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Are pandemics the new normal?

Though scientists had warned the world was due a pandemic, no-one could have predicted the scale and impact of Covid-19. So should we expect more pandemics in the future? The BBC’s Mattea Bubalo explains.

Video by Mattea Bubalo and Laura Foster

Graphics by Mel Lou and Terry Saunders

4 January 2021

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Keir Starmer, with grey hair, looking to the side of camera. He is wearing brown glasses.

PM challenged on West's councils facing bankruptcy

BBC Newsline

BBC Newsline signed summary

A road sign for Blue Lagoon with flames in background

Lava engulfs Iceland's Blue Lagoon car park

BBC Scotland weather presenter Christopher Blanchett in front of a weather map of Scotland showing snow warnings.

Watch the Storm Bert weather forecast for Scotland

Mural of The Smiths bassist Andy Rourke unveiled

Parts of West Burton A power station being demolished

Power station demolition captured by drone

Man clinging to a cliff being rescued

Moment person clinging to cliff is rescued by helicopter

A woman in a hospital gown grins on the left and a monitor lit up with lungs is on the right of a split screen.

Woman gets first double lung transplant done by robot

Ryan Borgwardt

US kayaker who faked own death thought to have fled to Europe

Ruth Dodsworth in the BBC studios in Cardiff. She is sitting on an orange sofa. She has cropped blonde hair and is wearing a fitted mauve top,

Stalking was part of my daily life, says presenter

A Christmas tree with lots of blue and green lights. A building nearby has yellow lights and a red bow so it looks like a present. You can see people stood in front of the building.

Manx capital sparkles at Christmas lights switch-on

BBC News

East of England weather forecast

A woman has her make up done in a Swansea salon for Beaujolais Day

'Beaujolais day is Swansea's Christmas'

A woman polished a large Gromit statue at the launch of the Gromit Unleashed 3 trail in Bristol. The statue has a multicoloured sparkly pattern. The woman is wearing a red and white shirt and a black dress over the top and she has red hair cut in a bob style

Aardman unveils new Wallace and Gromit trail

Dylan Thomas, who is wearing a blue jumper and has brown hair, is smiling at the camera

Watch: Cardiff murderer's 999 call and arrest

Crowds of people walking streets at night

Thousands rush to US border before Trump takes office

Weather

Strong winds and flooding as Storm Bert arrives

Emma, who has blonde hair and is wearing a black top, is sitting in front of a purple screen

MAFS' Emma shares her thoughts on dating Nathan

BBC News

One-minute World News

The world's smallest playing card being held against a normal size card

Watch: Man creates world's smallest playing cards

World's tallest woman and shortest woman standing next to each other

Moment world's tallest woman and shortest woman meet

The pair shared afternoon tea in London in celebration of Guinness World Records Day 2024.

Biden stands in front of the podium.

Biden first US president to visit Amazon rainforest

The president on Sunday signed a declaration making 17 November International Conservation Day.

Vladimir Putin speaking holding a pen

Putin congratulates 'courageous' Trump on election win

The Russian president says he was impressed by Trump's reaction to the first assassination attempt against him.

Katty Kay wearing a black jacket with her arms folded

Katty Kay: Democrats are feeling 'pretty depressed'

The BBC's US special correspondent reports on the mood inside the Harris camp.

Gunfire is being exchanged in the vehicle.

Rare footage of a cartel gun battle near US-Mexico border

Texas law enforcement said the shootout was between factions of the Gulf Cartel.

King Charles holding a black cup next to Queen Camilla

King Charles drinks kava during ritual in Samoa

The monarch was declared a "high chief" of the archipelago during his trip to the country.

CCTV footage of a man with a gun seen by a security gate

Videos show how Ankara attack unfolded

Two attackers are seen arriving in a car before firing their guns and approaching the building.

Time capsule being opening and object on display

100-year-old time capsule unearths Bible and declaration of war

Crews in Kansas City, Missouri had to drill through 18 inches of concrete and limestone to get to the century-old box.

Donald Trump sitting on white chair being interviewed

Watch: Trump sidesteps question on Putin phone calls

When asked if he'd spoken to Putin since leaving office, the former US president said: "If I did, it's a smart thing".

The BBC's Nick Beake amidst rubble in northern Israel

Watch: BBC reporter in the midst of rocket fire into Israel

The BBC's Nick Beake reports from northern Israel, where Hezbollah continues to fire rockets into Israel.

Bomb goes off at airport

Hidden runway bomb explodes just after plane takes off

A bomb, probably dropped in WW2, goes off at an airport, about a minute after a passenger plane passed by.

Gust of flame as military ship launches missile interceptor

Moment US warship engages Iranian missile targeting Israel

Video from aboard the USS Bulkeley Destroyer stationed on the Eastern Mediterranean shows it firing an interceptor.

Russian jet mid-air within feet of US aircraft

Moment Russian fighter jet swoops past US aircraft

Newly released video shows a Russian fighter jet fly within feet of a US aircraft near Alaska.

Group doing pukana faces

Largest haka breaks world record in New Zealand

Thousands took part in a Maori haka dance famously performed by the All Blacks before rugby matches.

Donald Trump standing in front of American flags at Trump Tower

BBC asks Trump what he would do differently in the Middle East

The former president says the conflict in Lebanon is "unacceptable" and must end "one way or the other".

Kamala Harris and Volodymyr Zelenskyy hold a press conference

Ros Atkins on... Why the US election is crucial to Ukraine

The BBC's analysis editor looks at why Volodymyr Zelensky is presenting his 'victory plan' to US political leaders.

Oleg Kononenko

Watch: Space crew returns to Earth after longest stay on ISS

Two Russian cosmonauts, who spent 374 days in space, were aboard the Soyuz capsule.

Ukrainian armed forces truck driving off road as it attempts to evade Russian fire

'We were surrounded by Russian troops - but escaped'

A small group of Ukrainian soldiers found themselves encircled in the village of Komyshivka.

Tall jet of fire in residential area

Pipeline explosion in Texas causes pillar of fire

Firefighters are battling the blaze in La Porte, near Houston, as residents near the area were urged to evacuate.

Vladimir Putin

Watch: Grinning Putin says he will support Kamala Harris

The Russian president spoke about Donald Trump, Kamala Harris and Joe Biden at the Eastern Economic Forum.