There’s a mix of stories on the front pages of Wednesday’s papers. The UK is set to rejoin Erasmus, the EU’s student exchange programme, with the announcement expected on Wednesday, the Guardian reports. The paper says the plan would allow students to take part in the EU-wide scheme without paying any additional fees from January 2027. Its top picture spot features US congresswoman Ilhan Omar and an interview where she criticises “vile” comments made by Donald Trump.
The Times also leads on British students being allowed to rejoin Erasmus, saying the deal is the “first tangible outcome” of the PM’s reset with the European Union. Elsewhere, the Princess of Wales and her daughter Charlotte are featured on their way to the annual pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace.
The Daily Mail makes its focus the BBC’s charter renewal. The paper says the government will consider new ways of funding the broadcaster, including via advertising or a subscription model. This means that fan favourite shows such as Strictly Come Dancing and The Traitors could be placed behind paywall, the Mail says.
In other news involving the broadcaster, the Mirror turns its attention to Donald Trump filing a defamation lawsuit against the BBC over its editing of a Panorama documentary. “BBC comes out fighting” is the headline. A BBC spokesperson said: “As we have made clear previously, we will be defending this case.”
The Financial Times splashes on French football star Kylian Mbappé “settling scores” as Paris Saint-Germain was ordered to pay him more than €60m (£52.5m) over alleged unpaid wages and bonuses. Also prominent, the government’s flagship workers’ rights bill has cleared its final hurdle in the House of Lords and is set to become law.
The Metro spotlights the story of a nurse who has dedicated her life to saving prematurely born babies. Sarah Alcock has volunteered to support her emergency neonatal unit over the busy Christmas period and her sacrifice has been rewarded with a free holiday for her and her family, the paper says.
The i Paper is launching a campaign to end silicosis, a deadly lung disease affecting workers exposed to toxic dust while cutting engineered stone for kitchen counters. The initiative calls for a clampdown on silica dust as health experts and unions demand better protections for tradespeople at risk.
A former police officer injured in the 1983 Harrods bomb blast that killed six people is calling for the government to honour those injured in the line of duty, the Daily Express says, in an interview for the 42nd anniversary of the attack.
The Sun follows with a story about a woman it says was “once dubbed Britain’s Benefits Queen” who is now a top businesswoman. Cheryl-Anne Prudham is criticising Labour’s decision to cut the two-child cap, the paper says.
Finally, the Daily Star reports on a “thrilling victory for common sense” and “joy” from football fans after Fifa slashed ticket prices for next year’s World Cup final.
