'45m Brits in drought' and a 'Not-so-small boats crisis'
Several papers lead with drought declarations for more parts of the UK, affecting "45m Brits", according to the Daily Mirror, headlining with "High & Dry". It says "most of Britain is now in drought" as the "fifth heatwave of the summer hits and wildfires take hold".
"Three-quarters of England, and all of Wales, now officially in drought," the i Paper writes, with "no sustained rain on the horizon". A sub-headline adds the detail "36°C forecast this week after the driest July since records began in 1836".
The Guardian continues with warnings from firefighters "over surge in 'unprecedented' summer blazes". As drought-affected England and Wales creates "unpredictable environmental challenges", the paper quotes the Fire Brigades Union urging more recruitment of properly-equipped fire crews as a "national priority".
Metro zooms out to "extreme weather" events impacting people "at home and abroad", carrying the story of "1 million Chinese forced to flee Typhoon Dolphin as Britain braces for yet another 36C heatwave".
Some papers lead with a crossing featuring "230 migrants on a 49ft mega-dinghy", as the Sun reports, labelling it a "not-so-small boats crisis". Comparing the volume of passengers to an EasyJet flight, the paper says it is a "record for one vessel" crossing the English Channel to the UK - which it estimates will cost taxpayers £25m.
The Daily Telegraph continues with coverage of what its main headline labels "mega dinghies" crossing the Channel. Its sub-headline add "French lifeboat service warns that more asylum seekers will be piled on to boats" following the "record" crossing.
The Daily Mail splashes on the "giant 49-foot craft", headlining: "Day small boat crisis became a BIG boats crisis". It features criticism from the Conservatives saying the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is "presiding over a complete and utter farce", while the Home Office tells the paper: 'We are making progress, with the number of small-boat crossings down this year and the lowest number recorded for July since 2020."
Meanwhile, the Times says Prime Minister Andy Burnham "demands plan to keep PC's killers in jail", referring to the case of Andrew Harper, following "mounting backlash from the victim's family and the police". The paper writes that the prime minister is "confident" that his Justice Secretary Alex Norris will succeed "despite warnings that it will be impossible to prevent release".
Calls from Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch for the prime minister to "rule out new taxes to prevent more hardship" tops the Daily Express. It quotes Badenoch warning against "fresh hikes" to fund a "spending spree".
The Financial Times carries news of an "AI financing package" between Nvidia and some of Wall Street's "big names", including Goldman Sachs, Brookfield and Apollo Global. The firms plans to enter the partnership "to invest in developing AI data centres," citing six sources familiar with the plans.
"Amazon is primed to buy Liverpool Football Club" is the Daily Star's lead story, quipping "you'll never deliver alone!" – a cheeky reference to the club's terrace anthem. "Let's hope it doesn't go to Extra Prime," it writes, as the sub-editors score with a second footie-based joke.
