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Drone with explosives found near Ukraine cargo jet at German airport carried out 'professionally'
A drone carrying an explosive device that was found at Leipzig airport was "very professionally carried out", a German minister said.

Reports emerged of a flying object at Leipzig/Halle late on Tuesday night and closed both runways while an anti-explosives robot was sent to check an object near the southern runway.

The discovery shows that the explosives-packed drone represents a new type of "hybrid attack", the German interior minister said.

Police and prosecutors said they found the drone with "an unknown explosive device" and that experts had removed its detonator.

Photos showed police and the robot near one of Ukraine's huge Antonov cargo jets. Germany's Bild news site said the drone was found lying close to the plane.

The Antonov jets are famous for their huge size, with one of the most famous examples destroyed in the early days of the Ukraine war.

German airports are on high alert after a series of drone sightings over sensitive sites - including military facilities, energy terminals, seaports and logistics companies.

Counter-terror officers are investigating and interior minister Alexander Dobrindt held an ‌emergency with Germany's security services on Wednesday night.

At a press conference, he described the incident as a "very serious, security-relevant incident" and a "hybrid attack scenario".

Mr Dobrindt added: "This drone was equipped with explosives. That represents a new quality of threat.

"Drone sightings, drones, threats also in a hybrid context - we're familiar with that from the past. But a drone, armed with explosives, being present on airport grounds - that is a new threat scenario.

"We are dealing with a high level of danger. These threats are not being carried out by amateurs. A high degree of technical experience must be involved. Experience in handling explosives must also be present.

"We are talking here about a professional, hybrid threat, one that we will continue to have to deal with."

Meanwhile, another cargo aircraft - believed to be owned by DHL - was hit by an object as it climbed away from Leipzig after diverting last night.

Slight damage was found to the plane when it landed in Hannover. Investigations into the object's origins are ongoing.

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It comes after an investigation found a number of incendiary devices had been hidden in parcels that caught fire in 2024, including one incident at a DHL depot in Birmingham.

Western securty services blamed Russian intelligence, though the country denied responsibility for those incidents, as well as for the recent drone sightings

Leipzig - a key cargo hub in eastern Germany - reopened its northern runway about two hours after the security alert. The southern runway was scheduled to close for maintenance on Wednesday.


Man in court charged with murder after death of girl, 9, found injured on Arbroath industrial estate
A man has appeared in court charged with murder following the death of a nine-year-old girl who was found seriously injured at an industrial estate in Angus.

Police Scotland said officers were called to Elliot Industrial Estate in Arbroath at about 12.02am on Monday after Minnie Merriman was discovered.

The youngster was taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, where she later died.

Christopher Rice, 35, was arrested and charged in connection with her death.

The force previously confirmed the pair were "known" to each other and other members of the family, from West Yorkshire, had been camping in the area.

Rice appeared before Forfar Sheriff Court on Wednesday, where he made no plea to the single charge of murder. The suspect, of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, was remanded in custody and is due back in the dock within the next eight days.

Police Scotland earlier said the other members of the family are being supported by specialist officers.

In a statement released through the force, Minnie's family said: "We are devastated with the loss of our beloved, absolutely incredible, beautiful and brave Minnie Moo.

"Our family asks that our privacy is respected at this extremely difficult time."

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Detective Inspector Mike Ness, of the major investigation team, said inquiries into the incident remain ongoing.

He said: "Our thoughts remain with everyone affected by these events, especially Minnie's family.

"A police presence will remain in the area while our inquiries continue.

"Anyone with any concerns, or information, should approach these officers or contact Police Scotland on 101."

It is understood West Yorkshire Police is supporting Police Scotland's investigation.


Three middle-age health rules could bring an extra 13 years without dementia, experts say
Avoiding three things during middle age could mean enjoying up to 13 extra years without dementia, a study has found.

Having normal blood pressure, no diabetes, and not smoking from age 45 to 65 keeps dementia at bay for well over a decade, research suggests.

Experts from New York University Langone Health studied more than 12,000 people who were free of dementia when they were aged 55.

Subjects were assessed for three key things affecting dementia risk - high blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking, and followed for an average of 26 years.

Just over 3,000 people developed dementia, while roughly 5,200 people died without developing the illness.

Those who had none of the three risk factors lived without developing dementia nearly 13 years longer than those who had all three.

Non-smokers who didn't have diabetes or high blood pressure when the study started at age 55, lived for another 30.1 years dementia-free, the authors found.

Meanwhile, those with one risk factor survived another 26.3 years without dementia, those with two had 21 years, and those with three had just over 17 years.

Dr Josef Coresh, director of the Optimal Aging Institute at NYU Langone, said the findings suggest people "need to actively avert these factors in midlife as a strategy for preserving brain health for more than a decade".

Lifestyle choices, especially in midlife, can reduce the risk of developing dementia, according to previous research, with exercise, not smoking, watching alcohol intake, and not being socially isolated among the factors highlighted.

The new study said: "Individuals with no midlife vascular risk factors lived an average of 13 more dementia-free survival years compared to those with three risk factors."

The study also found that, no matter how many risk factors they had, women lived longer without dementia than men, and white people had more dementia-free years than black people.

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Dr Sonya Miller, of TauRx Therapeutics Management, said brain health "is as important as physical health, and the two cannot be separated".

She continued: "With dementia now being the nation's number one cause of death, we all need to take our brain health seriously and make the changes we can on an individual basis."

Dr Jacqui Hanley, head of research funding at Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "While there is no guaranteed way to prevent dementia, research, including this study, suggests that addressing risk factors for poor cardiovascular health may also help reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

Professor Ian Maidment, from Aston University, said the research "adds to the evidence, from multiple studies, that what is good for the heart is good for the brain.

"Not smoking, having blood pressure within the normal range, and avoiding diabetes delayed the onset of dementia for over 10 years."


Democrat progressive pick Abdul el Sayed wins Michigan Senate nomination
The Democrats' progressive candidate, Abdul el Sayed, has won his party's Senate nomination in Michigan.

It was framed as a defining test of the party's direction going into midterm elections in November.

El Sayed, 41, is a doctor and centred his campaign on issues such as healthcare, an end to military aid for Israel, and the economy.

He will face off against Republican Party congressman Mike Rogers in three months' time.

El Sayed's win follows the high-profile election of Zohran Mandami, another Democratic progressive, in New York's mayoral race last November.

It could spark more debate among Democrats over the merits of anti-establishment campaigning and economic populism as they look to return to the White House in 2028.

Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren had backed El Sayed - who will be the first Muslim elected to the Senate if he wins in November.

His rival, Representative Haley Stevens, a moderate backed by millions of dollars from a pro-Israel group, had support from Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Ms Stevens' supporters said she was a more palatable candidate for voters in a state Donald Trump has won ​twice in the last three presidential elections.

But El Sayed, an epidemiologist, edged her out in a tight race after pulling in significant support from younger voters.

Sky's US partner, NBC News, put the result at 48.5% to 47.5% for the two main candidates - with 98.7% of the votes counted.

Democrats will be hoping they turn out for him again in November's all-important vote, held halfway through the US election cycle.

The Democrats already hold the Michigan seat but the incumbent, Gary Peters, is retiring.

Not retaining the state would make gaining a Senate majority virtually impossible for the party - and they would still need to "flip" at least four Republican-held seats.

'B.S policies'

Republicans have torn into El Sayed, calling him "dangerous" and "radical" in online adverts, while Mr Trump called him a "Communist loser who hates Jews and Israel" in a social media post.

El Sayed accused the Republicans of using his full name - Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed - and his religion as a scare tactic.

"My name is ​not the reason you can't afford your groceries," he said. "You know what is? Their B.S. policies."

He has also sought to reassure Jewish voters, calling them his "sisters and brothers" and promising he is committed to their ​safety.

Analysts said a key factor in his win was also the significant Arab-American population in Michigan, where animosity towards Israel runs deep due to the Palestinian and Gaza situation.

His victory is emblematic of a leftward trend among Democrats: A Reuters/Ipsos poll this week found 71% of Democrats describe themselves as "liberal" voters, up from 55% in 2012.


Teenager stabbed boy, 16, to death at train station over £20 of cannabis
A teenager has been found guilty of murdering a 16-year-old boy at a train station over a £20 drug debt.

The killer, who is also 16, was convicted by a jury at Hove Crown Court on Wednesday, of stabbing Joshua Ingram to death in Seaford, East Sussex, in September last year.

The juvenile defendant, who cannot be named due to his age, pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denied murder, claiming he stabbed Joshua in a "tragic and reckless moment".

There were gasps from the public gallery, where Joshua's parents and family were sitting, as the murder verdict was read out.

The defendant was on trial alongside two other boys, aged 17 and 15, who were accused of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent in the lead-up to the stabbing.

Jurors found all three of them not guilty of that charge.

The 15-year-old was found guilty of assisting an offender on the day of the murder and the 17-year-old had already pleaded guilty to the same offence.

The knife attack took place when the teenage killer went to Seaford station with a 19cm knife hidden in his tracksuit bottoms, then approached Joshua and stabbed him twice.

The blade went 15cm into Joshua's body, medical experts told jurors during the trial.

In a statement following the verdict, Joshua's family described him as a "cheeky chappy" who was two days into a brick laying course at college.

"This is a future life he will now never achieve. As a family, our lives changed forever that evening," his family, including his mother, Yvette Bullen, and father, Dave Ingram, said.

"We hope Josh's story serves as a reminder of the devastating consequences of knife crime.

"This reckless behaviour devastates countless lives.

"So we urge young people to rethink, choose a different path in life, to avoid another family going through the pain and suffering we have, and will continue to do so for the rest of our lives."

'He stood no chance'

Prosecutor Rossano Scamardella KC said the 16-year-old defendant was a "small-time drug dealer" who had supplied Joshua with drugs in the summer of 2025, but had not been paid for them.

"Joshua stood no chance. The speed of the attack from behind gave him no chance to defend himself and the injury he sustained was so serious that he could not survive," he told the court.

"He collapsed on the station platform and despite the very best attempts by members of the public and emergency workers, he died within an hour of being stabbed and even before he could be taken to hospital."

He added: "All of this over a £20 cannabis debt."

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The boy told jurors he viewed the 19cm knife as an "accessory" which he had bought on Telegram but "didn't look at it for what it actually was" and never intended to kill or seriously harm Joshua.

The court also heard the teenager had the knife used to kill Joshua since he was in Year 9 and would "wave it around and playfully intimidate" people with it at his house.

Giving evidence in the trial, a friend of Joshua's who was with him when he was stabbed, said he saw the attacker "with no hesitation".

The friend said the defendant asked, "is that Josh?", before he stepped ahead of him, pulled a knife from his right hip and "went for it twice" and ran.

He said: "He had no hesitation - he had a very still facial expression, he wasn't pulling a face, he didn't look like he had anger in him.

"He looked very calm and just normal, but then just did that. I don't think Josh even knew what had happened."

The friend described how Joshua walked a couple of steps and then "dropped to the floor" as he tried to call 999.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Stanley, of the British Transport Police, said the jury saw through the defendant's attempts to "diminish his actions" and dismiss messages about harming Joshua as "sheer bravado".

"But following a chance meeting on that fateful day, he put his talk into action, taking Joshua's life with a singular blow and a large knife he routinely carried," he said.

The defendant will be sentenced on 2 October.


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