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Thursday evening UK news briefing: Vaccinations for over 18s in Lancashire as Boris Johnson 'anxious' about Indian variant

Your evening briefing from The Telegraph
Your evening briefing from The Telegraph

The coronavirus vaccine rollout will extend to anyone aged over 18 in parts of Lancashire amid growing concern at the spread of the Indian variant.

Jabs will be offered to all remaining adults around Blackburn and Darwen from next week, the council said.

The region is one of several hotspots for where the so-called Indian variant has sparked a rise in cases.

Earlier, Boris Johnson hinted that local lockdowns may be necessary in hotspots, saying the Government is "anxious" and "ruling nothing out".

The Prime Minister said this lunchtime "there may be things we have to do locally and we will not hesitate to do them if that is the advice we get". Read on for rolling coronavirus news and figures.

Israeli military draws up plan for invasion of Gaza

The Israeli military was drawing up plans to send troops into Gaza today as it continued to exchange fire with Hamas fighters through the night, while in Israeli cities a fresh wave of riots led to 400 arrests. The Israeli Defence Forces said a ground operations plan would be submitted to military chiefs later today, ahead of approval by the Israeli government. Ahead of a potential invasion of Gaza, Campbell MacDiarmid outlines what is behind the Israel-Palestine conflict. Joe Biden entered the White House with a "stand back" approach to the region but Josie Ensor analyses whether the US president can afford to maintain that stance. Meanwhile economists have warned the conflict in Israel threatens to derail a storming recovery driven by its world-beating vaccine rollout.

Cameron faces grilling on Greensill in 'painful day'

David Cameron has said it is "absurd" to suggest he would have pocketed £60 million if Greensill had been successful, saying he had believed his lobbying was in the public interest. In a blockbuster appearance in front of the treasury select committee of MPs, the former prime minister said it was a "painful day" as he gave evidence about his lobbying on behalf of the collapsed lender Greensill Capital. He suggested there is "a case" for a longer ban on former prime ministers being able to lobby after they leave office and rejected the suggestion he "demeaned" himself with his numerous messages. He has since begun giving evidence on the public accounts committee. Watch it here and read a blow by blow account.

Prince Harry compares royal life to 'Truman Show'

The Duke of Sussex has compared life in the Royal family to a mix between being on The Truman Show and being in a zoo. He admitted that he realised in his 20s that he did not want the "job" or to be a part of that "operation", having seen what it did to his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. Prince Harry, 36, said it was when he started therapy, following a conversation with Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, that "the bubble burst". Read more on his wide-ranging, 90-minute interview.

At a glance: Coronavirus evening briefing

Also in the news: Today's other headlines

PCSO killing | Prosecutors said PCSO Julia James died as a result of an "extremely violent and apparently random" attack as the man charged with her murder appeared in court. Callum Wheeler, 21, is expected to stand trial in November. Martin Evans has the details on the hearing.

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Thursday interview

'He cringes sometimes, bless him, when he sees the photo'

Dennis Wise lifts the FA Cup with his son Henry after defeating Aston Villa in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium in 2000 - Rebecca Naden/PA
Dennis Wise lifts the FA Cup with his son Henry after defeating Aston Villa in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium in 2000 - Rebecca Naden/PA

Dennis Wise was the diminutive but spiky presence in midfield that added a dash of spirit to Chelsea's increasingly cosmopolitan 1990s dressing room. He tells John Percy how winning the FA Cup took to the club to a new level - and taking his baby son up Wembley's steps

Read the full interview

Comment and analysis

Editor's choice: Features and arts

  1. The 'neuro-9' | Nine foods you should eat to nourish a midlife brain

  2. Cathedral window, a fragment of skull | Sublime retelling of St Thomas Becket's murder

  3. Science says sleeping pills don't work | Where does that leave insomniacs like me?

Business and money briefing

Old ones are the best | Chaos on the railways sparked by cracks found on Hitachi trains will continue for weeks, potentially disrupting travel plans for thousands of passengers. It comes as rail bosses had been poised to bring back InterCity 125 carriages from the 1980s to limit the fallout from mass cancellations after trains were taken out of service.

Sport briefing

Chelsea 0-1 Arsenal | Midfielder Jorginho pulled off an exquisite calamity with his back pass against Arsenal, which ended up proving highly costly for his team. Thom Gibbs analyses a football tragedy in four acts while Sean Dean looks at who Mikel Arteta has decided he trusts at Arsenal and which players are in danger of being sold.

Three things for tonight

And finally... for this evening's downtime

The Underground Railroad, review | Barry Jenkins's stunning depiction of slavery in 19th-century America takes television drama to places it has never been before. Benji Wilson describes one of the most powerful pieces of television you will ever see.

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