tonight at ten — sir philip green's retail empire, arcadia, is on the brink of collapse. 13,000 jobs are at risk. topshop, dorothy perkins, miss selfridge — some of retail‘s biggest names — now under threat, with more than 500 stores across britain. once known as the king of the high street, sir philip — one of britain's most controversial businessmen — has built the group over two decades. it would be 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. when you are at the school and you behave the whole lesson, and there is one kid at the back that hasn't behaved. the scientist regarded as the mastermind of iran's nuclear programme has been assassinated.

and parenting in a pandemic — a sharp rise in loneliness for those with young children is revealed in research backed by the duchess of cambridge. and coming up in sport on bbc news, a brilliantjonny bairstow smashes four sixes and his unbeaten 86 leads england to victory in the first t20 against south africa. good evening. 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 has more than 500 stores and has been run by sir philip green for almost 20 years. 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 and its board was exploring all options. our business correspondent emma simpson reports. dorothy perkins and burton, miss selfridge and topshop, the jewel in the crown. some of the names on the high street. they make up the arcadia group, with more than 500 stores. topshop alone has some 250 shops and concessions in 170 odd towns and cities across the uk. rigs and mortar stores have become an albatross around any big company's neck and i have been new and flashy companies that have grown up digital natives and started their business digitally and they are much more nimble and able to adapt that many of the arcadia businesses. the owner is sir philip green, colourful and controversial. he built one of the

biggest clothing empire is in the country, courting celebrities along the way but then he sold bhs for a pound and it collapsed a year later. can you not look at me like that all the time, it's disturbing. 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 like he's going back to zero again. philip's style worked really well for a while but it has been working progressively less well. the retail industry today needs huge investment and it has never been his style to invest much in his businesses, as was exemplified by the dividend of about1.2 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. in a statement, the company said...

grant doherty only started his job ata grant doherty only started his job at a burton's concession in carlisle in february but was made redundant last month. i wasn't surprised at all. we did see some warning signs, especially with quite a lot of the customers, the footfall reducing quite a lot put my heart goes out to all the people, i know how they feel. it is quite a difficult position to be in, especially with the high street in general kind of looking in trouble sometimes. uncertain times for the 13,000 staff, the company says the stores will reopen next week as covid restrictions are lifted but it is 110w restrictions are lifted but it is now a business on the brink, potentially the biggest retail

failure of this pandemic. emma simpson, bbc news. the prime minister has defended england's new coronavirus restrictions that 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 kerb 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, shape or form so to kind of 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 and we've put in so many measures. in tunbridge there are few coronavirus cases, but high numbers in a couple of areas of kent have pushed 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 kid at the back that hasn't behaved. we were quite shocked. we were not expecting to be in tier 3. and as new mums, we are struggling being alone, stuck in the house a lot. the government has to put a line somewhere. i mean, you put a line through the middle of kent, no one is going to know where it is, are they? the prime minister hopes that eventually, vaccines and mass testing will help control the virus. today he toured public health england labs at porton down but for now, 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 some 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 also need it to be appropriate. we are asking people to make very serious sacrifices, personal sacrifices, economic sacrifices, and that is why it's important that what we ask people to do is entirely 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. boris johnson 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, those 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, tunbridge. 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. hywel griffith is in cardiff. a lot of uncertainty — what's the reaction been? it is fairto it is fair to say some confusion and a bit of anger because just a week ago the welsh government was cautiously celebrating the success of its firebreak, a graphic showing how case numbers had been falling

within wales. but after days of people going out to eat, shop and enjoy themselves, gathering some festive spirit, case numbers have been rising again and the government says the our number data it has seen suggest a reproduction rate of 1.4 within wales and it says new national measures are needed even though rates vary within wales. what are they? indoor venues will be closed next week, no date for them yet, but more pubs, restaurants and cafes, from next friday they have tougher new restrictions but no decision on what they will be. possibly entirely close, may be a ban on alcohol sales, we will not know until the decision on monday. at this stage, mark drakeford the first minister has had a few plaudits for his cautious approach to the pandemic over eight months but today he admitted to us that the way wales came out of the bio break them up by literally opening pretty much everything up again instead of a gradual easing of restrictions may

have been a mistake. the challenge 110w have been a mistake. the challenge now for him and his government is to win back that territory, to bring the rate back down so they can give people the freedoms they have promised them for the christmas holidays. hywel griffith, thank you. the uk's r numberfor covid—19, which measures the disease's ability to spread, has fallen below one for the first time since august. but it is a mixed picture depending on where you live. our 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. nonessential shops are closed apart from click and collect services, and pubs, restaurants and cafes can only do takeaway 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 are 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 east sussex, which is in tier 2, officials say that with cases, the trend is increasing in several areas. but with local hospitals, things are fairly stable. in neighbouring kent, in tier 3, they say there have been big case rate increases and those in people aged over 60 are a particular concern, and hospital

admissions are increasing. for cumbria, in tier2, cases in some areas are said to be increasing, but some of this is likely due to a large school outbreak. and 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 that 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 north—east of england, showing how much the virus is spreading, is, like the north—west, below the overall uk figure. london and the south—east are higher. hugh is with me now.

reports that hospitals have been put on standby to roll out the vaccine in the next week or two. that is for nhs staff? we have a lwa ys that is for nhs staff? we have always been told that the hope was to get some vaccine out before christmas subject to approvals and nhs providers, which represents hospitals and other trusts in england, says its members have been told to be ready to start administering it by mid december and administering it by mid december and a lot of work is going on behind the scenes. the role of hospitals in the roll—out is to focus on patients and staff. it is being argued that logically it would be the pfizer vaccine, wet results were announced earlier this month, which would go to hospitals because it is quite difficult to administer and needs to be stored at —70 degrees and hospitals would be well suited to do that. but it is being stressed tonight it is up to the nhra, the independent regulator, to give approval or not and if it happens, it has to go to a joint committee of experts and two ministers to decide on prioritisation and even if the

approval comes next week it could be another week or ten days after that before it can be put out there. as for the oxford astrazeneca vaccine, its results were put out earlier this week with one or two questions asked about the data and government officials are saying it again is down to the nhra to assess that. with the vaccines on the horizon, people are putting hopes on easter as some normality returning but there is a warning from the world health organization about that? ministers at westminster have said some normality should return after easter but a doctor at that who has said he would not come to any of you after christmas and would not make any plans himself over the summer and it could be later in the year he suggests before full normality returns. 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, 467 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. a shukmanjoins us now. sign of how a shukman joins us now. sign of how worried they ar people a sign of how worried they are about people mixing with family and relatives over the christmas period? that's definitely right. they are worried. their calculations show that with more people mixing over

christmas, there could easily be a doubling in the number of infections. so their first recommendation for people to think long and hard about potentially postponing your celebrations to next year or trying to do them online in some way, 01’ year or trying to do them online in some way, or gathering outdoors where the risks are known to be lower. but if you are going to indoors, they say, make yourself familiar with all the different ways in which the virus can be spread. board games are one example. if someone is infected, they will be touching the pieces, the cards, the dice, other players will be as well and that is a potential route of infection. scientists are also worried about people spending hours on end in stuffy rooms. they say it's vital that windows should be open to bring in fresh air. and they are most concerned about the vulnerable, especially the elderly. they say if children are going to meet their grandparents, the best suggestion would be to try do that outdoors. the scientists involved in this work say they just don't

outdoors. the scientists involved in this work say theyjust don't mind being seen as christmas killjoys. they say they just want to keep people safe. david shukman, thank you. senior public health officials have cast doubt on the government's plans to roll out mass testing in england following a successful trial in liverpool. they say there is a lack of resources and not enough people to conduct mass testing. the government says it's talking to councils to make sure their needs are met. here's our health correspondent sophie hutchinson. aintree in merseyside. instead of horse racing, it's got a very different fixture now. you just don't know whether you've got it or not. the mass testing of people without symptoms here is part of the government's hugely ambitious scheme to sweep a whole city, liverpool, for covid—19. it's a bit uncomfortable, but it's a bit variable... it's been a military operation. yeah, i suppose they're important. yeah, it's ok. the fact that we have identified, you know, over 700 of our residents

who were positive, didn't know it, were a risk to their fellow citizens, is a hugely encouraging thing. liverpool city's neighbour, the borough of sefton here, is one of more than 90 local authorities which is going to start mass testing now but unlike liverpool, which has had the support of around 2,000 soldiers, sefton — which is about half the city's size — says it's been offered no support at all and has a team ofjust 12 people. this evening, the government's plans to expand mass testing in england were criticised by the uk's most senior public health officials. they told me testing should target those most at risk and that mass testing threatened to be a distraction from rolling out a vaccine. mass testing, asymptomatic testing of everyone or large populations, i don't think it makes sense to do that. we just don't have the resource.

mass testing is possible thanks to new so—called lateral flow tests made by the company innova. they're fast, producing results in around 20 minutes. the government says they're reliable, detecting more than 70% of coronavirus cases, but public health officials say they're concerned that may not be the case when used by people who are not properly trained. and others agree that great care must be taken. there will be some people who are falsely negative — that they have covid, and they'll end up spreading covid to their granny or granddad, and that could be a disaster. it's the last thing we want to do at christmas. but the government believes the tests can play a major role in preventing the spread of the virus. it says it will work with local authorities in tier 3 to help resource their plans. it's now told us, however, it's not expecting to see the liverpool mass testing scheme replicated up and down the country. sophie hutchinson, bbc news. iran's most senior nuclear scientist, mohsen fakhrizadeh, has been assassinated

near the capital tehran. he was widely viewed by western intelligence agencies as being behind iran's alleged secret nuclear weapons programme. the country's head of the armed forces warned of severe revenge for those who carried out the attack. 0ur security correspondent gordon corera is with me — who could be behind this and why? mohsen fakhrizadeh was a shadowy figure. this is one of the only pictures there is of him, but an important one. western intelligence agencies believe he was the driving force behind iran's nuclear weapons programme. iran denies wanting nuclear weapons and says its programme is purely civilian, but he was certainly a target. he was protected by bodyguards, but today his convoy was attacked. there was an explosion and gunfire and he was killed. he was behind it? almost eve ryo ne killed. he was behind it? almost everyone you speak to assumed it was israel, which is determined to stop iran getting nuclear weapons. but why now and why does it matter? well, iran was constrained in its

nuclear programme by an international deal that was signed up international deal that was signed up to buy in a number of powers in 2015. but in 2018 donald trump build the americans out of that deal, saying it was a bad deal. but as a result, iran has put forward on its nuclear programme, leading to a sense of crisis right now. just a few weeks ago, it was reported that donald trump himself considers but then turn down the idea of a military strike on iran's nuclear programme. and what may be going on now is that israel is taking advantage of that window while donald trump is still in office, before he leaves office, to push as ha rd before he leaves office, to push as hard as it can only run and potentially to also box in the biden administration and make it harder to resurrect that international deal. but we will have to see how and if iran retaliates. but certainly, there is a sense that, partly with that transition in washington, there isa that transition in washington, there is a real uncertainty and potentially a real danger in the middle east right now. gordon, thank you. it's just five weeks today until 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 south—west tip of britain. we're catching ha ke, mainly, and we've got a bit of haddock and cod. going straight back out anyway, so hopefully 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's make or break time for the cornish fishing industry. it's 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'll soon know what brexit really means. the prize is clearfor us. it's about control of our waters, it's about exclusive rights to the 12 mile for our fishermen and a fairer share of quotas. and on the risk side, if you like, we've got access to traditional markets. how confident are you that you'll 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're in a dark room or a cliff where we're putting our foot out and hoping for the best, but all i can say

is that the people that have prepared have done all we can do so far. they've 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's only 0.02%. some question whether that's big enough to put an entire brexit deal at risk. but in newlyn, it's not just about numbers. it's about traditions, culture. these men are going out, they're risking their lives, and they're feeding their communities. and in the bigger picture, actually, they're providing fish for the entire of the uk and beyond. it's something to be proud of. and that's 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. so the eu's chief negotiator michel barnier has arrived in london this evening for face to face talks with the uk negotiating team. 0ur europe editor katya adler is in brussels this evening. any indication of how close we are to that brexit deal? absolutely, because we are fast running out of time. the rumour mill is going into overdrive. what do we know for sure? we have these face—to—face negotiations between the two sides restarting this weekend in london. michel barnier, the eu's chief negotiator, just before setting off from brussels, said the key sticking points remain between the two sides. we have just heard about fishing, but there is also competition regulations that the eu wants to put in place and

there is the governance of the deal if it is ever agreed. there is considerable frustration by now in eu circles, but we also heard today from the uk's chief negotiator david frost. he said he is going to keep working as hard as he can to reach a deal, but only if it fully recognises uk sovereignty after brexit. so what do we need now to get this deal? we need difficult political compromises from both sides. 0n fishing, political compromises from both sides. 0nfishing, countries political compromises from both sides. 0n fishing, countries like france say, we can't suddenly cut our catch and there is the governance of the deal if it is ever agreed. there is considerable frustration by now in eu circles, but we also heard today from the uk's chief negotiator david frost. he said he is going to keep working as hard as he can to reach a deal, but only if it fully recognises uk sovereignty after brexit. so what do we need now to get this deal? we need difficult political compromises from both sides. 0n fishing, countries like france say, we can't suddenly cut our cat but if he does agree a deal with compromise, he could come under attack by ardent brexiteers in his own party. so two things to watch out for, sophie. firstly, even though it sounds like the two sides are far apart, if compromise is found, this deal could

be agreed really quickly. by now, these negotiators know the issues inside out. secondly, deal or no deal by the end of this year, with such important allies, close geographical neighbours and potential competitors, this will in no way be the end of the eu—uk conversation. katya adler in brussels, thank you. a former hospital porter has appeared in court and admitted to taking part in dozens of child sex offences over 35 years. 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 pleaded guilty to 58 sex offences against children, other charges including rape. the biggest prize of the rugby league season, which has been disrupted by the pandemic, was decided in hull this evening in a derby between the two great rivals, wigan and last year's champions, st helens. adam wild was watching. after a season of turbulence and turmoil, this grand final

could be nothing but extraordinary. in a year where almost everything changed, here was a rugby league rivalry that endures — st helens and wigan, nearest neighbours and here, they could scarcely be closer. wigan's zak hardaker over the line but unable to score. but what the game lacked in points, it made up for in passion and in pressure and finally, st helens were the first to crack. wigan offered just the smallest of gaps — it was alljake bibby needed. two points the lead, it wouldn't last. a saints penalty and the scores were tied, but what came next will go down in rugby league legend. the very last play of the match, a drop goal that hit the post. incredibly, st helens' jack welsby the quickest to react. he's touched it down! it's welsby! a st helens winner in the last second of the match — the most astonishing end to a most incredible season. st helens are super league champions. adam wild, bbc news.

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's 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'd 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 sun 0llie, who's 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 it? 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 specialists discussed