You, the retail and hospitality sectors have faced unprecedented challenges this year because of the pandemic, and todays announcement that all non essential shops will have to close in areas moving into tier 4, is a further blow to retailers, on the last weekend before christmas. Heres our business correspondent, katy austin. There were plenty of people shopping in londons Oxford Street this afternoon and shoppers queued to enter this Department Store in high wycombe while they still could. Nonessential stores in englands tier 4 areas must close from tomorrow along with beauty businesses and gyms. It is a blow for this mens clothes shop in kent. It is devastating, awful. Yeah, because we got another five days i think of trading up to christmas when, yeah, we would take a lot of money potentially. And we wont take a penny. This weekend, the last before christmas, would normally be one of the busiest if not the busiest weekends of the year for retailers. Just today, more areas of england have moved into the tier 3 level of restrictions, meaning shops staying open, while hospitality and Entertainment Venues closed apart from takeaways. Many retailers have stepped up their online offering but the Industry Group said shutting under tier 4 would still have severe consequences. Previous lockdowns have meant that store sales have fallen by between 1. 5, to £2 billion a week. And that obviously is going to be even greater at this time of year. So it is vital that future support is targeted to those businesses by government that have been most affected. Trains will keep running for essential travel during the christmas period. People who cannot use pre booked tickets can get a refund, voucher or rebook for free. Businesses say they understand the need to protect Public Health but for struggling firms, more bad news is hard to stomach. Katie austin, bbc news. In other news, its understood theres likely to be a decision before christmas on whether or not a post brexit trade deal can be reached between the uk and european union, ahead of the deadline of december 31st. Our political correspondent, nick eardley is at westminster. Any news on the chances of a deal by christmas . Boris johnson has another massive call to make in the next few days about whether or not to sign up to that deal in the view in london is that decision will have to be made before christmas. There are a key sticking points, one is a state aid, the extent to which government can pour money into Domestic Industries and the other is fishing, the extent to which u boats can fish in uk waters. On that fishing issue that has been some movement in recent days but im told by the uk side but it does not go far enough and we are still quite far apart. In the picture coming from downing street tonight is pretty gloomy, a government source said has not been a flexibility from eu states and if there is no substantial shift in the coming days in the uk will leave without a deal. The eu says it is behind its negotiating team and needs to be a sustainable agreement on fishing. But this is going down to the wire and it is not completely certain there is political will to get it the line. Nick eardley, thank you. Italy has announced a nationwide lockdown for much of the christmas and new year period, in an effort to slow their rising number of coronavirus infections. Bars and restaurants will be closed and movement restricted. Italy now has the highest number of covid related deaths anywhere in europe, more than 68,000. Heres our rome correspondent, mark lowen. Paolo maccionni has lived through many vintages. The Third Generation to run the century old Family Restaurant built on the ruins of ancient rome. But christmas 2020 might bring it all to an end. His hopes for a crucial boost after the worst year they have had dashed with another lockdown. Translation my work is my life. I have been doing it for so many years. It passed from my grandfather to my father to me. If this goes on, we are likely to close. It is terrible. I dont see a future now. Not much merriness before a two week shutdown from Christmas Eve, though some shops can open for four of the days. There will be strict limits on movement and only two visitors allowed per household. It is an urgent attempt to slow infections, the second wave has torn through italy crippling the poorer south this time, too. And leaving the country with the highest death toll in europe. Visiting the grave today of herfriend carmen, we met anita pauletto, she was infected on the same day but pulled through. Carmen didnt make it. Translation she was a gift to me, and i miss her. We cannot lower our guard against this cruel virus. The new measures are horribly tight. I will be on my own for christmas. But this is a matter of life or death. Christmas goes to the heart of italian culture. Faith, family, food. Restricting it is a decision no Italian Government takes lightly. But by doing so, this country hopes desperately to avoid a next year as agonising as this one. Who could have believed that curbing christmas is what might finally bring comfort and joy . Mark lowen, bbc news, rome. Well for his assessment of an important day here, in the goverments battle against the coronavirus, our Health Editor hugh pym is with me. Borisjohnson made boris johnson made his borisjohnson made his announcement today, tough measures that no government wants to take at this time of year but essential . That is right, many people tonight must be deeply frustrated after all the tortuous process of getting here and many weeks of discussion between the administrations in the uk. People thinking it was five days, three households are now just thinking it was five days, three households are nowjust one day in most parts of the uk and effectively no mixing it all in the south east. And chris whitty at the briefing was askedis and chris whitty at the briefing was asked is this the worst moment of the pandemic . He that weve been through many terrible moments up until now but this was not in his view the worst because although the variant is a matter of concern we do have therapies now for coronavirus and we have the vaccine and that is being rolled out and will continue to be so at scale into january and february. But now the reality is the state of hospitals and particularly in the south east of england. Many missions going up rapidly and space rapidly filling up and they can see all this coming through right up to the new year whatever the impact of the new year whatever the impact of the current lockdown. Many thanks. Thats it. The health secretary, matt hancock, will be appearing on the Andrew Marr Show at 9am tomorrow on bbc one. But from me and the team, have a very good night. Hello there. The heavy rain weve seen over recent days has been working into our river catchments. With the Rivers Running high, weve seen a number of flood warnings over the last 2a hours. Were seeing there some pretty high waters, here, for example, in worcestershire. Now, on the satellite picture, a number of showers are waiting to come in on sunday wrapped around this area of low pressure, but further afield weve got further areas of low pressure just queueing up waiting to bring more rain across parts of the uk into next week as well. Sunday, then, another day of sunshine and showers. The showers again, like saturday, most frequent across North Western areas where they could merge together. Its going to be a windier day across Northern Ireland and western scotland. Quite blustery, though, for most of us. Perhaps the showers easing off for a time for wales and South West England during the afternoon, but a cooler day nationwide. Were looking at temperatures between 8 and 11 degrees celsius. Now for monday, were looking at the next area of low pressure moving in pretty quickly. This is going to be bringing widespread and quite heavy outbreaks of rain across england and wales with strengthening winds, particularly affecting the south coast and into south east england for a time. Rain further north in scotland pushing eastwards with time with the weather slowly brightening up from the west as we head into monday afternoon. Still mild across southern areas. Temperatures could reach around 13 degrees in london, but across northern england, Northern Ireland and scotland, its going to be getting colder with temperatures dropping. Highs of around 6 degrees celsius through the afternoon. Now, tuesday, we see this weather front still lurking across southern counties of england into southern wales, the midlands, east anglia. With that will probably come a lot of cloud, some of it quite low cloud, so mist and hill fog patches are possible. And as well as that, weve got more rain to come across these southern areas as well. Further north, a few showers for the far north of scotland. Still chilly air with us across Northern Areas of the uk, the milder airjust about hanging on across the far south of england. Into wednesday, low pressure. This is going to bring outbreaks of rain, but theres some uncertainty about exactly how far north this band of rain gets. It could reach as far north as scotland. Another area of uncertainty is we dont knowjust yet how intense the area of low pressure is going to be and that will affect how strong the winds are going to get, but i think, at the moment, for england and wales, rain at times. Scotland, Northern Ireland, probably the far north of england, more likely to see some sunshine, cold weather and a few scattered showers. The uncertainty that we have with the forecast for wednesday clears off, though, through thursday and friday as colder air actually moves in across the whole of the country. So, a real change in weather fortunes as we head into Christmas Eve. There will be a fairly widespread frost across Northern Areas and a sharp frost at that. Plenty of dry weather and sunshine, a few showers affecting northern and eastern coasts of scotland, eastern coasts of england, and look at those temperatures dropping away. Highs 4 to 6 degrees for many of us. There will be a sharp and widespread frost following Christmas Eve night, which is thursday night on into friday. A crisp start to the day, frosty as we head into Christmas Day, but there should be a lot of dry weather around, a lot of sunshine for most areas. Cloud will probably tend to fill in across the north and west of scotland as we go through the day, with a south westerly wind just picking up temperatures in stornoway. Highs here of around 9 degrees celsius, but, otherwise, Christmas Day looks like being a cold one. 5 or 6 degrees celsius, but if you can get outside for a socially distanced walk, it should be pretty decent weather for that. On into the weekend that follows, cloud will tend to build, eventually well probably see some rain turning up from the north and west through sunday. Thats your weather. Hello and welcome to our look ahead to what the the papers will be bringing us tomorrow. With me are the political commentator, jo phillips and the Political Editor of the people the sunday mirror, nigel nelson. Tomorrows front pages. Starting with. Only a few papers are in at the moment but one story dominates. The telegraph says borisjohnson has effectively cancelled christmas for 16 Million People last night by placing them in new draconian lockdown measures to combat a new, more infectious strain of coronavirus. The express says the fast spreading vairant of coronavirus had wrecked christmas. The papers reports the Prime Minister was bitterly disappointed to axe festivities. The star is less kind. It says bozo stuffs christmas after a third of england is put into what it calls a brutal tier 4 lockdown. So lets begin. Thank you both forjoining us. Im surprising that all the front pages that weve had so far are carrying one story and one story only. Unsurprising. Christmas cancelled for millions. A decision that mustve been difficult for the Prime Minister, whatever you may think of him,jo. Minister, whatever you may think of him, jo. Yes. It is the headline he didnt want to see. Only three days ago that he was jeering answer keir starmer in the house of commons at the last Prime Ministers questions accusing sir cure of money to cancel christmas. Sir keir starmer. Most of the papers that we have been so farare of the papers that we have been so far are saying pretty squarely all around that christmas has been cancelled and it is borisjohnsons decision. Obviously it is snowing millions of people and their plans into disarray. It is throwing. But the pressure on the Prime Minister, particularforthe but the pressure on the Prime Minister, particularfor the Health Services as hugh pym was saying earlier when the pressure on hospitals, which are as well, the extraordinary almost unprecedented linking of the two major Health Service journals earlier this week calling on the Prime Minister to not go ahead or to not allow the relaxation of the five days over christmas. I think he wouldve been absolutely damned if you want to head. The question is why did he ever think letting everybody go across the country for five days and mingling was a good idea if you cancel at this short notice when the warning signs have been there, we have known about this new strain for several days now. He cant have now set earlier in the week. Nigel, could he have announced an earlier and should he have done that . think he should announce it back in november. What he said today at his press conference is that that is when they first became aware of this new strain. Now i appreciate that they didnt understand it properly and know quite what it would do, but jo is right. The first thing to say is we should not have had those five days free for all the christmas anyway. Everybody was against it. Borisjohnsons owner anyway. Everybody was against it. Boris johnsons owner sage scientists were against that. I was ina independent scientists were against that. I was in a independent sage meeting yesterday where they were saying if every family had had three households around, the our rate wouldve gone up to nearly three. So it was mad before this mutated virus came along. But once that meeting virus was out there once this uncertainty was out there, the leasee could have done is cancel christmas early rather than with less than a week to go when people have made all their preparations and plans. But then he says that he is following the science. He is following the science. He is following the science. He is following the data. Do you think thatis following the data. Do you think that is the case . No. This is a classic example of him not following the size. Following the science. You knew from his own advisers that they were against this. And every scientist as far as i can see has said and has set all the way along christmas would be a disaster come if you have christmas, we end up with a major lockdown after christmas and even more worrying, youre talking about if infections really do go of, youre talking about hospitals being overwhelmed. The kind of catastrophe you didnt need. I know that everybody long for christmas, a bit of a break after an absolutely awful year, but i think this is one sacrifice that we can all enjoy many more christmases to come. Yet, jo, the front page of the sunday telegraph saying that he faces fury among tory mps for imposing any restrictions as mps have been fighting mrjohnson and his attempts to impose for the lockdowns of the country are calling for resignations from the cabinet. Why do you think they are so angry . Are they not following the science to . I think what they are saying is there town centers and villages in their constituencies, the icing businesses close, they are seeing people lose theirjobs, they are seeing the beginnings of a real hit to local economies. In that, coupled with the uncertainty in a brexit which is looming like a juggernaut stuck on it in 20, they have constituents banging on their doors saying we have done all of this and made the changes and put the protective screens and whether it is a hairdresser or pup or a builders merchants or whatever it is, they are getting it in from their constituents. I think the problem all the way along, right back to the beginning of the year in the beginning of the year in the beginning of the year in the beginning of this, we knew about this, there were stories around a year ago that there was a virus in china that was spreading. We didnt lockdown in this country until nearly the end of march. March the 23rd. So all the way along the government has been apprehensive, hesitant, has failed to take decisions quickly and decisively, has completely and utterly confuse the public and businesses alike and i think the public and businesses alike and ithinki the public and businesses alike and i think i can understand the mps being absolutely at their wits end because they are getting constituents saying what was about to do for the we have done this to him it was only three months ago youre telling this to all eat out to help out and now we have to sort of stay in and people will be eating a lot of turkey on their own. So i think it is understandable that people are resentful. But the problem has been all the way along that there hasnt been a decisiveness and that hasnt been clarity about the messaging. Do you think the decisiveness and clarity would make a difference to tory mps who oppose these restrictions . think it would make it clear to the British Public which is probably a bit more important. We all obeyed lockdown. It was simple. It was to stay home, which we did come only go out for a bit of exercise, all shops, pubs and stuff are close with the it was totally clear what you had to do. Ever since that first lockdown, we have contradictory messages coming out about what we are meant to do. But i think things happen is people start using the common sense when they think that social distancing works and they socially distance, and most people i come across to, they wear a mask because that seems like a good idea and they rather ignore the government. As far as mark carper and steve baker on the covid 19 recovery group, these are the tory rebels and they see things from a different viewpoint. They are worried about is the economy and especially the local economies in their constituencies. It is always beena their constituencies. It is always been a balance come a balance between trying to keep us safe on one hand, lifting restrictions on the others, so shops and pubs can open, but you just have to decide what is the best bet. Personally, i think keeping us alive is more important than keeping shops open although i do feel as a shopkeepers. I feel for the shopkeepers. Although i do feel as a shopkeepers. I feel for the shopkeepers. Lets look at the independent. Not that much different. Looking at what is happening over the coming days in terms of the restrictions, one of the worrying aspects, very worrying aspects of this new variant of this virus is as it says here front page, 70 more infectious say scientist. Do you think that as niger has said, we need more clarity potentially even some would argue a stricter mark blanket type lockdown that people understand what they are meant to do . Nigel. Absolutely. What we need all along is clarity and consistency. I think it is important to say although this new variation is much more infectious, there is nothing at the moment to suggest that it nothing at the moment to suggest thatitis nothing at the moment to suggest that it is more dangerous. It is just spreading more quickly and i think that has been made very clear by fergus wash earlier. So there have been these variations of the virus are wrong really around the world. Fergus wash. It is not uncommon. People need to not panic about that. But it is spreading very quickly. We havent had any success really would track and trace. That is been a complete muddle and mess. Pa rt is been a complete muddle and mess. Part of the problem is people find it very difficult to follow the rules if they cannot see what they are doing it for. As nigeljust said come in the beginning, it was really clear. Do this, that is what we are trying to do. Now then we relax it in then it is very interesting because how the papers are covering this and how they have done over the last few weeks or so, there has been a real wee one christmas, we think lockdowns are ridiculous coming from some papers. The same papers that we re some papers. The same papers that were all put some terrifying graphs and statistics. But they are questioning the numbers and the overcrowding in hospitals and things. And then other people, for some people tonight, however sad and horrible and disappointing it is, in some ways i think the decision to be taken, to not do christmas, it takes the pressure off them because i think people have been really worrying about whether they should go and visit relatives and they fell slightly uncomfortable and dont wa nt to slightly uncomfortable and dont want to of stay overnight and want to mix with sisters and brothers and teenage kids and all the rest of it. Anyway, by having this decision made for us, it does make those decisions area for us, it does make those decisions are a lot easier but it doesnt help with the fact that it is very short notice. This move onto the sunday express. By spreading covid i9 rex christmas. Far spreading. Express. By spreading covid i9 rex christmas. Farspreading. Has christmas. Farspreading. Has christmas been cancelled . It is still going to happen. That is not fairto still going to happen. That is not fair to say it has been cancelled. It is just happening fair to say it has been cancelled. It isjust happening in a different way for us or many of us at least . wouldve thought cancelled is probably a fair term that if you are inatli probably a fair term that if you are in a t4 area, you can actually do is go outside and be one person in your garden which would be direct i dont think those people who christmas it will work for. Christmas as an event will work for. Christmas as an event will go ahead. But it wont be like the kind of person misses most of us know. So it would be very difficult. Thats kind of christmases. If you are ina thats kind of christmases. If you are in a tieri area, it would be awfully difficult now to meet up with friends or relatives even though you are allowed to have three households inside your house. Now it is being cut down to one day from five and what that means is that the only people we can have around our local people, you cannot have relatives coming from long distances. To all intents and purposes, christmas as we know has been cancelled. Do you agree with that, jo, or me . Itend been cancelled. Do you agree with that, jo, or me . I tend to agree with you. Im also a bit of a old cynic im afraid. The christmas as we know it is the christmas that we have been sold. The christmas that is real too many people is this christian celebration. We had easter in the middle of lockdown. We have had ramadan, we had edie we had the wally, what people are making a fuss about it being upset about, understandably is not the christmas of celebrating the birth of christ. It is actually about the shopping in the food in the presence and everything else. In normal times can we probably will be sitting here right now saying is in terrible how christmas has become so commercialised. Said that of course the real sadness for this is families getting together and i know many older people who will be bitterly disappointed that they are going to spend christmas on their own having been expected to be picked up tomorrow or monday to go and see their families. From that point of view i think the Family Gathering has definitely been cancelled. But i think we are getting a bit overblown on christmas being cancelled because frankly i would be quite pleased that the seat adverts for turkeys and crackers. Thank you to both the you for talking to me. Well be back at half past 11 i believe. Good evening. Many parts of the uk have had no shortage of wet weather over the last few days. Im sure you dont need me to tell you that. There are still a number of flood warnings in force across england, wales and scotland. Find out if your area is affected on the bbc weather website, and there is some more rain on the way. In the form of showers to the rest of the weekend and you can see on the satellite picture we have had plentiful shower clouds pushing in from the west, the showers will continue through tonight, some heavy and possibly with some hail and thunder, the further east you are not as many showers, more in the way of clear skies but it stays pretty blustery out there so temperatures wont drop too far. Four to 8 degrees. The values we can expect as we start sunday morning. Another sunshine and showers day tomorrow. Not as many showers in the east. In the afternoon the showers becoming fewer and further between, we will see briefly a spell of dryer brighter weather. Some heavy downpours return to parts of Northern Ireland and the front northwest sees gusts of 50 mph or more. Temperatures a touch down on today, nine, ten or 11 degrees. Rain and hills note moves the northern half of the uk and out of south cloud and rain will be gathering. As a frontal system approaches. The system will move across the southern half of the uk particularly as we head to sunday night and into monday with some outbreaks of rain to the south, this fragile system some very mild air, to the north some rather cold air. So a big split in temperature fortunes on monday. Heavy rain moving its way eastwards away from parts of england as we go through the morning, behind it a lot of cloud left behind, Northern Ireland sees sunshine, rain and hillsnow moving in from parts of scotland. Temperatures of real rain in aberdeen, 13 the high in london. Then as a move towards the middle of the week another area of low pressure is going you bring another dose of rain across the south. But High Pressure will build its way into the second half of the week. That means drier weather for christmas. But also colder weather. As we go through the week temperatures are set to drop down into Single Digits by Christmas Eve and Christmas Day but should be largely dry. This is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. Nearly 18 Million People in london and surrounding areas move into stricter coronavirus restrictions from midnight. With a very heavy heart i must tell you we cannot continue with christmas as planned. In england, those living in tier 4 areas should not mix with anyone outside their own household at christmas. The new restrictions are due to a spike in cases blamed on a fast spreading new variant of the disease. Overseas travel is banned for people in the highest tier except for essential business with others across england advised to stay local. In other news. No post brexit trade deal without a substa ntial shift from brussels thats the message from the uk government with time