Tuesday morning news briefing: The unanswered questions

PM's chief aide refuses to apologise for lockdown trips

After Dominic Cummings kept the country waiting for 30 minutes, it soon became clear that the only thing he would say sorry for was his tardiness. Boris Johnson's chief adviser insisted he had no regrets over his behaviour during lockdown and had done nothing wrong by driving 260 miles to stay on his parents' farm in Durham. After three days of damaging headlines, Mr Cummings was ordered by the Prime Minister to make the unprecedented live television appearance in the hope that he would draw a line under the growing scandal. But he also made a series of admissions likely to draw further scrutiny of his decisions. Read a reconstruction of how Mr Cummings defended himself. And these are the six unanswered questions. Associate Editor Camilla Tominey believes Mr Johnson risks squandering his common touch in standing by Mr Cummings. And Bryony Gordon writes that, politics aside, the Government has made a bad call on a simple matter of right and wrong.

Meanwhile, Conservative MPs have witnessed a "mailbox rebellion" over the revelations about Mr Cummings. As Deputy Political Editor Anna Mikhailova reports, MPs from all sides of the party have seen an influx of messages voicing anger at the PM's "poll tax moment". Others who crowded onto Britain's most popular beaches yesterday claimed that if Mr Johnson's most senior adviser can bend the rules, then they can too. But many have not broken the rules. Read the stories of families who have stuck to the lockdown despite heartbreaking circumstances.

Unlocking Britain: High Street to reopen from June 15

High Street shops and shopping centres are set to reopen on June 15 in the biggest easing of the lockdown yet. Shops will be given permission to open, provided they adhere to rules such as providing hand sanitiser, implementing a 72-hour quarantine for returned goods, and ensuring customers can stay two metres apart. But the Prime Minister said it was essential that the Government's five tests for lifting lockdown measures were met. And Amy Jones reports that the Government is drawing up plans to allow garden parties and barbecues from the end of next month.

How many parents will send children back to school?

The phased reopening of primary schools in England is due to begin on June 1. As parents and teachers remain divided on the issue, Angela Buttolph talks to parents who will only be reassured to send their children back to school when there is a vaccine. Our Q&A explains the new school guidelines. Meanwhile, councils have told secondary schools they do not need to reopen on June 15 - a move that goes against Boris Johnson's announcement on Sunday that Year 10 and 12 students would receive some contact time with teachers before the summer holidays. PS: It is half-term for many pupils. Read our guide to keeping children entertained. To access all our journalism, try our subscription offer. Take a free one-month trial - then save 50pc on your first three months.

At a glance: More coronavirus headlines

• NHS | Pandemic's first hospital closure as virus cases soar

• 'Super-donor' | Doctor has 40 times more antibodies than average

• Dementia | Gene doubles risk of contracting disease, study finds

• Pedestrians | Waiting times at crossings cut to ease distancing

• Sport | Last ditch efforts to save this year's British Grand Prix

Comment and analysis

• Janet Daley | Cummings appeared a far cry from a belligerent egotist

• Tom Harris | Adviser (probably) did enough to survive another day

• Tom Harwood | Keir Starmer's brazen hypocrisy is about to backfire

• Alexandra Phillips | Ugly agenda of liberal media is further exposed

• Readers | Views on the behaviour of Cummings in going to Durham

You Are Not Alone: Getting you through lockdown

1. Gender gap | Could your hormones hold the key to fighting off coronavirus?

2. Professionals turned fruit pickers | Meet the workers adapting to life in the fields

3. Long lunches and beaches | 20 reasons why we will all return to Spain when this is over

In case you missed it: Best from the long weekend

• Analysis | Did Dominic Cummings break any lockdown rules?

• Huawei | Boris Johnson to reduce role in Britain's 5G network

• Lockdown | Policy saved no lives, Nobel Prize winner believes

• Testing | Tens of thousands of results have been double-counted

• Education | Sir Keir Starmer reveals his children have been at school

Business and money briefing

Firms tap markets | Almost 150 British companies have taken £30billion in lifelines from financial markets as a blitz of equity and debt is issued to help businesses survive the coronavirus crisis. Tom Rees reports how firms tapped bond and stock markets to address the cash crunch caused by Covid-19 between mid-March and the end of April.

• Project Birch | Government set to take stakes in key industries

• Investment tip | We were right to ignore Corbyn and tip this firm

• Alex cartoon | See our brilliant cartoonist's latest work

Life after lockdown: Outdoor bars reopen in Spain

Spain's biggest cities have been freed from a strict lockdown that has forced bars, restaurants, beaches and most public spaces to remain closed for 10 weeks. Read James Badcock's dispatch on how queues formed at pavement cafés from the early morning and view more pictures from round the world as lockdown measures are eased.

Also in the news today

TV's obsession with Fleabag-style sex addicts is no joke | The star of a new BBC sitcom The Other One has criticised TV commissioners for only wanting female-led comedies that are "sex-obsessed" like Fleabag. Helena Horton reports that Ellie White, who played Princess Beatrice in The Windsors, said many writers and stars had found themselves pigeonholed after the success of Phoebe Waller-Bridge's popular series.

• Army | Forces 'need MeToo moment' amid culture of misogyny

• Exclusive | Home Office approaches Australian Border Force chief

• Trade deal | Warning that British farmers 'will go out of business'

• Normal People | BBC star to raffle Connell's chain for charity

• TV reviews | Our reviewers on Inside the Factory - and more

And finally... for this morning's downtime

'Wagner-itis' | Else Mayer-Lismann fled the Nazis and became an opera lecturer in England who inspired future stars - and the Prince of Wales. Serena Davies looks back at the life of the refugee who taught Prince Charles to love opera.