this is bbc news with the latest headlines a call for a rethink over england's tier system but the government defends placing most of the country under tougher restrictions after lockdown ends. if people do follow the rules, if we do make the tiered system work, then as i say, there is every reason to believe that they could de—escalate and go down a tier in time for christmas. northern ireland has entered a two week circuit break from today as stricter covid—19 restrictions come into force. the government asks the medicines regulator to assess the oxford vaccine, bringing the uk one step closer to a possible rollout do get in touch with your thoughts on the tier system and what the restrictions mean for you — on twitter it's @annita—mcveigh

donald trump says he will leave the white house if the electoral college formally confirms joe biden as next us president. certainly i will. and you know that. but i think that there will be a lot of things happening between now and the 20th of january. a lot of things. argentina bids farewell to diego maradona in buenos aires — as one of the greatest footballers of all time is laid to rest at a private ceremony outside the capital. and coming up — there's no better time to talk about families after a "hugely challenging" year — the duchess of cambridge‘s message as she launches major new research on parenting.

good morning to you and welcome to bbc news. anger is growing amongst conservative mps after the government said that the two highest levels of coronavirus restrictions would be imposed on nearly all of england, when the lockdown ends on wednesday. seven tory mps from kent — which will face the most severe measures — have written complaining to the health secretary that the blanket restrictions are unfair and "risk undermining public support" — they say they've secured a meeting with matt hancock. these maps show which areas of england are in which tiers before and after the current lockdown; from next wednesday 32 million people will be living under tier 2 restrictions, and 23 million under tier 3. tier 2 restrictions means no socialising indoors, with people outside your household or support bubble. but you can meet up

to six people outdoors. restaurants and pubs can open but only if they serve a substantial meal. in tier 3 — the most severe restrictions — there is no mixing indoors, meeting outside is only permitted in a public space and restaurants and pubs can only provide takeaway or delivery services. jonathan blake reports. the end of the national lockdown may be in sight but there are still hard times ahead. the prime minister warned yesterday most parts of england would face tighter restrictions than before when the three tier system returns. i know that this will bring a great deal of heartache and frustration, especially for our vital hospitality sector, our pubs, our restaurants, our hotels. in so many ways, the soul of our communities, which continue to bear a disproportionate share of the burden. from next wednesday, the vast majority of england will be

under the high or very high covid alert level, tiers two and three. in all those places, no household mixing will be allowed indoors. only cornwall, the isle of wight and the isles of scilly will be placed under looser restrictions in tier i, or medium risk. less than 2% of the population. many conservative mps are angry about the new system, arguing it is unfair that areas with relatively low numbers of cases have been lumped together with places where the virus is more widespread. some have called for a rethink, and want to see more of the evidence decisions have been based on. even tier 2 is going to be immensely damaging for a lot of businesses, and limits people's freedom to meet their family and friends. tier 3, of course, even worse. but by forcing so much of the country into those really tough restrictions, especially places where the rates of infection have been falling

to much lower levels, i think the government has given itself a much harderjob. while the rules will be relaxed over five days at christmas, across the uk, allowing three households to mix indoors, there is a warning for anyone hoping for a hug from granny or grandad. would i encourage someone to hug and kiss their elderly relatives? no, iwould not. it's not against the law, and that's the whole point, you can do it within the rules that are there. but it does not make sense because you could be carrying the virus and if you've got an elderly relative, that would not be the thing you'd want to do. the hope in government is that mass testing will help some areas move down a tier before too long but there is little expectation of much change until at least the new year. jonathan blake, bbc news. our political correspondent iain watson is at westminster good morning to you. the opposition

from this group of conservatives first of all seems to be for a number of different reasons, economic, ideological, some saying the restrictions are authoritarianism at work but are they following the science, it doesn't seem to be on the face of it that they are. what i think is interesting, there is a kind of perfect storm brewing again some of these measures that the government is bringing in. ourvote these measures that the government is bringing in. our vote on tuesday, looks as if there will be our sizable rebellion, symbolic victory for rebels if they can be seen to wipe out boris johnson for rebels if they can be seen to wipe out borisjohnson ‘s 80 seat majority and make him reliant on the opposition. the reasons for the rebellion as you suggest are manifold but i think first of all, there is some shock about the numbers of people who have been put into tier 3 restrictions next week, around 8 million living under the restrictions before the national lockdown in england, 23 million now facing the restrictions as of the middle of next week. what is also

worrying people, you mentioned ideological reasons but certainly, infringements of personal liberty is reading some people, steve baker, who used to be involved in the european research group, now a leading light in the crg, covid recovery group, talking about the authoritarianism of the government, public measures they are introducing and he is very good at organising rebellions, he has a track record. the other reason i think people are upset, not definitely going to rebel but thinking about it, they are worried about the tiered system has been imposed, in kent, lancashire, lincolnshire, all being lumped together into tier 3 and yet within those counties, prevalence of the virus is low in some areas, high in others and they say the government should take a far more localised approach and a pile of former cabinet ministers who are making these points, including greg clark, damian green, they will meet the health secretary matt hancock in the coming days to press their views,

set against all of this, perhaps unsurprising earlier this morning the communities secretary robert jenrick tried to give people some cause for hope and he said we are going to review these measures on december the 16th, possible some people will find themselves in tier 3 now, might get an early christmas present. there will be a meaningful review on or around the 16th of december, at that point we will review the evidence against the five tests for every local authority area in the country and we will listen to the views of the local councils and their directors of public health and there's a their directors of public health and there'sa numberof their directors of public health and there's a number of places which are quite finely balanced across the country today, there was a strong case to be in a tiered system that is1 case to be in a tiered system that is 1 degrees lower than where they've ended up but on a balanced judgment they were in the tiered syste m judgment they were in the tiered system above so in those places and perhaps others in the country, if people do follow the rules, if we do make the tiered system work, then as i say, there is every reason to believe that they could de—escalate

and go down a tiered stage in time for christmas. it looks as though borisjohnson will need to rely on the labour party to get these measures through a vote next tuesday, that is pretty significant? it is. it looks that way as things stand at the moment but one thing that might at least limit the size of the conservative rebellion is the government promised to produce an economic impact assessment of their measures ahead of the vote. this has been a key demand of many of the potential rebels, they want to see not just the potential rebels, they want to see notjust the health reasons, if you like, for the restrictions, but also the economic impact of those restrictions and perhaps how people who have conditions other than covid might be cupping in the health service. the government are trying to meet them to some extent, people don't like what they see, it might harden the resolve. as for the labour party, playing their cards close to their chest, not saying how they will vote, sir keir starmer the labour leader will hear from

scientific and medical advisers himself early next week but i would have thought, even the track record, labour will, in the end, bail out the government and vote for the tiered restrictions and earlier this morning, jonathan ashworth the shadow health secretary suggested perhaps labour would support the government but that support would come at a price, there is a range of things they want to see the government do, a range of tests setting for the government, not least more information on how areas in tier3 might least more information on how areas in tier 3 might get back out of them. we are not against tough restrictions, we are not against tiered systems but what we want is financial support for people, what we want is a proper, working test and trace system, what we want is proper support for people who need to isolate, people getting decent and sick pay for isolation and what we want is clarity for local areas so we want is clarity for local areas so they can understand why they move in and out of different tiered systems. those of the points we will put in the coming days. but it's up to the government, the government is

an 80 seat majority, borisjohnson won a general election 12 months ago with a huge majority. he shouldn't really be struggling to get his legislation through the house of commons. that is a point that i think highlights the discomfort and discontent over the imposition of the restrictions on how long they might last stop in fact, if it weren't for labour votes it is possible borisjohnson, weren't for labour votes it is possible boris johnson, just weren't for labour votes it is possible borisjohnson, just a year on from that historic victory when he started to win seats which the conservatives had not one for perhaps decades, or if at all, now he may be struggling to get some of these measures through, perhaps suggesting there is some fatigue with the whole system in the first place. certainly, also, he has problems of party management, some of his own mps becoming more sceptical about how the pandemic is being handled. thank you.

i can now speak to claire hembrough who's the owner of the strawberry blue gift shop in bradford—on—avon which will be heading into tier 2. good morning. your shop is classed asa good morning. your shop is classed as a non—essential shop, you've been missing out over the past few weeks on that early christmas trade which i'm sure is a big part of your takings for the year. it is a real key time, november, the build—up to christmas. we've obviously invested a lot of money in stock, and generally, those invoices have to be paid. and paid that month. massive impact, it's also like building momentum for the christmas rush, we've lost that, christmas shopping evenings booked, baubles for bubbles as we like to call or we had to cancel all of that. and quickly adapt to what was a national

lockdown, obviously. once we get out of lockdown in england next week, are you hoping that you can't make up are you hoping that you can't make upfor are you hoping that you can't make up for some of those losses? there's no way i can possibly make up those losses. and to put it in perspective, really, what we've been given in way of a grant covers about 10% of what i was taken in november so i'm literally going through to december, trying to pay the bills. really stark contrast between what you will have coming in and what you would have expected to have coming in. you know, the grant covers 10% of in. you know, the grant covers 1096 of what i would normally have in the pot for november. and obviously it is the time of year that gives shops, keeps them going for the rest of the year, to be able to invest in stock in spring and obviously it has a massive impact on suppliers as

well. we use quite a lot of local makers, who obviously are impacted by there being no markets this year and smaller suppliers who just cannot take another hit stop a real knock on effect. you will be able to open the shop so do you think people arejust open the shop so do you think people are just not open the shop so do you think people arejust not going open the shop so do you think people are just not going to come open the shop so do you think people arejust not going to come in or do you think perhaps they have already done their shopping online? what is your gut feeling about that, i guess your gut feeling about that, i guess you are hoping for a surprise and that more people will come in than you perhaps expect?” that more people will come in than you perhaps expect? i am, i am hoping to be pleasantly surprised but i really don't know, to be honest. we've had some real good support from our local customers but we are quite a tourist town so we we re we are quite a tourist town so we were having quite a lot of visitors, day—trippers, people here for the weekend. the bath christmas market, only six miles from bath, that used to generate lots of football. you are not getting that? to be honest,

i don't know, i don't know how it's going to play out when we open the doors. i'm hoping that local people will support their local shops and not have done all of the shopping online already. one final question to you. you are a business owner, you want to do trade but do you think it's right that wiltshire goes into tier 2? i understand they are airing on the side of caution but for me, i'm glad i can open so whatever it takes to stay open and to stay safe that is the most important to me. thank you so much for talking to us and we wish you well in the weeks ahead. thank you. our business correspondent ben thompson is in tunbridge wells this morning — which will be heading

into tier 3 next week. the county of kent the subject of a lot of controversy today because lots of people unhappy, a lot of political discontent that kent is going to be in that highest tiered system ? going to be in that highest tiered system? yes, good morning to you. let me explain that anomaly here because it is fascinating, at the crux of the argument today. we are here but just crux of the argument today. we are here butjust two minutes or so down the road is east sussex, that is in tier 2 because infections there are much lower but it shares much of the same sort of geography and rural location as right here in tunbridge wells. but tunbridge wells is in tier 3 and that's because it's been lumped in with some of the more urban areas, maybe an hour or so from here, places like thanet, infection rates are much higher. what we are and what they're calling for here is a more localised

approach, looking at infection levels in different places but because we are in tier 3 at means places like this cannot open, it is a hotel, bar, restaurant, weddings, they had a full diary events booked in but they simply cannot open so they had to cancel all of that. lots of frustration here about those tiered systems that have been introduced when they were hoping that they might be able to salvage a little bit of the christmas trade because remember, those new tiered restrictions come into force next week, they were hoping they might have a few weeks where they could get people back through the doors for christmas gatherings and make a little bit of money after what has been a dreadful yearfor little bit of money after what has been a dreadful year for the hospitality industry. how are firms daring? let me introduce you to will ooze with us this morning. you run a bar, pub, restaurant down the road from here and you are also in the unusual position where you grow a lot of your own produce, grow a lot of the turkeys yourself for christmas. double whammy for you,

you can't open and you have stock going on sold? that is the challenge, we have been through it once, we reopened, now we are going through it again and adapt to survive is kind of the model, that is what hospitality does. it is a real blow, at kick to be, we thought we we re real blow, at kick to be, we thought we were coming out in tier 2, we are right on the border, a couple of miles down the road we go into east sussex, the challenge is on, we have moved to an online shop like everyone has done in hospitality but really it is the produce and the supply chain that is the most heartbreaking thing. we have people producing beer, cider, wine, the turkeys, the game shoots, produced solely for us, we are a consumer is well in that respect as well as being a restaurant. when we talk about that geography, you said you can practically stand on your front step and see your competitors opening and you cannot, even though you share much of the same sort of geography. the infection level is

the same whether you are across the border or here and that must be frustrating for you. yes, it is hard to see. obviously we have got to do what is needed to kind of reduce the infection rate nationally and hospitality i think i played a key pa rt hospitality i think i played a key part in that from the covid compliance, social distancing, sanitising, the reduction of covers, we have played the game and try to make it a safe environment for people to come in and staff and ourselves but looking at someone a couple of miles down the road, we would like more of our regional decision made and i know it's difficult but that is where we are coming from. we are trying to do our best for such a long time and we wish we could hit into tier 2 and we could get ourselves some christmas tree before moving into january, february. i was talking about christmas trade in the introduction, you make most of your money that helps you get through the rest of the year when it's quieter. how

long, given the year that you have had, how long can you keep this up? we aren't going to go down without a fight but it is not looking good. we have moved, the online shop is open, thatis have moved, the online shop is open, that is what is sustaining the business but we are still losing money, it cannot really reflect what we would have done in normal trade so we need some help, funding would be great, to get through the next month or two, may be, i don't know. it's really up in the air. what will happen to all of that produce we have grown? i imagine, in spring, he had been planning this all year. planning this all year, the brassicas planted in the summer to get ready for christmas, beetroot, parsnips, everything gearing up for the season we are in. trying to sell as much as we can through vegetable boxes in the online shop, into meal kits that we are doing, adapt to survive, we cannot let it go to waste, we spend so much time and energy and money on producing it. we are going to try and do our best with it but we are up against it, for sure. well, good luck, i really

hope things turn a corner for you. thank you so much. and there you have a real illustration, stark illustration of what businesses are having to contend with right now because there is so much for them to try and sort out. perhaps an expectation that they can click their fingers expectation that they can click theirfingers and expectation that they can click their fingers and reopen tomorrow but it's about getting the supplies and, having the staff available, having all of the business up and running. they were telling me in this place they have eight or nine christmas trees and they don't know whether to put them up, such as the uncertainty for business right now and for hospitality which has been through a really tough time this year. no clear answers for those businesses that have been placed into tier 3. really tough time here in tunbridge wells. back to you. really well illustrated in such a beautiful location. thank you, ben thompson. and if you need to find out what level of restrictions will be in place where you live, you can search using our postcode checker on the bbc news website,

that's bbc.co.uk/news northern ireland has re—entered a two—week lockdown and non—essential shops have closed. cafes, hairdressers and beauticians have also shut — just seven days after they were allowed to re—open following the last lockdown. our ireland correspondent chris page reports from belfast. seasonal shopping is being suspended in northern ireland. from today, there'll be no more scenes like this in towns and cities for a fortnight. the devolved government has told most shops to shut because it's classified them as nonessential. the owner of this jewellery store says the closure couldn't have come at a worse time. we'd happily close from the 24th through to the end of february. we wouldn't bat an eyelid on it. but to take away two weeks out of the four pre—christmas, it's just a wrecking ball to retail. the new lockdown is due to last untiljust two weeks before christmas.

and here in belfast city centre, it does feel a lot busier than usual during these last few hours before the shops shut. well, i'm really busy at the minute, so i am, shopping for my grandchildren and my own children. the clock is ticking. unfortunately, like everyone else, we will see what happens after the next two weeks. close contact services such as hairdressers have also been trying to make the most of pre—lockdown demand. they've been closed for longer than many other businesses this year. i'm literally using my own savings that i had, like, that i've used for future life, for everything to do with my daughter and my husband. but unfortunately, i've had to use it all now, so it's dwindling away. ministers say the restrictions are painful but paramount. these are hard asks, as we've said before. but what we can really achieve over these next two weeks is as normal a christmas as we can possibly get to. the start of december

is set to be difficult. but there are some positive signs in this part of the uk. the rate at which the virus is spreading has fallen. it's now lower than in england and wales. chris page, bbc news, belfast. the government's asked the medicines regulator, to start assessing the astrazeneca oxford university coronavirus vaccine, but some scientists have expressed concerns after the firm provided two sets of data. they say that the highest efficacy — the 90% efficacy shown after people were mistakenly given a low dose then backed up with a standard one — might not be a robust enough finding for permission to be granted for use. astrazenica acknowledge that further trial data might be needed. a blood test designed to detect more than 50 types of cancer at an early stage, is to be trialled by the nhs in england. more than 165,000 patients will be offered the tests from next year — officials say early detection has the potential to save many lives.

jim reed reports. checks for many types of cancer currently mean this, an mri or ct scan, to look for a tumour and then a biopsy. often, though, that can mean treatment is left late. some diseases like pancreatic and ovarian cancer are typically diagnosed at stage three or four, when the disease may have spread, and options are limited. les maiden was 62 when she fell ill. it took almost a year to diagnose pancreatic cancer. she lost her life just months later. it's too late for my sister, but it's not too late for others. and i passionately believe that early diagnosis will make a difference. the nhs is now planning to try out a new test in england. developed by the californian firm grail, it's designed to detect molecular changes in the blood caused by 50 types of cancer in people with no obvious symptoms. 165,000 participants aged between 50

and 79 will be asked to pilot the tests over the next three years. we want to be one of the first health services in the world to see whether this simple blood test can detect those cancers when treatment will make the biggest difference. but critics of the plan say the technology is unproven and there are real questions about the accuracy of blood tests for cancer. the nhs says if the pilot is successful, the scheme could be expanded to anotheri million people in england from 2026. jim reed, bbc news. rules to allow people to meet up and celebrate over christmas were announced by all four uk nations earlier this week. but with many people expected to travel by train to catch up with their friends and family the transport secretary has warned that the public need to think carefully about whether to travel at all over the festive break. joining me now is richard scott, executive director of partnerships and strategy at avanti west coast trains — which runs services between london and scotland, encompassing much of the north of england.

richard, good to have you with us today. in fact the transport secretary said earlier this week that people should plan well ahead in advance, book tickets well ahead but as far as i am aware, those christmas tickets aren't actually on sale yet, are they? unfortunately thatis sale yet, are they? unfortunately that is correct, the timetables for the rail industry are normally changed twice a year but because of the pandemic they've been changing repeatedly throughout the year, as we respond to changes in demand, staff availability, making sure we provide the best value for money for taxpayers. and every time the timetable changes that requires a huge amount of work behind the scenes by train companies and our partners at network rail to make sure everything works and then uploaded into the system and the timetable changes for christmas, u nfortu nately, timetable changes for christmas, unfortunately, aren't quite in the system. they will be available over the next few days, we are hoping over the weekend, but by tuesday the

first at the very latest, the cheapest tickets will be on sale for eve ryo ne cheapest tickets will be on sale for everyone to buy for the christmas getaway. talk to us about capacity come you put on any extra services given that you have to reduce capacity on any given train? yes, that's something we are looking at very closely along with our partners at network rail and the department for transport. we know there could bea for transport. we know there could be a demand spike over christmas, we simply don't know, of course, we don't have any reliable data to predict this, this has never happened before, but it's u nfortu nately not happened before, but it's unfortunately not a simple matter of putting in extra trains wherever you like. we've got to make sure they fit safely into the timetable, that it doesn't affect other operators, so we are working very closely with the department for transport and network rail to see where we can put extra services in place and where we think it might be busiest and where those services would be most valuable. so we are working very ha rd valuable. so we are working very hard on that and that's why people should check a police before they travel, check the train is available and please, make a reservation,

don't come to the station expecting tojump on the next don't come to the station expecting to jump on the next train. please make a reservation, that will ensure you can get on the next train that you can get on the next train that you want to travel on to see friends and family because when you travel, we wa nt and family because when you travel, we want you to travel with confidence. if you make a reservation, travel will be guaranteed? please make a reservation, then you know you will have a spot on that train. will price be affected? actually, the cheapest tickets are about to go on sale, once we have got the timetables validated by network rail and uploaded to the systems so the very cheapest tickets, advanced tickets, you book a specific train, they will be available very soon so people should please hold off booking until those are available and that will be very clear on the website when those are available. please wait for those tickets. book those, make your reservation, don't forget your face covering, unless you are exempt. which brings me onto a final but very important point, i

notice on your twitter account and website at the moment you talk about stu d e nts website at the moment you talk about students travelling, their window, travelling with confidence so how can passengers wanting to travel over christmas with the potential for that to be busy travel with confidence, note that they will be safe on your trains? the most important thing is make a reservation, we have restricted the number of people that can make reservations for a trains, it's down to about 40% of what it would normally be. that's to enable people to spread out so please make a reservation. do not forget your face covering and if you are exempt. travel with confidence because we are doing everything we can at our end, we have long lasting sanitisers, spread all over the trains, and a key points on stations to keep you safe. regular air flow changes on board, the air—conditioning, airfiltration is very effective and efficient. that'll help to keep you safe. hand sanitiser available, one—way systems and of course the wonderful staff are there to help you. if customers

do their bit, we will do our bit and we will get you all home for christmas. richard, thank you for talking to us. now it's time for a look at the weather with chris fawkes. hello, there. for some of us it's been quite a murky start to the day, with some poor visibility in the fog, down to about 100 metres in places across parts of east anglia, southern england, the south and west midlands and eastern areas of wales. but visibility has been improving recently. and as we go into the afternoon, most areas will tend to brighten up. that said, some low cloud and mist lingering across the west midlands east wales. thicker cloud toward southern coastal counties, the threat a few patches of rain. we've also got a weak weather front pushing into the north—west, threatening a little bit of light, patchy rain at times, into the north—west of both scotland and northern ireland. temperatures, where it stays quite and misty, just 5 degrees. but in the brighter moments, we could see temperatures pushing up to 8 degrees in places.

overnight tonight, it's going to be a cold one with some fog forming across parts of north—east england, maybe scotland, certainly some frost here in rural areas. temperatures dropping to about —3 or “4 degrees. in the south, iy turns milder through the night as thicker cloud works in, bringing a few patches of light rain. that's your weather. hello, this is bbc news with annita mcveigh. a call for a rethink over england's tier system but the government defends placing most of the country under tougher restrictions after lockdown ends. if people do follow the rules, if we do make the tiered system work, then as i say, there is every reason to believe that they could de—escalate and go down a tier in time for christmas. northern ireland has entered a two week circuit break from today as stricter covid—19 restrictions come in to force. the government asks the medicines regulator to assess the oxford vaccine — bringing the uk one step closer to a possible rollout donald trump says he will leave the white house if the electoral

college formally confirms joe biden as next us president. argentina bids farewell to diego maradona in buenos aires — as one of the greatest footballers of all time is laid to rest at a private ceremony outside the capital. and coming up in a few minutes time we'll be answering your questions on all aspects of england's new tier system — in place from the 2nd of december, so stay with us for that. sport now and a full round up, from the bbc sport centre. good morning. it's notjust in argentina where fans are gathering to mourn the passing and celebrate the life of diego maradona. in the italian city of naples, that he made his second home, former club napoli added their tribute last night, ahead of their europea league game. thousands of fans gathered outside the stadium, and the ground was lit up in his honour. then all the players and staff, wore his iconic number 10 jersey in a minute's silence.

and napoli are also planning to rename their stadium after maradona. napoli won their match — but celtic are out of the europa league, after losing 4—1 to sparta prague for a second time. it mirrored the scoreline of the reverse fixture in glasgow, sealing their fate with with two games still to play. it's another blow for manager neil lennon, who says his players, just can't seem to get their heads, in the game. i think they're just lacking a little bit of unity at the minute. i don't know if it's because we are living through a pandemic, and it's not normal. there's things that are maybe out of their control a little bit. i think they are missing the atmosphere in the stadiums as well. so, we have to try and remedy that, adapt to it. i don't think it's a major football issue. i think it's more psychological than anything else, really.

rangers stuttered a bit. they looked to be cruising when kemar roofe put them 2—nil ahead against benfica. but the portuguese side brought it back to 2—2. rangers are still on course to reach the knock—out stage though. a great goal from harry winks helped tottenham move closer to qulification, with an easy 4—0 win although winks did admit afterwards that he was trying to cross the ball! arsenal's record signing nicholas pepe went some way to making up for his red card in the premier league last weekend, scoring the opening goal in their 3—0 win at molde, which sent them through to the last 32. and leicester are through after a dramatic finish at braga in portugal. they went behind in the 90th minute. butjamie vardy had time to score an equaliser — and 3—3 was enough to take them forward. the rugby league season has been massively disruped by covid—19. but we still have a super league grand final tonight, between two of the sports great rivals — wigan warriors and reigning champions st helens.

the game has been switched from old trafford to hull for the first time, and it'll be played behind closed doors, of course. adam wild reports. st helens, super league champions! this is super league's biggest moment. now, a year on, such scenes feel a world away. 2020 has become the game's road to hull, a destination no one expected, a journey some thought might never end. rugby league has had to come a long way. it's been a pretty rubbish year for a lot of people, hasn't it? and a lot of people have suffered some sort of hardship, you know. ijust think it would be a really great way we could say thank you and give everyone a bit of a boost. when the season began ten months ago, no one would have believed what was about to happen. just weeks after the start, came the stop. for one club, toronto wolfpack, the pause would become permanent. unable to recover from the lockdown, the team once heralded as the game's future, suddenly consigned to its past. with no games and no income, the whole sport was in such unparalleled peril, the government

was forced to step in. rugby league is to receive an emergency loan of £16 million from the government because of the pandemic. ministers say they are intervening to protect an entire sport and the communities that play it. when the season finally resumed in august, the world felt a very different place. empty stadia, neutralvenues, even changes to the rules of the game. rugby league adapted, but could it survive? the season was eventually shortened straight to the play—offs. for wigan and st helens it's been some journey. the friendships that i've made along the way, such a crazy year. i'll remember that sort of thing forever. i think that's made, you know, the connection between our team—mates are stronger. that's what i take away from this. it's good for the game that we've managed to get through the season and get to an end, because of easy things were looking a bit bleak early on.

but to have the grand final at the end of it meant that all the hard work we've done in lockdown has all been worthwhile. it's a big match entrance that's as loud and is hair raising as any other. st helens and wigan last met in the final six years ago. but theirs is a local rivalry that runs much, much deeper. tonight's final will look very different. the venue now hull, and of course, no fans. but the significance remains. and in this extraordinary year, more than any other, the champions would have truly earned it. adam wild, bbc news. kick—off is at 8pm. now on the bbc news channel, it's time for your questions answered. lots of questions coming in about

the tier system. with me is our health correspondent anna collinson and i'm joined by drjennifer rohn, cell biologist at university college london. welcome to both of you. let's get cracking with these. one from eileen, to start off with, who asks if pubs and restaurants in tier 3 be allowed to open over the christmas period. really good question. one of the big ones people are asking. i can probably start by saying i com pletely can probably start by saying i completely understand why people may be confused. if we don't have any questions people have today, you can go online, on the bbc website and there are links to all of the various uk government advice. so, in relation to tier 3, are you allowed to go to the pub? basically, during the christmas period, three households are allowed to form a christmas bubble. they can mix and households, they can go outside and they can go to places of worship. they can't mix in pubs. but if you are in certain tiers, you can go

into a are in certain tiers, you can go intoa pub. are in certain tiers, you can go into a pub. you can mix with other people that are not in your household. so it is a bit complicated. during that christmas period, during those five days, you can period, during those five days, you ca n follow period, during those five days, you can follow the rules of the tier you are in. when we go into the new system, you will be following the rules that your tier is. during christmas, it is following the tier you are in. in tier 1, christmas, it is following the tier you are in. in tier1,a maximum christmas, it is following the tier you are in. in tier 1, a maximum of six people can meet indoors. in tier 2, they can only meet indoors where food is served. in tier 3, all pubs are closed except for takeaway and delivery. in answer to the question, in that situation, she would be able to go and get a takeaway beer, but that would be it. we don't know if she works in a pub or restaurant, or is hoping to go to one. thank you for making that clear. dr rohn, jennifer, the next one for you.

martin says, i'm getting married on the 5th of december in cumbria. congratulations in advance. that is a tier 2 congratulations in advance. that is a tier2area. congratulations in advance. that is a tier 2 area. his parents live in derbyshire, atf three area. candidates still travel to his wedding and stay in the hotel they have booked? it is kind of terrible timing. at congratulations on your wedding. we know weddings and funerals can go ahead. 15 people can attend weddings and receptions. we know that hotels are allowed to be openedin know that hotels are allowed to be opened in the last tier, or at least it is not mentioned otherwise in the guidelines. the problem is going from tier 3 tier 2. the actual wording is to avoid travelling to the other parts of the uk, including for overnight stays, other than where necessary. here is the grey area. examples include work, education, youth services and medical treatment. i would think that being the mother and father of the groom is pretty necessary, but it isa

the groom is pretty necessary, but it is a grey area, not stated one way or another. it really is up to the family's judgment?” way or another. it really is up to the family'sjudgment? i would think so. martin, i hope that helped. the next question is from adrian. adrian isa next question is from adrian. adrian is a driving instructor and asks if driving lessons and tests can resume next week. does not say which tier he is in. currently, we are not sure yet. the dvla tweeted last night that more information will be available soon on what the tiers mean for driving lessons and tests. of course, being in a contained space like a car does come with risks. so there are things, if and when we do here, that you can do to protect yourself, including wearing a face covering, i know it is cold, but having a windows open. we are hearing a lot about ventilation in all of this, having christmas lunch is, if you are getting together with households, with wrapping up warm and throwing open the windows. jennifer, pauline asks, i was

shielding and i am now in the vulnerable category. i live in middlesbrough and we are about to go into tier 3. can i go out for exercise or see any friends? hi, pauline. you should definitely go out for exercise. the government market was encouraging that even for those shielding, because the chances of catching covid are very slim outdoors, because the virus particles we are breathing out instantly disappears in the air. as long as you are in a well ventilated area, long as you are in a well ventilated area , you long as you are in a well ventilated area, you are much safer. the risks will be outweighed by the benefits. the government wants you to keep exercising. as for friends, the rules in tier 3 apply to everyone and they state that you can only meet friends and family not in your household, or support bubbles in certain outdoor public spaces. that is the rule of six that will apply. but it is noted that you should take extreme care and minimise mixing with peoplepeople as much as possible. as few people, as few people as possible. perhaps choose

one tier close friends and only see them, but socially distance take ca re them, but socially distance take care when you are doing so. keeping up care when you are doing so. keeping up social distancing even when outside is important. this one, for you, if my wife and i go for a outside is important. this one, for you, if my wife and i go fora pub lunch into a tier 2 area, how long after we finish our meal can we stay at our table and continue drinking? this is a question from somebody in dunstable, and apparently quite a few people have been asking this kind of question. i love that, people wondering how long can i spend drinking in my pub. if you wanted, you could stay until, technically, 11pm, last orders are at ten, kick—out is at 11. it depends how long he really would wa nt to depends how long he really would want to drink. you would be needing to serve food during that time, that would be the caveat, that there must bea would be the caveat, that there must be a substantial meal. technically, you could stay until 11pm, substantial food would need to be served with that, so that is an important caveat. this is getting

out that if you finished a substantial meal several hours beforehand, should you really be staying? this is why it is in place in tier 2. alcohol increases the chances of risky behaviour. people getting closer, not social distancing. that is why these rules are in place. he would be allowed to go with his wife, assuming they are in the same household and i assume they are. he would not be able to go with people outside the households, into that pub. as i say, curfew is at 11pm, but last orders at ten. if you're going to the pub, you're not going like we used to, you are going for a meal and having a drink with it. practically, pubs are trying to get a bit of turnover and make some money, they expect people to clear away from tables within a reasonable amount of time so that they can clea n amount of time so that they can clean and get the next customers in. i guess that would limit how long anybody could stay there. a question for you, jennifer, from mark wilkinson in redditch. again, this isa wilkinson in redditch. again, this is a very popular question we are

getting today. grassroots sport are allowed to restart in all tiers. can members of the same team, indifferent tiers, plays together? great question. this is so complicated that i had to draw a scientific diagram to work it out. that is why we have experts like you to a nswer that is why we have experts like you to answer these questions! redditch will be in tier 2, as i understand it. if the sport is being played in tier2, it. if the sport is being played in tier 2, people from tier1 can come and play with you, outdoors. but they have to follow the rules of tier 2. if the game is they have to follow the rules of tier2. if the game is in they have to follow the rules of tier 2. if the game is in tier they have to follow the rules of tier2. if the game is in tier1, you, mark, can go and play in tier 1. you, mark, can go and play in tier 1, but you have to follow the rules of tier 2. are you with me still? let me address your mates in tier 3. they are not supposed to be travelling to other parts of the uk unless it is absolutely necessary, as we discussed with the wedding issue. tier 3 mates cannot play with

tier1 or issue. tier 3 mates cannot play with tier1or2. as issue. tier 3 mates cannot play with tier1 or2. as i issue. tier 3 mates cannot play with tier1 or 2. as i understand it, those are the completed rules. i am willing to be corrected. wise to be cautious, by the sounds of things. so, it is awfully completed. we are looking at these things all of the time, we werejust looking at these things all of the time, we were just chatting beforehand and saying that we still have to double and triple check everything because it is really complex. it depends on the scenario? so complicated. i have several spreadsheets. it is notjust england, we are talking about scotland, ireland, wales, everybody is different and it is really obligated. i have one point on jennifer's question about the wedding. you are actually exempt to go to wedding. you are actually exempt to gotoa wedding. you are actually exempt to go to a wedding or civil partnership. 15 people are allowed ina wedding partnership. 15 people are allowed in a wedding and you would be allowed to travel. martin, i hope you are still listening, that is a

very positive piece of news for you and your parents, for your wedding day. thelma armstrong in london asks if the current rules about moving home will still apply in the new tier system, and also, can thelma travel to prepare her new home? what is important with thelma's question is important with thelma's question is where she lives and where she is going. asjennifer is where she lives and where she is going. as jennifer has is where she lives and where she is going. asjennifer has already pointed out, you shouldn't be going in and out of tier 3 areas unless it is absolutely necessary. those reasons include work, education, receiving medical treatment. we mentioned weddings being one of the exemptions. one of the other ones is moving home. what is important to consider is what you are doing, is it absolutely time sensitive and could you wait? that is what thelma needs to be thinking about. incited some politicians say to make really carefuljudgments, these are the sorts of things they are talking about. alison bishop asks, being in

tier 2 with pubs open, howley people can gather for tier 2 with pubs open, howley people can gatherfor a tier 2 with pubs open, howley people can gather for a pub for tier 2 with pubs open, howley people can gatherfor a pub for a meal in december, not the christmas period, but the rest of the summer? this is pretty straightforward, you must not socialise with anyone you do not live with what is not in your bubble, in any indoor setting, whether at home or in a public place like a pub. that is your family and bubble going to the pub, as i understand it. you must not socialise in a group of more than six people outside, including a garden or public space. i presume that includes beer gardens? but maybe anna can correct me. so a chilly outdoor pub experience. but i am wondering if the pub might get innovative and start opening up outdoor spaces and heating them to drum up business. i think some may well do that. just to be clear, i am not entirely clear in my mind, insight, yes, with your immediate family, your bubble, but outside, how many? is there a limit? so your family and bubble is ten people, for

example, could it be ten or does it have to be the rule six? i'm going to pass on this one! any idea? i'm pretty sure there is no limit on the household. but it would be one household. but it would be one household. but it would be one household. but i would double—check if you have giant household. i would say that beer gardens do count in tier 2. so you could meet in a beer garden, and we are seeing lots of pubs and venues setting out heated scandinavian vibe areas to make up with that. we do have to go and check some of these questions ourselves, because it is tricky in places. christopher gray in devon, he asks, i live in devon, tier 2, andi he asks, i live in devon, tier 2, and i work in hospitality. after lockdown, can hotels reopen for guests lockdown, can hotels reopen for gu ests to lockdown, can hotels reopen for guests to come and stay? in tier1 and tier2, yes, guests to come and stay? in tier1 and tier 2, yes, in tier 3, guests to come and stay? in tier1 and tier2, yes, in tier3, no. the only reason they are allowed to open in tier3 is only reason they are allowed to open in tier 3 is for exceptional circumstances, like somebody living there as their main residence, or it

is needed for work or education. really, nobody should be travelling in and out of tier 3 areas anyway. another question for you, jennifer, which illustrates that issue, the complications that come when you try to decide whether or not you should be travelling between different tiers. keith daley in kent, which we have been talking about today, this is going to be in tier 3, can i visit a tier 2 area to attend a reunion dinner in a restaurant? keith, i feel your pain, i also live in kent and was gutted to see that there are structures were going to be tier 3. basically, you need to avoid travelling to other parts of the uk, including for overnight stays, other than where necessary. we have already discussed what is necessary. i don't think a reunion dinner will be considered necessary. and it would have to be outdoors. and it would have to be outdoors. and it would have to be outdoors. and it could not have more than six people anyway. so it would be a brisk picnic, perhaps.” people anyway. so it would be a brisk picnic, perhaps. i guess, keith, if you can reschedule the reunion dinner, if possible, it

might bea reunion dinner, if possible, it might be a good idea. until times when we can actually socialise in a more normal way. fingers crossed. annalise in bedfordshire asks under the new tier to restrictions of no mixing of households indoors, do pods within the grounds of a care home count as an indoor household? what an interesting question. home count as an indoor household? what an interesting questionm really is. really important. well, we are waiting for more guidance on this. of course, the older you are, the more you are at risk of coronavirus. but there are other risks. you know, the loneliness that people may feel being isolated from theirfamily, particularly people may feel being isolated from their family, particularly at this time of year. so, we have been hearing a lot about people making their bestjudgments, hearing a lot about people making their best judgments, taking hearing a lot about people making their bestjudgments, taking their own situations into their hands and thinking about what is best for them and loved ones. now, my understanding is that this can depend on individual accounts. during lockdown, some care homes have set up external visitor pods. the benefit of that means that visitors don't have to go into the

ca re visitors don't have to go into the care homes, because, as we saw in the first wave, that was happening, the first wave, that was happening, the virus was being brought in and then raging to the care homes, which was extremely tragic and led to thousands of deaths. you can also have outdoor visits or window visits, but i say, any interaction isa visits, but i say, any interaction is a risk, particularly in drawers. it is hoped more testes going to be brought in, and it is going to include testing staff and visitors. so, that will make things better. what is important to remember is what chris whitty, the chief medical officer, said yesterday afternoon. he has been warning us not to hug or kiss elderly relatives. it's not against the law. if you want to, you can. but it's all about whether you should and if it is the right thing to do. as we know, for so many families, just seeing the relatives would be an immense piece of progress after the year that we have had. jennifer, one more for you on shielding. we had a question from pauline earlier, who said she had been shielding on was in the vulnerable category. in general terms, can you remind us of the

guidelines for those shielding who are continuing to shield, and the differences between the three tiers regarding that? i would highly commend you go to the website and look at the details. it is incredibly long and complicated guidance. some highlights, you can keep working on all three tiers if it is absolutely necessary, but your employer has to put in place special measures to make sure you are safe. in tier2, you measures to make sure you are safe. in tier 2, you follow the normal rules about socialising. but you really have to take care. in tier 3, it is strongly advised that although you gartside for exercise, you stay at home as much as possible. you go outside. the watchword is to take care, not just outside. the watchword is to take care, notjust for people shielding, but for everybody, no matter what tier you are in. a fascinating settle questions. thank you for answering those and thank you for sending those in.

now it's time for a look at the weather with chris fawkes hello, there. it's been quite a murky start to the day. we've had some fairly dense fog patches around across parts of east anglia, southern england, the south and west midlands, and into eastern areas of wales. but visibility has been picking up since. that said, we will probably keep some low cloud and perhaps a little bit of mist across the west midlands and parts of east wales. otherwise, the weather tending to brighten up, with some sunny spells coming through at times. so in coastal counties seeing some thick cloud on a few patches of rain here. a week weather front will bring a few patches of light rain into the north—west of northern ireland and north—western areas of scotland. where it stays rather cloudy and misty, temperatures may only reach 5 degrees. it will be a cold november day. in other places, where we see a bit of sunshine, temperatures could go as high as perhaps 8 degrees or so. overnight tonight, a few fog patches forming through the vale of york.

north—east england, into parts of scotland, will also be cold for these areas with a frost setting in. temperatures dropping into the countryside, —3, “4. in the south, one of those nights where it will turn milder as thicker cloud works in, and that cloud will bring some patches of light rain. the rain is all tied in with these weak weather fronts, pushing northwards into high—pressure, and generally high pressure will be dominating both on saturday and sunday. so, on the weather menu, through the weekend, we are going to keep quite a lot of cloud around. there will be a few patches of light rain, more especially on saturday. equally, there will be some areas that brighten up with some spells of sunshine coming through. the wind generally staying light. for scotland and northern england, perhaps northern ireland, getting off to a bright start with some sunshine. further south across the bulk of england and wales, it's going to be a cloudy start of the day with a view patches of light rain drifting northwards for a time, reaching southern scotland as we head into the afternoon. northern scotland seeing the best of any sunshine into the afternoon. there could be a few mist and fog patches lingering in a few spots. temperatures, 12 degrees

to the south, maybe around 5 degrees in the colder parts of scotland. into sunday, well, it's a quiet day, weather—wise. there will, though, be a lot of cloud around. some areas seeing some sunshine. might see some of that pushing into parts of wales on the south—west, may be north—eastern areas of scotland. where it stays cloudy, looking at temperatures generally hovering around the 8 degrees mark. which is still on the cool side for the time of year. thicker cloud works in early next week, bringing the threat of some rain across north—western areas. the driest weather is likely to parts of the south and south—west. that's your weather.

this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. a call for a rethink over england's covid tier system but the government defends placing most of the country under tougher restrictions after lockdown ends. if people do follow the rules, if we do make the tiered system work, then as i say, there is every reason to believe that they could de—escalate and go down a tier in time for christmas. northern ireland has entered a two week lockdown from today as stricter covid—19 restrictions come into force. the british government asks the uk medicines regulator to assess the oxford vaccine — bringing the vaccine one step closer to a possible rollout do get in touch with your thoughts on the different