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
struggling. it s been a hard week, a hard year and they ll have to deal with another round of wintry weather. texas in crisis. hundreds of thousands of residents still without power and heat after days of brutal cold temperatures. i m nervous. i m nervous. i don t know what s going to happen. our house is 32 degrees inside. we re wrd about the pipes. reporter: residents documenting the damage. some posting photos on social media of frozen pipes bursting. sending water and ice into their homes. we have no firewood left and we started using things in the house to keep the fire going. and seeing my two sleeping babies under a bunch of blankets in front of the fireplace that was slowly going out was heartbreaking. reporter: many are seeking refuge wherever they can. including warming centers or furniture stores. you can freeze in the middle of the night. we had to find some place to go. reporter: some even sleeping in their cars to stay warm. it s not like sleepin
tributes and reflections for the anti apartheid hero archbishop desmond tutu, who died at the age of 90. and the extreme weather in the uk could alter its landscape forever. we ll take a look at this year s winners and losers. hello and welcome if you re watching in the uk or around the world. borisjohnson will be briefed today on the latest covid data as he considers whether to impose additional restrictions in england before the new year. the prime minister will hear how fast the omicron variant is spreading and whether the nhs is coming under unsustainable pressure, even though omicron is now thought to be milder than previous variants. from boxing day in scotland, indoor and outdoor events have new limits, and as of today pubs, restaurants, theatres, cinemas and gyms will have to ensure a one metre distance between groups of people. groups of people meeting will be limited to three households. and table service will be required in hospitality venues offering alcohol. in w
hello and welcome. borisjohnson is being briefed today on the latest covid data as he considers whether to impose additional restrictions in england before the new year. the prime minister will hear how fast the omicron variant is spreading and whether the nhs is coming under unsustainable pressure, even though omicron is now thought to be milder than previous variants. in scotland, new rules are in force. from boxing day in scotland indoor and outdoor events have new limits, and as of today, pubs, restaurants, theatres, cinemas and gyms will have to ensure a one metre distance between groups of people. groups of people meeting will be limited to three households, and table service will be required in hospitality venues offering alcohol. in wales, new restrictions from boxing day mean that no more than six people can meet at pubs, cinemas and restaurants. outdoor events are limited to 50 people, and there is a maximum capacity of 30 for indoor events, including in private hom
good afternoon. borisjohnson will meet his scientific advisers this afternoon, as he considers whether to introduce further coronavirus restrictions in england to slow the spread of the omicron variant. it s expected he ll hear about the impact on hospital admissions and nhs staff sickness over recent days. further controls have come into effect today in northern ireland and scotland. the new measures affect the hospitality and leisure industries. in scotland, nightclubs have to close for at least three weeks and one metre social distancing and table service has been reinstated in hospitality settings where alcohol is served. table service has also resumed in hospitality venues across northern ireland. no more than six people will be allowed to sit together. dancing is also prohibited, except at weddings. yesterday in wales, the rule of six was reinstated for people meeting in pubs, cinemas and restaurants. here s our correspondent simonjones. after the christmas festivities,