Several of Tuesday’s front pages include images of Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron hand-in-hand and smiling, with the Guardian saying their meeting at the White House “struck a cordial note”.
But the Times says “tensions rose when aid to Ukraine was discussed”. According to the i, Trump’s message was “stop blaming Vladimir Putin for the war”.
The Financial Times says that rhetoric has spurred action among European leaders, who “fear a disappearing US security blanket”, while the Daily Telegraph says France could address this by providing a “nuclear shield” for Europe.
The paper says fighter jets carrying nuclear weapons could be deployed to Germany, which an official in Paris says would “send a strong message” to Putin. A German diplomat tells the paper the move would increase pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to prove he was serious about contributing to European security.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper vows to the government will “take back town centres from antisocial behaviour, thugs and thieves” in the Daily Mirror, as she unveils a raft of new laws as part of what the paper calls “Labour’s crime blitz”. Cooper says the legislation will “give the police the powers they need to crack down on crimes that are blighting communities”.
According to the Telegraph, Mike Amesbury – the suspended Labour MP who punched a man in the street – will receive full pay while serving his ten-week prison sentence. The report says he will continue to collect his salary of more than £91,000 because he is still technically a serving MP.
The Daily Express reports that Amesbury is under pressure to quit his seat in order to allow a by-election to take place.
The Guardian publishes an investigation which it says “raises questions over the accountability of the House of Lords”. An analysis of peers’ declarations shows that one in 10 has been hired to give political or policy advice, while others do paid work for companies “that could conflict with their roles as legislators”.
Campaigners tell the paper that peers could be perceived as exploiting their positions and connections for personal gain – but a House of Lords spokesman says “members are obliged to adhere to high standards of transparency and propriety”.
And Costa Del Mars is the headline in the Daily Mail, which reports that scientists believe the red planet may have once been an ideal holiday destination. It says scans have revealed Mars used to have miles of sandy beaches, lapped by gentle waves.
However, for anyone buying the print edition, those front pages are hidden behind an ad from the Make It Fair campaign, a coordinated protest against tech firms using copyrighted material to train generative AI models without controls or fair payment.
The campaign – which has won backing from almost all British daily newspapers – is calling for the government to better protect creative works from artificial intelligence.
Inside, under the headline “Save our Great British music”, the Sun says AI poses an “existential threat”, while the Daily Mail says the government’s planned changes to copyright law “would inflict incalculable damage on the flourishing creative sector”.
The paper says “there is a glimmer of hope” after Downing Street said it “recognised the strength of feeling” about the plans.
