Australia has charged nine men over an alleged conspiracy to bring in 3.5 tonnes of cocaine and methamphetamine by sea and distribute the drugs nationwide, concluding an almost 10-month investigation by federal and state authorities.

The alleged smuggling operation came to light last May when a commercial trawler sank off the Victorian coast at Port Albert. Police officers monitoring the crew’s movements noted they had travelled out to sea in bad weather without standard fishing equipment, raising suspicion about the purpose of the voyage. In the following months, police conducted surveillance of several boat crews suspected to be linked to the syndicate.

The group allegedly made multiple attempts to reach a drop zone in Bass Strait where smaller vessels would have collected large quantities of drugs from a “mother ship” travelling through Australian waters. All attempts failed and no drugs were brought onshore.

The nine men, aged between 31 and 72, were arrested following raids in Victoria and Sydney.

They face charges including conspiracy to import cocaine and trafficking methamphetamine as well as firearms offences. Seven face the possibility of life in prison if convicted. The eight Victorian men are due in court on 28 July and the Sydney man on 20 May.

Four men were also charged in connection with a separate seizure of 30kg of methamphetamine in Perth last August and 41kg of cocaine in Victoria days later.

The syndicate allegedly used their connections in the trucking industry to move drugs between states.

AFP detective superintendent Ray Imbriano said at-sea drug transfers were dangerous and put both criminals and emergency workers at risk.

“At-sea transfers are dangerous, and criminals using this smuggling method risk both their freedom and their lives,” he said. “It also risks the lives of first responders who too often have had to save the lives of crew involved in drug retrieval.”

He said organised criminals were targeting Australia because of an “insatiable” demand for illicit drugs and the community’s willingness to pay high prices, warning that drug importations fuelled gang violence that left “innocent Australians caught in the crosshairs”.

Victoria Police superintendent Dave Cowan said Australia had become a “favourable location” for organised crime syndicates.

“The damage caused by the use of illicit substances ripples throughout the community, and it does not just affect those using the drug,” he said. Victoria Police said the investigation was ongoing and further arrests had not been ruled out.

Scott Mills could potentially face another huge blow after being sacked from the BBC.

The 53-year-old former Radio 2 Breakfast presenter was fired by the corporation following allegations over his ‘personal conduct’, which allegedly relate to a ‘historic relationship dating back more than 10 years’.

It soon then came to light that Mills was questioned by police in 2018 over allegations of serious sexual offences involving a teenage boy under 16.

Since then, a plaque honouring Mills at the Fleet Services bridge on the M3 was removed earlier this week.

Now, however, it has been reported that the 53-year-old could lose his Honorary Doctorate of Arts from Southampton Solent University.

The academic institution, who granted him the prestigious title back in November 2009, are said to be preparing to meet to rule on the issue.

A source told the Mirror: ‘The committee will meet later this month. It will be recommended that the honorary doctorate is rescinded.’

At the time Scott was awarded the honour, he said it ‘felt amazing after not really doing any education before’.

He added: ‘I came out of school and just learned from the people I worked with and thankfully the people I worked with were good and took the time to teach me but without that, if I was working at a worse radio station I don’t think I would be doing this now.’

On top of the Mills’ plaque at Fleet services getting removed, the radio star was also recently replaced on Race Across The World’s spin-off by TV presenter and DJ Tyler West.

Previously, it had been announced that both he and series four’s winner Alfie Watts would co-host a podcast titled Race Across the World: The Detour.

Scott and his now-husband Sam won the second celebrity series of Race Across The World in 2024.

Since Mills’ sudden firing, speculation has grown over who will take over his radio and hosting duties.

Mills had been one of the highest-paid presenters at the BBC, with a salary of £315,000 to £319,999 in 2025 after replacing Zoe Ball on the Breakfast Show.

With it understood that Mills will not be involved in any of his upcoming BBC projects, the favourite to take over on Radio 2 is presenter Vernon Kay.

Kay, 51, currently hosts the mid-morning show, having taken over from Ken Bruce in 2023.

Other names being suggested is Gary Davies, who stepped in for Mills this week and is best known as a regular presenter of Top of the Pops, along with Rylan Clark.

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Lancashire Police have said that at around 9.35pm on Friday (April 3), a man fell from a bridge on the southbound carriageway at Junction 27 for Charnock Richard.

The man was struck by a heavy goods vehicle before he was struck by a second vehicle, a Vauxhall Adam.

The man was taken to hospital where he remains in a life-threatening condition.

The drivers of the heavy goods vehicle and Vauxhall both stopped at the scene and are being treated as witnesses to the incident, with no arrests made so far.

Due to contact Lancashire Police had with the man earlier in the day, the force has voluntarily referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct as is standard practice in these circumstances.

The motorway was closed in both directions overnight before reopening this morning.

Now, police are appealing for any other witnesses to come forward as police investigate the incident.

Anyone who was driving in the area at the time and saw anything which could help the police investigation or has any dashcam footage is urged to contact police as soon as possible.

Members of the public can do this by emailing sciu@lancashire.police.uk or calling 101 and quoting log 1271 of 3rd April 2026.

Our Yorkshire Farm star Reuben Owen returns to Channel 5 this weekend.

Reuben Owen has been gushing over his girlfriend on social media.

Fans of Our Yorkshire Farm can tune in this weekend to watch Amanda Owen‘s son Reuben in a repeat episode of his documentary series, Reuben: Life in the Dales. The show chronicles young Reuben Owen’s journey as he works to expand his heavy plant machinery enterprise alongside his closest mates, Tommy and Sarah, in the picturesque Yorkshire Dales.

Tonight’s episode on Channel 5 (April 4) takes viewers back to the beginning of Reuben’s second year in business, just after he’d secured a contract to breathe new life into a disused fishing pond at an impressive country estate in County Durham.

His venture has flourished remarkably, and devoted viewers are eager to discover more about the rising star’s life beyond what cameras capture. Here’s the lowdown on Reuben, covering everything from his age to his romantic history.

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Reuben Owen’s age

As the second-eldest among the Owen children, Reuben follows his older sister Raven. Born in November 2003, he’s presently 22 years old and will mark his 23rd birthday later this year. His siblings include Raven, 24, Miles, 18, Edith, 15, Violet, 15, Sid, 14, Annas, 12, Clemmie, 10 and Nancy, nine.

Remarkably young to be helming such an operation, the television personality runs Reuben Owen Ltd, a thriving five-star business that tackles various projects from muck shifting to drainage and landscaping work. Through the company’s Facebook page, he regularly posts updates about his daily activities and ventures.

His latest update revealed: “Some pictures of the team putting in a new water supply last week, 900m of pipe in one day over some very boggy ground.” Thousands of followers responded to the update, with numerous people commending him for his outstanding efforts.

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Who is Reuben Owen’s girlfriend?

Reuben is in a relationship with Jessica Ellwood, whom he met at a Young Farmers’ convention in 2024. Jessica helps run her parents’ Brough Castle farm, which houses 400 sheep, 80 milk cows, three horses, 200 cattle, two cats and three dogs.

The duo made their relationship official in November 2024, with Reuben previously hinting that wedding bells might be approaching. In February 2026, they celebrated Valentine’s Day with a romantic escape, and Reuben shared several charming photographs from their trip on Instagram.

He posted: “A romantic weekend away with my love @jessica.ellwood1 for valentines day #loveyousomuch #mylove.” Reuben is plainly smitten with Jess, declaring in another update: “My darling @jessica.ellwood1 love working with you #lovemygirlfriend.”

Jess, who maintains her own Instagram presence, displays similar enthusiasm when posting pictures with her partner. The couple recently embarked on a hot air balloon adventure, with Jess posting: “What an amazing experience flying over your home in a hot air balloon.”

The farmer had previously been in a relationship with Sarah Dow, though Reuben confirmed she had pursued her “own way” after Life in the Dales wrapped up. The pair, who were childhood sweethearts introduced through a mutual acquaintance, called time on their romance in May 2024.

During an appearance on Lorraine Kelly’s programme, he explained: “Me and Sarah were together, we’re no longer together but we’re still very good friends. She’s kind of gone her own way and is pursuing her own career.”

Reuben: Life in the Dales airs on Channel 5 on Saturday, April 4 at 5.45pm

The champions have already lost three times in the City of Discovery this season, under three different managers, the latest a 2-0 defeat at Tannadice two weeks ago

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill senses a squad who are determined to end their dreadful record in Dundee when they run out at Dens Park on Sunday.

The champions have already lost three times in the City of Discovery this season, under three different managers, the latest a 2-0 defeat at Tannadice two weeks ago.

They were on the end of the same scoreline along the road in October, which was Dundee’s first home win over Celtic since Tommy Coyne netted a winner in 1988.

A fourth defeat in the same street would leave Celtic facing a major uphill struggle to retain the William Hill Premiership title and O’Neill’s players are eager to improve on their Tayside record.

“The non-international players got a few days off and then we’ve been training all week,” he said.

“It’s the training, the manner in which they’ve trained, I think that gives you good confidence in that sense.

“Of course, I’ve seen teams who’ve trained brilliantly and then things didn’t materialise at the weekend. But overall, I’ve been really happy with the training.

“In fairness, I think that the players themselves, we’ve all had a look at it. I’m sure that the players have thought about their own individual performances and just want to try and put it right if they can.”

Dundee have eased their relegation concerns with an upturn in form since late December but manager Steven Pressley is braced for the possibility that things could yet become fraught in the weeks ahead.

“As long as we focus on doing what’s required and performing and improving then hopefully we can get over the line, but if it takes to the last game of the season, that’s what it takes, and we have to be aware of that,” he said.

“My time in football tells me that anything meaningful that you ever achieve, you’ll never get there without struggle, without uncertainty, without difficulty.

“It’s never plain sailing and we just have to be ready for the challenges that the coming weeks provide us with.”

Dundee now have the chance to make it back-to-back home wins over Celtic in the league for the first time since 1972.

“I like throwing statistics at the players,” said Pressley. “It’s like ammunition for myself and I think the players like that, they like the challenges that we put in front of them. The reason we’ve improved a lot as a club is the attitude of the players has been terrific over the period.

“The Hearts result (a 1-0 defeat before the international break) was our first defeat in six games.

“I think it was the longest period the club had gone for some years in the Premiership without defeat, so that says a lot about the players.”

Pupils as young as 7 have been caught taking blades to class in shocking new figures that lay bare the true scale of the UK’s knife crisis in schools.

As the government opens a national centre aimed at combating knife crime, The Independent can reveal more than 700 knife crimes, including threats and attacks, were recorded by police at schools in England and Wales last year.

It comes after a 13-year-old boy allegedly stabbed two boys in the neck at a secondary school in Brent in February, and a 15-year-old allegedly attacked a girl with a knife in school near Norwich a month later.

The mother of Harvey Willgoose, who was murdered by another pupil in 2025, called the number of incidents an “emergency” and accused schools of failing to face up to the issue as she reissued her call for metal detectors, otherwise known as “knife arches”.

Tory shadow ministers say a “zero tolerance” approach is needed and children excluded after being caught with knives should be thrown out of mainstream education, while school leaders claim there is a limit to what headteachers can do and call for a society-wide response to tackle the crisis.

There were 748 recorded offences involving knives or sharp objects in schools in 2025, including attacks and threats, according to the data requests from 26 of the 42 forces that responded. This marked a slight increase from 735 in 2024, and a fall from a five-year peak of 879 in 2022.

Twelve of the forces provided information on the age of suspects, which showed that, shockingly, 33 were aged 10 or under.

They included West Mercia Police recording the suspect in a knife possession offence as a seven-year-old boy. West Yorkshire Police recorded two offences for possession of a knife or sharp instrument where the suspect was an eight-year-old boy. The offences included 118 incidents of violence and 29 threats.

Some forces said their knife crime figures could include incidents involving other weapons, such as screwdrivers or needles. And for some, the data may include incidents at colleges or sites where the school is recorded as the nearest location.

Caroline Willgoose, whose son Harvey was stabbed through the heart with a hunting knife at All Saints Catholic High School, said the figures were deeply concerning, but not a surprise.

“It’s an emergency, and there needs to be change,” Mrs Willgoose said. “I’ve got hundreds of messages from parents that has said someone in their school, mostly primary schools, has taken a knife in and nothing’s been done about it, or they’ve been sent to another school.

“There needs to be serious consequences for knives being found in schools, and not just shoved under the carpet.”

Earlier this year, the family lawyers claimed an independent report found “several missed opportunities” before the 15-year-old was murdered, including alleged failures by the school to adequately investigate concerns his killer, Mohammed Umar Khan, also 15 at the time, carried weapons. The school has since implemented “robust measures”, the managing trust said in February.

Mrs Willgoose said schools should install knife arches to ensure children were protected, but said many schools had not been supportive. “They are more worried about reputation and not scaring the parents,” she added.

Meanwhile, teachers have said they feel under threat, including former physics teacher Vincent Uzomah, who gave up the profession 10 years ago when he was stabbed in the stomach by a pupil at school in Bradford.

Mr Uzomah, who is now a lecturer at the University of Salford, said: “These are incidents that don’t happen in every school, and it doesn’t happen regularly, but when it happens, they have an enormous impact. For me, it nearly ended my life, and I get a shudder when I see a new case on the news.”

He added: “There needs to be a greater focus on the attitude from home, the attitude in society, and then not isolating these kinds of kids, but to put in place measures to safeguard the lives of teachers and other students to ensure that it is a safe environment for all.”

The knife offences in schools come at a time when knife crime overall fell nine per cent in the year to September 2025, according to Office for National Statistics Figures. Labour has set a target of reducing knife crime by 50 per cent.

On Thursday, a new National Knife Crime Centre was opened in London, where policing experts will tackle offenders who sell and distribute weapons online, often referred to as the “grey market”.

Following the attacks on two boys at Kingsbury High School in Brent in February, education minister Georgia Gould said ministers would look at security in schools.

Department for Education (DfE) guidance states CCTV and systems that detect intrusion, such as alarm systems, strong perimeter fencing, and security lighting, can help prevent attacks.

In the West Midlands, Dudley Academies Trust spent around £50,000 on knife arches for its four secondary schools. Chief executive Jo Higgins said schools that didn’t take appropriate measures were “vulnerable” to violence.

Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said there had been a number of “appalling and tragic events involving knives”, but tackling it needed “a more concerted, society-wide response”.

He said schools already conducted searches and taught about the dangers of knife crime, and when a pupil was found in possession of a knife, it was treated “very seriously”.

But he cautioned: “There is a limit to what schools can be expected to do. They are part of their communities, not fortresses, and teachers are teachers, not security guards. Moreover, schools have very limited budgets and extending on-site security would require significant investment.”

Tory shadow home secretary Chris Philp said he would introduce a stronger approach to violence and poor behaviour in schools if in government, including sending pupils excluded for carrying a knife to “more appropriate settings”, such as Pupil Referral Units.

He said: “We need firm, early intervention backed by real consequences, so this is stopped long before it reaches the school gates.”

A government spokesperson said: “As part of the government’s mission to halve knife crime within a decade, nearly 60,000 knives have already been taken off Britain’s streets, and knife homicides have fallen by 27 per cent. “We are also working with schools, police and youth services on prevention and early intervention to identify young people most at risk.”

The storm could cause major disruption across the region and will be in place from 5pm this evening (Saturday, April 4) until 7am on Easter Sunday (April 5).

The Met Office confirmed that rail, road, air and ferry services are likely to be affected, with longer journeys and cancellations possible.

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Strong winds may also result in the closure of roads and bridges, and result in power cuts, a warning has said.

Residents of coastal towns have also been alerted to the potential of large waves, spreading debris across the sea front and near properties and roads.

Areas affected include York, and North, East and West Yorkshire.

Temperatures will stay at 10 degrees Celsius until 1pm today in York, rising to 14 degrees at 3pm.

The strongest winds will be felt tonight, the Met Office said, and are expected to clear across Scotland before reaching the North Sea.

In York, these will be arrive at 11pm tonight – before gusts drop to around 13mph at 6am.

In Scarborough, winds are expected to strengthen from 7pm – building to gusts of 32mph by 12am.

In a statement, the Met Office said: “Whilst some uncertainty remains in the exact track and shape of Storm Dave, a spell of strong southwesterly winds is expected.

“Gusts of 50-60 mph are expected fairly widely with 60-70 mph in more exposed locations.

“The strongest winds are expected during Saturday evening where there is a small chance of gusts of 70-80 mph briefly, particularly northern England and southern Scotland.

“Large waves may lead to some dangerous conditions around windward coasts.”

The Met Office has issued the following advice:

• Prepare to protect your property and people from injury. Check for loose items outside your home and plan how you could secure them. Items include; bins, garden furniture, trampolines, tents, sheds, and fences.
• Give yourself the best chance of avoiding delays by checking road conditions if driving, or bus and train timetables, amending your travel plans if necessary.
• Prepare for power cuts in advance. Gathering torches, a mobile phone power packs and other essentials.  
• If you are on the coast, stay safe during stormy weather by being aware of large waves. Even from the shore large breaking waves can sweep you off your feet and out to sea. Take care if walking near cliffs; know your route and keep dogs on a lead. In an emergency, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

Iranian state media has broadcast an extraordinary appeal offering rewards for the pilot’s capture. An anchor on a channel in Kohkilouyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province told viewers: “If you capture the enemy pilot or pilots alive and hand them over to the police, you will receive a precious prize.”

The Met Office has issued the warning to the majority of the North of England, which will start at 5pm today (Saturday, April 4) and run until 7am tomorrow (Sunday, April 5).

The national weather service has said very strong winds may cause damage and travel disruption in some areas overnight on Saturday and into Easter Sunday.

According to the Met Office, the exact track and shape of Storm Dave remains uncertain but a spell of strong southwesterly winds is expected.

Gusts of 50-60 mph are expected fairly widely with 60-70 mph in more exposed locations, with the strongest winds expected during Saturday evening where there is a small chance of gusts of 70-80 mph briefly, particularly northern England and southern Scotland.

According to the Met Office, residents should expect the following:

• Road, rail, air and ferry services are likely to be affected, with longer journey times and cancellations possible
• Some roads and bridges may close
• Power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage
• Some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs, could happen
• Injuries and danger to life from flying debris are possible
• Injuries and danger to life could occur from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties

Storm Dave will cross Scotland and the North of England on Saturday night before clearing into the North Sea on Sunday.

The majority of the North of England has been issued the yellow warning, along with Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Rain is also forecast to hit areas as part of Storm Dave.

UK-US relations may be beyond repair after Donald Trump mocked and impersonated Keir Starmer in a now-deleted video.

The US President called the UK ‘not our best ally’ at an Easter lunch speech at the White House and used a weak voice to mimic Starmer.

His episode marks the latest in a string of rants at the UK for its stance on the US’s war in Iran, in which he previously told the UK to ‘get your own oil’ for refusing to get involved in the war.

Appearing to mock Starmer, Trump used his speech to ridicule the prime minister for speaking with his team about military decisions, and accusing him of being evasive about sending aircraft carriers to the US.

In his speech, the president said: ‘I asked [the] UK, who should be our best. In fact the king is coming over here in two weeks, he’s a nice guy, King Charles.

‘But should be our best but they weren’t our best. I said: ‘You have two, old broken-down aircraft carriers, do you think you could send them over?’

Mocking Starmer in a weak voice, Trump said: ‘Ohhh, I’ll have to ask my team.’

‘I said: ‘You’re the prime minister, you don’t have to.’

”No, no, no, I have to ask my team. My team has to meet, we’re meeting next week.

‘But the war already started. Next week the war’s going to be over … in three days.’

Trump’s remarks were not open to the press, but were released in a White House social media post, which was later deleted, but redownloaded and republished by a Business Insider reporter.

According to Downing Street sources, Trump never asked the UK for the vessels, nor did Britain ever offer them, the Guardian reported.

Trump described the UK’s aircraft carriers as ‘old’ after Starmer declined to let the US use British military bases for its initial strikes on.

Starmer has been warned his relationship with Trump could be further strained following the speech.

One senior diplomat said Starmer made the right decision to ‘essentially ignore’ Trump, but added UK-US relations may not recover after Trump’s latest blow.

Kim Darroch, former national security adviser and a former British ambassador to the US, said Starmer should now look to build ties with Canada, Australia and Europe instead.

‘It could conceivably blow over. But it is equally possible that a damaged Trump could lash out, whether against Nato, or selected Europeans, including the UK, perhaps with new or higher tariffs – a risk which makes rebuilding our links with the EU single market an immediate priority,’ he said.

Meanwhile, Labour ministers have backed the prime minister, praising his calm demeanour in the face of Trump’s insults.

Emily Thornberry, Labour MP and chair of the foreign affairs committee, said she was ‘glad we have a leader in the UK who works with a team and listens to experts’.

However, Starmer was not the only person to be insulted by the US president after Trump took a moment during his speech to mock French President Emmanuel Macron.

He said Macron was ‘still recovering from the right to the jaw’ and claimed his wife, Brigitte, ‘treats him extremely badly’.

Despite Trump repeatedly hitting out at Starmer over his stance on the war in Iran, the prime minister said he would stick to his position, ‘whatever the pressure and the noise’.

‘I’m utterly focused on what is in the best interests of our country and I am unapologetic about that. Notwithstanding the pressure that comes from elsewhere, I will remain laser focused on what is in the British national interest,’ Starmer said.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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