Newspaper headlines: Arms industry on 'war footing' and Channel tragedy
BBC News - Staff
·5-min read
Many of the front pages declare that the UK is on a "war footing" after Rishi Sunak's announcement of an extra £75bn for defence over the next six years.
The leader writers remain divided on the plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, after it received parliamentary approval.
The Mail argues Tuesday's drowning of five migrants on a flimsy dinghy is a reminder of why the Rwanda scheme has become a "moral duty". The Times believes the plan is "an ambitious idea well worth undertaking" - and criticises Labour for offering little in the way of a concrete alternative.
The Guardian warns there is no evidence that the policy will deter migrants. The Financial Times is worried the bill, which instructs judges to regard Rwanda as safe, sets a bad precedent. In its view, the measure legislates "to declare that the facts are not what the courts found them to be". The FT says this creates a "slippery slope" where future governments might declare black is white or that someone acquitted of a criminal charge is guilty.
The Mirror follows up its investigation into the murder of the BBC Presenter, Jill Dando, in south-west London in 1999. It says a key witness who was driving near the scene of the killing contacted the paper to say a man she saw running away was a Serbian assassin called Milorad Ulemek. The witness contacted the paper on Monday after it published the assassin's photo.
The Mirror claimed he had a striking resemblance to a man seen on CCTV near Ms Dando's home. Ulemek's lawyer said his client, who has been jailed for 40 years in Serbia for two assassinations, didn't wish to comment.
Fans of Jane Austen are being asked for help with a mystery which, according to the Times, might cast some light on the life of the cherished Pride and Prejudice author. The museum, Jane Austen's House, wants help in deciphering what it describes as the "spidery" handwriting of a manuscript written by her brother, Sir Francis William Austen. So it has set up a citizen science project asking people to transcribe the text, section by section - in the hope this will fill in some more details of the author's life.
A consulting firm and its chief have dropped a defamation case against Nine over reports they engaged in corrupt practices with former federal MP Stuart Robert.
Family of two Australian brothers have identified their bodies recovered from a remote well in Mexico as further horrific details emerge of their killing.
Wallabies lock Darcy Swain is hoping to go out with a bang and help lead the Brumbies to a Super Rugby Pacific title before joining the Western Force in 2025.
Medical research is still a men's game, despite the fact almost half the nation's doctors are women, an internationally renowned anaesthesia researcher says.
Monash Health admits it breached health and safety legislation before a mental health patient took her own life at Casey Hospital in Melbourne's southeast.
NSW Premier Chris Minns says all governments need to do better to tackle domestic violence as he unveils an extra $230 million for the support and prevention.
Australia's 3x3 women's basketball team have spoken of their pride after qualifying for the Paris Olympics by winning a qualification tournament in Japan.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called for calm following widespread protests at university campuses around Australia over Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza.
West Australian Steve Erceg concedes he made a big mistake in going for a late take-down during his loss to UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja in Brazil.
David McBride will learn his fate after a guilty plea for leaking classified information that exposed alleged war crimes by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan.
The Victorian budget remains cloaked in secrecy but shapes as a no-frills affair as the government tries to combat rising debt and infrastructure blowouts.