tonight at six — 13,000 jobs at risk as top shop's owner arcadia comes close to collapse. the high street empire has more than 500 stores across britain — including dorothy perkins, miss selfridge and burton. 0nce known as the king of the high street — sir philip green bought arcadia almost 20 years ago. he's gone from zero to hero and now it looks as though he's going back to zero again. philip's style worked really well for a while, but it's been working progressively less well. arcadia could become britain's biggest corporate collapse of the pandemic so far. also tonight: the toughest restrictions, but some of the lowest infection rates — anger in places like kent's tunbridge wells at england's new tier system. fishing and access to british waterfor eu boats — a key sticking point as brexit

negotiations resume in london this weekend. and parenting in a pandemic — a sharp rise in loneliness for those with young children is revealed in research backed by the pandemic has reminded usjust how much we value living in a world where people care for one another, and the importance of feeling connected to the people around us. and coming up in sport on bbc news, a derby to decide the big prize of rugby's super league season — we look ahead to the final between wigan and the reigning champions, st helens. good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six.

sir philip green's retail empire arcadia, which owns big name high street stores like topshop, burton and dorothy perkins, is on the brink of collapse, putting 13,000 jobs at risk. the business owns more than 500 stores and has been run by sir philip green for almost 20 years. the group had been in talks with potential lenders about borrowing £30 million to help it through the christmas period. but negotiations have failed and it's understood administrators could be appointed as early as monday. in a statement today, arcadia said the coronavirus pandemic had had a "material impact on trading" across its businesses. our business correspondent emma simpson reports. they emma simpson reports. are some of the most wel brands they are some of the most well—known brands on high streets across the country, including topshop, the jewel in the crown. thousands of jobs have already gone in retail this year. the collapse of arcadia would be the biggest failure yet.

topshop had the best inexpensive fashion, totally kept up with the trends. philip didn't manage the business brilliantly and new fashion businesses which are digital natives have found it much easier to adapt to the shopping climate now. the owner is sir philip green, colourful and controversial. he built one of the biggest clothing empires in the country, courting celebrities along the way. but then he sold bhs for £1 and it collapsed a year later. do you mind not looking at me like that all the time? it's disturbing. point leaving him facing the fury of mps and having to cough up millions to the pension schemes. he has gone from zero to hero and now it looks as though he is going back to zero again. philip's style worked really well for a while, but it's been working progressively less well. today's retail industry needs huge investment and it's never been his

style to invest much in his businesses, as was exemplified by the dividend of about 1.2 billion that he and his family took out of the business some years ago. this business had been in trouble long before the pandemic, but this second lockdown now looks to be the final nail in the coffin. arcadia had been hoping to raise emergency funds to tide it through christmas, but that is now thought to have fallen through. in a statement, the company said the forced closure of our stores for sustained periods as a result of the pandemic has had a material impact on trading across oui’ material impact on trading across our business. as a result, the arcadia boards have been working on a number of contingency options to secure the future of the group's brands. they say the shops will reopen next week as restrictions are lifted. trading as normal. but tonight, this is a business on the

brink. so we understand that administration could come as early as monday, sophie, and that sir philip green is likely to be heading for the exit. in other words, he is not going to be looking to buy back those brands. so buyers will have to be found. it is a dramatic fall from grace for someone once be found. it is a dramatic fall from grace for someone once dubbed the king of the high street, but don't forget, this business almost collapsed last year and a huge financial pressure. but more importantly, it is such a worrying time for these 13,000 workers, wondering what their future is going to look like a month before christmas. the high street has taken a real hammering from this pandemic, and the economic cost is really starting to bite. emma simpson, thank you. the prime minister has been defending england's new coronavirus restrictions that will begin when lockdown ends next wednesday. many conservative mps reacted angrily when it was revealed that almost the entire country would be placed into the two highest tiers —

with many areas that have low infection rates facing tougher controls than before. they're calling for a more locally targeted approach. borisjohnson said he realised it was "frustrating" — but insisted that the restrictions were necessary to curb the disease. 0ur deputy political editor, vicki young, has spent the day in kent, which is going into the toughest tier. it's not the festive reopening they had been hoping for and once again, this bar will have to adapt. customers won't be allowed to sit in and enjoy the craft beer, so owner alex is setting up as a shop. most businesses were getting prepared to get back open in some way, so too have the rug pulled from under us at the last minute is quite a shock. and it's upsetting, i guess, to be in this situation, especially when we tried so hard as an industry to be covid—secure we tried so hard as an industry to be covid—secu re and we tried so hard as an industry to be covid—secure and we put in 70 measures. in tonbridge there are few coronavirus cases, but high numbers ina coronavirus cases, but high numbers in a couple of areas of kent have

put the whole county into the toughest restrictions. it's like when you are at school and you behave the whole lesson, and then there is just one behave the whole lesson, and then there isjust one kid at behave the whole lesson, and then there is just one kid at the back that hasn't behaved. we were quite shocked. we were not expecting to be in tier3. and shocked. we were not expecting to be in tier 3. and as new mums, we are struggling being alone, stuck in the house a look. the government has to put a line somewhere. i mean, you put a line somewhere. i mean, you put a line through the middle of kent, no one is going to know where it is. the prime minister hopes that eventually, vaccines and mass testing will help control the virus. today he told public housing and la bs today he told public housing and labs at porton down that for now, the tier system will dictate what rules we must live with.|j the tier system will dictate what rules we must live with. i totally understand why people feel so frustrated, but the difficulty is that if you did it any other way, first of all, you would divide the country up into loads and loads of very complicated subdivisions. there has to be some simplicity and

clarity in the way we do this. but furious conservative mps have been lobbying for a more targeted approach. of course he is right that we need simplicity and clarity, but we need simplicity and clarity, but we also needed to be appropriate. we are asking people to make very serious sacrifices, and economic sacrifices, and that is why it's important that what we asked people to do is appropriate to the situation they find themselves in. labour is not against the tighter restrictions, which mps will vote on next week, but it wants more financial support for those who have to isolate. borisjohnson might have to isolate. borisjohnson might have to rely on opposition mps to get his plans through. there have been howls of protest from many conservative mps, who are particularly worried about the hospitality trade. but the government is taking a tougher approach this time round after scientists said the tier system simply wasn't working. now mps in places like kent are pinning all their hopes on a review in two weeks' time. shops, there that have

survived, will reopen across the whole of england next week. but many pubs and restaurants face an uncertain future. vicki young, bbc news, tonbridge. the uk's r numberfor covid—19, which measures the disease's ability to spread — has fallen below 1 for the first time since august. but it is a varied picture depending on where you live. 0ur health editor hugh pym reports on the different approaches to fighting the spread. empty streets in belfast today, with northern ireland beginning a two—week circuit breaker lockdown to try to stem the spread of covid—19. non—essential shops are closed apart from click and collect services, and pubs, restaurants and cafes can only do take away and deliveries. we are asking people, for two weeks, to please abide by the public health advice so that we can then come together in and around that window at christmas. as northern ireland enters a new lockdown, england prepares to leave one next week.

and already, there's intense debate about the introduction of tiered restrictions. the government has set out how it decides which areas should go into which tiers. first of all, looking at case rates across all age groups, then rates amongst the over—60s, how rapidly r rates are going up or coming down, and how many tests done come through positive. finally, how much pressure is there on the nhs. but questions have been raised in some areas about the decisions. newcastle's in tier 3, for example. in northumberland, a local conservative mp's had to respond to complaints from people about being lumped in with newcastle. in sussex, which is in tier 2, officials say that with cases, the trend is increasing in several areas. and with local hospitals, things are fairly stable. in neighbouring kent, in tier 3, they say there have been big case increases and those in people aged over 60 are a particular concern and hospital

admissions are increasing. for cumbria in tier 2, cases in some areas are said to be increasing, but some of this is likely due to a large school outbreak. in neighbouring lancashire, which is in tier 3, official state in neighbouring lancashire, which is in tier 3, officials say case rates in over—60s are very high, and there is still pressure on the nhs. at present, the levels of covid within the community is still very high. and that will drive admissions coming into hospital. if people are mixing in the community, that means after christmas, if people don't follow the rules, we may see a further surge. in newcastle, a specialist intensive care unit has been created for covid patients, though the latest r number for the northeast of england, showing how much the virus is spreading, is, like the northwest, below the overall uk figure. london and the southeast are higher. hugh pym, bbc news. if you live in england and you want to check which tier your area will be in,

you can go to the bbc news website and enter your postcode to find out and check the rules. new restrictions will be imposed on pubs, restaurants and bars in wales from next friday. cinemas, bowling alleys and indoor entertainment venues will also have to close before christmas. wales only came out of tough circuit breaker restrictions less than three weeks ago. hwyell griffith is in cardiff. and infection rates are already on the rise again? yes, sophie. it wasjust yes, sophie. it was just a week ago that the welsh government was cautiously celebrating the success, showing a graph with a steep decline in coronavirus case numbers. but over the last few days, plenty of people have been out shopping, drinking and eating. and we have seen drinking and eating. and we have seen the numbers start to rise again. we were told today that the r numberfor wales again. we were told today that the r number for wales may be as again. we were told today that the r numberfor wales may be as high again. we were told today that the r number for wales may be as high as 1.4. number for wales may be as high as 1.11. so the first minister says something has to change stuff as you

said, that will mean the closure of bowling alleys and indoor venues, but they have not yet been given a date as to when that will happen. we do know that from next friday, the hospitality sector will come under a lot more restrictions, but they don't know what they will be — potentially foreclosure, may be limits on their hours, may be limits on alcohol sales. all of those will be considered by the welsh government. but they have not made their mind up yet. so pubs and cafes will not be called until monday what is happening to them. it's fair to say that until now, the first minister mark drakeford say that until now, the first minister mark dra keford has say that until now, the first minister mark drakeford has won a lot of plaudits for his cautious approach but today, he admitted to the bbc that the way that wales came out of the lockdown, by opening up pretty much everything all at the same time, may have been a mistake. the challenge for him and his government now is to find a way to dampen down the transmission again as people lead towards christmas and the freedoms that they have been promised around that period. hywel

griffith, thank you. the latest government figures show there were 16,022 new coronavirus infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period. that means the average number of new cases reported per day in the last week is now 16,725. there were 1,612 people admitted to hospital on average each day over the week to last friday. and 521 deaths were reported — that's people who died within 28 days of a positive covid—19 test. that means on average in the past week, a67 deaths were announced every day. it takes the total number of deaths so far across the uk to 57,551. don't play board games with your family at christmas and keep a window open — that's the latest guidance from sage, the government's scientific advisers. 0ur science editor david shukman joins us now. pretty detailed advice. is it a sign

of how worried scientists are about people mixing over christmas?” think it is, because their calculations show that over the christmas period, you could easily get a doubling in the number of infections. so the scientists' first recommendation is to have a good think about whether you might postpone your christmas celebrations to next year or somehow do them online or out of doors where the risks are known to be lower. but if you are going to get together indoors, they say, have a good think about all the different ways in which the virus can spread. and board games, so really, is one example because if someone is infected and touches the pieces, other players touching those pieces could pick up the virus, which is why the scientists say quiz—style games without any kind of contact may be safer. they are also worried about people spending long hours together indoors and they say that you really have to think about opening the windows to bring in a

share and reduce the risk that way. and they are most worried about the vulnerable, including the elderly, and they say that if children are going to meet their grandparents, it is worth thinking about trying to make sure that that happens outdoors. scientists i have spoken to say they don't mind being seen as christmas killjoys. theyjust want to keep people safe. david shukman, thank you. our top story this evening: 13,000 jobs are at risk with top shop's owner, the arcadia group, close to collapse. a blood test to detect more than 50 types of cancer is to be trialled by the nhs in england. coming up on sportsday on bbc news: we'll bring you the latest from cape town as england's cricketers take on south africa in the first of three t20 internationals behind closed doors. five weeks today, the brexit transition period comes to an end.

it means there are only a few weeks left — if that — to hammer out a trade deal with the eu otherwise we leave with no deal. one of the main sticking points is fishing and the level of future access that eu boats will have to british waters. as face—to—face talks between the uk and the eu resume in london this weekend, jon kay reports from newlyn in cornwall on problems that need resolving fast. while we sleep, they work at the far southwest tip of britain. we are catching hake mainly, and we have a bit of haddock and cod. going straight back out anyway, so sopefully we can catch a bit more. by the time they return, there could be news on brexit. british negotiators will spend the weekend trying to land a deal. now is the time for them to deliver what they say they can deliver. make no mistake, it is make or break time for the cornish fishing industry.

it is fish that the uk and eu are now scrapping over in these final talks. most of what comes into newlyn is sold and eaten in europe. so any deal, or no deal, will have a real impact here. we're in a bit of a no—man's land, really. four years after the promises of the referendum, they will soon know what brexit really means. the prize is clearfor us. it is about control of our waters, it is about exclusive rights to the 12 mile for our fishermen and fairer share of quotas. and on the risk side, if you like, we have access to traditional markets. how confident are you that you will get a deal that you're happy with? i think we're cautiously optimistic. the two sides don'tjust have to agree on fishing, but on how our ports will operate. some fear long delays and more paperwork from the new year. we feel that we are in a dark room

or a cliff where we are putting our foot out and hoping for the best, but all i can say is the people that have prepared have done all we can do so far. they have been fishing out of here for centuries, long before quotas. once a huge industry, some think it can be again. but times have certainly changed. these days, there are only about 12,000 fishermen and women around the uk. the sector contributes about £450 million a year to the economy, but, to put that into context, it is only 0.02%. some question whether that is big enough to put an entire brexit deal at risk. but in newlyn, it is not just about numbers. it is about traditions, culture. these men are going out, risking their lives, and they're feeding their communities. and in the bigger picture, actually, they are providing fish for the entire of the uk and beyond. it is something to be proud of. and that is why it has to be

saved and preserved. both onshore and at sea, crucial days lie ahead. the forecast still unsettled around our island nation. jon kay, bbc news, cornwall. a former hospital porter has admitted to taking part in dozens of child sex offences over two decades. paul farrell was working as a porter at the specialist children's hospital at great 0rmond street in london when some of the offences took place. he denies several others. helena wilkinson is outside the court. the is outside the court. court heard that paul farrell had the court heard that paul farrell had worked at great 0rmond street hospitalfor 26 years in had worked at great 0rmond street hospital for 26 years in various positions, one as a porter. he pleaded guilty to 33 charges of sex offences. his victim six children, the youngest being seven years old

when farrell began indecently assaulting him. he had already admitted to 25 charges and the court heard today that two victims claimed they had been assaulted on the grounds of the hospital site. today thejudge said that grounds of the hospital site. today the judge said that the prosecution had made it clear that this is not a case where it is alleged farrell was targeting children at great 0rmond street hospital, rather that children were abused in parts of the hospital in which he had access. today he denied another —— 21 charges including rape and he has been told he is next to appear here in court in february. thank you. catching cancer early is crucial. now, 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. 165,000 patients will be offered the tests from next year and it's hoped it could save many lives.

jim reed reports. this time last year, this person was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer. as with too many, the warning signs were missed. the first doctor said go and buy some prune juice, you could be constipated. that wasn't working and i insisted and went back to another gp in the same surgery and and went back to another gp in the same surgery and another one said by gaviscon, which i got, still not working. if i knew and i could ask for it and the doctor would suggest do this test that would have helped. the nhs is planning to try out a new test in england developed by a californian firm designed to detect molecular changes in the blood because by 50 types of cancer. 165,000 participants aged between 50 and 79 will be asked to pilot the test over the next three years. the

idea is to diagnose at a much earlier stage. just 40% of ovarian cancers are found at stage one and two when this trimmer is smallest. 60% are found at stage three and four. 0ptions 60% are found at stage three and four. options are more limited then. this is a hugely important moment in the fight to be able to detect cancers early when treatment can make the most difference. we want to be one of the first health services in the world to see whether the simple blood test can detect those cancers when treatment will make the biggest difference. some scientists are sceptical and see the technology is unproven and direct questions about the accuracy of blood tests for cancer. if the pilot is successful the nhs says it will be extended to another 1 successful the nhs says it will be extended to another1 million people by the end this decade. iran's most senior nuclear scientist — mohsen fakhrizadeh — has been assassinated near the capital tehran.

he is widely viewed by western intelligence agencies as being behind iran's secret nuclear weapons programme. 0ur security correspondent gordon corera is with me. who could be behind us and why? mohsen fakhrizadeh was a very senior figure in iran in the nuclear programme and the alleged secret nuclear weapons programme. iran has a lwa ys nuclear weapons programme. iran has always said it is not developing a bomb, but as a result he was well guarded, he would have known he was a target, many bodyguards, it looks like a sophisticated operation in which one car blew up and then there was a gun battle which killed him. everyone is assuming this is israel. israel will not comment. but they are determined to stop iran developing a nuclear bomb. i don't a decade ago there were a number of other assassinations linked to israel, although never fully confirmed. why does this matter?

iran's nuclear programme was constrained by an international deal but two years ago the us under donald trump pulled out of that deal and asa donald trump pulled out of that deal and as a result iran has been pushing forward on what it has called its civilian nuclear programme which has caused concern in some quarters. just a few weeks ago there were reports donald trump in the us looked at the possibility ofa in the us looked at the possibility of a military strike on iran but decided not to and now it appears that israel has acted. iran could retaliate, this could make it harder for a new administration to go back into a deal. you get a sense it is a very uncertain moment and potentially a very dangerous moment in the middle east. thank you. parents with young children have experienced a dramatic increase in feelings of loneliness during lockdown. research commissioned by the duke and duchess of cambridge's royal foundation heard from more than half a million people about the challenges right now of bringing up children under the age of five. 0ur royal correspondent daniela relph reports.

improving the lives of young families, a focus of her royal work and a personal passion for the duchess of cambridge. formal public speeches are not something she does that often, but today she explained why this mattered to her so much. the pandemic has reminded usjust how much we value living in a world where people care for one another and the importance of feeling connected to the people around us. and it is these connections, these relationships, that are founded in the earliest years of our lives. the survey, commissioned by the royal foundation, examines early childhood. before lockdown, 38% of parents said they experienced loneliness. after lockdown, that rose dramatically to 63%. 70% described feeling judged by others. and only 10% of parents found time

to look after their own well—being. for becky and her son 0llie, who is three, the support offered by this preschool in peterborough has been vital in recent months. there were days where it was just, "i can't be bothered today, i'm not getting dressed today." but we got through it. and what lifts you on days when you feel like that? how do you get out of bed? the stuff he comes outwith. we put him on the bed and we both burst into tears and she turned to me and said, "i don't know how we're going to keep him alive." this afternoon, a panel of specialist discussed the new research. 0ne spoke personally about caring for a mother and her crying baby. what i realised was that this mum did not have enough money to buy new nappies. and rather than face the shame of asking someone for some, she felt she had to hide behind a medical problem and bring her child to the hospital.

now, in that moment, all my years of medical training was not needed. and what was needed wasjust compassion. the survey is a vast bank of data. it will be used to improve the lives of young children and those looking after them. daniela relph, bbc news. one of the world's oldest surviving zoos is moving to protect its future in the face of the pandemic. bristol zoo gardens in clifton opened to the public in 1836. one of its early and most famous animals was an elephant called zebi, who lived at the zoo for a0 years and was famous for removing and eating straw hats. the zoo — the fifth oldest in the world — is being moved to a bigger site in south gloucestershire. time for a look at the weather. the weather this weekend is looking really quite dull. there are going to be cloudy skies for most of the country but it will be milder than of late. today where the fog lingo that was really quite cold with

temperatures just a few degrees above freezing. we got a beautiful sunset like this one in west yorkshire. still some patches of fog through the midlands and southern england which will lift this evening because we have this cloud which is moving northwards, thick enough to give pockets of rain and drizzle. to the north, northern ireland, southern and eastern scotland, the cloud should break up and greater skies will lead to fog and frost in particular but father said temperatures will tend to rise. milderaircoming in on temperatures will tend to rise. milder air coming in on a breeze from the near continent pitching the cold est of from the near continent pitching the coldest of the hour northwards into scotla nd coldest of the hour northwards into scotland where we start the day with some sunshine. cloud across england and wales bringing pockets of rain and wales bringing pockets of rain and drizzle. clouding over in northern ireland and more cloud in the afternoon for southern scotland but more sunshine elsewhere across the country. quite chilly. further south even with all required temperatures are likely to reach 12,

maybe 13 degrees. we cut off that mild airfrom the maybe 13 degrees. we cut off that mild air from the continent for the second half of the weekend as high pressure built back in the uk. we are pressure built back in the uk. we a re left pressure built back in the uk. we are left with a lot of cloud, low cloud, so mist and fog in the hills. it will breeze across northern scotland. difficult to pick out the sunniest weather, the north—east of scotla nd sunniest weather, the north—east of scotland looks most favoured, perhaps west wales and through the channel. elsewhere temperatures sitting around eight to 10 celsius. similar temperatures on monday and there could be some patchy rain. a reminder of our top story: 13 thousand jobs at risk as top shop's owner arcadia comes close to collapse. the high street empire has more than 500 stores across britain. including dorothy perkins and burton.