The Papers: 'No money for new weapons' and 'Cost of pint hits £10'

A roundup of UK front pages highlights several developments that could influence the UK 100 index: rising consumer costs (a reported £10 pint in London) and welfare spending pressures add downside to consumer-facing stocks and sentiment; the Times’ report that the EU may seek about £1bn a year from the UK, and warnings of no defence spending for new weapons until 2030, point to fiscal strain that could weigh on domestic growth expectations; the Financial Times flags banks seeking to offload risks tied to heavy borrowing for AI data centres, a potential credit and sectoral risk for UK financials and tech suppliers; concerns over AI facial-recognition oversight add regulatory risk for tech-related companies. Overall, the collection of headlines suggests mixed near-term drivers for the UK 100 — cost-of-living and fiscal concerns are negative, while ongoing investment in AI and data centres is a growth theme overshadowed by financing risk.