Newspaper headlines: Is PM 'in retreat' or preparing a 'cunning plan'? By BBC News

Staff Published duration 9 September 2019

image copyright Getty Images image caption Some MPs are said to be urging Boris Johnson to break the law

The Times suggests Boris Johnson has assured cabinet ministers that he will seek a further delay to Brexit from the EU if the courts order him to abide by legislation designed to block a no-deal exit.

The paper says the prime minister's "private climbdown" follows warnings by senior colleagues "that their positions would be untenable if he flouted a Supreme Court ruling ordering him to accept an extension".

BuzzFeed, however, publishes what appear to be leaked messages from a Conservative MPs' WhatsApp group, which show that some are "urging Boris Johnson to break the law" so he can deliver Brexit.

The website says two MPs suggested the prime minister should ignore the legislation.

It says they were warned by the Justice Secretary, Robert Buckland, that "the government observes the rule of law at all times and for all seasons".

The Daily Express columnist Leo McKinstry warns Mr Johnson that "a deal rather than judicial defiance" is needed.

"Ignoring the law is the stuff of despots and revolutionaries," he writes, adding that it would "make a mockery of a Brexit which is meant to bring back parliamentary sovereignty."

'Obsessed' with criticism

Several papers carry the revelation by the Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson, made in an upcoming BBC One documentary, that she tried to kill herself because of relentless trolling on Twitter.

It's the lead story in the Sun , which says she took an overdose of pills because she "couldn't take the pain any more" of being "known as the fat, ugly one" in the girl group.

It shows screenshots of some of the abuse she received about her appearance.

The Guardian adds that she became "obsessed" with searching out online criticism , until she was advised to delete the Twitter app from her phone.

A so-called health tourist who received care from the NHS is said by the Sun to have left behind a record unpaid bill of more than £600,000

It says the patient was treated at Mid Essex NHS Trust, but it's not known what for.

The Daily Telegraph says the Royal College of Midwives wants maternity care for migrants to be exempt from charges , warning that some pregnant women are delaying seeking help because they fear the costs.

Midwives say they feel like they are "working for the Home Office" in having to decide who is eligible for treatment.

Children vaping

Also in the Daily Telegraph is a study which has found that scientists have uncovered "worrying" levels of heart damage linked to e-cigarettes

The scientists found vaping increased heart rate, blood pressure, and the risk of plaque in the arteries.

They say Public Health England should stop recommending that smokers switch to vaping.

Schools are said to be urging parents to be alert to the signs that their children may be vaping , according to the Times.

Head teachers say the devices have slick designs and fruity flavours that appeal to teenagers and are marketed on social media sites that adults don't use.

The Guardian reveals that a group of GPs has written to the government to call for children who haven't received the MMR vaccine to be denied a school place.

The doctors, said to include a former government adviser on health policy, want the UK to follow other countries in making certificates of vaccination a requirement of school entry.

Research published in the Financial Times has found that almost 40% of foreign investment worldwide is designed to minimise multinationals' tax bills , rather than for genuine business activity.

Nearly half the assets are said to be held in Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

And the Australian press are jubilant about their side retaining the Ashes at Old Trafford.

image copyright Getty Images image caption Australians were jubilant after retaining the Ashes

It says they have assured Tim Paine's legacy as Test captain, "after he achieved what higher-profile predecessors Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke failed to do".

The Sydney Morning Herald says England were "blown to Smithereens" , describing how, "for the second time in two days", it was Steve Smith who "engineered England's disintegration".

Back home, by contrast, the back page of the Daily Telegraph describes England as "outfought, out-thought, outclassed".

Jonathan Liew on the Independent website says "England dared to dream but ultimately came up short".

And the Metro employs the headline "no more miracles" alongside an image of the "third-Test hero" Ben Stokes looking to the heavens following his dismissal.

Two papers offer good deals for transport enthusiasts. The Daily Mirror features a Mini that has sat in a garage ever since its owner failed her driving test more than half a century ago.

With just 27 miles on the clock, the car is expected to be sold for tens of thousands of pounds.

And anyone who harboured dreams of being a train driver could have their own private railway in Hampshire for £60,000