News Daily: Notre-Dame fire and questions over statins

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France and world react to Notre-Dame fire

Paris's emergency services are beginning the task of assessing how much damage the fire at the cathedral of Notre-Dame has caused. The main structure of the 850-year-old Gothic building, including the two bell towers, has survived.

But, to the horror of those watching, the roof and spire collapsed. Here's footage of the flames. And here's when the spire fell.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the "worst had been avoided" and the cathedral would be rebuilt, but the cause of the fire is not yet clear. Some of Paris's churches rang their bells in response to events at Notre-Dame. Theresa May said her thoughts were with the 500 or so firefighters who attended the scene.

We ask what Notre-Dame, which survived two world wars largely unscathed, means to the French. And we take a look at some of its treasures.

Statins 'don't work well for one in two people'

Millions of people in the UK take "statin" drugs in an effort to reduce their cholesterol levels. But research published in the health journal Heart suggests that they may not work well enough for around half of those prescribed them. The scientists behind the findings are not sure why this is the case and don't recommend that anyone should stop taking statins before seeing their GP.

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US presidential election: Trump to face Republican challenge

Democrats are lining up to take him on, but US President Donald Trump is now also facing a challenge from his own Republican Party ahead of next year's election. Former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld, 73, says it will be a "political tragedy" if Mr Trump wins a second term in the White House. But he's looking like something of a longshot to gain his party's nomination. According to the most recent Gallup poll, 89% of Republican voters approve of the president. Here's a list of those running - and possibly running - to replace Mr Trump.

Primary school places announced

The waiting's over - almost. Parents around England will be finding out today whether their children have places at their first-choice primary schools. Last year about one in 10 missed out.

The mental rigours of being US president

By Jude Sheerin

In the summer of 1776, the American Revolutionary War was going so badly for the rebels that George Washington apparently attempted suicide by redcoat.

As his militiamen fled in panic at Kip's Bay, Manhattan, it's said the 44-year-old supreme commander lapsed into a catatonic state. Washington just sat on horseback staring into space as dozens of British soldiers charged at him across a cornfield.

Read the full story

What the papers say

Notre-Dame on fire features on almost every front page. "Notre doom" is the Sun's headline, while the Daily Telegraph's is "Paris weeps for its beloved lady". The Daily Mail says nine centuries of history have been lost in an "unholy inferno". Elsewhere, the Daily Mirror leads on a report suggesting one in four hospital wards has unsafe staffing levels.

Daily digest

'Huge workloads' Four in 10 teachers planning to quit, survey finds

Amazon Online retail giant flooded by fake five-star reviews, Which? says

Extinction Rebellion Dozens of arrests at climate change protests

Pulitzer Prize Capital Gazette wins for coverage of mass shooting in its own newsroom

If you see one thing today

Reasons to appreciate your morning commute

If you listen to one thing today

Can we blame our genes for poor sleep?

If you read one thing today

How can you stop your kids viewing harmful web content?

Lookahead

Today It's day two of the National Education Union annual conference in Liverpool.

09:30 The Office for National Statistics publishes unemployment figures for the three months to February.

On this day

1964 Twelve men involved in the Great Train Robbery of 1963 are sentenced to a total of 307 years in prison.

From elsewhere

British instruments reveal secrets of Martian sky (Oxford University)

The dark mystery of the missing Victorian lighthouse keepers (Daily Mail)

The unlikely rise of the pastel de nata (Bloomberg)

A toddler, an iPad and a Tweet (New Yorker)