Monday evening UK news briefing: Team GB's Olympics gold rush

London 2012 had Super Saturday. Now Britain is celebrating Magic Monday after a medal gold rush from British athletes on day three of the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Five medals were won in all - three gold and two silver, leaving Team GB fifth in the overall medal table.

The golden glow began with Adam Peaty, as he continued his breaststroke dominance in the early hours.

The focus then switched to the diving boards, where Tom Daley finally ended his long wait for an Olympic gold, at his fourth Games, as he triumphed in the men's synchronised 10m platform dive alongside Matty Lee.

Less than half an hour later, cyclist Tom Pidcock cruised to victory in the men's cross-country mountain biking, securing Team GB's third gold of the day.

Double Olympic gold medallist James Cracknell writes that the gold rush will spark fear in the rest of Team GB - and that is not a bad thing.

There will, as sure as night follows day, be a film made about how Tom Daley brought his life to its ultimate fulfilment at a deserted Tokyo diving pool.

Given that his husband, Dustin Lance Black, is an Oscar-winning writer, he has a ready-made candidate to produce the screenplay.

From childhood bullying to coming out on YouTube, Chief Sports Writer Oliver Brown in Tokyo tells the remarkable Daley story.

PS: For more of the day's most important Olympics stories - plus highlights from our features and interviews - try our free Olympics Briefing newsletter.

Covid cases drop again - but UK 'not out of woods yet'

New Covid cases reported in the UK have fallen for the sixth day in a row. Despite the "encouraging" drop, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned the UK is "not out of the woods yet". One expert suggested the decrease could be due to the fact schools are closed. Ross Clark argues that vaccines have enabled us to stop obsessing about case numbers altogether, but that Prof Neil Ferguson's critics are missing the point. It came as commuters this morning squeezed onto reduced services due to rail staff self-isolating. Operators have been forced to slash the number of trains on the tracks because drivers and guards are stuck at home due to the so-called "pingdemic". Meanwhile, Downing Street did not deny reports university students would need "Beijing-style" vaccine passports.

On the continent, the delta variant has set back hopes of a German recovery as Europe's economic powerhouse faces the prospect of new restrictions and a "massive slowdown". Corporate jitters over a shortage of supplies and rising Covid cases triggered a surprise fall in business confidence across Germany this month, according to a closely watched index. But some possible good news for European holidaymakers: France could be moved back to the amber list next week, meaning double-jabbed travellers would be exempt from quarantine when they return to the UK. View other countries on the amber list.

Hospital patients evacuated as rain causes power cut

Flash floods in London forced a hospital to evacuate a ward of 100 patients after water flooded its basement, causing a power outage. Ambulances were diverted to "relieve pressure" on Whipp's Cross as a month's worth of rain fell on the capital in a matter of hours. View extraordinary video and pictures of deluged railway stations and stranded motorists. The Environment Agency has six flood warnings in place across the country's south east this evening. Meanwhile, BBC journalists in China have been sent death threats while covering severe flooding from heavy rains. It came after "apocalyptic" wildfires ravaged 50,000 acres of forest in "a disaster without precedent" on Sardinia.

Also in the news: Today's other headlines

Military | Russia is on track to build two new "Doomsday planes" designed to serve as a Kremlin war room in case of a nuclear attack. The new plane model, named for its ability to withstand a nuclear blast, would work as a potential aerial command post for top officials. Nataliya Vasilyeva reports from Moscow that the planes will be fitted with technology to manage Russia's nuclear arsenal - including submarines, strategic bombers and missile launchers based 3,700 miles away.

• Surge | Channel migrants now make up almost half of claims

• Islamic State | Suspect 'looking forward' to life in New Zealand

• 'Don't draft our daughters' | US set to force women to fight in wars

• Spitfire | Man builds replica with baked beans can and £7 joystick

• Judges go wild | Garden of weeds takes gold medal at RHS show

Around the world: 'Coup' in Tunisia

The speaker of Tunisia's parliament called on citizens to take to the streets to resist what he claimed was a "coup", after the president sacked the prime minister. The call to action came as the country faced its biggest political crisis in a decade, with the president having suspended parliament for 30 days. Read the latest from our team in the Middle East.

Monday long-read: 'Life is impossible when you are a family with six children'

"If you want something done," the maxim goes, "ask a busy person to do it." As untruthful sayings go, this is up there with "it's better to give than to receive," says Ashley Blaker. From bank-breaking days out to too-small cars, he explains why society is not set up for large families like his. Read the full article.

Comment and analysis

• Telegraph View | This government is losing its grip

• Lucy Burton | Return to office risks stirring exit rush

• Dr Michael Fitzpatrick | I understand public anger

• Andrew Orlowski | Politicians in thrall to an AI cabal

• Des Lynam | BBC suffer by being stuck in Salford

Editor's choice

1. Travel | Why everyone is choosing the north of Britain over the south for their holidays

2. One year to live | 'My wife and daughters will outlive me and I'm starting to resent them'

3. Dear Richard | 'Is it rude to stay at my boyfriend's parents' the first time I meet them?'

Business and money briefing

Mammoth earnings | Mining stocks are rising as the sector's biggest companies prepare to reveal how much cash they are making from this year's commodity boom. The top-five western diversified miners may have earned a combined £62bn for the first half of the year, according to analyst estimates - more than double the level from a year ago.

• Property | London 'bargains' to be had as house prices tumble

• Money Makeover | 'Should I ditch my £638k final salary pension?'

• On top of markets | Live stocks and shares updates 24 hours a day

Sport briefing

Waterboy speaks | South Africa director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has launched another social media outburst, accusing British and Irish Lions loosehead prop Mako Vunipola of acting in a "reckless and dangerous" manner towards Cheslin Kolbe during the first Test. View the annotated clip and read Brian Moore's view on whether the Springboks can resurrect their suffocating physical intensity for 80 minutes?

• Tottenham | Bid to complete triple-swoop after Bryan Gil deal

• Young conductor | Meet Liverpool's star signing Hindoyan

• Scyld Berry | The Hundred is struggling for a sense of identity

Three things for tonight

• Watch | How to Save a Grand in 24 Hours, Channel 4, 8pm

• Venice Film Festival | This year's star-studded programme

• Fashion | The seven new bag trends to try this summer

And finally... for this evening's downtime

Cancer care 'lags woefully' | Research shows the UK is 15 years behind other nations in beating cancer. Harry de Quetteville investigates how the British stiff upper lip is part of the problem.

Today's trivia answer: Sir Bradley Wiggins, who has won eight cycling Olympic medals.