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Germany is seeking an agreement with EU countries to keep ski resorts closed until early next year in an attempt to prevent a new outbreak of coronavirus clusters.

Some of the first Covid-19 hotspots in Europe earlier this year were at ski resorts, helping spread infections across the continent.

"I will say this openly that it won't be easy, but we will try," Chancellor Angela Merkel said after speaking to Germany's regional leaders earlier this week.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has already backed delaying the start of the ski season, but has stressed the need for a European solution.

French President Emmanuel Macron has also made clear that ski resorts in France would stay shut until the New Year.

But Austria has voiced concern over an EU-wide plan, with Finance Minister Gernot Blümel saying that if the EU forced ski areas to remain closed, "then they will have to pay for it". Compensation would run into billions of euros.

• Read more on this story here

England's three-tier system of coronavirus restrictions is coming back when lockdown 2.0 ends next week.

But UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson says this version is tougher than it was back in the autumn.

It's after the government's scientific advisors, Sage, said the old tier system wasn't enough to bring the R number below one.

We'll find out which areas will be in which tiers later today.

Health Correspondent Laura Foster uses cake to explain what you can and can't do under the new system.

South Korea has today reported 583 new coronavirus cases - the highest number of new infections there since March.

Most were locally transmitted - with young people at the centre of the surge - and were recorded in the greater Seoul area, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

South Korea was held up as a model for its response to Covid-19 earlier this year, but has more recently been struggling to contain a new outbreak despite new social distancing measures.

Infections there currently stand at more than 32,000, while 515 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported.

In September, BBC Korea joined South Korea’s virus detectives as they battled long hours to gain the trust and co-operation of suspected carriers reluctant to provide personal information.

As we've been hearing, people in England will find out this morning which tier of restrictions they will be placed under when the national lockdown ends on Wednesday.

But the individual nations of the UK all have their own Covid rules:

• In Scotland there is a five-tier system, with eleven local authorities now under the toughest tier of restrictions, meaning non-essential shops, pubs, restaurants and gyms have to close.
• Northern Ireland is preparing for a two-week circuit-break lockdown from tomorrow.
• In Wales lockdown restrictions were eased on 9 November, allowing two households to form a bubble and meet in their own homes, and all businesses to reopen.

You can read more about the different rules across the UK here or check the restrictions where you live using our postcode look-up tool.

Image source, NHS

Exeter's Nightingale hospital is today accepting its first coronavirus patients.

The 116-bed emergency field hospital will treat patients from the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, "which is very busy", a spokesperson said.

It's one of seven Nightingale Hospitals built in England, set up in a matter of weeks during the first wave of coronavirus as an insurance policy in case the NHS became overwhelmed.

Our health editor Hugh Pym says, external it's the first Nightingale hospital to be used for Covid care during the second wave of the virus.

Government figures show the number of Covid-19 patients in hospital in south-west England has steadily risen over the previous weeks.

A total of 540 people have died with coronavirus in hospitals in the region, including four in Devon on Wednesday.

While today marks the first Covid patients to be treated at the Exeter field hospital, since building finished in July it has been used for vaccine trials as well as diagnostic tests, including about 200 CT scans and 100 ultrasounds.

Meanwhile, Bristol's Nightingale hospital announced yesterday, external that it would shortly begin hosting outpatient appointments for non-Covid patients - although it remains on standby to care for critically ill virus patients "if we are needed".

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Sweden's Prince Carl Philip, 41, and his wife Princess Sofia, 35, have both contracted coronavirus.

The couple are in quarantine with their children after reporting symptoms on Wednesday, the Swedish royal court has confirmed.

Other members of the royal family are now being tested for Covid-19, the court said.

Among them are King Carl XVI Gustaf (aged 74), Queen Silvia (76), Crown Princess Victoria (43) and Prince Daniel (47).

The family had gathered together at a funeral for the queen's brother, Walther Sommerlath, last Friday, spending some time at a church, the court added.

Image source, PA Media

The prime minister and his cabinet are finalising what tier of Covid rules to place each area in England in, when the national lockdown comes to an end next week.

We'll hear the decisions later today - but what are they based on?

While the final decision lies with the prime minister, these are the main factors that inform public health recommendations:

• Case detection rate - in all age groups and, in particular, the over-60s
• How quickly case rates are rising or falling
• Positivity in the general population
• Pressure on the NHS - including current and projected NHS capacity
• Local context and exceptional circumstances, such as a local but contained outbreak

An area could be moved up a tier if these indicators are not improving, and likewise down to a lower one if they improve.

And for a reminder about what the rules actually are for each tier, check out our explainer - and take a look at the graphic below.

So-called "Christmas bubbles" of three households in Scotland should contain no more than eight people, the Scottish government has said.

The rule is part of the government's guidance for Christmas, external which temporarily relaxes some Covid-19 restrictions for five days between 23 and 27 December, with similar rules for the rest of the UK.

Children under the age of 12 will not count towards the total number of people in the bubble.

Follow our breaking news story here.

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Major pub groups and brewers are pleading with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to save an industry facing the "darkest of moments".

Executives at Fuller's, Carlsberg UK, Greene King, and Heineken UK are among more than 50 signatories of a letter which warns of huge job losses and calls on the PM to publish the evidence justifying the coronavirus restrictions on the industry.

An announcement on tiers in England is due in a couple of hours - and could see two thirds of the country placed into tiers two or three when the current lockdown lifts next month.

Pubs in tier-two areas will be able to serve drinks only to customers having a substantial meal, and those in tier three will not be able to open.

"The pub is clearly being singled out for exceptionally harsh and unjustified treatment and unless your government changes course, and soon, huge portions of this most British of institutions will simply not be there come the spring," the letter says.

"We believe it is in the interests of openness and transparency that any evidence showing pubs to be the source of outbreaks of the virus, and thereby justifying these extra restrictions, must be published immediately."

Downing Street says it will respond in due course.

• Covid pub rules 'killing Christmas not saving it'
• One in three hospitality firms fear collapse

Image source, EPA

Six members of Pakistan's cricket team have tested positive for Covid-19 while on tour in New Zealand and have been moved from managed isolation into quarantine.

Health officials said all 53 members of the visiting squad were tested on arrival in the country. The team's exemption from social-distancing rules for training has been suspended.

New Zealand's cricket authorities said two of the six cases were "historical" and the other four were new. Historical can refer to a positive test returned some time after a person has recovered.

Some members of the Pakistan team had contravened protocols on their first day in managed isolation in Christchurch and would be reminded of their responsibilities, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said.

New Zealand, widely praised for its pandemic response, had previously seen a total of 2,040 cases and 25 deaths.

Pakistan, meanwhile, has seen 356,198 confirmed cases and 7,843 deaths.

• Read more on this story here

Image source, Reuters

Sudan's former Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi has died from coronavirus three weeks after being admitted to hospital in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to a statement from his family and his National Umma Party.

He was hospitalised after 21 members of the al-Mahdi family contracted the virus in early November.

The 84-year-old was prime minister in 1989 when he was overthrown in a coup led by former President Omar al-Bashir.

Sudan has so far confirmed more than 16,600 cases of coronavirus and reported more than 1,200 deaths.

UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak has defended his decision to freeze pay for some public sector workers, saying he “couldn’t justify” a rise when the disparity between public and private sector pay had “widened” during the coronavirus crisis.

In yesterday's Spending Review, Sunak warned the "economic emergency" caused by Covid has only just begun and unemployment could surge to 2.6 million by mid-2021 as a result of the economic downturn caused by the pandemic.

This morning, Sunak told BBC Breakfast that public sector wages had gone up by 4% while those in the private sector had experienced job losses or furlough.

He said his approach was “reasonable and proportionate", given the circumstances, and that deciding against some pay rises means he can protect jobs in the private sector.

Sunak said it was “obviously a tragedy” that many people have already lost their jobs.

Asked if he would extend the temporary uplift in Universal Credit beyond the spring, Sunak said it wouldn’t be right to make a permanent decision about that now when the economic outlook is so uncertain.

Meanwhile the Office for Budget Responsibility - which is independent from the government - says "unprecedented uncertainty" is weighing on the UK economy.

Chairman Richard Hughes told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme: "A lot depends on both the effectiveness of the current public health restrictions, the effectiveness of Test and Trace, and then the ultimate effectiveness and availability of the vaccine."

Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds has criticised Sunak's Spending Review, saying more action is needed to build up confidence in the economy, and create jobs.

Image source, Getty Images

The Democratic mayor of the US city of Denver, Colorado, has apologised after breaking his own Thanksgiving advice to "avoid travel" by visiting family in Mississippi.

In a message posted to Twitter early on Wednesday, Michael Hancock urged residents to "host virtual gatherings".

Just hours later, however, it emerged he had travelled to Mississippi to join his wife and daughter for the holiday.

"I apologise to the residents of Denver who see my decision as conflicting with the guidance," he responded.

"I recognise that my decision has disappointed many who believe it would have been better to spend Thanksgiving alone," the mayor wrote on Twitter.

"I made my decision as a husband and father, and for those who are angry and disappointed, I humbly ask you to forgive decisions that are borne of my heart and not my head."

Millions of Americans have travelled home to celebrate Thanksgiving this Thursday, despite warnings from health officials amid a significant wave of coronavirus cases and deaths.

• Read more: Millions travel for Thanksgiving despite warnings

US President-elect Joe Biden says Covid-19 has brought the US "pain and loss and frustration" and cost many lives.

"It's divided us, angered us, set us against one another. I know the country's grown weary of the fight, but we need to remember - we're at war with the virus, not one another," he said in a speech for the Thanksgiving holiday.

"We have to steel our spines, redouble our efforts and recommit ourselves to the fight."

The US saw more than 1.2 million confirmed cases last week, with 2,200 deaths on Tuesday - the highest number since late May.

On Wednesday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that nearly eight coronavirus infections went unreported for every one that was counted in the country.

The CDC suggests that as many as 53 million Americans had been infected by the end of September.

Croatia has been hard hit by the Covid outbreak in recent weeks and hospitals are struggling to cope. The northern city of Varazdin has begun erecting military tents to cope with the influx of patients. Ten people died in the space of 24 hours and hospital head Nenad Kudelic has spoken of a collapse of the health care system and "wartime conditions".

Germany’s leaders have agreed Christmas restrictions, with a “lockdown light” covering restaurants and bars continuing until 20 December and beyond, but with a slight relaxation over the festive period. Afterwards, states that have low rates of infection can start loosening restrictions.

Turkey has seen a big jump of 28,351 daily infections after it changed its system of reporting to include all positive cases. Doctors’ leaders and the opposition have accused officials of hiding the true numbers. Previously the average number was around 6,000 infections a day.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has extended Covid restrictions in the Russian capital that require over-65s and at risk groups to stay at home and at least 30% of workers to work from home. The requirements will go on until at least 15 January. Nationally, Russia has reported a record 524 deaths over 24 hours and another record 25,487 infections.

Image source, Reuters

The World Health Organization says Italy has seen the biggest number of cases in Europe in the past week with 235,979 new infections. Last night Italy reported 722 deaths in 24 hours, a fall on the previous day, and a drop in the number of people treated in hospital.

UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak says everyone in England will see a "tangible" improvement in what they're able to do under the coronavirus rules, no matter which tier of restrictions they're placed in after lockdown ends.

He told BBC Breakfast he understands people are "frustrated" by restrictions and that England's current four-week lockdown has been "difficult for everybody".

Sunak says there will be a cabinet meeting this morning to finalise the tier allocations, and as well as the statement from the health secretary that we've already mentioned, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will host a press conference in Downing Street later.

"What I can say is, people will see a tangible change, wherever they are, compared to the last four weeks," Sunak said, adding that more of our life and economic life will be able to resume.

He says he's "confident" the current lockdown has brought infection levels down, adding: "Although Christmas is not going to be normal, hopefully after the last four weeks we can move to a better place [and with] more testing, there's some light at the end of the tunnel."

Image source, Getty Images

And here's a look at some of the top stories making the news around the world:

• US President-elect Joe Biden has called for an end to the "grim season of division", as the country faces a long, hard winter with Covid-19. He has said that Americans were at war with coronavirus, not each other
• The Democratic mayor of the US city of Denver has apologised after breaking his own Thanksgiving travel advice. In a message posted to Twitter, Michael Hancock urged residents to "host virtual gatherings" and "avoid travel". But it later emerged that he had travelled to Mississippi to join his wife and daughter for the holiday
• Germany is seeking an agreement with EU countries to keep ski resorts closed until early January in an attempt to curb the spread of coronavirus.The news came as the country extended its partial lockdown until 20 December
• The coronavirus pandemic could wipe out 25 years of increasing gender equality, new global data from UN Women, external suggests. Women are doing significantly more domestic chores and family care, because of the impact of the pandemic

Image source, PA Media

The main news in the UK today is likely to be Health Secretary Matt Hancock's announcement in the House of Commons later - where he will set out which tier of Covid restrictions people in England will face when a national lockdown ends on 2 December.

The three-tier system has been revised to have stricter rules than the system in place before the current lockdown - and more local authorities will be in higher tiers.

BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg says she understands only a "handful" of areas would be in the lowest tier - with most areas, including London, to be in tier two and "significant numbers" in the strictest level, tier three.

The government has promised to review the allocations by 16 December.

Ahead of his announcement, Hancock urged people to follow the rules so "together we can get out of these tough measures".

"I know for those of you faced with tier three restrictions this will be a particularly difficult time but I want to reassure you that we'll be supporting your areas with mass community testing and extra funding," he said.

Image source, Reuters

Welcome to today's rolling coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, from the UK and around the world. Here are some of the main Covid stories in the UK this morning:

• People in England will later find out which of the three coronavirus tiers their area will be placed in, when the national lockdown ends next Wednesday. Health Secretary Matt Hancock will set out the plans in the Commons later - it's expected that most areas will be placed in the two toughest tiers of rules
• The Covid-19 crisis is on track to cut average pay packets by £1,200 a year by 2025, according to new analysis, which comes a day after Chancellor Rishi Sunak warned unemployment could surge to 2.6 million by mid-2021
• And Britain's major pub groups and brewers have pleaded with Prime Minister Boris Johnson to save an industry facing the "darkest of moments". Executives at Fuller's, Carlsberg UK, Greene King, and Heineken UK are among more than 50 signatories of a letter warning of huge job losses, which calls on the PM to publish the evidence justifying Covid curbs on the industry