pressure on health services because of the rapid increase in omicron cases. the prime minister will make a televised address this evening, focusing on the booster programme. it s as the first people in the uk have been hospitalised with omicron. new cases of the variant have increased 65% on yesterday s figure. there is concern inside the nhs about the level of hospitalisations that we might see but we really need to wait for a bit longer to really see exactly how severe the symptoms of people who catch this new variant are. meanwhile, days before an expected backbench rebellion, boris johnson faces fresh questions about christmas gatherings at downing street a year ago, after a photo emerges of him taking part in a quiz. he can t deliver the leadership that this country needs and we have got a very important vote coming up next week and he can t even discharge the basic functions of government. he is the worst possible leader at the worst possible time. emergency teams conti
of their six meetings this year. having lost three finals in 2021 higgins will be looking to make it fourth time lucky when he faces either anthony mcgill or luca brecel in the final on sunday. that s all from sportsday. a reminder of the build up to the season ending finale at abu dhabi in the formula 1. can t wait for that. between verstappen and lewis hamilton, on the bbc sport website. now on bbc news, ros atkins examines the ethical arguments surrounding vaccine mandates. this week, borisjohnson turned to the issue of compulsory covid vaccinations. i don t believe we can keep going indefinitely with non pharmaceutical interventions. i mean, restrictions on people s way of life. and i think we re going to need to have a national conversation about the way forward. the prime minister wants this national conversation because he knows this pandemic isn t over. covid daily infection rates in europe are going up. infection rates in the us are also going up. and when we look at
hello there, and welcome to sportsday. what a finale we have in store tomorrow when the f1 season comes to a climax. max verstappen will go into the abu dhabi grand prix on pole after finishing ahead of title rival lewis hamilton in qualifying earlier. it s so finely poised the pair level on points as their rivalry reaches fever pitch. nick parrott reports. as the sun goes down in abu dhabi, the pressure goes up. verstappen is first in the crucial second session of qualifying. the tyre was an driveable, and he was forced to change tactics. he will now start with a less durable soft tyre. the final shoot out for pole position that really matters. the weekend is being headlined by individuals but it was a team mate that got verstappen through. perez provided a slipstream to help the flying dutchman go faster, and it helped. mercedes didn t copy that tactic. hamilton couldn t catch him. max did a great lap today so i couldn t answer to that lap, it was a fantastic lap from him.
one of the scientists responsible for developing the astrazeneca vaccine in britain has warned that a future pandemic could be even more contagious or more lethal. professor dame sarah gilbert said funding was needed to ensure the knowledge gained over the last two years in fighting deadly viruses was not lost. on the omicron variant, she said steps to slow down its spread should be taken until more was known about it. mark lobel has this report. a stark warning from the creator of the oxford astrazeneca vaccine that the advances made could lost without more funding for future pandemics. without more funding for future pandemics- pandemics. this will not be the last time a pandemics. this will not be the last time a virus pandemics. this will not be the last time a virus threatens - pandemics. this will not be the last time a virus threatens our| last time a virus threatens our lives and livelihoods. the truth is that the next one could be worse. it could be more contagi