Hello and welcome to the programme. The rIchest person on earth has decIded that earth Itself Is not enough. EarlIer Todayjezz Bezos blasted Into space, accompanIed by both the oldest and youngest ever astronauts. The Amazon Founder was launched from the Texan Desert on a rocket developed by hIs own fIrm, Blue OrIgIn. The craft travelled at nearly three tImes the speed of sound, reachIng a heIght of nearly A Hundred kIlometres above the Planet On a flIght that lasted lIttle over ten mInutes. The bbc s SophIe Long begIns our coverage. BoardIng hIs 60 foot suborbItal rocket. He was not nervous, he saId, just excIted. ThIs was notjust about realIsIng a lIfelong dream, but expandIng hIs ever growIng empIre beyond the grIp of gravIty. WIth hIm on thIs fIrst fully autonomous flIght, three other cIvIlIans. HIs brother, mark, 18 year Old Dutch student olIver daemen, and 82 year old traIlblazIng avIator wally funk. One of mercury 13, a group of women who went through astral TestIng And TraInIng
hello and welcome if you re watching in the uk or around the world. europe is preparing for a third wave of coronavirus amid a surge in new cases and a shortage of vaccines that can reduce the spread of the disease. france has introduced a partial lockdown with 21 million people in 16 areas, including paris, among those affected. in poland, non essential shops, hotels, cultural and sporting facilities are also closed for three weeks as the country has seen the highest new daily cases since november. germany s chancellor, angela merkel, has also said the country is at risk of having to re impose lockdown measures as it copes with an exponential rise in coronavirus cases. and following a temporary suspension of oxford astrazeneca vaccines in ireland, the country has decided to resume administering the jab this weekend. this report from simonjones contains flashing images. facing contains flashing images. a third wave fuelled by a faltering facing a third wave fuelled by a
welcome, and thanks so much forjoining me today. borisjohnson launched a new foreign policy direction, global britain the integrated review this week. it was driven by professorjohn bew, a historian known across the political landscape here and author of a much read biography of labour s post war prime minister, clement attlee. seen in that light, the focus on nato, a renewed comittment to nuclear and a tilt to the indo pacific, with more interest in space, cyber and technology are perhaps unsurprising. politically, can global britain be made to chime with the government s other key mantra of levelling up? and what about china friend orfoe, or both? isobel, are we already in a sort of new cold war? well, we certainly have elements of a cold war, but unlike the original cold war we are dealing with not the soviet union, but a country that has the second biggest economy in the world and is a huge trading partner, so it s more complicated than that. but we are in a systemic
hello and welcome if you re watching in the uk or around the world. our top story the tokyo 2020 olympic organising committee has said that international spectators will not be allowed to enterjapan during the olympic games which are scheduled for this summer. the decision will ensure the four yearly spectacle will be a largely televised event this year. olympic and paralympic tickets purchased by overseas residents will be refunded, it said in a statement. speculation about the ban had been rife for weeks, as organisers grappled with how to make the games safe during the coronavirus pandemic. our sports correspondent alex capstick has more on this. alex, it was predicted because there has been so many questions about whether these games would be held at all. , ., , whether these games would be held at all. , . , , whether these games would be held at all. , , all. this has been well signposted for a few weeks. all. this has been well signposted for a few weeks. there a
in france and poland. organisers of this summer s tokyo olympics and paralympics say no international fans will be allowed because of concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. reaching a milestone as borisjohnson gets his jab, the government announce half of all adults in the uk have been vaccinated. hot lava lights up the night sky as a volcano erupts near the icelandic capital, reykjavic. learning languages in lockdown the boom in the number of people learning welsh notjust in the uk, but around the world the former leeds and scotland footballer, peter lorimer, has died at the age of 7a after a long illness. now on bbc news, click investigates how crooks have used the pandemic to con people. this week beating the covid scammers. and anyone for robot tennis? welcome to click. i would like to share with you some personaljoy, if i may. i was getting ready to film the programme this morning when i got the best text message that i think i ve received in years, inviting me to