'Crossbow maniac' and 'show of unity' for Ukraine

Kyle Clifford, who has been found guilty of raping his ex-girlfriend in an attack in which he murdered her and her sister with a crossbow and their mother with a knife

A huge boost to defence spending agreed by European leaders in Brussels yesterday is hailed as "a watershed moment" by the Guardian. The paper notes the show of unity was "marred" by Hungary's Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, who failed to endorse a joint statement calling for Ukrainian involvement in peace negotiations with Russia. "Brussels vows to back Kyiv" says the Financial Times. Its front page features a picture of EU leaders and the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, at the summit in Brussels.

Ahead of the talks in Saudi Arabia between the US and Ukraine, the Times quotes the US efence secretary, Pete Hegseth, who says US President Donald Trump is "encouraged" by Kyiv's commitment to peace with Russia. Hegseth made the comments during talks with his British counterpart, John Healey, at the Pentagon.

The Daily Telegraph says some of the UK's biggest pension firms have been accused of blocking efforts to boost defence spending. Aviva, Royal London and NEST are among a group that restrict investment in the sector on environmental, social and governance grounds, according to the paper. A NEST spokesman is quoted as saying defence companies form part of the firm's portfolio. Royal London declined to comment.

The Daily Mirror says bosses at Nottingham's NHS Trust fear staff illegally accessed the records of the three victims of a fatal knife attack in 2023. "Betrayed again" reads the headline. The families of Ian Coates, Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar tell the Mirror the reports are "sickening". It quotes the trust's medical director, Manjeet Shehmar, who apologises for the additional "suffering" caused.

The Sun highlights the fact that the crossbow killer, Kyle Clifford, watched videos of the self-proclaimed misogynist, Andrew Tate, before raping his ex-girlfriend and murdering her, her sister and mother. The headline reads "warped by toxic Tate". Prosecutors had argued that "violent misogyny" promoted by Andrew Tate had "fuelled" Clifford's attacks. However, the defence argued this material had too vague a link and was far too prejudicial. The judge agreed it was of limited relevance and of "great possible prejudice", and that it should not be put before the jury. Louise, Hannah and Carol Hunt were the daughters and wife of the BBC racing commentator, John Hunt. The Metro's front page features a mugshot of Clifford, who will be sentenced on Tuesday.

The I paper carries a warning from the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, that out-of-work young people face cuts to their benefits if they aren't looking for employment. The paper quotes Reeves insisting "they should be working, and they will be". She describes having a million young people not in education, employment or training as a "travesty". The report says the cost of sickness benefits - which are being cut to fund increases to health and defence spending- has grown 25% on pre-pandemic levels to £65 billion.

Many of the papers feature the story of the youngest ever winner at Crufts. Six-year-old Freddie Osborne and his smooth fox terrier, Penny, took first place in the best veteran category. The Daily Express says there was "heaps of puppy love" for the duo.

Sign up for our morning newsletter and get BBC News in your inbox.