Wednesday briefing: What Boris Johnson’s closest advisers had to say for themselves at the Covid inquiry

In today’s newsletter: Dominic Cummings and Lee Cain gave evidence at Dorland House on Tuesday – what did they reveal?

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Good morning. Today we’re headed to the Covid inquiry, which is increasingly revealing staggering – and foulmouthed (you’ve been warned) – insights into how Boris Johnson and his advisers handled the outbreak of the pandemic.

Those who were once closest to the former prime minister have revealed Johnson was referred to as “the trolley” by “pretty much everyone” due to the inconsistency of his decision making and that he described coronavirus as “just nature’s way of dealing with old people”.

Israel-Hamas war | Israeli airstrikes destroyed apartment blocks and killed dozens of people at a refugee camp in northern Gaza, according to the Hamas regime, as the UN said the conflict had become a “graveyard” for children.

Transport | Plans to close railway station ticket offices in England have been scrapped in a government U-turn. The transport secretary, Mark Harper, said the “government had asked train operators to withdraw their proposals” after a huge public backlash.

AI | The Guardian has accused Microsoft of damaging its journalistic reputation by publishing an AI-generated poll speculating on the cause of a woman’s death next to a Guardian article. The automated poll appeared next to a story about the death of Lilie James, a 21-year-old water polo coach who was found dead with serious head injuries at a school in Sydney last week. It asked: “What do you think is the reason behind the woman’s death?” Readers were then asked to choose from three options: murder, accident or suicide.

Finance | Odey Asset Management is closing down, five months after allegations of sexual misconduct made by junior female members of staff against its founder Crispin Odey threw the hedge fund into turmoil.

Weather | Forecasters have said Storm Ciarán poses a potential threat to life in southern England later this week, bringing gusts of wind likely to hit 80mph.