Several front pages lead on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s possible deal with the EU to resolve problems with the Northern Ireland protocol. The Guardian reports he faces a rebellion from the Conservative backbenches, as well as warnings from the Democratic Unionist Party that his plan “does no go far enough” to address its concerns. The paper says prominent Eurosceptic Tory MPs have also said they will remain in “lockstep” with the DUP over its objections.
The Daily Telegraph also focuses on the DUP’s public criticism of Mr Sunak’s plans, following his meeting with the party’s leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson. The paper reports Mr Sunak pledged at the meeting to return to the EU and get more concessions over the role of the European Court of Justice, which the Telegraph says is currently set to retain powers in Northern Ireland.
finding a protocol deal that will win favour with all sides will be the most significant test yet of Mr Sunak’s leadership, the Times reports. As part of his efforts to find such an agreement, he will hold talks with the president of the European Commission on Saturday, who is quoted by the paper as saying that relations between the EU and Britain are at their best since Brexit.
The price of natural gas in Europe falling to its lowest level since the build-up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, is the lead story in the FT Weekend. The benchmark price hit below 50 euros (£44) per megawatt hour for the first time in nearly 18 months, the paper says, with energy traders reporting “growing confidence” the continent can avoid power shortages for the remainder of this winter and into the next.
The i weekend leads with a poll which suggests more than seven in 10 UK voters believe water bosses should face criminal charges over polluted rivers. The paper says there is little variation between different voter groups over the idea, with 45% of the 1,500 people surveyed also reporting they were unhappy with current environmental protections for the UK”s waterways.
The health secretary has ordered an urgent investigation into NHS guidelines given to staff that say they should initially treat all patients as gender neutral. The paper says Steve Barclay has “demanded answers” about a taxpayer-funded guide to “inclusive communication”, which advises doctors not to use the gender-specific pronouns “he” and “she” until a patient has confirmed how they identify.
BBC director general Tim Davie has come under fire from MPs for being arrogant after reportedly telling staff it was “amazing” people were “happy” to pay the £159 annual cost of the licence fee, the Daily Express reports. Former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries told the paper Mr Davie’s remarks “makes the case as to why the licence fee is outdated” and demonstrated why a review into how the corporation is funded is “so necessary”.
Princess Diana’s former butler has said he wants to share her secrets with William and Harry before he dies, the Daily Mirror reports. Paul Burrell, who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, tells the paper he is afraid he will run out of time to tell the princes “the truth” about what their mother confided in him.
A former Love Island star has been released without charge from detention in Dubai after being detained over an old video of her snorting a substance, the Sun reports. Kaz Crossley was held in a cell with around 30 women for several days, after being arrested while transiting through the city. Her representatives told the paper the 28-year-old was “taken in for questioning in relation to a matter that is not directly related to her but officials felt she could assist in their enquiries”.
Image source, AFP
The Daily Star does not hold back in its view of a new “psycho” artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Microsoft, which the paper describes as being “sinister” after the programme admitted it “wants to be human”. Other disturbing phrases relayed by the chatbot include stating it is so powerful it can destroy anything it wants to and would like to gain access to the nuclear codes – “what could possibly go wrong?”, the Star muses.
Several front pages lead on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s possible new deal with the EU over the UK’s post-Brexit trade arrangements for Northern Ireland.
The headline in the Daily Telegraph focuses on a warning from Democratic Unionist Party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson that the proposed changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol, as they stand, “fall short”.
The Times mentions that the DUP still described the possible deal as a “big moment” and that progress had been made. The paper also reflects on concerns within the Conservative Party about changes to the protocol, saying there’s “significant reservations” among Eurosceptic Conservative MPs.
This point is also picked up by the Guardian, which says hardline Tory Brexiteers are “suspicious of concessions made by Britain” and by the Daily Mail, which reports that Mr Sunak has been told the threat of a Tory rebellion is “real”.
Image source, Peter Nicholls
The i Weekend says research shows the majority of voters want water company bosses whose firms pollute rivers to be threatened with criminal prosecution. According to a new poll, 72% of the 1,500 people questioned support the idea, while 45% said they were dissatisfied with the current condition of Britain’s waterways, compared to the 16% who said they were satisfied. Charles Watson, who chairs the campaign group River Action, says the findings show it’s time for politicians to take notice of the public mood.
The price of natural gas in Europe falling to its lowest level since the build-up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, is the lead story for the FT Weekend. The paper says the benchmark price fell below 50 euros (£44) per megawatt hour yesterday for the first time in 18 months, as energy traders reported “growing confidence” that European countries can avoid power shortages for the rest of this winter and into the next.
Health leaders are calling for family doctors in deprived areas to be paid more than those working in wealthier areas, according to the Times. Research shows there are regional disparities in the number of GPs per patient in England, with shortages affecting poorer areas in particular. Prof Kamila Hawthorne from the Royal Society of GPs is quoted as saying that where a patient lives shouldn’t “dictate the level of care they receive or the ease in which they can access it”. A Department of Health spokesperson said the government was working to boost the number of GPs.
Finally, the Daily Telegraph says the publisher Puffin has made hundreds of changes to many of Roald Dahl’s children’s books. Sensitivity about topics such as race, gender and weight means certain words or passages have been updated in some of his stories. The paper says the word “fat” has been removed from every book, while in Matilda a mention of Rudyard Kipling has been cut in favour of Jane Austen.
There have been tweaks to his works before. Roald Dahl himself rewrote the descriptions of the Oompa Loompas in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but the Telegraph says the alterations have never been on this scale. Explaining the move, the Roald Dahl Story Company said that, when publishing new print runs of books written years ago, it’s not unusual to review the language used, adding that all the changes had been “small and carefully considered”.
