Friday newspaper round-up: Brexit, customs union, Debenhams, Netflix

Cabinet ministers have warned that Theresa May will face mass resignations if MPs are barred from trying to stop a no-deal Brexit. The Prime Minister said on Thursday that it is "impossible" to rule out a no-deal Brexit under the terms of Article 50 and warned that it "not in the Government's power" to do so. - Telegraph

The DUP would be open to a soft Brexit that kept the whole of the UK in a customs union with Brussels, senior sources said. In a break from Conservative Brexiteers, leading figures in the DUP have indicated that they could sign up to a Norway-style deal with a customs union if it removed the threat of the Northern Irish backstop. - The Times

British manufacturers are being forced to build up financial buffers in preparation for a no-deal Brexit as the cost of stockpiling goods and materials puts companies under strain. Measures taken by manufacturers to prepare for a disorderly exit include creating cash cushions and taking out working capital loans to cover the costs of stockpiling. - Guardian

The frontrunner to become Germany’s next chancellor has issued an 11th hour plea for Britain to change its mind and stay in the European Union. She is among more than two dozen leading figures from German politics, industry and the arts to announce an “unprecedented” cross-party campaign to persuade Britain “from the bottom of our hearts” to remain. - The Times

A poll conducted after the crushing defeat of Theresa May’s Brexit plan showed a 12-point lead for remaining in the European Union, the largest margin since the referendum. The YouGov survey of more than 1,070 voters found on Wednesday that 56 per cent would vote to stay in the EU, against 44 per cent who want to leave. - The Time

The credit agency Moody’s has said Debenhams will struggle to refinance its debts without raising new funds from shareholders as it warned creditors of a higher risk they would not be paid back by the retailer. The department store chain, which last week said it had net debt of £286m, is battling to reach a new deal with its banks this month after a difficult Christmas capped off a lacklustre 2018 during which it issued three profit warnings. - Guardian

Netflix added 8.8 million paid subscribers in the last quarter, up 34% compared with the year-earlier period, as the streaming media company launched hits including the movies Bird Box and Roma and the series You, The Haunting of Hill House and Sex Education. The company’s fourth-quarter earnings were broadly in line with analyst estimates and came after the streaming media giant announced a subscription price hike. - Guardian

Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook has called for the US to introduce a national privacy law, attacking a “shadow economy” in which people’s personal data is bought and sold without their knowledge. Mr Cook said companies should have to collect as little data as possible and make it easy for people to delete the information that is held about them. - Telegraph

Dutch technology company Philips plans to close its last manufacturing plant in the UK, after its chief executive previously warned that a hard Brexit could harm its ability to export products. The plans, now under consultation with employees, would see Philips close its plant at Glemsford in Suffolk, putting 430 jobs at risk. Production at Glemsford, which currently makes products including baby bottles, will transfer to Drachten in the Netherlands next year. - Guardian