hello and welcome to bbc news. the uk has again recorded its highest number of daily coronavirus cases since the pandemic began with more than 120,000 new infections. european countries have also reported record numbers of cases with italy, greece and spain introducing mandatory face coverings outdoors. 0fficial findings that 0micron may be less likely to result in serious illness than delta offer a "glimmer of christmas hope", according to the head of britain's health security agency, but there are warnings that much is still unknown about 0micron. here's our health editor hugh pym. london is the epicentre of the surge, and new figures suggest that one in 20 people in the city now have the virus — either the 0micron or delta variants. the data comes from the office for national statistics, which tests people from tens of thousands of households, picking up those who don't have symptoms. its latest survey points to a faster spread around the uk. well, we are seeing a really quick increase in prevalence right across the country and across all ages. significantly, for the very first time, all of the numbers are, at the moment, very, very small in the over 70s. this chart shows how rapidly infections in the uk were rising as measured by the 0ns at the end of last week and into the weekend — to more than 1.7 million people with the virus. there were differences around the uk, though. in england, it was one in 35 people. in northern ireland, one in a0. in wales, one in a5. in scotland, it was one in 65 people with the virus. 0micron cases are rising rapidly but it's less likely than delta to put people in hospital, according to new research, and officials say that's reassuring. there is a glimmer of christmas hope in the findings that we published yesterday but it definitely isn't yet at the point where we could downgrade that serious threat. i think the findings have showed on some very, very preliminary analysis and very small numbers — which i want to reinforce — that individuals compared to delta are around 30—a5% less likely to attend a&e. but it's finely balanced. if there are a lot more 0micron cases, that will still make some people ill enough for hospital treatment, as well as increasing staff sickness, adding to the already considerable pressure on the nhs. there is the increase in absence rates, the queueing at hospital, the hearing our control staff call out for any ambulances that are available, and there just aren't any left, that is taking its toll on frontline staff. while ministers work out what further steps to take, efforts are being made to get the booster programme into the heart of the local communities, here in an asian restaurant in bradford. we are creating access where our communities are, so a restaurant is the best place for the time of year to come and bring the vaccines to make it as easy and as accessible as we can. boosters will be available on christmas day and boxing day in england, though not in the rest of the uk. and in basingstoke today, there was no shortage of takers for a christmas eve jab. it's an interesting one, but i want to get it done because i want to see family. it's just easy peasy — it's around the corner. yeah, it was good, yeah. it made sense to do it, so i did my bit for the community and everybody else. but as people enjoy christmas attractions, the prospects for new year and beyond remain highly uncertain. hugh pym, bbc news. more than 2,000 flights have been cancelled across the world as people try to complete last minute journeys to spend christmas with friends and families. some major airlines have blamed the cancellations on the pandemic. china and the us are the worst—affected countries. azadeh moshiri reports. which one would you like? festivities may be going ahead this year but millions are still having difficulty reaching their families. still having difficulty reaching theirfamilies. with reaching their families. with the reaching theirfamilies. with the 0micron variants urging quickly around the world, it's causing chaos within airlines. with crews testing positive or needing to isolate. in the us, united airlines and delta air lines already cancelled hundreds of christmas eve flights. and warned of more cancellations throughout the weekend. the flight tracking firm flatware has said more than 2000 christmas eve flights have been cancelled globally, explaining the decision, united airlines said: —— flightaware. and delta airlines warned: in the us, daily 0micron cases have risen beyond the peak of the delta wave and hospitals are quickly filling up. despite this, many are still taking the risk to reach their loved ones. i'm very scared to be flying, to be honest. i'm glad to see everyone looks pretty masked up. i hope people on the plane are as respectful of those around them.— are as respectful of those around them. , . u ., around them. fully vaccinated and boosted _ around them. fully vaccinated and boosted and _ around them. fully vaccinated and boosted and all _ around them. fully vaccinated and boosted and all of - around them. fully vaccinated and boosted and all of that . around them. fully vaccinated | and boosted and all of that and i said _ and boosted and all of that and i said i— and boosted and all of that and i said i am _ and boosted and all of that and i said i am so glad to be back with— i said i am so glad to be back with people, doing what we do. i am _ with people, doing what we do. i am still— with people, doing what we do. i am still worried about the very— i am still worried about the very but_ i am still worried about the very but at the same time i am 'ust very but at the same time i am just like — very but at the same time i am just like you know what? what -et just like you know what? what get back— just like you know what? what get back to living our lives a bit — get back to living our lives a bit. �* , ., ., bit. airlines are now calling for reduced _ bit. airlines are now calling for reduced quarantine - bit. airlines are now calling for reduced quarantine for. for reduced quarantine for vaccinated staff with delta ceo's asking for those experiencing breakthrough infections to isolate ten days instead of five. but in the meantime, many will still be struggling to make it home for the holidays. azadeh moshiri, bbc news. we can speak now to dr peter hotez, who's an infectious disease expert at baylor college of medicine. thousands of flights cancelled and it shows just how fast the 0micron variant is spreading. yeah, absolutely. 0ne 0micron variant is spreading. yeah, absolutely. one of the interesting things about this wave compared to alpha and delta is that we had a 4— six week lag before the uk surge with alpha and delta before it hit the us so we had an opportunity to learn from the united kingdom on how and what we might expect and we don't have that luxury right now, this came up so fast, and is causing pretty widespread social disruption from the standpoint that so many of the workers in various businesses of course, including the airlines, i getting sick now with breakthrough hovea, meaning they have had two or three immunisations and yet are still getting breakthrough infections so it's knocking out a lot of the work force —— covid. even though we don't really have a lockdown as we would call it effectively, it is almost acting like that because it is hard for businesses to operate. and of course our biggest concern right now among healthcare workers so we the i—to punch when our hospitalisations are starting to increase in our major urban areas in the north, such as new york city and washington dc and the new jersey —— i—2 punch. so much of the workforce is getting knocked out not so much is getting sick enough to be in hospital about homesick with breakthrough covid and that's really causing a lot of issues in terms of how do we navigate that and how we keep the workforce in place.- that and how we keep the workforce in place. you say there is _ workforce in place. you say there is not _ workforce in place. you say there is not a _ workforce in place. you say there is not a technical- there is not a technical lockdown. do you think they should be more restrictions put in place at this point in time? you know, it's been very tough, especially from the far right and he in the republican party which vigorously opposes any sort of slowing lockdown measures —— here in. it's going to be difficult to implement, especially in places like here in texas so i don't see it happening, so it will be a matter of how we navigate the next few weeks and with the hope that maybe this will not be a long lasting wave.- be a long lasting wave. what does the vaccine _ be a long lasting wave. what does the vaccine take-up, i be a long lasting wave. what i does the vaccine take-up, what does the vaccine take—up, what is it like in texas and the us and what kind of partners that play on it? we and what kind of partners that play on it?— play on it? we have a lot of regionalisation _ play on it? we have a lot of regionalisation so - play on it? we have a lot of regionalisation so it's - play on it? we have a lot of regionalisation so it's quite| regionalisation so it's quite high in the north—east most people are all in on vaccines and are committed to getting all three immunisations. but here in texas, about half the state is vaccinated. the vast majority have only two immunisations which creates a lot of vulnerability here in texas so i'm quite worried about big surges on our hospitals because we've had that experience in the past, especially in the panhandle part of texas, the more conservative areas of texas where people are openly defiant on getting vaccinated and vaccination rates only 30— 40% so hoping for the best but it could be a very rough time. the hope, as you have pointed out, is that the severity of this illness is not as great as previous lineages but it's from my standpoint, it's still a soft call because your wave, of course, your 0micron rave dovetailed onto the delta wave so perhaps the reason for the appearance of the severity was because so many of your "infections were in fact reinfection following delta —— 0micron wave. i'm not sure we have that same situation so we'll have to see how it pans out —— reinfections. but i am extremely worried. out -- reinfections. but i am extremely worried.— extremely worried. worrying times of course _ extremely worried. worrying times of course especially i extremely worried. worrying j times of course especially as an infectious disease expert as you are but i hope you at least have a chance to enjoy christmas. have a chance to en'oy christmasi have a chance to en'oy christmas. ., ~ , ., . christmas. thank you so much. you tom _ christmas. thank you so much. you too. indeed, _ christmas. thank you so much. you too. indeed, dr— christmas. thank you so much. you too. indeed, dr peter- christmas. thank you so much. | you too. indeed, dr peter hotez life must in _ you too. indeed, dr peter hotez life must in houston, _ you too. indeed, dr peter hotez life must in houston, texas. --| life must in houston, texas. —— live. let's get some of the day's other news. the un says 3 million people are in need of assistance in the philippines — among them, around a million children. it comes after typhoon rai devastated the country's south—eastern islands. many have lost everything and are heading into christmas unsure if they'll be able to feed their families. 11 people are now known to have died when a boat carrying migrants sank off a greek island in the early hours of friday morning. another 90 people have been rescued from the island of antikythera. a search and rescue operation is still continuing. two leading american tech firms — meta, which was formerly known as facebook, and google — have received huge fines by a court in moscow for repeatedly failing to delete content russia deems illegal. google was fined $98 million, meta was fined $27 million. meta has yet to respond. google says it will study the ruling before deciding on any future action. christmas celebrations have taken place in bethlehem, including an annual procession led by the head of the roman catholic church in the region. the events culminated in a mass at the church of the nativity, built on the spot where it's believed thatjesus was born. 0ur middle east correspondent tom bateman reports. in manger square, they wait for the biggest night of the year — a christmas procession follows the route believed to have been taken by mary and joseph. it's a march of faith. but this season's greetings are mainly between the locals. the scout bands are a fixture of christmas in manger square and you can feel the energy. but what is missing are the international visitors and pilgrims that would usually be thronging the square here, and that is a devastating blow for the second year running because bethlehem needs tourism to keep surviving. the glimmers of tourism restarting last month have gone , derailed by border closures due to the new covid variant. people trying to find joy and happiness from nothing. so it's very interesting, very impressive. since the beginning of 2020, everything is closed, hotels are empty. it's very, very difficult - for people — especially those who are working i in tourism sector. they are selling somej of the land to houses. the characters of christmas come to life. in this olive wood factory, ibrahim is the only worker here today. normally, he'd be joined by four more. for palestinian christians in this part of the west bank, life has been a challenge, says nabeel, whose family has run the shop for decades. we could keep our workers till the moment, but i don't know. you know, it's hard. i have two shops — one is here. the one on the manger square, it's been like 2a months, zero income. it's sad — it's not normal to see bethlehem this way. but at christmas, there's always light to look up to. as this town celebrates, it remains a year of hope against the odds. merry christmas! tom bateman, bbc news, bethlehem. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: a rocket carrying the most powerful telescope ever to go into space is due to blast off later. we'll speak to one of the scientists involved live at the launch site in french guiana. the world of music's been paying tribute to george michael, who's died from suspected heart failure at the age of 53. he sold well over 100 million albums in a career spanning more than three decades. the united states' troops have been trying to overthrow the dictatorship of general manuel noriega. the pentagon said it's failed in its principle objective to capture noriega and take him to the united states to face drugs charges. the hammer and sickle| was hastily taken away. m its place. — the russian flag was hoisted over what is now— no longer the soviet union, but the commonwealth of independent states. | day broke slowly over lockerbie, over the cockpit of pan am's maid of the seas, nosedown in the soft earth. you could see what happens when a plane eight storeys high, a football pitch wide falls from 30,000 feet. christmas has returned to albania after a communist ban lasting more than 20 years. thousands went to midnight mass in the town of shkoder where there were anti—communist riots ten days ago. this is bbc news. the latest headlines: new records for covid in the uk. the highest number of daily cases since the pandemic began. millions around the world face travel disruption over christmas, as the surge in 0micron cases sees more than 4,000 flights cancelled globally due to staff shortages. the final preparations are under way for the rescheduled launch of a space telescope that could transform our understanding of the universe. the rocket carrying the james webb space telescope will take off from french guiana later on saturday. it's the successor to the hubble space telescope — and it will give us a much deeper understanding of our universe and how it came about. 0ur science editor rebecca morelle reports. it's taken 30 years to develop, cost more than $10 billion and has involved thousands of scientists. now the james webb space telescope is finally ready to launch to begin the most ambitious astronomy mission ever attempted. this telescope is absolutely the biggest and most complex and most powerful telescope that we've ever attempted to send to space. all of us astronomers are extremely eager to get this telescope into space. but i think it's going to work and i think it's going to, again, just completely revolutionise how we understand the cosmos. the telescope is a successor to hubble, which has given us amazing images. butjames webb is much more powerful. its mirror is almost three times bigger, which means it can reveal parts of the cosmos we've never seen before. gazing up into the heavens can help us to answer some of the biggest questions like where we come from and how did we get here? this space telescope will help us to look further back in time than ever before to 13 and a half billion years ago, revealing the light from the very first stars to shine. the final preparations have been under way. it's an incredibly tight fit, as the rocket is tentatively lowered over the folded telescope. this is high stakes science, but if it works, it could lead to discoveries that scientists haven't even dreamt of. rebecca morrell, bbc news. let's cross to the launch site in french guiana now and speak to dr sarah kendrew, who's an astronomer with the european space agency, and is based at the space telescope science institute in baltimore. a very special christmas day, surely, for you and your colleagues. just how excited are you? colleagues. just how excited are ou? , , ., are you? yes, it has been a very interesting _ are you? yes, it has been a very interesting christmas. | are you? yes, it has been a i very interesting christmas. we are all very excited. a small team of us here from the european space agency in french guiana went for a very quiet, low—key christmas eve dinner. we're all trying to an early night now because we're going to be up and early tomorrow to get ready for the launch. if all goes according to plan, what will this telescope allow us to do in the future that others, including the hubble, haven't? 50 others, including the hubble, haven't? , , haven't? so it is giving us really crucial _ haven't? so it is giving us really crucial coverage - haven't? so it is giving us really crucial coverage in l really crucial coverage in infrared light, which is something that the hubble space telescope was much more focused on visible light. and infrared coverage is really a key to letting us probe back further into the history of the universe. so really giving us a view of those very first kind of generation of stars and galaxies that formed after the big bang. also other things like around exoplanets, so planets around other stars in the galaxy. it's going to tell us about the chemistry and the conditions on those other planetary systems and really kind of help us understand how the building blocks of life may have formed. it the building blocks of life may have formed.— have formed. it has been 30 ears in have formed. it has been 30 years in the _ have formed. it has been 30 years in the making - have formed. it has been 30 years in the making and - have formed. it has been 30 j years in the making and cost billions of dollars, just why has it taken so long? it’s billions of dollars, just why has it taken so long? it's an incredibly — has it taken so long? it's an incredibly ambitious - has it taken so long? it's an| incredibly ambitious project. there is a lot of technical complexity. it is also a huge project, as we heard just before, there have been thousands of people who have worked on this project over the lifetime of the developments. you know, it's taken a long time, it has been a long road, but, really, considering the scale and the ambition of the project i think that's not surprising and it's, with the number of technical challenges that we have had with the mission, it's been really important to address them carefully, to take our time, and do not rush things. it is and do not rush things. it is an incredibly _ and do not rush things. it is an incredibly expensive piece of kit, you don't want to get it wrong at the last minute. compared to other projects, what has it been like working on this one for you?- on this one for you? yes, nothing _ on this one for you? yes, nothing compared - on this one for you? yes, nothing compared to - on this one for you? yes, | nothing compared to other projects worked on it's definitely that next level of ambition and that next level of scale. there are so many different subsystems to the observatory. iwork personally on one of the four sides instruments on board, but every aspect of the observatory touches on so many other different systems, all the instruments work together, work together with the telescope, the spacecraft, everything is sort of that next level of challenge and complexity. so that's definitely been, you know, an incredible experience to be able to work on that for many years. it to be able to work on that for many yew-— many years. it is definitely auoin many years. it is definitely going to — many years. it is definitely going to be _ many years. it is definitely going to be a _ many years. it is definitely going to be a christmas i many years. it is definitely l going to be a christmas day many years. it is definitely - going to be a christmas day you will never forget, going to be a christmas day you will neverforget, and i'm sure many other people as well, fingers crossed it all goes well. it is only a couple of hours until the launch. dr sarah kendrew their live from french guiana. thank you so much indeed and best of luck for tomorrow.— much indeed and best of luck for tomorrow. thank you. happy christmas- _ the queen is expected to give a very personal christmas message later. her first since the death of her husband, prince philip. she'll speak beside a framed photograph of the couple taken during their diamond wedding anniversary in 2007 and she'll wear the same sapphire brooch that she wore on her honeymoon. there are some flashing images in this report from our royal correspondent, nicholas witchell. rehearsing at windsor for their part in the queen's christmas broadcast, the central band of the royal british legion will play the national anthem which begins the broadcast. this year's christmas message — a still from which has been issued by buckingham palace — will be an unusually personal one. the queen is wearing a brooch which she wore on her honeymoon, and on the desk beside her, a photograph of her and prince philip taken in 2007, when they celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary. it's eight months now since philip's death. so far, the queen has not spoken publicly in any detail about how much he meant to her. her broadcast will be an opportunity for her to do so. within the royal family, mindful that this will be the queen's first christmas without her husband, arrangements have been adjusted so that she won't be alone. the prince of wales and the duchess of cornwall will be with her at windsor, other members of the family, the wessexes and the gloucesters, will also be there. absent, of course will be the duke and duchess of sussex. from their home in california, they've issued this photograph wishing their supporters happy holidays. it shows harry and meghan with their son, archie, and their daughter, lilibet, pictured for the first time. and so, at the end of a year touched by personal sadness, and some family tensions, thoughts will start to look ahead to next year and the celebrations to mark the queen's 70 years on the throne. uppermost in the minds of the palace planners, of course, will be the question of the queen's health. it's always a sensitive matter. it has particular significance after the recent concerns, and given that next year is the year of her platinumjubilee. the queen will certainly want to be involved in thejubilee as fully as possible, and there will be another event of special significance to her — a service of thanksgiving for the life of the duke of edinburgh, which, it has been announced, will take place at westminster abbey in the spring. nicholas witchell, bbc news. to the vatican, where the pope has been holding the traditional catholic christmas eve mass. the head of the catholic church urged vatican cardinals and bishops to embrace humility this christmas season, saying their pride, self—interest and the "glitter of our armor" was perverting their spiritual lives and corrupting the church's mission. here's a taste of events at taking place there. singing. the duchess of cambridge has performed at her own christmas carol event, taking to the piano at a special service from westminster abbey broadcast on christmas eve in the uk. the duchess hosted the carol service as a thank you to people who supported their communities during the pandemic. she accompanied tom walker on the piano during a performance of for those who can't be here. the singer described kate as an amazing musician and said the pair got together for top—secret rehearsals in a recording studio ahead of the concert. and a court in los angeles has ordered daniel sturridge to pay $30,000 to a man who found his stolen dog in 2019. the former liverpool player had offered a reward for whoever helped to reunite him with his pomeranian, but failed to pay out. he was taken to court by foster washington, who said he felt let down. a caller has sprung to us presidentjoe biden by dropping and anti— joe biden by dropping and anti— joe biden taunt into their chance at a us christmas event. i hope you have _ at a us christmas event. i hope you have a _ at a us christmas event. i hope you have a wonderful— at a us christmas event. i hope you have a wonderful christmas as well, and let's go, brandon. mr biden and first ladyjill biden while hosting the first of call when he said "let's go, brandon." it is code for an insult directed at mr biden. that is about it from me for now. stay tuned to bbc news. i will see you soon. hello there. merry christmas to you. some of us will see some snow during this christmas period, mainly across the hills of the northern half of the uk. further south, it'll tend to be milder, so any precipitation will be rain. and we've got areas of low pressure pushing into the south—west, and they're weather fronts bringing outbreaks of rain. as these weather fronts slowly push north—eastwards into that stubborn area of colder air which is sitting to the north—east of the country, then this is where we're likely to see some of that rain turn to snow. so, we're starting christmas day morning off on a very cold, frosty 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 scotland, mainly over the pennines, across the southern uplands and the higher ground of central scotland. quite a covering here, maybe even some down to lower levels for a time. you can see it's going to be another cold night here, less so further south and west. so, some places on boxing day starting off with that snowfall, across the north pennines, into the southern uplands, perhaps into central scotland, but through the day, any snowfall will become reserved to the hills of northern scotland as the milder air begins to push its way northwards. quite a lot of cloud generally across the country. we could see some brightness, a few showers pushing into northern ireland, wales and the south—west quadrant of england, where it'll be mild again. but still chilly across the far north—east. then, as we move out of boxing day to the run—up to new year's eve, we can see some really mild air starts to move in, and right across the uk on a south—westerly wind, pushes all that cold air well away from the uk. so, it turns milder even. very mild for a time in places in the run—up to new year's eve. but with that, it will be unsettled, some areas seeing some spells of wet and windy weather. this is bbc news. the headlines: the uk has again recorded its highest number of daily coronavirus cases since the pandemic began with more than 120,000 new infections. european countries reported record numbers of cases with italy, greece and spain introducing mandatory face coverings outdoors, but 0micron appears to result in less serious illness than delta. millions around the world face travel disruption over christmas as the surge in 0micron variant cases sees 2000 flights cancelled due to staff shortages. united airlines says it's contacting impacted passengers before they arrive at the airport. china and the us are the worst affected countries. christmas celebrations have taken place in bethlehem, including an annual procession led by the head of the roman catholic church in the region. the events culminated in a mass at the church of the nativity, built on the spot where it's believed thatjesus was born. ladbaby has made chart history by becoming the christmas