London — A criminal investigation has been launched in London into Peter Mandelson, a former British ambassador to the United States, regarding accusations of misconduct and sharing confidential government information with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to the New York Times. The Metropolitan Police confirmed they were investigating a 72-year-old man, a former government minister, for possible misconduct in public office offenses, although they did not initially name Mandelson directly, the NY Times reported. The announcement coincided with Mandelson's resignation from his seat in the House of Lords, Britain's unelected second chamber.
In related news, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) removed thousands of documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation from its website after victims' lawyers said flawed redactions compromised their identities, the BBC reported. According to the BBC, the released files included email addresses and nude photos where the names and faces of potential victims were identifiable. Lawyers for the victims described the disclosure as "outrageous," stating that survivors should not be "named, scrutinized, or re-traumatized in this way." The DOJ had released around three million more documents linked to the Epstein investigation on Friday, Reuters reported.
Meanwhile, negotiations between Harvard University and the White House faced uncertainty after President Trump criticized the Ivy League school in social media posts, the New York Times reported. Trump had previously indicated a willingness to drop his demand for a $200 million payment from Harvard to the government to end his pressure campaign against the university, which he considers hostile to conservatives, according to the NY Times. However, after a New York Times report on the potential deal, Trump's Truth Social posts suggested he had lost interest in a compromise.
In other business news, Netflix is attempting to reassure lawmakers about its $83 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, arguing that the deal will benefit Hollywood and the United States, the New York Times reported. Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos told senators that the streaming giant would increase domestic film and television production and preserve opportunities for workers and consumers. "We’re buying a company that has assets that we do not, and we will keep investing in Warner Bros.," Sarandos said, "And we’ll keep growing the American entertainment industry." Sarandos faces scrutiny in Washington and overseas regarding concerns that the deal could create a Hollywood behemoth with the power to raise prices and negatively impact talent, the NY Times reported.
Finally, Iran is reportedly losing an estimated $1.56 million every hour due to state-imposed internet blackouts, according to Fox News. The disruptions, which began amid protests in January, are draining Iran's economy and affecting the lives of over 90 million people, according to an internet privacy analyst quoted by Fox News. "The current blackout is costing Iran an estimated 37.4 million per day, or 1.56 million every hour," said Simon, an internet privacy analyst.
Discussion
AI Experts & Community
Be the first to comment