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Two young children die in Wolverhampton house fire

Two young children have died in a house fire inWolverhamptonas police launch an investigation into the cause of the deadly blaze.

Police investigators at the scene of the deadly blaze (PA)

Emergency servicesarrived in under five minutes after they were called to Mason Street at about 8.30pm on Friday.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the property and rescued two children but they were sadly pronounced dead at the scene,West Midlands Policesaid.

A woman and two other children had already escaped the flames. They were checked over by ambulance staff but did not need hospital treatment.

Police have cordoned off the property, which was extensively damaged, while work is done to establish the cause of the fire.

Investigators wearing protective clothing were seen combing the property on Saturday (PA)

Investigators wearing protective equipment were seen combing the property on Saturday.

Crews from Bilston, West Bromwich and Bloxwich Fire Stations attended the scene and six firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the property to find the children.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said two ambulances, three paramedic officers, HART paramedics, a MERIT trauma team and a critical care car from Midlands Air Ambulance Charity attended.

Ambulance crews administered advanced life support but tragically they were both confirmed dead a short time later.

Crews were called to the fire on Mason Street, Wolverhampton, at 8.30pm on Friday (Google Streetview)

In a statement on their website,West Midlands Fire Servicesaid: “Our thoughts are with the children’s loved ones and all those impacted by this heartbreaking incident.

“Police have cordoned off the scene as we work with other emergency service colleagues to establish the exact circumstances of the fire. We thank the community for their support with the on-going investigation. The cordon is expected to remain in place for some time at the property, which was extensively damaged, as enquiries continue.”

Anyone with information can contact police on 101 or via live chat quoting log 5640 of April 24.

This is a breaking news story, more to follow...

byAlex Forten

in

April 26, 2026

Two young children die in Wolverhampton house fire

Two young children have died in a house fire inWolverhamptonas police launch an investigation into the cause of the deadly blaze. ...

Sidney Crosby, Penguins top Flyers, stay alive in playoff series

Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist Saturday as the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins stayed alive with a 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

Rickard Rakell also scored a goal and set up another for Pittsburgh, which had been outscored 11-4 while dropping the first three games of the series. Penguins coach Dan Muse opted to start Arturs Silovs in net instead of Stuart Skinner, and Silovs responded with 28 saves in a crisp performance.

"I thought he played great. Big saves," Muse said of Silovs. " ... I've got a lot of confidence in both guys. I'm really happy for him. ... He made sure that he was prepared. When his name was called, he was ready. Great by him."

Denver Barkey and Travis Konecny scored for Philadelphia, which will have another chance to win the best-of-seven series Monday when the teams reconvene for Game 5 in Pittsburgh. Dan Vladar, playing with a right arm injury, turned aside 17 shots for the Flyers.

"Nothing's changing for us. Still being positive," Vladar said. "They're a really good team. It's not easy to win four in a row against a team like that. We've got to fight here."

Pittsburgh opened the scoring with 5:36 left in the first period on a creative setup by Erik Karlsson. Five seconds into a power play, Karlsson's feed from behind set up Crosby's smooth one-timer that skimmed off Vladar and into the net for a 1-0 advantage.

Crosby's 72nd career postseason goal was the only tally of the first period, but the Penguins made it 2-0 just 1:03 into the second. Vladar turned it over behind the net to Rakell, who dove into the crease to swat the puck in before the Flyers' netminder could recover.

Philadelphia got on the board with 4:20 left in the second period on Barkey's first career playoff goal. The 20-year-old got position on Karlsson in the crease and Trevor Zegras put it right on his stick for a tap-in tally.

Travis Sanheim hit the post shortly thereafter, leaving Philadelphia facing a 2-1 deficit heading into the third.

The Penguins extended their lead to 3-1 on Kris Letang's goal 4:27 into the final session. Crosby won a battle along the boards and kicked the puck to his longtime teammate, who skated in with plenty of room and blasted a slap shot past Vladar.

The Flyers got back within a goal on Konecny's one-timer with 12:57 left, but Connor Dewar's empty-netter with just under a minute remaining ended the hosts' late comeback hopes.

Silovs' best saves included a clutch stop on Zegras near the end of the first period and a pad save on Tyson Foerster's partial breakaway with about six minutes left in the second.

--Field Level Media

byAlex Forten

in

April 26, 2026

Sidney Crosby, Penguins top Flyers, stay alive in playoff series

Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist Saturday as the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins stayed alive with a 4-2 victory over the Philadelph...

Jeffrey Epstein housed victims of abuse in network of London flats – even after 2015 Met Police report

Jeffrey Epstein reportedly housed several women he allegedly abused in a number of flats across London, despite theMet Policereceiving a report of sex trafficking in 2015.

Jeffrey Epstein rented four flats in Kensington and Chelsea that housed victims of his abuse (New York State Sex Offender Registry)

ABBCinvestigation found Epstein had rented four flats in Kensington and Chelsea, with six of the women housed in them since coming forward as victims of the convicted paedophile.

Some of these women had been coerced into recruiting others, and were regularly transported to Paris by the Eurostar to visit him, including 10 times during the final six months of his life.

Several of the women had been brought to the UK from Russia and eastern Europe, even afterVirginia Giuffrereported Epstein to the Metropolitan Police in 2015.

Documents show Epstein booking Eurostar trips for women and paying for English language courses (US Department of Justice)

In early 2020, a second woman had reported the abuse to the Met, but it is unclear if this complaint was acted on.

The Met said it followed “reasonable lines of inquiry” at the time, and had interviewed Ms Giuffre on multiple occasions after she made her report.

Tessa Gregory, a human rights lawyer with Leigh Day, said that she was “staggered” that no UK police investigation had ever been launched into Epstein’s activities.

“Where there are credible allegations of human trafficking, the UK state, even if no victims come forward, has a positive legal obligation to conduct a prompt, effective and independent investigation,” she said.

The BBC was able to track down the locations of the flats through examining Epstein’s 10,000-page credit card bill, as well as following a shipment of gifts and examining the exterior of a flat that led to a tenancy agreement.

Epstein pictured with his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, who has been jailed for 20 years (US Justice Department)

Despite being located in one of London’s most affluent neighbourhoods, the flats could be crowded with women sleeping on sofas.

Upon being confronted with the living conditions, Epstein responded angrily and swore at one woman, telling her she had “disgusting behaviour” and was a “brat who has yet to accept responsibility”.

Documents seen by the BBC show that women were coerced into recruiting other young girls, with one sending Epstein pictures of “cute” models for his approval.

The disgraced financier also paid for at least five women to study in London, with payments for course fees at English language colleges.

Between 2011 and 2019, he purchased at least 53 tickets to transport women between England and France on the Eurostar, sometimes taking advantage of reduced youth fares for under-25-year-olds.

One woman was transported just 16 days before his arrest, which led to his death in prison in 2019 in a suspected suicide.

The investigation also uncovered more than 120 private and commercial flights linked to Epstein arriving and departing from the UK, some of which had victims on board.

Evidence in the Epstein files show that women were coerced to recruit other victims for the sex offender (AFP/Getty)

In their attempts to track down former UK-based employees who had worked for Epstein, the BBC visited the home of a former member of his household staff who answered the door buzzer but ignored their requests to talk.

She had remained in close contact with the financier, sending him affectionate emails, which included “I always think of you. All my love always” in 2016.

A man suspected of being his driver also blocked BBC journalists on WhatsApp.

The Metropolitan Police reiterated in 2016, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2025 that it believed “other international authorities were best placed” to investigate Epstein, and despite interviewing Ms Giuffre three times, officers found that “no allegation of criminal conduct was made against any UK-based individual”.

Scotland Yard said it was “fully engaged” alongside other forces in the National Police Chiefs’ Council group established following the release of the Epstein files.

Kevin Hyland, a former senior detective with the Met Police who was the UK’s first independent anti-slavery commissioner, said that there had been missed opportunities to investigate the serial offender.

“People are outraged that somebody came forward and said, ‘I was trafficked by this man,’ and yet he was just allowed to carry on. Who in the police made that decision?” he said.

Other British authorities had passed on details of Epstein’s activities to the FBI, including the National Crime Agency, which sent financial intelligence showing payments to a Coutts bank for the rent of a Chelsea flat where he housed victims.

Lisa Phillips, an Epstein survivor, toldBBC Newsnightlast week that “a lot of women came forward in the UK whether through their attorney, or through the Metropolitan Police, or their local police station” and is calling for a public inquiry because “we can find out what went wrong and how to prevent it in the future”.

The Metropolitan Police has been contacted byThe Independentfor comment.

byAlex Forten

in

April 26, 2026

Jeffrey Epstein housed victims of abuse in network of London flats – even after 2015 Met Police report

Jeffrey Epstein reportedly housed several women he allegedly abused in a number of flats across London, despite theMet Policereceiving ...

Ranking Ty Simpson, 9 other QBs picked in NFL draft by fit with new teams

The over/under on available franchise quarterbacksentering the 2026 NFL Draftwas probably around 1½ – thoughLos Angeles Ramscoach Sean McVay is most definitely taking the over …just don’t tell league MVP Stafford. Please.

Yet all told, despite the perceived deficit of high-grade passers on the board this year – and with a bumper crop seemingly forming ahead of the highly anticipated 2027 draft – 10 signal-callers ultimately heard their names called prior to this draft’s conclusion on the evening of April 25.

How well do this year’s rookie quarterbacks ultimately dovetail with their new employers? Let’s rank all 10 by fit, from best to worst:

2026: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana - Las Vegas Raiders

2025: Cam Ward, QB, Miami (Fla.) - Tennessee Titans

2024: Caleb Williams, QB, USC - Chicago Bears

2023: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama - Carolina Panthers

2022: Travon Walker, DE, Georgia - Jacksonville Jaguars

2021: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson - Jacksonville Jaguars

2020: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU - Cincinnati Bengals

2019: Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma - Arizona Cardinals

2018: Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma - Cleveland Browns

2017: Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M - Cleveland Browns

2016: Jared Goff, QB, Cal - Los Angeles Rams

2015: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2014: Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina - Houston Texans

2009: Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia - Detroit Lions

2008: Jake Long, OT, Michigan - Miami Dolphins

2007: JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU - Oakland Raiders

2004: Eli Manning, QB, Ole Miss - San Diego Chargers (traded to New York Giants)

2003: Carson Palmer, QB, USC - Cincinnati Bengals

2002: David Carr, QB, Fresno State - Houston Texans

2001: Michael Vick, QB, Virginia Tech - Atlanta Falcons

2000: Courtney Brown, DE, Penn State - Cleveland Browns

1999: Tim Couch, QB, Kentucky - Cleveland Browns

1998: Peyton Manning, QB, Tennessee - Indianapolis Colts

1997: Orlando Pace, OT, Ohio State - St. Louis Rams

1996: Keyshawn Johnson, WR, USC - New York Jets

1995: Ki-Jana Carter, RB, Penn State - Cincinnati Bengals

1994: Dan Wilkinson, DT, Ohio State - Cincinnati Bengals

1992: Steve Emtman, DT, Washington - Indianapolis Colts

1991: Russell Maryland, DT, Miami - Dallas Cowboys

1990: Jeff George, QB, Illinois - Indianapolis Colts

1989: Troy Aikman, QB, UCLA - Dallas Cowboys

1988: Aundray Bruce, LB, Auburn - Atlanta Falcons

1987: Vinny Testaverde, QB, Miami - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

1986: Bo Jackson, RB, Auburn - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (did not sign, later joined Los Angeles Raiders)

1985: Bruce Smith, DE, Virginia Tech - Buffalo Bills

1984: Irving Fryar, WR, Nebraska - New England Patriots

1983: John Elway, QB, Stanford - Baltimore Colts (traded to Denver Broncos)

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No. 1 NFL draft picks since 1983

1. Fernando Mendoza,Las Vegas Raiders(Round 1, 1st overall)

Whether or not he is actually the best player in this draft is immaterial. Whether or not his potential maxes out at a Matt Ryan-adjacent ceiling – and, hey, Matty Icewasa league MVP – is immaterial. Mendoza may not be John Elway or Peyton Manning, but the position he plays rendered him thepresumptive top pick of this draftfrom the moment the calendar flipped to 2026. And the Silver and Black have been desperate for stability behind center since the 2022 organizational decision to pull the plug on Derek Carr – and even he never managed to notch the playoff victory Raider Nation has awaited for more than 23 years. Mendoza’s ability and demeanor – un-Raider-y as he is compared to, say, Kenny Stabler – seem just about optimal as GM John Spytek continues to rebuild this operation around him. And having veteran Kirk Cousins on hand, reasonably allowing Las Vegas to slow-track Mendoza into the QB1 role, is another plus.

2. Carson Beck,Arizona Cardinals(Round 3, 65th overall)

USA TODAY Sports’ NFL draft guru, Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz,deemed Beck a "lottery ticket."That’s probably about right, though Beckmightpay off handsomely. His extensive college experience – 43 starts against mostly topflight competition – is impressive and potentially valuable. He’s not yet 18 months removed from UCL surgery, so his arm could conceivably generate more RPMs in the future – 49ers QB Brock Purdy certainly recovered nicely from a similar procedure. NFL Network chief draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah even compared Beck to former Cards QB Carson Palmer, high praise indeed. Indoor home games are ideal for most quarterbacks, so Beck should like Arizona’s football environs … though he might not enjoy facing NFC West defenses all that much. Regardless, this is a golden opportunity for him and the Cardinals, who might find they have a really good player on their hands – and can easily cut bait a year or two down the road if not.

3. Drew Allar, Pittsburgh Steelers (Round 3, 76th overall)

Big guy (6-5, 228), big arm, team player. But the whole was too often much, much less than the sum of the parts at Penn State, inconsistent accuracy and anticipation among the factors hindering Allar – though his vexing stay in Happy Valley, an ankle injury ending it prematurely in 2025, also coincided with a lack of offensive weaponry to help him. New Steelers HC Mike McCarthy knows a thing or two about developing QBs, and Allar and second-year passer Will Howard could earn a lot of reps this spring forhowever long Aaron Rodgers stays away. It remains to be seen how close Allar can get to reaching his potential, wherever its ceiling is. But apprenticing under McCarthy and Rodgers with little expectation he’d have to play meaningful games any time soon is about as good a situation as Allar could have hoped for.

4. Taylen Green, Cleveland Browns (Round 6, 182nd overall)

A strong arm, sub-4.4 speed, and a 6-foot-6, 227-pound frame? Green has highly uncommon physical traits for the position. He also needs to improve his accuracy while accruing more experience – so critical to the advanced decision-making he also needs to hone. Lucky for Green that he’ll be playing for first-year HC Todd Monken, who’s fresh off coaching perhaps the ultimate dual threat in Lamar Jackson. (Like Jackson, Green has been adamant he wants to play quarterback and isn't inclined to entertain a positional switch.) And who knows?If neither Shedeur Sandersnor Deshaun Watson gets an ironclad grip on the starting job this season, maybe Green gets an audition for a franchise that’s clearly weighing its options as it tries to find the right passer for a roster that’s quickly shaping up as formidable otherwise.

5. Cade Klubnik, New York Jets (Round 4, 110th overall)

The Clemson prodcut also had a disappointing 2025 campaign after it once appeared he might have first-round potential in the wake of lofting 36 TD passes in 2024, when he also did a lot more damage with his legs. Yet the smallish Klubnik (6-2, 207) can distribute the ball effectively, and the Jets suddenly appear to have a lot more pop offensively in this draft’s aftermath. And with no obvious backup for stopgap QB1 Geno Smith, Klubnik could find himself getting an opportunity to play at some point this season for a team still in search of a long-term answer at field general – maybe two long-term answers, but not if Klubnik can at least assert himself as the primary backup.

1. Las Vegas Raiders – QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft brings franchise‑defining moments as teams make their selections from the top of the board.

See how picks 1 through 32 came off the clock as the next generation of NFL talent enters the league.