‘Remember the victims’: Prince Edward breaks silence over Andrew-Epstein controversy

Prince Edward has become the first member of the royal family to speak out about the most recently released Jeffrey Epstein documents.

The Duke of Edinburgh stated that it is “really important always to remember the victims” when questioned over the bombshell release, which includes fresh revelations about his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his former sister-in-law Sarah Ferguson.

The prince was speaking at the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Tuesday and was asked how he was “coping” amid the controversy.

He told CNN’s Eleni Giokos: “Well, with the best will in the world. I’m not sure this is the audience that is probably the least bit interested in that. They all came here to listen to education, solving the future.

“But no, I think it’s all really important always to remember the victims, and who are the victims in all this, a lot of victims in all this.”

The Duke has broken his silence after the US Justice Department on Friday published the third tranche of millions of documents related to the late convicted sex offender, who died in jail in 2019, as he awaited a trial on sex trafficking charges.

The pressure for Edward’s brother to testify is growing after the latest files from the department’s investigation into Epstein revealed further unsavoury details about links between the two men.

This included images apparently showing him crouch over an unidentified woman in what appears to be Epstein’s New York mansion.

Emails have emerged between the former Duke of York and Epstein from 2010 – two years after the disgraced financier pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution. Epstein served 13 months in jail before being released on probation under house arrest until summer 2010.

Andrew vehemently denies any wrongdoing.

The former Duke of York and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson appear a number of times in the files, including in a number of email exchanges with Epstein, with Andrew appearing to invite him to Buckingham Palace, and Sarah apparently saying: “I am at your service. Just marry me.”

Epstein also appears to introduce the former prince to a woman described by the paedophile as “26, Russian, clevere (sic) beautiful, trustworthy”, while in the same month, Andrew also reportedly tells Epstein: “Wish I was still a pet in your family.”

In 2022, the former duke paid millions of pounds to his main accuser, Virginia Giuffre – a woman he claims never to have met.

He was stripped of his titles by the King last year after the posthumous publication of a book from Ms Giuffre, who alleged she was trafficked by Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell when she was 17.

Lawyers representing a second accuser have urged Charles to contact them following allegations that their client was sent to the UK for a sexual encounter with Andrew.

Brad Edwards, from the US firm Edwards Henderson, previously told the BBC his client had spent the night with Andrew after being given a tour of Buckingham Palace.

Zelensky accuses Russia of exploiting US proposal to halt strikes after latest attack

Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Moscow of exploiting a US proposal to briefly halt strikes in Ukraine to stockpile missiles, rather than support diplomacy.

Russia has resumed its attacks following a brief pause over the weekend requested by Donald Trump On Tuesday, it carried out its largest attack of the year so far, firing 450 drones and 71 missiles at Ukraine.

“It was a deliberate attack against energy infrastructure, involving a record number of ballistic missiles,” the Ukrainian president said.

“In fact, the Russian army exploited the US proposal to briefly halt strikes not to support diplomacy, but to stockpile missiles and wait until the coldest days of the year, when temperatures across large parts of Ukraine drop below -20°C (-4°F).”

As of Tuesday morning, emergency power cuts were in effect in the Ukrainian capital after Russian forces again targeted power plants and energy infrastructure.

It comes after Ukraine and its western allies agreed that Russian violations of a future ceasefire agreement would be met with a military response by Europe before any involvement by the US, according to a report in the Financial Times.

Revealed: Top preventable causes of cancer in UK – and how to cut your risk

Smoking, being overweight, and exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun and sunbeds are the top preventable causes of cancer, experts have warned.

Researchers from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) analysed 30 risk factors that cause cancer, such as smoking, drinking alcohol and air pollution.

Using data from across 185 countries, they estimate that about 7.1 million of the 18.7 million new cancer cases diagnosed globally in 2022 were preventable.

UK figures show some 32.6 per cent of all new cancer cases – more than 148,000 – were caused by preventable factors during the period.

The top cause was tobacco smoking, which accounted for 16.2 per cent of cases, followed by excess body fat (4.2 per cent) and ultraviolet radiation (3.6 per cent).

“Today, we are here to celebrate good news founded on strong science; many cancers are preventable,” Dr Andre Ilbawi, WHO team lead for cancer control, said, while calling for prevention strategies to focus on tackling risks and not blame.

He added the findings, published in the journal Nature Medicine, “help us understand what is driving the cancer burden and what are the highest risks for different populations”.

“Tobacco, alcohol, air pollution, unhealthy diets, physical activity and infections such as human papillomavirus and hepatitis – these continue to drive avoidable injury to the avoidable illness and death,” Dr Ilbawi said.

“Investing in cancer prevention, therefore, delivers wide-ranging health, societal and economic benefits.

“There’s one key message to recall; prevention must be communicated carefully, focusing on risk reduction, not blame, emphasising policy and structural solutions, acknowledging uncertainty and respecting the dignity of people living with cancer.”

Smoking causes at least 16 different types of cancer and is the biggest cause of lung cancer in the UK.

It is thought as many as 79 per cent of lung cancer cases in the UK are preventable, according to Cancer Research UK.

For women, more than 68,000 cancer cases were preventable and tobacco was the top cause at 13.8 per cent, the recent study revealed.

More than a third of new cancer cases were preventable in men, the equivalent of more than 80,000, but again the leading cause was smoking at 18.5 per cent. The top cancer site was the lungs for men, with 19,000 cases.

Cigarette smoke contains over 5000 chemicals, 70 of which are known to cause cancer.

When these harmful chemicals enter the lungs they affect the entire body and damage DNA.

Alcohol can cause seven different types of cancer, including bowel, breast, mouth, throat and liver cancer, according to Cancer Research UK. It is responsible for about 3.3 per cent of cancer cases in the country, which is around 11,900 cases per year, Alcohol Change UK has said.

The recent study found alcohol consumption was one of the top causes of cancer in men at 4.1 per cent. It also found more than 10,000 cases of colorectal cancer in men were partly caused by alcohol consumption.

When alcohol is consumed, the body turns it into a chemical called acetaldehyde, which can stop cells from repairing damage in the body.

It also increases levels of some hormones, such as oestrogen and insulin – this can make cells divide more often and increase the chance of cancer developing, Cancer Research UK has warned.

Being overweight or obese is the second biggest cause of cancer in the UK, causing more than one in 20 cancer cases.

The study found that for UK women, there were more than 17,000 cases of lung cancer, followed by more than 12,000 cases of breast cancer caused by excess body weight or not enough exercise, as well as alcohol consumption.

Excess body weight was one of the top causes of cancer in women at 5.5 per cent.

Too much body fat can cause cancer for several reasons: it can cause levels of hormones to rise, which tells cells to divide more often, and it can cause inflammation which also causes cells to divide more quickly.

But weight loss jabs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, could help reduce this risk with around 1.6 million Britons using the jabs this past year.

One study published in the journal eClinicalMedicine suggests that weight loss injections, also known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, may have a significant anti-cancer effect beyond simply aiding in weight reduction, due to the drugs’ ability to reduce inflammation.

Ultraviolet radiation from the sun or sunbeds is to blame for 3.4 per cent of cancer cases in women and 3.8 per cent in men.

While some people will claim sunbathing is integral to wellness, sunburn is still skin damage and increases the risk of skin cancer.

Sunbeds are known to increase the risk of melanoma – the deadliest form of skin cancer killing about six people a day. Around 100 melanoma deaths in the UK each year are linked to sunbed use, according to charity Melanoma Focus.

The WHO has classed sunbeds to be as dangerous as smoking. Using a sunbed before the age of 20 increases the risk of melanoma skin cancer by 47 per cent compared to those who have never used one.

The government has proposed a crackdown on rogue businesses flouting the law and putting children’s health at risk by selling sunbed sessions to under 18s.

New proposals under the soon-to-be launched National Cancer Plan will strengthen requirements around commercial sunbed use, including banning unsupervised sessions, and introducing mandatory ID checks to verify users are over 18.

The 7.1 million preventable cancer cases across the globe are the equivalent of four in 10, the study found.

Dr Isabelle Soerjomataram, deputy head of the IARC Cancer Surveillance Unit, said: “This represents 37.8 per cent of the total cancer burden, a very substantial proportion.

“Breaking this down to major risk factors, smoking accounts for 3.3 million cases, infections for 2.2 million cases, and alcohol contributes for approximately 700,000 cases.

“So these three factors represent the majority of preventable global cancer burden, highlighting where prevention efforts could have the greatest impact.

“Each country and region need to adapt global and regional strategies to prevention priorities that are aligned with its specific cancer burden profile.”

Global analysis also highlighted a significant difference between men and women across the world when it came to cancer causes.

According to the study, 45 per cent of new global cancer cases among men were linked to preventable risk factors compared with 30 per cent among women.

The BBC has axed its most life-affirming show when we need it more than ever

The BBC has sadly confirmed there are no plans for a fourth season of Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams, one of the best, most uplifting documentary series to hit our screens in recent years. In an age where reality commissioning either leans towards perma-tanned castmates having rows fuelled by producers, or PR-managed, glossy docuseries (David and Victoria Beckham, I’m looking at you), Field of Dreams was a shining light.

Its premise was simple: former all-rounder Flintoff – one of the few England cricketers to reach household name status – would return to his home city of Preston, and inspire teenagers in the former mill town to give the notoriously posh sport a go. But, as the Ashes winner soon found out, convincing a lively crew of working-class kids to don their cricket whites would not be easy.

The first season, which arrived like a breath of fresh air in 2022, began with Flintoff organising tryouts in his home city, where the poverty rate is above the national average and more than 21 per cent of children are in low-income families. While the ex-England player was too modest to say it on camera, he had clearly quietly – and understandably – assumed his celebrity status would result in a decent turnout. He was left dismayed then, when his desperate appeals resulted in just a handful of nonchalant teenagers turning up at trials.

Nevertheless, with the help of his former Lancashire teammate Kyle Hogg, Flintoff scraped (and I mean scraped) a team together. Hope thankfully arrived midway through series one in the form of Adnan, a softly spoken Afghan refugee with dreams of playing professionally (he has since made his debut for Lancashire’s second team).

As is often the case with the best shows inspired by sport, Field of Dreams wasn’t really about what was happening on the pitch. Instead, it was a tale of fighting against the odds, and the power of friendship and camaraderie, with more than a few hilarious one-liners, courtesy of the rambunctious teenage players.

The second series took a turn nobody saw coming. Early episodes saw Flintoff and Hogg lay out their ambitious plan to take the team on a life-changing trip to India. But it was Flintoff’s life that was suddenly altered immeasurably when a horrific accident while filming Top Gear left the presenter with severe injuries and in need of extensive facial surgery.

Assistant coach Hogg broke the news to the boys, and filming was put on pause. While enduring a recovery that involved multiple operations, and led to bouts of severe anxiety and flashbacks, Flintoff essentially went into hiding and later admitted he didn’t leave the house for eight months.

After an extended break, the show went on. Cameras were rolling as Flintoff, visibly changed and still shaken, reunited with the team. With their once seemingly fearless leader on the ropes, the teenagers stepped up. Field of Dreams morphed into something new and even more special, as the boys – with pot noodles and Pringles in their suitcases – supported Flintoff through his nervous return to the spotlight. Standout moments saw Flintoff and several of the teens join Adnan in fasting during Ramadan, before youngster Ben, who was homeless and unemployed, began considering a career in education after a visit to a Kolkata orphanage.

The ever-ambitious Flintoff took things up a notch in the third series and started three more teams, two for boys in Bootle and Manchester, and his first girls’ side in Blackpool. To put it bluntly, the Bootle lads made the Preston OGs look positively angelic. The embattled Kyle Hogg bore the brunt of their behaviour, along with a new recruit, ex-England bowler Kate Cross, who surely had no idea what she was getting herself into.

The star of the show this time around was Presley, a Manchester newbie with a heart of gold, who had suffered at the hands of bullies and struggled to make friends at school. He finally seemed to find his place in the world thanks to the ragtag team, which left his mum in floods of relieved, happy tears.

Why then, has the BBC called time on one of its most heartwarming offerings? With the news agenda dominated by ICE raids, the Epstein files and Iran-US tensions, we’re more in need than ever of a reminder that people can be kind. The season three finale delivered a fairytale ending of sorts, as Flintoff’s four teams faced each other in a tournament. Whether each side would survive beyond filming still felt uncertain, which surely left plenty of room for a fourth outing.

Perhaps Flintoff himself is behind the decision, or maybe execs at the BBC thought the story had run its course. Whatever happened behind the scenes, hopefully Field of Dreams gives commissioners food for thought. Leave over-produced efforts and fame-hungry casts behind; life-affirming shows like this are what we’re crying out for. And more Presleys. TV could definitely do with those, especially in these troubling times.

Kai Havertz’s late goal sends Arsenal into Carabao Cup final at Chelsea’s expense

Arsenal have sealed the first place in the 2025/26 Carabao Cup final after Kai Havertz’s late goal secured a 4-2 aggregate victory over Chelsea.

Both sides started slowly in a tense atmosphere at the Emirates, with neither team able to dominate possession or make their mark on a first half that contained barely any chances of note, with Piero Hincapie having a long-range effort saved and Malo Gusto recovering well to prevent Gabriel Martinelli firing in.

Each team was forced to start with more impetus in the second half but it hardly changed the state of the game, with Liam Rosenior’s side set up to nullify Arsenal but also offering precious little in attack themselves.

Even the introduction of Cole Palmer and Estevao failed to ignite a spark in the visitors and it played into Arsenal’s hands late on, with the visitors leaving themselves too much to do late on before a late Arsenal counter-attack saw Havertz and Martinelli race clean through.

And the German needed no invitation to round Robert Sanchez and tap in to give the Gunners the first final in what they hope might be a quadruple-winning campaign, with either Manchester City or Newcastle to come at Wembley in March.

Follow the latest updates and team news from the Emirates below:

The smart moment to get ahead of your business budget

For businesses large and small, late January is when reality bites. For some, it’s the first chance to take a breath after the festive rush and early January sales. For others, it’s an opportunity to look at things afresh after time away from the office. Either way, it’s the moment when plans need to move off the page and into practice.

In a challenging business environment, budgets must work harder, workflows need to be optimised and spending requires clear oversight. This is where Amazon Business can make a tangible difference: helping teams start the year organised, keep costs under control and simplify everyday purchasing across essential business categories.

Stock Up and Save now: Business Savings Event Ends February 4

The Business Savings Event is your opportunity to secure exceptional deals and special prices on everything your business needs. Whether you’re stocking up on office essentials, upgrading equipment, or planning ahead for the quarter, now is the time to take advantage of significant savings across thousands of products. Visit the Business Savings Event page today and discover how much you can save before February 4.

Buy smarter, stay stocked

Feeling organised starts with knowing you have what you need. Amazon Business supports this by offering bulk buying options that help improve budget efficiency. From pallet-sized orders of cleaning products to everyday office supplies, buying in volume ensures businesses are paying the best possible price.

Registered Amazon Business customers also benefit from exclusive business-only pricing, alongside the fast and flexible delivery Amazon is known for. In some circumstances, same-day delivery is available, allowing businesses to stay agile and responsive without overstocking.

One platform, less paperwork

Switching to Amazon Business can also significantly reduce administrative burden. Rather than sourcing cleaning supplies from one provider, office technology from another and stationery from a third, Amazon Business acts as a one-stop shop for procurement.

This streamlined approach frees up valuable time, allowing business owners and teams to focus on delivering quality products and services, rather than managing multiple suppliers and invoices.

Control for leaders, autonomy for teams

Amazon Business combines the familiar Amazon interface with professional-grade tools designed specifically for organisations. Team members can order what they need quickly and intuitively – even without purchasing experience – all through a single, centralised account.

At the same time, business leaders retain full oversight. Multi-user accounts include built-in controls that define what different users can buy, ensuring transparency and compliance. Instead of juggling multiple supplier accounts, businesses gain instant insight into purchasing behaviour, helping to reduce rogue spend and keep budgets on track.

The platform’s analytics tools also enable deeper trend analysis, supporting smarter decision-making now and more effective planning for the future. Amazon Business integrates with more than 300 e-procurement and expense management systems, including Coupa, Concur Expense and SAP Ariba, and makes it easy to manage delivery preferences across multiple locations within a single workflow.

From fitting seamlessly into existing systems to keeping spending accountable, Amazon Business helps companies start the year as they mean to go on: with smarter, simpler and more business-focused buying.

Sign up for a free Amazon Business account to streamline your purchasing and take advantage of quantity discounts.

Elon Musk’s X offices in France raided by Paris prosecutors

Paris prosecutors have raided the offices of Elon Musk’s social media platform X, formerly Twitter, as part of a cyber crime investigation, it said on Tuesday.

The tech billionaire has also been summoned to a “voluntary” hearing in April, following a year-long investigation into suspected abuse of algorithms by X and its executives.

Investigators later widened the probe to include complaints over the site’s AI chatbot, Grok. They will look into the creation of child abuse images and sexually explicit deepfakes without people’s consent.

The investigation, which an EU commission spokesperson said is being discussed between Brussels and Paris, will see tensions rise between Europe and the US over Big Tech and free speech.

“At this stage, the conduct of this investigation is part of a constructive approach, with the aim of ultimately ensuring that the X platform complies with French laws, insofar as it operates on national territory,” the prosecutor’s office said. It added that the police’s National Cyber Unit along with Europol were involved in the investigation.

Mr Musk has been called to voluntarily speak at a hearing on 20 April along with the former CEO of X Corp, Linda Yaccarino.

While several investigations have been opened into Grok’s parent company xAI, it marks the first time the 54-year-old has been summoned by prosecutors in relation to the scandal.

The prosecutors office said it will now be leaving Mr Musk’s social media platform, and that it would only be communicating on LinkedIn and Instagram from now on.

The Independent has received no response to a request to X for comment, but in July the company said French prosecutors were launching a “politically-motivated criminal investigation”.

The billionaire has faced intense scrutiny from governments around the world about sexualised images generated and edited using Grok.

Sexually explicit images were created of real women without their consent, before the company finally “implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing” in mid-January.

But campaigners and victims said this came too late to undo the harm done.

On Tuesday, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) also opened in investigation into Grok’s parent company xAI and X, saying they raise “serious concerns under UK data protection law and presents a risk of significant potential harm to the public”.

It will also investigate whether Grok put the “necessary safeguards” in place to prevent this.

The European Commission and UK regulator Ofcom had previously announced an investigations into xAI.

In its rebuttal from July, X claimed the French investigation “egregiously undermines X’s fundamental right to due process and threatens our users’ rights to privacy and free speech”.

It claimed there were “serious concerns about the impartiality, fairness, and political motivations of the investigation” because of the involvement of several experts who have been critical of the social media site formerly known as Twitter.

“X believes that this investigation is distorting French law in order to serve a political agenda and, ultimately, restrict free speech,” it added. “For these reasons, X has not acceded to the French authorities’ demands, as we have a legal right to do.”

Jill Biden’s ex-husband charged with murder for ‘killing his wife during a domestic disturbance’

The ex-husband of former First Lady Jill Biden has been charged with murder for the death of his wife following a domestic disturbance, officials announced.

Bill Stevenson, 77, was arrested Monday and charged with first-degree murder in the death of 64-year-old Linda Stevenson after a police investigation that lasted over a month.

Officers from the New Castle County Division of Police responded to reports of a domestic dispute at a home in Oak Hill, Wilmington, Delaware, late on December 28.

Upon entering the home, officers found Linda Stevenson unresponsive in the living room and administered life-saving measures, but were unable to save her, according to a police press release at the time. Further details about her death and the moments before have not been released.

TMZ reported at the time that it was Stevenson who called authorities and cooperated with them. Until now, he had not been charged with a crime.

Stevenson was taken into custody at the same address where his wife’s body was found. He is currently being held at the Howard Young Correctional Institution after failing to post a $500,000 bail.

The Independent has contacted the New Castle County Police Department for any further information on the case.

Little is known about Jill Biden’s marriage to Stevenson.

Stevenson married the former First Lady, then Jill Jacobs, in 1970 while she was studying at Brandywine Junior College, and she took his last name to become Jill Stevenson. However, the pair drifted apart and were officially divorced in 1975.

During that time, Stevenson opened the Stone Balloon college bar, near the University of Delaware, which became one of the most popular in the U.S. and was once described by Rolling Stone as “one of the best kept secrets in Rock and Roll.”

In a book,The Stone Balloon: The Early Years, Stevenson omits details of his divorce, but reportedly walked away from the case giving her only half of what she had asked for including part-ownership of the bar.

Jill married then-Senator Joe Biden in June 1977.

In 2022, her biographer Julie Pace told People that Biden “had these expectations of sort of what that marriage was going to be, and the marriage did not live up to those expectations.”

“She was incredibly young and probably a bit naive about what life was going to look like, and it stings her. It really stings her, and it makes her question quite a bit.”

In the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election, Stevenson came forward to dispute the Biden campaign’s claims about how the former first couple met.

He told WDEL in an interview that Jill met the future president while working on a local political campaign around 1972. Many of the campaign fundraisers were held at the Stone Balloon.

Stevenson went on to accuse his former wife of having an affair, something a Biden spokesperson strongly denied at the time. The account put out by the Biden campaign details that it was Jill’s brother Frank who set up his sister and Joe on a blind date after her divorce.