Good morning.

Good morning, and welcome to our headlines-in-a-hurry news coverage. It’s Monday, but with the Easter weekend approaching, get ready for a short working week!

10am

That’s it for our live #RUSHHOUR news blog. You can get across the stories you need to know today below or go to news.com.au for the latest headlines.

9:30am

Police standoff with shooter in Geelong

A man armed with a gun has barricaded himself inside a house in Geelong.

Police have been at the Norlane house since 4am this morning and critical incident response police are en route to the scene. It is unclear if there is anyone else inside with the man and police have blocked off a section of Donnybrook Road.

More to come.

9:15am

SA nuclear waste dump up in the air

South Australian premier Jay Weatherill will need to win the support of women and his own Labor voters if the State Government is to go ahead with the controversial construction of an international nuclear waste storage facility in the state.

The results of a new opinion poll show almost 60 per cent of women and most Labor voters are opposed to a global nuclear waste facility being built.

The ReachTEL Poll of 1077 SA residents conducted on March 10 found that 37 per cent of voters supported an international nuclear waste dump, 48.5 per cent were opposed and 14 per cent were undecided.

The poll was commissioned by left-wing think tank The Australia Institute, which will tomorrow release a report critical of the international nuclear waste proposal.

Australia Institute executive director Ben Oquist said South Australians were increasingly aware of the risks posed by the project, including the damage it could do to the state’s reputation, reports the Adelaide Advertiser.

9am

Touching moment following horror crash at Australian GP

In case you missed it, Fernando Alonso and Esteban Gutierrez were involved in a horror collision that saw the Australian Grand Prix come to a halt yesterday.

The drivers clipped each other and Alonso’s McLaren crashed into the barrier before flipping several times at high speed.

How did Alonso walk away from this crash?!#AusGP pic.twitter.com/tXkzz9O6Nw — William Hill Aus (@WillHillAus) March 20, 2016

But it was the touching moment that followed the horrific crash that had tongues wagging.

While drivers often squabble over who was at fault for causing crashes, that wasn’t the case here, with the pair coming together and embracing before heading off to be attended to by medics.

Both drivers appeared to be unharmed as they walked away from the incident, with Gutierrez heard on the radio immediately asking about Alonso’s wellbeing.

“I feel good. It was a combination of factors and it ended up in a crash,” Alonso told the BBC.

“But we are lucky we are both OK.”

8:40am

Sydney siege inquest to enter final chapter today

An inquest into the Sydney Lindt Cafe siege is poised to enter its final stage.

The final segment opening this morning is set to examine the siege itself, including how it was managed and responded to by law enforcement. The process is expected to span at least eight weeks.

Counsel assisting, Jeremy Gormly SC, is expected to deliver his opening address this morning before the officer in charge of the coronial investigation is called to give evidence.

Witnesses to events which occurred immediately before the siege are also due to appear.

So too are police officers who were first to respond to the siege.

The Sydney siege began when gunman Man Haron Monis entered the central Sydney Lindt Cafe on the morning of December 15, 2014, and took 18 people hostage.

Lindt Cafe manager Tori Johnson and lawyer Katrina Dawson both lost their lives in the 17-hour stand off.

-AAP

8:25am

Battle over self flagellation ritual in London

An ongoing dispute over a self flagellation ceremony carried out by Muslim worshippers in London has reached boiling point after a video was published over that weekend that shows men whipping themselves with chains containing sharpened knives.

It’s a practice known as zanjeer zani and is considered so ‘barbaric’ that it has been banned in Iran — one of the strictest Muslim countries in the world, reports The Sun.

Last month a legal battle over the ritual came to a head when a court order banned a group of men carrying out the practice within a kilometre of the Idara-e-Jaaferiya mosque in Tooting, South London.

Mosque authorities say the group of men have carried out the ritual each year without their permission and on one occasion it even took place in a marquee in the car park.

Despite the objections of the mosque officials and those on the Islamic Human Rights Commission, they have been told authorities are powerless to stop them as it is a religious matter held on a private premises.

8:10am

Hot start to Autumn a concern for climate experts

Australia’s record-breaking Autumn heat is just a taste of what’s to come if we continue to lag behind global powers who are moving away from fossil fuels to combat climate change.

Environmental experts have warned Australia will continue to experience record-breaking heat and extreme weather in the wake of a damning report that reveals a notable climb in average temperatures across the country at the start of March. Maximum temperatures in the first four days of this month were four degrees above average.

Former Australian of the Year, the Climate Council’s Tim Flannery, said conditions over the past few months had been unprecedented, and inaction from Australia following a global agreement in Paris to do more was “quite disgraceful”.

“We’ve had three months in Australia where nothing has happened, but we got the announcement that emissions from the burning of fossil fuels have grown,” he said.

State and federal governments must take action, with policies to remove sources of pollution and build cleaner energy systems, he said.

7:55am

Discovered body of 81-year-old Sydney woman leads to arrest

A woman has been arrested after the body of an elderly woman was discovered in a home on Sydney’s northern beaches overnight.

Police were called to a unit in Freshwater about 8pm after receiving information there was concern for the woman’s welfare.

Officers discovered the body of an 81-year-old woman inside the unit.

The woman’s 49-year-old neighbour was arrested at the scene.

Shocked neighbours have the described the woman as a popular and well-liked figure in the community who had lived at the Foam St address for more than 30 years.

7:40am

Mass strikes among Australian public sector

Easter travel plans could be disrupted by strike action by Department of Immigration and Border Protection workers at international airports.

The Community and Public Sector Union says thousands of public servants at Medicare, Centrelink, the Tax Office, Defence, the Bureau of Meteorology, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Bureau of Statistics will strike for 24 hours today.

And Immigration and Border Protection officers will begin stoppages at international airports from Tuesday, with a 24-hour strike planned for Thursday.

The campaign is part of a long-running industrial dispute with the federal government over work conditions.

CPSU national secretary Nadine Flood says Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has ignored the union’s offer of talks to discuss the issue and that industrial action could continue at airports for several weeks.

Airline passengers are urged to contact their carrier for information and to allow extra time for internatioal departures and arrivals.

-AAP

7:30am

Paris mastermind fighting extradition

The lawyer of the man believed to be the mastermind behind the Paris terror attacks is mounting a legal effort to stop his client from being extradited to France.

Salah Abdeslam was captured unarmed by Belgian police on the weekend after being shot in the leg during a raid in Brussels.

The terror suspect has reportedly revealed the Belgium capital was due to be the next target of the Islamic State terror agents.

The Belgian-born French citizen also told authorities that he had planned to blow himself up at the Stade de France stadium in Paris during the November 13 attacks but backed out at the last minute.

The 26-year-old is being held on “terror murder” charges and, according to his lawyer, is being very cooperative.

“He is collaborating, he’s communicating, he is not using his right to remain silent,” Abdeslam’s lawyer, Sven Mary said.

7:15am

UK police investigate sick hazing claims among recruits in Queen’s Guard

British police and and top Army bosses are investigating claims young soldiers were forced to rape each other in horrific initiation ceremonies in the UK.

Two male recruits were allegedly ordered to perform a series of degrading sex acts on one another as part of an induction to the Queen’s Guards.

The attack was filmed on mobile phones and the footage is said to have spread like wildfire among jeering guardsmen at the camp, The Sun reported. The video, which is too horrific to detail or show, was also posted on Facebook.

“The footage had spread like wildfire. Everyone was on their phones and pointing out the blokes it had happened to. They were mocked for being gay, although they were forced into the acts. It was horrific and worse than anything I have ever known in the Army,” a source told the paper.

One of the victims has suffered psychiatric problems since the incident and is set to be discharged by the Army.

Read more here.

7am

Khaled Sharrouf’s daughter speaks out from Syria

In a stunning report in the Daily Telegraph this morning, the orphaned daughter of Australian ISIS terrorist Khaled Sharrouf has reportedly spoken via a social media exchange with reporters, and told of the nightmare of living in the Islamic State stronghold in Syria.

She said the family “know for sure” their terrorist dad is “dead” and said the threat of drone attacks is a constant source of stress and worry.

The 14-year-old Zaynab Sharrouf said she was struggling with the “stress” of being the sole protector of her newborn and four young siblings following the death of her parents and husband.

“My daughter and siblings are fine,” Zaynab said during one social media exchange. “I’m doing fine, just a lot of stress these days.”

Believed to be harboured in the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa, the young girls cannot leave their shelter without a male chaperone, making it hard for Zaynab to seek outside assistance.

“I don’t want to speak over the net about where I’m located bcuz (sic) it’s dangerous with drones. They hit families alot (sic),” she said.

“I don’t have time to go on the net a lot and its pretty dangerous as well.”

6:45am

Concerns over dodgy stem cell practices

Dozens of Australian clinicians are offering unproven and potentially risky stem cell therapies, warn experts, who are calling for tighter regulations.

The 60 providers are using the therapies to treat everything from sports injuries to cancer, autism and Alzheimer’s disease.

The warning is contained in a new report, The Stem Cell Revolution: Lessons and Imperatives for Australia, based on a Think Tank convened by the Australian Academy of Science last year.

It says Australia has the potential to become a world leader in stem cell research, contributing to possible outcomes like the repair or replacement of damaged heart tissue for those with cardiovascular disease and restoring vision to those with macular degeneration.

But it says public awareness about rogue therapists offering risky stem cell procedures remains limited.

The report notes the rise of “stem cell tourism” and the regulatory environment that allows practitioners to offer unproven therapies.

-AAP

6:30am

Twitter joke co-opts ship naming competition

A competition to allow the public the chance to name Britain’s newest polar research ship has ended exactly how you might expect — with netizens taking the piss.

The internet has really outdone itself this time, with the name RRS Boaty McBoatface leading the competition launched by the Natural Environment Research Centre to generate public engagement.

RRS Boaty McBoatface is currently beating out other suggestions of RRS David Attenborough and RRS Henry Worsley, named after a famous British explorer and following in the tradition of naming the ships after iconic adventurers.

The government-funded ship is still to be built and will carry out a variety of research trips to both Antarctica and the Arctic.

As for its eventual name? Well, Twitter is fairly adamant.

My feed over the last couple of days has basically been a timeline of people discovering Boaty McBoatface. — Sara Barnard (@saramegan) March 20, 2016

if that boat doesn't end up being called Boaty McBoatface I'm outta here — Mollie Goodfellow (@hansmollman) March 20, 2016

I just realized that I am already emotionally invested in Boaty McBoatface winning. — Ali Davis (@Ali_Davis) March 20, 2016

No to Boaty McBoatface. There's some truly amazing scientists who deserve this honour over a effing Twitter laugh — Benjamin Southworth (@inthecompanyof) March 20, 2016

6:20am

Burgess recovering after Bunnies loss

The rugby league community held its collective breath last night, hopeful that South Sydney star Sam Burgess would be cleared of a serious neck injury after a sickening collision during a game against St George Illawarra.

Burgess was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital in a neck brace as his team went down 8-6 in a rained out affair at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Burgess had taken an inside ball from Luke Keary and ducked his head as he ran into Dragons defender Mike Cooper in the 51st minute. From the moment of impact the seriousness of the situation was obvious.

But this morning, Sam Burgess himself allayed the worst of the fears by tweeting that initial scans of his neck had come back positive.

Initial scan results are positive. Thank you all for messages of support - feeling extremely lucky tonight. A few days of rest now. Sam — Sam Burgess (@SamBurgess8) March 20, 2016

6:10am

Turnbull in trouble?

Malcolm Turnbull’s approval rating as prime minister has fallen into negative territory for the first time but voters still expect him to win this year’s election, the latest Newspoll shows.

The poll, taken exclusively for The Australian, show many voters still rank Mr Turnbull overwhelmingly as the best leader to manage the economy and deliver tax reform.

It also shows the Coalition has nudged ahead in two-party-preferred terms to lead Labor by 51 per cent to 49 per cent.

The past two Newspolls had the parties deadlocked at 50-50.

The latest poll shows 55 per cent of voters think the Coalition will win the election while only 25 per cent believe Labor can do so.

Dissatisfaction with Mr Turnbull has risen three points to 44 per cent, leaving his net satisfaction rating at minus five points.

6am

Obama to make historic visit to Cuba

President Barack Obama is making a historic 48-hour visit to Cuba, venturing into what was once enemy territory and generating enthusiasm among Cubans who have seen their Communist government vilify 10 previous US leaders.

The visit, the first by a US president in 88 years, would have been unthinkable until Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro agreed in December 2014 to end an estrangement that began when the Cuban revolution overthrew a pro-American government in 1959.

Plainclothes police have blanketed the capital with security while public works crews have busily laid down asphalt in a city where drivers joke they must navigate “potholes with streets.”

Since rapprochement the two sides have restored diplomatic ties, signed commercial deals on telecommunications and scheduled airline service, and expanded co-operation on law enforcement and environmental protection.

Major differences remain, notably the 54-year-old economic embargo of Cuba. Obama has asked Congress to rescind it but has been blocked by the Republican leadership. Instead, Obama has used executive authority to loosen trade and travel restrictions.

-AFP

5:45am

Woman proudly wears KKK hood at Trump rally

A protester at a Donald Trump rally has been the latest person to be bashed by Trump supporters as a number of onlookers cheered during a weekend event in Arizona.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says “professional agitators” bear much of the blame for violence at his rallies as the disturbing footage emerged.

Television footage from the Arizona rally shows a man punching and kicking a protester as he was led out of the event.

Trump declined to condemn the violence and said it was often provoked by protesters, who briefly blocked a highway leading to an Arizona rally on Saturday.

Went to the Trump rally just to see how crazy it would be........this is insane pic.twitter.com/QFwSwmNoI0 — Alex Satterly (@alex_satterly) March 19, 2016

A video posted to Twitter caught the moment the protester, who was brandishing a sign with Donald Trump’s face, was punched and kicked by a black member of the crowd before he is was promptly handcuffed by police.

According to the woman who posted the video to Twitter, a female attendee at the rally was wearing a kkk hood.

While social media users debated the veracity of the claim, a separate video taken at the rally clearly shows the woman in the hood as she marches behind the protester with one arm out stretched.