Wednesday evening news briefing: Diego Maradona dead

Diego Maradona, football icon and 'hand of God', dies

He was a player who defined an era and is considered by many as the greatest of all time. Diego Maradona, the World Cup winner and most talented footballer of the 1980s, has died at the age of 60. He underwent successful brain surgery on a blood clot earlier this month and died after suffering a cardiac arrest. In a career never lacking in drama, he also proved himself a liar, a cheat and an egomaniac. He will forever be remembered by England fans for the "hand of God" where he handballed into the net in the 1986 World Cup quarter final, four minutes before scoring one of the greatest goals of all time. Read his Telegraph obituary.

Sunak ups spending amid worst recession in 300 years

The "economic emergency" caused by coronavirus has only just begun and there will be "lasting damage" to the UK, Rishi Sunak warned as he set out his Spending Review this afternoon. Official forecasts show the UK economy is expected to shrink by 11.3pc this year, the worst recession for more than 300 years. The Chancellor told MPs the Office for Budget Responsibility did not expect the economy to return to its pre-crisis levels until the final quarter of 2022 as he laid out plans for record borrowing to combat the impact of the pandemic. These six graphs show the bumper levels of borrowing and drastic plunge in GDP. There was a spending boost for jobs support, the NHS and the military. Here are the key announcements made by the Chancellor. Janet Daley outlines why this was a strange statement for a Tory to make while Ross Clark sets out the concerns that the spendthrift Government has no intention of living within its means. All these numbers can be a headache, so Tom Rees has this guide to how to read the budget watchdog's numbers.

The most controversial part of Mr Sunak's statement was his decision to cut the Government's overseas aid budget from 0.7pc of gross national income to 0.5pc this year in a bid to balance the books. Foreign Office minister Baroness Sugg has resigned in protest at the cut, branding it "fundamentally wrong". Yet former aid worker Sarah Dusek sets out why what the developing world needs investment, not more handouts.

Duchess of Sussex reveals she had a miscarriage in July

The Duchess of Sussex has written a deeply personal account of suffering a miscarriage. In an opinion piece titled The Losses We Share for the New York Times, the Duchess, 39, revealed that she had lost her unborn, second child in July. Baby loss charities have praised the Duchess for speaking out about the "unbearable grief", noting that it would help others "enoromously". Louisa Pritchard talks to experts about how to deal with the trauma of miscarriage while Brett Salako reveals how he tried to "play the strong man" after his wife Alice had a miscarriage but was left feeling like he was "crumbling inside".

Scots to face harsher rules during Christmas holiday

The "four-nations" approach to the relaxation of Covid rules at Christmas has fractured within 24 hours after Nicola Sturgeon warned Scots will face tighter restrictions than people in England. The First Minister said that she believed treating existing "bubbles" as one household, as will happen south of the border, may be "going too far". Read how Scots face tighter restrictions. Telegraph readers have reacted with concern about the bubbles. Here is a reminder of the Christmas rules. The major question left to answer is what tier people in England will be living under when the lockdown ends a week from today. Here are the five key metrics experts are analysing ahead of tommorrow's announcement.

At a glance: Latest coronavirus headlines

• Imprisoned | How pandemic is exploited to persecute LGBTQ+ people

• Travel latest | US considers lifting travel ban for Britons

• Culled mink | Denmark's new horror as bodies rise from mass graves

• Loneliness | Heartbreak for elderly kept out of Christmas bubbles

• Football | Fans warned to update contact details to return to stadium

Also in the news: Today's other headlines

Brexit compromise? | Ursula von der Leyen has urged EU leaders to back the Brexit trade agreement at their Brussels summit next month but warned talks with Britain could still end in no deal. The European Commission president told the heads of state and government of the remaining 27 member states to stay united and be ready to compromise if Michel Barnier secured a finalised deal after "genuine progress" was made in negotiations, as the deadline for the talks approaches.

• Car crash 'protest' | Vehicle ploughs into gate of Merkel's Berlin office

• Migrant tragedy | Four dead as boat capsizes off Canary Islands

• 'America is back' | Biden stresses his won't be an 'Obama third term'

• Dead in hotel room | Oil tycoon Getty's grandson in fresh tragedy

• 'Cold and petty' | Royal Household 'evict couple over £32 bill'

Around the world: Sea of destruction all that remains

Laidy Betancourt sleeps in a tent on the floor of the Catholic church that gave her family sanctuary on the night a vicious hurricane destroyed their island. Her home – like 80pc of all structures on Isla de Providencia, a remote Caribbean paradise off Nicaragua – no longer exists. Cody Weddle has this dispatch on Hurricane Iota, which has broken records as the largest hurricane ever to hit the area, and also the strongest storm ever recorded so late in the Hurricane season.

Wednesday interview

Rory Underwood on being England's untouchable

Jonny May's brace against Ireland lifted him to joint-second in England's all-time list but he remains some way off matching the nation's true try king. Ben Coles asked Rory Underwood for his verdict on May — and about the record that got away

Read the full interview

Comment and analysis

• Judith Woods | I understand Meghan's miscarriage grief – even guilt

• Andrew Lilico | End the economically catastrophic lockdown policies

• Tom Harris | Starmer can't give an inch against Labour's hard-Left

• Charlotte Runcie | A robustly un-BBC telling of Maxwell's grisly tale

• Flic Everett | I gave up veganism – and other midlifers should too

You Are Not Alone: Getting you through lockdown

1. Wall of heat | Having visited half the world, I think I've found the greatest country of all

2. Property in pandemic | 'My rogue tenant hasn't paid rent for a year - and I'm homeless'

3. Muslim model Halima Aden | 'Not for $10m would I risk compromising my hijab again'

Business and money briefing

'Fraudulent' deals | Lookers swung deep into the red after an investigation identified cash expenses fraud at the embattled car dealer.

• Air demand | Emirates may put A380 fleet back in the air sooner

• Property | Housing market set for busiest Christmas in over a decade

• Fantasy Fund Manager | It's not too late to join stock picking game

Sport briefing

England vs Wales | In the injury-enforced absence of Manu Tuilagi and Ollie Lawrence, who should Eddie Jones pick for the crunch Wales clash? Our writers pick their XVs for Autumn Nations Cup showdown.

• Gordon Taylor | PFA chief executive to resign at end of the season

• Cult of Bielsa | Does Leeds coach deserve his place on Fifa's shortlist?

• Scone for good? | Remove cricket teas and the club game suffers

Tonight's TV

Sofia Coppola: Life Cinematic, BBC Four, 10pm | This deep dive into director Sofia Coppola's career makes for a fascinating hour of TV. Read on for more of tonight's TV listings.

And finally...

Life as a Manhattan private school mom | From the moment Nicole Kidman's character Grace Fraser appears on screen in HBO's new show The Undoing, Sarah Kennedy was reminded how New Yorkers live life at warp speed. She reveals how mothers in Manhattan must be ready to plan for divorce.