as the 0micron variant continues to spread rapidly. nearly 180 thousand infections were reported on tuesday, and france s health minister has warned there could be 250 thousand daily cases by the start of january. italy, greece and portugal also reported record rises as well as the us with more than 440 thousand new infections on monday. millions of families in the uk are facing a cost of living catastrophe according to a leading think tank. the resolution foundation says stalling wages, rising taxes and soaring energy bills means from april households face an increase in their living costs of nearly £1200. the government says it s provided more than four billion pounds worth of support for families. a merseyside police officer has been sacked for gross misconduct, after it emerged he d shared racist and homophobic pictures. the guardian which broke the story also reports that he took selfies at a murder scene. an anti corruption inquiry