Tuesday evening UK news briefing: Dominic Cummings warns 'pseudo lockdowns' are 'hopeless'

Dominic Cummings has claimed that "pseudo lockdowns" without "serious enforcement are hopeless" as the Government considers local restrictions to contain the spread of the Indian variant.

Threatening another major row with Boris Johnson, the former senior Number 10 adviser has launched a wide-ranging attack on the handling of the pandemic, describing the UK's border policy as a "joke".

It came hours after the Prime Minister vowed to take "very, very draconian action" whenever new variants are approaching Britain, although Mr Johnson added he does not "see anything conclusive at the moment to say that we need to deviate" from England's lockdown roadmap.

See the hotspots for the Indian variant in the UK and read a Q&A on the mutation.

Mr Johnson also overruled one of his Cabinet ministers at lunchtime by declaring that people should not be going on holiday to "amber" countries unless there was a "pressing family or urgent business reason".

Meanwhile, the chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee has warned queues of travellers at UK airports could pose a "super spreading risk" amid chaotic scenes at London's Heathrow, with some travellers claiming they had to stand next to arrivals from red-listed countries.

Here are 10 things we learned as international travel resumed.

France bows to British demand with Eurostar bailout

Emmanuel Macron has bowed to Boris Johnson by stumping up French taxpayer cash to lead a bailout for Eurostar. The French government and Eurostar's other shareholders will stump up £200m to rescue the Channel Tunnel rail operator, with Britain not paying a penny or providing any loan guarantees, The Telegraph can reveal. Eurostar was on the brink of collapse earlier this year after passenger numbers slumped 95pc following travel restrictions introduced during the pandemic. This chart shows how passenger numbers have dropped.

Kane faces war as Spurs chairman Levy refuses to sell

Harry Kane is facing the prospect of having to go to war with Daniel Levy to force through a summer move with the Tottenham chairman adamant the England captain will not be sold. Kane, 27, has rocked Spurs by making it clear he wants a transfer. Oliver Brown analyses how Tottenham's decline has left Kane no option but to leave. Read where the Tottenham talisman might fit best in a £150 million deal, as Thom Gibbs outlines why Kane joining Manchester City would be depressing. Jason Burt sets out how all this could be good news for England.

At a glance: Coronavirus evening briefing

• 'Sick of it' | Nurse who cared for PM resigns over lack of respect

• Fatalities fall | Deaths now 20pc below five-year average in England

• Vaccines | Oxford Biomedica to double AstraZeneca production

• Economy reopens | Shortage of workers threatens recovery

• Joy, relief and two-pint pots | Crowds flock back as lockdown eases

Also in the news: Today's other headlines

Gloucester cafe search | Police searching a cafe in Gloucester for one of Fred West's possible victims have said they may interview his widow, Rose, about the case. Detectives believe the body of Mary Bastholm, a schoolgirl, could be buried within a void beneath the Clean Plate cafe near where the Wests carried out a string of murders. Read the latest.

• 'Free Palestine' | Police officer filmed shouting at protest

• Desperate swim | Children among 6,000 migrants crossing waters

• Growing crisis | Obesity linked to more than 1m hospital admissions

• 'Like a bad detective novel' | Russian spy chief denies launching hack

• I spy with my little eye | MI5 camera so small it is almost invisible

Around the world: Wider region at 'risk' beyond Gaza

Fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants is creating instability beyond Gaza, the United States’ top military officer has warned, as rockets were fired from Lebanon towards Israel. The comments came amid reports that Israel was planning to reopen the Kerem Shalom border crossing with Gaza today to allow the transfer of "essential humanitarian supplies", such as gas, food and medicine, to Gazan residents, according to the UN. Campbell MacDiarmid analyses how a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas must allow both sides to claim a win.

Tuesday interview

Stuart Broad - 'Ed Smith didn't rate me'

Fast bowler Stuart Broad, who turns 35 in June, feels 'fit, fresh and ready to play a part' in upcoming Ashes - and tells Nick Hoult that Jimmy Anderson 'is a big inspiration'

Read the full interview

Comment and analysis

• Ambrose Evans-Pritchard | German inflation is dangerous

• Robin Aitken | BBC bungling has made Bashir Panorama chaos worse

• Ruth Dudley-Edwards | Ireland has realised it overreached on Brexit

• Marianka Swain | Zoe Ball's exit should herald a Strictly shake-up

• Christopher Howse | Happisburgh? You aren’t from here, are you?

Editor's choice

1. Pain relief | 'My arthritis was excruciating – but then I tried natural remedies'

2. Panic attacks | I ended up in A&E due to the stress of lockdown as a single dad

3. Mamamerch | The story behind Meghan's £27 'Raising the Future' t-shirt

Business and money briefing

Bond studio takeover | Amazon is in talks to buy the MGM movie studio, the Hollywood firm behind the James Bond series. Ben Marlow analyses why the Bezos takeover plan is Amazon's most daring stunt yet.

• Microchips and metals | Britain looks to revive its industrial base

• Tax hacks | National Insurance system is based on a lie

• On top of markets | Live stocks and shares updates 24 hours a day

Sport briefing

Hodgson to leave Palace | Roy Hodgson will step down at the end of the season as manager of Crystal Palace, revealing his last match managing in the Premier League will be away to Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday. Read who could replace the former England manager at Selhurst Park.

• Trent Alexander-Arnold | How he really reacted to his England snub

• Caddie crisis | Fears as rangefinders threaten to transform major golf

• Michael Vaughan | England can exploit 'Sandpapergate' Part II

Three things for tonight

• Watch | Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer, BBC Four

• Book | The hottest restaurant openings in London this summer

• Invest | The stocks to buy now, as Britain reopens

And finally... for this evening's downtime

Hair to the throne | Princes William and Harry have taken opposite approaches to their thinning hair, with one growing it and the other keeping it short. Stephen Doig examines how best to tackle it.