The key facts
- Telegraph: RAF reported encounters with drones at an altitude of 17,000 feet; several investigations are under way
- Times: hundreds of British troops will travel to Poland for exercises with France and Germany
- Guardian: Devon and Cornwall Police apologised to women who reported abuse by officers
Drones over the North Sea
The Daily Telegraph reports that RAF fighters twice this year came in close proximity to unidentified drones during training flights over the North Sea. According to the newspaper, the 'dangerous encounters' occurred days apart, and the objects were spotted at an altitude of 17,000 feet — more than 40 times above the established limit for commercial drones. Journalists have reviewed incident logs showing that the RAF reported the sightings to the police, and 'several external investigations' are under way.
Exercises in Poland
The Times writes that next month hundreds of British service members will travel to Poland to rehearse a scenario of deployment to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire. The newspaper calls the exercises 'the first of their kind'; troops from France and Germany will also take part. The front page features a photo of Pope Leo celebrating Mass a few days after surgery to remove part of a lung, captioned with a note about his 'remarkably swift recovery'.
Ukraine and Sanctions
The Independent calls the coming week a 'pivotal' one for the war in Ukraine: the White House, according to the newspaper, intends to lower diesel prices by easing sanctions against Russia's 'shadow fleet'. The outlet notes 'Zelensky's desperation': the shift comes against the backdrop of Ukraine's depleting stocks of American Patriot systems.
Police Apologies
The Guardian reports that Devon and Cornwall Police has apologised to women 'subjected to violence by officers'. Nine women said they had experienced abuse in relationships with police officers, some of whom, according to them, held positions related to protecting women from male violence. The police deny a 'cover-up' of the crimes but have promised to improve protection of women from domestic abuse by police officers. According to the newspaper, at least four of the officers involved, according to the women's claims, remain in service.
Politics and Society
iWeekend writes that the EU is working on a plan allowing Britons under 30 to work in Europe for pay; Brussels, according to the newspaper, may drop requirements on tuition fees and work visas in order to conclude an updated Brexit deal as soon as possible. The Daily Express quotes the Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Roly Walker, as saying that political leaders will call on 'ordinary Britons' to prepare for war — the headline carries the quote 'You will have to fight for us'. The Daily Mirror publishes an interview with Housing Minister Angela Rayner: she said she never thought of leaving politics, and the 'hell' she went through after the premature birth of her son Charlie in 2008 gave her strength. The Daily Mail writes of a 'Tory renaissance': according to an Ipsos poll, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has 'erased' the 28-percentage-point lead of Reform UK that had held since May; a pollster quoted by the newspaper speaks of a 'tectonic shift' on the right flank of British politics.
Other News
The Sun reports that the BBC is ready to axe the DIY SOS show with Nick Knowles as part of cost-cutting: the programme has run for 27 years and has helped hundreds of families, including building a children's cancer ward worth £1 million; the newspaper's sources called the possible cancellation 'an outrageous disgrace'. The Daily Star writes that a 'well-known figure' has applied to the High Court in London for an injunction barring two media outlets from publishing 'serious allegations', including ones of a sexual nature; the individual, who remains anonymous in court, denies the allegations. The Financial Times reports that Apple is 'gearing up for a battle' with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which demands it open its digital wallet technology to third-party payment providers.
The Daily Telegraph leads with reports that RAF jets had two close encounters with unidentified drones earlier this year while they were completing training exercises over the North Sea. The paper says the "near-misses" took place just days apart, and the mystery objects were spotted at 17,000ft - which it notes is more than 40 times the legal height limit for commercial drones. Incident logs, which have been seen by the newspaper, suggest that the RAF reported the sightings to police and "multiple different external investigations" are ongoing.
Hundreds of British troops will head to Poland next month, the Times reports, in order to simulate deploying to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire. The paper says the exercise, which it calls "the first of its kind", will also include military personnel from France and Germany. The front page also features a photograph of Pope Leo leading mass, just days after surgery to remove part of his lung. The caption reads: "Leo's miraculous speed of recovery".
The Independent focuses on what it says is a "pivotal week" in the war in Ukraine, as the White House looks to cut diesel prices further by easing sanctions on Russia's shadow fleet. The paper highlights "Zelensky's despair", writing that the shift comes just as Ukraine runs low on vital American Patriot weapons.
"Police force apologises to women 'abused by officers'," reads the Guardian's front page. The paper reports that nine women have said they were subjected to abuse while in relationships with officers from Devon and Cornwall police, alleging that some of those officers were serving in positions that protect women from male violence. The police force has denied claims that it "covered up" the crimes, but vowed to improve the way it protects women from police-perpetrated domestic abuse. The Guardian adds that the women have alleged at least four of the officers who abused them are still serving.
The European Union is working on a plan to ensure that Britons under 30 can take paid jobs in Europe, according to the iWeekend. The paper says that Brussels "could back down" on demands for tuition fees and young people's work visas, which it understands is due to a desire to get an updated Brexit deal over the line quickly.
The Sun says television programme DIY SOS, hosted by Nick Knowles, is set to be axed by the BBC as a cost-saving measure. The "telly favourite" has been airing for 27 years, the paper says, adding that the show has helped hundred of families, including building a £1m children's cancer unit. Sources have told the paper the cancellation is a "disgusting outrage".
The headline on the front page of the Star says: "Star's suicide threat to gag TV chiefs". It reports that a person described as "well-known" has asked London's High Court to prevent two media organisations from publishing "serious allegations", including of a sexual nature, against him. The individual, who has been granted anonymity in the court proceedings, denies the allegations.
Army chief Gen Sir Roly Walker has warned that political leaders will call on "ordinary Britons" to prepare for war, the Daily Express reports. The paper quotes part of his "extraordinary address" in its headline: "You will need to fight for us".
Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has spoken to the Daily Mirror, telling the paper that she has never for a moment considered walking away from politics. Rayner said that the "hell" she went through after the 2008 premature birth of her son, Charlie, has given her the strength to deal with anything that comes her way in Westminster.
The Daily Mail says a "Tory renaissance" has seen the Conservative Party become the main opposition in British politics again. A pollster told the paper that "tectonic plates are shifting on the Right of British politics", after the Ipsos poll found that leader Kemi Badenoch has "toppled" the 28-point lead held by Reform UK in May.
The weekend edition of the Financial Times reports that Apple is "gearing up for a fight" with the Competition and Markets Authority, which wants the tech leader to open up its digital wallet technology to rival payments providers.
