point -- boots,. this euphemism of getting rid of staff, dave entered into some ill—advised lung rents that have tied companies in and made them less likeable, i mean, this is with debenhams and the news of the last couple of days of philip green's empire, that is 25,000 jobs —— less flexible. either definitely going to go, some might stay if some of the shops are maintained and repurposed and bought by other retail empires. this goes, the demise of the high street, or put it this way, the demise of a certain version of the high street, was happening long before covid. this is fast forwarded and there is a lot of this future obligee around

life after covid that i am a little bit weary of, thinking that everybody's going to be working from assume. —— zoom. everybody's going to be working from assume. -- zoom. 3 million, for memory, work in the retail sector in the country. this is bad news. this is... not enough money has been invested in some of these big brands. online and things. definitely not, and i think you pick up definitely not, and i think you pick up an important point now, with private equity, which seems to quite often beat stripping these companies often beat stripping these companies of their assets over long period of time. and, yes, definitely none of them are particular well proved for them are particular well proved for the challenges that online retail represents. i think also the government has a part to playful stu b government has a part to playful stub and think that the really

crippling business rates over the past for years have put quite a lot of shocks out of business —— they really crippling. i think it is easy for previous chancellors, not rishi sunak, to get of business rates, thinking that that is a quick fix and companies can afford to pay, easier to do that than to target individuals, and actually that is the way to ruin for lots of shops, sunken —— so ——so| —— so i hope soon apple consider a breakfor —— so i hope soon apple consider a break for businesses —— so i —— so i hope soon apple consider a breakfor businesses —— so i hope that sunak. if you can shop online, a company that has a brick—and—mortar shop in your local high street, rather than on amazon, so high street, rather than on amazon, so there are ways to slow decline or reverse the decline... you want to come in on this quickly? we have long had a wrongly aligned economy, in which we believe that services and consumerism, those two aspects

of our economic life would lead us to nirvana and we don't actually need to produce anything... invest in high schools or anything else like that, so there has been a problem that has been in a number of countries, but we have added in particular, and every member gordon brown talking about shopping as a patriotic duty —— i remember. a more ridiculous phrase, i struggle to imagine. we have got to rethink how you build a sustainable economy. it should be building, alongside using e‘coitiitiei’ce, should be building, alongside using e—commerce, but when you do that, you have to have a tax structure that taxes non—prix and mortar that it does traditional retail. finally, olivia, let's look at the metro. is your paper, course, that slashed the

retail or a story. there is knocking to be next in the gathering for the queen this year —— the retail —— rita aura story. -- rita aura story. the queen... setting a great example for sort of sad not to think of the royal family not gathering together for the traditional christmas. it is a relief they are not doing something which the rest of the country is not allowed to do. i cannot remember, john, can you, the last time they we re john, can you, the last time they were not at sandringham?|i john, can you, the last time they were not at sandringham? i am not a traditional, quite a stickler for christmas day habits, and watching the queen at 3pm in the news coverage the queen at 3pm in the news cove rage of the queen at 3pm in the news coverage of her taking a walk to the church at sandringham and that small but quite enthusiastic band of people going to watch her, that is all been very much part of it, and i think her christmas message this

year will be watched with even more interest, i think, year will be watched with even more interest, ithink, by year will be watched with even more interest, i think, by people year will be watched with even more interest, ithink, by people here and elsewhere are just what kind of tone she strikes to mark the coming tone she strikes to mark the coming to the end of this pretty awful year. yeah, and goodness what another huge difference coronavirus, covid—i9, has made to our life, the lives of millions around the world this year, but hopefully with vaccinations insight, that might be come to an end over the next four or five months. listen, both of you, thank you very much indeed for that first look at the papers. we will be having another look, though, in about a0 minutes' time. hi there, good evening. i'm chetan pathak with your sports news. we start with the champions league. liverpool are into the knockout stages after a 1—0 win

over ajax at anfield. goalkeeper alisson missed the game, adding his name tojurgen klopp‘s lengthy injury list, but they got the job done tonight — as did manchester city, who finish as group winners after a goalless draw in porto. our sports correspondent andy swiss reports. for liverpool, the equation was simple. just a draw against ajax would take them through to the knockout stage, but if the maths were straightforward, the match was a little trickier. curtisjones so nearly fired liverpool ahead, as ajax looked rattled. but gradually, they found their feet. only a fine save from stand—in keeper caoimhin kelleher ensuring it was goalless at the break. and after it, ajax came even closer. now it was their turn to be denied by the post. liverpool were wobbling, butjust when they needed it, a goalkeeping gaffe. commentator: williams with a teasing cross... ona na lost it! jones the scorer. and he could barely believe his luck. quite what ajax keeper andre onana was doing, only he will know. but liverpool weren't complaining.

ajax kept pressing, though, and in the closing minutes, only kelleher‘s brilliance kept them out. liverpool's 1—0 win was enough to take them through — and you could see the relief. manchester city, meanwhile, had already safely qualified before their game against porto. and playing in black, they were soon on the attack. ferran torres with an early chance, but he couldn't take it — to his all too obvious frustration. and there was plenty more to come, as after the break, the porto goal seemed to lead a charmed life. city doing everything, it seemed, apart from actually score. commentator: how did that stay out? and even when gabrieljesus did find the net, it was offside. a goalless draw for city, but the fact they'll now qualify as group winners should be ample consolation. andy swiss, bbc news. well, earlier in the night, there was a shock defeat for the is—time european champions real madrid, as they were beaten 2—0

away at shakhtar donetsk. brazilian dentinho got the opener on 57 minutes, before manor solomon wrapped up the win late on. real drop to third in the group with one game to go. and northern ireland have made history and secured a playoff place for the women's euro 2022 finals after coming from behind to thrash the faroe islands 5—1 at seaview. the pick of the goals was this one, the third of the night of the night for the hosts. for the hosts. it was scored by chloe mccarron. the result gives northern ireland a great chance now to qualify for a first major women's tournament. and that win means that wales have no chance of reaching the tournament now. they beat belarus 3—0 tonight, a great goal from rachel rowe, but it proved to be a bittersweet result as they finish third in theirgroup behind northern ireland.

and scotland's euro 2022 hopes are also over tonight. it all finished in agonising fashion as finland pulled off a shock win at easter road by scoring a stoppage time winner. amanda rantanen the scorer, her team—mates overjoyed. they're top of the group. this weekend's premier league match between newcastle united and aston villa has been postponed after several newcastle players and staff members tested positive for coronavirus. the club says the decision has been made following a "significant increase" in covid—i9 cases at the training ground. those affected are self—isolating, whilst the club's training ground has been closed since yesterday. friday's match will now be rescheduled. in a statement, newcastle say... "the club introduced comprehensive covid—i9 protocols in line with premier league and government guidance to protect its players and staff ahead of project restart." the england manager gareth southgate has told the bbc that he thinks the introduction of concussion substitutions could be coming into football soon.

it follows a serious head collision in the premier league on sunday that left wolves' rauljimenez with a fractured skull. the issue of dementia of football has also made headlines again in recent weeks and southgate has been telling us that's something else he has concerns about. we just don't have the research. i know that's been ongoing, i know the fa are dealing with it. i was asked a few weeks ago, "did i have concerns about that as a former player?" well, of course i do, because it's a horrible illness, and one that i've seen, with family, the impact of it. but i know when i was playing that i knew the risks i was taking around my health. and i wouldn't have swapped that for the career i had. next to cricket. england's cricketers have compete

a 3—0 whitewash in their t20 series against south africa. the hosts recovered well after a slow start — with faf du plessis hitting an unbeaten 50 and rassie van der dussen ending on 7a not out — but south africa's total of 191—3 wasn't enough, asjos buttler and more brilliance from dawid malan with the bat got england to victory. malan ending with an unbeaten 99 to wrap up a nine—wicket win with ia balls to spare. and formula 1 driver romain grosjean will remain in hospital for a further night following his horrific crash at the bahrain grand prix where he miraculously got out of his burning car. the frenchman suffered burns to the back of his hands but is otherwise in good spirits and posted this video on social media earlier. ican i can press the button with one of my fingers, which is good. thank you for the messages. sorry if i did not

reply to you, but yeah. leaving tomorrow. obviously, a few parts of it painful, but, hey, it's ok. after what happened, i guess the pain is not too bad. yes. i'm happy to be alive and to talk to you. and that is all your sport for now. more reaction to tonight's champions league results, but for now, from me and the team, goodbye. hello there. we are into meteorological winter now and it is going to feel wintry for the rest of this week, behind this cold front, we are going to feel... this cold front will be seeking southwards any sorts through in clinton west today, that a bit of rain in its, but the skies will tend

to be cloudy. behind it, blustery showers. gales in the northwest. these showers turning increasingly wintry over the higher ground here. snow over the scottish hills, moving on to lower levels as well, and an area of more organised grimble pushing to invent and was with some stronger winds later in the night, so stronger winds later in the night, so here, not quite as cold as what it will be further north with the snow showers in the clear spells. big area of low pressure with us through thursday and friday is going to bring areas of rain and strong winds. it is good if you called both days, likely to assume he'll snow notches across the north. even in the south, simply to lower levels too.

this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. the us attorney general, appointed by president trump, says he's found no evidence of widespread fraud that would have changed the outcome of the election. president electjoe biden unveils his economic team — urging members of congress to unite and pass an economic aid programme. the ice make to the right, 291. noes to the left, 78. the ayes have it. unlock! despite the biggest backbench rebellion of this parliament, borisjohnson has secured enough