and it's going to be a nail—biter — max verstappen beats lewis hamilton to pole position for sunday's formula one title decider in abu dhabi. hello, and thanks forjoining us. president biden has promised federal aid after tornadoes devastated at least five us states, flattening whole towns. the worst—hit state is kentucky, where the governor, andy beshear, says at least 70 people have been killed, many of them in a candle factory in the town of mayfield. there have been reports of deaths too in arkansas, missouri, tennessee and illinois, where six amazon workers have been confirmed dead, after the roof of their warehouse collapsed. our north america correspondent nomia iqbal reports. the scale of the destruction has been extraordinary. in the dead of night, dark funnel clouds roared across six states in four hours at a speed of 220 mph, obliterating everything in their path. this small town of mayfield in kentucky has been hit hard. workers on christmas shifts at this candle factory were buried by several tornadoes that came hurtling in the dark. it is thought up to 110 people were

max verstappen has it— record eighth title. max verstappen has it for— record eighth title. max verstappen has it for now. a great day for him. but the _ has it for now. a great day for him. but the sport's credibility has been called _ but the sport's credibility has been called into— but the sport's credibility has been called into action. it centres around _ called into action. it centres around the decision of the race director— around the decision of the race director at _ around the decision of the race director at the end of the race and there _ director at the end of the race and there had — director at the end of the race and there had been a crash, to allow disease — there had been a crash, to allow disease five lapped cars through but not allow— disease five lapped cars through but not allow the rest of the field through _ not allow the rest of the field through. it is his interpretation of the rules — through. it is his interpretation of the rules. it essentially gave max verstappen a free shot at lewis hamilton— verstappen a free shot at lewis hami

it is a huge day in the formula i title fight, as contenders lewis hamilton and max verstappen battle it out at saudi arabian grand prix. hamilton starts the penultimate race of the season on pole but if verstappen manages to outscore hamilton by 18 points today he will win his maiden title. but the bbc�*s fi reporterjennie gow says hamilton is taking the pressure in his stride. he has been very clear in the fact he is the elder statesman of formula i, he has done this, he said on thursday it is not my first rodeo so he is trying to draw on that and use this on a psychological battle between himself and max verstappen. but i think when it comes to it, both are very calm, they are going into today knowing the importance, max verstappen could end today with his first world title but both of them seem calm, cool and ready for action later. australia have named their team for the first test of the ashes which starts at midnight on tuesday evening our time. travis head is included in the batting line up ahead of usman khawaja, while left—arm fast bowler mitchell starc keeps his place i

i crash allowed verstappen to take the race and the title. the amazing season deserved an amazing ending. this will live long in the memory. the arguments will go on perhaps just as long. few could really disagree with the bbc�*s sports personality of the year. emma raducanu. having created history in 2021, it was perhaps in keeping with the last 12 months that emma raducanu received her award in covid isolation. this extraordinary sporting year ending rather like it began. more rain at times in the week ahead as it turns much milder, even for a time overnight with temperatures quite widely into double figures later this week. it is looking somewhat drier as we get through the evening and are tonight, still a box of rain and little sleet and snow for higher hills, edging or through scotland. a lot of low cloud, mist and fog developing and another spell of rain bearing down on south—west england later in the night. for many, temperatures staying above freezing and hint of blue in northern england and scotland with some spots at freezing fo

hamilton — eight points behind verstappen in the drivers�* championship — was fastest in second practice for the penultimate race of the season, nearly two tenths quicker than verstappen, who was fourth fastest. the session was called to a halt five minutes early because of this crash — charles leclerc lost control of his ferrari at turn 22. there wasn't much left of the car but thankfully he walked away from the crash unharmed. in rugby union there was one game in the premiership tonight as gloucester beat bristol bears 27—10 at kingsholm to move into the top four. chris chapman amongst the try scorers here after running with the ball from the half way line. meanwhile, edinburgh kept up their good form in the united rugby championship with a 24—10 win over benetton. this try from emiliano boffelli on his home debut amongst the pick. elsewhere leinster beat connacht 47—19 and sharks were also victorious against bulls. and that's all the sport for now. more on those stories — including all the snooker results and reaction — on the bbc sport website, but from me and the team go

max verstappen is confirmed as the 2021 formula one world champion, after stewards dismiss a protest by lewis hamilton's team

all this as f1's new world champion, max verstappen, has been celebrating his title with his red bull team at their factory in milton keynes. our sports editor, dan roan, reports. it may have been at a slower speed than usual, but formula 0ne's new world champion returned to a hero's welcome today. max verstappen, able to celebrate with the entire staff at red bull's base in milton keynes, later the dutch driver telling me how it felt to have realised a lifelong ambition. it is slowly sinking in but also it has been very hectic so i'm also pretty tired at the moment. anything that will happen now is a bonus. not much will change but in the back of your mind you are a bit more relaxed because your ultimate goal you have achieved already. his victory over lewis hamilton in the season's deciding race in abu dhabi has divided the sport. mercedes failing with two protests after the dutch was given the chance to claim the title in the final lap after a restart, so has the controversy tainted the success? not for me and not for the team. we raced when there was a green light, green flag and

max verstappen hits the wall, as lewis hamilton takes pole position for the saudi arabian grand prix. f1 is heading for an exciting championship finish. and a moment of cricketing history — as ajaz patel takes all ten wickets in a test innings, becoming just the third man to do so. hello and welcome to sportsday. well, what a day of stories we've had so far in the premier league and it's not over yet. let's start with liverpool as they have gone top of the premier league after a late, late goal clinched victory at wolves. liverpool had been frustrated all afternoon. they've been used to scoring for fun this season — but then with just seconds remaining divock origi latched onto a mohamed salah pass to score the winner at molineaux. tough for wolves, they had defended heroically for the game, they were just 60 seconds away from becoming the first team to stop liverpool scoring this season. wolves remain eighth, butjurgen klopp�*s side went top of the table. the longer the game goes and it's still 0—0 then, of course, you feel the pressure because we want this result so badly. t

verstappen example position ahead of this weekend's season finale of formula 1. he pipped his rival lewis hamilton and it is said that for an epic showdown in the desert tomorrow. they battle for the title. as the sun goes down in abu dhabi, the pressure goes up. verstappen felt it first in the crucial second session of qualifying that decides the tyres drivers race on. a flat spot makes tyres and driveable. it forced red bull and verstappen to change tactics for the race and he will now start on the part about this durable fast attire. it is the final shoot—out for pole that really matters, though. and in a weekend thatis matters, though. and in a weekend that is being headlined by individuals, it was a team—mate who got verstappen through. perez provided a slipstream to help the flying dutchman go faster and it worked. mercedes did not copy the tactic and hamilton could not catch him. in the last six years the pole—sitter has gone on to win. in this title fight, verstappen has landed a heavy first blow, leaving hamilton on the ropes. the question is, can

verstappen could finish a lap a shorter time than this. uh... let me give you a clue — walking in the air... 0h, snowman, so... s — oh, it's backwards, isn't it? s. perfect! 0k, you're doing very well. now, this was also on the quiz last year, without a clue — which is impossible to work out without a clue, so i'm going to have to tell you it's got do with animals and the chinese zodiac. 0h, crikey! um, year of the what then? yeah. so do you know what they are? goat, monkey, rooster, dog, pig, rat. and... what would this — or 2021 would have been? oh, oh... 0x — you're quite right. yeah. 0x, and it's tiger next year. and if we quickly look at the next one before we get to this year's, the 12 days of christmas. the carol. what's that — you've got to start at the top there? clue here — "reading initials spell these messages' answer. simple." reading — what reading initials? read the initials is the clue. reading initials? what initials? the initials of perhaps the words? of what word? of the words on the screen? i think people are

max verstappen full of praise for the man who pushed him all the way. it has been a real pleasure fighting against him. we had our moments throughout the year when we clashed but we really respect each other because we have pushed each other to the limit. despite the fallout, max verstappen�*s victory marks a new era for a sport which is winning new fans, and aged just 24 there could be much more success to come. dan roan, bbc news. that's it. now on bbc one, time for the news where you are. have a very good night. welcome to bbc london. i'm alice bhandhukravi. first tonight: the controversy and over christmas gatherings during restrictions continues after this photo emerged of a party at conservative hq last december. hello there. it's been a lovely day for some areas, with some sunshine around, but for most, rather grey and gloomy particular across the south. tomorrow is looking dry with weather fronts across northern ireland and central and southern scotland. it has ground to a halt during the course of today, but it is moving northwards over the n

max verstappen won! max verstappen, champion of the world! talk me through that, ten laps - to go, hamilton was coasting home, | safety car on the track brought them j closer together, what was your heart like as they both went? i nearly flatlined. totally. we were ready to go home. i had given up all hope and then a miracle happened. nicholas latifi saved us! the gods knew that max deserved it this year, he was the best driver this year, 110%. he deserves that. and on that note i will hand back to you in london. let's go to the state of ten turkey and andy bashir is giving a press conference alongside an emergency responders and the us secretary of which is happening in mayfield. we secretary of which is happening in ma ield. ~ ., , secretary of which is happening in ma ield. ., , , ., , mayfield. we now believe may be many more have been — mayfield. we now believe may be many more have been living _ mayfield. we now believe may be many more have been living this _ mayfield. we now believe may be many more have been living this in _ mayfie

max verstappen and lewis hamilton level on points, verstappen only top by virtue of winning 9 races to the reigning champion�*s 8. we've had first practice at yas marina and the dutchman posted the quickest lap in his red bull. hamilton was third on the timesheets with his mercedes teamate valterri bottas in second. second practice is now under way. remember, it's a straight shootout for the title between hamilton and verstappen, presuming that they finish in the points, whoever crosses the line first on sunday is world champion, or if neither car finishes, verstappen can take the title that way. the premier league has instructed all of their 20 clubs to revert to emergency covid measures in light of the new government guidance with cases of the new omicron variant on the rise. tottenham are dealing with an outbreak that saw their match postponed in the europa league last night and their game at brighton on sunday is also off. leicester have cases in their squad and norwich have revelaed today that they have covid—related issues, chelsea's matteo kovacic tested positive for the vir

max verstappen and lewis hamilton level on points, verstappen only top by virtue of winning 9 races to the reigning champions 8. it's the briton who topped the timesheets in friday's second practice. he was more than half a second quicker than his title rival, which is a huge margin in formula one. although the dutchman was fastest in the morning session. remember, it's a straight shootout for the title between hamilton and verstappen, presuming that they finish in the points, whoever crosses the line first on sunday is world champion, or if neither car finishes, verstappen can take the title that way. andy murray has split with long—time coach jamie delgado. murray brought him into his team during the 2016 season when he won a second wimbledon title and finished the year as the world number one. former british davis cup player delgado took over as full—time coach in late 2017. murray has decided to give a trial to germanjan de witt, who has previously coached gael monfils, gilles simon and nikoloz basilashvili. ronnie o'sullivan is through to the semi—finals of snooker�*s scot

on the other side, it's max verstappen, racing for his first. and for his entire career he has been called a champion—in—waiting, a guy we know has the ability to win it. not only does he now have the chance to win his first one, but to beat one of the greatest of all time in lewis hamilton on the way to your first title, to open your era as a championship winner would mean an incredible amount to him as well. so underlying the fact that it is such a tight fight of their legacy. a climber in the french alps who stumbled on a treasure trove of emeralds, rubies and sapphires on mont blanc eight years ago has been given half of them. it's thought they may have been on an air india flight which crashed into the mountain in 1966. the local authority in chamonix has been given the remaining gems. mark lobel reports. a glacier that tragically became a graveyard over 50 years ago, passengers on a plane from india to switzerland crashing here. but in this box, their memories live on. these were all found buried in the french snow by an anonymous clim

the dutch racing driver max verstappen has secured his first formula one world title. he beat lewis hamilton, on the last lap of a thrilling season finale in abu dhabi. verstappen then had to wait while the briton's mercedes team had two protests against the result rejected by stewards. now on bbc news it's time for political thinking with nick robinson.

if both failed to finish, max verstappen will clinch the title. manchester city are leading liverpool by a point after all three top teams one thanks to penalties for raheem sterling got his 100th premier league goal after a debatable handball decision. walls played half the match with ten men. —— wolves. steven gerrard was given a warm welcome. just the one goalfrom a given a warm welcome. just the one goal from a penalty. given a warm welcome. just the one goalfrom a penalty. to genius go to penalties for chelsea, as they beat leeds. bayern munich extended their lead to six point after coming from behind to win that match. australia have won the first ashes test by nine wickets. england were hoping to build on a brilliant partnership between malan and joe root but both were gone in the matter of a few overs. they were bowled out for 297, leaving australia needed just 20 runs to win reach that with ease to go one up reach that with ease to go one up in the series.— up in the series. exceptionally roud. up in the series. exceptionally proud-

the dutch racing driver max verstappen has secured his first formula one world title. he beat lewis hamilton, on the last lap of a thrilling season finale in abu dhabi. verstappen then had to wait while the briton�*s mercedes team had two protests against the result rejected by stewards. now on bbc news it's time for political thinking with nick robinson. the woman who became our foreign secretary just 12 weeks ago is the daughter of an anti—nuclear campaigner who took her on sitings of american missiles in britain. and as liz truss told me the last time she appeared on political thinking, she also used to chant on the streets of scotland. this week, she gave an important speech in which she criticised those in what she called fashionable circles for being ashamed of our past and too doubtful about the future. it's sort of plain speaking that makes her a favourite amongst tory activists and was dubbed the new mrs t. liz truss, welcome back to political thinking. great to be here. do you remember what you said to me about diplomacy last time we sat in the studio? i'

it forced red bull and verstappen to change tactics for the race. he'll now start on the faster but less durable soft tyre. it's the final shootout for pole that really matters, though, and in a weekend that's being headlined by individuals, it was a teammate who got verstappen through. sergio perez provided a slipstream to help the flying dutchman go faster, and it worked. mercedes didn't copy the tactic, and hamilton couldn't catch him. max did a great lap today, so we couldn't answer to that lap. that was a fantastic lap from him. but we're in a good position, i'd like to think, with our tyres for tomorrow, and i hope we can have a good race. we definitely improved the car again in qualifying, because so far this weekend it was a bit on and off, but incredibly happy with this. this is of course what we wanted, but it's never easy, especially with their form in these last few races. now i'm just looking forward to tomorrow, because that's the most important. in the last six years at yas marina, the pole sitter has gone on to win. in this title fig

hamilton is going for a record eight f1 titles, max verstappen his first, and it is a straight race to the line between the two, or if both fail to finish or out of the points, then max verstappen will clinch the title because of his nine race winds over hamilton's eight. at the top of the premier league, manchester city lead liverpool by one point with chelsea one point further back. that is after all three of them won, all thanks to penalties. city made quite hard work of it against wolves, raheem sterling scoring his 100 premier league goal, a second—half penalty after a debatable handball decision. wolves played half the match with ten men, rothman picking up to yellow cards in the space of a minute before the break. steven gerrard was given a great welcome on his first return to enfield. the aston villa manager had 17 years as a liverpool player, but it was his old side that came out on top, just the one goal from the penalty, mo salah the scorer after he was fouled. his 21st of the season in all competitions. giroginho scored two penalties for chelsea, including the 94th minute

that looked like it was no problem for title rival max verstappen. he was on course to set the fastest time until the final corner. a disastrous moment for the dutchman. a misjudgment on the brakes spiralling into a broken rear suspension. shock and anger in the garage, hamilton on pole, bashed up and walking away with that. championships can be won by the finest of margins and despite max verstappen�*s eight point advantage, hamilton may feel history beckoning once again. now there's only three weeks to christmas and if you're already feeling festive, take a look at these pictures. the christmas tree lights were switched on in manger square in bethlehem. the festive season actually began there last weekend, with a christmas market and a service at the church of nativity. three christian denominations — the armenians, roman catholics and greek orthodox — share control of the church in the west bank town. now it's time for a look at the weather with stav. it has been a cold day today, we have had some rain, sleet and snow. some good spells of su

what did you make the decision to dispute max verstappen's victory? in a sense, you can understand the motivation, but i wondered if it was one of those cases where it might have been best to just let it go? no, completely understood from my side. there are so much of the line for these teams, they work so hard on the investment, financially and the hours they put in, racing 22 weekends every year, there is a huge amount on the line so to have it come down to how it did, mercedes were in the right to appeal, he was handled on the last lap. unfortunately, it was not how it should have been and it does not set the best tone for the way it finished and as a result, i completely understand how it has turned out. this completely understand how it has turned out. �* , . completely understand how it has turned out-— turned out. as a driver, you have been on the _ turned out. as a driver, you have been on the track _ turned out. as a driver, you have been on the track and _ turned out. as a driver, you have been on the track and you - turned out. as a dri

their both going to go for it, do not think it is a case of max verstappen was in the lead and would throw it all away, it has just been so close that i think it really is... that adds to the sense of drama, i think. really is. .. that adds to the sense of drama, i think.— really is... that adds to the sense of drama, i think. of drama, ithink. yes, drama. i am already thinking _ of drama, ithink. yes, drama. i am already thinking he _ of drama, ithink. yes, drama. i am already thinking he plays _ of drama, ithink. yes, drama. i am already thinking he plays the - of drama, ithink. yes, drama. i am already thinking he plays the mini i already thinking he plays the mini film, that is how it feels. —— who plays them in the film. there are changes to the circuit, does that favour one over the other? again, ou see favour one over the other? again, you see we _ favour one over the other? again, you see we have _ favour one over the other? again, you see we have been _ favour one over the other? again, you see we have been going - favour one over the other? again, you see we have been

max verstappen and lewis hamilton are level on points, verstappen only top by virtue of winning nine races to the reigning champions eight. it's the briton who topped the time sheets in friday's second practice. he was more than half a second quicker than his title rival, which is a huge margin in formula one. although the dutchman was fastest in the morning session. our reporterjennie gow is in abu dhabi. when it comes to the way this track has been re— profile from last year to this, they've got rid of a lot of the bits that red bull would've excelled at. actually they've met it a lot of fast, flowing corridors which typically has on the way of mercedes. so you have to say that lewis hamilton came into this weekend as favourite but as we seen already, the rubik this year has been thrown out. they are so good, these two drivers, i don't think you can split them. and that's the great thing about this, it's also the difficult thing because it makes its challenging for us commentating. they have said that if you interfere with the championship one being the way it should be one you c

hamilton, however, was magnanimous speaking after the race, and max verstappen says he was congratulated by hamilton and mercedes team boss toto wolff. the new world champion was speaking earlier today, so was he upset by how the title became his? itjust sums up the whole season in general. it has been pretty crazy and intense. so both teams, we gave it all to the end. and i think it was just an amazing battle. after things like this, you are to look into what can we do or what should have been done. it's a big part of the whole season, this protest, so it is what it is. that's racing sometimes as well. and for me nothing can really change. we were still celebrating, and we did win it on track. i and the team did not do anything wrong. we just raced when there was a green light, so that also made it really enjoyable for us to be celebrating. us open winner emma raducanu has tested positive for covid—19, meaning she'll miss this week's mubadala world tennis championship in abu dhabi. the 19—year—old is experiencing mild symptons and will isolate for ten days. she's scheduled to play

verstappen went on to win the race and the championship, after catching up with hamilton behind the safety car. latifi says he was shocked by the scale and tone of the hate and abuse he received online. he added that he'd expected some of it and deleted social media apps off his phone immediately after the race. and that's all the sport for now. from me and the team here, good night. hello again. well, we're going to see some changes in our weather pattern through wednesday as this area of cloud that's just out in the atlantic starts to encroach. that will eventually bring some rain, particularly into western areas, with milder southerly winds spreading in as well. before we get there, though, it's a chilly start to the day with some patches of frost for central and eastern areas of the country. in some of the deeper valleys in scotland, we're seeing temperatures of, what, —9, —10 degrees, so a very cold start here. now, through wednesday, as i say, this area of rain is on the way, and it's going to be arriving pretty quickly in northern ireland accompanied by those strengthening south

standard protocols appeared not to be followed on sunday as max verstappen beat lewis hamilton to the title. verstappen paid a visit to the red bull racing factory in milton keynes today to celebrate his first championship with the team. a warm hug from team principal christian horner. mercedes say they intend to appeal against the decision to reject their initial protest against the result on sunday. they have until 7pm tomorrow night to decide whether to press on with that appeal. races should be won on the track, and i think throughout the whole season we have been doing that. if you look at the whole season, take away the bad luck, you can say we should've already won the championship. but you're in that position and so, we will celebrate regardless but we at least won it on the track. and that's all the sport for now. welcome to newsday, reporting live from singapore, i'm karishma vaswani. the headlines... more than 78 thousand new cases were reported in the past 2a hours — as the growth rate of the new variant rises. the doubling rate of omicron as now down to less than two da

so max verstappen _ by a healthy margin. so max verstappen goes _ by a healthy margin. so max verstappen goes from - by a healthy margin. so max verstappen goes from third, by a healthy margin. so max - verstappen goes from third, just briefly, any word on the gearbox? that would have caused an effect on where he is on the grid. yes. that would have caused an effect on where he is on the grid.— where he is on the grid. yes, the heat meant _ where he is on the grid. yes, the heat meant he _ where he is on the grid. yes, the heat meant he could _ where he is on the grid. yes, the heat meant he could have - where he is on the grid. yes, the i heat meant he could have damaged where he is on the grid. yes, the - heat meant he could have damaged his gearbox. —— hit. the fia will release a document later today to tell us weather that is the case, and if it is he would go back five laces and start p8. a big difference that will have a huge factor in the championship battle. the that will have a huge factor in the championship battle.— that will have a huge factor in the

the crucial formula 1 showdown between lewis hamilton and max verstappen is underway in abu dhabi. the mercedes and red bull drivers are locked on the same points in the title race, at the end of one of the greatest seasons in the sport's history. our correspondent nesta mcgregor is with fans at silverstone. it is pretty difficult, how is it going? it is pretty difficult, how is it oiiin? it is pretty difficult, how is it uroin? ., it is pretty difficult, how is it ioini? ., ., it is pretty difficult, how is it oiiin? ., ., it is pretty difficult, how is it oiiin ? ., ., _, ., going? good afternoon and welcome to silverstone, home _ going? good afternoon and welcome to silverstone, home of— going? good afternoon and welcome to silverstone, home of the _ going? good afternoon and welcome to silverstone, home of the british - silverstone, home of the british grand prix of course. this is a special f1 race that no one will want to miss. here at silverstone they have put on a special big screen for fans. the they have put on a special big screen forfans. the race is a they have put o

hamilton, verstappen & netflix drive f1 resurgence — subscribe via bbc sounds. the abu dhabi grand prix will be staying on the formula one calendar until at least 2030, after the country signed a new contract with f1 organisers. the race is one of four in the middle east, and will be the final race on the circuit for the next decade. the track has a reputation for dull races, but the layout has been tweaked ahead of this year's championship showdown — and it's anyone's guess which way it will go. we are into unmarked territory as a team, _ we are into unmarked territory as a team, and. — we are into unmarked territory as a team, and, obviously, with the year that we've _ team, and, obviously, with the year that we've had, i am sure so many people _ that we've had, i am sure so many peorrie witi— that we've had, i am sure so many people will have brought us out for being _ people will have brought us out for being this — people will have brought us out for being this close right at the end, so, you — being this close right at the end, so, you know, as i

it follows a dramatic end to qualifying, which saw title rival, max verstappen, crash out. hamilton had put his mercedes on provisional pole, with his final qualifying lap injeddah, but verstapppen — who has an 8—point advantage in the drivers�* championship — looked set to better that time — until the final corner — where the dutchman hit the wall. so it's hamilton on pole, alongside team—mate valtteri bottas, while verstappen starts third for tomorrow's race. sunday's race, i keep doing that, someday�*s race! you can reach me on twitter, i'm @lukwesaburak. plenty more to come on bbc news. hello there. it's been very cold everywhere across the uk on saturday. we've seen increasing amounts of snow across southern southeast scotland and across northern england, mainly over the pennines. sunday is also going to be another cold day, maybe not quite as cold cos the winds won't be as strong as saturday, and there will be further rain. most of the rain towards the eastern side of the country. we've still got that cold air mass across the uk, but like i mentioned,

in sport — a new champion in formula 1 — max verstappen

hamilton — eight points behind verstappen in the drivers�* championship — was fastest in second practice for the penultimate race of the season, nearly two tenths quicker than verstappen, who was fourth fastest. the session was called to a halt five minutes early because of this crash — charles leclerc lost control of his ferrari at turn 22. there wasn't much left of the car but thankfully he walked away from the crash unharmed. in rugby union there was one game in the premiership tonight as gloucester beat bristol bears 27—10 at kingsholm to move into the top four. chris chapman amongst the try scorers here after running with the ball from the half way line. meanwhile, edinburgh kept up their good form in the united rugby championship with a 24—10 win over benetton. this try from emiliano boffelli on his home debut amongst the pick. elsewhere leinster beat connacht 47—19 and sharks were also victorious against bulls. and that's all the sport for now. more on those stories — including all the snooker results and reaction — on the bbc sport website, but from me and the team go

he beat his main rival max verstappen into second place, meaning the pair will start the final race of the season in abu dhabi level on points. the race was stopped twice because of crashes — and the cars of the two leaders touched as they jostled for position. ah, i mean, i don't know, i've been racing here a long time but that was definitely... that was incredibly tough. i tried to be as sensible and as tough as i could be out there but also sensible. with all my race experience over the years, just keeping the car on track and staying clean, it was difficult, but we persevered, as a team, we've had all sorts of things thrown at us. i didn't quite understand why all of a sudden he hit the brakes quite heavily, and then i ran into the back of him. and then he moved on so i didn't understand exactly what was going on. i got a message afterwards that he was going to let us pass so it was a bit confusing. with just under three weeks to go until christmas, towns and cities around the world are beginning to put together nativity scenes. normally you might expect a few hand—carved model

max verstappen and lewis hamilton are level on points, verstappen only top by virtue of winning nine races to the reigning champions eight. it's the briton who topped the time sheets in friday's second practice. he was more than half a second quicker than his title rival, which is a huge margin in formula one. although the dutchman was fastest in the morning session. our reporterjennie gow is in abu dhabi. when it comes to the way this track has been re— profile from last year to this, they've got rid of a lot of the bits that red bull would've excelled at. actually, they've met it a lot of fast, flowing corridors which typically has on the way of mercedes. so you have to say that lewis hamilton came into this weekend as favourite but as we seen already, the rule book this year has been thrown out. they are so good, these two drivers, i don't think you can split them. and that's the great thing about this, it's also the difficult thing because it makes its challenging for us commentating. they have said that if you interfere with the championship being won the way it should be one

lewis hamilton and max verstappen are level on points at the top of the world championship going into the race — which verstappen won last year, ending a run of six consecutive mercedes victories in the uae. the la lakers are in memphis to face the grizzlies in the nba later with lebronjames and co looking to make it back to back wins. the californians got the better of the boston celtics in their last outing and will be full of confidence as they seek a fifth win in seven played when they hit the court in tennessee. tiger woods will return to the golf course next week 10 months after a car crash in los angeles that almost saw him lose a leg. the 15—time major champion will play in the pnc championship in orlando with his 12—year—old son charlie, in what is a tournament for pairs of family members to compete in the same team. that is your sport news for now. well, let's stay with sport and take you to brisbane. it's the second day of the first ashes test between australia and england, and after bowling the visitors out for 147 on day one, the hosts bat themselves into a strong

it follows a dramatic end to qualifying which saw title rival max verstappen crash out. hamilton had put his mercedes on provisional pole with his final qualifying lap injeddah, but verstapppen — who has an eight—point advantage in the drivers�* championship — looked set to better that time until the final corner, where the dutchman hit the wall. so it's hamilton on pole alongside team—mate valtteri bottas, while verstappen starts third for tomorrow's race. take a look at these pictures. now, just in case you're struggling to feel christmas—y, take a look at these pictures. cheering they're from manger square, in bethlehem. with three weeks to go until christmas day, this was the moment that the town's christmas tree lights were switched on. the festive season actually began there last weekend, with a christmas market and a service at the church of nativity. three christian denominations — the armenians, roman catholics and greek orthodox — share control of the church in the west bank town. you're watching bbc news. we will look at the papers shortly. now

a new champion in formula 1 — max verstappen takes the world title, in a nail biting race that came down to the final lap. a new champion in formula 1 — max verstappen takes the world title, in a nail biting race that came down to the final lap. the first people in the uk have been hospitalised with the omicron variant of coronavirus, as the nhs in england extends the booster jab programme. days before an expected backbench rebellion, the prime minister faces fresh questions about christmas gatherings at downing street a year ago, after a photo emerges of him taking

allowed verstappen to controversially take the reins and the title. the amazing season deserved an amazing ending. this will live long in their memory. the arguments will go on perhaps just as long. if you could really disagree with the bbc�*s sports personality of the year. disagree with the bbc's sports personality of the year.- personality of the year. emma raducanu- _ personality of the year. emma raducanu. having _ personality of the year. emma raducanu. having created - personality of the year. emma i raducanu. having created history personality of the year. emma - raducanu. having created history in 2021, it raducanu. having created history in 2021. it was — raducanu. having created history in 2021, it was perhaps _ raducanu. having created history in 2021, it was perhaps in _ raducanu. having created history in 2021, it was perhaps in keeping - raducanu. having created history in| 2021, it was perhaps in keeping with the last 12 months of emma raducanu receiving her award and covid isolation. this extraordinary sporting year ending rather

max verstappen will underpin further cash third place. hamilton leads by eight points with two races remaining. eight points with two races remaining-— eight points with two races remaininu. ., ., remaining. for some reason, there was a lack — remaining. for some reason, there was a lack in _ remaining. for some reason, there was a lack in pace. _ remaining. for some reason, there was a lack in pace, struggling - remaining. for some reason, there was a lack in pace, struggling with | was a lack in pace, struggling with the tires, so for us to get a 12, i am really proud of valkyree and the guys. we have been working so hard. this is a great result. cricket and this player became the first new zealand bowler and the third man ever to take all ten wickets in a test match innings. the tell did it and then new zealand collapsed to 62 all out but patel was humbled by his wife —— rapid. these kind of things don't sink in until later. it is a special moment, i won't lie about that, it is brilliant for me and my family. my mum and dad and

now in red bull's max verstappen had little over a minute to go even quicker. he looked certain to do so, until this. commentator: he hits the wall! hermann tilke —— hamilton keeping pole amidst extraordinary drama. just two races left, this season is far from extraordinary drama. just two races left, this season is farfrom over. adam wild, bbc news. three different teams have been top of the premier league table today. but if you don't want to know the details, it's time to pop out of the room, as match of the day and sportscene in scotland follow soon on bbc one. it is manchester city who are the league leaders for the first time this season, after they beat watford 3—1 at vicarage road. down in the relegation zone, newcastle united had theirfirst league win of the season. they beat burnley1—0. chelsea — who were league leaders at the start of the day — lost 3—2 at west ham. southampon and brighton drew. and liverpool briefly went to the top of the table after a late goal gave them a 1—0 win at wolves. rangers are seven points clear at the top

standard protocols appeared not to be followed as max verstappen beat lewis hamilton to the title. verstappen paid a visit to the english red bull racing factory in milton keynes on wednesday to celebrate his first championship with the team. mercedes say they intend to appeal against the decision to reject their initial protest against the result. racing should be won on the track and i think for the whole season we have been doing that and like i've said before, when you look at the whole season, if you take away the bad luck we should have already won the championship before that so you can also speak about that, you know, because of the bad luck you are in that position. at the end of the day, you know, we will celebrate regardless, but we at least won it on the track. but lewis hamilton's still been able to celebrate something, at windsor castle no less, where he received his knighthood from prince charles for services to motorsport. he was recognised in the 2021 new years honours list after equalling michael schumacher�*s record of seven f1 titles and took his proud mum alo

four-time defending champion lewis hamilton and his fierce rival, 24-year-old max verstappen, entered sunday's abu dhabi grand prix tied on points. with hamilton seeking a record eighth formula 1 world championship after tangling with verstappen over the season, including this dramatic crash in italy. on sunday is looked like hamilton had the victory and title in hand, leading almost the whole way, with verstappen a distant second until things got crazy. near the end of the race, the crash forced the safety car onto the track to limit the drivers' speeds. >> why are we getting these lap cars out of the way? >> reporter: while the safety car was out front, verstappen was able to make a pit stop for fresh tires while hamilton was not. once the race restarted, on lap 58 of 58, verstappen caught, overtook and sped by hamilton to win the championship in a shocking, unprecedented finish. unbelievable. hamilton's mercedes team protested the result. they argued the rule is the safety car should have still been out front on that final lap to allow all the cars in the bottom positions to drive

max verstappen there, and that's all the sport for now. hello there. cloudy skies are going to dominate the picture for the foreseeable future, and underneath that blanket of cloud, we start mild on thursday. we do have some clearer skies, some patchy mist and fog across parts of northern england and into norfolk, so it's a chillier start here. that mist and fog slowly lifting, and there'll be some sunshine. it's more likely to be to the east of the pennines into the north east of england. a little bit of patchy rain and drizzle affecting northern scotland, becoming confined mainly to the northern isles in the afternoon. for many of us, it's a cloudy scene once again on thursday. cloud or not, though, with light winds, it's still mild for the time of year. temperatures widely in double figures. now, moving into friday, and again, sunshine in short supply. perhaps the north west of wales, north east england and some eastern areas of scotland, but for many it's a cloudy, probably dry day. the winds light away from the far south west of england, and tempe

verstappen went on to win the race and the championship, after catching up with hamilton behind the safety car. latifi says he was shocked by the scale and tone of the hate and abuse he received online. he added that he'd expected it so deleted social media apps off his phone immediately after the race. you can get all the latest sports news at our website, that's bbc.com/sport. but from me and the team, that is all our support for now. —— how sport. reindeer once thrived in kyrgyzstan. they are considered sacred in central asia but their numbers have plummeted in the last hundred yea rs. now environmentalists have a plan to repopulate the country with the animal synonymous with christmas. the bbc�*s ermek maksutova reports. over a century ago, this was a land filled with thousands of reindeer. now there are just a little over 400 reindeer left in kyrgyzstan. once a sacred animal, reindeerwere animal, reindeer were mercilessly poached. animal, reindeerwere mercilessly poached. the reindeer that are left are mostly here in this reservation where they are protected by high rocks and th