"Boris Savages The Saboteurs" is the headline in the Mail on Sunday, which says that Boris Johnson has accused the former chancellor, Philip Hammond, of "gravely damaging" the national interest by attempting to block a no-deal Brexit. In a leaked letter, the prime minister tells Mr Hammond it is as "plain as a pikestaff" that efforts to prevent a no deal are making it harder to secure a new agreement with the EU. But the Brexit Party MEP, Annunziata Rees-Mogg, does not think Mr Johnson's meetings with European leaders this week will change much. "I do not expect the EU to behave in a rational manner", she tells the Sunday Express - "I anticipate it attempting to drown the goose that lays the golden eggs".
After several days of public arguments, the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, tells the Observer that MPs will have to unite if they want to stop no deal. He says his plan to oust Mr Johnson and replace him as head of a caretaker government is "the simplest and most democratic way" to avoid it, despite opposition from the Liberal Democrats and rebel Conservatives. The paper agrees - declaring in its editorial that Mr Corbyn is "unequivocally right" on this issue - while urging other opponents of a no-deal Brexit to keep his offer alive. The faces of dozens of babies and children killed by violent parents appear on the front of the Sunday Mirror, which is campaigning for a change in the law. It says that in each of the 63 cases it uncovered, officials knew the children were at risk but could do anything about it, as they were "forced to honour the parents' human rights". The paper recommends automatically banning anyone convicted of violent crimes, child abuse or sexual offences from having unsupervised contact with their child - unless a judge decides otherwise.
The Sunday Times reports that thousands of tickets are still being sold for flights on Boeing planes that remain grounded following two accidents in which 346 people died. It says a number of airlines, including American, Norwegian and TUI, have scheduled more than 32,000 departures on the 737 Max jets later this year. One British tourist says he felt like "a guinea pig" when he found out he would be travelling to the Caribbean on one of the planes, despite being given assurances to the contrary when he booked the flight. He then asked for a refund but was refused one. The surgeon who performed the UK's first successful heart transplant 40 years ago tells the Sunday Telegraph that pig hearts' adapted for human use could be available within three years. Sir Terence English says his protégé in the 1979 operation will carry out the world's first pig-to-human kidney transplant before the end of this year. If successful, Sir Terence believes the process could all but eradicate the donor waiting list.
Project Fear 2.0? ANOTHER leaked No Deal Brexit dossier predicts fuel, food and medicine shortages, port chaos and Irish border disruption on Oct 31 as Boris Johnson vows to crash out the EU if necessary A secret Whitehall dossier outlines possible pandemonium in a No Deal Brexit Operation Yellowhammer casts a dark shadow over proposed October 31 exit Hard border in Ireland, fuel, medicine and food shortages are anticipated News comes as Boris Johnson prepares to meet EU leaders at the G7 this week
A hard Irish border, three-months of chaos at the ports as well as fuel, medicine and food shortages are expected in the event of a No Deal Brexit, leaked Whitehall papers show. Operation Yellowhammer, a secret dossier filed by the Cabinet Office this month, exposes the areas that could be most vulnerable if the UK leaves the EU without a deal on October 31. The explosive revelations marked 'official-sensitive' include the expectation of a return of a hard border in Ireland due to the inability to roll-out the government's proposed limited checks. The papers, obtained by The Times, outline the possibility of protests, road blockades and 'direct action.'
Massive tailbacks at ports could limit fuel distribution and disrupt the supply across the southeast of England, including London.
As many as 85% of lorries headed to France could be hit with delays of 60 hours and it could take up to three months before the flow of traffic reaches 75% of current levels. Fresh food supply will plummet, leading to increased prices and less variety, while fishing vessels could clash, as nearly 300 foreign ships are anticipated to cast their nets illegally in British waters on the first day of Brexit. Medical supplies will also be 'vulnerable to severe extended delays,' The Times reports, because three-quarters of British supplies come from the EU.
A senior Whitehall source told the paper: 'This is not Project Fear - this is the mnost realistic assessment of what the public face with no deal. These are likely, basic, reasonable scenarios - not the worst case.' Meanwhile, civil servants have warned that massive protests throughout the country will stretch police. The news comes as Boris Johnson signalled he would plough ahead with Brexit before calling a general election, even if a no confidence vote succeeded when parliament returns in September.
As Boris Johnson prepares for talks on Brexit with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron this week, the question for the Telegraph is: "Who will blink first?" If we are to avoid the no-deal exit that everyone says they don't want, the paper says, then something has to give. For the Times, we are in a stand-off and the prime minister might be hoping that Europe will blink first, but that is far from assured. The Daily Mail warns that the Tory civil war is threatening the chances of winning concessions from Europe. Why would the leaders of France and Germany extend an olive branch to the prime minister, knowing that members of his own party are trying to undermine him, it asks. The "i" says that until this weekend, Mr Johnson had been sticking to his line that he wouldn't enter into talks with EU leaders until they were willing to renegotiate Theresa May's withdrawal agreement. So what has changed?
It thinks the growing momentum for a confidence vote in the government and the increasing risk of defeat has led to a mood change in Downing Street. In the view of the Financial Times, rather than setting undeliverable preconditions, Mr Johnson should seek modifications to the withdrawal agreement that would make it acceptable to parliament. The father of James Bulger tells the Mirror that his son's murderer will soon be eligible for parole and free to kill again. Ralph Bulger says Jon Venables will always be a danger to children. Venables has been sent back to jail twice since being freed after James's murder. He's currently serving a 40-month term for possession of indecent images of children. Venables and Robert Thompson, both aged 10, kidnapped, tortured and murdered two-year-old James in Merseyside in 1993. The Mail says it can reveal that the NHS is to withhold some funding from GP surgeries in England that close for half-days during the week without permission. According to the paper, officials have identified more than 700 practices - a tenth of the total - that regularly close for at least four hours at a time. It says officials estimate that if these surgeries remained open, an extra 287,000 appointments would be available every year.
Finally, research suggests that Britain is in the midst of a meetings epidemic, with the average worker now spending 26 working days stuck in them, that's up from 23 working days last year. According to the Times, the survey of a thousand workers showed at least a third of that time is entirely wasted, with the biggest time-waster being waiting for others to arrive. The paper says one possible explanation for the rise in meetings is Brexit planning, which is taking an increasing toll on business.
Preparations for a potential no-deal Brexit - and the difficulties and dilemmas they involve - feature heavily in the papers and news websites. Buzzfeed News says it has learnt that British diplomats across the EU are preparing to take part in a government-wide no-deal Brexit rehearsal, called "Exercise Yellow Rehearse". The website says it is a further indication that a no-deal departure is seen as increasingly likely - and one which would place "significant strain" on the UK's diplomatic network. Likely or not, it is an eventuality the Freight Transport Association feels unready for, according to Politico - with the association blaming ministers for not spelling out what lies ahead. "We're just shooting in the dark," its deputy chief executive says, "being asked to prepare for something that we don't fully understand and that the government's not prepared to share with us."
According to the Daily Express that process of sharing information with the country at large will begin in earnest in the next fortnight. Whitehall sources tell the paper to expect a "massive publicity blitz to urge households and businesses to prepare for a no-deal Brexit." Costing £100m, it will encompass adverts on TV, radio, social media and in newspapers. The Times, though, has learned there is anxiety in government that the campaign could have the unintended consequence of triggering a "food and fuel panic". Officials have warned of people stockpiling vital goods, causing extreme spikes in demand followed by shortages. A minister tells the paper: "One of the difficulties of the information campaign is that it has to get the balance right by informing people rather than frightening them."
The Daily Telegraph says a little fear is exactly what the National Crime Agency (NCA) is hoping to instil in drug dealers running so-called "county lines" operations - where gangs in big cities expand aggressively into smaller towns. The NCA is to use unexplained wealth orders - developed to target corrupt oligarchs - against drug bosses, who are currently using online depictions of their "flashy lifestyles" to recruit pushers. Failing to explain how they pay for their lavish spending will see their property seized. The rate of unexplained infant mortality has almost halved since records began in 2004, the Times reports. It says what used to be called cot death - a label dropped because it was considered misleading - is becoming less common because fewer pregnant women smoke, and there's greater awareness of risky practices like bed-sharing.
The Sun is one of a number of papers to focus heavily on Sir Elton John's explanation of how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex came to use his personal aircraft to fly to France. It notes that Prince Harry and Meghan have previously made clear their concern about the environment - yet just one return trip they made to Nice generated the same CO2 emissions as using a car for a year, leading to accusations of hypocrisy. The Duke must have forgotten about his "luxury travel arrangements" while "preaching on the dangers of carbon footprints" - the Daily Mirror says - "hopefully next time they'll think twice before hopping on a gas-guzzling private jet".
The Sun believes the EU's immediate rejection of Boris Johnson's alternative border arrangements for Northern Ireland was as inevitable as it was depressing. The Guardian thinks the co-ordinated response appears to close the door on meaningful Brexit negotiations re-starting. The Financial Times reports that the stand-off fuelled expectations Britain would exit the EU on the 31 October without a deal. True to its form, argues the Daily Mail, Brussels responded aggressively to the overtures, slamming the door in Mr Johnson's face. The Daily Telegraph says the process of leaving will start in just 10 days time after UK diplomats were ordered to reduce contact with their EU counterparts. The Daily Mirror sees the move as a ramping up of the government's no deal plans. The Daily Express welcomes the decision, saying it is a sign that the new government is deadly earnest in getting us out. In short, it concludes, the EU is Britain's past and not its future.
The Times looks ahead to the prime minister's meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel - and predicts that he will tell her Parliament cannot stop a no-deal Brexit. The online edition of the Independent talks of Mr Johnson flying to the continent, set on a collision course with EU leaders. The Guardian feels any possibility of progress towards a new deal rests on meetings this week at the G7 summit in Biarritz. Writing for the Spectator's website, Isabel Hardman suggests we are approaching the end of what she calls a blame game and things are heating up.
The interim report by National Grid into the power cuts which left more than a million customers without power 12 days ago is considered by the Telegraph. In its editorial, the paper detects a sense that the entire system is always on the edge of breakdown and greater resilience is needed. The Times worries about what it calls Britain's infrastructure crisis. That successive governments, regulators like Ofgem and private sector operators such as National Grid have done so little to avert this crisis, says the paper, is perhaps a bigger scandal than a no-deal Brexit.
The Financial Times feels the resignation of Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has deepened the political crisis in the country - leaving it searching for a new administration to deal with the faltering economy. His decision, says the Telegraph, has plunged the country into weeks and possibly months of political uncertainty. The i notes that the financial markets rallied after the resignation and reports that the ruling Five Star Movement might seek a pact with the centre-left Democratic Party.
Over the years bus stops have often been daubed with graffiti and vandalised, much to the disgust of those that use them. The Daily Mirror describes how what it calls "nice vandals" turned a bus stop in the Gloucestershire village of Thrupp into a comfy den with an armchair, bookshelf and decorative placards. The makeover included a sign, saying "we hope it makes you smile." A local businesswoman tells the paper those responsible won't come forward because it's legally vandalism - even if it is very nice vandalism.
'I hope we get out, Brexit... because you cannot have someone telling us how to do our own game': Sky Sports pundit Ian Holloway bizarrely blames EU for controversial new handball rule Ian Holloway made the bizarre claim on Sky Sports' 'The Debate' on Tuesday The 56-year-old claimed that he hopes Brexit gets implemented quickly He was speaking about the new handball rule, which has come in for criticism Gabriel Jesus had a goal disallowed against Tottenham following a VAR check
Ian Holloway has made the bizarre claim that the European Union is to blame for the controversial new handball rule in the Premier League.
The new law has come in for plenty of criticism in the early weeks of the season and was particularly in the spotlight after Manchester City had a goal disallowed in injury time during their 2-2 draw at home to Tottenham.
Gabriel Jesus struck right at the death but, after celebrating wildly for a couple of minutes, it was ruled out as Aymeric Laporte was adjudged to have brushed the ball with his hand in the build up to the goal.
Before the season started, the Premier League stated: 'Any goal scored or created with the use of the hand or arm will be disallowed this season, even if it is accidental.' After Michael Oliver originally let the goal stand, it was checked by VAR before it was eventually disallowed. But speaking on The Debate show on Sky Sports alongside Geoff Shreeves and Kevin Phillips, Holloway suggested he wants Britain to leave the EU as soon as possible as you cannot have 'people telling us how to do our own game'.
What was the point of pretending the Yellowhammer no-deal Brexit document was out of date? Michael Gove insisted the leaked document was old, but it turns out it was written on 1 August – so how effective is this kind of spin, asks John Rentoul
Government dismisses calls for no-deal Brexit assessments to be released in full immediately Corbyn says claims that leaked dossier warning of no-deal chaos is outdated ‘can’t be trusted’
Boris Johnson has dismissed calls to immediately release official assessments on the impact of a no-deal Brexit after labelling potential food and medicine shortages as just “bumps in the road”.
Speaking as he prepared to meet business leaders to discuss the potential impact of no deal, the Labour leader said: “The government’s own Operation Yellowhammer dossier makes the chaos and damage that will be caused by Boris Johnson’s no-deal Brexit crystal clear.
“If the government wants to be believed that it doesn’t represent the real impact, it must publish its most recent assessments today in full. Boris Johnson’s denials can’t be trusted, and will do nothing to give businesses or consumers any confidence that the dire state of affairs described in these documents aren’t right around the corner.
“What we know for sure is that this government is wilfully committed to a policy that the prime minister and the cabinet know will destroy jobs, push up food prices in the shops and open up our NHS to a takeover by US private companies.”
Operation Yellowhammer is the codename given to government contingency planning for a potential no-deal Brexit.
The leaked dossier on the plans warned that the UK could be faced with months of chaos following a no-deal exit, including a three-month “meltdown” at ports, a hard border in Northern Ireland, and shortages of some foods, medicines and fuel. It said delays at ports would “affect fuel distribution” and that medical supplies would be “vulnerable to severe extended delays”. Attempts to avoid the return of a hard border in Northern Ireland were likely to prove “unsustainable”, it said. On Monday, Mr Johnson dismissed the potential chaos. Speaking during a visit to a hospital in Cornwall, he said: “’I’m not going to suggest that there won’t be – as I said on the steps of Downing Street – there may well be bumps in the road but we will be ready to come out on 31 October, deal or no deal.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's challenge to Boris Johnson to come up with an alternative solution to the Irish border issue within 30 days dominates the front pages.
The Daily Express calls it "a major concession; The Sun an "opportunity."
The Daily Telegraph says it is being seen as "a victory" for Mr Johnson that could help him "fend off Tory rebels" opposed to a no-deal Brexit.
The Daily Mail welcomes what it calls "signs" that the prime minister could be "on the brink of a triumphant breakthrough".
But the Daily Mirror describes it as an "ultimatum" and says if Mr Johnson falls on his face it would serve him right for over-promising.
The Times focuses on what it calls the expected "harsher" position of President Emmanuel Macron. The paper says the French leader warned that a no-deal Brexit would be of Britain's own making and questioned whether the cost of such an exit could be offset by a trade deal with the US.
The Financial Times quotes the head of the German parliament's foreign affairs committee, who says Mr Johnson had taken the trip only to show UK voters he had tried everything, so he could then blame EU intransigence.
The Times reports that the prime minister's senior aide, Dominic Cummings, called HS2 a "disaster zone," days before it was announced the rail project was to be reviewed.
The paper's editorial says cancelling the project "could be an easy win", given opposition to the scheme among Conservatives but cautions that there is a case for spending on infrastructure.
The Financial Times reveals that experts from within the rail industry doubt the plans will be scrapped but rather tweaked to place more focus on efforts to improve links to northern cities.
There is a warning in the Telegraph that nearly two million pensioners are being put at risk after being prescribed lethal cocktails of drugs. The paper says it is causing a rise in emergency hospital admissions.
According to the Express one-in-50 cases recently have proved fatal.
The Royal College of GPs explains in the Mail that many older people live with multiple and complex conditions.
The Mirror and the Times warn that sitting down for more than nine hours a day increases your risk of dying early.
The Mail and the Guardian advise, after examining the same study from Norway, that dusting or washing the dishes can add years to your life.
Examining Boris Johnson's meeting with President Macron, the Daily Mail asks, is this "Le Breakthrough"?
The Daily Express pictures Mr Johnson with his arms raised, which it dubs a "Brexit victory salute". The Times suggests the prime minister was offered "new hope", but cautions in its editorial that he won't be taken seriously if EU leaders think he could be forced out by MPs.
The Daily Telegraph says that ministers have been ordered to "turbocharge" work on finding a new solution to the Irish border.
The Daily Mirror suggests Mr Johnson was "rebuffed". The i newspaper said he faced "French resistance", while the Financial Times that hopes of a Brexit deal were dashed.
The Guardian urges MPs to make "difficult compromises" to avoid a no deal.
The i highlights what it calls "the tricky diplomatic test" Mr Macron faces at it hosts this weekend's G7 meeting in Biarritz.
The Washington Post likens the gathering to a family holiday where the main goal is "to minimize the chances that President Trump will blow it up". The US paper says Mr Trump has complained repeatedly about having to attend and sees his meeting with Boris Johnson as the only bright spot.
The Financial Times urges the G7 to forget the official agenda and focus on the big issues of the moment, such as Brexit.
A Brazilian journalist based in the Amazon, Eliane Brum, makes an impassioned plea in the Guardian for the rest of the world to act to try stop the fires and deforestation. She says the trees covering an area the size of greater London were destroyed in three weeks in July.
The Times says street protests are planned for this weekend in 11 Brazilian cities. Writing in the FT, an economics professor says the solution is for the the EU to ratify trade deals only if conservation policies are reintroduced.
The EU is examining ways to impose strict limits on the use of facial recognition technology in public places, according to the Financial Times. It wants to give citizens rights over the use of data collected in this way and, the paper says, to set a world standard on artificial intelligence rules.
The record number of forest fires in the Amazon features on many of the front pages of Saturday's newspapers. "World demands Brazil acts as Amazon burns," is the headline of the Guardian. The paper's comment section believes French President Emmanuel Macron is right to be making the issue of the wildfires a priority at the G7 summit in Biarritz - but it's pessimistic that meaningful action will be taken.
For that to happen, it believes Mr Macron would need what it calls a "buy-in" from President Trump. It concludes that "he is not going to get it from the world's most powerful climate science denier". The comment section of the i newspaper asks what people in the UK who are angered by the situation in Brazil can actually do about it. A boycott of Amazon beef is not necessarily realistic, it believes, because the government is considering introducing non-tariff quotas of Brazilian meat, as a possible way of maintaining supplies after Brexit. Johnson's G7 debut The Daily Telegraph says the prime minister will tell the US president, at the G7 summit this weekend, that any post-Brexit trade deal won't involve giving American companies carte blanche access to the NHS, or easing animal welfare standards. "It's the age-old problem," says the paper's leader. "Trying to do business with America, while acknowledging disagreement with a particular administration." But it believes the two men "ought to get on famously".
The Times is less optimistic. Its opinion column says: "There is minimal prospect that, however hard he tried to use charm, Mr Johnson can prepare the ground for a successful bilateral trade deal with the US after Brexit." And it points out that no British prime minister has succeeded in acting as a diplomatic bridge between the White House and other allies.
The opinion column in the Daily Mail sets the scene for what it calls "a high-stakes game for Boris the gambler". It describes Biarritz as the chic seaside resort which was "once the playground of the English upper classes - who flocked to its famed casino to try their luck". The Mail believes that, whether or not the gamble pays off, "at least there's a sense that someone is at least injecting some urgency into the previously moribund Brexit debate". No-deal warning A group of 25 former senior UK diplomats, including several who were ambassadors, have written to the Times, warning against a no-deal Brexit. Their letter argues that leaving the EU without an agreement would represent "the biggest unilateral abandonment" of British interests in modern history. It urges Prime Minister Boris Johnson to "signal a different approach" at the G7 meeting. Concerns are expressed in the Financial Times that an iPhone app to help EU citizens in the UK secure residency rights after Brexit will not be ready by the end of October, when Britain is due to leave. The uncertainty, it says, potentially affects hundreds of thousands of people, who will either have to use the Android app or make a postal application. 'Ashes to ashes' Most of the back pages go for the jugular when it comes to England's batting collapse, in the third test at Headingley yesterday. The Sun's headline is "Ashes up in smoke". "Sixty-seven all out, pathetic, mindless, abysmal" is the verdict. "Ashes to ashes" is how the the Telegraph sums it up.
It has a column by the former England batsman, Geoffrey Boycott, in which he says the home team "batted without any brains and threw away the Ashes". The Daily Mail's chief sports writer, Martin Samuel, asks whether it could have been worse. "Well," he answers, "England could inadvertently have raised the dead perhaps, or unearthed a long-buried curse." But in cricket terms, he concludes, it couldn't.
Sunday's papers preview a busy day for Boris Johnson at the G7 summit in southern France. The Sunday Telegraph and Daily Express focus on the prime minister's breakfast meeting with US President Donald Trump, at which talks are expected to revolve around the potential for a trade deal once the UK has left the EU. Others look ahead to Mr Johnson's meeting with European Council President Donald Tusk, suggesting the PM will threaten to withhold £30bn of the "divorce bill" the UK had agreed to pay if he cannot secure a fresh Brexit deal with Brussels. The Sunday Times says he ordered government lawyers to calculate how much of the £39bn the UK was legally obliged to pay, with that figure as low as £7bn.
The Observer takes a slightly different tack on Brexit, saying it has seen a leaked email suggesting Mr Johnson sought legal advice on whether Parliament could be shut down for five weeks from 9 September. It says the email from senior government advisers to a No 10 official was written within the last 10 days - and indicates that shutting down Parliament may well be possible, unless court action to block such a move succeeds in the meantime. However, a Downing Street spokesman has told the BBC: "The claim that the government is considering proroguing Parliament in September in order to stop MPs debating Brexit is entirely false."
Downing Street appears to be looking at another plan to stop MPs from blocking a no-deal Brexit. According to the Sunday Times, No 10 has "war-gamed" holding an election on 17 October - the same day EU leaders meet to discuss whether to give Britain a new agreement. It would be preceded by an emergency Budget, in which fuel duty would be cut for the first time in eight years. The Mail on Sunday says the plan involves first deliberately losing a no-confidence vote that the Tories would engineer themselves. According to the paper, the Conservatives want to be able to say that the election was forced on them by Labour - but the prime minister's inner circle suspect Jeremy Corbyn could back out of a no-confidence vote because he no longer has the numbers to win it. 'Unvarnished truth' Prince Andrew's statement about his friendship with the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, leaves few of his critics satisfied. The Sun dismisses it as pompous, nonsensical rambling. If he thinks it will "end questioning over his relationship with a paedophile, he better think again", the paper declares.
The royal author, Angela Levin, writes in the Mail on Sunday that Prince Andrew's sympathy isn't going to help any of the young girls that Epstein abused to get justice. She calls on him to tell the "unvarnished truth" about what he knows. Not so smart? Finally, it seems householders have been experiencing problems with the newer versions of smart meters that tell you how much gas and electricity you have used. According to the Sunday Telegraph, several suppliers have begun receiving reports that they often display bizarre and inaccurate readings, causing some customers anxiety and frustration. One customer was baffled when his device told him he had used £46 in a day, despite his direct debit being set at £40 a month. The paper says the head of smart meters at one of the Big Six suppliers recently told a meeting that his home display switches off when he turns on his dishwasher.
'Plenty of noise' The Times highlights Mr Johnson's remark in Biarritz that Britain could "easily" cope with the consequences of leaving the EU without a deal. The paper says talks with the European Council President Donald Tusk failed to yield a significant breakthrough, with EU officials warning afterwards it's "squarely and firmly" up to the UK to find a solution to the Irish border issue. The website Politico says the prime minister made plenty of noise in southern France but his bark proved worse than his bite. It says the question of whether or not Britain would pay the Brexit divorce bill in full didn't even come up in the discussions. Meanwhile, Donald Trump "barely seemed to notice" Mr Johnson's intervention on the US-China trade war, it says.
There's plenty of analysis of the prime minister's first meeting with the US president, with the Guardian describing them "joshing and joking" before breakfast. The Daily Mirror says they "began a bromance" but cautions that you can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep. For the Daily Mail, Mr Johnson showed he was "no poodle" - unlike Tony Blair - when he pressed the president for concessions in a post-Brexit trade deal. The Daily Express and the Daily Mirror lead on the prime minister's call for the BBC to "cough up", and fund free television licences for all over-75s. A Downing Street source tells the Express the PM feels "very strongly about" the matter and isn't about to let the BBC "off the hook". The Mirror notes that Mr Johnson made his demand despite finding billions to plan for the "chaos" of a likely no-deal Brexit.
Cancelled NHS appointments There's been a sharp rise in the number of patients whose hospital appointments are repeatedly cancelled, according to the Daily Telegraph, which says it has left some people waiting years to see a doctor. Figures obtained by the paper - from about half the NHS trusts in England - show that between 2016 and 2019, the number of patients with five or more cancelled appointments tripled to more than 13,000.
Weather bomb? Finally, the US website Axios reports that President Trump has repeatedly suggested dropping nuclear bombs on hurricanes to prevent them reaching the United States. A source describes how in a White House meeting Mr Trump said "I got it, I got it - why don't we nuke them?" A different official defends the president, saying "his objective is not bad".
The Times leads with a warning to the Archbishop of Canterbury not to interfere with the political process of Brexit. It reports that the Most Rev Justin Welby is in talks with a cross-party group of MPs to chair a series of public meetings to discuss alternatives to leaving the EU without a deal. The prominent Brexiteer Iain Duncan Smith tells the paper the archbishop's involvement is "deeply inappropriate" and "designed to destabilise Boris Johnson's position".
Several senior clergymen disagree, saying the results could bring reconciliation at a time of national emergency. The Guardian's top story is also Brexit-related. It reports that a legal document prepared for the Labour party concludes that Boris Johnson would be committing the "gravest abuse of power" if he shut down Parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit. The shadow attorney general, Shami Chakrabarti, sets out how such a move by the PM would be open to an immediate legal challenge. The Daily Telegraph shows a smiling prime minister at the G7 summit with his thumb up - which it interprets as a sign of optimism for a deal. The paper says Mr Johnson is sending his chief Brexit adviser to Brussels tomorrow to discuss alternatives to Theresa May's plan, saying the EU wants to "get things done". In its editorial the Telegraph says Mr Johnson's charm offensive at the G7 has shown the EU "he is a reasonable man", but one who is serious about leaving on 31 October.
'Packing Parliament' The Times says negotiator David Frost is known as Number 10's Brexit "sherpa". An unnamed source tells the paper he's been holding "intense talks with his EU counterparts for the past month. The i newspaper reports that Mr Johnson is planning to nominate Brexit supporters for the House of Lords, because of what he sees as a "pro-Remain" bias. The Daily Express says "dozens" of people it describes as "Brexit Heroes" will be ennobled, suggesting they will include business people who bankrolled the Vote Leave campaign. It mentions one possible candidate as the Wetherspoons pub boss, Tim Martin. The Daily Mirror editorial is scathing about such a move by the PM. It says "packing parliament with unelected Tory crony Brexit peers", while sidelining elected MPs, would be "the authoritarian arrogance of a tin-pot dictator". The culture secretary, Nicky Morgan, has used The Daily Telegraph to announce a series of changes to planning laws aimed at improving the network coverage for the latest 5G mobile technology.
She says rural areas will be a priority, with bigger and taller phone masts being allowed to improve connectivity. Ms Morgan accepts there maybe complaints about "eyesore" masts in beauty spots, but pledges there will be environmental safeguards as better mobile coverage is brought to towns and villages. Foreign visitors have left the NHS with unpaid bills amounting to £150m, according to the Daily Mail. Its figures come from a freedom of information request, and the paper says the amount is equivalent to paying 6,000 nurses.
There are rumours that Boris may attempt to suspend Parliament for 5 weeks in order to enable him to get a no deal through without any opposition. Many would see this as completely undemocratic, and face much opposition in Parliament.
There is talk of a General Election in mid October. The down side to this, as far as the Tories are concerned, is that if the election took place prior to leaving the EU, then the Brexit Party will be a factor.
Delaying an election until November has been suggested as a better option. The Brexit Party would surely be dead and buried as far as an election is concerned, if we had completely left the EU, and massively enhance the Tory chances of winning with a decent majority.
However, an election in early November amidst the no deal chaos that is likely to be occurring would surely sink the Tories.
The Tories winning with a reasonable majority would make the DUP irrelevant.
Boris has called on the EU to bin the backstop, yet according to Mark Francois there are 60 Tories that are ERG members that would vote against the Withdrawal Agreement, even if the backstop was removed.
Parliament will try to stop a no deal going through. Although it seems unclear whether they will be successful in this.
Jeremy Corbyn seems to be a factor in whether a vote of no confidence could be successful, and a Government of National Unity that would follow. It seems that many politicians prefer the chaos of a no deal Brexit, to the disaster that would be a Jeremy Corbyn Prime Minister.
I think that a more sensible Labour leader would make Boris losing a no confidence vote, a formality.
A more trusted Labour leader would have made uniting the opposition parties much easier, and stopping a no deal more straightforward.
It is really difficult to see a decent Tory majority in an election where the Brexit Party is a factor, or where the chaos of a no deal Brexit is in full swing.
It is difficult to see that any other Labour MP as leader could be doing worse in the polls than Jeremy Corbyn, despite the Tories continued incompetence over Brexit.
I would defy anyone to confidently predict what happens next.
The backstop is blamed by many as the reason that the Withdrawal Agreement cant get through Parliament. Yet this really defies logic.
Everyone agrees that both sides are better off with a deal. So you would think that it would follow that reaching a deal would be just a matter of time.
It was agreed that on leaving there would be a 21 month implementation period, where nothing would change, providing certainty for businesses.
At the end of this period, if no deal had been finalised, then the backstop would come into play. The backstop would end as soon as a deal was reached.
So those that maintain that we could be stuck in the backstop forever are being disingenuous. For this to occur would require us to never reach a deal, and completely fail to implement a plan b.
I am certain that any future Government would seek an alternative, rather than continuing to negotiate forever.
The EU have already agreed that if technological solutions that aren't available now, could be found, then they could replace the backstop.
Is it therefore possible, that a deal could never be negotiated, or that technological solutions could never be found, resulting in the backstop lasting forever?
The basis of our future trading has already been agreed, and is part of the WA.
So the likelihood of us being stuck in the backstop forever is about as likely as me getting struck by lightning today.
Under normal circumstances leaving the EU would have meant a hard border in Ireland. Two different customs territories with no border between them doesnt exist anywhere else in the world, for obvious reasons.
A border is meant to protect both sides. The integrity of the EU Single Market on one side, as well as standards, smuggling etc, on the other.
What is the point of ending Freedom of Movement, imposing tariffs, and having no border checks, thereby encouraging smuggling, and illegal immigration?
Consider the Good Friday Agreement, and a hard border on the island of Ireland is not possible.
The obvious solution then becomes a border in the Irish Sea.
This solution was not acceptable to the DUP, as they maintain that they will not accept being treated differently to the rest of the UK. When in truth they already are. Some additional checks are required for Norther Ireland, that currently take place on ferries.
Leaving the EU would mean that the number of additional checks would increase, but could still be carried out on ferries.
The original backstop only included NI, and unacceptable to the DUP.
The revised backstop included the whole of the UK.
Most experts agree that the possible technological solutions do not yet exist, and are not in operation anywhere in the world.
It currently seems impossible to avoid a hard border, and treat the whole of the UK in the same way.
The DUP are constantly decrying the backstop, but never suggest an alternative.
Boris led the leave campaign. So what was his Irish border plan during the referendum campaign?
He is still unable to suggest a viable solution.
Despite the claims of many politicians to the contrary, the EU have bent over backwards to agree a solution to this problem. Whereas our politicians can only criticise all the possible solutions, without suggesting any viable alternatives.
The EU have agreed the backstop could be replaced by technology, as and when it becomes available.
The control of immigration played an important part in the vote leave campaign.
Although this topic seems to have declined in importance for many people since the referendum, but was influenced by the rhetoric of many leave supporting politicians, particularly Nigel Farage, his poster campaign, and his comments regarding Romanians moving in next door.
Boris and the invading 17 million Turks, also contributed.
However, I wonder how many people would voted in this way if they were fully aware of the post Brexit plan?
The fact that the plan was to allow the other 26 EU members to continue with Freedom of Movement into Ireland, and subsequently allow them to stroll over the border, unchecked into the UK, would have influenced as many people to vote to leave.
Vote leave taking back control meant no control whatsoever, and taking back control of our borders meant not having any.
Comments
"Boris Savages The Saboteurs" is the headline in the Mail on Sunday, which says that Boris Johnson has accused the former chancellor, Philip Hammond, of "gravely damaging" the national interest by attempting to block a no-deal Brexit.
In a leaked letter, the prime minister tells Mr Hammond it is as "plain as a pikestaff" that efforts to prevent a no deal are making it harder to secure a new agreement with the EU.
But the Brexit Party MEP, Annunziata Rees-Mogg, does not think Mr Johnson's meetings with European leaders this week will change much.
"I do not expect the EU to behave in a rational manner", she tells the Sunday Express - "I anticipate it attempting to drown the goose that lays the golden eggs".
After several days of public arguments, the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, tells the Observer that MPs will have to unite if they want to stop no deal.
He says his plan to oust Mr Johnson and replace him as head of a caretaker government is "the simplest and most democratic way" to avoid it, despite opposition from the Liberal Democrats and rebel Conservatives.
The paper agrees - declaring in its editorial that Mr Corbyn is "unequivocally right" on this issue - while urging other opponents of a no-deal Brexit to keep his offer alive.
The faces of dozens of babies and children killed by violent parents appear on the front of the Sunday Mirror, which is campaigning for a change in the law.
It says that in each of the 63 cases it uncovered, officials knew the children were at risk but could do anything about it, as they were "forced to honour the parents' human rights".
The paper recommends automatically banning anyone convicted of violent crimes, child abuse or sexual offences from having unsupervised contact with their child - unless a judge decides otherwise.
The Sunday Times reports that thousands of tickets are still being sold for flights on Boeing planes that remain grounded following two accidents in which 346 people died.
It says a number of airlines, including American, Norwegian and TUI, have scheduled more than 32,000 departures on the 737 Max jets later this year.
One British tourist says he felt like "a guinea pig" when he found out he would be travelling to the Caribbean on one of the planes, despite being given assurances to the contrary when he booked the flight. He then asked for a refund but was refused one.
The surgeon who performed the UK's first successful heart transplant 40 years ago tells the Sunday Telegraph that pig hearts' adapted for human use could be available within three years.
Sir Terence English says his protégé in the 1979 operation will carry out the world's first pig-to-human kidney transplant before the end of this year. If successful, Sir Terence believes the process could all but eradicate the donor waiting list.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-49384867
A secret Whitehall dossier outlines possible pandemonium in a No Deal Brexit
Operation Yellowhammer casts a dark shadow over proposed October 31 exit
Hard border in Ireland, fuel, medicine and food shortages are anticipated
News comes as Boris Johnson prepares to meet EU leaders at the G7 this week
A hard Irish border, three-months of chaos at the ports as well as fuel, medicine and food shortages are expected in the event of a No Deal Brexit, leaked Whitehall papers show.
Operation Yellowhammer, a secret dossier filed by the Cabinet Office this month, exposes the areas that could be most vulnerable if the UK leaves the EU without a deal on October 31.
The explosive revelations marked 'official-sensitive' include the expectation of a return of a hard border in Ireland due to the inability to roll-out the government's proposed limited checks.
The papers, obtained by The Times, outline the possibility of protests, road blockades and 'direct action.'
Massive tailbacks at ports could limit fuel distribution and disrupt the supply across the southeast of England, including London.
As many as 85% of lorries headed to France could be hit with delays of 60 hours and it could take up to three months before the flow of traffic reaches 75% of current levels.
Fresh food supply will plummet, leading to increased prices and less variety, while fishing vessels could clash, as nearly 300 foreign ships are anticipated to cast their nets illegally in British waters on the first day of Brexit.
Medical supplies will also be 'vulnerable to severe extended delays,' The Times reports, because three-quarters of British supplies come from the EU.
A senior Whitehall source told the paper: 'This is not Project Fear - this is the mnost realistic assessment of what the public face with no deal. These are likely, basic, reasonable scenarios - not the worst case.'
Meanwhile, civil servants have warned that massive protests throughout the country will stretch police.
The news comes as Boris Johnson signalled he would plough ahead with Brexit before calling a general election, even if a no confidence vote succeeded when parliament returns in September.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7368023/Leaked-papers-reveal-Britain-face-chaos-hard-Irish-border-leaves-EU-No-Deal.html
As Boris Johnson prepares for talks on Brexit with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron this week, the question for the Telegraph is: "Who will blink first?"
If we are to avoid the no-deal exit that everyone says they don't want, the paper says, then something has to give.
For the Times, we are in a stand-off and the prime minister might be hoping that Europe will blink first, but that is far from assured.
The Daily Mail warns that the Tory civil war is threatening the chances of winning concessions from Europe.
Why would the leaders of France and Germany extend an olive branch to the prime minister, knowing that members of his own party are trying to undermine him, it asks.
The "i" says that until this weekend, Mr Johnson had been sticking to his line that he wouldn't enter into talks with EU leaders until they were willing to renegotiate Theresa May's withdrawal agreement.
So what has changed?
It thinks the growing momentum for a confidence vote in the government and the increasing risk of defeat has led to a mood change in Downing Street.
In the view of the Financial Times, rather than setting undeliverable preconditions, Mr Johnson should seek modifications to the withdrawal agreement that would make it acceptable to parliament.
The father of James Bulger tells the Mirror that his son's murderer will soon be eligible for parole and free to kill again. Ralph Bulger says Jon Venables will always be a danger to children.
Venables has been sent back to jail twice since being freed after James's murder.
He's currently serving a 40-month term for possession of indecent images of children. Venables and Robert Thompson, both aged 10, kidnapped, tortured and murdered two-year-old James in Merseyside in 1993.
The Mail says it can reveal that the NHS is to withhold some funding from GP surgeries in England that close for half-days during the week without permission.
According to the paper, officials have identified more than 700 practices - a tenth of the total - that regularly close for at least four hours at a time.
It says officials estimate that if these surgeries remained open, an extra 287,000 appointments would be available every year.
Finally, research suggests that Britain is in the midst of a meetings epidemic, with the average worker now spending 26 working days stuck in them, that's up from 23 working days last year.
According to the Times, the survey of a thousand workers showed at least a third of that time is entirely wasted, with the biggest time-waster being waiting for others to arrive.
The paper says one possible explanation for the rise in meetings is Brexit planning, which is taking an increasing toll on business.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-49390863
Preparations for a potential no-deal Brexit - and the difficulties and dilemmas they involve - feature heavily in the papers and news websites. Buzzfeed News says it has learnt that British diplomats across the EU are preparing to take part in a government-wide no-deal Brexit rehearsal, called "Exercise Yellow Rehearse".
The website says it is a further indication that a no-deal departure is seen as increasingly likely - and one which would place "significant strain" on the UK's diplomatic network.
Likely or not, it is an eventuality the Freight Transport Association feels unready for, according to Politico - with the association blaming ministers for not spelling out what lies ahead.
"We're just shooting in the dark," its deputy chief executive says, "being asked to prepare for something that we don't fully understand and that the government's not prepared to share with us."
According to the Daily Express that process of sharing information with the country at large will begin in earnest in the next fortnight.
Whitehall sources tell the paper to expect a "massive publicity blitz to urge households and businesses to prepare for a no-deal Brexit." Costing £100m, it will encompass adverts on TV, radio, social media and in newspapers.
The Times, though, has learned there is anxiety in government that the campaign could have the unintended consequence of triggering a "food and fuel panic".
Officials have warned of people stockpiling vital goods, causing extreme spikes in demand followed by shortages.
A minister tells the paper: "One of the difficulties of the information campaign is that it has to get the balance right by informing people rather than frightening them."
The Daily Telegraph says a little fear is exactly what the National Crime Agency (NCA) is hoping to instil in drug dealers running so-called "county lines" operations - where gangs in big cities expand aggressively into smaller towns.
The NCA is to use unexplained wealth orders - developed to target corrupt oligarchs - against drug bosses, who are currently using online depictions of their "flashy lifestyles" to recruit pushers. Failing to explain how they pay for their lavish spending will see their property seized.
The rate of unexplained infant mortality has almost halved since records began in 2004, the Times reports. It says what used to be called cot death - a label dropped because it was considered misleading - is becoming less common because fewer pregnant women smoke, and there's greater awareness of risky practices like bed-sharing.
The Sun is one of a number of papers to focus heavily on Sir Elton John's explanation of how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex came to use his personal aircraft to fly to France.
It notes that Prince Harry and Meghan have previously made clear their concern about the environment - yet just one return trip they made to Nice generated the same CO2 emissions as using a car for a year, leading to accusations of hypocrisy.
The Duke must have forgotten about his "luxury travel arrangements" while "preaching on the dangers of carbon footprints" - the Daily Mirror says - "hopefully next time they'll think twice before hopping on a gas-guzzling private jet".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-49402446
The Sun believes the EU's immediate rejection of Boris Johnson's alternative border arrangements for Northern Ireland was as inevitable as it was depressing.
The Guardian thinks the co-ordinated response appears to close the door on meaningful Brexit negotiations re-starting.
The Financial Times reports that the stand-off fuelled expectations Britain would exit the EU on the 31 October without a deal.
True to its form, argues the Daily Mail, Brussels responded aggressively to the overtures, slamming the door in Mr Johnson's face.
The Daily Telegraph says the process of leaving will start in just 10 days time after UK diplomats were ordered to reduce contact with their EU counterparts.
The Daily Mirror sees the move as a ramping up of the government's no deal plans.
The Daily Express welcomes the decision, saying it is a sign that the new government is deadly earnest in getting us out. In short, it concludes, the EU is Britain's past and not its future.
The Times looks ahead to the prime minister's meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel - and predicts that he will tell her Parliament cannot stop a no-deal Brexit.
The online edition of the Independent talks of Mr Johnson flying to the continent, set on a collision course with EU leaders.
The Guardian feels any possibility of progress towards a new deal rests on meetings this week at the G7 summit in Biarritz.
Writing for the Spectator's website, Isabel Hardman suggests we are approaching the end of what she calls a blame game and things are heating up.
The interim report by National Grid into the power cuts which left more than a million customers without power 12 days ago is considered by the Telegraph.
In its editorial, the paper detects a sense that the entire system is always on the edge of breakdown and greater resilience is needed.
The Times worries about what it calls Britain's infrastructure crisis. That successive governments, regulators like Ofgem and private sector operators such as National Grid have done so little to avert this crisis, says the paper, is perhaps a bigger scandal than a no-deal Brexit.
The Financial Times feels the resignation of Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has deepened the political crisis in the country - leaving it searching for a new administration to deal with the faltering economy.
His decision, says the Telegraph, has plunged the country into weeks and possibly months of political uncertainty.
The i notes that the financial markets rallied after the resignation and reports that the ruling Five Star Movement might seek a pact with the centre-left Democratic Party.
Over the years bus stops have often been daubed with graffiti and vandalised, much to the disgust of those that use them.
The Daily Mirror describes how what it calls "nice vandals" turned a bus stop in the Gloucestershire village of Thrupp into a comfy den with an armchair, bookshelf and decorative placards.
The makeover included a sign, saying "we hope it makes you smile." A local businesswoman tells the paper those responsible won't come forward because it's legally vandalism - even if it is very nice vandalism.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-49415903
Ian Holloway made the bizarre claim on Sky Sports' 'The Debate' on Tuesday
The 56-year-old claimed that he hopes Brexit gets implemented quickly
He was speaking about the new handball rule, which has come in for criticism
Gabriel Jesus had a goal disallowed against Tottenham following a VAR check
Ian Holloway has made the bizarre claim that the European Union is to blame for the controversial new handball rule in the Premier League.
The new law has come in for plenty of criticism in the early weeks of the season and was particularly in the spotlight after Manchester City had a goal disallowed in injury time during their 2-2 draw at home to Tottenham.
Gabriel Jesus struck right at the death but, after celebrating wildly for a couple of minutes, it was ruled out as Aymeric Laporte was adjudged to have brushed the ball with his hand in the build up to the goal.
Before the season started, the Premier League stated: 'Any goal scored or created with the use of the hand or arm will be disallowed this season, even if it is accidental.'
After Michael Oliver originally let the goal stand, it was checked by VAR before it was eventually disallowed.
But speaking on The Debate show on Sky Sports alongside Geoff Shreeves and Kevin Phillips, Holloway suggested he wants Britain to leave the EU as soon as possible as you cannot have 'people telling us how to do our own game'.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7377245/Ian-Holloway-bizarrely-claims-EU-fault-controversial-new-handball-rule.html
Michael Gove insisted the leaked document was old, but it turns out it was written on 1 August – so how effective is this kind of spin, asks John Rentoul
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/gove-yellowhammer-spin-no-deal-brexit-a9071601.html
Corbyn says claims that leaked dossier warning of no-deal chaos is outdated ‘can’t be trusted’
Boris Johnson has dismissed calls to immediately release official assessments on the impact of a no-deal Brexit after labelling potential food and medicine shortages as just “bumps in the road”.
Speaking as he prepared to meet business leaders to discuss the potential impact of no deal, the Labour leader said: “The government’s own Operation Yellowhammer dossier makes the chaos and damage that will be caused by Boris Johnson’s no-deal Brexit crystal clear.
“If the government wants to be believed that it doesn’t represent the real impact, it must publish its most recent assessments today in full. Boris Johnson’s denials can’t be trusted, and will do nothing to give businesses or consumers any confidence that the dire state of affairs described in these documents aren’t right around the corner.
“What we know for sure is that this government is wilfully committed to a policy that the prime minister and the cabinet know will destroy jobs, push up food prices in the shops and open up our NHS to a takeover by US private companies.”
Operation Yellowhammer is the codename given to government contingency planning for a potential no-deal Brexit.
The leaked dossier on the plans warned that the UK could be faced with months of chaos following a no-deal exit, including a three-month “meltdown” at ports, a hard border in Northern Ireland, and shortages of some foods, medicines and fuel.
It said delays at ports would “affect fuel distribution” and that medical supplies would be “vulnerable to severe extended delays”. Attempts to avoid the return of a hard border in Northern Ireland were likely to prove “unsustainable”, it said.
On Monday, Mr Johnson dismissed the potential chaos. Speaking during a visit to a hospital in Cornwall, he said: “’I’m not going to suggest that there won’t be – as I said on the steps of Downing Street – there may well be bumps in the road but we will be ready to come out on 31 October, deal or no deal.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/no-deal-brexit-assessments-documents-released-government-reject-boris-johnson-jeremy-corbyn-a9070521.html
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel's challenge to Boris Johnson to come up with an alternative solution to the Irish border issue within 30 days dominates the front pages.
The Daily Express calls it "a major concession; The Sun an "opportunity."
The Daily Telegraph says it is being seen as "a victory" for Mr Johnson that could help him "fend off Tory rebels" opposed to a no-deal Brexit.
The Daily Mail welcomes what it calls "signs" that the prime minister could be "on the brink of a triumphant breakthrough".
But the Daily Mirror describes it as an "ultimatum" and says if Mr Johnson falls on his face it would serve him right for over-promising.
The Times focuses on what it calls the expected "harsher" position of President Emmanuel Macron. The paper says the French leader warned that a no-deal Brexit would be of Britain's own making and questioned whether the cost of such an exit could be offset by a trade deal with the US.
The Financial Times quotes the head of the German parliament's foreign affairs committee, who says Mr Johnson had taken the trip only to show UK voters he had tried everything, so he could then blame EU intransigence.
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The Times reports that the prime minister's senior aide, Dominic Cummings, called HS2 a "disaster zone," days before it was announced the rail project was to be reviewed.
The paper's editorial says cancelling the project "could be an easy win", given opposition to the scheme among Conservatives but cautions that there is a case for spending on infrastructure.
The Financial Times reveals that experts from within the rail industry doubt the plans will be scrapped but rather tweaked to place more focus on efforts to improve links to northern cities.
There is a warning in the Telegraph that nearly two million pensioners are being put at risk after being prescribed lethal cocktails of drugs. The paper says it is causing a rise in emergency hospital admissions.
According to the Express one-in-50 cases recently have proved fatal.
The Royal College of GPs explains in the Mail that many older people live with multiple and complex conditions.
The Mirror and the Times warn that sitting down for more than nine hours a day increases your risk of dying early.
The Mail and the Guardian advise, after examining the same study from Norway, that dusting or washing the dishes can add years to your life.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-49429451
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Examining Boris Johnson's meeting with President Macron, the Daily Mail asks, is this "Le Breakthrough"?
The Daily Express pictures Mr Johnson with his arms raised, which it dubs a "Brexit victory salute". The Times suggests the prime minister was offered "new hope", but cautions in its editorial that he won't be taken seriously if EU leaders think he could be forced out by MPs.
The Daily Telegraph says that ministers have been ordered to "turbocharge" work on finding a new solution to the Irish border.
The Daily Mirror suggests Mr Johnson was "rebuffed". The i newspaper said he faced "French resistance", while the Financial Times that hopes of a Brexit deal were dashed.
The Guardian urges MPs to make "difficult compromises" to avoid a no deal.
The i highlights what it calls "the tricky diplomatic test" Mr Macron faces at it hosts this weekend's G7 meeting in Biarritz.
The Washington Post likens the gathering to a family holiday where the main goal is "to minimize the chances that President Trump will blow it up". The US paper says Mr Trump has complained repeatedly about having to attend and sees his meeting with Boris Johnson as the only bright spot.
The Financial Times urges the G7 to forget the official agenda and focus on the big issues of the moment, such as Brexit.
A Brazilian journalist based in the Amazon, Eliane Brum, makes an impassioned plea in the Guardian for the rest of the world to act to try stop the fires and deforestation. She says the trees covering an area the size of greater London were destroyed in three weeks in July.
The Times says street protests are planned for this weekend in 11 Brazilian cities. Writing in the FT, an economics professor says the solution is for the the EU to ratify trade deals only if conservation policies are reintroduced.
The EU is examining ways to impose strict limits on the use of facial recognition technology in public places, according to the Financial Times. It wants to give citizens rights over the use of data collected in this way and, the paper says, to set a world standard on artificial intelligence rules.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-49443132
The record number of forest fires in the Amazon features on many of the front pages of Saturday's newspapers.
"World demands Brazil acts as Amazon burns," is the headline of the Guardian.
The paper's comment section believes French President Emmanuel Macron is right to be making the issue of the wildfires a priority at the G7 summit in Biarritz - but it's pessimistic that meaningful action will be taken.
For that to happen, it believes Mr Macron would need what it calls a "buy-in" from President Trump. It concludes that "he is not going to get it from the world's most powerful climate science denier".
The comment section of the i newspaper asks what people in the UK who are angered by the situation in Brazil can actually do about it.
A boycott of Amazon beef is not necessarily realistic, it believes, because the government is considering introducing non-tariff quotas of Brazilian meat, as a possible way of maintaining supplies after Brexit.
Johnson's G7 debut
The Daily Telegraph says the prime minister will tell the US president, at the G7 summit this weekend, that any post-Brexit trade deal won't involve giving American companies carte blanche access to the NHS, or easing animal welfare standards.
"It's the age-old problem," says the paper's leader. "Trying to do business with America, while acknowledging disagreement with a particular administration."
But it believes the two men "ought to get on famously".
The Times is less optimistic.
Its opinion column says: "There is minimal prospect that, however hard he tried to use charm, Mr Johnson can prepare the ground for a successful bilateral trade deal with the US after Brexit."
And it points out that no British prime minister has succeeded in acting as a diplomatic bridge between the White House and other allies.
The opinion column in the Daily Mail sets the scene for what it calls "a high-stakes game for Boris the gambler".
It describes Biarritz as the chic seaside resort which was "once the playground of the English upper classes - who flocked to its famed casino to try their luck".
The Mail believes that, whether or not the gamble pays off, "at least there's a sense that someone is at least injecting some urgency into the previously moribund Brexit debate".
No-deal warning
A group of 25 former senior UK diplomats, including several who were ambassadors, have written to the Times, warning against a no-deal Brexit.
Their letter argues that leaving the EU without an agreement would represent "the biggest unilateral abandonment" of British interests in modern history.
It urges Prime Minister Boris Johnson to "signal a different approach" at the G7 meeting.
Concerns are expressed in the Financial Times that an iPhone app to help EU citizens in the UK secure residency rights after Brexit will not be ready by the end of October, when Britain is due to leave.
The uncertainty, it says, potentially affects hundreds of thousands of people, who will either have to use the Android app or make a postal application.
'Ashes to ashes'
Most of the back pages go for the jugular when it comes to England's batting collapse, in the third test at Headingley yesterday.
The Sun's headline is "Ashes up in smoke". "Sixty-seven all out, pathetic, mindless, abysmal" is the verdict.
"Ashes to ashes" is how the the Telegraph sums it up.
It has a column by the former England batsman, Geoffrey Boycott, in which he says the home team "batted without any brains and threw away the Ashes".
The Daily Mail's chief sports writer, Martin Samuel, asks whether it could have been worse.
"Well," he answers, "England could inadvertently have raised the dead perhaps, or unearthed a long-buried curse." But in cricket terms, he concludes, it couldn't.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-49455273
Sunday's papers preview a busy day for Boris Johnson at the G7 summit in southern France.
The Sunday Telegraph and Daily Express focus on the prime minister's breakfast meeting with US President Donald Trump, at which talks are expected to revolve around the potential for a trade deal once the UK has left the EU.
Others look ahead to Mr Johnson's meeting with European Council President Donald Tusk, suggesting the PM will threaten to withhold £30bn of the "divorce bill" the UK had agreed to pay if he cannot secure a fresh Brexit deal with Brussels.
The Sunday Times says he ordered government lawyers to calculate how much of the £39bn the UK was legally obliged to pay, with that figure as low as £7bn.
The Observer takes a slightly different tack on Brexit, saying it has seen a leaked email suggesting Mr Johnson sought legal advice on whether Parliament could be shut down for five weeks from 9 September.
It says the email from senior government advisers to a No 10 official was written within the last 10 days - and indicates that shutting down Parliament may well be possible, unless court action to block such a move succeeds in the meantime.
However, a Downing Street spokesman has told the BBC: "The claim that the government is considering proroguing Parliament in September in order to stop MPs debating Brexit is entirely false."
Downing Street appears to be looking at another plan to stop MPs from blocking a no-deal Brexit.
According to the Sunday Times, No 10 has "war-gamed" holding an election on 17 October - the same day EU leaders meet to discuss whether to give Britain a new agreement.
It would be preceded by an emergency Budget, in which fuel duty would be cut for the first time in eight years. The Mail on Sunday says the plan involves first deliberately losing a no-confidence vote that the Tories would engineer themselves.
According to the paper, the Conservatives want to be able to say that the election was forced on them by Labour - but the prime minister's inner circle suspect Jeremy Corbyn could back out of a no-confidence vote because he no longer has the numbers to win it.
'Unvarnished truth'
Prince Andrew's statement about his friendship with the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, leaves few of his critics satisfied.
The Sun dismisses it as pompous, nonsensical rambling. If he thinks it will "end questioning over his relationship with a paedophile, he better think again", the paper declares.
The royal author, Angela Levin, writes in the Mail on Sunday that Prince Andrew's sympathy isn't going to help any of the young girls that Epstein abused to get justice.
She calls on him to tell the "unvarnished truth" about what he knows.
Not so smart?
Finally, it seems householders have been experiencing problems with the newer versions of smart meters that tell you how much gas and electricity you have used.
According to the Sunday Telegraph, several suppliers have begun receiving reports that they often display bizarre and inaccurate readings, causing some customers anxiety and frustration.
One customer was baffled when his device told him he had used £46 in a day, despite his direct debit being set at £40 a month.
The paper says the head of smart meters at one of the Big Six suppliers recently told a meeting that his home display switches off when he turns on his dishwasher.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-49463073
'Plenty of noise'
The Times highlights Mr Johnson's remark in Biarritz that Britain could "easily" cope with the consequences of leaving the EU without a deal.
The paper says talks with the European Council President Donald Tusk failed to yield a significant breakthrough, with EU officials warning afterwards it's "squarely and firmly" up to the UK to find a solution to the Irish border issue.
The website Politico says the prime minister made plenty of noise in southern France but his bark proved worse than his bite.
It says the question of whether or not Britain would pay the Brexit divorce bill in full didn't even come up in the discussions. Meanwhile, Donald Trump "barely seemed to notice" Mr Johnson's intervention on the US-China trade war, it says.
There's plenty of analysis of the prime minister's first meeting with the US president, with the Guardian describing them "joshing and joking" before breakfast.
The Daily Mirror says they "began a bromance" but cautions that you can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep.
For the Daily Mail, Mr Johnson showed he was "no poodle" - unlike Tony Blair - when he pressed the president for concessions in a post-Brexit trade deal.
The Daily Express and the Daily Mirror lead on the prime minister's call for the BBC to "cough up", and fund free television licences for all over-75s. A Downing Street source tells the Express the PM feels "very strongly about" the matter and isn't about to let the BBC "off the hook".
The Mirror notes that Mr Johnson made his demand despite finding billions to plan for the "chaos" of a likely no-deal Brexit.
Cancelled NHS appointments
There's been a sharp rise in the number of patients whose hospital appointments are repeatedly cancelled, according to the Daily Telegraph, which says it has left some people waiting years to see a doctor.
Figures obtained by the paper - from about half the NHS trusts in England - show that between 2016 and 2019, the number of patients with five or more cancelled appointments tripled to more than 13,000.
Weather bomb?
Finally, the US website Axios reports that President Trump has repeatedly suggested dropping nuclear bombs on hurricanes to prevent them reaching the United States.
A source describes how in a White House meeting Mr Trump said "I got it, I got it - why don't we nuke them?" A different official defends the president, saying "his objective is not bad".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-49469105
The Times leads with a warning to the Archbishop of Canterbury not to interfere with the political process of Brexit.
It reports that the Most Rev Justin Welby is in talks with a cross-party group of MPs to chair a series of public meetings to discuss alternatives to leaving the EU without a deal.
The prominent Brexiteer Iain Duncan Smith tells the paper the archbishop's involvement is "deeply inappropriate" and "designed to destabilise Boris Johnson's position".
Several senior clergymen disagree, saying the results could bring reconciliation at a time of national emergency.
The Guardian's top story is also Brexit-related. It reports that a legal document prepared for the Labour party concludes that Boris Johnson would be committing the "gravest abuse of power" if he shut down Parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit.
The shadow attorney general, Shami Chakrabarti, sets out how such a move by the PM would be open to an immediate legal challenge.
The Daily Telegraph shows a smiling prime minister at the G7 summit with his thumb up - which it interprets as a sign of optimism for a deal.
The paper says Mr Johnson is sending his chief Brexit adviser to Brussels tomorrow to discuss alternatives to Theresa May's plan, saying the EU wants to "get things done".
In its editorial the Telegraph says Mr Johnson's charm offensive at the G7 has shown the EU "he is a reasonable man", but one who is serious about leaving on 31 October.
'Packing Parliament'
The Times says negotiator David Frost is known as Number 10's Brexit "sherpa". An unnamed source tells the paper he's been holding "intense talks with his EU counterparts for the past month.
The i newspaper reports that Mr Johnson is planning to nominate Brexit supporters for the House of Lords, because of what he sees as a "pro-Remain" bias.
The Daily Express says "dozens" of people it describes as "Brexit Heroes" will be ennobled, suggesting they will include business people who bankrolled the Vote Leave campaign.
It mentions one possible candidate as the Wetherspoons pub boss, Tim Martin.
The Daily Mirror editorial is scathing about such a move by the PM. It says "packing parliament with unelected Tory crony Brexit peers", while sidelining elected MPs, would be "the authoritarian arrogance of a tin-pot dictator".
The culture secretary, Nicky Morgan, has used The Daily Telegraph to announce a series of changes to planning laws aimed at improving the network coverage for the latest 5G mobile technology.
She says rural areas will be a priority, with bigger and taller phone masts being allowed to improve connectivity.
Ms Morgan accepts there maybe complaints about "eyesore" masts in beauty spots, but pledges there will be environmental safeguards as better mobile coverage is brought to towns and villages.
Foreign visitors have left the NHS with unpaid bills amounting to £150m, according to the Daily Mail.
Its figures come from a freedom of information request, and the paper says the amount is equivalent to paying 6,000 nurses.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-49478077
What happens next?
The Clock is ticking.
There are rumours that Boris may attempt to suspend Parliament for 5 weeks in order to enable him to get a no deal through without any opposition. Many would see this as completely undemocratic, and face much opposition in Parliament.
There is talk of a General Election in mid October. The down side to this, as far as the Tories are concerned, is that if the election took place prior to leaving the EU, then the Brexit Party will be a factor.
Delaying an election until November has been suggested as a better option. The Brexit Party would surely be dead and buried as far as an election is concerned, if we had completely left the EU, and massively enhance the Tory chances of winning with a decent majority.
However, an election in early November amidst the no deal chaos that is likely to be occurring would surely sink the Tories.
The Tories winning with a reasonable majority would make the DUP irrelevant.
Boris has called on the EU to bin the backstop, yet according to Mark Francois there are 60 Tories that are ERG members that would vote against the Withdrawal Agreement, even if the backstop was removed.
Parliament will try to stop a no deal going through. Although it seems unclear whether they will be successful in this.
Jeremy Corbyn seems to be a factor in whether a vote of no confidence could be successful, and a Government of National Unity that would follow. It seems that many politicians prefer the chaos of a no deal Brexit, to the disaster that would be a Jeremy Corbyn Prime Minister.
I think that a more sensible Labour leader would make Boris losing a no confidence vote, a formality.
A more trusted Labour leader would have made uniting the opposition parties much easier, and stopping a no deal more straightforward.
It is really difficult to see a decent Tory majority in an election where the Brexit Party is a factor, or where the chaos of a no deal Brexit is in full swing.
It is difficult to see that any other Labour MP as leader could be doing worse in the polls than Jeremy Corbyn, despite the Tories continued incompetence over Brexit.
I would defy anyone to confidently predict what happens next.
The backstop is blamed by many as the reason that the Withdrawal Agreement cant get through Parliament. Yet this really defies logic.
Everyone agrees that both sides are better off with a deal. So you would think that it would follow that reaching a deal would be just a matter of time.
It was agreed that on leaving there would be a 21 month implementation period, where nothing would change, providing certainty for businesses.
At the end of this period, if no deal had been finalised, then the backstop would come into play. The backstop would end as soon as a deal was reached.
So those that maintain that we could be stuck in the backstop forever are being disingenuous. For this to occur would require us to never reach a deal, and completely fail to implement a plan b.
I am certain that any future Government would seek an alternative, rather than continuing to negotiate forever.
The EU have already agreed that if technological solutions that aren't available now, could be found, then they could replace the backstop.
Is it therefore possible, that a deal could never be negotiated, or that technological solutions could never be found, resulting in the backstop lasting forever?
The basis of our future trading has already been agreed, and is part of the WA.
So the likelihood of us being stuck in the backstop forever is about as likely as me getting struck by lightning today.
Under normal circumstances leaving the EU would have meant a hard border in Ireland. Two different customs territories with no border between them doesnt exist anywhere else in the world, for obvious reasons.
A border is meant to protect both sides. The integrity of the EU Single Market on one side, as well as standards, smuggling etc, on the other.
What is the point of ending Freedom of Movement, imposing tariffs, and having no border checks, thereby encouraging smuggling, and illegal immigration?
Consider the Good Friday Agreement, and a hard border on the island of Ireland is not possible.
The obvious solution then becomes a border in the Irish Sea.
This solution was not acceptable to the DUP, as they maintain that they will not accept being treated differently to the rest of the UK. When in truth they already are. Some additional checks are required for Norther Ireland, that currently take place on ferries.
Leaving the EU would mean that the number of additional checks would increase, but could still be carried out on ferries.
The original backstop only included NI, and unacceptable to the DUP.
The revised backstop included the whole of the UK.
Most experts agree that the possible technological solutions do not yet exist, and are not in operation anywhere in the world.
It currently seems impossible to avoid a hard border, and treat the whole of the UK in the same way.
The DUP are constantly decrying the backstop, but never suggest an alternative.
Boris led the leave campaign. So what was his Irish border plan during the referendum campaign?
He is still unable to suggest a viable solution.
Despite the claims of many politicians to the contrary, the EU have bent over backwards to agree a solution to this problem. Whereas our politicians can only criticise all the possible solutions, without suggesting any viable alternatives.
The EU have agreed the backstop could be replaced by technology, as and when it becomes available.
The control of immigration played an important part in the vote leave campaign.
Although this topic seems to have declined in importance for many people since the referendum, but was influenced by the rhetoric of many leave supporting politicians, particularly Nigel Farage, his poster campaign, and his comments regarding Romanians moving in next door.
Boris and the invading 17 million Turks, also contributed.
However, I wonder how many people would voted in this way if they were fully aware of the post Brexit plan?
The fact that the plan was to allow the other 26 EU members to continue with Freedom of Movement into Ireland, and subsequently allow them to stroll over the border, unchecked into the UK, would have influenced as many people to vote to leave.
Vote leave taking back control meant no control whatsoever, and taking back control of our borders meant not having any.
A brilliant plan.