The Sun is one of several papers to report that under-16s could have their access to social media blocked, under proposals being considered by Rishi Sunak.
It says ministers are considering how to tackle the potential harms to children from social networks such as Instagram and TikTok. A report by Bloomberg said a possible ban was being considered, and the Daily Star calls the idea “drastic”.
The Daily Telegraph says plans for restrictions are at an early stage, but quotes a government source as saying ministers are looking for “ways to empower parents”.
The headline in the i says the opening of talks about EU membership is a “victory” for Ukraine. The Times reports that Ukraine is now “on a path” to joining, after a “significant shift” by Hungary, but also says there is a question mark about how serious the EU is about membership.
The paper calls the offer of talks “tactical”. The Sun’s editorial urges western nations to keep faith with Ukraine. The Guardian leads with a report from Avdiivka, close to the front line in Ukraine, with grim descriptions of the battles being fought as diplomats discuss money. “We have enough to defend from attack”, says one Ukrainian commander there, “But if the Russians keep coming, we are going to need an awful lot more.”
The Times accuses tobacco companies of a “secretive” lobbying campaign to boost sales of e-cigarettes, saying firms have funded scientific papers on vaping which play down the risks to children.
It says its investigation has found that research funded by tobacco money has then been put forward as evidence by supposedly independent campaign groups, who are also funded by the firms.
The government is consulting on how to tackle the rise in youth vaping, including new taxes or potentially restricting sales of disposable e-cigarettes, and the Times says the companies want to block the measures. One firm, Philip Morris, tells the paper that the best option is never to start smoking but that it was important to offer people less harmful ways to consume nicotine.
Several papers report the arrests made yesterday in Germany and the Netherlands in connection with what the Guardian calls a “Hamas terror plot”.
Prosecutors say the plan was to attack Jewish institutions. The Telegraph quotes a spokesman for the Community Security Trust – which protects Jewish communities in the UK – as saying it would be “extremely concerning” if Hamas was changing its policy and was now planning attacks outside the Middle East.
The Daily Mail criticises the Bank of England for “looking backwards”, after it left interest rates on hold and ruled out any imminent cuts. It says the Bank is over-correcting, after letting inflation run so high in the past two years.
The Times notes that financial markets still expect borrowing costs to drop next year, despite the insistence that rates would be high for an “extended period”. The i puts the issue on its front page again, warning of families being squeezed. Its columnist Ros Altmann says the Bank’s decision was a “missed opportunity” and says that the sooner it signals a rate cut, the sooner confidence can return to the markets and the economy.
