tier as officials warn against holding parties. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/37Zq1cY

The first minister has warned: No gatherings, no house parties and no first footing as 2021 is welcomed in at home. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3pG43BF

The BBC looks at a selection of history's powerful protests and why only some achieved their goals. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3hsiHtE

Dawn Wells played Mary Ann on the 1960s sitcom about seven cruise ship castaways on a desert island. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/38TQKHo

Images that defined the year a pandemic dominated the nation. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3of7zmB

The BBC's global science correspondent Rebecca Morelle looks at what's coming up in the next year. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2WYfecY

Nicola and Jessica are encouraging women to get back in the pool to enjoy the freedom of swimming. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3hsiy9A

A 22-year-old became seriously ill with Covid while pregnant, but ultimately both mother and baby were saved. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/34WRCd8

Remembering some of the figures from music, film, TV, radio and literature who died in 2020. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3pGbLvV

Whether it's loss or joy or family rows, we asked couples therapists how to deal with Brexit. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2MaZCjV

The UK's hard-fought agreement with the EU is set to come into force at 23:00 GMT on Thursday. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/385HxfX

Channel Tunnel operator Getlink says there will not be congestion when new trading rules begin later. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3rE4ZIF

Labour's leader uses his New Year message to say the country can "rebuild" after Covid. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/34XgzF2

Almost 140 companies investigated between 2016-18 failed to pay £6.7 million to over 95,000 workers. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/38N7kZ9

The regulations relax the distinctions between commercial and recreational drone use. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/34Z8Fv3

Like other European countries, France will see muted celebrations to mark the last night of the year. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3pOtotB

The Milwaukee Bucks set an NBA record of 29 three-pointers in a game, while Orlando Magic make it four wins from four. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3pxIMdx

(LONDON) — Britain has authorized use of a second COVID-19 vaccine, becoming the first country to greenlight an easy-to-handle shot that its developers hope will become the “vaccine for the world.” The United Kingdom government says the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has made an emergency authorization for the vaccine developed by Oxford University and UK-based drugmaker AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot said “today is an important day for millions of people in the U.K. who will get access to this new vaccine. It has been shown to be effective, well-tolerated, simple to administer and is supplied by AstraZeneca at no profit. He added: “We would like to thank our many colleagues at AstraZeneca, Oxford University, the UK government and the tens of thousands of clinical trial participants.”

The UK approves its second vaccine, which will lead to a massive expansion in the immunisation campaign. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2MdEwkV

Euro 2020, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, a Lions tour, a Rugby League World Cup in England and the Hundred are just some of the highlights of a busy sporting year. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3n0n1l1

Health bosses seek extra help from the government amid a "significant growing demand" on services. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2L2Gwfw

The death of the 12-year-old boy, who had been holding a toy gun, led to widespread protests. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3nYA6g1

The Australian city is battling a worsening outbreak after months of next to no cases. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2Jx0kXW

The study by Chinese officials suggests there were more positive cases in Wuhan than official figures suggest. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/34WKEoa

China sentenced Hong Kong activists detained on the mainland to up to three years in jail after a dozen attempted to flee the city by speedboat, defying international calls for their release. China sentenced Tang Kai-yin to three years and Quinn Moon to two years for organizing an illegal border crossing, the Yantian District People’s Court in Shenzhen said in a statement on Wednesday. Eight other people who participated in the attempt were handed lighter terms of seven months, it said. Shenzhen police said the two other, minor members of the group had been deported, without giving further details. Their Hong Kong counterparts were scheduled to hold a briefing at 12 p.m. local time on the turnover of two suspects from China. The group of 12 Hong Kong activists were captured in August by coast guard authorities from China’s Guangdong province as they attempted to flee to the democratic island of Taiwan. Their ages range from 16 to 33 and include 11 men and one woman. One per...

(LOS ANGELES) — The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have dropped their first podcast. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and guests from Elton John to their son, Archie, appear on the royal couple’s first audio release Tuesday for Spotify, a 34-minute special featuring reflections on 2020. The couple who stepped down from their royal duties in spring invited friends and people they admire to record audio diaries that were excerpted for the show. “It’s been a year, and we really we want to honor the compassion and kindness that has helped so many people get through it,” the Duke of Sussex says to introduce the podcast. “And, at the same time, to honor those who’ve experienced uncertainty and unthinkable loss,” the Duchess of Sussex adds. John, 73, was among the many musical artists who was in the middle of a tour when the pandemic struck. “All of the sudden we ground to a halt,” he says in his audio diary. Other contributors include tennis player Naomi Osaka, who won the U.S. O...

Ali and Ahmed helped British forces but now they live in fear of being killed by death squads. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/37XM9Va

The health secretary is expected to tell MPs more areas of England will enter tier four as cases surge. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3pzPWxT

Then-prime minister Harold Wilson knew about plans between the Foreign Office and the Sunday Times. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/37VJ2x2

Newly released historical files show the comedian impersonated the then-PM in phone calls with Tory MPs. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3px3hqL

A selection of some of the best images taken by agency photographers during the past year. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2KLPM7R

Little Angel Theatre's performance is designed for young patients to enjoy from their hospital beds. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/390cIbN

Faced by a government crackdown, demonstrations over the disputed August election have been forced to evolve. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/38Ir68h

Eight lessons from our CEO Secrets series looking at start-ups created during the Covid-19 pandemic. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3aTTDuq

The patterns, prints, materials and accessories we're likely to be wearing this year. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/34Qh5ok

Ali and Ahmed helped British forces but now they live in fear of being killed by death squads. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/34WfxZZ

Vincent Ni reflects on the long life of his grandfather and a crucial choice he made as a young man. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/37UEyql

Across the world, people in quarantine facilities were treated to some weird and wonderful combinations. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2KOthPJ

The US president-elect calls for vaccinations to be ramped up as he warns of a "tough period" ahead. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3rCXamt

Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Tuesday morning. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3rBUqGg

NBA Champions LA Lakers lose for the second time in four matches as Damian Lillard inspires the Portland Trail Blazers. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/38GcYw9

The gathering of hundreds of young revellers on Christmas has prompted calls for deportations. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2KC0EVY

A Japanese forestry firm has partnered with Kyoto University in what would be a world first. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3nReSR3

India beat Australia by eight wickets and with a day to spare in the second Test in Melbourne to level the four-match series. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2KJFSn5

India suspended all UK flights last week in response to the new more transmissible variant. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2MhoW87

They came bearing orange banners, scarves and crates of Tsingtao beer: 4,000 diehard soccer fans swarmed Wuhan Railway station on Nov. 22 looking for train G1718 to Suzhou—and a helping hand from the Fates. Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province in central China, is globally infamous as the place where the coronavirus was first detected last December—a discovery that prompted the unprecedented, 76-day, enforced quarantine of its 11 million inhabitants. But before the pandemic, this city straddling the Yangtze River was famed for several prestigious universities as well as some of China’s most boisterous soccer fanatics. After lockdown measures were lifted, those fans came out in force to support the Wuhan Zall soccer team as the club sought to avoid relegation from China’s apex Super League. To do that, Wuhan Zall needed to beat rivals Zhejiang Greentown in the Olympic Stadium at Suzhou, a comparable sized city about 600 kilometers away in Jiangsu province. Read more: Wu...

Brussels wants to make it easier for European companies operating in a number of Chinese industries. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3hmamaQ

A video of Natasha Jenkins' emotional return to her children from hospital was viewed worldwide. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/34RZpsy

The chamber backs President Trump's call for $2,000 payments but the move could stall in the Senate.™ from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/38HIAl9

BEIJING — A Chinese court on Monday sentenced a former lawyer who reported on the early stage of the coronavirus outbreak to four years in prison on charges of “picking fights and provoking trouble,” one of her lawyers said. The Pudong New Area People’s Court in the financial hub of Shanghai gave the sentence to Zhang Zhan following accusations she spread false information, gave interviews to foreign media, disrupted public order and “maliciously manipulated” the outbreak. Lawyer Zhang Keke confirmed the sentence but said it was “inconvenient” to provide details — usually an indication that the court has issued a partial gag order. He said the court did not ask Zhang whether she would appeal, nor did she indicate whether she would. Zhang, 37, traveled to Wuhan in February and posted on various social media platforms about the outbreak that is believed to have emerged in the central Chinese city late last year. She was arrested in May amid tough nationwide measures aime...

Members of the armed forces will help organise Covid-19 testing for thousands of students next month. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2WV6qEk

Vaccination will not be mandatory, officials say, and the register will not be made public. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3mV7lj0

But Sir Simon Stevens says he expects all the UK's most vulnerable to be offered a vaccine by late spring. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/34QSHTL

Child health leaders say the increase is partly down to the pandemic's impact on young people. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3rCctvK

There was stunning cosmic imagery to feast on over the past year - here's our pick of the offerings. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/37RGxf8

Which BBC Business stories were the most widely read in the year the coronavirus pandemic spread? from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/34O82V6

LONDON — First came the Brexit trade deal. Now comes the red tape and the institutional nitty gritty. Four days after sealing a free trade agreement with the European Union, the British government warned businesses Monday to get ready for disruptions and “bumpy moments” when the new rules take effect on Thursday night. Firms are scrambling to digest the details and implications of the 1,240-page deal sealed by the EU and the U.K. on Christmas Eve, just a week before the year-end deadline. Ambassadors from the 27 EU nations, meanwhile, gave their unanimous approval to the deal on Monday. “Green light,” said German spokesman Sebastian Fischer, whose country currently holds the EU presidency.. The approval had been expected, since all EU leaders have warmly welcomed the deal, which is designed to put post-Brexit relations between the bloc and former member Britain on reliable footing. The agreement has not, however, eliminated the mistrust that festered between Britain ...

Vicky tells the BBC how, like many others, her world suddenly changed when London went into lockdown. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/38LHtAQ

After a year that saw tech companies prosper, we look ahead to what the coming 12 months could bring. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/34Qgcfk

The teenage climate activist and veteran author and environmentalist were brought together by Radio 4's Today Programme. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3mTqPVa

Reports suggest one-in-five prisoners have tested positive for Covid in the US, and 1,700 have died. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3ryEFQj

From animal interruptions to catching fire, here's a look back at the year we spent (badly) online. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3aPE3ja

People in Staffordshire are urged to only drive if their journeys are essential. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/38J8W6a

Johnny Mullagh was one of the stars of the first Australian cricket tour of England in 1868. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3mPCh3T

Police believe the incident in front of a telecommunications office was likely a suicide bombing. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2WMsUYm

Covid restrictions mean ringing in the new year will be a quieter affair for most. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/37Tdmsf

More than 200 Britons flee Verbier, defying a Swiss order to remain in their hotels and chalets. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2MeFrSn

Alibaba Group Holding led a second day of frenetic selling among China’s largest tech firms, driven by fears that antitrust scrutiny will spread beyond Jack Ma’s internet empire and engulf the country’s most powerful corporations. Alibaba and its three largest rivals — Tencent Holdings, food delivery giant Meituan and JD.com — have shed nearly $200 billion over two sessions since Thursday, when regulators revealed an investigation into alleged monopolistic practices at Ma’s signature company. That marked the formal start of the Communist Party’s crackdown on not just Alibaba but also, potentially, the wider and increasingly influential tech sphere. On Sunday, the central bank ordered Ma’s other online titan — Ant Group Co. — to return to its roots as a payments service and overhaul adjacent businesses from insurance to money management, spurring talk of an eventual breakup. Once hailed as the standard-bearers of China’s economic and technological ascendancy, Alibaba and...

Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Monday morning. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3pu2qac

Zhang Zhan, who reported on China's first coronavirus outbreak, has received a four year sentence. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3nTvKqv

Dr Mahinder Watsa was 80 when he started his hugely popular column, answering people’s queries on sex. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3mUgTL4

Rising demand is down to the "rapid spread" of the new variant of Covid-19, health bosses say. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/38GHKoG

Ministers warn of "practical and procedural changes" when the Brexit transition period ends this week. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/37U4bYm

But intensive care consultant Bethan Gibson says the vaccine is a "light" at the end of the tunnel. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2WR8xZT

The fast food chain said many people thought the built-in warmer was a spoof but is ready for production. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3htscbV

Lin Qi, 39, was the founder of Yoozoo which developed a popular Game of Thrones online game. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/37S33o8

Conductor Gustavo Dudamel believes music can lead the way and wants to inspire young people. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3rvzXCT

The measure restores unemployment benefits and averts a partial US government shutdown.™ from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3hlHD5X

From fear to freedom, we trace China's tumultous year battling the coronavirus. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2L0sfja

A selection of the most compelling news photographs from around the UK. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2Jr5eFS

Celebrities spread Covid conspiracies and video games were shared as ‘real’ war footage. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2WS6uEQ

Despite the many challenges, Rula in Istanbul believes 2020 will benefit us in the future. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2WRi8jz

Evelyn Forde was crowned Headteacher of the Year, the 'Oscars' of education. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2MdBBJ9

Dorothy Bonarjee was Indian by birth, English by upbringing, French by marriage - and Welsh at heart. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3hnzpu0

A snapshot of some of the many books for next year from established, debut and non-fiction writers. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3mSmEsK

Officers say they were heading to a report of a domestic disturbance when the boy, 15, was struck. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2Mcwf0P

Hannah George's mum creates a replica of a jumper knitted by her daughter's gran 30 years ago. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3rwXLGA

Relations between the four UK nations were closer under Theresa May, Wales' first minister says. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3mRuXVB

A dog paused a football game for three minutes, as it ran around with a football boot in its mouth. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3aJOSTT

The crowd-surfing hedonistic punk has gone from Britpop party animal to promising painter. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2KGKvhV

Kay White started working at Claverley Post Office in Shropshire at the age of 14. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2KZcRna

The health board running Wales' largest hospital issues an appeal for help with Covid patients. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/3nRt3p7

Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Sunday morning. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/34JPCVa

Irish government papers from 1990 suggest some IRA bosses did not share the party's socialist views. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2WQbBp8

Some member states jump the gun before Sunday's co-ordinated rollout of a coronavirus jab. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/37PalsI

At least 10 climbers are killed and seven others are missing in the Alborz mountains near Tehran. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2KUHz10