US health officials say coronavirus infections were spreading rapidly and they were alarmed at the speed at which intensive care beds were filling up. Also, President-elect Joe Biden has warned that the US faces a "dark winter" due to the pandemic, and how a mass extinction millions of years ago is helping to understand our current environmental problems

The Secretary of State is the first top US official to tour a West Bank settlement. Also: Australian troops 'killed Afghan civilians', and turning the weather on Mars into music.

Return to remote learning comes as US approaches 250,000 Covid deaths. Also: vaccines ready for distribution across US within weeks, Boeing's 737 Max cleared to fly and understanding our digital legacy.

Democratic Republic of Congo say it's Ebola-free after more than 40 days without a case. The country has seen 11 outbreaks since virus was discovered there in 1976. Also, Trump fires top election official who contradicted his claims of voter fraud, and how Rocky the disabled dog found a new life in a new country.

Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey have been grilled by US Senators over their platforms' election role. Democrats questioned whether the social media giants had done enough to flag up disputed claims. Also: the Pentagon confirms that Donald Trump will almost halve America's troop presence in Afghanistan before he leaves office, and the human cost of Ethiopia's action in Tigray.

UNHCR fears for civilians fleeing fighting in Tigray. Also: A BBC investigation on the treatment of women working in India's garment industry, the European scientists creating an archive of historic smells and the business of royal fashion.