ROVEN

Liverpool will face last season's semi-finalists RB Leipzig in the last 16 of the Champions League, while Chelsea come up against Atletico Madrid. Manchester City will face Borussia Monchengladbach, who are in the last 16 for the first time since 1978. Holders Bayern Munich face Italian side Lazio, who are in the knockout stage for the first time in 20 years. Barcelona face Paris St-Germain in arguably the tie of the round, a repeat of their 2017 classic. Reaction to the draw and live coverage of the Europa League draw Champions League: What we learned from group stage Neymar wants Lionel Messi at Paris St-Germain - could it happen? On that occasion the French side won 4-0 in the first leg but Barcelona completed a stunning 6-1 home win to advance. PSG forward Neymar, injured against Lyon on Sunday, scored twice for Barcelona in the last two minutes of that dramatic comeback - for Barcelona. The Brazilian recently said he wants Barca great Lionel Messi to join him in Paris next season. All three Premier League teams will be away for the first leg before having home advantage for the return matches. The first legs will be spread across two midweeks, taking place on 16, 17, 23 and 24 February, with the second legs on 9, 10, 16 and 17 March. Bayern - who beat PSG in last season's final - are favourites with the bookmakers to retain their title. Formidable ask for Chelsea - analysis Phil McNulty, chief football writer Chelsea face arguably the toughest test of England's Champions League contenders. Atletico Madrid, who beat Chelsea in the 2014 semi-final, have been in fine form in La Liga and saw off holders Liverpool at the same stage last season. They have also been strengthened by the signing of veteran striker Luis Suarez, who has been revitalised since arriving from Barcelona. Lampard will be optimistic but knows Atletico present a formidable challenge. Liverpool face RB Leipzig, who qualified for the knockout phase by beating Manchester United, and while manager Jurgen Klopp will know the dangers, he will also be encouraged by the manner in which they collapsed to a 5-0 group stage defeat at Old Trafford. It will be an intriguing match-up between Klopp and 33-year-old fellow countryman Julian Nagelsmann, regarded as Europe's finest young coach. Manchester City and Pep Guardiola will also be in opposition to another well-regarded coach in Borussia Monchengladbach's Marco Rose. He took them through a tough group, which included Real Madrid and Inter Milan, and is being heavily linked with a move to Borussia Dortmund next season following the sacking of Lucien Favre. Rose is an advocate of front-foot attacking football and while City will be favourites, the Bundesliga side cannot be taken lightly. Champions League last-16 draw Borussia Monchengladbach v Manchester City Lazio v Bayern Munich Atletico Madrid v Chelsea RB Leipzig v Liverpool Porto v Juventus Barcelona v Paris St-Germain Sevilla v Borussia Dortmund Atalanta v Real Madrid

The first Covid-19 vaccination in the United States has taken place, as the country gears up for its largest ever immunisation campaign. An intensive care nurse in Long Island, New York, is believed to have been the first person to be given the jab. Millions of vials of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine are being distributed, with 150 hospitals expected to receive doses on Monday. The US vaccination programme aims to reach 100m people by April. Covid-19 fatalities are nearing 300,000 in the US, which has by far the world's highest death toll. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine received emergency-use authorisation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday. "First Vaccine Administered. Congratulations USA! Congratulations WORLD!" President Donald Trump tweeted on Monday morning following the news from New York. The roll-out of the vaccine comes as the epidemic continues to ravage the country. Deaths have been rising sharply since November and the number of people in hospital with the disease has also continued to grow steadily, with more than 109,000 people currently admitted, according to the Covid Tracking Project. Can people with allergies have the Covid vaccine? US faces bleak winter amid worst virus wave yet Trump rejects early White House vaccinations Sandra Lindsay, a nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, received the vaccine live on-camera in a video that was streamed on the Twitter feed of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, whose state was the epicentre of the country's epidemic in the first wave earlier this year. "It didn't feel any different from taking any other vaccine," Ms Lindsay said. "I hope this marks the beginning of the end of a very painful time in our history. I want to instil public confidence that the vaccine is safe. We're in a pandemic and so we all need to do our part." image captionSpecial shipping containers are being used to distribute the vaccine across the US The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine - a collaboration between a US pharmaceutical giant and a German biotechnology company - offers up to 95% protection and is the first Covid-19 vaccine to be approved by US regulators. It is already being rolled out in the UK, while Canada is also beginning its inoculation programme on Monday, with an initial 30,000 doses going to 14 sites across the country. The first three million doses in the US are being distributed to dozens of locations across all 50 states by cargo plane and truck. Because the vaccine has to be kept at extremely low temperatures, the vials are stored in dry ice-cooled packages as they are whisked around the country. GPS-enabled thermal sensors are also being used to track the temperature of shipments as they are delivered. media captionUS Covid vaccine: Three key questions answered Most Americans will not be able to receive the vaccine until well into 2021 but the roll-out beginning this week is seen as a key symbolic turning point in the nation's battle against the pandemic, with hopes that take-up will be high. Covid: When can I get vaccinated in the US? "I think it's been probably the darkest December on record here. As of this last week, Covid-19 is the leading cause of death in the US, even more than cancer and heart disease," Dr Dora Mills of MaineHealth, a network of 12 hospitals in Portland, Maine, told the BBC "It's a very dark season for us, but it's also extraordinary that we have a vaccine less than a year after this virus has emerged. If the efficacy and safety data hold up, this is likely [to be] the greatest public health and scientific achievement of our lifetime." image captionThe vaccines are kept cold during transportation using dry ice The first doses are expected to be given to selected healthcare workers and elderly people living in residential care. Senior members of the Trump administration had been due to be some of the first in line but President Trump now says he has reversed the plan. He tweeted on Sunday that people working at the White House "should receive the vaccine somewhat later... unless specifically necessary". US President-elect Joe Biden, who will be inaugurated as president on 20 January, has set a goal of 100 million Covid vaccinations in his first 100 days in office. That would represent roughly a third of the country's total po[CENSORED]tion. Pfizer has agreed a deal to supply the US with 100 million doses of the vaccine by March. An additional 200 million doses of a second vaccine, developed by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health, will be provided by June. The vaccine is yet to be approved by regulators but will be reviewed by an expert panel later this week.

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McLaren Group has sold a minority stake in its Formula 1 team to a US-based sports investment group, a move that shores up the future of the company and is designed to help the racing division return to the front of the grid. A consortium led by MSP Sports Capital will invest £185 million in McLaren Racing, initially taking a 15 per cent share that will rice to 33 per cent by the end of 2022. The move values the long-running Formula 1 team, one of the most successful in the history of the sport, at £560 million. The deal does not include McLaren Automotive, the firm’s road car arm, which will remain wholly owned by the McLaren Group and as a result will become a greater focus of the company. McLaren is gearing up to unveil the Artura, its first series production hybrid, next year as a replacement for its Sport Series line. Autocar first revealed that McLaren was looking to sell a stake in its racing team in July, when the firm was struggling in the wake of the coronavirus and there was reportedly a clash between some of its shareholders over long-term goals for the Automotive, Racing and Applied divisions. McLaren Group has also been looking to raise funds from its Woking headquarters in a sale and lease-back deal. MSP Sports Capital is a sports investment group that owns stakes in a number of sports teams and related companies. It has partnered with UBS O’Connor, a hedge fund owned by the Swiss bank, and The Najafi Companies, a private investment firm. McLaren Racing boss Zak Brown has committed to the team “for the long term” following the deal, with his leadership team also remaining in place. As part of the deal, MSP Sports Capital’s Jeff Moorad and UBS O’Connor’s Rodrigo Trelles Zabala will join McLaren Racing’s board of directors. Brown said: ““This new investment bolsters our plan to return McLaren to contention for race wins and championships in Formula 1 and IndyCar, and will strengthen our positive momentum as we continue to focus relentlessly on our mission to return to the top of the podium.” Paul Walsh, McLaren Group’s executive chairman, said the partnership “represents another important step in our proactive strategy to position McLaren Group for long-term success. Bringing partner capital and expertise into McLaren Racing will support the team’s return to the front of the grid and further strengthen our financial position. The McLaren racing team was founded by Bruce McLaren in 1963, and has competed in F1 since 1966. The team has scores 182 race wins, eight drivers’ and 12 constructors’ championships. It also expanded to run a team in the IndyCar Series this year.

Mohamed Salah earned them their point, firing a low penalty under home goalkeeper Alphonse Areola after Aboubakar Kamara leapt in the wall and blocked a Georginio Wijnaldum free-kick with his arm. Bobby Decordova-Reid had given Fulham the lead during a first half that the home side dominated and would have scored more in, but for returning Reds goalkeeper Alisson. The Brazilian, who had missed the last two games through injury, twice denied Ivan Cavaleiro with fine saves after the Cottagers forward had broken through the Liverpool defence. The visitors also survived an early shout for a penalty, that required referee Andre Marriner to come to the touchline VAR monitor to assess Fabinho's challenge on Cavaleiro, which saw him make contact with both man and ball. They were further hampered when Joel Matip failed to come out for the second half, joining what is already an extensive injury list that has at times this campaign included most of their first-choice back five. They stuck at the task, though, and improved after the break, with Jordan Henderson drawing a superb save from Areola before Salah was given his opportunity to salvage a point with 11 minutes to go. With fans allowed into Craven Cottage for the first time this season, the home side were cheered from the pitch in recognition of their sterling efforts, and they now have eight points, two clear of the bottom three. On a weekend that also saw Chelsea, Tottenham and both Manchester clubs drop points, Liverpool will be disappointed that they failed to take advantage, although they remain level on points at the top with Spurs, behind the Londoners only on goal difference. Live text commentary of Fulham v Liverpool, plus the rest of Sunday's Premier League action Lawro's predictions v Lonely The Brave's Mo Edgeley Impressive Fulham rock sloppy Reds It was always going to be a tough task for Liverpool to match their Herculean efforts from last season, which saw them dominate the competition to win the league at a canter. They remain a potent side, as evidenced in recent demolitions of both Leicester and Wolves. But there is also a frailty to the Reds this campaign, particularly in games away from home, in which they have now conceded 12 goals - a tally only surpassed by the struggling West Brom and Sheffield United - and failed to win in five. Some of this is down to the Reds' well-publicised injury list, which still includes first-choice centre-back pairing Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, until today also contained Alisson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, and was added to when Joel Matip failed to emerge for the second half. On top of that, they also have Thiago, James Milner, Naby Keita, Xherdan Shaqiri and Diogo Jota sidelined through injury, the latter confirmed to be out for at least six weeks by Klopp before kick-off. Even so, the XI named by Klopp should still have been a match for a Fulham side that had previously taken just seven points from their first 11 games. That they did not is down to too many sloppy passes, too much hesitancy in defence and an inability to get the ball to their stellar front three with any accuracy or regularity. They marginally improved on all counts after the break and began to find a rhythm more in keeping with their usual selves without regularly carving their opponents open. The handball rule came to their aid and Salah does not miss from the spot. Most of the credit must go to the home side, who beat Leicester a couple of games ago, gave Manchester City more of a game than many in defeat at the Etihad last Saturday and were superior to the champions for much of the 90 minutes a week later. They understandably dropped deeper as the game wore on and became less of an attacking threat and relied on Areola a couple of times to keep Klopp's side at bay. But on the evidence of a first half full of energy and endeavour, their current league position belies their ability. Klopp's Reds the kings of recovering points Since Jurgen Klopp's first game in charge in October 2015, Liverpool have recovered more points from losing positions (85) than any other side in the Premier League. Liverpool are without a win in five away league outings (D4 L1), drawing their last four in a row; it's their joint-longest winless run away from home in the Premier League under Klopp (also five in March 2017). Having only earned four points from their opening nine league games this season (W1 D1 L7), Fulham have picked up four from their last three, against Leicester, Man City and Liverpool (W1 D1 L1). Fulham are the first newly promoted club to avoid defeat in a Premier League game against Liverpool since Newcastle United in October 2017 (also a 1-1 draw), ending the Reds' 18-game winning run against such sides in the league. Liverpool have now scored each of their last 18 Premier League penalties, with Mohamed Salah converting 12 of those. Salah scored his fifth away Premier League goal of the season for Liverpool, more than he managed in the entirety of 2019-20 (4). Salah has been directly involved in 20 goals in 20 Premier League appearances against newly promoted clubs for Liverpool, scoring 12 and assisting a further eight. Fulham's Bobby Decordova-Reid has scored in three consecutive home league appearances for the first time in his professional career. Seven of his nine Premier League goals have been scored in home games.

The UK and EU have agreed to carry on post-Brexit trade talks after a call between leaders earlier on Sunday. In a joint statement, Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was "responsible at this point to go the extra mile". The pair discussed "major unresolved topics" during their call. The two sides had said Sunday was the deadline for a decision on whether to continue with talks, with the UK set to leave EU rules at the end of the month. The leaders agreed to tell negotiators to carry on talks in Brussels "to see whether an agreement can even at this late stage be reached". They did not say how long these latest talks would continue, but the ultimate deadline is 31 December, and time must be allowed for the UK and European Parliaments to vote on any deal that emerges before then. What are the sticking points in Brexit trade talks? What are the UK and EU doing to prepare for no deal? What happens if there's no trade deal? Mrs von der Leyen said Sunday's call with Mr Johnson had been "constructive and useful". But Mr Johnson repeated his warning from earlier in the week that a no deal scenario was "most likely". The UK and EU have been carrying out negotiations for a post-Brexit trade deal since March and are attempting to secure one before the so-called transition period end on 31 December - when the two sides would move to trading on World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. Without a trade deal, tariffs - charges on goods being bought and sold between the two sides - could be introduced and, in turn, prices on certain products may go up. Reading out the joint statement, Mrs von der Leyen said: "Despite the exhaustion after almost a year of negotiations, despite the fact that deadlines have been missed over and over, we think it is responsible at this point to go the extra mile." Mr Johnson later said "where there is life, there is hope", and that the UK "certainly won't be walking away from the talks". But he added: "I've got to repeat the most likely thing now is of course that we have to get ready for WTO terms. "As far as I can see, there are some serious and very difficult issues that currently separate the UK from EU and the best thing to do now for everybody… [is to] get ready to trade on WTO terms." Labour's Rachel Reeves welcomed the continuation of the talks and said the worst outcome would be to "crash out with no deal whatsoever on 1 January". She added: "I hope that they [the talks] will swiftly conclude, but I also hope on behalf of all British businesses and workers, and our security as well, that the government deliver the promise they made to the British people and come back with a deal." The basics Brexit happened but rules didn't change at once: The UK left the European Union on 31 January 2020, but leaders needed time to negotiate a deal for life afterwards - they got 11 months. Talks are happening: The UK and the EU have until 31 December 2020 to agree a trade deal as well as other things, such as fishing rights. If there is no deal: Border checks and taxes will be introduced for goods travelling between the UK and the EU. But deal or no deal, we will still see changes. What happens next with Brexit? Talks will now continue in Brussels, with a focus expected on how close the UK should stick to EU economic rules in the future. The EU is determined to prevent the UK from gaining what it sees as an unfair advantage of having tariff-free access to its markets - not paying taxes on goods being bought and sold - while setting its own standards on products, employment rights and business subsidies. The EU is reported to have dropped the idea of a formal mechanism to ensure both sides keep up with each other's standards and is now prepared to accept UK divergence - provided there are safeguards to prevent unfair competition. Fishing rights is another major area of disagreement, with the EU warning that without access to UK waters for EU fleets, UK fishermen will no longer get special access to EU markets to sell their goods. But the UK argues that what goes on in its own waters, and its wider business rules, should be under its control as a sovereign country. Business lobby group the CBI said the continuation of talks "gives us hope", and that a deal was "both essential and possible" for the UK economy. When is a deadline not a deadline? When it's anything to do with Brexit, perhaps. Both sides in this long, long process, have agreed to go on rather than pull the plug. The circle around the talks is extremely tight so it is very hard to know precisely what is going on. It is possible that both sides are dangling concessions. But there is the sense now that the ground has shifted enough to make the chance of a deal worth pursuing. The political imperatives to make this happen are so strong that even tricky issues at this late stage can still potentially be fudged. It's far from certain that the talks will end in agreement, but the chances of resolution are once again on the rise. Read more from Laura here. The National Farmers' Union has warned there will be "significant disruption" to the sector if the UK fails to reach a trade deal with the EU. And the British Retail Consortium warned the public would face "over £3bn in food tariffs [meaning] retailers would have no choice but to pass on some of these additional costs to their customers". Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin said he believed a no-deal scenario "would be very bad news for all of us" and "an appalling failure of statecraft" on both sides. Speaking to the BBC's Andrew Marr, he called for the teams "with any bit of energy we have left [to] focus on negotiating a deal". Britons told not to stockpile food ahead of January Where do UK political parties stand on Brexit now? A number of Conservative MPs welcomed the continuation of talks, with former minister Damian Green, who backed Remain in the 2016 EU referendum, saying it was "good news" and that "no deal would be terrible". But leading Tory Brexiteer Sir John Redwood tweeted: "A long complex legal agreement that locks the UK back into many features of the EU that hinder us is not the Christmas present the UK needs."

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HP Omen, the gaming PC and laptop brand, has just announced two little things that are coming to its machines and anyone who wants to download its software. The first is the release of the Omen Gaming Hub, a Windows dashboard that bolsters its previous offering, the Omen Command Centre, with more gaming-focused stuff. The second is HP Omen Presents, which will showcase game developers within the Gaming Hub. The first game to get some HP love is Road 96 by Digixart, which genuinely looks really cool. The Omen Gaming Hub (which can be found on the Windows Store) isn't intended purely for owners of HP hardware, although the more useful functions are only usable if you have either one of its Omen laptops or desktops. This includes providing a place to configure your system's lighting, as well as offering undervolting options to make your machine run cool and quiet when you don't need a lot of power. If your life is HP free, then the Omen Gaming Hub is a less obvious sell, being yet another game launcher for you to battle with—although it does bring all your games from the various launches under one software roof. You can't buy games through the service, but there is information on the games you have installed, provided they're in HP database—Cyberpunk 2077 hasn't been added yet. There's also the Omen Gallery to gawp at, which allows you to download a variety of wallpapers. There's nothing too exciting here, but it doesn't exactly hurt. The more interesting news is HP is working with game developers. HP will be promoting Road 96 in the coming months using its Gaming Hub, with exclusive access and content about the game's development—screenshots, wallpapers and videos at a guess. The industry has tended to keep the church and state of hardware and gaming separate for the most part—although graphics cards have been bundling games for years, it's not something OEMs or system builders generally touch. Whether we'll see the likes of Alienware or Razer follow suit remains to be seen, but it could be an interesting development if handled properly. HP is also bolstering its peripherals, with a range of wireless devices on the way including a new Omen Blast Headset, Omen Vector Wireless Mouse, and Omen Spacer Wireless Keyboard.

One of the biggest reveals at Thursday night's Game Awards was The Callisto Protocol, a new sci-fi survival horror game from a team of veterans who worked on EA's Dead Space series. It's still a long way off, scheduled for 2022, and the cinematic trailer is more of a mood piece than anything. We can glean that it's set in a dingy futuristic prison, and there's a very nasty monster (alien? mutant?) on the premises. I couldn't get much more concrete detail out of chief development officer Steve Papoutsis when we chatted after the reveal, but I did at least confirm one suspicion: Dead Space's beloved holographic HUD is coming back in some form. In one of the first shots in the trailer, an unnamed prisoner sits up in bed. On his neck is a glowing green implant—what I'd guess is some kind of restraining implant, green to symbolize he's currently healthy. It's a pretty blatant nod to the spinal cord health indicator on the back of Dead Space's suits, a cleverly "in-universe" way to communicate without plastering a HUD over the action. Dead Space famously did that for everything, projecting its menus as holograms instead of breaking immersion. I'm not exactly doing Sherlock-level detective work noticing the callback here, and Papoutsis played a little coy outright confirming it, but I think it's safe to say The Callisto Protocol is going to have a similar system. "Interesting observation you made there," he said with a grin. "I can't really go into detail on that one, but you've got a keen eye." My guess is we're going to see plenty of action, but for Papoutsis, horror definitely seems to be the priority. "What we're really hoping to do is genuinely scare our players, and hopefully have them have memorable experiences while playing the game," he says. Most of the other things I asked about Papoutsis wants to keep secret; he wouldn't even say what kinds of weapons we should expect from The Callisto Protocol or who we'll be playing as. But I did at least get a few tidbits about the setting. It's set in the year 2320 at a prison colony called Black Iron, unsurprisingly on Jupiter's moon Callisto. But are we a prisoner? The warden? Will there be a gun as cool as Dead Space's rotating pistol? "We want people's minds to explore all the potential things that might be, and then we'll talk about that in the future," he says. I imagine we'll learn more next year.

SUZUKI has just announced its enticing autumn season deals and changes, with new colours on the capable GSX-S750, and the firm’s po[CENSORED]r £1 per cc deposit scheme returns. Suzuki Katana (2019) video review 2021 Suzuki GSX-S750 colours For 2021, the po[CENSORED]r all-rounder is available in two new colours, blue and black edition with fluro accents as well as a grey and black version with striking blue wheels. A reimagined blue and black livery sees a black tank, mudguard, seat unit, and belly pan complemented by blue radiator shrouds and side panels, all offset by standout fluro accents around the headlight and on the belly pan, plus the 750 graphic on the seat unit and rim decals. Suzuki GSX-S750 2021 new colours announced Retaining the same black elements is a variant that swaps the blue to a subtle, classy grey, which is finished with blue details and eye-catching blue wheels. The GSX-S750 is also currently available with £750 off (thanks to the offer mentioned below,) meaning the GSX-S750 comes with an RRP of just £7249. With a £2000 deposit or trade-in, it could be ridden away for as little as £60.30 per month on a three-year PCP deal. suzuki Motorcycle UK autumn season deals Save up to £1000 with Suzuki’s £1 per cc offer plus no deposit required Suzuki’s po[CENSORED]r £1 per cc offer will return this autumn, which will see customers able to enjoy savings of up to £1000 depending on the capacity of the bike they are choosing. Sports bike fans looking for BSB winning performance can bag a GSX-R 1000R as well as the GSX-S1000, GSX-S1000F, and the new Katana will benefit from a £1000 saving. Conversely, there is £750 to be saved on the GSX-S750, plus a £650 discount on the V-Strom 650 and V-Strom 650XT, SV650, and SV650X. In addition, all models are available on both PCP and Hire Purchase finance with no deposit required. Suzuki autumn deals and new colour scheme for GSX-S750 Suzuki GB head of motorcycles, Jonathan Martin, commented: "Our £1 per cc saving has proven po[CENSORED]r in the past and means customers can save serious money on the purchase of a new Suzuki. What makes switching even easier is the ability to not only save on the retail price, but also take out a finance agreement with an APR of just 5.9%, with the potential for no deposit. As a result, customers can focus on a manageable monthly repayment by taking the ever-po[CENSORED]r PCP option or conventional HP finance, making owning a new Suzuki an easier prospect this autumn.”

Wolves had the better of their first home game since striker Raul Jimenez suffered a fractured skull, with Fabio Silva hitting a post midway through the second half. Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez then denied Leander Dendoncker, before the visitors had midfielder Douglas Luiz sent off after picking up a second booking late on. But Nelson Semedo brought down John McGinn in injury-time, handing El Ghazi the chance to sidefoot home his first goal since January from the spot. There was still time for the hosts to have midfielder Joao Moutinho dismissed for a second yellow card as Villa clinched their second win in six games, climbing back above their local rivals to eighth in the table. With Jimenez set for a lengthy absence, Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo gave a first Premier League start to 18-year-old striker Silva, their club record £35.6m summer signing from Porto. Villa also gave a teenager his first start in England's top flight - 19-year-old midfielder Jacob Ramsey - but with no fans present, this was hardly the baptism of fire you might expect from a regular West Midlands derby. Follow all of Saturday's Premier League action No Silva lining in Jimenez's absence With Wolverhampton still under tier three coronavirus restrictions, supporters have to wait a little longer to return to Molineux. But they have shown their support for Jimenez by raising £21,000 to pay for a huge banner in the Steve Bull Stand which reads "Fuerza Raul", and they also arranged for an aeroplane to circle the stadium before kick-off, towing a "get well soon" message. Jimenez's team-mates were still coming to terms with the severity of his injury as they lost 4-0 at Liverpool last weekend but Nuno said the Mexico forward gave everyone "a big lift" when he visited the club's Compton training ground on Wednesday. Jimenez's injury has hastened Silva's introduction to the starting line-up, after six substitute appearances, and he was a lively frontrunner, with Daniel Podence, Adama Traore and Pedro Neto probing in behind. Podence had a shot deflected wide from Neto's cutback and a fierce low strike saved, while Dendoncker fired straight at Martinez. Silva glanced a Moutinho free-kick wide in first-half stoppage time and then almost broke the deadlock when he latched on to Podence's perfectly weighted pass, but his first-time effort came back off the far post. The Portuguese teenager went close again with an overhead kick, while Martinez made a fine save to keep out Dendoncker's volley from Neto's Rabona cross, but Wolves were undone by a lapse at the back. Having stuck with a four-man defence, Wolves looked solid for the most part, until McGinn got in behind right-back Semedo to earn the spot-kick. The perfect away performance - almost For the most part, this derby did not deliver the same entertainment as Villa's recent defeats by Brighton and West Ham, but manager Dean Smith will surely not care one jot having pulled off another fine result on the road. Villa have now won four out of five away games in the league and had it not been for Martinez's heroics, and Luiz's red card, you might say it was the perfect away performance. In the first half they looked comfortable in a 4-3-3 formation, with Ramsey a lively introduction on the left side of midfield. They were happy to contain Wolves as much as possible, though they rarely threatened themselves despite spending more time in the hosts' final third. But Villa were straight on the front foot in the second half, with Luiz firing wide and Jack Grealish's free-kick going just over. Wolves keeper Rui Patricio was also forced to turn a deflected Ollie Watkins strike wide at his near post, yet the hosts managed to take more control and looked the most likely side to claim a late winner. Then Grealish linked up with McGinn and El Ghazi was allowed to do the honours from the penalty spot, ensuring Villa's excellent start to the season has not gone to waste. What's next? Jimenez hopes to be watching from the stands as Wolves host Chelsea on Tuesday (18:00 GMT), before visiting Burnley the following Monday (17:30). Villa welcome Burnley on Thursday (18:00), then go to West Brom for another local derby next Sunday (19:15).

The US Food and Drug Administration has authorised the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for emergency use. The agency said the authorisation was a "significant milestone" in the pandemic, which taken more than 295,000 lives in the US. The vaccine, which offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19, was deemed safe and effective by the FDA. President Donald Trump said the first vaccinations will take place "in less than 24 hours". "Today our nation has achieved a medical miracle," Mr Trump said. "We have delivered a safe and effective vaccine in just nine months." Before the announcement on Friday night, the FDA had come under intense pressure from the Trump administration to approve the vaccine's use. The head of the agency, Stephen Hahn, was told to approve it for emergency use by Friday or quit, US media reported, although he called this "untrue". In further comments at a news conference on Saturday, Mr Hahn said he was ready to be vaccinated as soon as the vaccine was available and stressed that the agency had not compromised safety in its testing. The issue of allergies was also addressed after testing in the UK produced a small number of allergic reactions. Dr Peter Marks, the head of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research said the few reactions in the UK "were not seen in the larger trial data sets, but we still need to know more and we'll be taking precautions". He added that the FDA was "comfortable giving the vaccine to patients who have had other allergic reactions other than severe allergic reactions to a vaccine or one of its components". His advice was that those with a history of allergies should consult a doctor. Covid: When can I get vaccinated in the US? Safety data on Pfizer jab released by US How does the Pfizer vaccine work? Health and Human Services Secretary, Alex Azar, told reporters earlier on Friday that his department would work with Pfizer to get the mass vaccination programme started by Monday or Tuesday. The Pfizer vaccine has already received regulatory approval in the UK, Canada, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Like those countries, the US will give its first doses of the vaccine to the elderly, health workers and emergency crew. Coronavirus deaths have been rising sharply since November in the US. On Wednesday, the country recorded more than 3,000 deaths - the highest total in a single day anywhere in the world. What else has the FDA said? "The FDA's authorisation for emergency use of the first Covid-19 vaccine is a significant milestone in battling this devastating pandemic that has affected so many families in the United States and around the world," said Mr Hahn. He said the authorisation came after "an open and transparent review process" that ensured the vaccine met the "FDA's rigorous, scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality". image captionThe Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine is expected to be rolled out in the coming days On Thursday, medical experts advising the FDA recommended the emergency-use authorisation. A 23-member panel concluded the vaccine's benefits outweighed its risks. Emergency use, the FDA said, is not the same as full approval, which would require Pfizer to file a separate application to secure. "While not an FDA approval, today's emergency use authorisation of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine holds the promise to alter the course of this pandemic in the United States," said Dr Marks. Has the FDA been leaned on? On Friday, President Trump sent out an angry tweet calling the FDA a "big, old, slow turtle", adding: "Get the dam vaccines out NOW, Dr Hahn. Stop playing games and start saving lives." The Washington Post said that White House chief of staff Mark Meadows had ordered Mr Hahn to approve the vaccine on Friday or submit his resignation, citing three sources. image captionUS media reported that FDA Commissioner Hahn had been ordered to approve the vaccine's use by Friday But Mr Hahn told US media he had only been "encouraged to continue working expeditiously" on the vaccine's approval, and that the media representation of the chief of staff's phone call was "untrue". Amid the reports of White House pressure, President-elect Joe Biden said he wanted to make it clear to the public that they should have confidence in the vaccine, adding: "There is no political influence." How does the vaccine work? The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was the first coronavirus jab to show promising results in the latter stages of its testing process. It is a new type called an mRNA vaccine that uses a tiny fragment of genetic code from the pandemic virus to teach the body how to fight Covid-19 and build immunity. "The vaccine contains a small piece of the [Covid-19] virus's mRNA that instructs cells in the body to make the virus's distinctive 'spike' protein," the FDA said. media captionHow will the new Pfizer vaccine work? "When a person receives this vaccine, their body produces copies of the spike protein, which does not cause disease, but triggers the immune system to learn to react defensively, producing an immune response against [Covid-19]." The vaccine is given as two injections, 21 days apart, with the second dose being a booster. Immunity begins to kick in after the first dose but reaches its full effect seven days after the second dose. What could happen now it has been approved? Operation Warp Speed says that vaccine deliveries will begin within 24 hours of approval. "We have made sure that this vaccine will be free, for all Americans," Mr Trump said in a recorded video posted to Twitter. "We have already begun shipping the vaccine to every state and zip code in the country. The first vaccine will be administered in less than 24 hours." Pfizer plans to have 6.4 million doses ready for the US in its first rollout round in late December. Because two injections are required per person, that is enough for three million people, out of a total US po[CENSORED]tion of 330 million. Federal officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say the nation's 21 million healthcare workers should be prioritised first, as well the three million elderly Americans living in long-term care homes. But there is less consensus on how states should distribute it to other groups. The nation's approximately 87 million essential workers are expected to be next in line for the jab, but it will be up to states to decide which industries to prioritise. Mr Trump said vaccines "will vanquish the virus and return life back to normal". But officials say vaccinations for groups that are not at a high risk are expected to take place in the spring of 2021. A second vaccine, developed by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health, is also seeking emergency approval in the US. Like the Pfizer vaccine it requires a second round of injections.

Google has started notifying users by email that its new cloud storage policy will go into effect in June of next year Google has begun notifying users of its Gmail, Google Photos and Google Drive services that their content could be permanently deleted soon. In an email sent to users that had previously used one or more of the affected products in their Google Account cloud storage, the company warned users about its cloud storage policy changes that will go into effect on June 1, 2021. Users that don't abide by the changes to Google's cloud storage policy could see their private content deleted from its servers. However, the company has said that it will notify users multiple times before it removes any content which will give them ample time to adhere to the new policy. We've built a list of the best cloud storage for photos right now Here's our list of the best portable SSDs available Check out our list of the best cloud backup services around According to Google, accounts will only be targeted if they have not been used for two years or if a user exceeds their storage limit for two years. Upgrade or backup As Google's new rules won't go into effect until June 2021 and won't come into force until June 21, 2023, users have more than enough time to either upgrade to a higher tier plan or backup the photos, documents and files they want to save. The search giant will continue to offer 15GB of free cloud storage across Gmail, Drive and Photos with every Google Account. If you're concerned about reaching this limit or just want to see how much storage you've used across all of the Google services you use, you can visit this page for a full breakdown as well as an estimate as to how long it will take you to use all of your allotted storage. From here, you can either upgrade to a higher tier Google One plan for $19.99 per year for 100GB, $2.99 per month for 200GB, $9.99 per month for 2TB or $49.99 for 10TB or check out one of the best cloud storage services instead. Alternatively, you can also use a cloud backup solution for files you want to keep but don't regularly access.

A driver device ID list from HP posted on LaptopVideo2Go (via Sweclockers) appears to confirm rumours that have been circulating for a while now: The Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti really is on the way. This isn't the only unreleased card to appear in HP's list either, with desktop and mobile variants of the RTX 3070, RTX 3060, and RTX 3050 also apparently on the way. None of these cards has officially been announced or even confirmed by Nvidia, but it sure looks like a whole lot more Ampere SKUs are on the way. The driver list from HP doesn't make a direct reference to the GPU names, but the separate public PCI ID list can be used to cross-reference these IDs to produce the more recognisable names. For instance, this is where you'll find 2205 is a reference to the GA102 [GeForce RTX 3080 Ti]. The RTX 3080 Ti will sit somewhere between the $699 Nvidia RTX 3080 and the $1,499 Nvidia RTX 3090. No exact specifications are known at this point, but it's believed the RTX 3080 Ti will have 9,984 CUDA cores (78 streaming multiprocessors), compared to the RTX 3080's 8,704 CUDA cores (68 SMs) and the RTX 3090's 10,496 (82 SMs). One of the more intriguing rumours doing the rounds is that the RTX 3080 Ti will have 20GB of VRAM. If true, this would eat into the market of the RTX 3090, although at the same time it could be seen as a formidable answer to the AMD RX 6800 XT, which packs 16GB as opposed to the RTX 3080's 10GB. There's not a lot between the RTX 3080 and the RX 6800 XT in gaming terms, but the fact AMD's card packs more memory could be seen as advantageous further on down the line. And will at least unpick one of its key marketing points. Though the RTX 3080 Ti could purely be a $999 card unleashed to bury the AMD RX 6900 XT, tipping up with higher performance, more memory, and an identical price point. Though we struggle to see the worth in AMD's top GPU right now, so whether an Nvidia rival is necessary is another question entirely. Back to the list, and there are plenty of other cards listed, include an RTX 3070 Ti and two variants of the RTX 3060, one with 6GB of VRAM and one with 12GB. There are also the mobile SKUs of the RTX 3060 and RTX 3050 (possible with Max-Q variants as well). There's no indication of when any of these new GPUs will actually land. There's also the slight issue of ongoing stock shortages to contend with in the meantime, although it may just be that having more SKUs will enable Nvidia to use up the chips it actually has. Either way, it looks like Nvidia is set to fill out its Ampere stack as we head into 2021.

The new Lynk&Co Zero, an electric coupé-SUV built on a new dedicated EV architecture set to underpin future Volvo models, has completed its first dynamic testing in China, ahead of going on sale in the country next year. The Volkswagen ID 4 rival will be the first electric model from Geely's Chinese premium brand, which is due to finally expand into Europe next year with the 01 SUV using an entirely subscription-based business model. The Zero is expected to eventually be offered in Europe as well. Shown in concept form at the Beijing motor show in September, the Zero is the first model build on Geely’s new Sustainable Electric Architecture (SEA), which the firm says features advances in both hardware and software systems - including the ability to offer over-the-air updates. Geely says the new architecture is open-source and will be “used throughout the Geely Holding portfolio of companies," which includes Volvo and its spin-off performance brand Polestar. Deliveries of the first Volvo EV, the XC40 Recharge P8, will begin in the UK early next year, but there's no confirmation on when the Swedish firm might launch a car using the SEA platform. Geely is also planing to offer the platform for use by third party firms. Lynk&Co has yet to release full performance details of the Zero, but it claims that it will offer a 0-62mph time of less than 4.0sec, with a range of around 435 miles. It uses an 800V underfloor battery pack, which the firm says has a lifespan of 1.2 million miles. The Zero also has 50:50 weight distribution front to rear, according to Lynk&Co, and rides on adjustable air suspension. The prototype completed initial testing at the Yan Cheng test facility in Jiangsu Province, running both on the venue’s high-speed banking and completing ‘moose test’ obstacle avoidance. The Zero is due to go into production in China in the middle of 2021 and customer deliveries will begin before the end of the year.

Eddie Nketiah gave the Gunners the lead when he clipped his shot past Gary Rogers after an error by Andrew Boyle. Mohamed Elneny doubled the advantage with a superb strike before Jordan Flores made it 2-1 with an angled shot. Joe Willock and Folarin Balogun scored late on for the Gunners before Sean Hoare grabbed a second for Dundalk. Reaction to Dundalk v Arsenal, plus the rest of Thursday's Europa League action "Today's performance was overall positive because we won the game," Gunners boss Mikel Arteta told the club website. "However, we had some moments after scoring the first two goals where we were a little bit disconnected and we got a little bit confused by what the game required." His side's form in Europe is in stark contrast with their three defeats and a draw in the past four Premier League matches. The Spaniard added: "Now we have to forget about the Europa League because that's in February. "Now we need everybody on board - we obviously have a large squad at the moment with players back from injury, so we'll have the opportunity to pick who is better in the moment and still rotate some players. "It gives us more options in the Premier League, to focus there and try and get the results we need." Nketiah passes audition Although this was a dead rubber, the players selected in Dublin had the chance to prove to Arteta and Arsenal fans that they could be the ones to change the misfiring team's fortunes in the Premier League. However, there were only a handful who made a strong claim, with winger and £72m club-record signing Nicolas Pepe, suspended at domestic level after his red card against Leeds, particularly underwhelming on the right with his poor decision-making and deliveries. Of the attackers, striker Nketiah probably made the strongest claim to be in the XI against Burnley on Sunday. The 21-year-old, who has not started a league game since 4 October, became the club's top scorer this season on five goals with his opener, and he produced four other efforts. Full-back Ainsley Maitland-Niles and midfielder Emile Smith Rowe, on the left, formed a good partnership on the left, with Arsenal looking most dangerous when they broke down that flank. Midfielder Willock impressed once more and took his low effort well, while 19-year-old substitute Balogun, who set up that goal, kept his composure for his side-foot finish. At the back, Calum Chambers was making his first start following his cruciate injury last year and made an outstanding block at 2-1 to deny Darragh Leahy an almost certain equaliser. This was Dundalk's final match of the season, coming after they won the FAI Cup last weekend. On a cut-up Aviva Stadium pitch they troubled Arsenal, especially in the first half. Flores lit up the night with his angled strike which, while not as impressive as his stunning entry for the Fifa Puskas award, was still superbly struck, and Hoare's late header was just reward for the team's efforts. These are uncertain times for the Irish club, with 14 of their players now out of contract. Arsenal continue to excel in Europe - stats Arsenal are unbeaten in nine away major Uefa games (W7 D2) - the Gunners' longest ever streak without a defeat on the road. Arsenal have won six consecutive major Uefa matches (excluding qualifiers) for the first time since November 2005. In all European competition, Dundalk are winless in eight matches against English teams (D1 L7), scoring four goals while shipping 28. All three of Elneny's goals for Arsenal have been scored in European competition, with two of those strikes coming from outside the box. Arsenal have won all 11 games in which Nketiah has found the back of the net, with the forward scoring 12 in total. Arsenal are the first team to have three English players aged 21 or younger (Balogun, Willock and Nketiah) score in a major Uefa match since Spurs in 1982 v Coleraine (Garry Brooke, Terry Gibson & Gary Mabbutt). Arsenal have scored twice as many goals in the Europa League this season (20 in six games) as they have in the Premier League (10 in 11).

UK and Russian scientists are teaming up to trial a combination of the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Sputnik V vaccines to see if protection against Covid-19 can be improved. Mixing two similar vaccines could lead to a better immune response in people. The trials, to be held in Russia, will involve over-18s, although it's not clear how many people will be involved. Oxford recently published results showing their jab was safe and effective in trials on people. The researchers are still collecting data on the effectiveness of the vaccine in older age groups while waiting for approval from the UK regulator, the MHRA. AstraZeneca said it was exploring combinations of different adenovirus vaccines to find out whether mixing them leads to a better immune response and, therefore, greater protection. Are two vaccines better than one? The hope is combining different vaccines will give either stronger or longer-lasting immunity to the virus. There are reasons to think this might be beneficial for the Oxford and the Sputnik V jabs. Both use harmless viruses to deliver the important part of the vaccine (a bit of the coronavirus' genetic code) into the body. The risk is the body becomes immune to the "viral postman" making the second or booster jab less effective. This is one explanation for why Oxford had better results from giving someone a half dose followed by a full one, rather than two normal doses. Other vaccine combinations are also planned in the hope that approaching the challenge from different angles will lead to better results. The British-made Oxford vaccine, developed in partnership with AstraZeneca, and the Russian Sputnik vaccine, developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute in Moscow, are similar because they both contain genetic material from the Sars-CoV-2 spike protein. They work differently to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which has been approved in the UK, Canada, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and recommended for approval by medical experts in the US. Promising vaccine abandoned over false HIV response US drug experts recommend Pfizer vaccine approval Oxford vaccine 'safe and effective' study shows Early results from late-stage trials of the Sputnik vaccine have shown promising results. Russia was the first country to register a Covid vaccine for emergency use - in August, despite only having been tested on a few dozen people. It is now being offered to Russians as part of a mass vaccination campaign. AstraZeneca said it was "working with industry partners, governments and research institutions around the world, and will soon begin exploring with Gamaleya Research Institute in Russia to understand whether two adenovirus-based vaccines can be successfully combined".

Pro

The interim CEO of Norton has released a statement regarding deposits paid for 961 Commando SINCE being scooped out of the mire by TVS in April this year, Norton, its staff, and its interim CEO, John Russell have had a mountain to climb to win back public favour. The company had been effectively run into the ground by the previous caretakers, with a litany of dodgy decisions and mis-management plaguing one of Britain’s most famous motorcycle manufacturers. But the team at Norton and TVS are determined and working hard to right the wrongs of the previous administration. Today, Norton has confirmed to Visordown that any existing customers that have paid a deposit for a 961 Commando will be able to take delivery of a brand new bike should they so wish. To facilitate this, a limited number of 961 Commandos will be built, for those still wanting to own a modern interpretation of one of Britain’s most important motorcycles. The bikes will be the first to roll off a new production line at a purpose-built manufacturing facility close to the existing Donington Hall site. The bikes will be delivered to the customers once any existing balance has been paid. Norton statement The statement from John Russell reads: “When Norton was acquired by TVS Motor Company, there was a select number of Norton enthusiasts who had placed orders and paid deposits for 961-engined bikes. “Norton is not obliged to fulfil these orders but is fully committed to its customers and value their trust more than anything. Norton will be building a limited quantity of Commando Classic bikes and offering these bikes to those customers who had ordered and paid a deposit for a 961-engined bike. “This very special edition of bikes will be built by Norton’s experts at its new facility and supplied to customers once any outstanding balance has been paid. The team at Norton are respectful custodians of the Norton brand and feel privileged to build such special bikes for such loyal and supportive customers.”

Italy's 1982 World Cup hero Paolo Rossi has died aged 64, his family says. Rossi became a household name after leading the Azzurri to victory at the tournament in Spain, finishing as top scorer and being named best player. At club level he first came to prominence as a prolific scorer for Vicenza, earning a move to Juventus and later playing for AC Milan. His death was announced on Thursday, following what Italian media report had been a long illness. Rossi's wife Federica Cappelletti posted a picture of them together on social media with the words "Per sempre" ("forever"). She did not disclose the cause of his death. Rossi scored 20 goals in 48 appearances for the Italian national side, and more than 100 Serie A goals during spells with Vicenza, Perugia, Juventus, Milan and Verona. Following his performances at the 1982 World Cup, he was awarded the Ballon d'Or which at the time was given to the European footballer of the year. After retiring from football in the late 1980s, Rossi worked as a pundit for Sky, Mediaset and Rai. The Italian football federation (FIGC) said flags would fly at half-mast at its headquarters in Rome and its technical centre in Florence. "Pablito's passing away is another moment of deep pain, a wound to the heart of all fans that is difficult to heal," said FIGC president Gabriele Gravina. "We've lost a friend and an icon of Italian football. "In spurring the national team on to success in 1982, he had Italians celebrating in squares across the country, both for him and with him. "He indelibly tied his name to the Azzurri and, through his style of play, inspired numerous strikers of future generations." A statement from Vicenza, who Rossi helped win promotion to Serie A in 1977, said: "Sometimes there are simply no words to express the pain we are all experiencing." Milan, where he played in the 1985-86 season, said Rossi would "forever be in our memory". World Cup success was Rossi's 'personal redemption' Rossi wrote his name into footballing folklore with his displays at the 1982 World Cup - although he nearly missed the competition after being implicated in a match-fixing scandal. Although Rossi maintained his innocence, he was banned from football for three years after being accused of taking part in the 1980 Totonero scandal. This suspension was reduced to two years on appeal, meaning he was available to play at the World Cup in Spain. Rossi later described going on to win the tournament as a "personal redemption". The tournament started with a whimper for both Italy and Rossi. The Juventus striker failed to score in the opening group stage as Italy drew all three games to scrape through. The Italians looked far from World Cup contenders - until Rossi, whose performances had come under criticism, found his sharpness in front of goal in the crucial meeting with Brazil in the second group stage. Rossi scored a hat-trick as Italy won 3-2 to reach the semi-finals, then scored both goals against Poland as Italy set up a meeting with West Germany in the final. A tense final swung Italy's way when Rossi scored the opening goal in the second half, the Azzurri going on to win 3-1 and become world champions for a third time. "On one hand I felt fulfilled. I said to myself, 'you've made it'," Rossi later said about the triumph. "On the other hand, I was disappointed that all of this just ended. The World Cup was over. "[But] when you win something important it's not just about the trophy. It's about the group you win it with, it's about your entire career that took you there." 'Iconic Rossi part of Italian history' Italy's triumph sparked an outpouring of emotion back home, providing national unity and joy at a time when the country was beset by political and social unrest. Those images of Rossi and his team-mates becoming world champions will forever be ingrained in the country's culture, says Italian journalist Daniele Verri. "We are all shocked here because Paulo Rossi is such an iconic figure for Italian football," Verri told BBC World Service. "He is part of Italian history that goes beyond football. "For those who were lucky enough to see him play in the 1982 World Cup we cannot ever forget what he did.

The EU has published contingency plans in case of the possible collapse of Brexit trade talks with the UK. The plans aim to ensure smooth UK-EU air and road travel, as well as allowing the possibility of fishing access to each other's waters. They come after talks between UK PM Boris Johnson and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen aimed at ending a deadlock over the deal ended without agreement. The UK is due to stop following EU trading rules on 31 December. The UK left the EU at the end of January this year, but a transition period of 11 months followed to allow the two sides to try to negotiate a deal. The commission said the application of the proposed measures would, in some cases, depend on the UK reciprocating and accepting certain terms. 'Large gaps' remain after crucial Brexit talks What are the sticking points in Brexit trade talks? The prime minister's spokesman said such a statement from the EU had been expected and it was similar to what had been proposed in September 2019, adding that the government had already set out its own plans in the event a trade deal could not be reached. The main obstacles continue to be access to fishing waters, rules about subsidising businesses and how any new deal would be policed. The EU's contingency plans A statement by the European Commission - the EU executive - published on Thursday said there was currently "significant uncertainty" about whether a deal would be in place by 1 January. "Our responsibility is to be prepared for all eventualities, including not having a deal in place," Ms von der Leyen said. Some sectors would be disproportionately affected, the commission said, adding that it was proposing four contingency measures "to mitigate some of the significant disruptions" if a deal were not in place: To ensure the provision of "certain air services" between the UK and EU for six months, provided the UK does the same To allow aviation safety certificates to be used in EU aircraft without disruption to avoid grounding To ensure basic connectivity for road freight and passenger transport for six months, provided the UK does the same To allow the possibility of reciprocal fishing access for UK and EU vessels in each other's waters for one year, or until an agreement is reached The commission also said its offers on road and air transport would depend on the UK providing "fair and equal opportunities", adding: "A level playing field requires that, even after the end of the transition period, the United Kingdom continues to apply sufficiently high and comparable standards." The idea of level playing field measures is to ensure businesses on one side do not have an unfair advantage over their competitors on the other. The EU wants the UK to stick particularly closely to a number of its rules but the UK argues Brexit means breaking free from following those rules. media captionBBC Reality Check explains why the level playing field matters in Brexit talks Reacting to the plans, Boris Johnson's spokesman said the UK government would look "very closely at the details" and that negotiators were "continuing to work to see if the two sides could bridge the remaining gaps". The spokesman added that the government "had been clear throughout it would not agree to anything that did not respect UK sovereignty". The European Commission has until now resisted calls from EU member states to publish these plans, partly because it did not want to jeopardise further the already perilous trade talks. The thinking was that the UK may view any EU contingency plans as rather palatable and encourage them to pursue a path to no deal. Certainly, the proposal that planes and lorries would keep moving would appear to remove an element of drama from what happens on 1 January. And on fishing - such a totemic issue in the wider talks - the message is that this would protect coastal communities in the face on growing uncertainty. But dig deeper, and the EU olive branch is dependent on the UK accepting key terms, including agreements on the increasingly famous "level playing field" - the very subject which is proving so divisive in the seemingly deadlocked trade talks. The state of play with the talks Negotiations on a trade deal are continuing, but Downing Street said following Wednesday's talks between Mr Johnson and Ms von der Leyen that "very large gaps remain". UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said it was "unlikely" the negotiations would be extended beyond Sunday, while Paymaster General Penny Mordaunt said the UK was "working tirelessly to get a deal" but could not accept an agreement at any cost. Brexit: Seven things that will change on 1 January Ms von der Leyen said the EU was willing to grant the UK access to the single market "but the conditions have to be fair... for our workers and our companies", adding: "This fine balance of fairness has not been achieved so far. We will take a decision on Sunday." EU leaders will be briefed about the talks at a summit in Brussels later on Thursday, although Brexit is not on the official discussion agenda. EU travel ban possible Separately, the European Commission has confirmed reports that a ban on travel to the EU because of Covid-19 levels, currently applying to non-EU countries, could be extended to UK visitors from 1 January. Currently only eight countries with low Covid rates are on the approved list for free travel and there are no plans to add the UK to that list. But EU member states have control over their own border restrictions and could choose to have their own individual travel corridors and allow British visitors in. Meanwhile, France's minister for Europe, Clément Beaune, warned that visas might be required for UK citizens who plan to stay in the EU for more than three months. But, he added, the matter was still being negotiated.

Microsoft Teams flaw appears to have been more serious than first suggested Microsoft has been accused of downplaying the severity of a security issue found in its collaboration platform Teams, which was remedied quietly back in October. According to a report from security engineer Oskars Vegeris, the company failed to warn users of the problem and neither did it seek Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) classification, on the grounds that Teams patches are installed automatically. Roughly one month after disclosure, the cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability was classified by Microsoft as “Important, Spoofing”, which Vegeris describes as “one of the lowest in-scope ratings possible”. We've built a list of the best video conferencing software around Here's our rundown of the best business webcams available Check out our list of the best headsets for conferencing right now However, the scope of potential attacks and the opportunity to access various different areas of the infected network means it demands a much higher threat rating, claims Vegeris. Microsoft Teams vulnerability This particular Microsoft Teams vulnerability, according to the researcher, could open the door to “zero click, wormable, cross-platform remote code execution.” Broken down for the layman, this means the attack does not hinge on a mistake on the part of the victim (such as clicking on a dangerous link), infection can pass between one computer to the next and the exploit allows the hacker to run malicious code on infected machines at will. As Vegeris describes, an attacker could send or edit a message that looks identical to any other. When the relevant chat log is opened, the code is launched on the victim’s machine. “That’s it. There is no further interaction from the victim. Now your company’s internal network, personal documents, O365 documents/mail/notes, secret chats are fully compromised,” wrote Vegeris. “Think about it. One message, one channel, no interaction. Everyone gets exploited.” According to the report, the exploit could also have allowed attackers to steal Office 365 SSO tokens (giving them access to corporate email logs, documents etc.), escalate their administrative privileges and gain access to the cameras and microphones of infected devices. Further, if an organization invited guest entities into their Teams network (often clients or customers), infection could also in theory hop between businesses. “At least now we have a new joke between colleagues - whenever we get a remote code execution bug, we call it ‘Important, Spoofing’. Thanks Microsoft,” joked Vegeris. Microsoft did not immediately respond to our request for comment. Update: A Microsoft spokesperson has since provided the following statement, though offered no further comment on whether the severity of the bug was originally understated: "We mitigated the issue with an update in October, which has automatically deployed and protected customers."

AMD has a change of heart, according to Radeon GM Scott Herkelman. Update: AMD Radeon GM and CVP, Scott Herkelman, has announced on Twitter than AMD will continue to sell RX 6000-series reference graphics cards, such as the RX 6900 XT pictured above, indefinitely. The company had previously said (as recently as today) that the design would no longer be sold from early 2021, yet has since U-turned on its decision and will continue with the design by po[CENSORED]r demand. That's likely a good move for consumers, too, who can now be safe in the knowledge that MSRP reference cards will be available in the future, even if they are so far unavailable to purchase due to low availability at launch. Here's the tweet from Scott Herkelman, and we've reached out to AMD to double-check this represents the company's decision on the matter: Original story: In a not all that surprising move, AMD has confirmed it will cease to produce reference RX 6000-series graphics card designs from early next year. Following rumours saying much of the same, and even a tweet by Scott Herkelman, AMD has confirmed to PC Gamer that it will be ending production of the triple-fan 'Big Navi' cooler from early 2021. This is fairly usual behaviour from team red, as its reference designs are nearly always gone a short while after release. Sometimes a few key partners keep the design going a little longer, but they'd all rather upsell you a shiny new high-end model instead. Perhaps this development is now newsworthy due to the new triple-fan cooler design across the RX 6000-series actually being pretty great, especially at MSRP. It never felt like much of an issue previously since previous blower coolers left a little to be desired in the thermal department, and the dented RX 5700 XT wasn't much of a fan favourite. I will defend it to the grave, however. Love that shroud's look—you just had to see it in person to appreciate it, which granted few did considering it was not often available post-launch. Third-party designs are beginning to be announced for the RX 6000-series, which is made up of the AMD RX 6800, RX 6800 XT, and RX 6900 XT. However, with availability for the entire Radeon RDNA 2 lineup looking slim, we've not had a chance to actually take a look at any for ourselves. ASUS is the first to announce such a design for the RX 6900 XT, which launched only yesterday, and ASRock isn't far behind with its own custom robed GPU. We don't suspect we'll see either of these designs to be available in the wild for some time, however. Yet soon these will be the only designs available to purchase—those from AMD's many partners, I mean. That might make the original shroud something of a rarity considering its limited availability, but I don't think that should be any reason to go out and purchase the reference design above MSRP. Best wait until prices regain some semblance of normality, and we suspect a few third-party designs to stick to the original MSRP throughout the stack, at least.

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