Newspaper headlines: Holiday bookings 'surge' and gas price rises

Fears of food shortages within days," is the warning from the Daily Express amid increasing concern at record high gas prices and their possible effect on the wider economy.

Deliveries of products such as meat, beer and fizzy drinks could all be disrupted.

The crisis has also "stoked a surge in electricity costs", according to the weekend Financial Times. One energy analyst predicts this could lead to the UK being left with fewer than 10 suppliers.

The Daily Telegraph leads on accusations that Russia may be "rigging" gas prices to hinder the UK's recovery from the pandemic. One Conservative MP calls its a "grey zone conflict... where economies are directly targeted to cause political strife".

The Guardian reports that the government has sidelined independent behavioural experts, in favour of more "in-house" Covid advice.

Prof Stephen Reicher, who contributes to the Sage subgroup SPI-B, said ministers still needed people who could "speak uncomfortable truths".

Another expert, Prof Susan Michie, said it was important to retain SPI-B's advice because what happens this winter "will depend to a considerable extent on people's behaviour".

A government spokesperson said the group's advice was still informing ministers' handling of the pandemic.

"We have lift off," is the Daily Mail's take on the easing of international travel rules for England.

The paper says the announcement has set off "the great autumn holiday stampede", with travel agents "deluged with bookings".

Discounts of more than a third are being offered on trips to Spain, Greece and Portugal.

The Times reports that travel agents are planning for what could be their busiest weekend since before the pandemic, with Turkey already "proving popular".

The weekend i says squadrons of "kamikaze pigeons" could be used to foil future drone attacks.

Researchers in the United States are attempting to harness the birds' flocking instincts and acute vision to draw them towards the particular sound and motion of a "quadcopter" drone.

The pigeons would then be trained to fly at the machines en-masse, neutralising attacks at the cost of their own lives.

While acknowledging the idea appears "far-fetched", the i says the approach is not entirely new because scientists during the World War Two perfected a technique to train pigeons to pilot a glider-type bomb by conditioning the birds to recognise an image of a target.

The Sun reports that Strictly Come Dancing has been "plunged into crisis", after two of the show's professional dancers refused to get coronavirus vaccines.

The duo's decision led to "vocal protests" from celebrities who did not want to be paired up with them.

Producers are said to be fearful of a spate of "show-wrecking Covid cases". A source has told the paper that an outbreak that takes out half of the cast would be "curtains for the show".

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And finally... several papers celebrate the exploits of Ralph the dachshund, who has conquered one of Britain's highest mountains.

The Express reports that Ralph "shocked climbers" by scaling Snowdon in five and a half hours.

The paper estimates the trek will have involved 72,000 steps for the dog who is just 22cm (nine inches) tall.

In reaching the top, the Daily Mirror salutes Ralph's "peak" fitness and calls his journey "summit special".