Plan would see nurses, ambulance workers and hospital staff join industrial action in England and Wales

The NHS will grind to a halt on 20 December under plans being discussed for a coordinated Christmas strike in England and Wales by nurses, ambulance workers and hospital staff.

The unprecedented day of industrial action would leave NHS bosses struggling to keep even the most basic services running to standards that patients would expect, with many reduced to “Christmas Day” levels of staffing.

Opposition parties say retention of whip in face of PPE claims reveals PM’s ‘empty promise’ of integrity

Rishi Sunak is facing calls from the main opposition parties to withdraw the Tory whip from Michelle Mone in the House of Lords after the Guardian revealed she appeared to have gained millions from the profits of a PPE company.

Labour and the Liberal Democrats have criticised the prime minister’s “staggering” refusal to do so, claiming his pledge to lead a government that acts with “integrity and professionalism” has become an “empty promise”.

There was an added note of pain for Germany in the tone, the pitch, the basic jauntiness of Costa Rica’s designated goal music, a taunting blast of trumpets and maracas, the kind of thing that gets played on a particularly cruel TV gameshow as the bucket of gunge upends itself over the dunce’s booth.

Germany did manage something novel at Al Bayt Stadium, exiting the World Cup at the earliest stage despite winning this game 4-2. They spent most of it in, then out; and even witnessed an extraordinary period where it seemed Costa Rica, who played with real heart, were going through instead. With 48 minutes gone Hansi Flick’s team had been bossing this Group E endgame, eyes still fixed on the horizon towards the last 16 of Qatar 2022. Elsewhere in the Doha orbit zone Spain were 1-0 up.

Three-judge panel rules in favor of the justice department and overturns a judge’s decision in September

A US appeals court on Thursday reversed a judge’s appointment of a special master to vet documents seized by the FBI from former president Donald Trump’s Florida home.

A three-judge panel of the Atlanta-based 11th circuit US court of appeals ruled in favor of the justice department in its challenge to a September ruling by US district judge Aileen Cannon.

Labour expected to hold seat with new candidate after resignation of Chris Matheson

Polls have closed in the City of Chester byelection as Rishi Sunak faces his first electoral test as prime minister.

Labour is expected to hold the seat. It had a majority of 6,164 at the last election and polls had indicated a double-digit lead over the Conservatives in the expected share of the vote this time. A result is expected at about 3am.

Exclusive: Findings come amid rising evictions, ‘price gouging’ claims and fears of homelessness emergency

• Tenants speak out: ‘They could just evict us’

Soaring rents have in effect made life unaffordable for private tenants across swathes of the UK, according to research undertaken for the Guardian.

The analysis shows that asking rents on new listings are up by almost a third since 2019, and some people are facing increases of up to 60%. Prices in 48 council areas are now classed by the Office for National Statistics as unaffordable when compared with average wages.

Former health secretary’s diaries say MoJ wanted to release inmates to slow spread of coronavirus in prisons

A plan to release “thousands” of prisoners was considered during the Covid-19 lockdown, according to Matt Hancock’s diaries.

The details, first reported by the Daily Mail, which is serialising the former health secretary’s journals, come as Hancock returns to Westminster after his stint on ITV’s I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!

Ngozi Fulani says Buckingham Palace yet to reach out to her since incident with royal aide at reception

A black British charity leader has said she felt she was being forced to denounce her citizenship when she was “interrogated” by the late queen’s lady-in-waiting about where she “really came from”.

Ngozi Fulani, who founded the domestic abuse charity Sistah Space, was questioned repeatedly about her background by the royal aide Susan Hussey at a Buckingham Palace reception.

Former hospital electrician assaulted the bodies of more than 100 dead women between 2008 and 2020

Relatives of the victims of a man who sexually assaulted the bodies of more than 100 dead women are to receive compensation under a new government scheme.

Close family members of those abused by David Fuller, 68, will be eligible to claim up to £32,500, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced on Thursday.

Eleventh month in a row of above-average temperatures means 2022 almost certain to set new mark

The UK remains on track for its warmest year since records began, after November became the 11th month in a row of above-average temperatures.

In order not to break the record, temperatures in December would have to drop to almost unprecedented lows, after an average mean temperature of 8.2C over November, the Met Office said.