A new three-tier local lockdown system will be unveiled later, dividing the country up into "medium", "high" and "very high" when it comes to coronavirus infection levels. The aim is to simplify the current patchwork of restrictions, but the measures for each tier are still to be finalised. We're told that'll be done at a meeting of the emergency Cobra committee this morning. Boris Johnson will then set out the plans in the House of Commons and in a Downing Street press conference.

The Liverpool City Region is expected to become the first area to face a tier 3 lockdown, with the likely closure of pubs, gyms and casinos. However, Mayor Steve Rotheram said "no deal has been agreed" yet about the restrictions and the measures designed to mitigate their economic impact. Even with government support - explained here - businesses fear that impact could be devastating. Other parts of northern England, including Manchester and Newcastle, will be watching very closely given the spike in cases they've also seen in recent weeks.

BBC political correspondent Chris Mason says it's taken weeks to come up with the new system and many questions will inevitably remain - in particular, what is the exit strategy? All we know on that so far is that the curbs will be reviewed after a month.

The UK isn't alone is facing these sorts of decisions right now. BBC reporters from France, Germany and other European capitals explain how their countries are managing a second wave of coronavirus. And in our latest Doctor's Diary, a survey lays bare just how bad lockdown is for health.

The US Senate will press ahead later with confirmation hearings for President Trump's pick for the Supreme Court. A vacancy was left by the death of liberal stalwart Ruth Bader Ginsburg, whom Mr Trump wants to replace with a conservative, Amy Coney Barrett. The push is like nothing seen in US history so close to a presidential election and, if successful, her appointment would have enormous implications for the nation. Our North America reporter Anthony Zurcher examines those in detail.

Judge Barrett insists she will judge legal cases impartially "whatever my own preferences might be", but her strong anti-abortion views have sparked fears that women's rights may be further restricted.  

The government says it's "surprised and disappointed" by a plan put forward by Liverpool and Manchester United to reorganise English football. "Project Big Picture" would cut the number of teams in the top flight to 18 and hand the longest-serving clubs more power. If approved, the English Football League would get an immediate Covid bail-out and a 25% share of future Premier League revenue.

EFL chairman Rick Parry said the plan would safeguard the future of many smaller clubs struggling to survive without spectators, but the Premier League has given it short-shrift. BBC sports editor Dan Roan says that if the threat helps break the impasse between the Premier League and the government over a rescue package for the EFL, perhaps it'll ultimately be a positive development.

The looming new coronavirus restrictions for England lead most of Monday's papers. "Here we go again," the Metro sighs wearily. For the Times, the second wave has opened up many divisions - between the PM and his own backbenchers, between Westminster and local government, between the north and the south, between Scotland and England, and between young and old. Kevin Maguire, in the Daily Mirror, speaks of an "uprising" in the north and "revolts" in the Midlands and Wales. The Financial Times feels the biggest change since the first lockdown is the erosion of trust. Leo McKinstry, in the Daily Express, agrees "the mood of national consensus has broken down, and optimism is now corroded by exhaustion." The Daily Telegraph wants to know what happens if this tightening fails - does the PM have a Plan B, it asks? Finally, several papers have pictures of people in city centres having what the Sun calls a "last chance" weekend of partying. According to the Daily Mail, crowds also crammed into shopping centres in the north, trying to get Christmas gifts early.

BBC Breakfast has followed rugby league legend Rob Burrow since he was was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2019. His family have now chosen to speak for the first time. Elsewhere, when Ubokobong lost his fingers in an explosion, he struggled to find a realistic artificial black replacement - until his brother John stepped in. And finally, how can you best support your child's sporting activities, without getting over or under-involved? Here are a few tips.

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