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All criminal charges against actor Alec Baldwin over the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Rust movie have been dropped.

Prosecutors in Santa Fe, in the US state of New Mexico, had been pressing forward with two involuntary manslaughter charges against the 65-year-old Hollywood star.

There are still at least five ongoing civil cases against Baldwin and the producers of Rust.

A statement from Baldwin’s lawyers, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, said: “We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident.”

Actor Alec Baldwin  leaves his home in New York
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Baldwin pictured leaving his home in New York earlier this year

However, prosecutors are continuing with involuntary manslaughter charges against weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. She has pleaded not guilty.

Ms Hutchins, 42, was shot and killed on 21 October 2021, during filming at the Bonanza Creek Ranch.

Baldwin was rehearsing with a pistol for a scene when the gun went off, killing Ms Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza who was also shot.

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Melina Spadone, a lawyer for Rust Movie Productions, exclusively told Sky News: “We have every confidence in the judicial system and that the cause of Halyna’s death will be thoroughly investigated.

“Alec is a consummate professional… for everyone else, it’s a good outcome in the sense that we think that justice has been served.”

It comes as Baldwin resumed filming of Rust at the Yellowstone Film Ranch in Montana, 18 months after Halyna Hutchins was shot dead on set.

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Filming resumes on Alec Baldwin’s Rust

The production company finalised a settlement last month with New Mexico workplace safety regulars over “serious” violations and agreed to a $100,000 (£80,000) fine to resolve a scathing safety review which revealed unheeded complaints and misfires on set before Ms Hutchins was killed.

Earlier this month, Baldwin asked for a lawsuit filed by the parents and sister of Ms Hutchins to be dismissed by a judge.

The actor said Olga Solovey, Anatolii Androsovych, and Svetlana Zemko filed the suit in February to “obtain compensation”.

It alleges battery, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and loss of consortium, which is when a plaintiff seeks to recover compensation for damages to certain relationships on which they are mutually dependent.

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Alec Baldwin resumes filming Rust
Prosecutors deny claim that authorities destroyed gun in Rust movie set shooting

Dave Halls, the first assistant director on the set, was sentenced last month to a suspended sentence after he pleaded guilty to negligent use of a deadly weapon. Prosecutors said he was responsible for set safety.

Baldwin was pointing a gun at Ms Hutchins during a rehearsal when the weapon when off.

Halyna Hutchins pictured in 2017 at an Artists for Peace and Justice party, 70th Cannes Film Festival, France
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Halyna Hutchins pictured in 2017

The actor claimed the gun went off accidentally and that he did not pull the trigger.

However, an FBI forensic report found the weapon could not have fired unless the trigger was pulled.

The star has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and previously pleaded not guilty to the two charges of involuntary manslaughter that have now been dropped.

The actor was also sued by Ms Hutchins’ husband, Matthew Hutchins, alleging that reckless behaviour and cost-cutting led to her death.

A settlement was reached outside of court in October 2022.

Three crew members are also among those to have started legal action, saying they have suffered anxiety and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder since the shooting.

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Davina McCall makes ‘enormous leap forward’ and is out of ICU after surgery to remove brain tumour

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Davina McCall makes 'enormous leap forward' and is out of ICU after surgery to remove brain tumour

Davina McCall has made an “enormous leap forward in the last 24 hours”, her partner has said on her Instagram.

In an update, her partner Michael Douglas, said: “Update folks. Thanks so much to all the well wishers. She really has made an enormous leap forward in the last 24 hours. She is out of ICU She is ‘loving awareness’. Thank you xx Michael.”

The post also featured a bright pink text image, which said, “massive relief to see some light breaking through,” followed by four heart emojis.

“Thanks for all the good vibes coming in from all angles. Up and up,” it added.

Friends and fellow celebrities were quick to comment on the update, with actress Patsy Palmer writing, “sending healing,” Dame Kelly Holmes commenting “awesome news Michael” and Jools Oliver adding three heart emojis.

The 57-year-old television presenter had revealed in a video posted on Instagram earlier on Friday she had a benign brain tumour, a colloid cyst, which she described as “very rare”.

Speaking in the short video ahead of her operation, McCall had explained to her followers the benign tumour was around 14mm wide and “needed to come out, because if it grows it would be bad” .

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She said a surgeon would remove the cyst through the top of her head in a procedure called a craniotomy.

In her video post the former Big Brother host had said she was “in good spirits,” and would be in hospital “for around nine days” following the procedure.

According to the NHS, non-cancerous brain tumours are slow-growing and unlikely to spread, but are still serious and can be life-threatening.

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Davina McCall asked fans to ‘say a prayer’

McCall’s current partner, hairdresser Michael Douglas, is sharing updates from McCall’s account while she is recovering. This is his second update since her operation.

McCall rose to fame presenting on MTV in the mid-1990s, and later on Channel 4’s Streetmate, before becoming a household name as the host of Big Brother from 2000 to 2010.

She’s gone on to present programmes across the networks, and currently presents ITV dating show My Mum, Your Dad.

Last year, McCall was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2023 Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting.

Davina McCall  with her partner Michael Douglas and her daughter Holly Robertson after being made a Member of the Order of the British Empire
Pic: PA
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McCall was made an MBE last year, pictured with Michael Douglas and her daughter Holly Robertson. Pic: PA

In recent years, McCall has spoken regularly on women’s health and the effects of menopause in a bid to break taboos around the subject. Her 2022 book, Menopausing, won book of the year at the British Book Awards.

The same year, McCall fronted the Channel 4 documentary Davina McCall: Sex, Mind And The Menopause, and told the BBC that the perimenopausal symptoms caused her difficulties multi-tasking and she considered that she had a brain tumour or Alzheimer’s disease at the time.

Married twice, McCall has three children, two daughters and a son, with her second husband, presenter Matthew Robertson.

She has lived with Douglas since 2022, and they present a weekly lifestyle podcast together, Making The Cut.

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Ed Sheeran says his didn’t give Band Aid 40 permission to use his vocals

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Ed Sheeran says he didn't give Band Aid 40 permission to use his vocals

Ed Sheeran says Band Aid 40 organisers did not seek his approval to use his vocals in the new version of the charity hit Do They Know It’s Christmas?

The Shape Of You star said he would have “respectively declined” any permission, going on to share another post criticising foreign aid in Africa.

Undated handout photo issued by Band Aid of (left to right) Sting, Bono and Simon Le Bon during the recording of the first ever Band Aid single, Do They Know It's Christmas. A new 40th anniversary mix of Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas? will see the young and old voices of the charity single's artists come together to create an "ultimate" version. Issue date: Wednesday November 13, 2024. PA Photo. Do They Know It's Christmas? - 2024 Ultimate Mix will premiere on UK breakfast radio and streaming on November 25, the 40th anniversary of the recording of the original song, and will be released physically on the Band Aid Compilation on November 29 on CD and vinyl. The new version of the song will feature voices from three previous editions of the song, Band Aid (1984), Band Aid 20 (2004) and Band Aid 30 (2014), including Harry Styles, George Michael and Chris Martin, and will see young and old voices of the likes of Bono singing together. See PA story SHOWBIZ BandAid . Photo credit should read: Brian Aris/Band Aid/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
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Sting, Bono and Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon during the recording of the first Band Aid single in November 1984. Pic: Brian Aris/ Band Aid

The new version of the festive hit blends previous recordings to create an “ultimate” mix from Band Aid 1984 including the voices of George Michael, Sting and Boy George, alongside the likes of Harry Styles, Chris Martin and the Sugababes, who appeared on the Band Aid 20 and Band Aid 30 versions in 2004 and 2014.

Sheeran had previously sung on Band Aid 30 alongside One Direction, Sam Smith and Coldplay’s Chris Martin.

The 33-year-old singer wrote in an Instagram story: “My approval wasn’t sought on this new Band Aid 40 release and had I had the choice I would have respectfully declined the use of my vocals.

“A decade on and my understanding of the narrative associated with this has changed, eloquently explained by @fuseodg. This is just my personal stance, I’m hoping it’s a forward-looking one. Love to all x.”

Sheeran referenced a post by Ghanaian-English singer, songwriter and rapper Fuse ODG, who worked with him on the track Boa Me.

Fuse ODG said that a decade earlier he “refused” to be part of the Band Aid 30 song as he feels that while the charity helps get “sympathy and donations, they perpetuate damaging stereotypes that stifle Africa’s economic growth, tourism, and investment”.

The rapper added: “By showcasing dehumanising imagery, these initiatives fuel pity rather than partnership, discouraging meaningful engagement.

“My mission has been to reclaim the narrative, empowering Africans to tell their own stories, redefine their identity, and position Africa as a thriving hub for investment and tourism.

“Today, the diaspora drives the largest flow of funds back into the continent, not Band Aid or foreign aid proving that Africa’s solutions and progress lies in its own hands.”

Sheeran has also worked with other African artists including Nigerian singers Fireboy DML and Burna Boy.

Pic: PA
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Sir Bob Geldof alongside the other artists involved in the original version of charity hit Do They Know It’s Christmas? Pic: PA

The original Band Aid single released in 1984 featured artists led by Boomtown Rats frontman Bob Geldof and Ultravox’s Midge Ure to help charities working with starving children in Ethiopia. It sold a million copies in the first week alone.

For the new version, the singers will be backed by the Band Aid house band of Sir Paul McCartney, Sting, Duran Duran’s John Taylor, Phil Collins, Queen’s Roger Taylor, Supergrass’s Danny Goffey, Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, Paul Weller, Damon Albarn, Ure, Gary Kemp and Justin Hawkins.

Premiering on 25 November, the song will be physically released too on 29 November, with a minimum of £5 donated to the Band Aid Trust when the single is sold on vinyl, a minimum of £1.50 donated when the single is sold on CD, and a minimum 50p donated when the single is digitally downloaded.

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Glastonbury Festival tickets sell out in 35 minutes

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Glastonbury Festival tickets sell out in 35 minutes

Standard Glastonbury Festival tickets for 2025 sold out in less than 40 minutes after organisers adopted a new booking system.

The new system saw Glastonbury hopefuls get “randomly assigned a place in a queue” instead of having to refresh the holding page once they went live.

Organisers said: “Thanks to everyone who bought one and sorry to those who missed out, on a morning when demand was much higher than supply. There will be a resale of any cancelled or returned tickets in spring 2025.”

Earlier in the week coach tickets sold out within half an hour for the famous festival in Somerset, which is set to take place between 25 and 29 June next year.

Tickets for the annual event at Worthy Farm sold quicker this year than last year when it took around an hour for all of them to go.

They cost £373.50 plus a £5 booking fee this year, up £18.50 from the price last year, and were sold exclusively through the See Tickets website.

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Ticket sale methods and prices for events have been a controversial topic this year, particularly due to Oasis fans’ experience trying to get tickets to their reunion shows in August.

Fans were left outraged after spending hours queueing for tickets only to find some had more than doubled in price from around £148 to £355.

The band’s long-awaited reunion has led to much speculation that Noel and Liam Gallagher will headline Glastonbury, but they denied this while their tickets were up for sale.

“Despite media speculation, Oasis will not be playing Glastonbury 2025 or any other festivals next year,” they said in a statement. “The only way to see the band perform will be on their Oasis Live ’25 World Tour.”

The headliners this summer on the iconic Pyramid Stage were Dua Lipa, SZA and Coldplay, who made history as the first act to headline the festival five times.

The crowd at Coldplay's headline set at Glastonbury Festival. Pic: PA
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The crowd at Coldplay’s headline set at Glastonbury Festival. Pic: PA

2026 is likely to be a year off for Glastonbury, with the festival traditionally taking place four out of every five years, and the fifth year reserved for rehabilitation of the land.

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