The name will be familiar from countless reports of the conflict in Afghanistan, not least in relation to many of the 454 British military or civilian personnel killed in the fighting. But Lashkar Gah, in southern Helmand province, is under heavy assault from militants, amid fears it could be the first provincial capital to fall to the Taliban. "There is fighting all around," a doctor told the BBC from his hospital, while an Afghan military commander in the city warned a Taliban victory would have a "devastating effect on global security".

Hundreds of Afghan reinforcements have been deployed to battle the militants, who were bombarded by US and Afghan air strikes late on Monday. Helmand was the centrepiece of the US and British military campaign in the country, and Taliban gains there would be a blow for the Afghan government. It is one of three provincial capitals under attack, with the Taliban having advanced rapidly alongside the removal of US forces after 20 years of conflict. President Ashraf Ghani blames this sudden withdrawal for the increase in fighting. "The reason for our current situation is that the decision was taken abruptly," he told parliament.

It was touted as a way of preventing travellers to the UK being caught unawares by sudden changes in rules that would require them to quarantine. But proposals to add an "amber watch-list" to the UK's Covid traffic-light system for overseas travel, recording countries at risk of moving to red, have been abandoned. Government sources tell us no categories will be added. It comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he wanted a "simple" and "balanced approach" to pandemic travel. The travel industry has reacted with relief, with the chief executive of industry body Airlines UK calling it "a victory for common sense".

At the Olympics, sailors Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell claimed gold for Great Britain in nailbiting fashion in the men's 49er race. They managed to help force the New Zealand crew, who had held a four-point lead going into the final race, behind Germany and then claim the victory they needed by centimetres on the line. There was drama too in the athletics, with Norway's Karsten Warholm obliterating his 400m hurdles world record and a tearful GB sprinter Adam Gemili pulling up injured in the 200m heats.
 

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Belarusian sprinter Krystina Timanovskaya, 24, may not have won any medals in Tokyo but found herself in the international spotlight after claiming to have been taken to the airport against her will, having criticised coaches. She's now said to be safe at the embassy of Poland, which granted her a humanitarian visa. And the International Olympic Committee has launched a formal investigation.  "Such actions violate the Olympic spirit, are an affront to basic rights, and cannot be tolerated," according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Separately, the head of an organisation helping Belarusians fleeing abroad has been reported missing in Ukraine. Last year, nationwide protests over the disputed re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko were violently repressed.

The newspapers have different takes on Boris Johnson's decision to scrap plans for an "amber-watch-list" of countries at risk of moving to red in the UK's Covid traffic-light system for overseas travel. "PM steps in to save holidays on Continent," is the Daily Telegraph's take, while in the eyes of the i, Mr Johnson "flip-flops".  The Guardian sees "chaos" at the body advising the government on travel rules, after its boss left her job. But the Daily Express says the "holiday hopes of millions soared" after the watch-list plan was shelved. The Daily Mail is also upbeat, saying the shelving of the watch-list plan, along with tweaks to the NHS app, mean: "Pings can only get better!"

In case you haven't got caught up in the excitement on social media, Bennifer is back. That is to say, former celebrity couple Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck have been photographed canoodling afresh. Entertainment reporter Alex Taylor explores what the coverage tells us about modern celebrity journalism. And just imagine being a total outsider and finding yourself at the front of a grand prix, with a four-time Formula 1 world champion looming in your mirrors. Well, that's exactly the situation Alpine's Esteban Ocon found himself in on the way to winning Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix. He tells Newsbeat all about it.

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