The chancellor's VAT cut - designed to help sectors of the economy hit hardest by the pandemic - has come into force. The reduction from 20% to 5% applies to food and non-alcoholic drinks in restaurants, pubs and cafes, as well as hot takeaways. Hotels, B&Bs and campsites, plus admission to attractions, are also covered. Some firms have already promised to reduce prices - Nandos, Starbucks and McDonald's among them - but others are likely to shore up their finances instead. Read more on how VAT works and why things may not look any different for customers.

In Scotland, the cut in VAT coincides with the reopening of bars, restaurants and tourist attractions. Hairdressers and beauty salons, cinemas, places of worship and childcare settings are also opening up in the most significant relaxation of lockdown restrictions yet. Here are the changes in full.

Follow our live page for all the latest on the pandemic. We've also produced a user's guide to wearing face coverings in shops and answered some of your questions on masks.

China's ambassador in London, Liu Xiaoming, has called the decision to ban Huawei from the UK's 5G networks "disappointing and wrong". No new kit from the Chinese firm can be bought after 31 December, and by 2027, UK mobile providers must remove all equipment already installed. 5G promises faster internet speeds and the capacity to support more wireless devices, so without Huawei, will your gaming or streaming be slower?

The government's about-face on Huawei followed the imposition of sanctions on the firm by the US earlier this year. Washington says it's a security threat because of its ties to the Chinese state, but Huawei's UK communications director told BBC Newsnight he believed critics were really concerned about trade, not security.

President Trump has certainly welcomed the UK's decision. Overnight, he took action he said would hold Beijing accountable for its decision to enact a controversial security law in Hong Kong. An executive order ends the territory's preferential trade status with the US, and fresh sanctions will target Chinese officials. China said it would retaliate.

The world is facing a global crash in the number of children being born which means nearly every country could have shrinking populations by the end of the century. More than 20 nations - including Spain and Japan - are expected to see their populations halve by 2100, according to researchers at the University of Washington.

In many ways, falling fertility rates are a success story - as women get more access to education, work and contraception. But it also means countries will age dramatically, bringing huge questions about how we care for so many elderly people. How can countries fight falling birth rates? We look closely.

The government's U-turn on Huawei is the lead for several papers. "China crisis looms" says the i, warning of a new low in diplomatic relations with Beijing. In the Financial Times' view, the decision is the correct one, but it will come at a substantial cost to the mobile telecoms industry and consumers. The Guardian says small towns and rural areas will be hardest hit by delays in the 5G roll-out of up to three years. Elsewhere, there are reports the chancellor has ordered a review of capital gains tax to help pay for the cost of coronavirus. The Times thinks he may be considering raising the historically low rates to the same levels as income tax. The Daily Telegraph says it has learned face coverings could soon be recommended in all public places, including offices and other workplaces. The Daily Mirror tells readers they should certainly expect to shop in face masks until a vaccine is found.

Singer-songwriter Raye came third in the BBC's Sound of 2017, but bad advice and inexperience hampered her career. She explains how she got back on track. When aspiring Liverpool musician Sean Walsh decided to seek alternative treatment for his cancer, he turned to a local clinic which claims to "burst" tumours with mammograms. His family tell us why they believe he was given false hope. And finally, we talk to the woman who launched a tampon with built-in pain relief.

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