It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Monday, February 09, 2026
US: TotalEnergies To Provide 1 GW Of Solar Capacity To Power Google’s Data Centers In Texas For 15 Years
TotalEnergies said Monday it has signed two new long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) to deliver 1 GW of solar capacity – equivalent to 28 TWh of renewable electricity over 15 years – to supply Google’s data centers in Texas. The power will be generated from TotalEnergies-owned sites currently under development in Texas: Wichita (805 MWp) and Mustang Creek (195 MWp), with construction scheduled to begin in Q2 2026. Bringing reliable new power capacity for AI – now
These PPAs totaling 1 GW complement separate gross PPAs of 1.2 GW recently secured by Clearway, a California-based renewables company 50% owned by TotalEnergies, to support Google’s data centers across the ERCOT (Texas), PJM (Northeast), and SPP (Central) markets.
The Wichita and Mustang Creek solar farms will generate significant benefits for local communities. Several hundred jobs will be created during construction, and substantial tax revenues will help fund public services throughout the lifetime of the projects.
“We are pleased to sign these agreements to supply renewable electricity to Google in Texas, representing the largest renewable PPA volume ever signed by TotalEnergies in the United States”, said Marc-Antoine Pignon, Vice President Renewables U.S. for TotalEnergies. “This highlights TotalEnergies’ strategy to deliver tailored renewable energy solutions that support the decarbonization goals of digital players, particularly data centers. Through this PPA, TotalEnergies is also addressing the challenges of land availability and power supply for data centers by enabling large-scale colocation opportunities,” he added.
“Supporting a strong, stable, affordable grid is a top priority as we expand our infrastructure,” said Will Conkling, Director of Clean Energy and Power at Google. “Our agreement with TotalEnergies adds necessary new generation to the local system, boosting the amount of affordable and reliable power supply available to serve the entire region.”
TotalEnergies has a gross capacity portfolio of 10 GW of onshore solar, wind and battery storage assets in operation in the United States, including 400 MW in the PJM market in the Northeast of the country, and 5 GW in the ERCOT market in Texas.
CNN Exposes The Smoking Gun: How Afghanistan Is Arming Anti-Pakistan Terrorists With American Gear – OpEd
Taliban with a US military Humvee in Afghanistan. Photo via Social Media/Arab News
It took a CNN camera crew trekking to the ragged edge of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border to finally validate what Islamabad has been shouting into the diplomatic void for three years. The investigation by Ivan Watson has ripped the cover off a dangerous reality: the legacy of the botched American withdrawal from Kabul is now killing Pakistani citizens and soldiers. The guns are American, the geography is Afghan, and the targets are Pakistanis. The evidence is no longer anecdotal; it is forensic, and it proves that the Interim Afghan Government is presiding over a massive proliferation of military-grade hardware to the terror group Fitna al-Khawarij.
The CNN report connects the dots that the international community has tried to ignore. The report paints a chilling picture of blowback, most visible in the forensic evidence recovered from a cadet college in Pakistan. After a truck bomb ripped through the facility, authorities made a discovery that connects the terrorism directly to Washington. The attackers, who were Afghan citizens, were armed with standard-issue American M16s. These weren’t holdovers from the wars of the 1980s; they were modern rifles. The US military’s own records confirmed that this lethal hardware came directly from the stockpiles left behind during the chaotic withdrawal of 2021.
This confirms a terrifying supply chain. As John Sopko, the former US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, admitted in the report, the Taliban regime inherited a staggering arsenal: nearly 300,000 small arms, grenade launchers, and advanced communications gear. Rather than securing these weapons, the administration in Kabul appears to be turning a blind eye—or worse—as they flow across the border into the hands of Fitna al-Khawarij, the BLA, and other outfits determined to bleed the Pakistani state. They are even selling these weapons to those outfits.
The investigation exposes how this influx of high-tech gear has fundamentally altered the physics of the battlefield. Pakistani surgeons in Peshawar, who have spent years treating trauma victims, noted a distinct “changing pattern of wounds.” They are seeing long-range sniper hits and precise gunshot wounds inflicted after sunset. This is the result of American thermal optics and night vision devices. The Fitna al-Khawarij fighters no longer hide in the dark; they own the night, using equipment paid for by US taxpayers to hunt down security forces.
This security nightmare is colliding with Washington’s own strategic interests. The CNN report notes the Trump administration’s ambition to tap into Pakistan’s vast, unmined reserves of rare earth minerals and copper—a $1.25 billion bet to break China’s monopoly on the metals of the future. But you cannot run a copper mine in a war zone. The very region holding these riches is now destabilized by the weapons the US left behind. It is a cruel irony: the US is trying to invest in Pakistan’s economic future while its abandoned arsenal is being used to destroy Pakistan’s security infrastructure.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister was blunt in the report, accusing the Afghan government of effectively arming the insurgency. Islamabad is right. Pakistan has warned for years that the weaponry in the custody of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was being sold to whoever had the cash, be it Fitna al-Khawarij or the ethno-terrorists of the BLA.
The time for observation is over. The US government now has visual confirmation that its own assets are fueling regional terrorism. Washington cannot remain a bystander while the IEA allows Afghanistan to become a arms bazaar for anti-Pakistan forces. The US must come forward with a kinetic, no-mercy policy against the elements within the Afghan setup facilitating this trade. The rogue elements selling M16s and night vision goggles must be held accountable. If these supply lines are not severed through direct intervention and immense pressure on Kabul, the chaos will not stay contained in the borderlands—it will unravel the stability of the entire region and will spread in other countries too.
DJ Kamal Mustafa
DJ Kamal Mustafa is a filmmaker, musician and DJ, and contributes to leading news organisations with writings on current affairs, politics and social issues. Currently associated with ARY News, and Samaa TV, and has also contributed to Pak Observer, Daily Times, Pakistan Today, and many others.
Royals, politicians, magnates, intellectuals: Epstein files spark storm in global elite circles
The US Justice Department's latest release of nearly 3 million documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has revealed a staggering network of connections linking elites wielding power and influence across the globe. While the mere mention of a name does not necessarily imply wrongdoing or grounds for prosecution, the files have triggered a landslide of repercussions.
From royals to intellectuals, politicians to sport moguls, tech magnates and CEOs, the latest tranche of published documents from the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has spotlighted a staggering global web of influence.
Last week the US Justice Department (DOJ) published a new cache of nearly 3 million government documents related to Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking.
The financier was long alleged to have been a purveyor of sex with underage girls to some of the world's most powerful men.
The mere mention of someone's name in the files does not, in itself, imply any wrongdoing by that person.
However, the documents made public show at the very least connections between Epstein or his circle and certain public figures who have often downplayed – or even denied – the existence of such ties.
The latest files have highlighted just how broad his connections were as he sought influence with the world's most high-octane people, spotlighting the dark underbelly of the global elite.
French fallout
He strove to forge ties with political leaders, especially in France, asking several contacts if they had connections to President Emmanuel Macron, former economy minister Bruno Le Maire or former president Nicolas Sarkozy.
Epstein's emails showed former high-profile French culture minister Jack Lang, now 86, once tried to sell Epstein a friend's property in the Moroccan region of Marrakesh.
Lang, who spent nearly 20 years as France's culture minister and education minister in different governments, has said he would not step down from his current position as president of the Paris-based Arab World Institute.
The French government on Thursday called for Lang to be summoned by the foreign and culture ministers.
The French presidential and prime minister's offices have asked the concerned ministers to summon Lang, according to sources close to Macron. The ministers of foreign affairs and culture have oversight of the Arab World Institute.
Lang has said he first met Epstein "about 15 years ago" and was "completely shocked" when he discovered his crimes.
But his daughter Caroline Lang, a film producer, resigned on Monday as head of the Independent Production Union.
Strategy
From the libertarian billionaire Peter Thiel to the banker Ariane de Rothschild and former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, Epstein approached his contacts with targeted, tailored overtures – sometimes insistently.
His relationships transcended ideological boundaries, ranging from hard-right US figure Steve Bannon to influential left-wing intellectual Noam Chomsky.
The continuous recruitment of young women meanwhile underpinned his activities, with the files corroborating the existence of a network of intermediaries tasked with identifying and introducing "assistants" to Epstein.
The files so far – released in three major tranches since December – show that misogyny, racism and homophobia permeated his correspondence, often including photographs of naked women.
The DOJ previously drew the ire of Epstein's victims when released documents exposed their identities. The documents were subsequently withdrawn.
The archive also reveals Epstein's detailed schedule and careful discretion. He often favoured phone calls and face-to-face meetings over written communication.
Repercussions
While the DOJ has said it sees no grounds for new prosecutions, the latest release has triggered a landslide of repercussions for those mentioned in the files.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) on Thursday launched an independent investigation into its CEO Borge Brende to clarify his relationship with Epstein.
The Geneva-based organiser of the Davos summit said it was looking into disclosures that showed Brende had had three business dinners with Epstein and had also communicated with the disgraced financier via email and text message.
"In light of these interactions, the Governing Board requested the Audit and Risk Committee to look into the matter, which subsequently decided to initiate an independent review," the WEF said in a statement released Thursday.
In the US, Bill and Hillary Clinton have finally agreed to be questioned by a congressional committee about the former president's friendship with Epstein.
Britain's former minister and EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson, already fired from his role as ambassador to Washington, is now under police investigation, dealing yet another blow to embattled UK leader Keir Starmer.
The pressure has also intensified for Britain's former prince Andrew – now living far from Windsor – with the emergence of new photos showing him with an unidentified young girl and exchanges with Epstein.
Emails to Epstein from Andrew's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson called the financier "the brother" she had "always dreamed of".
Other royals across Europe are under public scrutiny for the first time. Epstein's previously unknown friendship with Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit has not done her reputation any favours.
Many who had played down or even denied their ties to Epstein – including former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, former Norwegian premier Thorbjorn Jagland and Los Angeles Olympics chief Casey Wasserman – have seen their claims embarrassingly undercut.
Norwegian police on Thursday said that they opened an "aggravated corruption" investigation into Jagland over his links to Epstein.
Jagland was prime minister of Norway from 1996 to 1997, and secretary general of the Council of Europe from 2009 to 2019. Between January 2009 and March 2015, he also chaired the committee that selects the Nobel Peace Prize winner.
Norway has dismissed high-profile diplomat Mona Juul from her post as ambassador to Jordan.
Some figures have left their posts following the latest publication: Slovakia's Miroslav Lajcak, former minister and adviser to Prime Minister Robert Fico, and French film producer Caroline Lang, the daughter of former minister Jack Lang. Hard to analyse
The sheer quantity of difficult-to-download documents, many of which are redacted and duplicated, makes analysing the files a mammoth task.
The four data sets posted online on Friday amount to roughly 2.7 million pages, which is the largest batch released since late December.
Most are PDF documents and contain either text or photos. An empty PDF is also published for videos, which are stored elsewhere.
Emails may appear multiple times, and each reply becomes a new document that includes the previous messages. Some documents are also scans of handwritten notes that are sometimes illegible or incomprehensible.
Full download links were removed shortly after initial publication, and as a result, reconstruction requires the individual downloading of each folder.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters)
Members of France's political and cultural elite named in Epstein files
Several French public figures are mentioned in newly released documents from the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, showing correspondence between the financier or his circle and personalities from politics, culture and academia.
The US Justice Department last week published nearly 3 million government documents related to Epstein, who was convicted in 2008 for soliciting a minor and died in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking.
The mere mention of someone's name in the files does not, in itself, imply wrongdoing. However, the documents show connections between Epstein or his circle and some public figures who had downplayed or denied such ties. Political contacts
Several French personalities appear in the latest files, reflecting Epstein’s repeated efforts to build links with political leaders.
He asked several contacts whether they had connections to President Emmanuel Macron, former economy minister Bruno Le Maire or former president Nicolas Sarkozy.
A review of emails by the French news agency AFP showed that businessman Olivier Colom, an adviser to Sarkozy from 2007-2012, corresponded regularly with Epstein from 2013-2018 while working at a bank.
Colom sought to facilitate political networking and organised a 2013 meeting between Epstein and his superior at the bank.
In a June 2013 exchange, Epstein compared women to "shrimp", saying "you throw away the head and keep the body".
AFP said it was not immediately able to reach Colom for comment. An initial search of the archive found no direct correspondence between Epstein and Sarkozy.
Film director meeting
French film director Michel Hazanavicius first met Epstein at a dinner in Paris in March 2012, one month after his film The Artist won the top prize at the Oscars.
They exchanged emails until January 2014, with Epstein suggesting meetings in Paris or New York, though the director often replied that he was busy.
Hazanavicius said he "twice met the guy", after being introduced through director Woody Allen.
"At one point he asked me if I knew a nice, smart girl, and that's when Berenice told me 'never again, you have to run away from that guy'," he said.
The director said he and his partner, actor Bérénice Bejo, decided not to see Epstein again, adding he had "no idea who he was".lic explanations
French mathematician and former MP Cédric Villani told the newspaper Libération this week about meeting Epstein in October 2017.
"He presented himself as a close friend of Donald Trump," Villani said. Epstein wanted to fund "a mathematics prize related to biolo Villani said he did not know about Epstein’s earlier conviction at the time.
On Thursday, former culture minister Jack Lang was summoned to the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs to explain his links with Epstein.
Lang’s daughter Caroline resigned Monday as head of a film producers’ union after revelations about the family’s connections to Epstein.
No charges have been brought against the Lang family. On Wednesday, Lang ruled out stepping down as head of the Institut du monde arabe (Arab World Institute), a cultural institution he has led since 2013.
A source close to President Macron said Lang should "think of the institution".
Jack Lang’s daughter steps down from film post over Epstein revelations
A screengrab taken on 3 February, 2026 from a video released in files related to the investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, published by the US Department of Justice, shows Jack Lang, a French former culture minister posing with Jeffrey Epstein at the Louvre pyramid in Paris.
French authorities said Friday they had detected a Russia-linked disinformation campaign alleging Macron’s involvement with Epstein.
France's Viginum agency, which counters foreign disinformation campaigns, detected Wednesday the operation involving a fabricated article "accusing President Emmanuel Macron of being involved in the 'Epstein affair'", a government source told AFP.
The article appeared on a website falsely using the identity of the French media organisation France-Soir. The source said the Storm-1516 project was behind the operation spreading fabricated content.
(with newswires)
Former French minister Lang resigns from Arab World Institute over Epstein ties
France’s former culture minister Jack Lang has officially resigned as president of the Arab World Institute in Paris, bowing to mounting political pressure after his name surfaced repeatedly in newly released US files linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Lang, 86, one of the most recognisable cultural figures of the French left, submitted his resignation over the weekend ahead of a planned summons to the foreign ministry, which oversees the Arab World Institute.
The decision follows days of intense scrutiny after the US Department of Justice published a tranche of Epstein-related documents on 30 January.
According to his lawyer, Laurent Merlet, Lang is “very sad and deeply hurt” to be leaving a role he cherished, but chose to step aside to protect the institution.
In a letter to Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, he insisted the accusations against him were inaccurate and said he would prove his innocence
The foreign ministry confirmed his departure and said the process of appointing a successor had begun.
Lang is the highest-profile French figure to be affected by the release of the Epstein files.
His name appeared 673 times in correspondence dated between 2012 and 2019, alongside that of his daughter, Caroline.
French investigative outlet Mediapart has reported alleged financial and business links between the Lang family and Epstein via an offshore company registered in the US Virgin Islands.
On Friday, France’s national financial prosecutor opened a preliminary investigation into Lang and his daughter over suspected aggravated tax fraud laundering. No charges have been filed at this stage.
Lang, a former Socialist heavyweight and culture minister under President François Mitterrand in the 1980s and 1990s, has led the Arab World Institute since 2013.
He is also widely credited with launching the Fête de la Musique, which has since spread around the globe.
Reaction to his resignation was swift and strikingly unified across France’s political spectrum.
Government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said the situation had become untenable, describing Lang’s departure as “the only possible decision” and stressing the moral dimension alongside the judicial process.
Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure echoed that view, arguing that responsibility and setting an example required Lang to step down, even as the courts determine any legal responsibility.
From the opposition benches, former prime minister Michel Barnier warned against a sense of impunity among the powerful, calling it “unbearable” and a driver of populist anger.
Green MP Sandrine Rousseau said the resignation was overdue, while Sébastien Chenu of the far-right National Rally remarked that it was “about time”, citing both the tax investigation and Lang’s apparent proximity to Epstein.
The Elysée Palace and the prime minister’s office had privately urged Lang to consider the reputation of the institute, with President Emmanuel Macron’s entourage keen to avoid further damage to one of France’s flagship cultural bodies.
The presidency said it had simply “taken note” of his resignation.
(With newswires)
Starmer fights for survival as chief of staff quits over Mandelson scandal
Copyright AP Photo
By Euronews
Published on
Morgan McSweeney quits as Keir Starmer’s chief of staff over the Peter Mandelson–Epstein scandal, leaving the British prime minister fighting for his political survival.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer lost his most senior aide on Sunday as the political crisis over Peter Mandelson's ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein threatened to end his leadership 18 months after Labour's landslide election victory.
Morgan McSweeney resigned as Downing Street chief of staff, saying he took "full responsibility" for advising Starmer to appoint Mandelson as UK ambassador to the United States in December 2024.
"The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong. He has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself," McSweeney said in a statement.
The 48-year-old strategist was the architect of Labour's July 2024 election triumph and Starmer's closest political adviser since he became party leader in 2020.
His departure leaves Starmer further weakened as opposition leaders demand his resignation and Labour MPs question whether he can survive in office.
New Epstein files deepen crisis
After the US Department of Justice latest release of 3 million pages of documents relating to Epstein, fresh details emerged about Mandelson's relationship with the disgraced financier and convicted child sex offender who died in prison in an apparent suicide in 2019.
The files include emails suggesting Mandelson shared market-sensitive government information with Epstein in 2009 while serving as business secretary during the global financial crisis under then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Business Secretary Peter Mandelson pass a young woman and her dog on the platform as they arrive at Oxford station, 20 April 2010 AP Photo
Documents also show alleged payments totalling $75,000 (€63,200) from Epstein to accounts linked to Mandelson or his partner in 2003 and 2004.
Metropolitan Police officers searched two properties linked to Mandelson on Friday as part of an investigation into potential misconduct in public office, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Mandelson has not been arrested or charged. His lawyers said he "regrets, and will regret until his dying day, that he believed Epstein's lies about his criminality" and did not discover the truth until after Epstein's death.
Related
Starmer appointed Mandelson to Britain's most important diplomatic post in December 2024 despite knowing he had maintained contact with Epstein after the financier's 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
The British PM fired Mandelson in September 2025 when earlier revelations about the relationship emerged.
Starmer apologised to Epstein's victims on Thursday, saying: "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."
He has promised to release documentation about Mandelson's vetting, which the government says will show the former minister misled officials about his ties to Epstein.
Mandelson resigned from the Labour Party on 1 February and quit the House of Lords on Wednesday.
Opposition smells blood
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said Starmer's position is "untenable" and called on him to take responsibility for the appointment.
"Keir Starmer has to take responsibility for his own terrible decisions. But he never does," she said.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage predicted Starmer would not survive beyond May's local elections.
Political analysis firm Eurasia Group now puts the probability of Starmer's removal from office this year at 80%.
A member of the party shows his hat signed by Nigel Farage during the Reform party's annual conference at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, 6 September 2025 AP Photo
Some Labour MPs have questioned whether Starmer can remain in post, though no clear leadership challenger has yet emerged.
Starmer has failed to deliver promised economic growth or repair public services during his 18 months in office.
Labour consistently trails the hard-right Reform UK party in opinion polls, and the government has been hit by policy U-turns over welfare cuts and other unpopular measures.
Morgan McSweeney's loss is the latest in a series of setbacks for a prime minister who won one of the largest parliamentary majorities in modern British history.
Under Britain's parliamentary system, prime ministers can be replaced without a general election. If Starmer were challenged or resigned, Labour MPs would elect a new party leader who would become prime minister.
The Conservatives cycled through three prime ministers between the 2019 and 2024 elections, with Liz Truss lasting just 49 days in office.
Starmer campaigned on ending the political chaos of those Conservative years — a promise that now appears increasingly difficult to keep.
Pressure grows on UK's Starmer as top aide quits amid Epstein fallout
Issued on: 09/02/2026 FRANCE24
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was scrambling to shore up his premiership Monday, as he prepared to face lawmakers furious that his government has become embroiled in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. It comes a day after his chief of staff and longtime aide Morgan McSweeney quit over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington despite his links to US convicted sex offender.
UK PM Starmer’s chief of staff quits over Mandelson links to Epstein
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, resigned on Sunday after admitting he had advised the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington, a decision criticised over his past links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Embattled British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's chief of staff resigned on Sunday over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington despite links to convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
"After careful reflection, I have decided to resign from the government. The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong. He has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself," Morgan McSweeney, Downing Street's chief of staff, said in a statement.
"I advised the Prime Minister to make that appointment, and I take full responsibility for that advice," he added.
The resignation came as the foreign ministry said it was reviewing an exit payment to Mandelson, who was sacked by the Labour premier last September over his friendship with the late Epstein.
Mandelson, a pivotal figure in British politics and the Labour Party for decades, received an estimated payout of between £38,750 and £55,000 ($52,000 to $74,000) after only seven months in the job, according to a report in the Sunday Times.
Documents released on January 30 by the US Justice Department appear to show that Mandelson allegedly leaked confidential UK government information to financier Epstein when he was a British minister, including during the 2008 financial crisis.
The revelation has placed intense pressure on Starmer and triggered a police investigation into Mandelson, 72, for alleged misconduct in a public office.
The Foreign Office said in a statement it had launched a review into Mandelson's severance payment "in light of further information that has now been revealed and the ongoing police investigation".
Cabinet minister Pat McFadden earlier insisted Starmer should remain in office despite his "terrible mistake" in appointing Mandelson.
The close Starmer ally told broadcasters the party should stick with the prime minister.
"He (Starmer) should be realistic and accept that this has been a terrible story, that this appointment was a terrible mistake," McFadden, the Work and Pensions Secretary, told BBC television.
He said the real blame lay "squarely with Peter Mandelson", who put himself forward for the job despite knowing the extent of his relationship with Epstein.
Starmer faces pressure as McSweeny resigns: Police throw curveball on files
Starmer's deputy, David Lammy, became the first cabinet minister to appear to distance himself from the premier, according to a report in the Sunday Telegraph.
The deputy prime minister had not been in favour of appointing Mandelson, a pivotal figure in British politics for decades, due to his known links to Epstein, the report quoted friends of Lammy as saying.
Starmer's Labour Party took power just over 18 months ago in a landslide election victory.
But it has been trailing Nigel Farage's anti-immigrant Reform UK as the government has come under fire over immigration, economic growth and the cost of living crisis.
Reform UK has led by double-digit figures in the polls for the past year.
Mandelson, also a former European Union trade commissioner, stood down from parliament's unelected upper chamber, the House of Lords, earlier this week.
The ex-envoy was one of numerous prominent figures further embarrassed by last week's latest revelations of ties to financier Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 while facing charges of alleged sex trafficking.
US officials ruled Epstein's death a suicide.
A spokesperson for law firm Mishcon de Reya, representing Mandelson, said he "regrets, and will regret until his dying day, that he believed Epstein's lies about his criminality".
"Lord Mandelson did not discover the truth about Epstein until after his death in 2019. He is profoundly sorry that powerless and vulnerable women and girls were not given the protection they deserved," the law firm said.
Starmer paid tribute to McSweeney in a statement. It was "largely thanks to his dedication, loyalty and leadership that we won a landslide majority" in the 2024 election, he said.
"Our party and I owe him a debt of gratitude, and I thank him for his service," he added.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters)
From Mamdani to Farage:
AI-generated images spread after Epstein file release
The latest tranche of files related to the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has set the internet ablaze with AI and manipulated images supposedly depicting him with politicians. Not all are real.
The US Department of Justice's release of an extra 3 million pages of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has opened the door to intense speculation about his vast network of rich and powerful contacts.
The documents, which contain images, videos, text messages and emails, have also triggered a wave of disinformation, including AI-generated images of a young Zohran Mamdani, New York's mayor, alongside Epstein.
In one doctored image, Mamdani is pictured as a child in a photograph with his mother, Mira Nair, as well as Epstein's collaborator Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein, Bill Clinton, Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos.
Euronews' fact-checking team, The Cube, ran these images through Google Gemini after spotting inconsistencies in the photo. The AI chatbot detected a SynthID on the image — an invisible watermark developed by Google to identify AI-generated content.
The photo has a "DFF" watermark on it. The Cube conducted a reverse image search and matched it with an X account called @DumbFckFinder, which has a "parody account" disclaimer on it.
It's spread multiple images of politicians pictured with Epstein in unrealistic contexts, such as one depicting Epstein and the late English theoretical astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, with Hawking scuba diving into a "secret tunnel".
Along with the images, some social media users shared outlandish theories, for instance, suggesting that Epstein was Mamdani's father while seeking to draw up similarities between their facial characteristics.
Fake image of Mamdani as a child with Epstein. X
Mamdani's name was mentioned in the Epstein files five times. However, these mentions were connected to newspaper clippings rather than any potential wrongdoing. There is no evidence that Epstein ever corresponded with or wrote about Mamdani.
Many of these AI images were shared on social media alongside an email sent by US publicist Peggy Siegal to Epstein in October 2009, which featured in the files.
In her message, Siegal referenced Mamdani's mother while speaking about the afterparty for her film "Amelia", which was hosted at Ghislaine Maxwell's New York townhouse in 2009. The messages suggest that Epstein did not attend the screening.
Mamdani would have been 17 at the time of the screening, not a baby, as depicted in some of the AI-altered images.
The account also seemed to acknowledge the number of views the images garnered online as they went viral. "Damn you guys failed. I purposefully made him a baby."
On 4 February, Mamdani responded to the images, stating, "at a personal level, it is incredibly difficult to see images that you know to be fake, that are patently photoshopped and AI-generated, and yet can reach across the entirety of the world in an era of misinformation."
Were you fooled by these photos?
Another image claims to show Epstein with British politician and leader of the far-right Reform UK, Nigel Farage, and was picked up by the Wrexham Labour Party group on X after it was shared widely online.
The image shows Epstein and Farage with their arms around each other in a living room setting. It was shared on X and Threads with captions including "I won’t be voting for Farage or Reform" and "A picture paints a thousand words."
The Wrexham Labour Party group has since deleted the image.
There are no reports of Epstein and Farage meeting or directly corresponding in the files.
Mentions of him are limited to newspaper clippings and discussions of him in the context of UK politics by Steve Bannon, a former White House strategist who regularly conversed with Epstein about Europe's far-right parties, according to the tranche of documents.
AI image of Jeffrey Epstein, left and Nigel Farage, right. Euronews
Farage told Sky News Australia that he "never met Epstein and never went to the island". He was referring to Little Saint James, commonly nicknamed "Epstein Island" — the private island in the US Virgin Islands owned by Epstein, which the financier allegedly used as a base of operations for underage sex trafficking.
AI-generators were unable to conclusively determine whether the image is AI-generated.
The Cube ran the photograph through Google Gemini to look for traces of a SynthID, but it found that it did not contain a watermark. Meanwhile, other AI detection tools did not offer a clear-cut response.
Indicators of AI generation include inconsistent lighting that does not match the shadows on Epstein and Farage's faces, as well as the fact that their shirts align unnaturally.
Macron targeted by Russian bots
Elsewhere, the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation, a body affiliated with the Ukrainian National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, identified the "Matryoshka" bot network spreading doctored French newspaper covers linking French President Emmanuel Macron to Epstein.
One cover mimicking French daily Libération asks, "What was Emmanuel Macron doing 18 times on Epstein’s island when he was France’s Minister of the Economy".
There is no evidence of Libération publishing this story.
Although Macron is named in the files, there is also no evidence that Epstein and he ever communicated directly, with most of the mentions of him references by third parties. There is no evidence he was implicated in Epstein's sex crimes.
Social media users have falsely claimed that emails from the latest Epstein file dump prove that the disgraced sex offender was in fact Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin, whose real identity remains a mystery to this day. Nakamoto is indeed mentioned in the documents, but this particular viral email is doctored. Vedika Bahl explains in Truth or Fake.
Epstein emails claim Bill Gates contracted STD, had sex with Russian girls
Issued on: 04/02/2026 05:01 min
The latest Jeffrey Epstein file dump by the US Department of Justice saw a number of high-profile individuals named, one of them being Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. The documents allege new details of his ties to the late sex offender, including claims Gates hid a sexually transmitted disease from his wife after contact with "Russian girls". Gates has denounced the emails as false and says he "regrets" knowing Epstein. Vedika Bahl goes through what we know in Truth or Fake.
Built on undercover accounts posing as children, the case is the first stand-alone state trial in a widening legal fight over social media’s impact on minors.
Mark Zuckerberg's Metais heading to trial in New Mexico over allegations that it failed to protect children from sexual exploitation and misrepresented the safety of its platforms.
Opening statements are set to begin on Monday, 9 February, in what will be the first stand-alone trial brought by a state prosecutor against a major social media company over harm to children.
The case, filed in 2023 by New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez, centres on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
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Undercover accounts and exploitation allegations
Investigators built the case by creating undercover accounts posing as minors and documenting sexual solicitations received as well as Meta's responses.
"Meta knowingly exposes children to the twin dangers of sexual exploitation and mental health harm," the lawsuit states. "Meta’s motive for doing so is profit."
Attendees visit the Meta booth at the Game Developers Conference 2023 in San Francisco on 22 March 2023. Credit: AP Photo
Prosecutors argue that Meta's algorithms and account features encouraged compulsive use among young people while creating what they describe as a "breeding ground" for predators. They allege the company failed to disclose what it knew about harmful effects, violating state consumer protection laws and creating a public nuisance.
An attorney for the state warned jurors there would be "very sensitive and very explicit material discussed in terms of safety to children" during the trial.
How has Meta responded to the allegations?
Meta denies the allegations and says the state is distorting the evidence. The company has accused prosecutors of cherry-picking documents to make "sensationalist" arguments and described the investigation as "ethically compromised."
"For over a decade, we’ve listened to parents, worked with experts and law enforcement, and conducted in-depth research to understand the issues that matter most," the company said in a statement. "We’re proud of the progress we’ve made."
Meta also says that it has introduced extensive safeguards for teens, including stricter default settings, content restrictions and tools that provide more information about who young users are messaging.
More than 40 state attorneys general have filed lawsuits against Meta, claiming it is deliberately designing features that addict children to its platforms. The majority filed their lawsuits in federal court, and New Mexico's case against Meta is the first to reach trial.
From exploitation claims to addiction lawsuits
As the New Mexico proceedings begin, Meta is also facing claims in Los Angeles County Superior Court alongside Google's YouTube in a separate case focused on alleged social media addiction.
The lawsuit was mounted by a 19-year-old identified only by the initials "KGM," who claims her use of Meta's Instagram, ByteDance's TikTok, and Google's YouTube at an early age led to exacerbated depression and suicidal thoughts.
TikTok reportedly settled the case with KGM hours before jury selection was supposed to start, according to US media reports. The value of the settlement was not disclosed.
Young people use their phones to view social media in Sydney, 8 November 2024. Credit: AP Photo
"Borrowing heavily from the behavioural and neurobiological techniques used by slot machines and exploited by the cigarette industry, Defendants deliberately embedded in their products an array of design features aimed at maximising youth engagement to drive advertising revenue," the lawsuit says.
"Plaintiffs are not merely the collateral damage of Defendants’ products," the lawsuit says. "They are the direct victims of the intentional product design choices made by each Defendant. They are the intended targets of the harmful features that pushed them into self-destructive feedback loops."
Meta disputes the claims. "Recently, a number of lawsuits have attempted to place the blame for teen mental health struggles squarely on social media companies," Meta said in a recent blog post.
"But this oversimplifies a serious issue. Clinicians and researchers find that mental health is a deeply complex and multifaceted issue, and trends regarding teens' well-being aren't clear-cut or universal.
"Narrowing the challenges faced by teens to a single factor ignores the scientific research and the many stressors impacting young people today, like academic pressure, school safety, socio-economic challenges and substance abuse."
A Meta spokesperson said in a recent statement that the company strongly disagrees with the allegations outlined in the lawsuit and that it's "confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people."
José Castañeda, a Google Spokesperson, said that the allegations against YouTube are "simply not true."
In a statement, he said, "Providing young people with a safer, healthier experience has always been core to our work."
