PM Starmer: 'a united front' needed to open Strait of Hormuz as UK hosts talks with 35 countries
Britain will explore ways to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by hosting talks on Thursday (2 April) with 35 countries after President Donald Trump said...
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been released from police custody following his arrest on Thursday (19 February) on suspicion of misconduct in public office. A newly released photo shows the former prince departing Aylsham Police Station in Aylsham, England, seated in the backseat of a vehicle.
Thames Valley Police confirmed that Mountbatten-Windsor, a man in his sixties from Norfolk, has been released under investigation. The force said in a statement that searches in Norfolk have concluded, while searches in Berkshire are still ongoing.
Thames Valley Police added that it will not be making any further statements at this time.
Police have been looking into allegations that Mountbatten-Windsor – formerly Prince Andrew – shared sensitive information with the billionaire and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein when he was a UK trade envoy.
Britain's King Charles III has stressed that “the law must take its course” after his brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, insisting a full, fair and proper investigation be carried out by the appropriate authorities.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the King said "a full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities" would follow.
He added that the authorities would have the Royal Family’s "full and wholehearted support and co-operation" as the matter proceeds.
"Let me state clearly: the law must take its course," he stressed.
The King said it would not be appropriate for him to comment further while the process continues.
"Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all," the statement concluded.
The family of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s longtime accuser, Virginia Giuffre, said Thursday that the disgraced royal’s arrest “lifted” their broken hearts.
“At last,” the now-deceased accuser’s two siblings and their spouses said in a statement following Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest in the U.K.
“Today, our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty. On behalf of our sister, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, we extend our gratitude to the U.K.’s Thames Valley Police for their investigation, and the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. He was never a prince. For survivors everywhere, Virginia did this for you.”
Giuffre had long alleged that pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell forced her to have sex with Andrew at least three times, starting when she was 17.
The then-prince vehemently denied the claims, which ultimately led to him losing his royal titles and even his home.
In February 2022, Andrew settled a sexual abuse lawsuit filed by Giuffre in New York for more than $12 million, while maintaining that the payment was not an admission of wrongdoing.
Virginia Giuffre died by suicide last year.
Thames Valley Police said a man in his sixties from Norfolk was arrested on 19 February on suspicion of misconduct in public office, with searches under way at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk.
He remains in custody and police said they would not name him under national guidance.
Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said the force had “opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office” and stressed the need to “protect the integrity and objectivity” of the inquiry.
He acknowledged “significant public interest” and said updates would follow when appropriate. Thames Valley Police did not provide the name of the arrested man but British media claims the man arrested on Thursday is Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Outlets reported that six unmarked police cars and around eight plain clothed officers arrived at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate in eastern England earlier in the day before the detention took place.
Thames Valley Police said earlier this month that officers were assessing allegations that Mountbatten-Windsor had passed confidential government documents to Jeffrey Epstein, based on material recently released by the U.S. government.
Mountbatten-Windsor, the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth, has consistently denied wrongdoing in relation to Epstein and has said he regrets their friendship.
He has not responded to requests for comment since the latest files emerged.
The Iran-U.S.-Israel conflict is intensifying, with fresh strikes near Tehran, European calls for restraint, and Iran threatening to target U.S. firms in the region, raising fears of a broader escalation across the Middle East.
There are fears of an oil spill after a drone strike hit a Kuwaiti oil tanker near Dubai on Tuesday, while U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran reportedly killed at least two people. A loud explosion was heard in Beirut in southern Lebanon early Wednesday, as oil prices climbed above $100 a barrel.
Fears of wider escalation grow despite President Donald Trump saying U.S. strikes on Iran could end within weeks. Meanwhile missile attacks, tanker incidents and rising casualties across Israel, Lebanon and the Gulf heighten risks to regional stability and energy routes.
Russian-flagged tanker carrying approximately 700,000 barrels of crude oil docked at Cuba's Matanzas oil terminal on Tuesday, shipping data confirmed, marking a vital and controversial delivery to an island paralysed by severe energy shortages and a suffocating U.S. blockade.
A Russian military An-26 aircraft has crashed in Crimea, killing all 30 people on board, Russia’s Defence Ministry has confirmed.
In a major policy reversal, the U.S. Treasury has removed Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, from its sanctions list, signalling a sharp shift in Washington’s approach to Caracas.
A technical team from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has touched down in Cuba this week to launch an "independent investigation" into a deadly maritime shootout that happened on 25 February.
“He is not… the owner!” U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon wrote, temporarily halting construction of President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom, underscoring a cascade of legal, regulatory and public opposition that has engulfed the controversial expansion.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 2 April, covering the latest developments you need to know
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticised Russia for answering his offer of an Easter ceasefire with airstrikes on Wednesday but he praised as "positive" fresh talks with U.S. mediators aimed at resolving the four-year conflict.
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