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Pressure grows on Mandelson to testify over Epstein as peer is told: 'This is the end'
Pressure is growing on both Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Lord Peter Mandelson to testify before the US Congress over their links to Jeffrey Epstein.

It comes after even more information linking the pair to the paedophile financier was released over the weekend.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has lost all his titles and associated royal roles due to his links to Epstein, while Lord Mandelson was sacked as the UK's ambassador to the United States.

There have also been calls for the New Labour grandee to be stripped of his peerage. And on Sunday Trevor Phillips delivered a blunt message to his friend of nearly 50 years, warning Lord Mandelson that his political career is over.

Speaking to Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Housing Secretary Steve Reed said: "If anybody has information or evidence that they can share that might help to understand what's gone on and bring justice for these victims then they should share it.

"Whether that is Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, whether it's Lord Mandelson, or whether it's anybody else."

The minister added that people have a "moral obligation to share what they know".

In the latest tranche of Epstein files, it was revealed Lord Mandelson was "trying hard" to change government policy on bankers' bonuses at Epstein's behest in December 2009, in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.

The documents also showed correspondence in September 2009 between Epstein and Lord Mandelson's husband, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, who asked the financier to pay him thousands to fund an osteopathy course and other expenses.

Epstein was released from prison in July 2009, having pleaded guilty to trafficking a minor.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said that Andrew should give evidence to the US Congress, which is investigating Epstein, if asked. Now pressure is building on Lord Mandelson to do the same.

Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp told Sky News that both Andrew and Lord Mandelson should "give all the assistance they possibly can" to authorities investigating Epstein.

Trevor Phillips said at the start of his own show that he had known Lord Mandelson for almost half a century.

He went on: "I have not spoken personally to Lord Mandelson about the release this weekend of documents, messages, photographs and videos related to the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

"He was invited to join us this morning but declined.

"However, he has told this programme that neither he nor his husband, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, has any record or recollection of receiving payments in 2003 or 2004, or knows whether the documentation is authentic.

"He does accept that Reinaldo received a loan of $10,000 from Epstein whilst he, Mandelson, was a senior cabinet minister, and he acknowledges that in the same period, Epstein was amongst those who lobbied him on important policy matters.

"There's no suggestion that Lord Mandelson has done anything unlawful.

"But I would claim the friend's privilege to tell Peter that he has been, at best naive and foolish, at worst greedy and duplicitous.

"Whatever is true as far as politics and public office are concerned, for Peter Mandelson, this is the end."

Read more:
Key findings from the latest Epstein files
Clear Epstein welcomed into Andrew's family fold
Epstein sent thousands to Mandelson's husband

Phillips finished: "The question now is whether the price of his misjudgement is to be paid only by the man himself, or whether those who trusted him and elevated him to the peerage, and to one of the highest diplomatic posts available, should also share in his ignominy."

Asked to comment on Lord Mandelson and Epstein, Sir Keir said: "Obviously he was removed as ambassador in relation to the further information that came to light in September of last year and I've nothing more to say in relation to Peter Mandelson."

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Lord Mandelson has previously offered an unequivocal apology to Epstein's victims. Being pictured or mentioned in the Epstein files is not an indicator of any wrongdoing.

Andrew paid millions to Virginia Giuffre, a woman he has claimed never to have met, to settle a civil sexual assault claim in 2022.

In a statement issued on 17 October 2025, the former prince reiterated that he "vigorously" denies the accusations against him.


Russian drone strike on bus in Ukraine kills 15
A Russian drone strike on a bus in Ukraine has killed at least 15 people, emergency services have said.

Seven more were wounded in the attack on the bus, which was carrying mineworkers in the southeastern city of Dnipro.

Ukraine's emergency service said a fire broke out after the strike but it was extinguished by firefighters.

Energy company DTEK said Russian forces had carried out a "massive terrorist attack" on a company mine in the region and all the dead and wounded were its employees returning from a shift.

"Today, the enemy carried out a cynical and targeted attack on energy sector workers ‍in the Dnipropetrovsk region," energy minister Denys Shmyhal said.

It comes after Russia launched 90 attack drones overnight, with 14 striking nine locations, according to Ukraine's air force.

A woman and a man were also killed in an overnight strike in Dnipro, Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said earlier.

Russian shelling also hit central Kherson in southern Ukraine, seriously wounding a 59-year-old woman, according to a Facebook post by the municipal military administration.

A drone also hit a maternity hospital in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, the Ukrainian emergency service said, injuring three women and sparking a fire in the gynaecology reception area that was later extinguished. Regional administration head Ivan Fedorov later said the number of wounded had risen to six.

Russia's defence ministry said its forces had used operational-tactical aviation, attack drones, missile forces and artillery to strike transport infrastructure used by Ukrainian forces.

It also said Russian air defences had shot down 21 Ukrainian drones flying over southwestern and western Russia, and did not mention any casualties or damage.

Read more from Sky News:
Pressure grows on Mandelson to testify over Epstein
Woman stabbed to death in 'busy' area of London

Earlier on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the next round of peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv would take place on Wednesday and Thursday.

Envoys from Russia, Ukraine and the US had been expected to meet in Abu Dhabi next week to continue negotiations aimed at ending Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion.

In a Telegram post on Sunday, Mr Zelenskyy said: "We have just had a report from our negotiating team. The dates for the next trilateral meetings have been set: Feb 4 and 5 in Abu Dhabi.

"Ukraine is ready for substantive talks, and we are interested in an outcome that will bring us closer to a real and dignified end to the war."

Although Ukrainian and Russian officials have agreed in principle with US President Donald Trump's calls for a compromise, Moscow and Kyiv are at odds over what an actual agreement should look like.

One key issue is whether Russia should keep or withdraw from areas of Ukraine its forces have occupied, especially Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland, the Donbas, and whether it should be given land there it has not yet captured.


Woman stabbed to death in 'busy' area of London
A woman has been stabbed to death in a "busy" area of London in a "deeply concerning" attack.

Police were called to reports of a stabbing in Pound Lane, Willesden, at around 4pm on Saturday.

A 50-year-old woman was found with stab wounds and died at the scene.

A 30-year-old man - believed to have been known to the victim - has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

He has been taken into custody at a north London police station, the Metropolitan Police said.

Detective Superintendent Tony Bellis, responsible for local policing in Brent, said the force would maintain an elevated presence in the area over the coming days.

He said: "An incident of this nature is tragic and deeply concerning, and our thoughts remain with the victim's family, friends and all those affected.

"Based on what we know at this stage, this is believed to be an isolated incident, and there is no information to suggest any wider risk to the public."

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Detective Chief Inspector Rebecca Woodsford added: "This incident happened in a busy part of Willesden, and I'd also like to thank the members of the public who provided first aid and called the emergency services.

"A suspect was arrested within several hours of the incident and he remains in custody.

"Our priority is to establish the circumstances surrounding what happened.

"However, based on our inquiries so far, there is nothing to suggest any wider risk to the public."


Major incident declared after fire at University Hospital Southampton
A major incident has been declared after a fire broke out at a hospital.

Fire crews were called to Southampton General Hospital at 5.30am.

Around 200 patients were evacuated and roads surrounding the hospital have been closed by emergency services.

The hospital said the fire is now contained and no injuries have been reported.

The blaze broke out in the hospital's endoscopy unit, it added.

It said the fire caused "significant damage" to part of the hospital, which it warned "will have a knock-on effect in the immediate coming days in relation to some outpatient appointments".

The cause of the blaze is not yet known.

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service said at its peak more than 110 firefighters attended the incident.

It said crews remained on the scene to dampen down.

Read more from Sky News:
Iran warns of regional war risk as Trump sends 'big, powerful ships'
UK's top 100 taxpayers revealed

The hospital said its emergency department was diverting patients away unless their condition "is deemed life or limb threatening".

It said visitors are being asked to stay away and all planned outpatient appointments on Sunday are cancelled.


Iran warns of regional war risk as Trump sends 'very big, powerful ships'
Iran's Supreme Leader has warned Donald Trump that the entire region will be engulfed in conflict if the US starts a war.

The US president has warned he could take military action against Iran over its killing of peaceful protesters, and last night said that "very big" American warships were heading for the region.

Now Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has warned that if the US starts a war, it will engulf the whole region in conflict.

In comments reported by Iranian state media, he said: "America should know that if it starts a war, this time it will be a regional war.

"These threats are nothing new. In the past as well, American officials repeatedly talked about war and said that all options were on the table including war.

"Now this man [Mr Trump] too, keeps claiming that they have brought aircraft carriers and warplanes. The Iranian people should not and will not be frightened by such things.

"We are not the ones who start a war and we do not want to attack any country, but if America attacks or harms Iran the Iranian nation will deliver a strong blow and any war started by America will spread across the region."

When the US president was asked during a flight to Florida on Saturday night what his "final decision" would be on Iran, declined to answer.

He said: "I certainly can't tell you that, but we do have very big, powerful ships heading in that direction, as you know. I can't tell you, you know. But I hope they negotiate something that's acceptable."

Mr Trump was also asked whether Tehran would be emboldened by the US backing off.

He replied: "Well, some people think that and some people don't. And if you could make a negotiated deal that would be satisfactory with no nuclear weapons they should do that. But I don't know that they will. But they are talking to us. Seriously talking to us."

General Amir Hatami, Iran's regular army commander-in-chief, struck a defiant tone in response.

He said: "Thanks Allah today we are at a high level of military and defensive readiness. We are closely watching enemies' movement in the region.

"They are under complete surveillance by us. And since we are aware of their evil intentions, our fingers are on the trigger.

"If they make a mistake, without doubt they will endanger their security, the security of their forces, the security of the region, and the security of the criminal Zionist regime."

In Tehran's parliament the mood was similarly combative, with the speaker telling the assembly that European Union military forces were now terrorist groups in the eyes of the Islamic republic.

It comes after the EU designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist faction over its bloody crackdown on protesters.

Others were more conciliatory. Ali Larijani, a top security official in Iran, wrote on Saturday that "structural arrangements for negotiations are progressing" in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

However, Khamenei, 86, has repeatedly ruled out direct talks with the US.

With tensions mounting, Iran faced two explosions on Saturday, though its government denies a ‌military leader was targeted.

‌One blast happened at Iran's southern port of Bandar Abbas. A four-year-old girl was killed and a further 14 people were injured.

A second blast, more than 1,000 kilometres away in Ahvaz, saw five people killed, state media reported.


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