News 03/04/26

Four astronauts on the Artemis II mission have left Earth’s orbit after their Orion spacecraft completed its final engine burn towards the Moon.

The manoeuvre, lasting five minutes and fifty five seconds, was described as flawless. From onboard, Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen said the crew were feeling good as they headed towards their destination. The mission will loop around the far side of the Moon before returning, marking the first time since 1972 that humans have travelled beyond Earth’s orbit.

For the first time in 28 years, no athlete has been found to have taken a banned substance at a Winter Olympics.

More than 3,000 samples were collected from almost 2,000 competitors during the Milan-Cortina Games, with no anti-doping violations reported so far. It is the first Winter Games since 1998 without a positive test during the event, following years where medals were later withdrawn and reassigned due to doping offences.

Marmalade could be labelled differently under a planned UK government agreement with the European Union.

The preserve may need to be sold as citrus marmalade if new rules are adopted. The change would come as Britain readopts EU food regulations to boost trade and reduce red tape for exporters. Brussels is widening the legal definition of marmalade across Europe for the first time, prompting the potential shift in labelling.

A US F-35 fighter jet has been shot down over central Iran, according to Reuters citing a agency.

Iranian reports claim the pilot is unlikely to have survived. If confirmed, it would be the second time Iran has struck a US F-35, after made an emergency landing following suspected enemy fire nearly two weeks ago.

A 14-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of 16-year-old Chloe Watson Dransfield in Leeds.

She died in hospital after found with stab wounds in the Austhorpe area. Police were called on 28 March after reports a woman had been found unconscious. Officers say another teenager has been arrested and the 14-year-old remains in custody.

There will be almost no trains to or from London Euston over Easter because of major engineering work.

From Good Friday on the third of April until Wednesday the eighth, Avanti services will start and finish at Milton Keynes Central. Network Rail is replacing a major bridge, upgrading signalling and renewing infrastructure. Replacement buses will run between Milton Keynes and Bedford, where passengers can continue to London St Pancras. Network Rail says the bank holiday provides a valuable opportunity to complete work that cannot be done during a normal weekend.

Police forces are being offered specialist support from a new national democracy protection unit to tackle rising threats and abuse against MPs.

Police chief Chris Balmer will lead the initiative, which aims to help forces investigate anti democratic crimes. Reports of offences against MPs have more than doubled since 2019, reaching almost one thousand last year. The increase is driven by harassment, criminal damage and threats to kill. MPs say death threats are now common and many incidents are not reported.

A data centre owner and an environmental group have planted six hundred native trees to create a tiny forest in Slough.

SEGRO and Earthwatch carried out the planting at Kennedy Park on March the twenty sixth. The project saw hundreds of trees planted in an area the size of a tennis court. The event was attended by the Mayor of Slough, Councillor Siobhan Dauti, along with local schoolchildren and members of the public.