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Gareth Corfield Transport Correspondent |
When the RAF Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker took off for its North Sea training area, little did its captain imagine he would be seeing a drone flash over the top of his flight deck at a height of 17,000ft.
RAF jets had close encounters with two unidentified drones in British skies earlier this year, The Telegraph can disclose.
The near-misses, which happened in February, took place just days before the start of the US war with Iran.
One incident involved a Typhoon fighter jet refuelling in mid-air from a Voyager tanker. The other saw another Typhoon engaging in a mock dogfight over the North Sea.
In both cases, pilots reported what they believed to be a drone zooming over their aircraft. One said it “literally went straight overhead” and the other later said it was so close it “made me instinctively duck”.
A radar controller who received the pilots’ reports was so alarmed that he reported the second sighting to the police.
“Multiple different external investigations” were ongoing, the RAF said when its own investigation was closed on Sept 25.
Public fears about potential foreign-linked espionage are high. With China having used a surveillance balloon over the US a few years ago and drone warfare at an unprecedented level between Russia and Ukraine, such sightings can no longer be dismissed out of hand.
This report is available only to subscribers.
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James Frayne |
The Green Party, engulfed by entryists obsessed with Israel, is tearing itself apart after losing a by-election that should have been a shoo-in. Reform has slipped to third place in the polls, having topped them since February 2025. In the last few days, Sir Ed Davey faced what looked like a failed leadership coup by Lib Dem MPs.
Politics, it seems, has changed dramatically in a very short time. Less than six months ago, the challenger parties were riding high and the established parties were flailing. Now, their fortunes appear to have reversed.
While, as recently as May, Reform topped the polls on 28 per cent (with Labour joint third with the Greens), YouGov’s latest survey has Labour on top with 24 per cent, just ahead of the Tories. Reform now comes in third, with the Lib Dems and Greens on 12 and 11 per cent respectively.
Not only is there talk that Andy Burnham might hold a snap general election soon, but many people in Westminster confidently assert that the Tories would be genuinely competitive.
Are we now returning to the certainty and predictability of politics that we’ve experienced in Britain since the Second World War? Are the challenger parties finished and the established parties set to dominate yet again?
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Camilla Tominey Labour has just demonstrated precisely why so many people stopped trusting Westminster politicians in the first place Continue reading ➤
Ruth Dudley Edwards I am ashamed to be Irish Continue reading ➤
William Sitwell Sorry, Zuckerberg. I can’t respect people who don’t like Guinness Continue reading ➤ |
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• Elon Musk approached Donald Trump with the idea of slowing down Starlink in Ukraine, The Telegraph can reveal. Musk had previously blamed Trump for the chaos, claiming that any changes would have been decided by him.
• Donald Trump’s most senior aide allegedly helped to set up a tough Fox News interview with Katie Zacharia, the new White House press secretary, in what has been described as a “sanctioned hit”. Mrs Zacharia was sacked on Friday after only five days in the job.
• The opening days of Russell Brand’s rape trial heard the comedian described as “ruthless, calculated and manipulative”, driven by an “indiscriminate and voracious” desire for sex. Here is a day-by-day account of everything the court heard during the trial’s opening week.
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• Dame Judi Dench is leading a revolt against the BBC’s plans to uproot The Archers from its Birmingham home amid cost-cutting measures.
• Finally, Iranian fishermen have found a very different kind of catch in the Strait of Hormuz. They recovered new iPhones from cargo that had spilt overboard from the GFS Pride, which sank on Oct 14.
Containers and items float in the water after Singapore-flagged GFS Pride sank near the Strait of Hormuz |
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I can’t help feeling I made a horrible mistake sending my son to an elite boarding school, says our anonymous writer. When a relative offered to pay the fees, I thought we’d won the lottery, but over the years my son started complaining that he feels out of step with his much wealthier friends, and wants the same easy life they have. He feels “less than”, which upsets me and overwhelmingly makes me feel guilty as I was instrumental in putting him in this situation. Continue reading ➤ |
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Acting as Volodymyr Zelensky’s press secretary from 2019 to 2021, Iuliia Mendel was his fiercest attack dog. Four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, Mendel turned on her ex-boss, insisting he should quit and that Ukraine must concede land to Putin. Her extreme about-turn has seen her accused of being a Russian agent. In an exclusive interview, Iona Cleave, our US Correspondent, challenged Mendel over her parroting pro-Kremlin talking points, prompting the former press secretary to insist she is not a traitor. Continue reading ➤ |
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Paranoia casts a long shadow at Ardross Castle, as The Celebrity Traitors continues. Michael Hogan is covering all the action, as a lack of a murder the previous night forces the Faithful to conclude one of their number has moved to the dark side. Plus, a tense Round Table sees one of the show’s biggest characters leave. Continue reading ➤ |
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Lindsey Laird was eagerly anticipating the birth of her twin daughters at the end of 2024, preparing mentally, physically, and financially, as she and her husband were also moving house. A breast cancer diagnosis received the day before her children were born threw the family’s carefully made plans out of the window. Now, she wants other families to learn from her experience, and avoid putting off vital financial decisions until it’s too late. Continue reading ➤ |
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Josh Brolin found fame in The Goonies – he was just a child, but grew up quickly with actor James Brolin as his father, and a mother, Jane, who was mercurial to say the least. From his teens he was using drinks and drugs but after many wild years, at 58 Brolin is now a sober family man. As Whalefall hits cinemas and with Dune 3 on the horizon, he and Richard Grant head to the Arizona desert for two days to talk Harleys, sunsets and the challenges of fame. Continue reading ➤ |
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We’ve spent decades being told to eat less fat and count calories, but a leading cardiologist believes we’ve got our priorities wrong. From the foods that can reduce inflammation to why some high-fat favourites deserve a place on our plates, Dr Dariush Mozaffarian explains how to eat for a healthier, longer life. Continue reading ➤ |
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Don’t know what you’re going to eat this weekend? We’ve got you covered. Every Saturday, Diana Henry, The Telegraph’s award-winning cookery writer, brings you three recipes for a perfect weekend meal. Meanwhile, William Sitwell shares his view from the culinary world – and a recommendation or two.
Prawn, leek and bean stew |
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Diana Henry |
Spring makes most people feel like cleaning the house and reorganising things, but I feel the urge now. Autumn is a time to take stock, especially as what we eat changes so dramatically. I’ve been keen to move on to cold-weather food since late August. Now I’m sinking into slow-cooked haricot beans with tomatoes, lamb and rosemary, or pork with Spanish white beans and chorizo. If you organise your cupboards, you can see what jars and tins have been shoved into the back and start cooking.
I have different types of beans – gourmet jarred ones, a few that are cheaper, and then a multitude of tins. I always have cannellini, borlotti, haricot and flageolet, plus black beans and kidney beans. A good supper can be built on beans, such as this quite luxurious prawn, leek and cannellini bean stew. A tip: it helps to leave the beans sitting with the sautéed leeks before you continue with the rest of the dish – the beans soak up the flavours around them. Keep tinned flageolets around, meanwhile, and you can make a French side dish – shallots, garlic, beans, cream and chopped parsley – to serve with roast chicken or lamb chops. It’s a classy dish that takes only 15 minutes to make.
Duck breast with bean purée and olive herb salsa |
Puréeing tinned or jarred beans with a little stock, sautéed onions, a favourite extra-virgin olive oil and good seasoning gives you a base for root veg, bitter leaves, roast onions – anything that contrasts well with the bean’s quietness. I’ve been doing this for years, producing a purée that’s perfect with duck breast (try this) and pork chops.
Fagioli all’uccelletto (tomato, sage and garlic beans) |
I think the best bean experience you can have this weekend is a bowlful of Tuscan beans. Dried beans absorb the flavours of all the ingredients around them, and that doesn’t just mean onions and herbs – it can include bacon fat, a Parmesan rind or chicken skin. What you end up with depends on what you put in the pot. I love beans in all their forms, but when I put these on to cook tomorrow morning, I will enjoy the smells this creates in the house and, later, the depth of flavour I have helped nudge along.
Find me here every Saturday and in my Recipes newsletter, which you can sign up to here.
Meanwhile, William Sitwell reflects on a figure from his past who has reemerged...
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William Sitwell |
I dashed to the White Hart, my often tortuous hospitality endeavour in West Somerset one evening this week, delayed by a train. There at the bar was a man who greeted me boldly and told me he was my Geography teacher at school. No, not some harsh, corporate punishment-wielding beak. Far from it, in fact. For this man, as I write this week, comforted me on the very worst day of my life. A day when, in front of hundreds of my peers, I was officially labelled a “General Total Failure”. He showed me kindness I’ve never forgotten. Proving that, sometimes, the labour of hospitality brings people to the bar who can raise the spirits more than you can imagine.
Read William’s full column ➤ |
Fully bookedEvery weekday, Orlando Bird, our loyal Reader Correspondent, shares an off-piste topic that has brought out the best of your opinions and stories. Orlando writes...
Thanks for all your replies to yesterday’s newsletter. I’ve much enjoyed your accounts of reading Lady Chatterley’s Lover in the heady days after the unexpurgated version became available.
Last week, the Queen told how she read DH Lawrence’s novel by torchlight as a teenager. One Telegraph reader had a different strategy: “I had a copy at school with a different cover, the title of which was Men and Gods (one of our textbooks). I remember reading it with a friend during choir practice. I don’t remember how I acquired it. My mother read it as well.”
Jenny Williamson recalled: “My father was given a copy on his retirement. It was quite well-worn, and opened automatically in a number of different places. My brother was allowed to look at it, and I remember he laughed at some of the sections that self-opened. I was a few years younger and it was kept from me, though I managed to sneak an occasional look.
“This lasted a couple of days, until my mother looked at it herself, then burned it. I never told her that my all-girls school had a copy in the library, and I was able to read it there.”
Martin Webster added: “I started work in the City in January 1960, and I remember the trial because my boss disappeared from the office for a number of days. Nobody would say why. It turned out that he was one of the jurors at the Chatterley trial.” That’s all from me for this week, folks. I’ll be back on Monday to bring you the best Telegraph talking points. In the meantime, you can contact me here.
Please confirm in your reply that you are happy to be featured and that we have your permission to use your name. |
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Welcome to Andrew Baker’s Saturday quiz. Test your knowledge below to see if you have been paying attention to our newsletters this week...
1. This week in 1901, the US presidential residence was officially renamed The White House. What was it previously called?
2. Anne Pashley was a singing star of London’s Royal Opera. What was her other claim to fame?
3. Which of Winnie the Pooh’s friends was banned in Turkey?
4. Jessamy Calkin, our feature writer, spent some of her childhood in Africa, where her school library books were eaten by red ants. In which country?
5. In the classic 1970s Campari ad, Lorraine Chase was asked if she had “wafted here from Paradise”. What was her response?
Find as many words as you can in today’s Panagram, including the nine-letter solution. Visit Telegraph Puzzles to play a range of head-scratching games, including The 1% Club, Cogs, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords.
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Yesterday’s Panagram was AMAZEMENT. Come back tomorrow for the solution to today’s puzzle.
Plus, can you tackle The 1% Club? Scroll down to see if you got the questions right – and play for free on our website and app.
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1860 | First British Open, held at Prestwick Golf Club
1957 | Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visit the White House (see our coverage on the front page the following day below)
1959 | Queen Elizabeth II is fined £50 for the late withdrawal of her horse Above Suspicion from the Champion Stakes at Newmarket
2019 | Boris Johnson announces a new Brexit deal with the EU, removing the Northern Ireland backstop clause
Birthdays: Felicity Jones (43), Eminem (53), Sir Cameron Mackintosh (80)
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Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow. Chris Evans, Editor
I’d love to hear what you think of this newsletter. You can email me your feedback at fromtheeditor@telegraph.co.uk. |
Quiz answers:
- The Executive Mansion
- Olympic track sprint medallist
- Piglet
- Malawi
- “Nah. Luton airport”
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