The Guardian says Rishi Sunak has been forced to cut short a trip to California and fly back to London to draw up an emergency rescue package.

The Independent says The Department for Transport has apologised after admitting that staff working for cabinet minister Grant Shapps held a Christmas party while strict Covid curbs were still in place last year.

The Metro says The UK and Australia have signed a ‘landmark’ trade deal which could cut the cost of wine, surfboards and make it easier for young Brits to work Down Under.

The newspaper front pages were published well before the result of the North Shropshire by-election and therefore heavily lead with Covid, Omicron and lockdown fears.

The Metro says Boris Johnson joined Downing Street aides for another party at No 10 during the first coronavirus lockdown, it has been alleged.

The Independent says Four children have died following a fire at a house in Sutton, south London. Some 60 firefighters and eight fire engines attended the blaze.

The Guardian says The Liberal Democrats have won a stunning victory in the North Shropshire byelection, taking what had previously been a safe Conservative seat.

BBC News says Police investigating the fatal shooting on the set of the Alec Baldwin film Rust have obtained a search warrant for the actor’s phone.

TRT World says President Joe Biden has warned that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus will “start to spread much more rapidly” in the United States.

France24 says At least 27 people were feared dead after a fire broke out in a commercial building in a shopping district in Osaka.