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Battery-powered system can down a drone travelling at 100km/h, according to its developers, Melbourne-based AIM Defence

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Deputy PM, who didn't really sign up for this, seemed reluctant to declare war on a superpowerThe deputy prime minister's statement on cybersecurity and China-backed attempts to undermine UK democracy had been briefed far enough in advance that MPs had had time to sharpen their insults. Iain Duncan Smith said Oliver Dowden's announcement was like watching an elephant giving birth to a mouse. The SNP member Stuart C McDonald accused Dowden of taking a wooden spoon to a gunfight. Labour's Chris Bryant called him wilfully blind, and therefore dangerous".The inattentive observer might come away from the statement unclear on who posed the greater threat to our national security, Oliver Dowden or the Chinese. Continue reading...

Woman arrested after Destiny Harrison, 24, and Linnea were killed while walking on Sunday morningThe family of a mother and her five-year-old daughter who died while walking in Plymouth have paid tribute to a strong young woman" and her larger than life" child.Destiny Harrison, 24, and Linnea Harrison died in the collision in the St Budeaux area on Sunday morning. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Move comes as issue of membership of organisation that bars women is being taken seriously at highest levels of judiciary

Band will play Radio 1's Big Weekend in Luton in May and are being urged to sing club's colour instead of rivals'Luton Town fans have called for Coldplay to change the lyrics of their song Yellow to match the football club's orange home kit.The plea came after the band were confirmed as headliners for Radio 1's Big Weekend festival taking place at Stockwood Park, a 10-minute drive from the club's ground, Kenilworth Road, in May. Continue reading...

The Oscar nominee could follow in fellow Marvel star Chris Pratt's footsteps with a starring role in new dinosaur adventureScarlett Johansson is reportedly in talks to lead a new Jurassic World movie.According to the Hollywood Reporter, the two-time Oscar nominated actor could follow on from her Marvel co-star Chris Pratt with a starring role in the latest installment of the dinosaur franchise. Continue reading...

6m scheme to fix section of B4069 near Lyneham submitted, but road may take another year to reopenIt became an unlikely hotspot for skateboarders and BMX riders who found that a landslip on a country road had created an attractive testing ground for spins, jumps and flips.Two years on, a planning application to restore a section of the B4069 in Wiltshire that had buckled as if it had been hit by an earthquake has finally been submitted but, to the dismay of local people, it may still take another year before the road is reopened Continue reading...

Brussels vote was cancelled after it became clear law would not pass final stage with majority voteThe EU's nature restoration laws are on the verge of collapse after a number of member states, including Hungary and Italy, withdrew support for the legislation.Spain's environment minister, Teresa Ribera, said it would be enormously irresponsible" for countries to drop the laws, which have been two years in the making and are designed to reverse decades of damage to biodiversity on land and in waterways. Continue reading...

Survey finds varying support for apology from government, firms that profited from slavery, and royal familySix in 10 Britons believe Caribbean nations and descendants of enslaved people should receive a formal apology from the government, the royal family or firms that profited from exploitation, a survey has found.The poll, released on the UN International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, will be delivered to ministers in parliament on Monday by the Repair Campaign, a group calling for a formal response to the historical horrors in the Caribbean. Continue reading...

Visiting medical team reported untreated open wounds, shortage of supplies to pin fractures and lack of food jeopardising treatment

Remy Gordon and Kami Carpenter convicted of Boxing Day nightclub stabbing of Fisher, who died at the scene from a chest woundTwo men have been found guilty of murdering the footballer Cody Fisher, who was stabbed to death inside a Birmingham nightclub on Boxing Day in 2022.Remy Gordon and Kami Carpenter had blamed each other for stabbing the 23-year-old former Birmingham City academy player, who died at the scene from a chest wound. Continue reading...

Regulator for Great Britain launches consultation on options including dynamic' pricing

Technology groups face hefty fines if they are found guilty of breaching Digital Markets Act

Bassirou Diomaye Faye leads Amadou Ba, the candidate for the ruling party who has refused to concede, in the presidential voteSenegal's anti-establishment candidate appears to be closing in on victory in the country's presidential election, an outcome that could steer the west African state in a radical new direction.Early results show opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye ahead, prompting several rivals to publicly concede defeat. Continue reading...

Former elite soldier, who last year won a defamation case against the ABC, said he allowed himself to become too intoxicated' at 2022 event

Legal Observers NSW says several officers' at Port Botany protest - where 19 people were arrested - wore thin blue line patch on uniform

Heavy rainfall brings landslides to country's south-east. Elsewhere, a wild temperature fluctuation in IberiaBrazil was hit by devastating floods over the weekend that have so far claimed 20 lives in the resultant landslides and mudslides. There was heavy rainfall in parts of the south-east, including Rio de Janeiro, Petropolis and the larger Espirito Santo region, with hourly rainfall totals of about 20mm recorded in places. Cumulative totals from Friday through Sunday were close to 250mm, particularly along the coast: this is far higher than the monthly average.Landslides and mudslides occurred across the region, and a number of houses collapsed. Rescue operations are under way to look for people who may have been stranded by the floods. Although there may still be a few showers over the following days, the worst of the rain has now passed. Continue reading...

Company says work is already under way to double the size of the Rolls-Royce Submarines site in the UK

Revelation comes as the new independent monitor raises concerns about the laws which can send someone to jail for up to 10 years for revealing classified information

Authorities to launch inquiry into allegations of mismanagement at country's national oil corporationLibyan authorities have said they will investigate allegations of wholesale mismanagement in the country's National Oil Corporation, with officials telling the Guardian rampant smuggling is helping to fuel the civil war in Sudan.Mohamed al-Menfi, the chair of the presidential council, will launch an inquiry this week, t he scope of which is likely to also cover the widespread practice of fuel smuggling and its key beneficiaries. Continue reading...

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The PM was captured on video at Sydney Eras concert with his fiancee, Jodie Haydon, apparently on balcony of corporate box

Karen Webb says checks still under way in the appointment of Channel Seven journalist Steve Jackson to the role of police media adviser

Victoria police say assistant commissioner was caught driving at 58km/h in a 50km/h zone in FebruaryThe assistant police commissioner responsible for road policing in Victoria says he's deeply embarrassed and disappointed after being caught driving at almost 10km/h over the speed limit while on the way to a meeting.Victoria police on Monday issued a statement confirming assistant commissioner Glenn Weir was caught speeding on 29 February in Parkville, in Melbourne's inner north. Continue reading...

National Audit Office says merging DfID with Foreign Office has led to loss of dedicated senior rolesBritain's capability and expertise on foreign aid has been diminished since international development was merged into the Foreign Office, the UK's public spending watchdog has found.The National Audit Office, which reports to parliament on public spending, said the transfer of the department to the Foreign Office, overseen by Boris Johnson, had caused a loss of dedicated senior roles in development. Continue reading...

New date for Antoni Gaudi's basilica announced but enormous, controversial stairway will take another eight yearsBarcelona's Sagrada Familia basilica has a new completion date of 2026, which will come 144 years after the first stone was laid.The president of the organisation tasked with completing Antoni Gaudi's masterwork announced the date last Wednesday, which coincides with the centenary of the death of the building's architect. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Surge in nurses originally from outside the EU moving overseas prompts concern Britain is a staging post' in their careersAlmost 9,000 foreign nurses a year are leaving the UK to work abroad, amid a sudden surge in nurses quitting the already understaffed NHS for better-paid jobs elsewhere.The rise in nurses originally from outside the EU moving to take up new posts abroad has prompted concerns that Britain is increasingly becoming a staging post" in their careers. Continue reading...

Bank holiday weekend and start of school holidays take place at same time, with high traffic volumes expectedDrivers are being warned to expect long delays over Easter as millions of getaway trips lead to soaring traffic volumes and congested motorways.The RAC said that more than 14m journeys on some popular routes could take twice as long as normal, as the first bank holiday weekend of the spring coincides with the start of a two-week holiday for many schools. Continue reading...

Wrestler, whose real name is Mikiya Ishioka, triumphs in Osaka to secure Emperor's Cup despite injuring his ankle the previous dayThe ancient Japanese sport of sumo is celebrating a new hero, after Takerufuji became the first wrestler for more than a century to win a top-division tournament on his debut.There were wild celebrations at the Edion Arena Osaka on Sunday after he ended the 15-day contest with an unassailable record of 13 wins and two defeats. Continue reading...

Australia Post logged more than 81,000 hazards in the past year according to handheld digital tool used to warn other posties of potential dangers

Some professors will submit their resignations while others will cut their hours over a government plan to boost medical school admissionsMedical professors in South Korea have said they will reduce the hours they spend in practice, while some say they plan to resign, in a widening of a doctors strike in the country.The move will begin on Monday in support of trainee doctors who have been on strike for more than a month over a government plan to boost medical school admissions. Continue reading...

Survey finds many ex-military personnel fear being misunderstood and are reluctant to seek professional helpMore than half of England's army veterans have experienced mental or physical health issues since returning to civilian life, and some are reluctant to share their experiences, a survey has revealed.The survey of 4,910 veterans, commissioned jointly by the Royal College of GPs (RCGP) and the Office for Veterans' Affairs (OVA), found that 55% have experienced a health issue potentially related to their service since leaving the armed forces. Over 80% of respondents said their condition had got worse since returning to civilian life. Continue reading...

British properties are expensive, cramped and ageing' compared with other similar economies, says Resolution FoundationThe UK's expensive, cramped and ageing" housing stock fares poorly compared with other advanced countries, analysis by a thinktank suggests.Households are paying more than other countries - but getting less in return, the Resolution Foundation said. Continue reading...

Footage of gunmen reinforces Islamic State's claim to have masterminded worst terror attack on Russia in two decadesFour suspects have appeared in court in Moscow charged over the terrorist attack on the Crocus City concert hall on Friday that left 137 people dead.The men were officially identified as citizens of Tajikistan, the Tass state news agency said, and were remanded in custody for two months at Sunday's hearing. Continue reading...

Maritime Union of Australia branch secretary Paul Keating one of 19 people arrested and charged

A 35-year-old was found injured in East Ham and Metropolitan police inquiries led to arrest of 33-year-oldDetectives have arrested a man at Heathrow on suspicion of murder, hours after a man was hit by a car and killed in east London.The Metropolitan police launched an investigation after being called at 5.11am to reports of a collision involving a car and pedestrian in East Ham. A 35-year-old man was found injured at the scene on Barking Road, near to the junction with Arragon Road. Continue reading...

Oscar-winning actor says gender pay disparity rooted in outdated idea that male actors draw audiencesOlivia Colman has criticised gender pay disparity in the film industry and said she would be paid more if she was a man, arguing that it is rooted in an outdated idea that male actors draw in the audience.Speaking about her latest movie, Wicked Little Letters, the Oscar-winning actor said that gender limits her earning potential. Research suggests that [women have] always been big box office draws," she told CNN's Christiane Amanpour programme. Continue reading...

New protest group is critical of London museum's sponsorship by BP and seeks to make link with GazaThe British Museum closed its doors to visitors on Sunday afternoon as hundreds of protesters gathered outside to demand that it end its partnership with BP - and sought to draw a link with the conflict in Gaza.A new UK-based protest group, calling itself Energy Embargo for Palestine, called on members of the public to boycott the museum while it continues to receive sponsorship from the company. Continue reading...

Higher education minister will become taoiseach in April after shock resignation of Leo VaradkarSimon Harris will become Ireland's youngest prime minister after the leadership race in his Fine Gael party ended without any other candidates coming forward.The leadership became vacant after the taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, announced his surprise resignation for personal and political reasons" last week. Continue reading...

Police were called to reports of a teenager with a knife wound in Sittingbourne on Friday afternoonA 12-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder after a teenage girl was stabbed in Kent.Police were called to reports of a 15-year-old girl suffering injuries consistent with a knife wound in Sittingbourne at 3.55pm on Friday. The girl was taken to a London hospital for treatment and officers said on Saturday she remained in hospital in a stable condition. Continue reading...

Plant on outskirts of Coventry could create up to 6,000 jobs and will be part of planned Centre for ElectrificationA Chinese manufacturer of electric vehicle batteries is in talks to invest more than 1bn to build a giant new factory on the outskirts of Coventry.EVE Energy, which says it employs 28,000 staff worldwide, is understood to be in talks to construct a 5.7m sq ft gigafactory, which will form one of the main parts of the planned UK Centre for Electrification, an investment zone in the West Midlands. Continue reading...

Students and staff snatched by gunmen from school in Kaduna state freed days before ransom deadlineThe Nigerian army has rescued students and staff who were abducted by gunmen from a school in the country's north earlier this month, the military said, days before the deadline for a ransom payment.School officials and residents had said 287 students were taken on 7 March in the town of Kuriga, in the north-western state of Kaduna. A military spokesperson said 137 hostages - 76 female and 61 male - were rescued in the early hours of Sunday in the neighbouring state of Zamfara. Continue reading...

The Rio de Janeiro councillor and her driver were assassinated in 2018, sparking an international outcryTwo powerful politicians and Rio de Janeiro's former chief of police have been arrested as part of a federal police operation targeting the suspected masterminds of the 2018 assassination of Rio councillor Marielle Franco.The operation - named Murder, Inc - was launched at the crack of dawn on Sunday and came just over six years after the shooting of Franco and her driver, Anderson Gomes, caused an international outcry. Continue reading...

Michael Gove is losing his battle to reform current leaseholds, Sunday Times reportsThe Conservatives have been accused of ditching their manifesto pledge to reduce ground rents to zero, after reports that Michael Gove is losing his battle to reform current leaseholds.Gove, the levelling-up secretary, has been overseeing plans to overhaul the system in a reform bill, but key provisions to overhaul leaseholds were missing when the legislation was published in November. Continue reading...

Woman says she feels let down by broadcaster, which has admitted it failed to properly investigate 2009 claim against comedianA woman who made allegations about Russell Brand to Channel 4 in 2009 has accused the broadcaster of a whitewash" that had left her disempowered and unsupported".The broadcaster said last week it had failed to properly investigate a serious allegation made against the actor and comedian 15 years ago. Continue reading...

Russians lay flowers and light candles outside Crocus concert hall on day of mourning. This live blog is closedPope Francis has condemned the shooting attack at the concert hall near Moscow as a vile" act that offends God.I assure my prayers for the victims of the vile terrorist attack carried out in Moscow, may the Lord receive them in his peace, comfort their families and convert the hearts of those who ... carry out these inhuman actions that offend God," the pope said in St. Peter's Square after the Palm Sunday mass.I think we have very little confidence in anything the Russian government says.We know that they are creating a smokescreen of propaganda to defend an utterly evil invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...

Paddy Harverson said rumours had fed permanent doom loop' before Catherine's cancer announcement

Two FoI requests received different data, with one showing 14 people rather than five had died while living in asylum accommodationThree times as many asylum seekers died during the first six months of last year than the Home Office disclosed in official information, it has emerged.Earlier in March, the Guardian reported on a freedom of information (FoI) response from the Home Office to an organisation called The Civil Fleet, a news blog that focuses on support for refugee rescue and support missions across Europe. Continue reading...