The Papers: Benefits 'backtrack' and smacking 'could be criminal'

Several Sunday newspapers led with reports that the government is reconsidering plans to freeze some disability benefits, due to concerns raised by MPs within the government itself. *The Sunday Telegraph* stated that ministers are "preparing to dilute welfare cuts to avert internal rebellion." *The Observer's* headline read "Prime Minister considers policy U-turn," signaling a potential shift in the government's approach.

According to *The Sunday Times*, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Liz Kendall, is attempting to offer opponents what the paper called an "olive branch," insisting that those unable to work "will be protected." Writing in *The Telegraph*, Health Secretary Wes Streeting stated that last week's announcement regarding the abolition of NHS England marked the "start, not the end" of cutting back arms-length bodies within healthcare. This indicates a broader strategy of streamlining the health service.

Streeting also told the paper that his team is reviewing budgets line by line and is "relentlessly focused on cutting back bloated bureaucracy." Most papers reported on Sir Keir Starmer's latest diplomatic efforts regarding the war in Ukraine. On Saturday, he held a virtual call with more than 25 world leaders, who agreed to move plans for a peacekeeping force to the "implementation phase." This demonstrates a growing international consensus on the need for intervention.

*The Mail on Sunday* claimed that the Prime Minister has pledged to "double down" on Russia if President Putin fails to agree to a ceasefire. *The Sunday Mirror's* headline quoted Sir Keir Starmer as saying: "Let the guns fall silent." According to *The Times*, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has held talks with Boris Johnson's former advisor, Dominic Cummings, about challenging the Conservative Party and replacing it as the main threat to Labour. The two reportedly discussed political strategy in a face-to-face meeting before Christmas, exploring ways to reshape the political landscape.

The front page of *The Mail on Sunday* claimed that a former intelligence chief submitted a secret dossier to Number 10 Downing Street in the early days of the Covid pandemic, pointing to the origins of the virus. The paper said that the information suggested the virus did leak from a lab in China, but that the then-government's chief scientific advisor, Sir Patrick Vallance, allegedly dismissed the claims. He declined to comment to the paper, but a government spokesperson said in a statement that the UK supports the World Health Organization's ongoing research into the origins of Covid-19, highlighting the continued debate surrounding the pandemic's source.

According to *The Observer*, brain implants are to be tested as a way of helping alcoholics and opioid addicts. The technology has already been used to help patients manage some of the effects of Parkinson's disease, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Now, a group of researchers from the Universities of Cambridge, Oxford and King's College London are undertaking studies to determine whether deep brain stimulation can control and reduce cravings in addicts, offering a potential new avenue for treatment.

*The Mirror* claims that the late Tina Turner could be the next performer to return to the stage in hologram form. The company managing her estate has reportedly applied to trademark her name in virtual reality. The paper said that this could pave the way for her to star in her own ABBA-style avatar show. According to *The Times*, scone sales are booming. Demand has increased in supermarkets, and the afternoon tea treat is even being served in Michelin-starred restaurants. One of the best-known scone manufacturers, Warburtons, believes that people are looking for "a wholesome treat" that is "value for money." The paper suggests that other traditional British dishes should receive the same attention, including bubble and squeak, jam roly-poly, and toad-in-the-hole, advocating for a revival of classic British cuisine.