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British jets to get new anti-drone missile systems

BBC News

British fighter jets in the Middle East will be equipped with new missile systems to make it cheaper to intercept Iranian drones. Royal Air Force Typhoon jets will be fitted with an Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) to destroy targets more precisely and at a fraction of the price of missiles currently in use, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced. Gulf countries and allies in the region have been grappling with how to counter Iran's Shahed drones, which are relatively cheap to make and have been causing considerable damage. During the 2024 conflict between Israel and Iran, the UK was reported to have shot down some drones with missiles worth around £200,000 each. Defence experts have estimated APKWS rockets used by other countries cost around $30,000 (£22,377) each.


Lights, camera, Bangaranga: Highlights from Eurovision

BBC News

Eurovision 2026 has come to a close, with Bulgaria crowned winner and Israel in second place after a nail-biting public vote. The UK finished last after receiving no points in the public vote, and history was made by Ukraine's entry for holding the contest's longest ever note. Russia launched one of the biggest air strikes on Kyiv since the start of the war with several apartment blocks hit. Why is the Princess of Wales in Italy this week? The Princess of Wales received an enthusiastic welcome from Italian crowds, on her return to overseas visits following her treatment for cancer.


'Look Mum, one point': Why does the UK keep getting Eurovision wrong?

BBC News

'Look Mum, one point': Why does the UK keep getting Eurovision wrong? The UK has self-destructed at Eurovision all over again. Look Mum No Computer, aka musician Sam Battle, got one solitary point, ending up in last place. It's the third time we've been at the bottom of the table since 2020. We've made the top 10 once since 2010.

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Bangaranga! Bulgaria wins Eurovision - but UK comes last

BBC News

Bangaranga! Bulgaria wins Eurovision - but UK comes last Bulgarian pop star Dara has won the Eurovision Song Contest with her pneumatic dance anthem Bangaranga. The 27-year-old topped both the public and the jury vote in a nail-biting conclusion, soaring ahead of Israel in second and Romania in third to score a massive 516 points. Dara was far from a front-runner going into the contest, but her intricate choreography and naggingly catchy chorus helped her eclipse the competition - giving Bulgaria its first ever Eurovison title. The UK, however, continued its run of disastrous results. Look Mum No Computer's song Eins, Zwei, Drei took last place, with one solitary point.

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Hezbollah drone strike videos show evolving tactics against Israel

BBC News

Hezbollah has increased its use of small first-person view (FPV) drones to attack Israel, including systems controlled by fibre-optic cables to evade sophisticated defences. BBC Verify has geolocated 35 videos shared by the Lebanese armed group since 26 March which show strikes on Israeli soldiers, armoured vehicles and air defence systems in southern Lebanon and northern Israel. Experts told BBC Verify the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has so far been unable to develop any effective countermeasures, as the small drones can easily bypass detection systems. The drones can also be made from commercially available and 3D-printed components - and are cheap compared to the high-value targets they can destroy, experts also said. The use of cheap FPV drones became widespread during the Russia-Ukraine war and has changed modern warfare.


Massive queues shut Swatch stores as hundreds clamour for 335 limited edition watch

BBC News

Swatch have closed their stores in cities across the UK after hundreds of people queued outside branches eager to buy a new limited watch. The Swiss firm said it would not open its branches in the capital in light of safety considerations for both our customers and our staff. Stores in Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield will also remain closed. The firm had been due to launch their new Royal Pop pocket watch collaboration with luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet, with eight models priced from £335. However the watch has been put on resale online for up to £16,000.


Thousands of officers deployed as crowds gather for London protests

BBC News

More than 4,000 police officers have been deployed to London, as crowds start to gather for two rival protests in the capital. Police will use drones, police horses and dogs and have armoured vehicles on standby. Officers will also manage a so-called sterile zone between the Unite the Kingdom march, organised by far-right figure Tommy Robinson, and a pro-Palestinian demonstration. The Metropolitan Police has called it one of the most significant policing operations in years. In addition to the protests, tens of thousands of football fans are expected at Wembley Stadium for the FA Cup Final on Saturday afternoon.


Who is James Murray, the new health secretary replacing Wes Streeting?

BBC News

Who is James Murray, the new health secretary replacing Wes Streeting? From a high-profile, media-friendly Secretary of State to a relatively unknown MP, the departure of Wes Streeting and arrival of James Murray has raised eyebrows in the health and political worlds. It is one of the biggest Cabinet jobs with the largest public service departmental budgets. There will be a steep learning curve with no time for preparation away from the front line. Murray says he's deeply honoured to be appointed to the brief and continue Wes Streeting's brilliant work on such a critical mission, but who is he, and what issues will he face in his in tray?


Prisoner swap goes ahead as Kyiv mourns 24 killed in Russian strike on flats

BBC News

Russia and Ukraine exchanged 205 prisoners of war on Friday, hours after rescue workers ended their search of a destroyed block of flats in Kyiv in which 24 people were killed, including three girls. Most of the Ukrainian prisoners had been held since 2022, said President Zelensky. The swap was part of a short-lived ceasefire ending this week with the launch of massive Russian strikes across Ukraine, including a missile attack that reduced 18 flats to rubble. Among the victims was 12-year-old Lyubava Yakovleva, whose father was killed during the war. Meanwhile, Russian officials said four people, including a child, were killed when Ukrainian drones hit the city of Ryazan, south-east of Moscow.


Claim, counter-claim and tech's seedy side exposed: Five things we learned in the Musk-Altman trial

BBC News

Claim, counter-claim and tech's seedy side exposed: Five things we learned in the Musk-Altman trial It is the legal showdown that has pitted two of the biggest names in tech, Elon Musk and Sam Altman, against each other. At stake is the future of one of the world's most valuable start-ups, ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, along with the reputations of Altman - the company's boss - and Musk, the man he founded it with. The central claim the jury has now retired to consider is Musk's argument his former friend stole a charity, cheating him out of a fortune (albeit a tiny one, by Musk's standards) along the way - something Altman strongly rejects. But there's been much more to the trial than that. Over the past three weeks, myself and other reporters have been glued to our seats at the federal court in California as the evidence ranged from explosive text messages to revelations of free Teslas allegedly offered in exchange for power.