

Top story: Three days of ‘compromise’ talks kick off

Tory Brexiters and Remainers come together today in the first meeting of a new working group aimed at examining whether technological solutions can eliminate the backstop. The “Malthouse compromise” – named after the junior minister, Kit Malthouse, who brokered it – is a proposal to replace the unpopular backstop with alternative technological arrangements to prevent the return of a hard border with Ireland. Steve Baker, vice chair of the European Research Group, has indicated the only acceptable way to move forward is to remove the backstop. “As far as I’m concerned the Malthouse compromise is the only game in town if we’re going to reach an agreement in Brussels,” Baker said.

The three days of talks trying to find a compromise come in the wake of the carmaker Nissan confirming it would not build the new, flagship X-Trail vehicle in the UK, saying the uncertainty was affecting businesses. The Japanese car manufacturer announced in 2016 it would make the new version of the X-Trail SUV at the factory in north-east England after receiving assurances about Brexit from the government, but on Sunday it said it would be produced in Japan.

Cystic fibrosis drug – Campaigners are calling on the government to urgently intervene over the cost of Orkambi, a drug that can extend the lives of thousands of children with cystic fibrosis, but which manufacturers have set at £105,000 per patient per year ... a price the NHS can’t afford. Ministers are being urged to revoke the patent on the drug. Negotiations over the price have been in stalemate since July, when Vertex, the Boston-based pharma company that makes it turned down the NHS offer in July of £500m over five years for access to Orkambi and other drugs.

Emiliano Sala – The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch is expected to make a statement today after the wreckage of the plane that was carrying the Premier League footballer was located on Sunday morning. The find comes after a search boat was hired privately by Sala’s Argentinian family – thanks partly to a crowdfunding appeal. The crew passed the details of the location to government investigators, who used a remotely operated underwater vehicle to examine the spot. There was no immediate official confirmation of what was found but the shipwreck specialist leading the private investigation, David Mearns, said the plane had been discovered.

Hermes offers better rights – The courier company is to offer drivers guaranteed minimum wages and holiday pay, in the first UK deal to provide trade union recognition for gig economy workers. Under the agreement with the GMB union, Hermes’ 15,000 drivers will continue to be self-employed but can opt into contracts with better rights. It comes after almost 200 of the company’s couriers won the right to be recognised as “workers” at an employment tribunal last summer.

‘Stained with blood’ – Venezuela’s embattled president, Nicolás Maduro, has warned Donald Trump against pursuing what he called a “dirty” imperialist conspiracy to overthrow him. “Stop. Stop, Trump! Hold it right there! You are making mistakes that will leave your hands covered in blood and you will leave the presidency stained with blood,” Maduro warned during a combative TV interview. “Or is it that you are going to repeat a Vietnam in Latin America?” he asked. In the interview he also rejected European calls for elections, saying: “We don’t accept ultimatums from anyone.”

Play Video 1:23 Venezuela's Maduro 'leaves voicemail' for rival Guaidó – video

Super Bowl fails to score – Once again the New England Patriots were crowned Super Bowl champions overnight, beating the LA Rams 13-3. During the low-scoring, uninspiring affair many were hoping the half-time show would save the day. Often known for its razzamatazz and controversy, particularly in the year of Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction”, there was little to redeem the pyrotechnic-laden performance despite another bare chest – from Maroon 5’s lead singer, Adam Levine. As Jake Nevins writes Levine’s nipples and tattoos were a last-ditch attempt at impact after several minutes of unenthusiastic guitar-strumming and hip-gyrating. It surely must have elicited an eye-roll from Jackson who was crucified for her nipple-gate the event 15 years ago.

Today in Focus podcast: Hungary, populism and my Orbán-voting father

The Guardian’s John Domokos reveals what he learned on a road trip through Hungary with his Viktor Orbán-supporting father. Plus: how one woman is campaigning to prevent her frozen eggs being destroyed.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán attends the weekly government news conference in Budapest. Photograph: Bernadett Szabó/Reuters

Lunchtime read: Why ‘likability’ hangs over female candidates for 2020

As a record number of Democratic women seek America’s highest office – and look to limit Donald Trump’s presidency to a single term – familiar patterns have emerged in the narratives that surround them. When Elizabeth Warren declared her intention to run for president in the 2020 US election, a debate swiftly followed over whether the Democratic Massachusetts senator could pass a “likability test”. New York senator Kirsten Gillibrand was asked by a reporter if she was perhaps too “nice” to take on Trump. And California senator Kamala Harris faced scrutiny in right-wing media about her dating history.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest After Elizabeth Warren announced her presidential run, a debate followed over whether she could pass a ‘likability test’. Photograph: Thais Llorca/EPA

Research published after the 2016 election examined the role of gender in the campaign. It found voters may be less likely to expect honesty and ethical behaviour from men than from women. “As a result, it is entirely possible that women candidates might be held to higher standards than men,” it found. But, as Sabrina Siddiqui writes, the record number of women elected to Congress in the 2018 midterms, dubbed the “year of the woman”, may partly have come from a backlash against Hillary Clinton’s experience where her honesty and likability were held to a different standard than her male counterparts.

Sport

England are sweating on the fitness of Maro Itoje amid concerns he could be ruled out for the rest of the Six Nations tournament, after he limped out of the encouraging win over Ireland. Gregor Townsend believes Scotland will have to improve “probably everything” about their game if they are to beat Ireland on Saturday, despite the panache with which they played for large stretches of their 33-20 win over Italy.

A hat-trick from Sergio Agüero in a 3-1 win over Arsenal saw Manchester City reduce Liverpool’s lead at the top of the Premier League to two points, while a smartly taken goal from Marcus Rashford was enough to return Manchester United to winning ways with a 1-0 victory over Leicester City.

Trevor Bayliss has held a crisis meeting with his England players after a defeat by West Indies that he described as a “shock to the system”.

And the refugee footballer Hakeem al-Araibi faces another 60 days in a Thai jail while he prepares a defence against an attempt to extradite him back to Bahrain.

Business

Mike Ashley might have some competition to buy HMV after it emerged that a Canadian music store owner is interested in acquiring the failed chain. Doug Putnam’s Sunrise Records took over 70 HMV stores in his home country when they went bust in 2017 and he has grown the chain on the back of renewed interest in vinyl.

The markets were subdued in Asia overnight despite strong US jobs figures on Friday. The FTSE100 is set to open flat later while the pound is sitting on $1.307 and €1.142.

The papers

There’s a range of leads in the papers to kick off the week. The Guardian and and the i both focus on calls for the government to act on the cost of a cystic fibrosis drug. “Ministers urged to intervene over ‘unaffordable’ cystic fibrosis drug” is the Guardian’s headline. The i has “NHS drugs scandal stops treatment for cystic fibrosis”.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Photograph: THE GUARDIAN

The FT and the Times both lead on Nissan’s plans to abandon the building of a new model of one of its flagship vehicles in Sunderland. The FT has: “Nissan retreat is warning sign of no-deal Brexit damage, May told”. The Times’s headline says “Nissan faces losing May’s €60m Brexit sweetener”. The Express also splashes on Brexit: “Crunch summit to save Brexit”, reporting the PM will bring key Tory Brexiters and Remainers together for crisis talks.

The rest of the papers go their own way. The Telegraph has: “Women ‘must not see profit as vulgar’”, saying women entrepreneurs are ‘losing funding as they are too squeamish about money”. The Mirror splashes on “Betrayed: [Gordon] Brown’s fury at BBC bid to axe free TV licence for OAPs as he accuses Tories of shameful lie”. The Mail has: “Dementia patients to be tracked by smart meters”. And the Sun has: “Ant they called it puppy love”, with a big picture of Ant McPartlin and two new dogs he bought “to help with his fresh start”.

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