hello again, this is bbc news. the headlines. uk government ministers meet to decide about coronavirus cases in england with warnings a new this is bbc news with the latest variant is causing faster headlines for viewers in the uk transmission. more than two thirds and around the world. uk government ministers meet to decide how to manage rising of those in england, 38 million coronavirus cases in england, people, from saturday are object to amid warnings that a ‘new variant‘ of the virus is causing the faster transmission. it comes as more than two thirds of those living in england — 38 million people — are now subject to the toughest restrictions in tier 3. meanwhile, italy imposes a nationwide lockdown over christmas and new year, as it tries to halt the sharp rise in coronavirus infections. americans are set to get a second coronavirus vaccine, as the moderna injection is approved in the us. the uk's chief brexit negotiator has arrived in brussels ahead of more talks with the eu, as senior meps say an agreement

needs to be reached in the next 2a hours. and in cricket, a devastated india crashed to their lowest ever score of 36, as australia ran riot to win the opening test in adelaide. hello and welcome if you're watching in the uk or around the world, and stay with us for the latest news and analysis from here and across the globe. ministers have been meeting to discuss how to contain the rising number of coronavirus cases in england. government scientists are continuing to monitor the spread

of a new variant of covid in south—east england amid "growing concerns" about its transmission. health bosses have warned the nhs is under significant pressure, with nearly 90% of hospital beds in england full. more than two—thirds of people in england are now living under the toughest restrictions, as more areas moved into tier 3 overnight. and the moderna vaccine has been approved in the united states — making it the country's second jab, paving the way for millions of doses to be released. with more detail on the latest coronavirus restrictions, andy moore has this report police officers on patrol in luton giving some friendly advice about protection from covid—19. bedfordshire isjoining many of the home counties around london in moving up to tier 3. from midnight last night, that means 68% of the population of england is now covered by the toughest restrictions.

but one covid patient in the local hospital is worried about the easing of restrictions over christmas is. he believes he caught the virus from his teenage son. people are being told that the rules, i know is a few weeks ago it started, that they can travel all over the country to see their families. this is worrying the hell out of me. if you saw the look on my son's face when i was fighting for my breath, you would not be willing to send these children all over the country to see their family. routine operations were going ahead at this hospital and many others are struggling. ministers met yesterday to discuss the outbreak amid growing concerns about a new variant of coronavirus spreading widely in the south east. it is feared that it could be more infectious. what happens to viruses is that they do naturally mutate all the time, and the ones that are likely

to do well are the ones that increase transmission. and so, we know this is a new variant. it has been seen in other countries, but it seems to be quite widespread which suggests that it has got a transmission advantage. there are reports that ministers have discussed travel restrictions into and out of the south east over christmas, but a government source said nothing had been approved yet. andy moore, bbc news. we have heard in the past few minutes that the cabinet will hold a call. this comes after rising infections in england. this comes after rising infections in england. i've been speaking to our political correspondent, jessica parker, about the new coronavirus variant, and how it might affect decisions made by downing street. what we do know this morning is that there is a growing concern as andy was just saying particularly about this new

strain of coronavirus, particularly in the south—east of england. in terms of whether this could lead to a shift in terms of what is plans over christmas, we know there is this five day relaxation of the rules in seven days if you are travelling to and from northern ireland. borisjohnson boris johnson talked borisjohnson talked about toughening up the advice but they have not changed the law, apart from a tweak in wales. there was a concern that if you change the law at this stage, there will be an issue with compliance. if travel restrictions are being discussed, you also have to think, how would that work. how you would enforce it? how you would in faucet. it will be interesting to see of the next few days if they will toughen up the advice and make people think hard about what they are going to do. i think that is what they think is the best weapon to stop people spreading the virus over christmas. it was very much the case that the four

countries had agreed an approach. wales has slightly tweaked that. with two households instead of three and one single person. a lot of this is about advice, not the law. if you start getting significant variance in the law in different parts of the uk, that will bring logistical problems and possibly political issues. i think they would face pressure from conservative mps to bring it to parliament. they would have to bring parliament back to discuss that. there are all sorts of difficult issues they have faced. they faced criticism for not toughening up the rules to begin with. we have heard that people think this will be a super spreader event and they are calling on the government to rethink with relaxing the restrictions. borisjohnson was

very reluctant to do a second lockdown but he has not ruled out a third following the christmas celebrations. virologist and presenter of the naked scientist podcast, dr chris smith, says the government has left the door open for another nationwide lockdown after christmas. if you look at the wording that was used earlier in the week by downing street, they said that they have no plans at this time to change the guidance. but having no plans doesn't mean that they won't subsequently. the fact that there has been a movement in advice in some of the other nations — nicola sturgeon in scotland asking people to confine their activities to one day — three households, but meeting them in one day. in wales, two households. so there's been a movement in recognition of the fact that the levels are rising. so we might see some additional tweaking around the margins, but i think the core principle that there is this christmas bubble, that is this opportunity to get together, because borisjohnson has said "i don't want to disturb people's long term, well made plans." i think they are going to be appealing, really, to people's common sense, and they

will see the numbers. and i know a lot of people who have been asking me are saying they are very worried by the numbers when they look at the map and they see people shifting up tiers — 60% plus of the country in tier 3 now. and so, as a result, many people i think are adopting a common—sense approach, and they are changing their plans already. in terms of what we know about this new variant, how much research has it been possible to do thus far? well, as one of your clips quite rightly stated, all viruses mutate. in other words, they gently change their genetic code. and this is because they make spelling mistakes when they are copying their genetic information as they grow, and some of those genetic spelling mistakes actually confer upon the virus and altered appearance, and those subtle differences in the appearance of the virus mean that it is in some cases able to spread better. in other cases, it is not recognised by the immune system quite so well. in other cases, both of the above apply. at the moment, theyjust know

that this new variant, which has got some changes in the outer coat, the spike protein of the virus has been picked up in certain parts of thecountry. it mirrors the changes that have been picked up in other countries. it hasn't suddenly popped up. it maps onto the areas in the country where there have been big increases in the rate of transmission. one possibility is that it is transmitting more. another possibility is that if you go to a place where there is a lot of virus activity, you will find more of these variants. at the moment, it is open to debate as to whether the virus has altered oi’ weaponised itself a bit more. what we do believe at the moment is that the virus has not changed sufficiently to put it beyond the protection of the vaccine. it doesn't appear that this new variant makes anyone any

iller than the original coronavirus, itjust seems to be spreading faster. switzerland has approved the pfizer/biontech vaccine for use, making it the first country in continental europe to give the jab the green light. swiss regulators have concluded covid—i9 vaccine is safe and that its benefit outweighs the risks. switzerland is due to introduce new coronavirus restrictions in the run up to the festive period, amid a rise in infections. americans will soon have a second coronavirus vaccine, developed by moderna, after it was approved by the food and drug administration. distribution of almost six million doses is expected this weekend, with vaccinations possible as early as monday. rural areas are likely to benefit in particular, because the vaccine doesn't need to be kept at ultra—cool temperatures. our washington correspondent, lebo diseko reports. one more hard earned victory against coronavirus.

the moderna vaccine is now the second to get emergency use authorisation. nearly 6 million doses will be sent out around the country. deliveries could start as early as monday, with immunisations beginning hours later. it's the second vaccine to be developed and approved in the us in less than a year, widely regarded as an incredible scientific feat, one that the had feat, one that the head of the fda said was based on science and need. this authorisation was guided solely by science and data. we worked quickly based, based on this global pandemic, not based on any external pressure. even though the process has been expedited, we have not cut corners, but rather have cut through regulatory red tape, which can sometimes slow down the process. president trump marked the occasion with a tweet, but around one third of the americans said they would not take the vaccine. earlier, vice president, mike pence, did his bit to try to boost confidence. he was given the pfizer vaccine live on

tv. with cases rising across the country, with hospitalisations rising across the country, we have a way to go. but vigilance and the vaccine is our way through. that message of vigilance is one that many will say it has come too late. infection rates are rising around the country and each week a grim new record is reached. on wednesday, the country recorded the highest number of both new cases and deaths since the pandemic began. 3656 people lost their lives, more than the number who died on 9/11. in southern california, hospitals are now completely out of icu beds. patients queue outside waiting to be treated. with christmas around the corner, there are fears that gatherings might lead to another surge in infections. the warnings are that things could get worse before they get better.

italy will go into lockdown over most of the christmas and new year period to deal with a rise in coronavirus cases. shops, bars and restaurants will be closed and travel between regions will be banned. people will only be allowed to travel for work, health, or emergency reasons. translation: we must intervene but i assure you this is not an easy decision. it is difficult to reinforce a series of necessary measures to better face the upcoming holidays and protect ourselves ahead of the resumption of work activities in january. our correspondent in rome mark lowen gave us more details on the lockdown. between the 24th of december and the 6th of january, all restaurants, bars and cafes will have too close, although they will be able to offer a takeaway service until 10pm. and except for four of those days all nonessential shops will also be closed, and all but essential movement will be prohibited. people will be allowed

only to accept two people into their homes at any one time, be it family or friends. these measures come on top of restrictions that had already been announced which mean that the ski resorts will be closed until the 6th of january and that there will still be a night—time curfew in place, and that anybody coming into italy from abroad between this monday, the 21st of december and the 6th of january will be subject to a two—week obligatory quarantine. so extra measures in order to try and avoid that christmas surge. india has become the second country to record 10 million coronavirus cases. but the rate of infection in the country is continuing to slow. the deceleration comes despite india having some of the most densely populated cities and the lifting of many lockdown measures. india is considering seeking emergency authorisation for three vaccines. india has third highest life losses due to the pandemic with just over 145,000 deaths.

in australia, the annual sydney to hobart yacht race has been cancelled for the first time in nearly eight decades, because of a covid outbreak in sydney. the australian authorities have begun imposing border restrictions after 28 cases were identified in the sydney suburbs. organisers of the race — which takes place in the week between christmas and new year say they're ‘bitterly disappointed' the headlines on bbc news... uk government ministers meet to decide how to manage rising coronavirus cases in england, amid warnings that a ‘new variant‘ of the virus is causing faster transmission. it comes as more than two thirds of those living in england — 38 million people — are now subject to the toughest restrictions in tier 3. meanwhile, italy imposes a nationwide lockdown over christmas and new year, as it tries to halt the sharp rise in coronavirus infections.

the uk is not fully ready for the post—brexit trade talks to end in no deal — that's according to the head of the commons brexit committee. i spoke to hillary benn earlier, he explained the concerns that businesses have and why the committee reached the conclusion it did. the it systems that they will need have come late and that has given them a little time to train their staff in how to use them. some of the infrastructure isn't in place. the government... and i welcome it, the government made a fund available for ports to build new infrastructure, but it was heavily oversubscribed and they were only told of the successful bids in the last week or so. of course, the big question, what will our future trading relationship be like with the eu? will we be facing tariffs or not? it depends on the outcome of the talks that are carrying on as we speak. it's a very significant to change, one way or the other, and

it's actually made it hard for businesses to plan, and not all of them are as ready as they need to be. earlier i spoke to james sibley from the federation of small businesses, who set out the worries that businesses are facing. there is quite a lot to worry about. familiarity with customs procedures is something we have been working on for quite awhile now. but there is a lot of things to worry about that have not had the same attention as control. many small businesses don't know if their qualifications will be recognised. there is a lot that could trip up businesses in the new year that they may not have thought about yet. quite a maxim of this will be the situation regardless of whether there is a trade deal or not coming into in fact on the 1st of

january? you could be facing much more serious border restrictions. everyone hopes that is not the case, but we have to have it in the back of our minds. exactly. there will be changes coming at the end of this year whether it is a deal or a no deal. there is plenty in a deal that could be complicated. one of the things that goods exporters have to think about its rules of origin. in a survey we think about its rules of origin. in a survey we did, half of our goods exporters have no experience of filling in documents regarding rules of origin. there's things we have to think about in a deal scenario and an ideal scenario. what can the government do at this stage that you

think would make a difference for small businesses? one of the main thing is that we are calling for at the moment is for the phased implementation of certain elements if there is a deal. i mentioned rules of origin. that could be phased in over time so it gives time for small businesses to adapt. the other thing that could be done, is for that to have a deal agreed as soon as possible. as soon as we have that clarity, the better. the third thing we are calling for is the idea of transition vouchers. because of coronavirus as well, businesses are struggling for time and capital and transition vouchers could be very beneficial for them to spend on training or expert advice. they will have to continue to adapt in the new year. these changes on something that will end at the end of the year. it is an ongoing process in 2021.

most bosses and business owners want large firms to be forced by law to release statistics on the difference in pay between staff of different ethnicities. that's according to the leaked results of a consultation launched by theresa may in 2018. leila nathoo reports. is there a hidden inequality in your workplace — a gap between what white staff and those from ethnic minorities are paid? in most organisations, employees don't know. there have been calls for larger companies to have to declare the disparity in earnings between workers in different ethnic groups. the professional services firm, deloitte, is one of those that publishes its data voluntarily. nadine is a consultant there, working with bosses to try to close their ethnicity pay gap, which last year was 14.5%. it's not fair that i could be sitting next to someone in the office and they're earning more than me just because of the colour of my skin. if you really think about it, it can be

quite heartbreaking. but i think i use that to drive me forward. two years ago, the government launched a consultation on whether ethnicity pay gap reporting should be mandatory. ministers have still not responded. but the bbc has seen a summary of the main findings. the document shows that three quarters of employers and business groups backed a legal requirement for larger organisations to have to publish their figures. what gets measured gets done. our members want to disclose their ethnicity pay gap because they know this is such an important issue, and if they address this issue they will have companies that are more diverse, more inclusive, more profitable, more innovative. it makes business sense and it's the right thing to do. the department for business said it would respond to the consultation in due course, and was working with firms to understand issues around data and methodology. campaigners say openness around differences in

pay between ethnic groups pushes conversations about inequality to the top of organisations and drives change. ministers are still weighing up whether to impose transparency on businesses, but many say it should have already happened. leila nathoo, bbc news, westminster. dr shola mos—shogbamimu is a lawyer and political and women's rights activist. shejoins me now. welcome to bbc news. what you think is at the core of this problem with companies not addressing the differences about how much they pay people from different ethnic backgrounds? this is clearly a case of the ongoing systemic racism going on in our country. statistics show that race still dictate how people are paid in this country. that is the problem. do you think that this

is encouraging, if this consultation is encouraging, if this consultation is correct, a large portion of companies think this is something that should be acknowledged and it will help them to address how they perceive their staff? i fully support the campaign for more transparency and the calls for businesses all around, and i'm talking about all businesses, including those with less staff, to collect and publish their data. the problem here is notjust companies doing the right thing, it's the lack of political will. i'm not surprised the government has failed to prioritise the findings of this report. we are talking about a government that is responsible for the hostile environment and has issues with black and ethnic minorities in its coronavirus response. people do not understand that hate inequality is a direct

product of systemic racism. when people talk about equal opportunity, that does not translate to equal outcomes. paid equality is equal outcome. if we do not have that, then we continue to have those problems. they need to make businesses be transparent. if there are not consequences for businesses, they will not be progress. there must be consequences. businesses must be consequences. businesses must incentivise to put in place to bridge and close the ethnicity pay 93p- bridge and close the ethnicity pay gap. what you think about companies doing that with gendera relatively

recent development but it seems to have had a dramatic impact on some companies, not least for the one i work for. that is true. but the problem here, even with the gender pay gap, the gender pay gap doesn't go far enough. you don't have most businesses reporting and you do not see them taking actionable steps to bridge that gap. this also shows into sexuality within minorities. within that minority, who is being discriminated against. you can't receive parity within gender. there needs to be addressed. india's sporting pride has been severely dented this weekend as the nation's cricket team recorded its lowest ever test match score.

the side could only muster 36 runs india's previous score was 42 at lord's in london in 1974 against england. that summer has since been known in indian cricket parlance as the "summer of 42". for more than 150 years, the taylor's bellfoundry in loughborough has been casting bells that have rung throughout the land. but this year, it's been at risk of permanent closure. now, just in time for christmas, the historic foundry has been saved thanks to millions of pounds from the national lottery. jodie law has been to visit. bells chime. there are taylor bells literally all around the world. wherever the sun is shining, you can hear a taylor bell. with its rich history in bell making, taylor's bell foundry in loughborough has secured its future with an early christmas present — a grant of almost £3.5 million

from the national lottery. it will be used to carry out repair works on the grade two star listed building and improve the visitor experience. repair the roofs, repair the guttering — where we have got walls trying to fall over, it will repair that. but the big thing of course, it will help us invest in the tourist part of the function here. we have a lot of tourists around every year. thousands of bells have been cast, turned and finished here for over 160 years. as britain's last remaining bell making facility, the team here are now looking forward to training a new generation of bell makers. craft skills here are listed as skills at risk. we have to train up apprentices because this is the last place you can learn these skills, and the last place that can perpetuate them as well. it's a very important site, and it's an important part of our heritage. and helping to support the company to remain on site and use the building that it's been in for a long time will not only mean that the skills can continue into the future but also that we can

support tourism in the area, with the museum another investment. felix will begin next year. —— the works will begin next year. the queen was the first british monarch to give a televised christmas day address in 1957 — previously it was only broadcast on the radio — and this year her speech will be at the forefront of another technical innovation. amazon has announced that the annual message will be available on its voice—activated "smart speakers" from 3pm on christmas day. last year the address was watched by 2a million people on the bbc and other major broadcasters. now, the weather with matt taylor. hello. a lot more sunshine around at times this weekend. but it will be punctuated by some pretty nasty downpours. some very heavy showers around today, we have seen them

already. continuing to push their way northwards and eastwards on a gusty wind. most frequent in the west. fewer showers in the east, where we spent the bulk of the day dry. a little bit cooler than yesterday, around nine to 12 celsius. but gusty winds will accompany the showers, as could the odd rumble of thunder and flash of lightning, too. as we go into this evening and overnight, showers keep on going, particularly across southern and western areas, most frequent in western scotland. still a marked breeze pushes there was a little bit further eastwards. still starry skies between them and under those starry skies it is going to be another cool night. cooler than recent nights, around three to four celsius into the morning in rural parts. tomorrow, on the face of it, another story of sunshine and showers but, if anything, fewer showers around and bit more in the way of sunshine. showers and windy conditions towards the west of scotland. cloud, wind and rain gathering later into the day and 00:29:48,002 --> 4294966103:13:29,430 overnight across the south.