Live news: The week ahead

Unite the Union, one of the UK’s biggest trade unions, on Sunday announced that ambulance strikes due to take place in England this week had been called off after it agreed to participate in talks with the government over pay.

The union, which planned strike action on Monday and Wednesday across seven ambulance trusts, had previously rejected the government’s invitation for talks, citing “unreasonable preconditions” from ministers.

The Department of Health and Social Care had called on the NHS staff council, which also includes representatives from the leading health unions, to join “intensive talks”, with the aim of reaching a “fair and reasonable” deal on pay on the strict basis that the unions cancelled all planned strike action ahead of negotiations.

Read more about Unite here.