News
Under-fire Trump commerce secretary confirms he visited Epstein’s island
In 2012, Howard Lutnick reportedly had lunch on the island, which contradicts his earlier statement that he had severed connections with Jeffrey Epstein in 2005.
A recent revelation has contradicted US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's previous assertions that he had severed ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein years before his 2012 visit to Epstein's island, which has now been confirmed by Lutnick himself.
During his testimony on Capitol Hill, Lutnick explained that he had a brief encounter with Epstein in 2012, stating, "I was on a family vacation, and my wife, children, and nannies accompanied me to the island, where we had lunch with him for about an hour."
Documents released by the US Department of Justice contain correspondence related to Lutnick's visit, shedding light on the matter.
Despite calls for his resignation from some lawmakers, the White House has expressed its continued support for Lutnick, with US President Donald Trump standing by him.
Emails released by the justice department have brought to light Lutnick's visit to Epstein's island, which took place in 2012.
An email sent by Lutnick's wife, Allison, to Epstein's assistant in December 2012, appears to be an invitation to lunch, stating, "We're looking forward to visiting you" and "We'd love to join you for lunch."
Lutnick had previously testified before Congress that he ended his association with Epstein in 2005, after the financier made suggestive comments about a massage table in his home.
However, during his recent testimony, Lutnick revealed that he had met Epstein on two other occasions, in addition to the 2012 visit.
According to justice department files, Lutnick visited Epstein's Caribbean island on December 23, 2012, four years after Epstein's conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
This marked the first time Lutnick publicly acknowledged the visit, providing clarification on the matter.
When questioned about the lunch, Lutnick stated, "I don't recall the reason for it, but it happened."
As the architect of Trump's global tariffs policy, Lutnick has not been implicated in any wrongdoing related to Epstein.
Lutnick also mentioned another meeting with Epstein, which took place a year and a half after the island visit, and lasted for about an hour.
Among the millions of pages of Epstein documents released by the justice department, approximately 10 emails have been found to connect Lutnick to Epstein.
Lutnick emphasized that over a 14-year period, he had minimal contact with Epstein, characterizing their relationship as virtually non-existent.
Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, pressed Lutnick about the inconsistencies in his accounts.
Van Hollen stated, "The issue at hand is not whether you engaged in any wrongdoing with Jeffrey Epstein, but rather that you misrepresented the extent of your relationship with him to Congress, the American people, and the survivors of his heinous crimes."
Lutnick is one of several high-profile individuals mentioned in the over 3.5 million documents released by the justice department, as required by law.
The discovery that Lutnick visited Epstein's island long after claiming to have cut ties has led to bipartisan calls for his resignation from the Trump administration.
Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna of California and Republican Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who co-sponsored the law compelling the justice department to release the Epstein files, have both urged Lutnick to step down.
After reviewing unredacted copies of the files, Khanna revealed the names of six individuals who he claims were improperly redacted, including retail billionaire Les Wexner.
The justice department partially unredacted Wexner's name from the files, following Massie's identification of him on Monday.
Deputy US Attorney General Todd Blanche explained that the redaction was removed because Wexner's name already appears in the files thousands of times, and the department is not hiding any information.
The BBC has reached out to the justice department for comment on the matter.
Wexner, the former CEO of Victoria's Secret, is identified in a 2019 FBI document as a potential "co-conspirator" in Epstein's activities.
It is essential to note that being mentioned in the documents does not necessarily imply any wrongdoing.
Wexner has previously alleged that Epstein embezzled millions of dollars from him while working as his financial adviser.
A representative for Wexner stated that the Assistant US Attorney informed Wexner's legal counsel in 2019 that he was being viewed as a source of information about Epstein and was not a target in any respect.
The representative added that Wexner cooperated fully by providing background information on Epstein and was never contacted again.
Another name revealed by Khanna is Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, CEO of Dubai Ports World, whom the BBC has contacted for comment.
The BBC is currently working to confirm the identities of the other four individuals whose names have been unredacted.
As Lutnick testified on one side of Capitol Hill, survivors of Epstein's abuse gathered on the other side to announce the introduction of Virginia's Law, legislation aimed at removing the time limit for survivors of sexual abuse to file civil claims.
The legislation is named after Virginia Giuffre, a prominent survivor of Epstein's abuse, who died by suicide in 2025.
Giuffre's sister-in-law, Amanda Roberts, stated that Giuffre's wish was to eliminate the statute of limitations, allowing survivors to seek justice regardless of the time that has passed.
Roberts emphasized, "No more laws that treat survivors as though time can erase harm," and urged lawmakers to "Pass Virginia's Law."
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.
-
News7 hours agoAustralian Politics Faces Questions Over Gender Equality Amid Sussan Ley’s Appointment
-
News4 hours agoFarage Says Reform to Replace Traditional Tory Party
-
News4 hours agoWrexham Pair Seek Win Against Former Team Ipswich
-
News10 hours agoLiberal Party Removes Australia’s First Female Leader
-
News7 hours agoUK Braces for Cold Snap with Snow and Ice Alerts Expected
-
News4 hours agoHusband’s alleged £600k theft for sex and antiques blamed on drug side effects
-
Business10 hours agoBBC Reporter Exposed to Cyber Attack Due to Vulnerabilities in AI Coding Tool
-
News7 hours agoCanadian Town Unites in Mourning After Mass Shooting Leaves Community Reeling