Sunday newspaper round-up: Brexit, BDO, Moore Stephens, Apple, Sanjeev Gupta, Nissan
European Union leaders have agreed the terms of the Brexit deal as the “best possible”, expressed their sadness over Britain’s withdrawal and warned MPs that no other offer is on the table. A Brussels summit this morning gave a quick green light to a draft withdrawal treaty and political declaration of the future relationship between Britain and the EU after intense negotiations over recent days. - The Sunday Times
British sailors were recalled to their ship after fears they could be targeted in the wake of the Salisbury nerve agent attack, a new documentary will show. HMS Duncan, a Royal Navy Type-45 Destroyer, was in port in Montenegro when Sergei and Yulia Skripal were poisoned in the Wiltshire town. Montenegro was part of the communist bloc during the Cold War and many links remain with Russia. - Sunday Telegraph
Patients around the world are suffering pain and many have died as a result of faulty medical devices that have been allowed on to the market by a system dogged by poor regulation, lax rules on testing and a lack of transparency, an investigation has found. Pacemakers, artificial hips, contraceptives and breast implants are among the devices that have caused injuries and resulted in patients having to undergo follow-up operations or in some cases losing their lives. - Observer
French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to force Britain into the Irish border backstop if it does not give up access to UK fishing waters. Mr Macron said maintaining the customs union would be used as 'leverage' in the next phase of talks on the final UK-EU trade deal. - Mail on Sunday
The prime minister is facing a fresh cabinet mutiny after “remain” ministers began secret talks behind her back to force her to adopt a new plan B for Brexit. Senior ministers are also in private discussions with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to draw up an alternative Brexit blueprint in the event that her deal is voted down by parliament. - The Sunday Times
More than half the dogs killed after being seized by police have not harmed anyone, new figures have revealed - prompting calls for urgent reform of the legislation. Figures reveal for the first time that the majority of dogs destroyed after being seized under the Dangerous Dogs Act, which bans breeds such as pit bull terriers and Japanese tosas, had not exhibited any dangerous behaviour or been involved in any incident with the public. - Sunday Telegraph
More than 100,000 children live in families at risk of debt and hardship over Christmas because they are waiting for a universal credit payment, according to estimates by one of the UK’s biggest housing associations. Claimants who signed up after 20 November will not receive any benefit until after the festive period because of the built-in wait of at least 35 days for a first monthly payment, the Peabody Trust said. - Observer
Criminals are stealing 500 car number plates every week – leaving innocent motorists suspected of offences including armed robbery and burglary. Many have received penalty notices for driving offences after CCTV cameras picked up their stolen plates on cars actually being driven by reckless criminals. - Mail on Sunday
The accountant BDO is close to sealing a merger with smaller rival Moore Stephens in an audacious move to leapfrog Grant Thornton and create a new challenger to the big four firms. Talks between the two sides are advanced, with an announcement planned this week, according to senior industry sources. The news comes at a critical juncture for the industry, which is under intense political pressure after a string of scandals at companies such as BHS, Carillion and Patisserie Valerie. - The Sunday Times
Apple will head to the US Supreme Court this week to block a group of customers from suing the tech giant for monopoly abuse. The company is battling a group of iPhone owners who claim Apple forces them to overpay for apps by forbidding any rivals to the multibillion-dollar App Store. - Sunday Telegraph
The shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, has called for a government investigation into the use of high-cost bank loans after a report found local councils stand to waste up to £16bn on interest payments over the next 40 years. Figures compiled by the investigative cooperative Research for Action show that local governments that were saddled with complex borrowing schemes in the early 2000s could halve their annual interest payments if those debts were paid off with cash borrowed from the government’s Public Works Loan Board (PWLB). - Observer
A gift card is a popular Christmas present, but it can prove worthless if not used promptly. Retailers pocket more than £300m a year from cards that expire before shoppers get around to using them. The deadline for spending can be as little as six months and is often not well advertised. Experts say one in ten cards is never redeemed. - Mail on Sunday
Suppliers to the steel tycoon Sanjeev Gupta’s rapidly growing empire have warned they are struggling to get credit insurance and are owed substantial sums. Five companies that supply goods and services to parts of the Gupta Family Group (GFG) Alliance’s British operations told The Sunday Times they were struggling to secure payment from the steel, commodities and energy conglomerate. - The Sunday Times
Police said they have mapped the area of a remote Indian island where tribes people were seen burying the body of an American adventurer and Christian missionary after allegedly killing him with arrows this month. But before they can even attempt to recover the body of 26-year-old John Allen Chau, authorities have to learn from experts "the nuances of the group’s conduct and behavior, particularly in this kind of violent behavior," said Dependra Pathak, the director-general of police of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where North Sentinel Island is located. - Sunday Telegraph
Nissan's former chair Carlos Ghosn has denied allegations that he used company funds to pay for his luxury lifestyle, claiming he had no intention of making false financial statements. The Brazil-born tycoon, who has not spoken publicly since he was arrested last Monday, told prosecutors he did not intend to understate his income on financial reports, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK. - Observer
An 88-year-old woman sacked from her job as an NHS secretary has become the oldest person ever to sue an employer for age discrimination. Eileen Jolly was dismissed in January last year over claims she did not properly use a computer system at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading. The NHS trust admits she was unfairly dismissed as she was not given the chance to appeal, but insists the decision to sack her was not made on the basis of her age. - Mail on Sunday