Ministers are continuing to insist they will not bow to pressure and fund free meals for school children in England over half-term. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have all introduced schemes, but their Westminster counterparts argue there's already a safety net in place for those who need it, including increased Universal Credit. That's despite demands for a rethink by a number of Conservative MPs, who feel the government is losing the argument and should put a new system in place by Christmas.
More than 800,000 people have signed a petition started by footballer Marcus Rashford calling for provision to continue in the holidays. Some local councils - including Conservative-run ones - have promised to supply meal vouchers, but Labour says a postcode lottery means many will lose out. Thanks to Rashford, scores of pubs, cafes and restaurants have also offered free food.
In England, about 1.3 million children claimed free school meals in 2019, and analysis by the Food Foundation estimates a further 900,000 may have sought help since the start of the pandemic. One woman, Danielle, told the BBC what holiday hunger felt like for her as a child, and how she often resorted to shoplifting or "bin-diving" to cope.

Investigations are continuing into the suspected hijacking of an oil tanker off the Isle of Wight. Seven stowaways on board the ship - which had sailed from Nigeria - became violent, forcing the crew to lock themselves in a secure area and call for help. A team of Royal Navy commandos, flown in by helicopter, ended the tense, 10-hour stand-off in a nine-minute operation. BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale said the stowaways, believed to be Nigerians seeking asylum in the UK, had been handed over to Hampshire Police.

Tough new measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus are being introduced in Italy and Spain. Madrid has declared a national state of emergency and imposed a night-time curfew country-wide. Restrictions have also been imposed on travel between Spanish regions, although the details will be determined by local leaders. In Italy, bars and restaurants will close for table service at 6pm, and gyms, cinemas and theatres will shut. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told the nation he hoped that "by gritting our teeth" for a month "we'll be able to breathe again in December."
Covid case numbers, hospital admissions and deaths have been increasing across Europe - see our global tracker for more details.
In the UK, several stories demonstrate the ongoing economic impact of the pandemic. A new report suggests deserted high streets caused by local lockdowns and home working are taking a toll on the number of job vacancies. The Centre for Cities think tank found urban areas in Scotland and southern England had seen the biggest falls. And elsewhere, BBC Panorama has found people aged 16-25 are more than twice as likely as older workers to have lost their job during this time.

Many front pages feature pictures of the Andromeda, the ship stormed by special forces after stowaways threatened its crew. The Metro praises the effectiveness of the "flash-bang military operation". Elsewhere, the free school meals row continues. One Tory politician tells the Guardian they've "never known so many Conservative MPs and council leaders so angry". According to the Daily Telegraph, about 100 Tory MPs are exchanging "furious texts" about the government's handling of the matter. The Times reports that the prime minister will make additional funding available to help the poorest families in England during the Christmas holidays, in what it calls "a partial climbdown". The Daily Mirror reveals it has given Marcus Rashford a Pride of Britain award for spearheading the campaign. Many of the back pages, meanwhile, feature pictures of Lewis Hamilton - who has beaten the Formula 1 race wins record - and the young British cyclist Tao Geoghegan Hart - who completed a shock victory at the Giro d'Italia. The Daily Express calls the pair a "True Great" and a "New Great".

For women and girls in Egypt, sexual assault has long been endemic, but victims are now fighting back like never before. Salma El-Wardany explains. Elsewhere, hugely popular "bongo flava" musicians are singing the praises of Tanzania's president at mass election rallies, but find out why they're being kept on a tight leash. And finally, what's it like living in a political bubble? Two teenagers tell us how it feels to disagree with everyone around you.

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