Newspaper headlines: NHS staffing 'crisis' and 'secret' Epstein deal

"Duke's final throw of the dice," is Metro's take on the deal Prince Andrew thinks may cause his civil sexual abuse lawsuit in the US to be thrown out.

The 2009 settlement signed by Virginia Guiffre and Jeffrey Epstein covered the billionaire and anyone connected to him who could be described as a "potential defendant".

The document will be central to a hearing in US this afternoon.

The Sun calls it Andrew's "D-Day", while the Daily Telegraph points out that if his lawyers fail to stop the case, he faces a lengthy deposition process that "could involve close members of his family". Prince Andrew vehemently denies Ms Guiffre's claims.

There are contrasting tones about the state of the pandemic on many of the front pages. "We're on the right track to beat the virus" is the Daily Express headline, as it focuses on the prime minister's vow to stick to his Plan B restrictions in England for now.

But the i lays bare the pressure on the NHS, with maternity wards shut due to staffing shortages and people in the east of England being forced to wait more than nine hours for an ambulance.

The Guardian adds that hospitals in north-east England and Yorkshire are now reporting the fastest growth in Covid patients.

The Daily Mail highlights what it calls the wider "Covid chaos" of a million Britons being stuck in isolation.

It warns children could be turned away from the school gates if their teacher tests positive, while commuters may face last minute train cancellations. Operators including Avanti West Coast and Cross Country have already introduced reduced timetables.

According to the Daily Star, rubbish has been left to pile up outside homes in Richmond in south-west London, while councils in areas including Manchester, Essex and Somerset have scaled back or suspended bin collections.

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The Daily Telegraph has learnt that the mayor of London is planning to end the prosecution of young people caught with cannabis, as part of attempts to decriminalise drugs in the capital.

Sadiq Khan's plan would involve under-25s being offered speeding awareness-style courses or counselling instead of arrest. The trial is expected to begin in the boroughs of Lewisham, Bexley and Greenwich later this year.

The lead for the Financial Times is Apple's brief spell as the first publicly traded company to be valued at $3tn, when its total share value temporarily topped that mark. One analyst suggests the firm's appeal for investors is based around a belief that it will follow Tesla into the automotive industry in the next five years.

The paper notes that there is also a "bullish outlook" for Apple because of its "ballooning, high-margin" services business that has severed its dependence on iPhone replacements.

And finally, several papers feature pictures of a group of people who queued for more than 24 hours to secure a beach hut at Avon Beach in Christchurch in Dorset.

The Times reports that by the time the administration office began taking bookings at 08:00 yesterday morning more than 40 people were waiting.

The Daily Star describes cabins as a "hut ticket", while the Guardian wonders whether those who waited for more than a day in the cold and rain are now suffering from "cabin fever".