UK ramps up defence budget and Europe's 'fight for peace'

Sir Keir Starmer's decision to increase spending on defence is the main story on most of Wednesday's front pages. The i newspaper says it is the "biggest rise in UK military spending since the Cold War".

The paper goes on to say that investment in air defences, naval ships and drones will be top of what it calls the "shopping list". Writing in the Daily Mirror, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner says the threats the UK now faces are more serious and less predictable than at any time in a generation.

The Guardian's headline quotes Sir Keir, who says the UK must be willing to "fight for peace" in Europe amid the ongoing threat posed by Vladimir Putin. But the paper says there is fury among relief agencies that the increase will be paid for by "slashing" the foreign aid budget. The Times reports that some of the prime minister's own MPs have branded this decision "short sighted".

The Daily Telegraph says Chancellor Rachel Reeves is calling on Europe to "step up" and increase defence spending too. She says she will raise the issue with European allies in the coming days, including at a meeting of G20 finance ministers in South Africa.

The front page of the Financial Times focuses on Ukraine's deal with the US over its mineral reserves. The paper says Kyiv is ready to sign the agreement after the White House dropped demands for a right to $500bn in potential revenue from exploiting the resources.

The Times reports that universities are being told to "stress test" their exams to ensure they cannot be completed using artificial intelligence, as the number of undergraduates using ChatGPT soars. Research from the Higher Education Policy Institute suggests the proportion of students who have used AI in at least one way has jumped from 66 to 92 per cent in a year.

Several papers pick up on Queen Camilla's disclosure that she has adopted a rescue puppy called Moley, two months after the death of her beloved rescue terrier Beth. The Telegraph says the Queen revealed the details about the latest addition to the family when speaking to a fellow dog lover at an official engagement on Tuesday. The Mirror dubs the puppy's new home "Buckingham Paw-lace".

And "calmageddon" declares the Sun after experts said an asteroid previously thought to have had a small chance of colliding with the Earth in seven years' time, now poses no significant threat. The paper labels the development "orbit of good news".

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