Thursday evening news briefing: Nigel Farage refuses Conservative electoral pact as Leavers set to 'spoil ballot papers'

Brexit Party voters 'to spoil ballot papers' in general election

The candidates have been decided. The deadline to register to stand in the general election passed at 4pm. And angry Leave voters will spoil their ballot papers by writing 'Brexit Party' on them in seats where Nigel Farage has stood down his candidate, according to the lawyer who mediated failed electoral talks between Mr Farage and Boris Johnson. Andrew Reid, a London-based solicitor, oversaw the talks because of his position knowing both Mr Farage and Mr Johnson - he has lent office space to both men in the past and was Ukip's treasurer when Mr Farage was leader. The Telegraph disclosed today that the Conservatives offered an electoral pact to Mr Farage that would mean the Brexit Party targeting just 40 key seats and soft pedalling in the rest. The Brexit Party leader turned the offer down at an event in Hull. Watch him speak here. Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn has been heckled for a second day running in Scotland as he was tackled on his flip-flopping over a second Scottish independence referendum. It seems a long time since he stood on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury 2017 with the 100,000-strong crowd chanting "ooh, Je-re-my Co-r-byn". Europe Editor Peter Foster examines why Mr Corbyn has become so unpopular. And it is worth watching this video of European Council president Donald Tusk who said Brexit is the real end of the British Empire.

Four-day week warning as A&E waiting times worst on record

Accident & Emergency waiting times are now the worst since records began, official figures show. Labour said the statistics show the NHS is heading for a winter of "abject misery". But the Conservatives said the situation underlined the risks of putting Jeremy Corbyn in charge - warning the health service could be crippled by Labour's plans for a four-day week. One in six patients waited longer than four hours in A&E in England during October - the worst-ever performance since a target was introduced in 2004. Read on for details.

Child genius, aged nine, finishes degree and could go to Oxford

A nine-year-old boy will become the youngest ever graduate at the end of this year, sparking a competition among the world's top universities to sign up the boy genius. Laurent Simons has an IQ of at least 145 and will complete his electrical engineering degree from the Eindhoven University of Technology in December. "I really want to go to California, the weather is nice there," said Laurent. But his father told The Telegraph his son could be tempted away from the California sun by the dreaming spires of Oxford. Click here to see him.

News digest

• 'Treacherous conditions' | Parts of England and Wales covered in snow

• Councillor murdered | 'Trivial' dispute over vegetable farm led to killing

• Grace Millane | Murder suspect claims he attempted suicide after her death

• Prince Charles' birthday | Unseen picture with baby Archie released

• Disney stereotypes | Racism warning in old films on new streaming service

Video: John Lewis Christmas advert – the verdict

There is only one advert "drop" anybody anticipates – or at least clicks on to feel included, watches once, and then slightly hates themselves for having done so – and after much teasing, it arrived online this morning. John Lewis' Christmas advert has been revealed and Guy Kelly has given his verdict.

Comment

• Asa Bennett | Tusk thinks Brexiteers want empire. Has he met the EU elite?

• Andrew Hawkins | Labour's migration blindspot has lost the working class

• Carrie Gracie | I know how men can help women in the fight for equal pay

• Zoe Strimpel | Hillary's vision of womanly courage is no model for feminism

• Matthew Field | Why Motorola's Razr flip-phone revival will be a flop

World news: The one story you must read today...

Flight MH17 | Detectives have released recordings potentially linking Moscow to the chief suspects thought to have been involved in the shoot down of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in 2014. The Joint Investigation Team, which contains detectives from five countries affected by the disaster, today released new audio recordings of intercepted conversations. It claims they suggest pro-Russian militants charged with deploying the missile were directed from Russia, despite Kremlin claims to the contrary. Read on for the full story.

Editor's choice

1. 'First Lady of the Third Reich' | Who gained the title and why it mattered to the Nazis

2. Equal pay day | How to beat the gender pay gap and earn an extra £7,000 a year

3. My friends all disappeared in midlife | Is it because I don't have children?

Business and money briefing

25 years of Eurostar | It has transformed business travel and, a quarter of a century on, the romance of journeying by Eurostar endures. Greg Dickinson explains why there is nothing like it and here is how it has changed in 25 years.

• Banking sector | Why Monzo and Revolut have nothing to fear from Google

• 'I'm still waiting' | Is this Britain's longest-ever PPI complaint?

• Stay on top of the markets | Live stocks and shares updates 24 hours a day

Sport briefing

Granit Xhaka | Newcastle are interested in signing the troubled Arsenal midfielder on loan in January if the player wants to remain in the Premier League. But Italian giants are also hoping to lure the Swiss international.

• Premier League November audit | How your club's season's gone - part 3

• 1,000th international | Telegraph readers pick their all-time England XI

• Tendai Mtawarira | South Africa prop who destroyed England's scrum

And finally...

Millennial myth | They are known as the workshy, smashed avocado-eating, almond milk latte-drinking, snowflake generation. Yet millennials are debunking the myth that they refuse to work as hard as their parents and grandparents. Evidence shows they are working harder and contributing more than their older counterparts. Social Affairs Editor Gabriella Swerling reveals the truth about 'snowflake' millennials and how they're actually working.