London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 18, 2026

Newspaper headlines: Sunak to meet EU chief on Brexit deal and 'Italy tragedy'

Newspaper headlines: Sunak to meet EU chief on Brexit deal and 'Italy tragedy'

The PM's in-person meeting with Ursula von der Leyen over a new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland dominates many of Monday's front pages.

Rishi Sunak's new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland dominates many of Monday's papers, with several front pages featuring the EU's Ursula von der Leyen's visit to Britain. In its lead story, the Daily Express quotes Mr Sunak as saying the agreement is the "best for Britain".


Britain is close to ending its "Brexit nightmare over Northern Ireland", says Metro. The paper reports that the PM will meet the European Commission president for final talks at lunchtime.


"Can Sunak sell his Brexit deal?" asks the Daily Mail. The paper says the new agreement could trigger a Tory civil war.


The Guardian says the PM will have to convince hardline Tory Brexiteers and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), but both have said they will only give a verdict on the new deal once they have read the full and final text. The paper says No 10 is braced for a potentially hostile response.


The potential of a Tory revolt over the new deal is also covered in the Daily Telegraph's lead story. The paper reports that Tory eurosceptics and the DUP say they will not back any agreement unless EU law is "expunged" from Northern Ireland. There are also concerns around whether MPs will be given a vote on the deal, it reports.


The deal is "basically there", both an EU and UK official tells the Financial Times. The paper says the number of MPs opposed to the deal could be limited to about 30, according to the PM's allies. Elsewhere, the paper features an image of survivors sitting on a beach after a shipwreck killed at least 59 people off southern Italy.


And government sources tell the Times new Brexit the deal contains "far-reaching" concessions from the European Union that will safeguard Northern Ireland's place in the UK. They say it will involve changes to the Brexit withdrawal treaty. Like the Financial Times, the paper's main image is of volunteers and the coastguard recovering the body of one migrant who drowned in the shipwreck in Italy.


"Justice for Joanna," reads the Sun's headline. The paper reports that the family of murdered Joanna Simpson will meet the justice secretary amid fears over her killer's parole bid.


The Daily Mirror reports that a 20% rise in energy costs in April could plunge 1.7 million more households into crisis.


The Daily Star reports that TV legend Lassie, a Collie dog, is no longer in favour with pet owners as only 500 of his breed were born last year.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Health and Economic Pressures Highlight Wider Strain on Households and Public Finances
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Reaffirms Full Support for Ukraine Amid Russian Warnings
Sainsbury’s Suspends Live Facial Recognition at London Store After Customer Misidentified
Artists Urge UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham to Reject New North Sea Oil and Gas Licensing
UK Government Awards Four Hundred and Fifty-Six Million Pound Civil Service Training Contract to EY and KPMG
Global Government Bond Yields Rise as Middle East Conflict Fuels Inflation Concerns
British Housing Market Records Weakest August Since Two Thousand and Eighteen as Asking Prices Fall
UK Announces New Sanctions on Russian Shadow Fleet and Financial Institutions
UK Approves Virgin Rail Group Services Through Channel Tunnel, Challenging Eurostar
UK Government Backs Three Hundred Million Pound AI Investment Zone in North Lanarkshire
UK Declares National Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Imported Eggs
China’s Lifelike AI Humans Move From Livestreams Into Real-World Service Roles
UK Government Rolls Out £5.8 Billion Regional Investment Programme to Revive High Streets
AstraZeneca Ends Late-Stage Lung Cancer Trial After Data Shows No Survival Benefit
London Stocks Fall for Sixth Day as Bond Yields and Middle East Tensions Weigh on Markets
UK Government Rewrites Planning Rules to Accelerate Housing Near Transport Hubs
UK Wildfires Spread Across Southern England as Met Office Issues Severe Heat Warnings
British Doctors Warn Cancer Care Is at Risk as Hospitals Reject More Than a Quarter of Urgent Referrals
UK Hospitals Suspend Critical Care as Extreme Heat Exposes Infrastructure Failures
Sarah Ferguson Reportedly Retreats to Late Ex-Boyfriend's Swiss Chalet
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez Sign Prenup Protecting Their Separate Fortunes
Thieves Steal Antonello da Messina Renaissance Masterpieces From Sicilian Museum
Better.com Founder Who Fired 900 Employees on Zoom Is Ousted as CEO
Italian Speed Camera Issues Nearly 32,000 Fines in 10 Weeks, Worth More Than €3 Million
AI Manager at San Francisco Store Recommends Firing Human Employee
Google Launches Pixel 11 With Gemini AI at the Center of Its Hardware Strategy
Campaigners Press Government to Strengthen Rights for Four Million Gig Workers
Government Considers Higher Private Rents to Spread Asylum Accommodation Across UK
UK Moves to Protect Historic Pubs From Conversion Into Housing and Offices
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to House of Commons
British Manufacturers Report Rising Cybersecurity Threats Across Industrial Supply Chains
Royal Navy Increases Monitoring of Russian Ships in UK Waters by 25 Percent
England Adds More Than 350 Medical Training Posts to Strengthen NHS Capacity
NHS Waiting Lists Over 52 Weeks Rise by More Than 11,000 Patients
Brent Crude Near $88 Raises Fresh UK Energy Cost Concerns
UK Treasury Warns Prolonged Strait of Hormuz Disruption Could Cut 2027 Growth to 0.3 Percent
UK Economy Grows 0.4 Percent in Second Quarter as Energy and Inflation Risks Persist
UK Heatwave Triggers Emergency Alert as Government Unveils £65 Million Farm Support Package
Reform UK Unveils Plan to Cut Welfare Spending by More Than £50 Billion a Year
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Praised Extinction Rebellion for Doing a 'Great Service'
UK Wildfire Phone Alert Triggers Backlash as Users Switch Off Emergency Warnings
Heathrow Roads Reopen After Burst Water Main Floods Access to Terminals 2 and 3
Former NBA Players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White Say They Will Enter 2027 WNBA Draft
Former Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Found Dead Days After Resigning Amid Plagiarism Row
US Appeals Court Rules AI Agent's Website Actions Are Legally Attributed to the User
France's Constitutional Council Blocks Social Media Ban for Children Under 15
Liechtenstein Changes Royal Succession Rules to Allow Women to Inherit the Throne
Women Allege Rape and Sexual Abuse at British Army College for Teenage Recruits
Minnesota: Two independent investigators posed as Muslims (one wearing a burqa) and showed how they could vote in elections without identification.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Takes Regional Tour to Highlight Local Infrastructure and Environmental Problems
×