The Guardian features Sir Keir Starmer hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and senior European leaders in Downing Street, in what he calls “a critical moment” for the embattled country. Leaders hope to achieve a “breakthrough” by giving Ukraine “access to billions of pounds of frozen Russian assets,” the newspaper writes.
Sir Keir believes “a deal to unlock £100bn for Ukraine” could be finalized “within days” of the meeting at No 10, the Times reports. The leaders of the UK, France and Germany will push for the release of frozen Russian funds, which are currently held in European bank accounts, an approach that faces opposition from Belgium over concerns it could be “legally liable for a sum equivalent to a third of its annual GDP”.
The Independent reports that Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is warning of an “escalation” of Russian cyber attacks. In a major speech today, Cooper will tell diplomats that there is a growing danger of “hybrid threats” – both physical and cyber – from hostile states, “designed to weaken critical national infrastructure, undermine our interests and interfere with our democracies.”
“Paramount breaks into Netflix deal,” headlines the Financial Times, reporting on the streaming giant’s $108bn (£81bn) “hostile bid” for Warner Bros Discovery. It says Paramount is “teaming up with Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to derail the agreed deal with Netflix.”
“Sir Keir Tiktoking rubbish!” proclaims the Daily Star, writing that the prime minister has become “the first prime minister to join TikTok despite major fears about the Chinese app.”
Experts warn that policies to “limit pension salary sacrifice schemes and cut the tax-free limit for cash ISAs” will “delay the retirement age in the UK”, i Paper reports. Economists tell the newspaper that the budget policies could lead to “tattered private pension funds” adding “pressure on the state system.”
The Daily Telegraph begins by stating that “gangs offer free crossings to asylum seekers if they transport drugs across the Channel.” The newspaper’s investigation, which it has shared with the Home Office and the National Crime Agency (NCA), suggests that some groups offer “VIP crossings” for those willing to act as “drug mules” from northern France. Spokespeople for the NCA and the Home Office told the newspaper that they do not recognize the practice, although they noted that they are “alive” to the drug threats.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch says “no stone should be left unturned” in a national inquiry into recruitment gangs. The newspaper writes that Badenoch will push for convicted dual nationals to be “stripped of their citizenship and deported.”
The Daily Mirror highlights the “unbreakable bond” forged between the parents of the Southport attack victims, who “offer comfort in the face of impossible pain”. After sharing baby photos of Elsie Dot Stancombe, Alice da Silva Aguiar and Bebe King as part of a BBC documentary, the families say their friendship allows them to “bring the light” out of the darkness.
“The head of the Royal Navy unleashed an extraordinary barrage in [Chancellor] Rachel Reeves,” writes the Daily Mail, accusing the government of failing to adequately fund defence. First Sea Lord Sir Gwyn Jenkins warns: “Russia is spending billions to control the North Atlantic,” while the paper launches its own campaign titled “Don’t Leave Britain Defended.”
Metro is leading police adoption of new e-bikes to ‘crack out gangs’ in London. The gangs travel in similar vehicles capable of reaching 60 mph to steal victims’ “handbags, watches and phones,” the paper says.
