Top story: ‘A route for leaving the EU with a deal’
Good morning, I’m Warren Murray – here’s some news to quickly wolf down with your jam on toast.
Theresa May has set herself the improbable task of renegotiating the Irish border backstop with the European Union after MPs narrowly passed a government-backed amendment promising to replace it with unspecified “alternative arrangements”. One other amendment was passed – rejecting a no-deal Brexit, but only in principle – while a string of others were either voted down, withdrawn or not selected, including motions to delay Brexit, kill off the threat of no deal, or call a second referendum.
May insisted: “It is now clear that there is a route that can secure a substantial and sustainable majority in this house for leaving the EU, with a deal.” But within minutes of the Commons result the European council president, Donald Tusk, declared: “The backstop is part of the withdrawal agreement, and the withdrawal agreement is not open for renegotiation.” May’s acceptance of the “Brady amendment” to replace the backstop is being criticised as an appeasement of Tory hardliners rather than a tactical masterstroke.
Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, said he would meet May, having refused to do so for a fortnight, because “parliament has voted to remove the immediate threat of crashing out without a deal on 29 March”. May told MPs she would try to bring back a renegotiated deal for a “meaningful vote” on or before 13 February, but if she does not manage to do so, the government will table a statement about what it plans to do next and allow MPs to vote on it on Valentine’s Day. On financial markets, the pound fell as traders took fright at parliament failing to neutralise the threat of no deal. You can keep following all the latest movements in today’s Politics Live blog.
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‘A moment of reflection’ – The children’s commissioner for England has criticised social media companies for hosting the kind of “horrific” content implicated in the suicide of Molly Russell, 14. “I would appeal to you to accept there are problems and to commit to tackling them – or admit publicly that you are unable to,” wrote Anne Longfield in an open letter to Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, Pinterest and Snapchat. Longfield has called for an independent “digital ombudsman” to ensure companies protect young children and speed up the removal of disturbing material.
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Midweek catch-up – Let’s get you up to speed on some rolling stories of the week.
> Fiona Onasanya, the MP given three months’ jail for lying to avoid a speeding ticket, is resisting calls to resign her Commons seat. It may be possible for constituents to remove her with a recall petition.
> The French government faces calls to ban police from using explosive weapons after lawyers said gilets jaunes protesters have lost eyes and sustained other lifelong injuries from handheld rubber-bullet launchers and so-called “sting-ball” grenades.
> Venezuela’s supreme court has placed self-declared interim president Juan Guaidó under a travel ban and frozen his bank accounts. Demonstrations are expected today against President Nicolás Maduro, whose rule has brought the country to crisis.
> A court case is under way that could overturn Northern Ireland’s abortion ban. It is being brought by Sarah Ewart, who had to get a loan for a termination in England after finding out her unborn child had a fatal defect.
> Apple took days to respond to the FaceTime eavesdropping flaw after a mother and son discovered the bug and alerted the company, it has been revealed. One expert called the case a “black eye” for a company that prides itself on privacy and security.
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North Sea gas find – A Chinese-led consortium has discovered the UK’s biggest gasfield in more than a decade – the equivalent of about 250m barrels of oil in the Glengorm reservoir in the central North Sea. Britain’s Oil and Gas Authority says the UK continental shelf still holds an estimated 10bn-20bn barrels of oil and gas. But Friends of the Earth has called on the government to put the brakes on exploration, given fossil fuels’ contribution to climate change. “It’s a disgrace that oil and gas exploration is still going ahead in the seas off Scotland,” said campaigner Caroline Rance.
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Yawning as you read this? – People who are naturally early risers are happier and less likely to develop mental health problems than night owls, according to genetic researchers. One hypothesis is that evening types have to fight their natural body clock in the daytime world of work and study. But another possibility is that genes linked to the body clock simply coincide with vulnerability to certain conditions such as schizophrenia and depression. The University of Exeter study examined the DNA of 700,000 people and asked them about their sleep habits. Separately, a study has suggested that people are more likely to develop depression by the age of 18 if exposed to air pollution while growing up.
Today in Focus podcast: Venezuela – can Maduro ride it out?
The opposition leader, Juan Guaidó, has declared himself Venezuela’s interim president after mass protests against Nicolás Maduro.
But the military has so far stayed loyal to Maduro, who has called the attempt to remove him a coup. Virginia Lopez reports from Caracas. Plus: Jessica Elgot on what we learned from another night of Brexit votes in the House of Commons
Lunchtime read: Backpacking for a month in Uzbekistan
From the blue-tiled mosques of Bukhara and the Tashkent metro, to desert landscapes and remote regions, Uzbekistan offers ancient culture and ample opportunity for adventure.
With newly relaxed visa policies, the former Soviet republic’s attractions are open to tourists as never before. Caroline Eden offers an itinerary.
Sport
Manchester City’s title aspirations have taken a dent away to Newcastle, after former Liverpool boss Rafa Benítez’s men came from 1-0 down to shock the reigning champions. Coach Pep Guardiola was left keenly aware of his rivals’ seven-point lead, stating it wasn’t his side’s “best night”, writes Louise Taylor. Elsewhere, Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s run of wins ended at home to Burnley, but late heroics helped maintain his nine-game unbeaten start.
Khabib Nurmagomedov has accused the UFC of “politics” after he and rival Conor McGregor were handed lengthy bans and heavy fines, with the Russian handed a fine 10 times that of his opponent. And, England’s 10-wicket collapse inside just 129 balls against West Indies may have been humiliating, writes Andy Bull, but it’s in keeping with a wider global trend in cricket lately.
Business
Someone once famously said “follow the money” and that might work as a way to understand what is happening with Brexit after the pound fell sharply in the wake of MPs voting for the Brady amendment. The reaction shows financial markets have weighed the likely position in Brussels and think a no deal is now more likely, which is generally seen as bad for UK plc and the pound. Conversely, a falling pound is good for the large number of multinational companies that make up the FTSE100, which is duly set to rise 0.5% this morning. Sterling was sitting on $1.309 and €1.144 at time of writing.
The papers
Several of the papers emphasise the problems Theresa May faces in backstop renegotiations with the EU. The Guardian’s front page: “May goes back to Brussels but EU says: nothing has changed.” Saith the Mirror: “May’s deal back from the dead … for now”, while the FT goes with “May’s move to rewrite Brexit deal sets collision course with Brussels”.
Others are more laudatory. “Theresa’s triumph”, lionises the Mail, while the Express trumpets: “She did it!”. As usual they’re having pun in the Sun: “Backstop from the brink”, while the Times focuses on party unity – “May unites Tories behind fresh talks with Brussels” – and the Telegraph leaves a trail of alliteration: “May takes the Brexit battle back to Brussels”. Here is a closer look at today’s front pages.
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