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UK Newspapers Report Possible Downing Street Staff Cuts and Manchester United Sanctions

Friday’s newspapers feature prominent coverage of two notable figures: Sir Chris Womauld, the UK’s top civil servant, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, co-owner of Manchester United.

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"Cull at No 10 as Starmer tries to relaunch his leadership" reads the headline on the front page of The i Paper.
There has been a "Cull at No 10" reports the i Paper, which it says comes as Prime Minister Sir Starmer "tries to relaunch his leadership". It says the PM "sacked" the head of the Civil Service, Sir Chris Wormauld. However, the Cabinet Office has said the move was "by mutual agreement" after months of negative media reports suggesting Downing Street was unhappy with his performance. According to the i, Dame Antonio Romeo is "tipped to step in" as cabinet secretary.
"PM ousts top civil servant in shake-up of No 10 team" reads the headline on the front page of the Guardian.
The Guardian leads with "shake-up of No 10 team" and one civil servant tells the paper this has been met with a "sulphurous" mood. The paper also marks a greenhouse gas ruling being revoked by US President Donald Trump's administration as a "gift to polluters", quoting green advocacy group Climate Power.
"Ban United" reads the headline on the front page of the Daily Star.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is featured on front pages again after saying Britain had been "colonised by immigrants". Under the headline "Ban United", the Daily Star says the Manchester United co-owner has now apologised for the comments "but FA could bar him from ground".
"Big Jim's own goal" reads the headline on the front page of Metro.
Metro calls Sir Jim's comments his "own goal", as the "boss kicks off on 'colonisation'… but gets population figure wrong". It notes that Sikh and Muslim fans have protested against his comments while the PM has criticised the words as "offensive".
"Ratcliffe's own goal over 'apology' for UK migrants slur" reads the headline on the front page of the Independent.
The Independent says Sir Jim scored an "own goal over 'apology' for UK migrants slur". It also features a photo of Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych wearing a helmet featuring athletes that have died during the war with Russia, for which he was disqualified. "[Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky accuses Olympics of playing into Russia's hands" with the ban, it writes.
"Andy girl 'flown to UK on Epstein's Lolita Express'," reads the headline on the front page of the Sun.
"Andy girl 'flown to UK on Epstein's Lolita Express'," headlines the Sun in "another Royal bombshell". It says pressure is mounting on police to launch a sex trafficking probe into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, amid claims that a woman flown on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's plane was "sneaked into Buckingham Palace". Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
"City champion Schroders agrees to £9.9bn takeover by US rival Nuveen" reads the headline on the front page of the Financial Times.
In the lead for the Financial Times is "City champion" Schroders and its "£9.9bn takeover by US rival Nuveen". The sale comes after a "tough decade", it writes. The FT also highlights newly released documents that suggest former Barclay's boss Jes Staley was named as a trustee of paedophile Jeffrey Epstein's estate until at least 2015, "apparently undermining" Staley's court testimony that he had turned down the role.
"Rayner turns on Starmer over pubs" reads the headline on the front page of the Daily Telegraph.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner "turns on Starmer over pubs", reports the Telegraph, saying she "joins forces" with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. "Trump 'hits judicial jackpot' as $10bn BBC fight goes to trial" is another front page headline. News that the case is due to go to trial next February came as a Florida judge rejected the BBC's application to delay the process of discovery in the case.
"Pupils able to change their gender at school" reads the headline on the front page of the Times.
The Times, like several of today's front pages, leads with the government's new guidance on gender for all English schools. "Pupils able to change their gender at school," it writes. The guidance says parents should be involved in the "vast majority" of cases where a child questions their gender and schools should not initiate steps towards social transitioning. The Times also reports that the prime minister has "agreed to £260k payout for sacked civil servant" Sir Chris Wormauld.
"Unmasked" reads the headline on the front page of the Daily Mirror.
A judge has ruled that the 15-year-old who murdered 12-year-old Leo Ross in "horror stabbing" can be named as Kian Moulton, the Daily Mirror writes with the headline "unmasked".
"UK streets are 'awash' with illegal drugs" reads the headline on the front page of the Daily Express.
The Daily Express says "UK streets are 'awash' with illegal drugs" in its top story. It also says Manchester United's co-owner is "sorry but wants 'open debate' on migrants".
"Labour opens door to trans children in primary schools" reads the headline on the front page of the Daily Mail.
Atop the Daily Mail is a "blood-chilling warning about AI", which comes from "an expert who quit his top tech job to urge humanity to wake up".
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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.

James Van Der Beek wearing a maroon dickie bow while smiling for the cameras on arrival at the 2019 Emmy Awards
James Van Der Beek's character Dawson was a famous fan of filmmaker Spielberg

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.

Steven Spielberg arrives for the 98th Oscars Nominees Luncheon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, USA, 10 February 2026
Spielberg made a surprise video appearance at last year's Dawson's Creek reunion

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.

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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.

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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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