The nine things you might have missed this weekend

The Home Secretary has appealed for help from the owners of encrypted messaging apps as it emerged that Westminster attacker Khalid Masood sent an encrypted message moments before killing four people.

Meanwhile England overcame Lithuania 2-0 in their World Cup qualifier without Wayne Rooney, the US condemned the arrests of hundreds of protesters in Russia and Ukip's only MP left the party.

If you've been away from a screen or newspaper all weekend or want a summary, here's a quick recap of the main events.

1. WhatsApp 'gives terrorists a place to hide' as it refuses to hand over London attacker's messages

Amber Rudd has vowed to “call time” on internet firms who give terrorists “a place to hide” as it emerged security services are powerless to access Westminster attacker Adrian Ajao’s final WhatsApp message.

The Home Secretary said it was “completely unacceptable” that Whats App – which is owned by Facebook – was enabling terrorists to communicate “in secret”, knowing the police and security services will not be able to read their encrypted communications.

She has summoned WhatsApp, Facebook, Google and a host of other online firms to showdown talks at the Home Office on Thursday, where she says she will “call time” on extremists “using social media as their platform”.

2. England moves forward without Wayne Rooney 

Jermain Defoe claimed his goal, claimed the headlines, and England claimed the points. But although this World Cup qualifier against Lithuania was a stroll it did not mean they had to play in quite so pedestrian a fashion.

Sometimes, as manager Gareth Southgate later said, you kind of know you are going to win the match – and that is fair enough against opposition ranked 107th in the world, directly below Ethiopia, Mozambique and Mauritania – and this one will be filed under the heading ‘job done’. But no more that that.

3. Washington condemns arrests of hundreds of protesters in Russia

The US department of state has "strongly condemned" the detention of hundreds of protesters throughout Russia including the country's opposition leader on Sunday

Thousands took part to anti-corruption protests swept across 80 Russian towns and cities in what are believed to be the biggest demonstrations in the country since 2012, with the largest held in Moscow and St Petersburg. 

Alexei Navalny, a campaigner who hopes to stand against Vladimir Putin in next year's elections, was bundled into a police van on Sunday morning as he approached a group of protesters in Moscow's Pushkin Square. 

The US department of state said on Sunday it was "troubled" to learn of the arrest of Mr Navalny and called the detention of peaceful protesters "an affront to democratic values."

4. Three million EU migrants to keep benefits after Brexit in breach of Tory manifesto

Millions of European Union migrants who are in Britain when Theresa May triggers Brexit on Wednesday will be allowed to continue to receive child benefits to send to families back home.

A document circulated among ministers by the Department for Exiting the European Union, has recommended that around three million EU migrants in the UK when the Prime Minister triggers Article 50 keep their welfare rights.

Those who arrive after Wednesday will not keep the benefits, but ministers have been warned that any attempt to withdraw them from those already here would risk Brussels taking tit-for-tat action to restrict health and pension rights of British expats in the EU.

5. Ukip civil war after Douglas Carswell quits party

An explosive civil war in Ukip has broken out as its only MP resigned and suggested that the party no longer needed to exist. 

Douglas Carswell, who defected from the Tories in 2014, unexpectedly announced that he would sit as an independent MP from now on. 

In a 500-word post online he explained that now Brexit was “certain” to happen there was no longer any reason to stay in the party. 

6. Vettel outpaces Hamilton breaking Ferrari's F1 drought

Sebastian Vettel broke Ferrari's Formula One drought with a victory over Mercedes pair Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas on Sunday at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Ferrari hadn't won an F1 GP since Vettel's victory in Singapore in 2015, and Mercedes dominated in 2016.

With new regulations designed to make the cars faster this season, Vettel proved Ferrari's extra pace in pre-season testing was genuine.

For the second year running, Hamilton started on pole position at the Albert Park circuit and placed second.

7. RAF jets were flying near site of ‘civilian massacre

The Ministry of Defence was facing questions last night after it admitted that British jets were flying in the  region of west Mosul where a coalition air strike is feared to have killed more than 100 civilians fleeing Isil.

A spokesman said the RAF was  providing “close air support” to ground forces in the city, where on March 17 a US-led air strike destroyed several buildings in the al-Jadidah area.

The MoD refused to confirm whether British jets were directly involved in the strike, but said they had seen “no evidence” of causing civilian deaths.

8. Dozens injured as people 'lifted off feet' by suspected gas blast

A huge gas explosion destroyed multiple buildings and injured 34 people, with a witness telling how they saw people being "blown away, lifted off their feet".

Two people were seriously hurt in the blast, which left casualties under the rubble, in New Ferry, Merseyside on Saturday night.

The explosion was heard across the region including in Liverpool and reportedly as far away as North Wales, which is 70 miles away. 

9. Trump savages his conservative allies for healthcare debacle

Donald Trump is showing few signs of moving on from the health care debacle, choosing to heap scorn on conservatives in his own party for helping Democrats save Obamacare.

After pulling Friday’s vote on the divisive health care bill, he and his officials said the president would quickly switch his focus to other priorities.

However, his Sunday morning tweet revealed he was still intent on settling scores.

“Democrats are smiling in DC that the Freedom Caucus, with the help of Club For Growth and Heritage, have saved Planned Parenthood & Ocare,” he posted, reminding Rightwingers that they had torpedoed a bill that would have ended federal funding for a group that performs abortions.

Must-read analysis of the weekend

The European Union's failure to be more pragmatic is its downfall – and poses the greatest risk for its future

Whatever your views on Brexit, there was no escaping the historic nature of the moment yesterday as, one by one, 27 European leaders trooped up to the rostrum to sign the Rome Declaration setting out a blueprint for the next decade of the European Union.

The absence of the British Prime Minister among the familiar crocodile of EU leaders suddenly brought home the real the consequence of last June’s vote – consequences that will become yet more real on Wednesday when Theresa May hands over formal notice of the UK’s intention to quit.

Remainers will have felt a sharp pang of loss at the sight of Britain absent from the top table of European politics; leavers an equal frisson of excitement at what Britain might achieve once liberated from the squabbles of a dysfunctional political union.

Read the full article.

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