‘Meta reins in fact-checking’ and A&E ‘flu crisis’

The decision by Meta to stop using fact-checkers on its Facebook and Instagram platforms leads many of the papers.

The Financial Times says the change will help the social media giant to build bridges with Donald Trump as he prepares to return to the White House. It also notes that the move brings Meta’s boss, Mark Zuckerberg, into closer alignment with his fellow social media billionaire, Elon Musk, who slashed content moderation after buying X. The Guardian says the decision has been condemned by critics as a “major step back” for public discourse.

Trump’s renewed threats to take control of Greenland and the Panama Canal feature in the Daily Telegraph, which describes the comments as a “significant escalation” in the president-elect’s rhetoric against several American allies.

The Times says the expansionist goals expressed by Trump “seem at odds” with his America First agenda to withdraw US troops from hotspots around the world – but the paper’s diplomatic editor, Roger Boyes, thinks the pitch for Greenland “makes good sense”. He argues that putting the minerals and territory of the world’s largest island in US hands would strengthen the West and send a strong signal to China, which also craves the resources Greenland possesses.

The ongoing row about grooming gangs – and whether a new national inquiry into the issue is needed – is addressed by a number of leader columns. The Daily Express supports calls for a fresh investigation, insisting Britain has “not yet faced up” to the full horror of the gangs.

The Daily Mail agrees, arguing that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is “wrong” to hide behind the chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Prof Alexis Jay, who told the BBC on Tuesday that another national inquiry was unnecessary. The Sun welcomes the government’s plan to make the reporting of child sexual abuse mandatory for officials at public bodies, but warns the legislation will be “fundamentally flawed” unless it includes the BBC.

The Daily Mirror says more than 700 current and former McDonald’s staff are suing the fast-food giant, alleging they were sexually abused or harassed while working there. A lawyer has told the paper that hundreds of people have joined a claim since the BBC first reported on the allegations last year.

The paper’s leader column warns that workers without guaranteed shifts and pay packets are “particularly vulnerable”, and says the government’s plans to end zero-hours contracts and strengthen employment rights are “needed urgently”. McDonalds says it’s focused on eliminating all forms of harassment, and that a newly created team has already rolled out programmes to improve safeguarding and drive awareness.

Winter pressures on the NHS are featured on the front page of the Daily Mail, which reports that more than a dozen hospitals have declared critical incidents as the current wave of flu worsens. Health officials are said to expect the crisis to deepen this week as children return to school after the Christmas holiday. The Times says some patients face a two-day wait at A&E departments, prompting senior doctors to warn of “unsafe and unacceptable care”.