'Mystery drones over UK' and 'Troops heading to Poland for war games'

5 hours ago

News image — 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.

The headline on the front page of the Daily Telegraph reads: “RAF finds mystery drones over UK”. The headline on the front page of the Times reads: “UK troops heading to Poland for war games”. — 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.

The headline on the front page of the Times reads: “UK troops heading to Poland for war games”. — 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 headline on the front page of the Independent reads: “Zelensky's despair as Trump turns US towards Putin”. — 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.

The headline on the front page of the Guardian reads: “Police force apologises to women 'abused by officers'”. — "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 headline on the front page of the iWeekend reads: “UK under-30s set to work again in the EU in major Brexit breakthrough”. — 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 headline on the front page of the Sun reads: “DIY SOS RIP”. — 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 reads: “Star's suicide threat to gag TV chiefs”. — 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.

The headline on the front page of the Express reads: “You will need to fight for us”. — 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".

The headline on the front page of the Mirror reads: “I saw my baby fight for his life... I was never going to walk away from politics”. — 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 headline on the front page of the Daily Mail reads: “Another big poll boost for Kemi”. — 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 headline on the front page of the FT Weekend reads: “Apple braced for digital wallet fight”. — 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.

The Times reports that hundreds of British troops will head to Poland next month to rehearse deploying to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire. The paper says personnel from Germany and France will also be involved - and the exercise will simulate moving troops and logistical supplies, such as food and fuel.

The Daily Telegraph says RAF jets reported close encounters with two unidentified drones in British skies earlier this year. What the paper calls the "near misses" happened just days apart during simulated air combat training and an air-to-air refuelling exercise over the North Sea.

According to the Guardian, Devon and Cornwall Police has apologised and paid compensation to nine women after the force was accused of promoting and protecting male officers despite knowing they were suspected of domestic abuse. The force denies claims that it covered up the crimes but has vowed to improve how it protects women.

"Another big poll boost for Kemi", is the front page headline in the Daily Mail, which says polling suggests the public see the Conservatives - rather than Reform UK - as the main challengers to Labour. An interview with the housing secretary, Angela Rayner, is the main news in the Daily Mirror. She says the "hell" she went through after the premature birth of her son in 2008 gives her the strength to deal with anything that comes her way in Westminster.

"Will Musk's flying car take off", asks the Times - one of several papers to feature photos from the launch of the Tesla Roadster 2. The FT Weekend says "the sports car flies vertically up in the air, hovers and even flies upside down" - and describes the demonstration as "scenes more familiar to a Back to the Future film". The Daily Star picks up that theme - comparing the Tesla to the time-travelling DeLorean from the film - concluding: "Let's hope it doesn't need 1.21 gigawatts of plutonium to run".

'Mystery drones over UK' and 'Troops heading to Poland for war games'

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