Welcome to your early morning news briefing from The Telegraph - a round-up of the top stories we are covering on Friday. To receive twice-daily briefings by email, sign up to our Front Page newsletter for free.
1. Lockdowns return to Europe as Covid surges
Europe is staring down the barrel of full lockdowns as the fourth wave of Covid brings sweeping restrictions even for vaccinated people.
Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, left the door open to lockdown restrictions as she said "unspecified" measures would be introduced in the worst-hit states. Read the full story.
2. Azeem Rafiq apologises for sending anti-Semitic messages
Azeem Rafiq apologised on Thursday for using anti-Semitic slurs in an exchange of messages with another cricketer.
Rafiq admitted sending messages more than a decade ago in which he joked about a Derbyshire player being reluctant to spend money on a meal out because “he is a jew”. Rafiq later confirmed the player was Atif Sheikh, who he said had accepted his apology during a phone call between the pair. Read the full story.
3. Duchess of Sussex pranks unsuspecting members of public on Ellen DeGeneres show
The Duchess of Sussex took part in a remarkable prank sketch on the Ellen DeGeneres show, in her first prime-time interview since the Oprah Winfrey sit-down eight months ago which plunged the Royal family into a racism crisis.
Meghan, on the instruction of Ellen, repeatedly referred to herself as 'mommy' in front of total strangers, ate cookies as if she was a chipmunk and meowed while wearing cat ears on her head. Read the full story.
4. Britain to send more troops to Polish border amid fears migrants will eventually make way to UK
Britain is to deploy more troops to the Polish border with Belarus, amid mounting Cabinet concerns over the influx of migrants into the EU and crossing the Channel.
Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, announced on Thursday that around 100 soldiers from the Royal Engineers would be sent to help physically reinforce the Polish frontier, where tens of thousands of people have been trying to cross into the bloc. Read the full story.
5. 'It's going to get pretty bloody around here': heads roll in digital revolution at the Daily Mail
Geordie Greig's supporters were defiant earlier this year when rumors emerged of a power struggle inside Northcliffe House, the Kensington redoubt of the newspaper publisher DMGT.
Insiders claimed that the Daily Mail editor had lost control of Mail+, the newspaper's digital subscription service, to Martin Clarke, the volcanic overlord of MailOnline. At the time, sources close to Greig dismissed the suggestion as "completely false". Read the full story.
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