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. Prepare for Russian invasion of Ukraine, US warns European allies

       The United States has warned European allies that Russia could be plotting to invade Ukraine in a repeat of the 2014 annexation of Crimea.

       US officials have privately briefed their EU counterparts on a possible military operation as tens of thousands of Russian troops amass near the border. Read the full story.

       2. France accused of Brexit ‘spite’ as 1,000 migrants cross Channel in a day

       Britain has accused France of "ceding sovereign territory to criminal people smugglers" by allowing 1,000 Channel migrants to reach the UK in a day for the first time.

       Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, is understood to be furious at an apparent "go slow" by France on intercepting migrant boats. It comes amid growing tensions between France and the UK over fishing rights and the Northern Ireland protocol. Read the full story.

       3. Poll puts Labour ahead for first time in a year as Tory sleaze row bites

       Labour has overtaken the Tories for the first time in a year, according to a pollster, in a further sign that the sleaze row is cutting through with the public.

       Redfield and Wilton Strategies found 38 per cent of respondents said they would vote Labour if there was an election, with 36 per cent saying they would vote Conservative. Read the full story.

       4. Duchess of Sussex aide came forward in privacy case after ‘regretting’ not speaking out sooner

       The Duchess of Sussex’s most trusted aide came forward to give evidence in a Court of Appeal case after a one-year campaign to persuade him having “regretted” failing to speak out sooner, the court heard on Thursday.

       Jason Knauf, the Sussexes’ former communications secretary, provided a written statement to the court detailing emails and text message exchanges which showed the Duchess had authorised collaboration with the authors of her biography. Read the full story.

       5. Pupils could face four sets of exams under back-up plans if GCSEs are cancelled

       Pupils face taking four sets of exams this year as schools are told to make plans in case GCSEs and A-levels are cancelled.

       Teenagers due to take GCSEs next summer would need to sit an average of 32 assessments throughout the academic year, according to official plans. Read the full story.

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