the headlines... a new era in the uk's relationship with the european union, as the formal separation is completed. there'll be changes to travel, trade, immigration and security co—operation. people are being warned to expect some disruption in the coming weeks as the new rules bed in. the uk's chief medical officers defend the plan to leave 12 weeks between coronavirus vaccine doses, after criticism from doctors. and bringing in the new year — from new york to scotland countries adjust their celebrations to fit their covid conditions. now on bbc news, as the world reacts and deals with the fallout from the death of george floyd in the united states, sporting stars around the world have made their own contribution to the debate.

may the 25th, 2020. mobile phone footage of an arrest, the suspect‘s final words would reverberate around the world. i can't breathe! a killing in minneapolis which reignited the global fight for equality. accused of using a fake bank note, his death will become a catalyst for change. his name... george floyd! you have to be blind to not see the mistreatment of black people and how this is systemic. the light has been shown on it. everybody sees it now. i have never felt so sick to my stomach in my life. and when i look at that man, i see my dad, i see my little brother.

when i first saw the video, i wept. i was in tears. we, the national football league, condemn racism! there is only so much people can take, especially black people. it's been going on for hundreds of years and people are tired and are ready for change. a friend asked me why i want to go to the protest because racism only occurs in the us, not england. and i had to explain to him that this is not the case and it is that white privilege that everybody is talking about that you don't necessarily notice it and it is upsetting that people are saying i have to look out for myself or have to protect myself for no reason other than the fact that i'm black. the fist is the fist. it resonates throughout the world. it means power, pride, and faith. my cry for freedom in 1968. black lives have always mattered. they matter, they matter now

and they will matter in the future. thank you. cheering. germany. new zealand. japan. caech republic. america. and the uk. 2020 produced some of the most striking antiracism images seen for decades. using momentum generated by the anger surrounding the death the death of george floyd, athletes from a multitude of sports took the opportunity to deliver a clear message — it was time for change.

it's the most momentum around this decade old issue that i've ever seen in my lifetime. this murder of george floyd has highlighted an issue that has been with us in this country and something we have been dealing with as a country for over 50 years now. and that is the systemic and institutionalized racism that happens every single day in this country. people are fed up with it, not just black people. white people who know that... they see the hypocrisy and what we talk about as a country and what we stand for, and they see that is not happening. they are fed up too. we have never been under such a magnifying glass, a positive magnifying glass, where people were

where people are actually listening. like, they hear us all the time. for 400 years we have been heard! but we have never been listened to! and action has never taken place as rapidly as it is now. so now is the time to call those people out and demand change. i want to put my kid in gymnastics. i want to have my kid play with other kids to school and for it to not be a problem. and it starts now with changing the future. and it starts with education, and not by having black people educate the public. i had to learn myself my true history. american history is so brainwashed. i had to take it upon myself to learn my real heritage. this is a worldwide uprising and i feel so... if there is such a thing

as world peace, this feels really close to it. and it warms my heart in a way that has never been touched before. when we can see with our own two eyes the reality of the situation, for decades, nobody believed black americans when they said the police harassed and used excessive force. young black americans are really seeing that the activism is necessary to contend with some of the things that happen to them, they are taking a responsible attitude in dealing with it and i'm pleased when i see that. it is gone on for over a number of generations now. the process and reaction that followed were not just the protests and reaction that followed were not just about one man's death. it was about racism and prejudice.

it is really sad to see this is what it takes for people to start noticing, not noticing, but start saying stuff but why should it be recorded? and it is really tough seeing his family and his kids, but the movement he has started, hopefully it will echo an eternity and this will be the time and the day that everything changes. seven—time formula i world champion lewis hamilton, claimed as the sports only black driver, it was a battle he often felt he was fighting alone. after a series of tweets, in which he voiced his anger at being that lone figure, other fi drivers responded, saying previously they had remained silence over issues like this saying previously they had remained silent over issues like this and accepted it was also their responsibility to speak up against discrimination. a lot of the discrimination black people face, whether it is day—to—day experiences or a more overt systemic form, can be

traced back to the slave trade and places like this, liverpool docks. during the 19th century, vessel after vessel left the african continent. onboard, shackled and cramped, woman, and children. after slavery was officially abolished, the newly freed former slaves found themselves living in a society that still largely deemed them inferior. and it is claimed the aftermath of that system is still being felt today.

our history books for our kids in this country tells them very little about slavery, about the 100 years ofjim crow laws when black people were considered three fifths of the worth of white people, and we didn't have the right to vote, the civil rights movement, our history books tell our people very little about that, which is part of the reason why white people don't get it, because they never have even been taught that this is what happened. this is the legacy of slavery. this is what it did to people who were taken from their land, killed, brought to this country as slaves, existed for years as slaves, for centuries, and then given their freedom and then given their "freedom" but there was no freedom, and 100 years of continued

oppression and legal discrimination. if you do not know that history and know what that would do to a person... what do we do when we read something like that? we automatically put ourselves and imagine what that will be like if we were in that situation. you would then be able to empathize. but you cannot empathize of something you don't even understand. if it all appears that we alljust ended up here and all equal and all started at the same place, certainly you do not understand. sport has always played an important role in tackling discrimination. whether it is a simple question of respect or inclusion, to more complex political issues, like war, athletes have always used their platform and profile to fight for what they believe in. jesse owens at the olympic games in 1936 in berlin. four gold medals in less than an hour. and credited with crushing hitler's dreams of aryan supremacy.

althea gibson, a five—time grand slam winner during the 19505. an incredible feat, considering it was during a period where black americans were banned from most tennis clubs. muhammad ali, jailed and stripped of his heavyweight title, for refusing to be enlisted into the us army and fight in vietnam. then there is tommy smith, mexico city, 1968. the demonstration regarded as one of the most overtly political statements in the history of sports. a silent gesture heard around the world. we had atrocities just before i stepped on the victory stand. you had dr martin luther king. you had the kennedys. you had malcolm x. you had a plethora of murders, of social movements, being gathered and i think ‘68 was one of those times when people would have to stop, and they did stop and think of why that

victory stand had to happen. it is not plentiful in thought that tommy smith wanted to do it, but it was his responsibility to show that need and i think the athletes today are doing basically the same thing, people like colin kaepernick, who has been seen all over the world, took a knee. i took a stand, but we're moving in the same direction. have you seen the footage of george floyd's final moments and what was your reaction as you watched that video? very sad. very uncalled for. totally uncalled for. but murder is always uncalled for. especially when you have no confidence in your being in a position that you are, which the police were. totally eradicated a life, which was uncalled for and certainly desperation on their part

was so outlandish that it cost a life of a person who should not have been in the position, with the head down with the knee on the carotid artery area and took his life. how can you live in a society that is called freedom when we know that there are certain people that are targeted, we are sick and tired of seeing our black brothers and sisters lives placed in danger and that white person on the neck calling it policing. that is only one case. there are many cases like this that you have never heard of. and you will hear them as we move through this system of uncovering racism. more than 50 years ago, tommy smith made a stand. but the issue of race has not gone away in society or in sport.

the lack of black managers in the english premier league has long been a criticism, considering black players make up a large portion of the squads. the same can also be said for the top leagues in germany, spain, and italy. steven gerrard, your frank lampards, your sol campbells and your ashley coles, they all respectfully have done their coaching badges, clutching at the highest level. the two that have not been given the right opportunities, the two black former players. in recent years, the manchester city and england forward claims he has been the target of negative attention from the media. because of the colour of his skin. with parts of the press reinforcing racial stereotypes. there's only so much people can take, only so much communities and other backgrounds can take, especially black people.

it's been going on for hundreds of years and people are tired. people are ready for change, and i see a lot of people on socials and stuff supporting the cause, but this is something that is more than just talking. we need to actually implement change and highlight the places that do the changes. but this is something that i myself will continue to do. and spark these debates, and get people in my industry looking at themselves and thinking what they can do to give people an equal chance in this country. in america, former san francisco 49ers quarterback colin kaepernick has been a another outspoken antiracism campaigner. the taking of a knee, replicated by so many athletes since was a gesture first taken by the american footballer in 2016. a direct protest against police brutality, kaepernick has not played a game in the league since. his actions prompted

a direct response from president donald trump. wouldn't you love to see one of these nfl owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say get that son of a... off the field right now? he's fired! days after george floyd died, some of the most well—known names in the nfl broke rank. calling out their own league. george floyd's death came during the global covid—19 pandemic. yet despite warnings against breaking social distancing rules, several athletes left the safety of their homes to lend support to the black lives matter movement. no matter how big or small your platform is, use your voice. i saw a dr king quote that said the silence of the good people is worse than the brutality of the bad people. so we need to not be silent.

if you are choosing silence, you are choosing to be i heard many things i heard this week, like it is not my problem. this is what i have to tell you if you listen to black music, if you like black culture come if you have black friends, then this is your fight too! on the field of play, sport is a great leveler. the best performance should win, regardless of skin colour. but many black stars still have to navigate racial barriers. collinjackson is one of britain's best known track and field athletes. but his life could have been very different had he not been put off the sport he first fell in love with. the biggest problem was when i played cricket as a kid. i was a captain of my school team, and five of us going in for the opportunity to play for wales, in that sense, four got through in the national team, and the fifth person, who was the captain, did not get through. now, i only see one reason for that.

there is only reason. that is the reason why i walked away from cricket right there and then. that was not the sport for me. one of the problems that we have, because we don't have role models across all industries, that is where our problems lie. and we find ourselves in sport as a race because that is a very secure place for us. we see many people like us performing at the highest level, and achieving, so it is a secure area for us to develop and aspire to be. but if we created that same space in any business and in every walk of life, black people would be just as successful in every single area of society, notjust sport as people perceive. the thing that excites me is you can talk openly now without people rolling their eyes at you, thinking, here you go again.

established stars can reflect on what has happened and what is happened during their careers. for many upcoming sports stars, the future is daunting. i have been warned by family, friends and a few strangers even that i need to be careful when i'm out in public or around policemen because of the colour my skin and that is a shame to hear. darcy boren has represented england at under—21 level. for the next stage in her development, she is flying to the us, where she has a sporting scholarship at duke university in north carolina. it is upsetting that people are saying i have to look out for myself or have to protect myself for no reason other than the fact that i'm black. a woman, i'd never met before but we talked about how i was going to america and she just moved back from america. she was white but her husband is black. she told me that i should carry a pocket pistol or pepper spray to protect myself, because people will want to attack me. i don't intend on bringing a gun with me!

but it is a shame that she felt so passionately that she needed to tell me that that i was in danger. there is no doubt social media has played a key part in what we have seen this year. firstly, sharing images of injustices, but also secondly the support from those demanding change. this image of 18—year—old darcy went viral after she was pictured at a protest in london. it was even shared by the son of civil rights campaigner martin luther king junior. ijust wrote black lives matter and the fist, in the middle of the night and decided to put the question, because i was watching videos and seeing all political sides of the debate but i don't understand why it should be a debate. not many people actually call themselves racist but racism still exists. i didn't think anything of it. the next day when i went

to instagram, the editor in chief of british vogue posted it, went viral very quickly and celebrities posting it and strangers reaching out to me and it was nice to see. it was when martin luther king the third posted it, i was speechless. meant the world to me, because of what he has done and his father has done. george floyd's death has directly impacted her future in sport and in society. and the same can be said but millions more around the world. we have all learned now that this is at a point, you get to a point that you have to choose a side. and we are at that point now. we look at the momentum behind this, and how it has shown a spotlight on and magnified the problems that have been systemic in this

country for so long, there has been a great deal of effort to hide and sweep under the carpet, but now that is been exposed. change is coming. it is coming in a way that it should have happened years ago. because the power of racist tendencies or racism or systematic racism, we are going to an era where there will will be change, yes, we will end this stupidity sooner or later. george floyd's legacy could have been born for this particular reason, that his name, his death, is going to change the lives of so many black people across the planet, forever.

hello.

it was an especially cold start to the brand—new year across parts of south—west england. temperatures across wiltshire, dorset and hampshire as low as —6, —7 seven degrees earlier on. —3 across parts of southern scotland. could be a cold night for you tonight. notice kirkwall, 5 degrees. same sort of temperature across some eastern parts of northern england, too. even though we've had the northerly wind, slightly less cold air has been drifting down with it. the air will get colder as we go to the day. more in the way of sleet and snow, mainly over the hills in scotland later. it's rain showers and a bit of sleet mixed in across england and wales. plenty of cloud, brightening up to north—west england later on. in fact scotland, northern ireland, compared with yesterday, a much sunnier day. with the grey conditions dominating across england and wales, where the mist and fog were this morning and grey clouds linger, temperatures may struggle to get above freezing for one or two. it will be a damp evening and night across southern and south—eastern parts of the uk. a few showers for eastern scotland. showers return to northern ireland as well. and still some sleet and snow in the north of scotland. temperatures, well, widely below freezing. could be some ice around.

temperatures at their lowest in southern scotland into saturday morning. this is the set for saturday. around high pressure, the wind flows clockwise. so, with high pressure to the west, low pressure to the south and east, it is a northerly flow with us still. that continues to bring showers in northern scotland. a few more to northern ireland. showers mainly wintry across scotland. but we could see sleet and snow mixed with the showers, in eastern counties of england through the day, particularly over the hills. showers also return to the far west of wales and across cornwall. but for many of you, over most of you on saturday, it will be a dry, bright and crisp day. temperatures 2—5 celsius at best. so, a chilly one out there. as we go through saturday night into sunday, a high pressure shifts to the north of us. low pressure so to the south and east. an increasingly easterly airflow will develop. that means showers that start on eastern coasts will drift a little further westwards. it could turn to sleet and snow over high ground. we lose the early showers in wales and south—west england. many western areas finish the day on sunday staying dry and sunny. temperatures up a degree or so on saturday's values. once the easterly wind sets

in, it will be with us into much of next week. quite windy conditions at times for england and wales. that will make you feel cold. there are little areas of less cold air around that. a lot of what falls from the sky in the form of showers will be offering, but it could turn to sleet and snow at times, particularly over the hills. the main story, look at the temperatures, it stays on cold side.

this is bbc news. these are the latest headlines in the uk and around the world. a new era in the uk's relationship with the european union, as the formal separation is completed. there'll be changes to travel, trade, immigration and security co—operation. people are being warned to expect some disruption in the coming weeks as the new rules bed in. we'll be answering your questions on what the changes mean for travel with a consumer expert and a travel guide publisher. and bringing in the new year — from new york to scotland, countries adjust their celebrations to fit their covid conditions.