An emergency cabinet meeting to address the sharp rise in coronavirus cases may have resulted in no new Covid restrictions for England but - with the PM saying data is being reviewed "hour by hour" - hospitality and entertainment firms are demanding more clarity. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UK Hospitality, which represents more than 700 bars, hotels and leisure venues, says businesses are "in limbo" and need notice of any changes being considered ahead of the New Year.
Boris Johnson says the government has "ruled nothing out" to keep the Omicron variant under control. But ministers argue more information is needed to justify the economic impact of any restrictions. There have already been calls for financial support for businesses affected by cancellations amid public concerns over the variant. London's New Year's Eve celebrations have been cancelled, while - with a further 91,743 Covid cases reported across the UK on Monday - cast absences have caused theatres to cancel performances. With a government scientific adviser warning staffing problems could become "much, much more severe", without early intervention, Labour is demanding ministers publish a contingency plan for essential services.

Spectators will be banned from sports events in Wales from 26 December to try to control the spread of the Omicron variant. The Welsh government says the ban will apply to all indoor, outdoor, professional and community sports events, with a £3m Spectator Sports Fund available to support clubs and venues. It means horse racing's Welsh Grand National will take place behind closed doors at Chepstow for a second year. Ministers will meet later to discuss post-Christmas hospitality restrictions, with Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Andrew RT Davies complaining the "drip, drip" approach is "no way to do things".

It's amazing what you can find on a beach: hermit crabs, periwinkles, anemones... the fossil of a giant millipede. Well, okay, the latter was a "complete fluke", spotted by a former Cambridge University PhD student, in 2018, while wandering across Howick Bay, in Northumberland. A large sandstone block had tumbled onto the beach. "The way the boulder had fallen, it had cracked open and perfectly exposed the fossil," says Dr Neil Davies, from Cambridge's department of earth sciences. The 75cm (2ft 6in) fossil is thought to date back 326 million years, when north-eastern England's windswept beaches would have had a more tropical climate. Known as Arthropleura, the millipede is thought to have been more than 2.5m long and had between 32 and 64 legs. Here are the details.

Most front pages focus on the prospect of further coronavirus restrictions in England over the holidays. "Christmas lockdown blocked by Johnson and cabinet," is the i's headline. "Rejoice! Xmas is looking safe," says the Daily Mail but not all papers are so confident. "Hold on to your baubles," warns the Sun, saying the PM "warned he could slap Covid restrictions on Christmas at any moment". The Financial Times says Mr Johnson "faces cabinet deadlock" over more Covid curbs this week and the Guardian agrees they are unlikely but says further measures remain on the table. The Times says a ban on household mixing is being considered for 28 December. For the Daily Telegraph, it all adds up to "confusion at Christmas".

We have some moving festive stories today. In Derbyshire, Amanda Paget well remembers how hard Christmas was for her mum, as a single parent and with money tight. So she decided to make life a little easier for others this year and - with the backing of volunteers and local businesses - 269 vulnerable families will enjoy a little extra cheer. Meanwhile, the 5 Minutes On podcast comes from Linden House care home in Somerset, where staff are determined to make Christmas special, a year after losing 10 residents to Covid. Listen via BBC Sounds.

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