The Mail, external and the Telegraph, external both report that retired heads of the Army and Navy, and a former MI6 boss, have written an open letter claiming the Prime Minister is not being honest with the public over defence spending. The Telegraph says the signatories have warned that instead of receiving more money, through Labour's planned increase in defence spending, the Ministry of Defence is facing cuts because of funding pressures such as pay rises for servicemen. A spokesperson for the government tells the paper that it is "on track" to meet the Prime Minister's target of spending 5 per cent of GDP on defence and security by 2035. President Trump's change of stance on Sir Keir Starmer's deal to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius is the main story for the Times , externaland the Telegraph, external. The Prime Minister's proposal to give tech firms 48 hours to remove "revenge porn" and deepfake nudes from the internet, or risk being fined or blocked in the UK, is the lead in the Guardian, external.

Source: The Times February 19, 2026 20:18 UTC