this is bbc news with the latest headlines. tougher warnings about the dangers of christmas socialising will be issued by the four uk nations later — but the rules allowing three households to meet are expected to remain. it's not for government to tell people exactly how to handle the situation, but it is to offer them clear guidance. last orders in london as it moves to tier 3 — ministers are due to review other english tiers today. we'd love to hear about what you've decided to do this christmas. will you be getting together with other households or not? do you think the leaders in the fournations should change the decision to relax the rules for five days? do get in touch with me on twitter @annita—mcveigh and use #bbcyourquestions, and i'll try to read out some of your comments.

people from ethnic minority backgrounds or lower incomes are less likely to take the coronavirus vaccine in the uk, according to new research. germany enters a hard lockdown, closing schools and businesses into january in an attempt to stop a sharp rise in covid—19 infections. and coming up this hour... cleaning up the clothing industry — the small town in italy that's leading the way in sustainable fashion. good morning. the prime minister is resisting calls to scrap the relaxed approach to covid rules at christmas, despite warnings from scientists that hospitals risk

becoming overwhelmed. no final decisions have been taken, but it's thought the restrictions allowing three households to mix are "unlikely to change". it's widely reported that talks will be resumed at 10:00 this morning between cabinet office minister michael gove and the leaders of the devolved adminstrations. sterner warnings are to be given about the dangers of mixing over christmas. people will be told to think carefully about spending time with elderly relatives. and there'll be an emphasis on avoiding travelling long distances after health experts said the planned relaxation would lead to many coronavirus deaths. labour is urging the government to "review" and "toughen up" the christmas restrictions. this report from nick eardley. after a year in which few things have been normal, christmas is going to be different, too. gone are the office parties and big gatherings of family and friends. there are plans to relax some rules to allow limited mixing but with cases rising in many areas,

some have called for a rethink, saying the decision could cost lives. will we still get christmas, prime minister? leaders from across the uk held talks yesterday and it looks like the rules will still be relaxed for christmas. in england, there's no plan for a change of heart and it is understood to be likely other parts of the uk will stick to the plan, too. the final decisions are still to be made, but if confirmed, that would allow three households to form a christmas bubble for five days, starting from 23rd december. but the government is expected to tell us all to be very cautious. in the next few days, ministers are likely to urge the public to limit social contact in the days before forming a bubble, to think carefully about mixing with elderly or at—risk relatives, and to stay close to home for christmas if possible. there will be more talks on the plans later this morning. politicians are likely to be telling us all to have a cautious christmas this year.

nick eardley, bbc news, westminster. 0ur political correspondent, iain watson is at westminster. so is there going to be any shift, do you think? there is pressure from the scientists and the leaders of the scientists and the leaders of the four nations have talked about listening to the science. various phrases have been used over the year, but the scientists are delivering a clear message, yet will there be any shift in the plans to relax the coronavirus rules over those five days at christmas?m doesn't look like there will be. i think the shift will be in town. we are up against a grim backdrop of rising infections in london and the south—east of england and other parts of the uk as well. we have those warnings as well. the health service journal those warnings as well. the health servicejournal and those warnings as well. the health service journal and the those warnings as well. the health servicejournal and the british medicaljournal have made only their

second joint editorial in 100 years, coming together to say this decision about relaxation at christmas is rash and could cost lives. and labour leader keir starmer is calling for a review of this and saying he would back tougher regulations if that is what the government wants to do. but i don't think the government does. the thinking from the uk government is that if people are going to follow the rules, you can't chop and change them at the last minute. in addition, there will be some harm if you do alter the rules. some people will be not just you do alter the rules. some people will be notjust disappointed, but it could affect their mental health if they have to spend christmas alone. so there was a lot to be weighed up beyond the effect on physical health. but you are right, in terms of the weight of scientific opinion, they say if you're going to allow more people to meet indoors, where the virus is meant to be spread more easily, there will be consequences. but the government was

clear this morning. communities secretary robertjenrick suggested there will be clearer guidance and there will be clearer guidance and the tone may harden up. people will hear messages about whether you should be visiting elderly relatives, whether you should be travelling across the country if that was your intention, especially if you are in an area of rising infections. ultimately, the government will not tell you what to do, it will be your own judgment that will guide the decision. the very clear guidance, i think, from the government today is, you exercise good judgment, think about the particular vulnerabilities of your own family and friends who might be coming together and decide what's right for you. as i say, we can't legislate for every eventuality. there will be families who have been longing to come together this christmas. there might be very significant reasons for that such as elderly members of the public who might not think they have got so many christmases ahead and want to bring their family together on this occasion. so it's not for government

to tell people exactly how to handle the situation, but it is to offer them clear guidance. we expect to get that guidance after that meeting of the four nations. i suspect we were here, we will certainly hear from the prime minister at prime minister's questions at lunchtime, and we will hear from questions at lunchtime, and we will hearfrom government questions at lunchtime, and we will hear from government ministers over the next few days. labour are saying a merry christmas could lead to a nasty hangover injanuary if we are forced into a further lockdown. so they are currently calling for a review. they are not saying a great deal about what they would do. they said the government has the data rather than them. but robert jenrick‘s opposite number steve reed says there is a limited number of variables and set out what the possibilities would be in terms of tightening the restrictions. the advice needs to be stronger and clearer, but it may be, given the surging rate of infections and the new variant, which appears to be more contagious, it may be that there is a need to look at whether the easing of the restrictions needs to change

in terms of the number of days or the number of people. but let's take that decision based on the science. it mustn't be knee—jerk. we simply call for a review to make sure that what we do over christmas doesn't have unintended consequences in the new year. i also want to ask you about news emerging this morning about a pay rise that was given to dominic cummings earlier this year, a substantial pay rise. what can you tell us? annually, the government publishes the salaries of what are called special advisers. not the civil servants, but those who are brought into government to advise ministers if they earn more than £70,000 a year. from that, we were able to tell that dominic cummings was paid between £95,000 and £100,000 last year. but in the current year, this shot up to around £140,000. to be fair, that is at the same level as some of the senior people in downing street. the chief of staff sir edward lister gets paid

the same. the departing director of communications lee cain, who resigned along with dominic cummings, also got paid at that level. but it does seem a dramatic increase in salary. the deputy labour leader angela rayner was pointing out that when the government was urging other people to show restraint, when it was limiting the rises in public sector pay, when people were potentially losing theirjobs or were certainly in furlough because of the pandemic, dominic cummings was given something like a 50% pay increase. and there has been criticism from some conservative mps because they still believe his trip to durham during the first wave of the pandemic effectively undermined confidence in the government's guidance on coronavirus. and given that that is the case, they are questioning whether he should have been paid anything extra at all. but he has 110w anything extra at all. but he has now departed from downing street, so of course, the salary will cease.

but i did hear you rightly, 50%? that's right. from my rough calculations, his salary appears to have gone up by 40,000 pounds to £45,000. strict tier 3 coronavirus restrictions have come into force for nearly 11 million people across the whole of london and parts of essex and hertfordshire after a surge in positive cases. 34 million people are now living in the highest level of coronavirus restrictions. there can be no socialising indoors with anyone other than the people you live with, or those in your support bubble. bars, pubs and restaurants will have to close, though they can provide takeaways and deliveries. but shops, gyms and hairdressers will be able to stay open. this report byjon donnison. it looked festive, and the crowds and the traffic were out in force

last night in the capital. but, as the tier 3 deadline loomed, the mood among some of the diners and drinkers of london's west end turned to one of resignation. unfortunately measure the government has to take, but we are going to hopefully make the most of it tonight. even if you don't like the government, you just hope that they have enough good scientists that are telling them the right thing to do. i have lost people in my life, but the reality is, people do die, and there's a lot more people dying, of other things, than this disease, or whatever they are calling it, it's a joke, it's a scandal. what is the point in living if we are not allowed to be social beings, if we are not allowed to interact with each other, of we are not allowed to engage with each other and have fun? there is no point to life if we are not with other people. the government, though, has made its decision. and, as the night wore on, london's time in tier 2 finally ran out.

it's that time before tier 3! last orders at the bar, last orders! cheering so, it's last orders here on the streets of the capital and at a time of year when bars, restaurants and pubs should be making most of their money, and for those who enjoy a christmas tipple, there's no idea yet when they might be able to come back. parts of essex and hertfordshire have also moved to the tightest restrictions, which many people in swathes of the midlands, the north—east and the north—west are already living under. today, the government will review whether other parts of england will need to move between tiers. and although venues such as these can offer takeaway food and drink, for many, the only option will be to pack up, for now. john mcmanus, bbc news. we can speak now to the labour mayor of greater manchester, andy burnham. let's begin with tiers. your area is

in tier 3. we understand the meeting on tiers is later this evening, but you are hoping for a move downwards to two ? you are hoping for a move downwards to two? we are in a very changed position from the position we were in when the tiers were first decided. we are actually quite a lot lower than london when london was put into tier 2 and also lower than liverpool when they were put into tier 2, so liverpool when they were put into tier2, soi liverpool when they were put into tier 2, so i hope the government will make an evidence—based decision. i can understand that the mood has changed nationally with the position in london and the christmas period coming, so if the governor wa nted period coming, so if the governor wanted to earl on the side of caution, a couple of our boroughs are still above the national average and we wouldn't object to a different decision being taken there. but there is a strong case 110w there. but there is a strong case now for a substantial part of greater manchester to be in tier 2. and bear in mind, people here have been under restrictions for four and a half months. that has to be taken

into consideration when these decisions are made. but if the government looks at the numbers, and as you say, two boroughs are still higher than the rest, do you expect the government to recognise those nuances and differentiate and say this part of greater manchester can go into tier 2 but those areas have to stay in tier 3? is it going to happen like that realistically? well, i have indicated that we would understand if they wanted to do something like that. but a large number of our boroughs now are well below the england average and well below the england average and well below london and liverpool, and they went into tier 2 originally. if you look at some of the other indicators the government is using, pressure on hospitals, that has reduced significantly as well. so have the cases in the over 60s. so it is a changed position in manchester, in some ways the opposite of what has happened in london over the last few

weeks. we need the same fair consideration of the evidence, and the consideration given to the economy of london when that tier 2 decision was made. four plus months in restrictions has left many of our businesses close to the brink. i personally don't understand the logic of giving a complete green light to retail, but leaving hospitality in the dark over this christmas period. let me pick up on that, because i know you are worried that, because i know you are worried that if cities are in tier 3 over christmas and new year, then that is going to drive social gatherings, and we are talking more than three households, indoors. do you think hospitality venues can handle those gatherings safely? yes, i do, because they are regulated and they have spent thousands of pounds putting on measures to make them safe. i think the hospitality

industry has really raised its game in this regard. the risk of not having hospitality open, particularly in city centres through the new year period, is that we will see more gatherings in the home. so iam not see more gatherings in the home. so i am not sure we have got the balance right with these measures. i would prefer a tier 2 position with a more modest relaxation over christmas and then back into tier 2. and bear in mind that this review is probably not going to be repeated for another month, so whatever decisions are made today will be in place for a month. if we get to mid—january with greater manchester still in tier 3, there will be plenty of pubs and restaurants that will never reopen. as we look at the five days of christmas, as we are calling it, what is your position there? do you think the leaders of there? do you think the leaders of the four nations should stick with what they announced and there should be that relaxation, or would you

like to see tougher messaging, which we are anticipating will be given later? it's frustrating because when this was first announced, i came on your programme and other programmes and said it was going too far. my family doesn't gather for five days over christmas, one or two at most. i don't think the balance was right from the beginning. but it's frustrating because it is late now and families have made plans. it is ha rd to and families have made plans. it is hard to change things. in an ideal world, we would prefer tier 2 and a modest relaxation. that is a more steady approach, but i understand it is now late in the day and it's difficult to be chopping and changing. it's a frustrating position. i think if more consultation had been done before this was set, we would have come to a better position. but we all know the virus can be passed on even if there is a more modest gathering

over a shorter period of time than a larger gathering over the course of five days. who needs to take responsibility here if cases, as doctors and scientists are warning, rise in the new year? should it be down to political leaders, or is it ultimately up to individuals to decide what is right for their family? it is both. let me cut the government some slack. i understand they are trying to come up with decisions that control the virus that give people a christmas. i don't feel the balance was right, so we do need to see some strong messaging at the very least coming out of that meeting today of the four nations. but individuals need to ta ke four nations. but individuals need to take responsibility. if you think about people working in the nhs over this period, they have had an awful year already. many are close to burn—out. 0ur

year already. many are close to burn—out. our own selfish actions over christmas will make theirjobs even harder going into the january period. the first two weeks of january are always the most difficult weeks in the nhs in any year, but they will be particularly so this year. so we all have to take responsibility to relieve pressure on nhs staff. we are going to be talking to an nhs consultant right after this. she is nodding along to what you have been saying. andy burnham, mayor of greater manchester, thank you. drjessica potter is a respiratory consultant. she works in a hospital in london. you were nodding along to what andy burnham was saying, think about people working in the nhs. how busy is your hospital with covid admissions right now? we have certainly seen a step change over the past week. we have seen increasing admissions over the

autumn but it has been manageable, and were now getting to the stage where there is extreme pressure on all services. and what is the demographic those admissions?m all services. and what is the demographic those admissions? it is a wide range of people, but it does include some young people who are extremely unwell. it includes people in their thirties, 40s and early 50s. and if the current rate of infections continues and we have the easing of restrictions at christmas as planned, what does your expertise tell you in terms of the impact this will have on hospitals like yours? we saw from the united states what happened after thanksgiving. they saw a huge spike in cases. it's tricky, because christmas is such an important time. it's been a difficult yearfor important time. it's been a difficult year for everyone, but i am very worried about the increase

in case numbers of people coming into hospital with covid and the pressure on services, and that means we have to stop usual activity to provide emergency care for everyone who needs it. that is an important message. we are open and we are able to provide safe care, so do come to hospital if you are unwell. but we also need to ensure we follow guidance with social distancing, washing our hands and wearing masks where possible. mine is on the desk next to me. and we need to strongly consider our actions over the next few weeks to protect the nhs and staff working here, who is andy burnham was pointing out, have had a difficult year. our other non-covert

services in the hospital where you work currently being affected —— are non—covid services being affected? my non—covid services being affected? my understanding from hospitals in a variety of areas in london is that routine surgery is being cancelled now. where do you stand on the appealfor the easing now. where do you stand on the appeal for the easing of restrictions over the five days of christmas to be changed? do you think that strong messaging to the public is enough? it's really difficult because it very much places responsibility on individuals to decide what is the best thing to do. it's important that we are given guidance on the right thing to do

from the experts who have oversight across the country with numbers. i don't have that, i am just speaking asa don't have that, i am just speaking as a front line clinician and i am worried about the pressure we are seeing on our services over the last few days. so it is a tricky decision andi few days. so it is a tricky decision and i know there is harm associated with restricting people from seeing each other. but at the same time, we need to do our best to save as many lives as possible and to ensure that the nhs can continue to function. given that the uk government and the leaders of the devolved administrations throughout this year have talked about ensuring that the nhs does not become overwhelmed, do you think political leaders are actually listening to the science at this point? well, i understand there are further announcements to be made

later today. we were supposed to hear about going into tier 3 today, rather than earlier this week when the announcement was brought forward. so that is encouraging. i know there was a publication between the bmj and the otherjournal about modelling which was extremely worrying, and we need to take their position seriously. drjessica potter, good luck in the weeks ahead in the hospital where you work to you and your colleagues. drjessica potter, a consultant in respiratory medicine. let me read out if you have your messages. 0ne says, i am sticking to my support bubble. i live alone, so i will spend time with my mother, sister and brother. 0therfamily with my mother, sister and brother. other family members are dropping gifts at the door with a short, socially distance to catch up. just

because we can mingle, doesn't mean we should. then we have roser, who says this year our family have decided to celebrate christmas as single households linked by vehicles. we hope people will be sensible, protect the vulnerable and avoid and sent, very seasonal, says two exa m ples for avoid and sent, very seasonal, says two examples for the uk to look to that germany are doing better than the uk, looking down forfive weeks. us has most deaths in the world, seeing cases rising following thanksgiving. the uk should follow the four mother emulate the latter, where is the logic to this? keep your comments coming and we will read more of those out over the next hour and read more of those out over the next hourand a read more of those out over the next hour and a half. uk inflation slowed down in november as clothing and food prices shrank amid tightened coronavirus restrictions. the office for national statistics said consumer prices index inflation

decreased to 0.3% from 0.7% in october. clothing and footwear costs made the largest contribution to the drop, as shoppers saw prices which were 3.6% lower than a year ago. the cost of food and non—alcoholic drinks also fell, decreasing by 0.6% in 12 months. so, the lockdowns and restrictions having a continuing impact on the economy — and from today, as we've been reporting, london and large parts of the south east are going into tier 3, the toughest level of measures, affecting nearly 11 million people. pubs, bars and restaurants can only open for takeaway or delivery and indoor entertainment venues like cinemas and theatres have closed. shops, hairdressers and gyms will remain open. we can speak now to our business presenter, sima kotecha. is it possible to assess what sort of impact this is going to have for

the economy in london and those parts of essex and hertfordshire which have now moved into tier 3? yes, 14,000 businesses across the capital will be closed from today was that as you say, hospitality businesses are worst affected. bars, restau ra nts a nd businesses are worst affected. bars, restaurants and pubs can only serve ta keaways, restaurants and pubs can only serve takeaways, so consumers can't go inside. and this is bad timing for many businesses who were hoping to make up lost ground from the two lockdowns we have experienced. christmas, obviously lots of people usually go into pubs and restau ra nts, usually go into pubs and restaurants, celebrating with friends and family. they were hoping they could be open during this period, but that won't be the case. 0ne pub owner told the bbc he had bought several kegs of beer to cater for consumers over christmas and now that beer will go to waste. that highlights a big problem that many of these businesses will face. they

have a lot of produce that they bought earlier in the year to cater for christmas, and much of that now would be used, whether it is food, alcohol or general produce to keep their business functioning. so all of that costs more money and we know that these businesses being closed will mean fewer jobs that these businesses being closed will mean fewerjobs in the long run. we saw the office of national statistics releasing figures yesterday saying that 800,000 fewer people were on the payroll in november. more businesses closed they will have less revenue, less profit, and that in turn will probably lead to more job closures. the london chamber of commerce is calling for urgent action from the government. it is asking for an extension to the business rate holiday. and it is saying that even if there is a vaccination, any economic benefit from that will not happen until late spring. so there

are these calls from organisations and for businesses, this is about livelihoods at stake. we have heard harrowing stories over the last few months and we know that economists predict that unemployment will continue to rise in the months going forward. so again, i'm afraid i am saying dismal news for many businesses across these regions that have been forced to close down. sima kotecha, thank you. tom cruise has strongly criticised an apparent breach of the coronavirus rules on the london set of the new mission impossible film. the 58—year—old actor is alleged to have told crew members they would be fired if they don't obey the rules. production of the seventh instalment in the mission impossible franchise resumed filming in september after it was halted at the start of the pandemic. now it's time for a look at the weather with carol. hello. with low pressure in charge today,

all of us are going to see some rain at some stage, accompanied by gusty winds. the gustiest winds this morning have been towards the west, especially with exposure. a rain continues to push eastward through the day, getting into the south—east last of all. if we follow it round, you can see we have this curl of rain coming back into western areas. gusty winds throughout the day. even inland, you will notice them, with highs of 9 to 13. through the evening, we say goodbye to the rain in the south—east. there will still be a lot of showers dotted around. most of them will be around the coast, but some of them will be inland, as well. it will still be quite gusty tonight, with overnight lows between 4 and 7 or 8 degrees, so a colder start to the day tomorrow than it was today. tomorrow, with the transient ridge of high pressure across us, there'll be a lot of dry weather, sunshine and fewer showers. the cloud will build towards the west. we will see some rain. the wind will strengthen and tomorrow's high, 9 to 13.

hello, this is bbc news with me, annita mcveigh. the headlines: tougher warnings about the dangers of christmas socialising will be issued by the four uk nations later, but the rules allowing three households to meet are expected to remain. it's not for government to tell people exactly how to handle this situation but it is to offer them clear guidance. bell rings. last orders in london as it moves to tier 3 — ministers are due to review other english tiers today. people from ethnic minority backgrounds or lower incomes are less likely to take the coronavirus vaccine in the uk,

according to new research. germany enters a hard lockdown, closing schools and businesses into january in an attempt to stop a sharp rise in covid—19 infections. just before we go to sport, some breaking news from stunner line. they are confirming that six members ofa they are confirming that six members of a crew had tested positive for covid—19 and currently on that ship, 322 passengers and 53 crew are on board. six crew members who tested positive for covid—19 stena line say are being cared for and doing well with only mild symptoms. 15 close contacts have been identified and are self isolating. currently, they are self isolating. currently, they are being advised by the authorities to hold the vessel in birkenhead as

a precaution. stena line liaising closely with public health authorities in this matter who have advised us that we should disembark the vessel in birkenhead. however, currently, all 53 crew and 322 passengers are on board the stena eda after six crew members tested positive for covid—19 last night. end of elements and we will let you know. as promised, it is time for sport. sport and for a full round up, from the bbc sport centre, here's kat. good morning... trials of concussion substitues are set to be approved later, by football's lawmakers, the ifab. from next month, we're likey to see players subbed after incidents like this. you may remember wolves striker rauljiminez suffered a fractured skull in this clash of heads with arsenal's david luiz, who carried on playing for a while, after being treated on the touchline. we understand the new rules could be brought in for the third round of the men's and women's fa cups.

i was quite outspoken about this not long ago about the jiminez incident. it enables our medical professionals to have a lot more time with players to have a lot more time with players to assess them and not having to do an assessment in two or three minutes. it gives us a lot longer now, so i'm all for it. there's a lot of talk certainly over the last few years or so and about how long it's taken. if they can find the medical teams and the doctors, which i am sure they will, a thorough but quick way of deciding, then i think that helps the game enormously. but health first, of course. to matters on the pitch and chelsea could have been top of the premier league this morning. instead, they're fifth, after losing 2—1 at wolves — pedro neto with the winner in stoppage time. just five points now separate the top ten teams. chelsea boss frank lampard said his players may be suffering from fatigue

but it was an opportunity missed. when we get towards the top of the table that everyone talks about what may be. i have never got ahead of myself in terms of the fact this group has things to learn. i told them that in there as well. 0n pitch management, letting a game turn like that, cannot be done. and reports suggest west brom manager slaven bilic could be sacked as early as today, even though they held manchester city to a 1—1 draw at the etihad. west brom's equaliser came from a shot from semi ajeyeyi, deflected in by ruben dias. a frustrating night, it's fair to say, for city boss pep guardiola, who said, "you have to win this kind of game". stjohnstone made it into the semifinals of the scottish league cup for the first time in four years, beating dunfermline on penalties. and an own goal put hibs behind against championship side alloa, before christian doidge scored twice in the second half to send them into the last four. english clubs will be disadvantaged by new brexit rules

on signing young players, according to the head of manchester united's academy, nick cos. the new rules mean that from the 1st of january, club's won't be allowed to bring in any foreign players under the age of 18. it probably puts us at a disadvantage to other european clubs and we wish there was a level playing field here but there won't be. so they will be movement of players between other european countries but those players will not move, not be able to move to our club, at the age of 16, as they currently can. it will be 18. and we absolutely will still continue to recruit the best talent that is available to us. we're just going to have to do it in a different way. england rugby union head coach eddiejones will be able to continue as a consultant for a japanese league side, despite england being in the same pool as japan for the 2023 rugby world cup. jones has been advising suntory sungoliath for over 20 years and the rfu said they've always been comfortable with the arrangement. they say he provides consultancy in his holidays and there's no conflict with his england duties.

for one night only, we had a crowd of 1,000 at the world darts championship at alexandra palace. it's an event famous for fans dressing up and creating a fantastic atmosphere... and defending champion peter wright played his part, coming out dressed as the grinch for his match up with steve west which he comfortably won. from tonight though, there'll be no fans there, with london now in tier 3. at least they got to see the grinch at christmas, though. that's all the sport for now. what a showman. speaking in the past hour, the president of the european commission says there is a now a pathway to a post—brexit trade deal. ursula von der leyen admitted fisheries remained a sticking point but that there had been progress on the "level playing field" measures to prevent unfair competition. the update comes amid reports that

parliament is preparing to sit for two extra days next week, in the hope of further developments. ms von der leyen was speaking to the european parliament when she made her comments. as things stand, i cannot tell you whether there will be a deal or not. but i can tell you that there is a path to an agreement now. the path may be very narrow but the path is there. it is therefore our responsibility to continue trying. the good news is that we have found a way forward on most issues but this is now a case of us being so close and yet so far away from each other. the next days are going to be decisive and i know i have said this before. and i know dealines have been missed time and again. the clock puts us all in a very

difficult situation, not least this parliament, and it's right to exercise democratic scrutiny and ratification. that is why i want to thank you for your support and understanding and i know that if we do get there, i can count on you to ensure a good outcome. european countries have tightened covid restrictions ahead of christmas — following record daily cases and deaths this month. in germany, all shops and schools will close from today, until mid—january, in the country's tightest lockdown so far. germany has registered more than 950 deaths in the last 24 hours — the most recorded there since the pandemic began. 0ur correspondent, jenny hill, sent this report. it isa it is a shockingly high number, a record high for germany and it will cause great alarm here. it's worth bearing in mind i think that yesterday we were told to expect a higher number today. because yesterday the state of saxony, which

is particularly badly affected, didn't register any of their case numbers or death numbers. so in part, that may be one of the reasons for such a high number today. nevertheless, it is much higher than what we have seen in recent days, when numbers have hovered around 500 or so. so it will be causing great alarm. as if anyone really needed the warning, yesterday we had from the scientific adviser to the government here, who said the situation has never been more serious for germany. and warned that it could yet worsen. scientists suggest that first of all, it simply may be that people aren't abiding by some of these rules. the government's scientific adviser yesterday said their mathematical modelling suggests that in the so—called lockdown—lite of the last six weeks, which has seen bars, restaurants, arts and leisure facilities close, people reduced their contacts by 40%. he said it needed to be 60%. others say the fact that harsher restrictions weren't introduced earlier may also be to blame.

there is a political dimension to this, too. you'll perhaps recall that over the past few months, angela merkel has urged regional leaders again and again to impose tougher nationwide measures. they have really resisted her on that for many months. they've bickered amongst themselves. they couldn't agree what their priorities were. so that has resulted in this rather delayed introduction of a lockdown. that may also be in part to blame. the majority of germans were in favour of harder restrictions. there has also growing impatience here for some time. the case numbers and deaths have been rising. there is also growing impatience for that vaccine, the german developed a vaccine which has been ruled out in the uk and the us but not yet in germany. because it, like every other eu member state is waiting on that european approval.

the vaccination centres here are apparently ready and waiting to roll it out. all they are waiting for is the actual approval and the vaccine itself. jenny hill reporting. people from ethnic minority backgrounds or lower incomes are less likely to take the coronavirus vaccine in the uk, according to new research. the royal society for public health found that more than three quarters of white people would take the jab, compared with just over half of people from ethnic minorities. our community affairs correspondent, adina campbell, reports. the impact of coronavirus on people from black, asian, and other ethnic minority backgrounds has caused a great deal of anxiety and distress over the last few months. but with the vaccine now in sight, many of us are now starting to breathe a sigh of relief. some, though, are still fearful. i'm not against people having it, it's just... we all have our own personal views. so far, it is god that is protecting me, and i'm under his divine protection.

i will never catch any disease. i will take the vaccine, because there's no problem and no consequence. i will take it and protect my family. if it has got a chip in it to track people, that's the reason i wouldn't go for it. where have you heard this vaccine has got a chip? from the whatsapps and all this... the vaccine does not contain a chip and the government says we should be cautious of misinformation and conspiracy theories. i see even with my two kids, people sending whatsapp videos and all sorts of messages. if you don't know where that's coming from, then it's very likely to be inaccurate. this is an incredibly well—developed, scientific endeavour, and i'd urge everyone — take the information, read it, look at it and make your mind up. are you happy? yes, i am. researchers say the evidence is clear — with higher death rates

in these communities, coupled with under—representation in clinical trials, scientists insist getting vaccinated is the safest way to help end the pandemic. adina campbell, bbc news. safety checks of towers blocks across england and wales have uncovered hundreds of faulty or missing fire prevention measures, which could cost leaseholders billions of pounds to repair. flat owners have looked for evidence of unsafe cladding in the wake of the grenfell tower fire in 2017, which killed 72 people. inspections of newer apartment blocks have found majorfire risks, even in those buildings that pass cladding inspections. ritu saha is a leaseholder and co—founder of the uk cladding action group. ritu saha, thank you very much for joining us. tell us about the blog in which you live in, inspections we re in which you live in, inspections were going on to check the cladding, i understand and then other fire safety issues were uncovered —— about the block buster yes, that's right. when we were checking the

cladding, we also did internal safety inspections and it was found that we had what is into helen internal com pate should issue such asa internal com pate should issue such as a lack of fire breaks —— internal. necessary to stop fires moving between flats. so the cladding on your block is ok but these are the dangers have emerged? no, for my building, the cladding is also a danger. also a problem? yes. but there are several buildings across the country where cladding is actually fine but there are a host of internal fire safety issues such as the fire barriers, which will cost millions of pounds to fix. sometimes the bills are much higher than the cladding bills themselves. we will come onto the money in a minute. how many people live in your blog? 57 families. 57 families. -- your block. yes. how are you feeling living there with these risks being uncovered? these risks were

uncovered? these risks were uncovered three years ago and we are still trying to fix them. in the middle of the pandemic, we have been living in this dangerous building 24-7. it is living in this dangerous building 24—7. it is a very scary time for us. god forbid, if i fire breaks out, we are worried about how quickly we can escape and what will happen to our elderly neighbours and neighbours with babies. it is an extremely anxious time. and how much money would it cost to fix all of the apes problems, have you got a figure? so, i mean, i consider myself a relatively lucky compared to many thousands of people. -- fix all of these problems. our internal fire safety issues will probably cost about £200,000. 0n fire safety issues will probably cost about £200,000. on top of that, we have a cladding bill of over £2 million. but, as i said, in many buildings, the issues are far worse and those internal defects will cost millions. so, who is paying or going

to pay or needs to pay those sorts of costs ? to pay or needs to pay those sorts of costs? so, there is no government funding forany of costs? so, there is no government funding for any internal fire safety defects that are discovered. so the only people who are paying are the innocent victims of this crisis, who are living in these buildings, like me. who have been told that we either have to find these millions of pounds we are required to pay or we face homelessness and eviction from our properties. we face homelessness and eviction from our propertieslj we face homelessness and eviction from our properties. i can only imagine that not everyone can afford to make a payment towards that? that is absolutely correct. i mean, these are huge life changing sums of money. and they need to be paid all upfront. so there is no way that most families will be able to find, you know, the tens of thousands of pounds that are being required. especially in the middle of the pandemic, when many people are losing theirjobs, becoming furloughed. it is incredibly difficult at a precarious financial position we are all in. if not

eve ryo ne position we are all in. if not everyone can afford to pay, can any progress be made on organising work? you're absolutely right. no progress can be made because the fewer, you know, people can afford to pay, the bills will fall on those who were able to pay. and their bill basically becomes larger. as i said, until all the money comes upfront, no work can start. so we essentially have a situation where these buildings are continuing to remain u nsafe, buildings are continuing to remain unsafe, because, unfortunately, the government is not helping out with this. even though they say these buildings are dangerous with these fire safety defects inside. so you are all stuck in limbo effectively and especially so throughout the pandemic, as you have pointed out. what is your message to the government today? my message to the government today? my message to the government today? my message to the government today is that it has been over three and a half years since the grenfell tragedy. the government has changed the rules retrospectively to say that all

these buildings must be made safe. but it is fine to say such a thing but the reality is that this will require huge financial expenditure. and still, no action has been taken against the construction industry who has caused this crisis of building safety. i want the government to understand that this isa government to understand that this is a question of human safety. please put our lives first. put up the money up front to make these buildings safe and then go against the construction industry and raise the construction industry and raise the money back from them via levies. please consider our safety. it is high time. do you think it is in any way fair high time. do you think it is in any wayfairor high time. do you think it is in any way fair or realistic to expect people who are leaseholders to bear the brunt, these costs? absolutely not. we bought these properties in good faith because we expected that the laws of the land would keep us and our families safe. the laws of the land would keep us and ourfamilies safe. and we have been let down and betrayed, you

know. i have more protection as a consumer if i go and buy a sandwich which poisons me than i have, you know, having bought a flat doing all the safety checks when i bought it, only to find out that it is now, u nfortu nately, only to find out that it is now, unfortunately, a fire trap. and that needs to definitely change. it is extremely unrealistic, unfair and unjust. and against british principles of fairness and justness of society to expect the victims of the building safety crisis to pay to bail out the construction industry and the regulators that caused this crisis. and in the meantime, what is happening with regards to fire safety patrols, fire wardens? are some of you, as a residence, in your block and other blocks that you are working with, are you having to do these patrols? well, yes. for example, in my block of the 57 families have already paid more than half £1 millionjust families have already paid more than half £1 million just for a fire warden patrol. in order to keep the

costs down, my neighbours and i have done fire patrols ourselves. in fa ct, done fire patrols ourselves. in fact, i remember on christmas day in 2018, my husband and i patrols our building for 12 hours, just so that we could keep the costs down —— did a patrol. it is getting somebody from outside would have cost over time and we wanted to keep the costs down. that is how we spent christmas, two years ago. ritu saha, thank you very much for telling us your story, leaseholder and co—founder of the uk cladding action group. we had a statement from the ministry. they set our priority is making sure residents feel safe, we are changing the law with the biggest improvements to building safety for 40 years. building owners are responsible for ensuring their buildings are safe and residents should speak to their building own if they are concerned. if a building contains a hazard or the measures in place don't sufficiently mitigate the risk to life from a fire and

fire and rescue authorities and councils are responsible for enforcement and can take action. fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the world. nearly 100 million tonnes of clothes are produced every year and most will never get recycled. but a small town in italy is now leading the way in sustainable fashion. sofia bettiza has the story. we purchase clothes, we wear them and so often we throw them away. but where do they end up? here, dumped and burnt in landfill. 0nly1% gets recycled. but this town in italy, prato, has mastered the method to transform scraps into new clothes. what happens here is unique. there are hundreds of companies in this small district and each specialises in one specific aspect of the process, whether it's spinning, weaving or designing.

so this is your shirt. if it's too old for the charity shop, it gets sent for recycling. here, it's sorted by colour, torn apart, washed and then the new recycled material is taken and transformed to make new clothes with minimal waste. that was very quick. let's go through the process again. you donate clothes. they arrive here, from lots of different countries. all the garments that can't be sold second—hand are taken to this company nearby. here, not only are they separated by colour, but also by material. the clothes are put in this. it's called a carbonising machine. it eliminates impurities from the wool. then they go through this. it's like a giant washing machine.

they're shredded, cleaned and dried. this is the final result. fine, fluffy wool fibres that will be sold to fashion brands. some people might say that you are using trash to make clothes. translation: a few years ago, the word rubbish was an insult. but now so many brands that buy from me, zara, mango, armani, they do it because of this. because reusing resources is going to save the planet. i am proud of what we do here. recycling wool has an immediate positive effect on the environment. co2 emissions are more than halved, compared to when clothes are made from new material. this is a method that's been passed on from father to son. and, today, incredibly, this town says it processes 15% of all recycled clothes in the world.

the culture in prato is the kind of culture that we need across the entire fashion industry because it is based on collaboration that are local, but are capable of showing how if these things are taken on an international, global scale, the entire industry could benefit. the people of this town were forced to recycle clothes because they couldn't afford new ones. now, their methods, which have been honed over the past 100 years, could offer a way forward for a more sustainable fashion world. sofia bettiza, bbc news, prato. a couple of pieces of breaking news to bring you, the vaccines minister says that 137,897 people have so far received the pfizer/biontech coronavirus vaccine. there he is on twitter, calling it a really good

start to the vaccination programme and a breakdown. this figure includes 108,000 people in england, almost 8000 in wales, 4000 in northern ireland and scotland, 18,000 people so far getting the coronavirus vaccine, the pfizer/biontech vaccine. the uk total getting the vaccine so far almost at 140,000. as the minister says, the number will increase as we have operationalised hundreds of primary care networks. not the most user—friendly sentence i would suggest but basically, there will be more places giving the vaccine. another piece of news from our environment analyst, roger harrah ben, from the supreme court. it has published a verdict that the heathrow airport expansion is not illegal. that is the only copy we have from our environment analyst saying the supreme court has just published a verdict saying the

heathrow airport expansion is not illegal. i have a couple of moments to read out some of your comments on christmas and whether there should bea christmas and whether there should be a relaxation of the rules or not. martin whyte says my personal view is the british people are sensible enough to take the necessary precautions to protect each other and do not need the government to go back on its promises. this one is from alexandra tyler who says this is the first and hopefully last year that i won't be getting to see mum's family in belfast over the festive period. i'm desperate to get home but concern for grandparents health means it is a no go. and one from frannie lloyd, a normal christmas will lead to death for those with vulnerabilities. people can enjoy christmas in a different way using outdoor space is more than positing indoors, gathering around tables and toasting health, ironically. thank you for those comments, keep sending them in. i'm on twitter. we will try to read out some more of your comments. now it's time for a look

at the weather with carol. hello, again? with low pressure in charge today, all of us are going to see some rain at some stage, accompanied by gusty winds. the gustiest winds this morning have been towards the west, especially with exposure. a rain continues to push eastward through the day, getting into the south—east last of all. if we follow it round, you can see we have this curl of rain coming back into western areas. gusty winds throughout the day. even inland, you will notice them, with highs of 9 to 13. through the evening, we say goodbye to the rain in the south—east. there will still be a lot of showers dotted around. most of them will be around the coast, but some of them will be inland, as well. it will still be quite gusty tonight, with overnight lows between 4 and 7 or 8 degrees, so a colder start to the day tomorrow than it was today. tomorrow, with the transient ridge of high pressure across us, there'll be a lot of dry weather, sunshine and fewer showers. the cloud will build towards the west. we will see some rain.

the wind will strengthen and tomorrow's high, 9 to 13.

this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. sterner warnings about the dangers of christmas socialising will be issued by the four uk nations later — but the rules allowing three households to meet are expected to remain. it's not for government to tell people exactly how to handle the situation, but it is to offer them clear guidance. last orders in london as it moves to tougher tier 3 restrictions — ministers are due to review other english tiers today. we'd love to hear about what you've decided to do this christmas. will you be getting together with other households or not? do get in touch with me on twitter @annita—mcveigh and use #bbcyourquestions, and i'll try to read out some of your comments. germany enters a hard lockdown, closing schools and businesses