Newspaper headlines: Javid 'confronting' PM leads front pages By BBC News

Staff Published duration 31 August 2019

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Alleged friction at the highest levels of government over the sacking of a special adviser to the chancellor is the lead on several front pages.

The Guardian talks of a "furious" Sajid Javid confronting Boris Johnson over the fate of Sonia Khan, amid claims that a "deep culture of fear" has taken hold within government.

The Times says Mr Javid is understood to have told the prime minister he wants Ms Khan reinstated and quotes an unnamed source as saying that he "does not consider the matter closed".

There is considerable focus on the man said to have sacked Ms Khan - Boris Johnson's most senior aide, Dominic Cummings, who is said to hold more sway than most cabinet members, according to the Times.

The Daily Telegraph leads on suggestions that the EU is preparing to extend Article 50 to prevent a no-deal Brexit.

It says Eurosceptics see it as a sign that "Brussels is starting to crack, under pressure from Boris Johnson".

A Survation poll for the paper suggests the Tories have opened up a seven point lead over Labour - nearly double the gap three weeks ago.

The Independent says fresh doubts have been cast over the prime minister's commitment to securing a deal, after the government said it would not delay the UK's departure - even to give Parliament time to approve a new agreement.

Meanwhile, the Sun says it can reveal that Tory MPs who vote to block a no-deal Brexit will be sacked from the party.

Mr Johnson, it says, will treat next week's Commons votes like "no confidence votes" and bar Remainer rebels from standing at the next general election.

As Florida braces itself for hurricane Dorian, the Washington Post considers the various permutations.

Unless Dorian follows a track well offshore, it says, the storm has the potential to unleash catastrophic winds, exceptional rain and a life-threatening storm surge - exacerbated by "naturally occurring astronomical high tides".

And Dorian could take more than two days, the paper says, to "spread its wrath ashore" and then "crawl up the peninsula".

Dr Stephen Strader, from Villanova University, says: "Over the past 167 years, 40% of all hurricanes that scored direct hits on the United States struck Florida - so it shouldn't be surprising that Dorian has drawn a bead on Florida's east coast."

"And over the last 20 years," he adds, "nearly eight million people have moved towards the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coastlines, placing themselves in harm's way."

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Finally, according to the Daily Mirror, same-sex couples will be allowed to compete on Strictly Come Dancing from next year.

"Bosses have changed the rules," the paper says, "to reflect modern Britain."