Published12 September 2026, 01:52 BST
The weekend edition of the Financial Times reports that a military aircraft entering "spurious" flight data into air traffic control led to a system outage that grounded thousands of planes this week. Four sources have told the paper that a flight plan submitted by a military aircraft led to a shutdown of British skies for several hours, causing a "meltdown" within the wider air traffic control system. The incident has led to "strained relations" between carriers and National Air Traffic Services, the paper writes.
Several papers reflect on the fall of the assisted dying bill in the House of Commons on Friday. "Agonising" declares the Daily Mirror, reporting that the "fresh bid" to change the law failed by just 16 votes – a result that the paper declares a "shock Commons U-turn".
The i Weekend says the "biggest societal change in decades" has been blocked, amid "celebration and tears from MPs". The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill would have allowed adults with fewer than six months to live to apply to be given help to end their own life, subject to certain conditions. The paper says that the proposal's opponents argued that the bill's safeguards would not be enough to protect vulnerable people from being coerced.
The Daily Express focuses on the reaction of Dame Esther Rantzen, a key supporter of the proposal, who called the result a "travesty" and a "failure for dying people".
Reform UK has received a record £36m donation, the Telegraph reports. It writes that the donation, which was from cryptocurrency billionaire Ben Delo, is a "game-changing gift" for the political party. Delo says he donated the sun to ensure a "fair fight" for Reform at the polls, according to the paper, which adds that the donation means the party has raised five times as much as the Conservative Party this year – and more than six times as much as Labour.
Former Labour cabinet minister Alan Milburn has given an interview to the Times, where he said the UK needs to take a "tough love" approach to young people who are on benefits. Milburn, who is writing a review on youth unemployment, told the paper that young people should be given greater employment support in exchange for a new "duty to engage", suggesting Britain needs to introduce a "backstop" like other welfare systems in Europe.
The Daily Mail accuses the prime minister of bowing to the "Green menace", after Andy Burnham reportedly delayed a "key decision" on new gas drilling. The paper says he has postponed approval of drilling in the Jackdaw gas field until after the Holborn by-election, where Labour could lose valuable votes to the Green Party.
Former Little Mix member Jesy Nelson is pictured on the front page of the Sun, which says the star is in "advanced talks" to join the cast of I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
The Daily Star says a 2,700-year-old mummy has gone missing from a museum. Its headline reads "Woke like an Egyptian". "She's having a Pharaoh time," it seems.
The Daily Telegraph highlights the record donation given to Reform UK, external by cryptocurrency billionaire Ben Delo. It says the £36m gift "has the potential to transform Reform's fortunes in the next election" by enabling the party to hire campaign managers in every target constituency. Writing in the paper, Delo denies supporting Reform for personal gain – and says his conclusion from the party's recent troubles is that it should spend more time preparing for government, rather than trying to raise funds to compete on equal terms with Labour and the Conservatives.
Yesterday's decision by MPs to reject assisted dying in England and Wales is featured on several front pages. "Agonising", says the Daily Mirror, external – after the legislation to legalise the practice fell short by just 16 votes. The Guardian argues the defeat was in part the result of "lower motivation" among supporters of assisted dying, external – and suggests the failure of the latest attempt "is likely to scupper the idea for a political generation".
A former Labour cabinet minister has told the Times that young people who are on benefits must be treated with "tough love", external as part of efforts to get more of them into work. Alan Milburn – who has been asked by the government to write a review on youth unemployment – says young people should be given more help to find a job in exchange for a new "duty to engage".
The Daily Mail says Andy Burnham has been accused of "running scared" of the Green Party, external after delaying a key decision on new gas drilling in the North Sea until after the Holborn by-election. Green leader Zack Polanski – who is standing in the seat – has said he will use the campaign to make clear that fossil fuels should stay in the ground. The Department for Energy says the North Sea "remains a vital national asset".
The FT Weekend says a military jet was responsible for disrupting the travel plans of thousands of passengers earlier this week, external – after "spurious" data from its flight plan triggered the shutdown of Britain's air traffic control system. The Ministry of Defence has declined to comment.
منبع: بی بی سی