Friday morning UK news briefing: Return to office, says Chancellor

The Chancellor is rallying Britons to return to the office as soon as the Government's "work from home" guidance lifts, declaring it "really important" for younger staff.

Rishi Sunak conceded that operating remotely during the pandemic had been "not great" for workers at the start of their careers.

He signalled his strong support for employees to return to the office at Step 4 of the Prime Minister's roadmap out of restrictions, scheduled for July 19.

Spending an afternoon with The Telegraph, Mr Sunak sounded an upbeat note on recovery. But Deputy Political Editor Lucy Fisher says he faces tough decisions later this year, including over the pensions triple lock.

Meet "generation resignation", the millennials who are refusing to return to the office.

Southgate: I've never been prouder to be English

Gareth Southgate has declared he "couldn't be prouder to be an Englishman" as he prepares to lead The Three Lions into their first major final in 55 years. The England manager said the historic achievement was extra "special" because of the pandemic. With excitement growing ahead of Sunday's Euro 2020 final against Italy, Southgate and his players are increasingly aware of the unifying effect of their campaign. As many as a thousand fans from Italy will descend on Wembley under a quarantine exemption, despite the fact English supporters were effectively banned from Rome for their quarter-final. There are now growing calls for the Government to declare a bank holiday on Monday, with Downing Street encouraging employers to be flexible and allow staff to take the morning off. One woman paid the price for pulling a sickie on Wednesday when she was caught on camera at Wembley - and sacked.

The journey to the Euro 2020 final could not have been better timed. Mick Brown writes that football has given England its swagger back, creating a collective state of joy, hope and delirium. Commentator John Motson says the England team is the best national side he has seen. Matt covers the build-up to the game in today's cartoon. And view a gallery of his best football cartoons capturing 30 years of hurt.

Osaka thanks Duchess of Sussex for support

Naomi Osaka has thanked the Duchess of Sussex for supporting her in her mental health struggle. In an essay ahead of the Olympics, the Japanese tennis player addressed the fallout surrounding her decision not to participate in the traditional post-match press conference at the French Open and her subsequent break from grand slams. Tom Morgan reports that Osaka is understood to have known Meghan for a while, having appeared in the Sussexes' first Spotify podcast in December.

At a glance: Coronavirus morning briefing

• Test and Trace | NHS Covid app set for tweaks after backlash

• Delta variant | Strain more likely to cause reinfection, study finds

• Travel | Covid tests for five-year-olds is price for family holidays

• Flu jabs | Autumn rollout to be extended to all children for first time

• 'Levelling off' | Decline in Covid cases linked to Scots' Euros exit

Also in the news: Today's other headlines

Cost of Brexit | Britain's final bill for leaving the EU is £40.8 billion, according to accounts filed in Brussels - a greater sum than forecast. Officials had estimated the final cost would be £39 billion. Europe Editor James Crisp says news of the final withdrawal settlement comes amid tension between Brussels and London over the Northern Ireland Protocol, designed to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.

• Haiti | US citizen arrested after president's assassination

• Education | Every higher GCSE grade worth £23,000

• Contraceptives | Women allowed to buy pill from pharmacies

• Non, merci | French to be overtaken as popular school language

• Weekly quiz | Which England player won extra time penalty?

Around the world: Flag goes down in Afghanistan

The last Union flag in Afghanistan is taken down in a secret ceremony after which it was handed by Brig Olly Brown to Sir Laurie Bristow, the UK ambassador. Boris Johnson confirmed that Britain has withdrawn the majority of its personnel from the country and praised the troops' legacy. See a gallery of more striking pictures of the day from around the world.

Comment and analysis

• Douglas Murray | Flag-waving perfect antidote to wokedom

• Alan Cochrane | Sturgeon must fix the self-isolation shambles

• Reader letters | Freedom will elude us until isolation a choice

• Judith Woods | How do I tell my husband I deleted Covid app?

• Jemima Lewis | Loss of true boredom is a modern life tragedy

Editor's choice

1. Picnicking at the Palace | A glimpse inside the gardens at Her Majesty's home

2. Engagement ring to recipes | 'Why I'm letting go of my mother Sylvia Plath's possessions'

3. Fitness for anywhere, any time | Why 10 minutes is the sweet spot for exercise

Business and money briefing

Off track | Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, is being urged to "get a grip" of the ballooning cost of finishing Crossrail after a £218 million funding hole opened up in the finances of the capital's new Tube line. It will now cost taxpayers £19 billion, says the National Audit Office. The spending watchdog says it is now "low value for money" for taxpayers.

• Upmarket drive | Aston Martin hires fashion doyenne Massenet

• Ben Wright | City bureaucracy is destroying the stock market

• Alex | View today's cartoon strip on the world of finance

Sport briefing

First ODI | It was one of the more extraordinary victories achieved by an England cricket team, when their second eleven demolished Pakistan in the first of three ODIs with nine wickets and 28.1 overs to spare. Read Chief Cricket Writer Scyld Berry's report on a "clinical" win.

• Replay | Lions to play Sharks again as match called off

• Rugby Union | Alex Dombrandt to make England debut

• Angel Cabrera jailed | Guilty of assaulting former partner

Tonight's dinner

No cook tomato sauce with spaghetti | This dish by Eleanor Steafel is one of those "greater than the sum of its parts" sorts of meals. | View the recipe and try our Cookbook newsletter.

And finally... for this morning's downtime

'The response was suspicious' | Male carers are in the minority and often met with scepticism, but Shaun Deeney explains that he had no qualms about looking after his elderly mother.