Coronavirus live: Tokyo Paralympics bans spectators due to Covid; UK reports 28,438 new cases

Crowds will be banned amid surging cases in Japan; UK cases up 5% on the week before, latest data shows

• The new rules on self-isolation in England and Northern Ireland
• Three, two, win? How to adapt to hybrid home and office working
• Gordon Brown hits out at EU over neocolonial' Covid vaccine supplies
• US could see 200,000 Covid cases a day: Unvaccinated are sitting ducks'
• All 16- and 17-year-olds in England to be offered Covid jab

6.31pm BST

6.12pm BST

The Covid-19 culture war has a new front: country music. Be it the Nashville establishment or up-and-comers in adjacent roots, folk and Americana genres, numerous artists are taking a stand about concert pandemic precautions, often along partisan lines. Jason Isbell has become one of the most prominent musicians to step into the fray.

The Grammy-winning independent alt-country artist - who has released acclaimed albums including Southeastern and last year's Reunions - rowed with some venues and vitriolic Twitter users, while also eliciting praise, after announcing on 9 August that proof of a Covid-19 vaccination or a negative test was mandatory for his show-goers.

Related: We aren't all dumb hillbillies': how Covid caused a rift in country music