Newspaper review: Banks in 'free speech' row and UK inflation falls

The Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph follow up on the row over Nigel Farage's bank account being closed by Coutts, for what he says were political reasons. The Mail says Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is planning an emergency law "within days" to prevent banks "cancelling account holders with anti-woke views". It suggests that those who do not protect the free speech of their customers could even lose their licence.

The Telegraph says the boss of NatWest, which own Coutts, is "under mounting pressure" to take responsibility for the decision. The paper notes that Dame Alison Rose sat next to BBC News' business editor Simon Jack at a charity dinner the night before he wrote a story claiming Mr Farage had his account closed for commercial reasons. It says neither party would comment on what they discussed.

The Times is one of several papers to report that British diplomats are battling with the EU over its decision to refer to the Falkland Islands also as "Malvinas" - in a declaration signed with Argentina and other Latin American countries. According to the paper, the Argentinian government has hailed the text a "diplomatic triumph" - seeing it as evidence of European support for its claim on the territory.

The reaction to the fall in inflation is the lead for the i and the Financial Times. The i's panel of experts predict it will mean the Bank of England making a smaller rise in interest rates in two weeks time. The FT adds that shares in UK property groups and housebuilders "surged" as investors concluded that mortgage rates would now also rise by less than previously expected. The Daily Express leads with a call from Mr Hunt for retailers to speedily pass on cost reductions to consumers by lowering prices.

A plea from a grieving mother to prevent the sale of knives online makes the front page of the Daily Mirror. It has spoken to Pooja Kanda, whose 16 year-old son Ronan was attacked with a sword in a case of mistaken identity. She is calling for a meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and urged him to crack down on those who carry blades. The paper carries photos of her and her daughter at an anti-knife march in Wolverhampton on Wednesday.

Ukraine is using honeytraps to snare Russian soldiers, according to another story in the Times. It carries an image of an alleged AI-generated image of a young woman and says similar profile pictures are being used to entice occupying troops into giving up military secrets. It claims "amorous" soldiers have revealed their locations, details of military equipment and the success of Ukrainian airstrikes.

And the Daily Star criticises what it sees as hypocrisy at the Bank of England. The paper reports that staff have received bonuses totalling £25m while their bosses have been urging pay restraint from everyone else and to "accept being poorer". The article refers to "Plank of England Chiefs" and pictures BoE's governor and chief economist in comedy bowler hats labelled "prat" and "twit".