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Foreign workers drive and Lilibet becomes princess

BBC NewsStaff

A variety of stories lead Thursday's papers. The i reports that government plans to stop anyone arriving in the UK illegally from claiming asylum "risks Brexit peace with Europe". The paper says tensions with Brussels have eased since Prime Minister Rishi Sunak struck a deal on the flow of goods to Northern Ireland last month, but that senior politicians in Europe fear the UK is "prioritising domestic politics over human rights".

The headline in the Express reads: "Rishi's victory: Deal with French to fix boats crisis"
The Daily Express has a different angle on the same story. The paper says that a charm offensive by Mr Sunak has persuaded French President Emmanuel Macron to co-operate on a deal to bolster patrols on the beaches of northern France.
The headline in the Mirror reads: "Lineker: I will never be silenced"
Gary Lineker has vowed he will "never be silenced" or stop speaking up for the rights of refugees, the Daily Mirror reports. The BBC said on Tuesday the Match of the Day host would be "spoken to" about impartiality following a tweet in which he said the government's asylum policy had been expressed in language "not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s". The Mirror points out the row comes not long after it emerged that BBC chairman Richard Sharp had helped former Prime Minister Boris Johnson secure an £800,000 loan.
The headline in the Mail reads: "Is Lineker about to get boot from BBC?"
The Daily Mail claims that BBC bosses are "wrestling with what to do about Lineker" after he refused to withdraw the comments and that his future at the corporation is "hanging in the balance".
The headline in the Financial Times reads: "Drive to increase overseas worker numbers to begin with construction"
The Financial Times reports that, in the same week the government set out its new migration policy, ministers have also been making plans to boost growth by welcoming more overseas workers. It says officials have acknowledged that tackling inactivity in the workforce will not be enough to fill the UK's 1.2 million job vacancies, and that the drive will begin with a focus on the construction sector.
The headline in the Telegraph reads: "Hancock's Chinese lab leak claims censored".
Early drafts of a book about the pandemic by former Health Secretary Matt Hancock cast doubt on the Chinese government's official account about the origins of Covid-19, the Daily Telegraph reports. The paper says Mr Hancock initially said the Chinese explanation - it was coincidence that the virus was first detected close to a government lab - "just doesn't fly" but was told by the Cabinet Office the comment risked "damaging national security".
The headline in the Times reads: "Weight-loss drugs could help to trim benefits bill"
Up to 12 million people could be offered new weight-loss drugs as part of an initiative to tackle obesity rates, the Times reports. The paper says increasing numbers of appetite-suppressing medicines are likely to be approved soon, and that officials hope to persuade the Treasury that funding the drugs would deliver savings elsewhere because they could help people with obesity-related illnesses get back to work.
The headline in the Metro reads: "Our little princess"
The Metro reports that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's 21-month-old daughter has been christened as Princess Lilibet and she is now the "world's newest royal". The paper says the King, Queen Consort, and the Prince and Princess of Wales all turned down invitations to the christening but that the offer has "raised hopes of a royal reconciliation".
The headline in the Star reads: "Potty-mouthed parrot causes chaos in boozer"
And the Daily Star says a "potty-mouthed parrot" has been banned from watching television after learning swear words from action films and shouting them at pub customers. The headline reads: "Who's a pretty naughty boy, then?"