News
Ex-Victims’ Commissioner Calls for Police Probe into Andrew
Dame Vera Baird has stated that certain documents pertaining to Jeffrey Epstein in the US warrant a police inquiry into the former prince.
Dame Vera Baird, the former victims' commissioner, is urging the police to thoroughly examine the connection between Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In an interview with the BBC, Dame Vera revealed that she had previously discussed the case with the Metropolitan Police, but was informed that the alleged offenses linked to Epstein had mostly occurred outside the UK, leaving investigators with limited leads to pursue.
According to Dame Vera, who served as the victims' commissioner for England and Wales from 2019 to 2022, the situation surrounding Andrew has undergone a significant shift in light of newly emerged evidence, prompting her to reiterate the calls made by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown for a police investigation.
Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with the allegations.
In a recent article published in the New Statesman, Gordon Brown called on the Metropolitan Police to promptly re-examine the possibility that Epstein's victims were trafficked into and out of the UK.
A BBC investigation conducted in December found that 87 flights associated with Epstein had arrived at or departed from UK airports between the early 1990s and 2018, with some of these flights carrying British women who claim to have been abused by Epstein.
Brown cited US-released documents suggesting that a number of British girls were transported on at least 90 Epstein-organized flights from UK airports, including 15 flights that took place after Epstein's 2008 conviction for a child sex offense.
The former prime minister argued that the references to Stansted Airport being used by Epstein's plane to transport women should prompt a police investigation.
Dame Vera, now the chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission, stated that she was previously unaware of the documents mentioning Stansted Airport, which were recently brought to her attention.
During her tenure as commissioner, Dame Vera had raised concerns with the police, emphasizing the need for the state to protect victims.
She noted that the monarchy is not exempt from scrutiny, particularly when there are suspicions that a member of the royal family may pose a threat to victims.
Dame Vera admitted that the situation has continued to trouble her since her time as commissioner.
Upon reading Gordon Brown's article, Dame Vera felt that it reinforced the need for a thorough investigation into the matter.
Additionally, a recently published email from Ghislaine Maxwell appears to confirm the authenticity of a photograph showing Andrew with his arm around the waist of his late accuser, Virginia Giuffre.
Andrew had previously questioned the validity of the photograph and claimed that he had never met Giuffre, but he has not commented publicly since the emergence of Maxwell's 2015 email.
Dame Vera emphasized that the new evidence strengthens her position that an investigation is necessary, and that failing to do so would be unusual.
Thames Valley Police recently confirmed that they are assessing allegations made by a woman who claims she was sent to the UK by Epstein for a sexual encounter with Andrew.
The woman, who was in her 20s at the time, alleges that the encounter took place at Andrew's former residence, Royal Lodge in Windsor.
Stansted Airport has clarified that private aircraft use separate, independently operated terminals, and the airport has no visibility or control over passenger arrangements on these flights.
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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