AI is dominating the UK newspaper front pages this morning after the prime minister announced his defence strategy yesterday. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has laid out plans to grow the British Army as he vows to put the country on a war footing and be prepared for Russian threats.
News that Portuguese and German police are to begin a new search for the British missing person Maddie McCann leads several of the papers – in particular the tabloids. The papers report the new search for McCann, who went missing as a toddler in 2007, will focus on the land near the prime suspect’s old house.
IN PICTURES: Most front pages picture Mount Etna after it erupted yesterday
Beyond the main two stories, there’s a handful of stand-alone reports including the suspicious death of a bullied soldier, the rising number of fake cancer remedies, reports that IDF strikes on schools in Gaza were ‘deliberate’ and a look at the latest from Hollywood.
Strategic Defence Review revealed
Most newspapers reported on the prime minister’s announcements yesterday as he revealed the government’s Strategic Defence Review.
The Guardian, The FT, The Independent and The I are amongst the left-leaning press covering the news who have a generally more positive take on the news.
- The Independent says Britain’s military will be ‘10 times more lethal’ under the plans as the army’s boost will tackle a “new era of threat from Russia.”
- The Guardian reports that Britain will spend an extra £2bn on drones and “seek to introduce weapons and tactics developed during the war in Ukraine” in a bid to make it “battle-ready”. Defence Secretary John Healey said that the Army would become “ten times more lethal”.
- The FT says that submarines are at the heart of the Defence Spending Review with the government unveiling plans for 12 nuclear-powered attack submarines.
- The i reports that in the review a military “gap year” for over-18s has been suggested. The prime minister has ruled out national service and instead suggests a paid year to teach school leavers about the military, it writes.
The Times and the Daily Express are amongst the right-leaning press expressing their scepticism over Starmer’s plans.
- The Times notes that the PM has insisted the British Army will grow for the first time in a generation as one expert cited by the paper warns that the increase in spending will mean “some really quite chunky take increases.”
- The Daily Express says ex-military official Lord Dannatt has said Sir Keir Starmer’s Strategic Defence Review announcements will be too slow.
READ: The Strategic Defence Review 2025 – Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad
New search for Maddie McCann
The news of a new search for the missing Brit leads many of the tabloids – the papers use drastic language to highlight the search efforts as many wonder if the mystery will ever be solved.
- Daily Mirror reports the “new Maddie search” comes 18 years after her disappearance.
- The Daily Express says the “new search for Maddie where she disappeared”. The toddler was just three years old when she vanished in Portugal.
- The Daily Telegraph leads with the story saying “more than 20 sites to be searched” by German police in the “hunt for Madeleine”. The new effort is set to last a few years and is the first major search in Algarve for two years.
- The Daily Star calls the news “Maddie search shock” saying 30 German police are taking part in the search for the missing girl in “wells, land and a cottage”.
- The Sun reports that there will be a “radar search” for Maddie as police plan to dig 15ft down in Praia da Luz to solve the mystery of her vanishing amid a “race to charge suspect.”
