Newspaper headlines: 'Braverman Bulley concerns' and 'PM's Brexit push'

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By BBC News
Staff
Reuters

The Daily Telegraph says the focus of what it calls Rishi Sunak's "last-ditch Brexit push" to resolve Northern Ireland's border trade issues will be on convincing the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to back his plans. A source close to the negotiations tells the Times that the unionist party has been treated "appallingly", learning what little they know about the possible deal with the EU from the papers. The paper suggests that if Sunak can become what it dubs "the Brexit Master fixer", this could define his premiership. The Financial Times stresses that the prime minister's plans are a "high-stakes gamble", saying he is aware they could "enrage" senior Tory Eurosceptics, while rebuilding relations with the EU.

The Guardian leads with the suggestion that senior figures in the Scottish National Party believe Nicola Sturgeon's resignation could delay another independence vote by at least five years. Privately, sources say that without a substantial majority in favour of independence, it would be unrealistic to propose a second referendum until after the next general election - expected in 2024 - and a Holyrood election in 2026. The Times' Scottish edition says the strategy is "dead in the water".

The Daily Mail suggests the home secretary's intervention over the decision of Lancashire police to release personal details about the missing woman, Nicola Bulley, has piled pressure on the force. In its editorial, the Sun says confidence in their investigation is "on the brink". Online, the Independent suggests that Suella Braverman's rare move could spark questions about the government's respect for the operational independence of British policing.

The i leads with calls by MPs and poverty campaigners for British Gas owner Centrica to use its record profits to compensate customers who had prepayment meters forced on them. The Daily Mirror uses the example of a pensioner paying his gas bill with his funeral fund to question the profits. In its editorial, the Mirror appeals for what it calls a "proper" windfall tax on energy firms. In its headline, the Mail calls on Centrica's Chief Executive, Chris O'Shea, to give up his bonus.

The results of this year's sleep census, which suggests that nearly a quarter of people in the UK get fewer than five hours a night, makes the Daily Star's front page, in what it calls the "kipping crisis". It suggests the survey's results, which indicate that 91% of people wake in the middle of the night, is a nightmare that "turns us all into Zombies". To match its vision, the paper publishes an illustration of a ghoulish apocalyptic scene. Meanwhile the Telegraph reports that scientists in Berlin have suggested that, on average, we sleep for an extra hour in winter - and this hibernatory-type behaviour is just what is needed.

Finally, an algorithm by Twitter is causing some issues for The Kinks. The band's name is leading to all of its posts being flagged up as containing sensitive content. The band's co-founder and guitarist, Dave Davies, has pleaded with the social platform's owner, Elon Musk, to lift the warnings.