National News

It follows the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie Rust in 2021 Charges of involuntary manslaughter against Alec Baldwin over the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins have been formally dismissed by New Mexico prosecutors. Prosecutors said they were currently unable to proceed with the case, but the decision to dismiss the charges did not “absolve Mr Baldwin of criminal culpability”. The Hollywood actor had faced two counts of

Amanda Spielman says the gradings, which range from outstanding to inadequate, are 'integral' to the school system Ofsted’s chief inspector has refused to drop “one-word assessments” despite calls from teachers across the country for the ratings to be abolished. Amanda Spielman described the gradings, which range from “outstanding” to “inadequate”, as “integral” to the school system. Pressure is mounting on the schools watchdog in England after unions threatened legal action because Ofsted is

SpaceX’s Starship – the biggest and most powerful space rocket ever developed – has exploded minutes after blasting off. The launch, which took place from SpaceX’s Starbase in the US state of Texas, came after a stuck valve forced a launch attempt on Monday to be aborted. While Thursday’s launch saw the rocket leave the launch pad and ascend into the sky, the first and second stages of the launch

A seven-year-old “skipped to her death” while being lured to a derelict building where she was brutally murdered in 1992, a court heard. David Boyd, then aged 25, is accused of smashing Nikki’s Allan’s skull with a brick before repeatedly stabbing her through the heart and dragging her body through the ruined building and dumping her in the basement. The 55-year-old, then also known as Smith or Bell, of Chesterton

The long-awaited report into bullying allegations made against Dominic Raab has been received by the Prime Minister. But uncertainty remains over when the review will be made publicly available and what action – if any – Rishi Sunak will decide to take over the Deputy Prime Minister on the strength of its findings. Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the questions surrounding the report and

Extinction Rebellion has pledged to help the London Marathon run “smoothly” ahead of protest action on the day of the race. The group is staging a four-day protest outside Parliament Square from April 21 but have been in talks with the marathon race director to ensure minimal disruption. A Just Stop Oil activist also confirmed there are no plans to disrupt the race on Sunday, although they encouraged protesters to attend. An Extinction Rebellion spokesperson

A trove of letters offering a “unique glimpse” into the private life of the late Queen are to go under the hammer in Belfast. The original handwritten letters by Queen Elizabeth II and an emerald and diamond bracelet and ring belonging to Wallis Simpson are among items to be sold at Bloomfield Auctions. The letters from the late Queen to her midwife Helen Rowe in 1950 discuss how they can

Even a brief session of heading a football immediately alters brain function and the way the brain communicates with the muscles around it, a new study has shown. Participants who headed 20 footballs in succession did not improve their performance on a cognitive task with practice, whereas a control group who performed headers in virtual reality did. The heading impacts therefore appeared to impair the ability to improve performance on

Anton Du Beke has guaranteed audiences will have “a great night” ahead of his new one-man show, An Evening With Anton Du Beke. The Strictly Come Dancing dancer and judge welcomed “silly questions” from audience members via text, billing the event as “the only show you can come and see and get your phones out”. Du Beke was joined by members of his ensemble in London on Wednesday as they