National news

Here are the latest stories from the team at Radio News Hub. The links will open in a new page and take you to the Radio News Hub website. You can hear the latest national news every hour on the radio station.

• Probe into Andrew and Epsteins Balmoral visit in very early stages police

  Detectives are investigating the time Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell spent at the King’s private estate in Scotland.

• Russell Brand controlled and gaslit women he treated as disposable

  Russell Brand carried out rapes and sexual assaults while treating women as a “disposable commodity” and a “means to an end”, his trial has heard.

• Four nations must move at same pace together Burnham says on devolution

  The four nations must “move at the same pace together”, Andy Burnham has said amid questions about the scope of devolution within his offer to first ministers.

• Counterfeit beauty products found to contain mercury lead and methanol

  Counterfeit beauty products have been found to contain mercury, lead and methanol following testing of hauls seized by Trading Standards.

• David Attenborough thanks public after moorland estate saved for nature

  Sir David Attenborough has thanked the public after conservationists completed the largest land purchase in England for decades and secured a 9,500-acre moorland estate for nature.

• Everton ease past Newcastle to set up Carabao Cup quarter final tie at Fleetwood

  Everton set up a Carabao Cup quarter-final against League Two Fleetwood as they eased to a 3-1 win over Newcastle.

• Star Trek actor Sir Patrick Stewart dies aged 86

  Star Trek actor Sir Patrick Stewart has died at his home in Los Angeles aged 86 following a “brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy Body Dementia”, it has been announced on his social media.

• Patrick Stewart Before accepting Star Trek fame his first love was Shakespeare

  Sir Patrick Stewart’s first love was the stage and the plays of William Shakespeare but it was to be a science fiction series and a series of superhero films that brought him worldwide fame.

• Met refers itself to police watchdog over action on letter about Meghans father

  The Metropolitan Police said it has voluntarily referred itself to the police watchdog because it failed to pass on a letter detailing allegations against the Duchess of Sussex’s father to relevant overseas law enforcement agencies.

• Enzo Maresca admits Man City never practised penalties after shoot out win

  Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca admitted his players had not practised penalties after edging past Brighton in a Carabao Cup shoot-out on Wednesday.