Live updates: follow the latest news on Russia-Ukraine
Britain is expected to announce it is sending Stormer armoured missile launchers to Ukraine, whose President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Russia's large-scale offensive in the eastern Donbas region had begun.
The UK has increased the number and type of weapons it is sending to Ukraine as the war has developed and the latest batch would be the largest heavy weaponry despatched to the conflict.
Sending the Stormer system gives Ukraine weaponry with the capacity to take out aerial targets, including low-flying helicopters and planes, but which can also hit targets on the ground.
The Stormer, a high velocity missile (HVM) launcher, is manufactured by BAE Systems and needs three people to operate — a commander, operator and driver.
It fires Starstreak missiles, which can be fired from the vehicle’s turret or from a shoulder mount.
The missiles flying at more than three times the speed are suited to hitting low-flying jets.
Each missile breaks into three darts after being fired, meaning they can hit a target with successive strikes. Each dart is made up of impact fuses and explosive warheads.
Darts are released as the second stage of the motor burns out.
The missiles have a range of 1,500 metres to 5,500m and a height ceiling of 1,000m.
Missiles are guided by the operator, who tracks the target using a semi-automatic, line-of-sight laser beam.
The system has an operational range of 600 kilometres and a top speed of 50kph and the 12.7-tonne vehicles can be flown to the battlefield on C-17 transport planes.
Specifications
- Length: 5.27m
- Width: 2.76m
- Height: 2.49m
The Starstreak missiles are also effective against ground targets. It is estimated that darts can smash through the front armour of battleground vehicles.
“The Stormer/Starstreak combination will be a huge boost to Ukraine’s fighting capability,” said Col Richard Kemp, a former commander of British troops in Afghanistan.
“It is an extremely effective, highly mobile combat vehicle that will do severe damage to any attempts at low-level attack by Putin’s air force.”
The British Army uses Stormer for short-range air defence.
It can be produced in several different configurations, including a two-person turret armed with a 25-millimetre cannon, ambulance or mine layer.
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Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
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- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
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Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
