Stings by self-styled paedophile hunters – who pose as children online to catch potential sexual predators – are diverting “significant resources” into the protection of suspects, police chiefs have said. After a court ruled in favour of a group that argued that it should face no official oversight, Ch Con Simon Bailey, of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said the group’s activities could jeopardise investigations.

Bailey, the national policing lead on child abuse investigation, said so-called paedophile hunters were “taking risks they don’t understand”.

“Revealing the identity of suspected paedophiles gives the suspect the opportunity to destroy evidence before the police can investigate them,” he said. “It can jeopardise ongoing police investigations and these people have no way of safeguarding child victims.” He also warned that wrongful allegations could have grave consequences for those accused.(guardian)…[+]

Afghanistan’s top two defence officials have resigned after a Taliban attack killed more than 140 soldiers at an army base, as the US defence secretary, James Mattis, touched down on an unannounced visit to meet American troops and Afghan officials.

“Defence minister Abdullah Habibi and army chief of staff Qadam Shah Shahim stepped down with immediate effect,” the presidential palace in Kabul tweeted. Protesters gathered outside the palace on Monday after public pressure mounted over the weekend for officials to be held accountable. The attack on Friday at the largest Afghan army base in the north, possibly the deadliest inflicted by the Taliban on the country’s security forces since 2001, involved up to 12 militants. They breached the base by posing as injured soldiers, in fatigues and military vehicles, wearing leg bandages and arm drips. After setting off explosives at one checkpoint, they went on a shooting rampage outside the base mosque and inside the mess hall where they gunned down crowds of unarmed soldiers.(guardian)…[+]

The current favourite to become president in the French election could spell bad news for the UK government in talks on Brexit should he win. If Emmanuel Macron succeeds in the second round on 7 May, which he is currently favourite to do, he is likely to drive a hard bargain in Brexit negotiations. The former economy minister, who resigned to campaign for change, has been an outspoken critic of the UK’s decision to leave the EU. In his election manifesto he described Brexit as a “crime” that will leave the UK facing “servitude”.

The independent centrist favours a hard Brexit that would leave the UK outside of the single market, and has stressed the importance of “defending the integrity” of the EU’s intertwined freedoms of movement and trade. Negotiations would undoubtedly be tougher with a President Macron at the table, as he has already warned that there can be no “caveat or waiver” to the EU’s “unbreakable” position of defending its own interests first. In an interview shortly after announcing his candidacy, he said that British voters’ choice to leave the 28-nation EU must be respected, but that the UK should not be given special treatment.(guardian)…[+]