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There is a change in the working style of private and government employees in the month of Ramadan, the government has given rights in the labor law of UAE.
This year the holy month of Ramadan will start between 18th and 19th February. This holy month will begin after the sighting of the moon. Here in UAE, residents and employees are changing their lifestyle. It also has employees from private sectors as well as government sectors. During this period, office hours have been reduced.
However, the working hours have been reduced not only due to a religious festival or due to faith, but these changes have also been made in the UAE Labor Law and official circular. Because of this, working hours are reduced every year during Ramadan.
The 9th month of the Islamic calendar is called Ramadan.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. During this period, many Muslims keep fast from morning till evening. Let’s pray. Let’s contemplate. Participate in community functions. In such a situation, keeping in mind the physical and spiritual needs, UAE officials also make changes in the working schedule. This will provide energy and time to the employees to participate in religious activities. Also spends time with family.
Provisions in labor law from working hours to lifestyle adjustment
According to the labor law here (Federal Decree Law No. 33,2021), working hours are specially fixed during Ramadan. In this, the daily schedule of the employees has to be shortened.
Working hours in the private sector are reduced by two hours. The number of employees here is more in the private sector. Here it is implemented by the Human Resource Department. Now whether the employee has observed fast or not, or belongs to any religion.
It is important for employees to be aware of their rights. Such as complaining to the authorities for not following standard hours or UAE laws throughout the month. These hours represent a decrease of 3.5 hours and 1.5 hours on weekdays compared to the normal schedule. Apart from this, 70% of the employees can remain in remote work mode. Apart from these, schooling hours and work life adjustments are also made during Ramadan.
Gold, silver humbled again as rising dollar, hawkish US Fed signal sway investors to currencies, bonds
Gold and silver zig-zagged by over $200 and $16 an ounce, respectively as the market swung wildly through the day.
Gold and silver snapped a two-day streak of an uptrend in prices and resumed their downward journey on Thursday. Silver fell more than gold, with momentum being similar to the one that lifted the white precious metal to a new high of $122 an ounce last week.
The precious metals complex came under selling pressure despite bargain hunting seen earlier this week, as investors were swayed by the rise in the dollar and a hawkish signal from the US Fed over interest rates. In India, the falling rupee dragged the complex.
The movement in all precious metals, including platinum and palladium was volatile with gold almost erasing its losses during mid-day before resuming its fall.
Gold and silver zig-zagged by over $200 and $16 an ounce, respectively as the market swung wildly through the day.
Easing trade tensions
ICICI Direct said in its Commodity Evening update that gold showed signs of dipping amid a strong dollar and easing signs of US-China trade tensions. “Further, Iran and the US have agreed to hold talks in Oman on Friday reducing safe haven demand. Meanwhile, Investors will keep an eye on today’s monetary policy meeting of BOE and ECB for further cues,” it said.
Renisha Chainani, head of research at Augmont, said gold and silver erased recent gains on renewed selling pressure and heightened volatility returned to precious-metal markets.
“China’s gold ETFs (exchange-traded funds) witnessed record daily outflows, with nearly $1 billion withdrawn from major bullion-backed funds after the sharp price correction unsettled investor confidence,” she said.
Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, said precious metals’ prices are trading below key moving averages, indicating short-term downward pressure and a corrective phase rather than a reversal of the broader trend.
Over 15% fall
At 1945 hours IST, gold was down 2.9 per cent at $4,818 an ounce, after swinging between $4,800 and $4,900 an ounce in early trade. On COMEX, Gold April futures ruled at $4,841.04, trading between $4,809.56 and $5,045 an ounce.
In the Mumbai spot market, gold ended at ₹1,52,502 per 10 gm on Thursday against ₹1,56,625 the previous evening. On MCX, gold April futures were down over 1.5 per cent at ₹1,50,550 against ₹1,53,046 on Wednesday evening.
Silver slumped by over 15 per cent and below $75 to $74.14 an ounce. On COMEX, silver March futures were quoted at $73.80 an ounce, swinging between $73.38 and $89.80. In the Mumbai spot market, silver ended the day at ₹2,54,339 a kg against ₹2,82,462 at close on Wednesday. On MCX, silver March futures were quoted at ₹2,51,800 against ₹2,68,850.
On the Shanghai Futures market, silver March futures ruled at 22,407 yuan per kg ($100.39 an ounce).
‘Uptrend intact’
Platinum declined by over 7 per cent to $2,007.40 an ounce, while palladium dipped by over 3.5 per cent to $1,677 an ounce.
Ponmudi said the broader uptrend in gold and silver remains intact, with the pullback reflecting profit booking and healthy price digestion.
ICICI Direct said MCX gold April is expected to move in a wide range between ₹147,500 and ₹158,500, with a negative bias. “Only below ₹147,500 it would turn weaker,” it said.
The Bank’s market arm said spot silver is expected to remain volatile and dip towards $72 as long as it trades below $85 per ounce. Only a move above $70, it would slide further towards the $65 mark. MCX silver March futures are expected to remain volatile and dip towards ₹240,500 and as long as it holds below ₹265,000.
Gold and silver witnessed a splendid rally to record highs until last week on geopolitical crises, a dispute between US President Donald Trump and US Fed Chief, and investors switching to precious metals after the dollar fell to a four-year low.
However, the mood has swung on the reverse after Trump appointed Kevin Warsh as the next Fed chief. The market hopes for better relations between the US President and War, even as the dollar has recovered. Signs of the new Fed chief being hawkish over interest rates, have further encouraged investors to switch back to currencies and bonds.
Published on February 5, 2026
SEBI proposes reforms to boost operational, financial Flexibility for REITs, InvITs
Another proposal in the draft paper allows REITs and InvITs to invest in liquid mutual fund schemes with higher risk levels with credit risk value of 10 or above. Photo Credit: HEMANSHI KAMANI
Securities and Exchange Board of India has proposed measures for real estate investment trusts and infrastructure investment trusts to provide operational and financial flexibility, reduce concentration and refinancing risk, expand their investable universe and bring in parity between public and private InvITs.
In a consultation paper floated on Thursday, the markets regulator has suggested allowing privately listed InvITs to invest up to 10 per cent of their asset value in pure greenfield projects to bring them on par with public InvITs.
To lower the cost of capital for InvITs and support long-term asset quality, the paper has proposed expanding the usage of funds when leverage exceeds 49 per cent to cover uses such as capacity augmentation, performance enhancement, non-routine, concession mandated maintenance and refinancing of existing debt subject to it being limited to the principal only and no increase in net borrowings.
Under the existing regulations, if the total consolidated borrowings of the InvIT exceeds 49 per cent of the value of its assets then any additional debt can be utilized only for acquisition or development of infrastructure projects. However there is no clarity whether such additional loans can be used to refinance existing loan or for improvements.
Another proposal in the draft paper allows REITs and InvITs to invest in liquid mutual fund schemes with higher risk levels with credit risk value of 10 or above.
Liquid schemes
At present they are allowed to invest in liquid schemes with a credit value risk rating of over 12, which represents the lowest risk of default.
The draft paper has also recommended amending the definition of Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to allow InvITs to continue holding such entities even after their concession periods have been terminated, with the rider that this would apply only to projects that are under public-private partnership.
Currently when the concession period of the infrastructure project expires then the SPV no longer holds the asset and it ceases to qualify as such.
The proposal is subject to conditions that the InvIT must exit or repurpose the SPV within a year of the termination, while there would be enhanced disclosures for both InvIT and the SPV.
Public comments on the proposals have to be submitted by February 26.
Published on February 5, 2026
It’s time for the world to boycott the US | Donald Trump
Under President Donald Trump’s leadership, the United States has, over the past year, consistently violated international norms and laws. The rollercoaster of tariff barriers, the sham negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and the declaration of a false “ceasefire” with Israel, all while openly musing about turning Gaza into “oceanfront property”, would have been bad enough on their own.
But in just the past couple of months, the US has bombed Nigeria to “defend” Christians, invaded Venezuela and arrested its president, Nicolás Maduro, after months of blowing up Venezuelan boats in international waters, and openly threatened Iran, Greenland, and Mexico with military intervention.
Within the US, Trump’s ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has continued to carry out extralegal harm in the process of fulfilling his promise of mass deportations. Since the start of 2026, federal immigration officers have shot and killed at least three US citizens: 43-year-old Keith Porter Jr. in California, and 37-year-olds Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota. Both Good and Pretti were killed on camera, in incidents recorded from multiple angles, intensifying public outrage over the expanding use of lethal force by federal immigration agencies.
If this were almost any other country, like Iran, with its repressive and indiscriminate killing of thousands of protesters over the past month, the Western-led international community would already be calling for sanctions and embargoes against the US. But in light of US threats and actions at home and abroad, the world now needs to take a page from the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s leadership in the early years of the Civil Rights Movement. The world needs to boycott and divest from US corporations, US-made products, and US-led events.
Short of civil strife, civil war, or military action, there is no other way for the world to disrupt US aggression except through massive economic pressure. While on a considerably smaller scale, King and so many other Black people in the 1950s understood that hitting the wallets of those who had long benefited from Black labour and pain could be effective in the US. It was one of the few tools available in their struggle against the daily onslaught of violent racist segregation.
The 381-day Montgomery Bus Boycott in Alabama was a response to decades of segregated public transport, not simply to Rosa Parks refusing to give up a “whites-only” seat at the front of a bus on December 1, 1955. During the year-long protest, some 40,000 Black Montgomery residents either carpooled or walked to school, work, church, and elsewhere. Defending the boycott, King said, “We came to see that, in the long run, it is more honourable to walk in dignity than ride in humiliation.”
White Montgomery residents responded with mass arrests, threats, and other acts of intimidation, including the bombing of King’s home on January 30, 1956. A month after the US Supreme Court affirmed Browder v. Gayle, the decision outlawing segregation on public transportation, with the now-deceased activist Claudette Colvin among the plaintiffs, Montgomery formally ended its bus segregation policies on December 17, 1956, though white residents continued to harass, attack, and even lynch Black bus riders and civil rights activists for years afterwards. “Our aim has never been to put the bus company out of business, but rather to put justice in business,” King said.
Putting “justice in business” in the case of the US will require a global effort. The world should build on the Palestinian-led BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movement against Israel and apply those lessons to the US. BDS was launched in July 2005 with the support of 170 Palestinian organisations as a nonviolent effort to apply economic and cultural pressure on Israel to end its apartheid rule over Gaza and the West Bank. BDS founders Omar Barghouti and the late Ingrid Jaradat Gassner drew inspiration from the global anti-apartheid boycotts, divestments, and sanctions against South Africa in the 1970s and 1980s.
BDS has three objectives in its two-decade-long push against Israeli oppression and systematic genocide: “ending [Israel’s] occupation and colonisation of all Arab lands and dismantling the Wall; recognising the fundamental rights of Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and respecting, protecting, and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties, as stipulated in UN Resolution 194.”
It is true that powerful lobbies and other Western supporters of Zionism have labelled BDS “anti-Semitic”. But it is also true that those opposed to social justice will go to great lengths to discredit and destroy movements that challenge their power. Over the years, BDS has helped raise global awareness of the everyday, systemic destruction of Palestine and the lives of Palestinians living under Israel’s apartheid and occupation. The movement is also likely a key reason why the ongoing genocide in Gaza never garnered broad international support or sustained backing among ordinary Americans.
As for a global boycott movement against US oppression and aggression, some have already begun calling for a boycott of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup this summer, with most scheduled matches set to take place in stadiums across the US. Social media posts urging people to cancel World Cup tickets and travel plans to the US, and to sanction its athletes and businesses, have gone viral in the aftermath of ICE agent Jonathan Ross’s gunning down of Renée Nicole Good on January 7. Given the increase in xenophobic, queerphobic, and racist civil strife and persecution at home and abroad, a backlash against US tourism now looms as the world approaches the June dates for the tournament’s matches.
But the stakes for the US and the world at this moment are high, and boycotting the globe’s largest sporting event, though significant, is hardly enough to pressure an increasingly belligerent and autocratic regime. Boycotting and divesting from US businesses that support the oppression of marginalised people, especially companies such as Google, Amazon, and Palantir, with their surveillance investments in Israel, would be one place to start. Disinvesting from US-based media monopolies, whether News Corp, The Washington Post, or Paramount Global, would go a long way towards loosening the stranglehold US monopolies exert over Western media. Boycotting the America250 celebrations scheduled for July, the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and annual US-based international cultural events such as Coachella and the Met Gala would also exert pressure.
Boycotting high-profile US supporters of oppression and militarism, whether Trump, Bari Weiss, or Elon Musk, would draw further attention. If the world wants the US to do better by its own people and to act as a better nation-state on the global stage, it must act collectively to boycott and divest from US influence.
It was not all that long ago that the old Soviet Union regularly labelled Americans as “capitalist pigs” or “imperialist pigs”. Such Cold War propaganda was accompanied by films portraying the once self-proclaimed “leader of the free world” as a society riven by racist civil strife and violent repression against those who challenged injustice.
Years after King gave his first public address galvanising the Montgomery Bus Boycott, where he described the “weapon of protest” as “the glory of America, with all of its faults”, he came to understand that much of what had been dismissed as Soviet propaganda was, in fact, bedrock reality. “The evils of capitalism are as real as the evils of militarism and racism. The problems of racial injustice and economic injustice cannot be solved without a radical redistribution of political and economic power,” King said in 1967. This is something the world needs to remind the US of in 2026.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
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Student from De Montfort University who died after being stabbed in Leicester named | UK News
A cyber security student at De Montfort University who died after being stabbed in Leicester city centre has been named as Khaleed Oladipo.
Police said the 20-year-old is from London.
Mr Oladipo’s family thanked emergency services and members of the public for trying to save his life.
“We cannot begin to put into words how sad we are to have lost Khaleed. He was an extremely loved son, brother, uncle, boyfriend and friend,” the family’s statement said.
“Khaleed was a good boy who loved his family. He was in his second year at university, and we were so proud of him.
“One of his main passions was football and he had played since the age of four. He was an Arsenal supporter and we believe he was on his way home to watch the game later that night when he was stabbed and killed.
“We want to thank the members of the public who stopped to try and help Khaleed and the ambulance service and hospital staff who did all they could to try and save him.”
An 18-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
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Suspect arrested in ‘execution-style’ murder of Illinois bar owner: authorities
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A suspect described as a “monster” was arrested following a manhunt for the killer of an Illinois bar owner who authorities say was murdered in an “execution-style” shooting Monday.
Julius E. Burkes Jr., 47, was taken into custody on Tuesday in connection with the murder of 30-year-old Courtney M. Drysdale, the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department said.
Drysdale was killed just before noon Monday inside The Line, a local bar she owned in rural Momence near the Illinois-Indiana border, authorities said.
The 30-year-old mother was opening the bar when the suspect walked in, brandished a gun and demanded money, WGNTV reported, citing the sheriff’s office. Drysdale complied with the demands, but investigators said the suspect shot her two times “execution-style” anyway.
EX-CON CHARGED IN CHRISTMAS DAY CVS ROBBERY THAT LEFT CLERK FATALLY STABBED
Courtney M. Drysdale, 30, was opening The Line, a bar which she owned, when the shooting happened Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, authorities said. (Jensen Memorial Chapel)
Detectives recovered surveillance images from the bar that showed a suspect wearing a bright yellow jacket, a hat and glasses, and driving a white BMW.
Authorities released surveillance photos of the suspect wearing a bright yellow jacket. Julius E. Burkes Jr., 47, was taken into custody, pictured right, on Tuesday in connection with the murder of Drysdale. (Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department )
The suspect tried to remove a video recording device from the bar before he fled to Indiana, according to authorities.
Authorities said the suspect was seen leaving the area in a white BMW. (Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department )
Burkes was apprehended as he was leaving his residence in Hammond, Indiana, about 26 hours after the murder, the sheriff’s office said.
Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey thanked the public for supplying numerous tips, along with federal, state and local law enforcement officers who worked together to capture the suspect.
“We hope that in some way the apprehension of this monster will bring some sort of peace to Courtney’s family, friends and community,” the sheriff’s office said.
Authorities said Courtney Drydale complied with the armed suspect’s demand for money, though the suspect shot her anyway. (Facebook/Courtney Marie Drysdale)
Court records obtained by WGNTV showed that Burkes has a criminal history spanning decades, including allegedly breaking into the home of an ex-girlfriend in December. He was reportedly released on bond for that case at the time of Drysdale’s murder.
The documents showed his criminal history included a 2014 battery case to which he pleaded guilty. He was placed on 12 months of supervised release, which he completed.
In 1995, he pleaded guilty to two counts of felony murder when he was just 15 years old, the outlet reported. He was sentenced to 37 years in that case, though the outlet noted his role in the crime was unclear as records detailing the incident were not immediately available.
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Burkes is being held in Indiana where he awaits an extradition hearing back to Illinois.
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Jaipur: India Stone Mart inaugurated, CM Bhajan Lal said, ‘Rajasthan’s stones are the first choice in the world’
The grand opening of the country’s largest and prestigious natural stone industry’s Mahakumbh ‘India Stone Mart Festival’ started today in Pink City Jaipur. This international level event was inaugurated by Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma. During this, industry leaders, international exporters, renowned architects and builders gathered under one roof.
Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma said in his address that Rajasthan is extremely rich in terms of natural resources. He proudly mentioned that the stones of Rajasthan have a major contribution in the strength and beauty of historical buildings like Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House and the Supreme Court of the country. The Chief Minister said that almost every district of the state has its own unique stone identity and a total of 85 types of minerals are found here.
Inaugurated the exhibition ‘India Stone Mart 2026’ organized at JECC, Sitapura.
The land of Rajasthan is rich in natural resources and our aim is to take the state’s stone industry to new heights on the global stage.
This event focuses on innovation, modern technology and… pic.twitter.com/fh193x5Hj1
— Bhajanlal Sharma (@BhajanlalBjp) February 5, 2026
Global market and immense investment opportunities
CM stressed that today the whole world is looking towards India as a big market and investment centre. He said, “Marble and sandstone are emerging areas for investment. The biggest feature of Rajasthan’s stones is that they are very low maintenance, which makes them the first choice globally.”
India Stone Mart: International platform for trade
This festival is not only a means to promote trade but also a global network for buyers and sellers from countries like Italy, Turkey, China and Brazil. At the inauguration ceremony, experts said that state-of-the-art stone processing machines and eco-friendly techniques are being demonstrated in the fair. Through this platform small and medium entrepreneurs are getting access to the international market. The expansion of the stone industry is expected to create thousands of new jobs in the state.
Expectations of deals worth thousands of crores
According to the organizers, there is a strong possibility of business deals worth thousands of crores of rupees through B2B meetings and networking during this festival. This time the special focus has been kept on ‘Sustainability’ (sustainable development), so that the industry can be taken forward with environmental protection.
UK’s deepfake detection plan unlikely to work, says expert • The Register
The UK government claims it will develop a “world-first” framework to evaluate deepfake detection technologies as AI-generated content proliferates.
The Home Office is working Microsoft, other tech corporations and academics to assess methods for identifying harmful forgeries. It estimates eight million deepfakes were shared in 2025, up from half a million in 2023.
Nik Adams, Deputy Commissioner for City of London Police, called the framework “a strong and timely addition to the UK’s response to the rapidly evolving threat posed by AI and deepfake technologies.”
“By rigorously testing deepfake technologies against real-world threats and setting clear expectations for industry, this framework will significantly bolster law enforcement’s ability to stay ahead of offenders, protect victims and strengthen public confidence as these technologies continue to evolve.”
However, Dr Ilia Kolochenko, CEO at ImmuniWeb, a Swiss cybersecurity biz, said the plan “will quite unlikely make any systemic improvements in the near future.”
Kolochenko pointed to numerous open source tools and groups of experts that already exist to track and expose AI-generated content.
“Even if an AI fake is detected, the biggest question is what to do next,” he told The Register. “Reputable media and websites will likely take it down rapidly even without scientific proof that it is an AI fake.”
Clandestine or anonymous media are unlikely to be as cooperative.
“We need a systemic and global amendment of legislation – not just legally unenforceable code of conduct or best practices – to stop the surging harm of AI-created content,” Kolochenko added. “In sum, while this commendable action is a solid start, we are still very far from a final solution.”
The Register asked the Home Office for a time frame for the framework and the technology being used, but did not receive a response. Microsoft directed us to the Home Office’s statement. ®
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How Epstein-Mandelson files rocked the UK government | Corruption News
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has agreed to reveal the vetting process used by the ruling Labour Party to approve Peter Mandelson’s appointment as the United Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States in December 2024 after new revelations from the Jeffrey Epstein files about the relationship between the diplomat and the billionaire sex offender.
For one, the latest release of files relating to the investigation of Epstein by the US Department of Justice showed that Mandelson maintained his relationship with Epstein after Epstein served a sentence for soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008. But chief among the claims against Mandelson now are the suggestions he received payments from the late financier and may have shared market-sensitive information with him that was of financial interest to Epstein.
Epstein died in prison by suicide in 2019 before his trial stemming from his second prosecution for sex offences, including allegations of trafficking dozens of girls, could take place.
On Thursday, Starmer apologised to victims of Epstein for appointing Mandelson as ambassador to the US despite knowing of his ties to the disgraced financier.
“It had been publicly known for some time that Mandelson knew Epstein, but none of us knew the depth and the darkness of that relationship,” Starmer said.
“I am sorry. Sorry for what was done to you, sorry that so many people with power failed you, sorry for having believed Mandelson’s lies and appointing him.”
Who is Peter Mandelson and what is he accused of?
Since the release on Friday of the latest tranche of Epstein files, including emails between Epstein and Mandelson, UK media have widely reported that the government suspects Mandelson may have illegally shared market-sensitive information with Epstein 15 years ago.
The newly released files include more than 3 million pages of documents and more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images.
As a life peer, Mandelson, 72, was a member of the House of Lords before he resigned this week. He was a veteran Labour politician who served in the cabinets of Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown from 1997 to 2010. After Labour swept back into power after 14 years in the opposition in 2024, he was appointed ambassador to the US, taking up his post on February 10 last year.
He resigned from the Labour Party on Sunday.
“I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and I feel regretful and sorry about this,” Mandelson said in a letter reported by British media.
“While doing this I do not wish to cause further embarrassment to the Labour Party and I am therefore stepping down from membership of the party.”
Alleged leaks of sensitive information by Mandelson took place in 2009 when he was serving as the UK’s business secretary in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.
This is not the first time that Mandelson has been embarrassed by his friendship with Epstein. On September 11, the UK fired Mandelson as ambassador to the US over emails between the two men, the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said.
On Tuesday, UK police launched a criminal investigation into Mandelson over suspected misconduct in public office linked to his relationship with Epstein.
Misconduct in public office is punishable in the UK with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Besides his sacking as ambassador, Mandelson has previously been forced to resign from ministerial posts for alleged misconduct on two occasions – in 1998 and 2001.
Who was Jeffrey Epstein?
Epstein was a billionaire financier born and raised in New York who was known for socialising with celebrities and politicians.
Criminal investigations indicated he may have abused hundreds of girls over the course of his high-profile career. He was arrested in 2019 on federal criminal charges relating to alleged exploitation of underage girls dating back two decades. He died in prison before he could come to trial.
He also was previously accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in 2005 after her parents made a report to the police. In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to charges of soliciting prostitution and soliciting prostitution from a minor in relation to a single victim.
He spent 13 months in prison on a work-release programme, which allowed him to leave jail to go to work during the day and return at night.
The US attorney in Manhattan also prosecuted Epstein’s former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell as a coconspirator in his sexual abuse scheme. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence, which she received in 2022.
What do we know about Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein?
When Mandelson was fired as ambassador to the US in September, the FCDO wrote: “In light of the additional information in emails written by Peter Mandelson, the prime minister has asked the foreign secretary to withdraw him as ambassador.
“The emails show that the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment.”
These particular emails were obtained and published by the UK’s Sun newspaper in September. In them, Mandelson told Epstein to “fight for early release” shortly before he was sentenced in 2008.
“I think the world of you,” Mandelson told Epstein before his sentence began.
“I can still barely understand it. It just could not happen in Britain,” Mandelson wrote. “You have to be incredibly resilient, fight for early release and be philosophical about it as much as you can.”
It is now clear from the latest tranche of Epstein files that Mandelson continued his friendship with Epstein for some time after the financier had been convicted of sex offences.
What do the new Epstein files reveal?
From 2003 to 2004, bank records indicated that Epstein made three payments totalling $75,000 to accounts connected to Mandelson or his partner Reinaldo Avila da Silva. Mandelson has said he does not recall receiving any such funds and has pledged to examine whether the documents are genuine.
According to these documents, in 2009, Epstein sent da Silva 10,000 pounds ($13,607, or $20,419 today after inflation) to pay for an osteopathy course. This week, Mandelson told The Times of London: “In retrospect, it was clearly a lapse in our collective judgement for Reinaldo to accept this offer.”
Emails revealed in the latest tranche of files from the US Justice Department also shine a light on the close friendship between the two men.
In October 2009, Epstein wrote in an email to Mandelson: “You can marry princess beatrice, the queen would have a queen as a grandson,” referring to the daughter of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former prince whose royal titles were stripped last year over his own links to Epstein and allegations of the sexual abuse of Virginia Giuffre, who successfully sued Mountbatten-Windsor.
“does that make it incest, how exciting,” Epstein wrote.
In 2010, Lesley Groff, known to have been Epstein’s long-term executive assistant, emailed his boss: “Mandelson’s holiday plans arc still being sorted out. They hope to be in touch soon.”
In 2013, Epstein emailed Mandelson, saying he knew Mandelson was visiting St Petersburg, Russia. Mandelson described the city as “a rave”, to which Epstein asked whether “its for gays”. Mandelson responded, “Er no, tastey [sic] models and dancing.”
But the emails also suggested Mandelson passed sensitive information to the financier.
On May 9, 2010, Mandelson emailed Epstein, saying: “Sources tell me 500 b euro bailout, almost compelte [sic].” The next morning, European governments approved a 500-billion-euro bailout for banks in the wake of the global financial crisis.
Also in May 2010, Mandelson emailed Epstein, saying, “Finally got him to go today.” It is believed that Mandelson was referring to former Labour Prime Minister Brown.
Epstein replied to this email: “I have faith, the value of some chapters in your book should now increase.”
Brown announced his resignation just hours after this email exchange.
What has Starmer said?
Under mounting pressure from opposition politicians and within his own party this week, Starmer agreed to release information about the process through which Mandelson was appointed ambassador in 2024.
At a question and answer session on Wednesday in the House of Commons dominated by the Epstein revelations, Starmer admitted that he knew of Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein but said Mandelson had “lied repeatedly to my team when asked about his relationship with Epstein before and during his tenure as ambassador”.
“Mandelson betrayed our country, our parliament and my party,” Starmer said. “I regret appointing him. If I knew then what I know now, he would never have been anywhere near government.”
Starmer said he would ensure that “all of the material” is published, except for documents that compromise Britain’s national security, international relations or the police investigation into Mandelson’s activities.
On Tuesday, Starmer told his cabinet he was “appalled by the information” regarding Mandelson and was concerned more details could come to light, according to a Downing Street readout of the cabinet meeting.
Starmer also said he had ordered the civil service to conduct an “urgent” review of all of Mandelson’s contacts with Epstein while he was in government.
“The alleged passing on of emails of highly sensitive government business was disgraceful,” Starmer said, adding that he was not yet “reassured that the totality of information had yet emerged”.
How will this affect Starmer?
Members of parliament expressed their dismay and called on him to step down.
Conservative MP Luke Evans said: “At the end of the day, he [Starmer] made the decision to appoint Mandelson to the post of ambassador, so he must explain his decision-making process.”
Alex Burghart, the shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said: “There is no doubt that the prime minister’s judgement is being called sharply into question at this moment. It is becoming harder to see how any of us can rely on his judgement in future.”
Conservative MP Graham Stuart added: “The fact is that he appointed a person who had already broken all the Nolan Principles before his appointment as well as doing so after it. I think that makes the prime minister’s position untenable.”
The Nolan Principles are a set of ethical standards for all public office holders in the UK.
“I would say that today is the crumbling of Starmer. His judgement is poor, and it is ruining this country and the Labour Party,” Conservative MP Esther McVey said.
What do we know about how Mandelson was approved as US ambassador?
Facing questions from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch in the House of Commons in September, Starmer maintained that “full due process was gone through” for the purposes of Mandelson’s appointment.
Mandelson’s ties to Epstein, who is said to have nicknamed him “Petie”, had been publicly known for years.
But The Times of London reported that Starmer received just a two-page vetting note from the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team about Mandelson’s appointment.
That document suggested that while Epstein was in prison in 2009, Mandelson stayed at Epstein’s townhouse in Manhattan. The report also contained a photograph of Mandelson and Epstein together.
This indicated that by late 2024, the UK government had documentation showing Mandelson had remained close to Epstein even after his 2008 conviction.
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