Overnight news digest

LIZ TRUSS TO RESUME TALKS WITH PRISON OFFICERS OVER SERVICE 'IN MELTDOWN'

Justice Secretary Liz Truss will resume talks with the prison officers' union after thousands of staff stopped working amid claims the service was "in meltdown".

The National Offender Management Service contacted the Prison Officers Association to offer a meeting with Ms Truss on Thursday.

POA members held protests outside jails around the country on Tuesday after talks with the Government over health and safety concerns broke down.

GOVERNMENT UNVEILS PLANS TO TACKLE 'EPIDEMIC' OF WHIPLASH CLAIMS

Plans to crack down on the "epidemic" of whiplash claims pushing up motorists' insurance costs have been unveiled by the Government.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has launched a consultation on proposals to cut the high number of whiplash claims, which will allow insurers to lower their premiums. It said insurers have pledged to pass on savings to drivers - worth a total of £1 billion.

A motorist could see their car insurance cut by around £40 a year as a result of the clampdown, according to the MoJ.

'PROFOUND POLICY CHANGE' NEEDED TO MAKE UK'S ECONOMY WORK

The referendum vote for Brexit has exposed "fundamental" problems in the way Britain's economy works which cannot be solved by "tinkering at the edges" of existing policies, according to a report.

The report by the IPPR think-tank found that the economy was "not working" for most of the population, reflected in a poll suggesting that more than half of Britons (51%) believe the UK economy is unfair for the majority.

The warning came as the IPPR unveiled a new Commission on Economic Justice, featuring prominent figures from business, unions and civil society, to undertake a two-year non-political inquiry to "rewrite the rules for the post-Brexit economy (and) craft a new vision for the UK economy in 2030".

TRUMP VICTORY COULD MEAN 'GAME OVER FOR OUR PLANET', LABOUR'S CLIVE LEWIS TO SAY

Donald Trump's election victory in the United States could mean it is "game over" for the planet because of his views on climate change, Labour will warn.

Shadow cabinet minister Clive Lewis will say Mr Trump's success makes it vital for the UK to step up and take a leading role on protecting the environment.

Mr Lewis will also use a wide-ranging speech to call for a "new and lasting relationship" between Labour and business as the party seeks to respond to the "chaos" of Brexit under the Conservatives.

ENERGY BILL PAYMENTS STRUGGLE FOR THIRD OF WORKING FAMILIES, SAYS USWITCH SURVEY

A third of working families are struggling to pay their energy bills and half are planning to cut their use to afford them, a survey has found.

Almost four million working households (32%) are already under financial pressure over their gas and electricity bills, ahead of widespread predictions that major suppliers will raise their prices, the poll for uSwitch found.

Half of working families (49%) are planning to cut their energy use over the winter to afford their bills and 29% are not switching on the heating even when their house is cold, despite 66% worrying about the effects on their family's health.

ONLINE RETAILERS WARNED TO EXPECT 'ONE MILLION CYBER ATTACKS A DAY'

Fraudsters will launch nearly one million cyber attacks a day on UK online retailers during a key shopping week in the run-up to Christmas.

Analysts believe criminals will focus on buying consumer electronics including games consoles and mobile technology as the number of internet shoppers surges over so-called Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

The consumer bonanza is an American trend that has spread to the UK, with Black Friday, now Britain's biggest shopping day, falling the day after Thanksgiving.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO HIGHLIGHTS PLIGHT OF HOMELESS IN SOCIAL BITE RESTAURANT VISIT

Leonardo DiCaprio will swap the glitz and glamour of Hollywood for an Edinburgh restaurant which helps the homeless on his first visit to Scotland.

The Oscar winner was invited to visit the latest Social Bite venture by co-founder Josh Littlejohn before he speaks at the Scottish Business Awards in the capital on Thursday night.

Details of his movements have been kept under wraps but he is expected to follow in the footsteps of fellow movie star George Clooney, who met staff at a Social Bite sandwich shop in Edinburgh last year before making the keynote speech at the award ceremony.

WILLIAM URGES TOTAL BAN ON DOMESTIC IVORY TRADE

The Duke of Cambridge has urged the Government to go ahead with a total ban on the domestic ivory trade to stop fuelling the extinction of elephants.

William, speaking at an international conference on the illegal wildlife trade, said endangered animals are still being slaughtered in "horrifying numbers" and called for an acceleration in efforts to tackle the crisis.

The second-in-line to the throne told the summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, that a "betting man would still bet on extinction" of elephants after a census revealed a 30% decline in the African variety over seven years.

TRUMP DENIES TRANSITION TURMOIL AS HE CONSIDERS TOP TEAM

US President-elect Donald Trump and his team have rejected claims of turmoil and infighting as he attempts to set up his teams for the White House, national security and the economy.

A week after his shock election victory, Mr Trump said the endeavour to pick his top team is proceeding "so smoothly".

Mr Trump dished out his rebuttal on Twitter after spending yet another day ensconced in his New York skyscraper out of the public gaze. Aides and allies vouched for the transition efforts on his behalf, suggesting some commotion was to be expected.

LEONARD COHEN DIED IN HIS SLEEP AFTER FALL, MANAGER SAYS

Singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen died in his sleep after falling down in the middle of the night at his Los Angeles home, his manager said.

Robert B Kory said Cohen's death was "sudden, unexpected and peaceful", and took place on November 7, three days before it was revealed to the public.

The Canadian singer behind Hallelujah and Suzanne was 82 when he died. He had been in declining health for much of the year, though he revealed little about the nature of his illnesses.