News
Al Fayed victims advocate for human trafficking investigation
An investigation is underway into multiple individuals, exceeding five, who potentially aided Al Fayed in connection with alleged abuse.
Allegations of sexual assault against former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed have prompted a group of women to push for their cases to be reclassified as human trafficking incidents.

The Metropolitan Police is currently investigating several individuals who may have enabled Al Fayed's alleged abuse of numerous women and girls, with the inquiry focusing on more than five potential facilitators.
During his tenure as owner of the luxury store from 1985 to 2010, Al Fayed faced multiple accusations of rape and sexual assault, and he passed away in 2023 at the age of 94.
However, the advocacy group No One Above claims that the Met's investigation may not uncover the full scope of the network involved, citing the presence of "multiple perpetrators" and facilitators.
A member of the group, who wishes to remain anonymous and uses the pseudonym Isabella, claims to have been assaulted by Al Fayed in 2001 and believes that he did not act alone in his alleged crimes.
In an interview with the BBC's World at One programme, Isabella described the situation as "the exploitation of over 400 known children and young women" that spanned multiple decades and jurisdictions, involving organized systems and numerous perpetrators and facilitators.
Isabella emphasized that the situation is more complex than a single individual and a few accomplices, stating that it is not an isolated case of sexual abuse.
According to Isabella, the Met has privately acknowledged that her experience meets the definition of trafficking, but the cases will not be investigated as such due to the Modern Slavery Act not being in effect at the time of the alleged crimes.
To date, the Met Police have reported that 146 individuals have come forward to report crimes as part of their investigation into Al Fayed.
A BBC documentary and podcast, aired in September 2024, shed light on the businessman's alleged predatory behavior, featuring testimony from over 20 former Harrods employees who claimed to have been sexually assaulted or raped by Al Fayed.
The documentary, titled Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods, heard from multiple female ex-employees who shared similar experiences of alleged abuse.
Since the documentary's release, dozens of additional women have spoken out about their own experiences, bringing the total number of alleged victims to over 180.
Isabella expressed concerns that the Met's investigation may not fully capture the scope of the alleged trafficking organization, which she believes spans multiple decades, perpetrators, and jurisdictions.
She stressed the need for the police to investigate further, asking questions such as "who knew, what did they know, when did they know it, and why was nothing done" to ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
Isabella believes that a thorough investigation is necessary to put safeguards in place and prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
Harrods has established a compensation scheme for survivors of abuse by the former owner, with over 180 individuals currently participating and more than 50 women having already received compensation.
In a separate development, French authorities launched an investigation into sex-trafficking linked to Al Fayed in November.
A spokesperson for the Home Office offered condolences to those affected by the case and announced that the Minister for Safeguarding would meet with impacted individuals to ensure their voices are heard.
While declining to comment on the ongoing investigation, the spokesperson emphasized the government's commitment to addressing violence against women and girls, declaring it a national emergency and pledging to reduce it by half within a decade.
The Metropolitan Police has been approached for comment on the ongoing investigation.
Entertainment And Arts
Spielberg Contributes $25,000 to Van Der Beek’s $2 Million Crowdfunding Campaign
The relatives of the deceased actor, known for his role in Dawson’s Creek, have expressed gratitude to those who contributed to the $2m fund.
A donation of $25,000 (£21,000) has been made by film director Steven Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw, to a GoFundMe campaign that has raised over $2m (£1.6m) for the family of late actor James Van Der Beek.

Van Der Beek, who passed away at the age of 48, is survived by his wife Kimberly and their six children, and the crowdfunding effort to support his family has now exceeded its initial target of $2m.
Other notable donors include Oscar-winning actress Zoe Saldana, who contributed $2,500 (£2,108), and director Jon M Chu, who gave $10,000 (£8,432) to the cause.
A statement from the organizers of the fundraiser, Friends of the Van Der Beek family, expressed gratitude to all contributors, stating that their support is deeply appreciated.
The statement highlighted the significance of the donations, saying that the kindness shown by contributors is beyond words.
It also noted that the outpouring of support has been a source of comfort during a difficult time, serving as a reminder of the power of love, community, and the enduring legacy of James Van Der Beek.
Van Der Beek was perhaps best known for his starring role in the popular US teen drama series Dawson's Creek, which aired from 1998 to 2003, although he remained associated with the show until 2023.
Although Van Der Beek and Spielberg never collaborated on a project, the late actor's character in Dawson's Creek was a fan of Spielberg's work, with posters of films like ET and Schindler's List featured in his bedroom.
At a Dawson's Creek cast reunion event last year, Spielberg paid tribute to Van Der Beek by sending a video message.
In the message, Spielberg said, "Dawson, you made it," and jokingly added that he hoped to one day have a room like Dawson's, filled with memorabilia from his films.
Van Der Beek passed away on Wednesday after a battle with bowel cancer.

He had been dealing with the diagnosis since August 2023 and publicly disclosed his condition in November 2024.
The GoFundMe campaign was launched to help the family with medical expenses, which had depleted their funds.
The statement from the organizers concluded by saying that the family is currently taking time to grieve and be together, and thanked everyone for their compassionate and generous support in honoring James Van Der Beek's life.
News
Zimbabwe Shocks Australia with Muzarabani’s Exceptional Performance
Zimbabwe secured a stunning 23-run victory over Australia in the T20 World Cup, with Blessing Muzarabani playing a key role by taking 4-17.
In the current T20 world rankings, Zimbabwe occupies the 12th position.
The Men's T20 World Cup is underway in Group B at Colombo.
Zimbabwe's innings concluded at 169-2 after 20 overs, with Bennett scoring an unbeaten 64 off 56 deliveries, while Green claimed 1-6.
Australia's reply ended at 146 after 19.3 overs, as Renshaw top-scored with 65 off 44 balls, and Muzarabani took 4-17.
The match resulted in a 23-run victory for Zimbabwe.
A standout performance from Blessing Muzarabani, who took 4-17, helped Zimbabwe secure a thrilling 23-run win over Australia in the T20 World Cup.
After being set a target of 170, Australia found themselves in trouble at 29-4, but a 77-run partnership between Matthew Renshaw and Glenn Maxwell for the fifth wicket gave them hope.
With 34 runs needed from the last two overs, Renshaw's dismissal for 65, caught off Muzarabani with eight balls remaining, essentially sealed the game's outcome.
The result has left Group B finely balanced after two matches each, with Australia trailing Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka by two points, ahead of their meeting with Sri Lanka on Monday.
Initially, Zimbabwe's approach to batting first at the R. Premadasa Stadium appeared overly cautious.
Brian Bennett's innings of 64 not out from 56 balls, including seven fours, was played at a strike rate of 114.28, as he anchored the Zimbabwean batting.
In contrast, Tadiwanashe Marumani and Ryan Burl adopted a more aggressive approach, scoring 35 off 21 and 30 balls, respectively.
A late surge from Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza, who scored 25 off 13 balls, including the team's only six on the final ball, provided a boost to their total.
Australia's target seemed achievable, given their total of 182-6 in their previous win against Ireland.
However, the Australian batting line-up was severely dented by the loss of key wickets, including Josh Inglis, Travis Head, Cameron Green, and Tim David, courtesy of Muzarabani and Brad Evans.
A partnership between Renshaw and Maxwell offered some respite, but when Maxwell fell for 31, dragged on to Burl, the pressure mounted on Australia.
Muzarabani's return to bowl the penultimate over proved decisive, as he removed Renshaw, and Zimbabwe subsequently wrapped up the win.
There are calls for the ICC to review the rules regarding 12th men.
For more information, including notifications and social media updates, visit BBC Sport.
A blogger who participates in the FPL is also competing in the T20 World Cup.
News
FA Cup Finalists Outside the Big Six Since 2008
As the FA Cup resumes this weekend, assess your understanding of past finalists that have competed from beyond the Premier League’s top six clubs.
This weekend, the FA Cup resumes with 32 teams remaining in contention for the historic trophy, which has been awarded for 155 years and will be presented to the winner in May.
Historically, the Premier League's top six clubs – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham – have dominated the FA Cup, claiming 32 titles out of the last 37.
However, in recent years, teams outside of this elite group have experienced some notable victories in the competition.
Since 2008, 10 teams from outside the traditional 'big six' have advanced to the FA Cup final – can you identify all of them?
For more quizzes, visit our Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes sections, where you can also subscribe to receive the latest quizzes directly on your device.
We have a quiz question tailored to each Premier League team – test your knowledge and see how you score.
Can you recall every team that has won the Women's Champions League?
Which players have made the most appearances in the Premier League – can you name them all?
Explore our Sports Quizzes page for a wide range of challenging and engaging quizzes.
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