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Ballarat trains to finally get full phone signal
Commuters on the Ballarat train line are set to experience unprecedented phone signal improvement after the state government gave the green light to the $18 million mobile service upgrade along the state’s five busiest V/Line train routes. Read more.
Fevola prepares to play two matches in four days
Melton South co-coach and marquee player Brendan Fevola is preparing for two matches in four days as he gets set to pull on the Rennie Football Club jumper on Saturday - just days before the Panthers Anzac Day clash with North Ballarat City. Read more.
Teen missing for more than a week
Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate a 14-year-old girl missing for more than a week. Read more.
The Boy Soldier from Ballarat
At 15, most youths are probably thinking about anything other than enlisting in the army and going to war. Read more.
Honouring a visionary in Kevin Cunningham
Kevin Cunningham had high standards in his expectations of all he met and for the game he loved. Read more.
Weather
Today is going to be the pick of the week in terms of weather - mostly sunny and a top of 24 degrees.
State of the nation
► Tasmania: Police have so far banned five individual firearms based on their appearance, according to newly-introduced guidelines.
Assistant Commissioner Richard Cowling said following a review of the Sydney Seige in 2014, the nation’s police services agreed to review their own data.
► Wagga, NSW: A mother was told her missing child had been “raped and dumped in the bushes” during a sickening phone call hoax on Easter Monday.
Lisa Moellers spent seven hours desperately searching Glenfield Park for her son Mason Stuart, 9, when an anonymous “creep” sent her into a state of hysteria.
► Jimboomba, QLD: Motorists are being warned to slow down and be extra vigilant in school zones when school returns in Queensland from Tuesday, April 18.
► Northern Territory: NT Police say they have had a lot of questions from the public about where you can and can’t ride quad bikes/buggies.
Police said the basic answer was that any motor vehicle driven in any public space has to be registered.
► Newcastle, NSW: Once the scourge of the Newcastle defence, former Mariners striker Roy O’Dovonan will now have the chance to be the Jets' saviour in front of goals.
O’Donovan has agreed to terms on a two-year deal and is expected to put pen to paper on Wednesday.
► Victoria: A teenager who allegedly assaulted a man in the Ballarat Police Station cells has been charged and remanded into custody.
An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said paramedics were called to the Dana Street cells at midday on Sunday April 9 to treat a man with upper body injuries.
Eye on the weather
What does it look like in your neck of the woods today?
World news:
► Bangkok: No visit to Thailand is complete without eating at street stalls. Papaya salads, braised duck, steaming noodles and grilled whole fish are among exciting and bewildering choices.
Ever tried giem ee, the hand rolled noodles doused in long-simmering chicken broth and topped with peanuts, julienned green beans and chicken wings braised overnight?
► London: British Prime Minister Theresa May has announced a snap election, to win a mandate for her vision of a "hard" Brexit.
The election will take place on June 8, assuming she wins a vote in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
"It is necessary to secure the strong and stable leadership the country needs to see us through Brexit and beyond," the Prime Minister said, in an unusual statement on the steps of 10 Downing Street.
Faces of Australia
WAR-TIME stories and tales about his welcoming nature were all the talk at Neville Davis’ 105th birthday party.
Mr Davis served in World War II and was a Royal Navy bomb disposal officer in Ceylon as the war ended.
He was badly burned by explosives during this time, but was still required to diffuse a bomb washed up on a beach.
What’s trendy?
► TWITTER:
► INSTAGRAM: “These days, people want what’s real." @youngparis is a triple threat rapper, dancer, and model who is bringing Congolese style to his music.
His latest EP, "Afrobeats," is a mashup of modern African music that’s equal parts R&B, EDM, and hip-hop. After his father passed away, Paris made the decision to start wearing maquillage — traditional face paint — everyday as a tribute to him.
“It’s my way of keeping him with me wherever I go. I have a very strong culture dynamic, so my goal is continue to instill that self-love in people of color.” Head to @thecut to read more. Photo by: Bryan Derballa, via New York Magazine.
On this day …
1770 British explorer Captain James Cook first sights Australia
1775 American Revolution begins - Lexington Common, shot "heard round the world"
1909 Joan of Arc receives beatification by the Roman Catholic Church
1995 Oklahoma City bombing - a truck bomb at Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building kills 168 & injures 500
2011 Fidel Castro resigns from the Communist Party of Cuba's central committee after 45 years of holding the title.