The Delhi High Court has stayed proceedings in a criminal defamation case filed against Sudarshan TV and its editor Suresh Chavhanke in connection with allegations that his channel made false accusations against a madrasa. The case against Chavhanke was filed by Mohammed Tufail Khan
China said on Sunday (August 23, 2026) it was postponing its planned ambitious Chang'e-7 lunar mission, which was set to carry out explorations including searching for water ice on the moon. The Chang'e-7 spacecraft was originally set to lift off in the coming days from the Wenchang Space Launch
Canada’s Carney Puts His ‘No Deal Is Better Than a Bad Deal’ Doctrine to the Test The prime minister ’s approach has broad support from the Canadian public and his political opponents, but it isn’t without risks. Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 14:05:27 IST WSJ Prefer HTon Google Share via
A group of former cricket captains, including Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar and one of England's longest-serving skippers Sir Alastair Cook, have called on Pakistan to ensure its ex-PM Imran Khan be given proper care while in custody. The cricketer-turned-politician has been in jail since
Fewer than 20 commodity vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz at the weekend, shipping data showed on Monday (August 24, 2026), as Iranian and U.S. blockades restrict traffic through the chokepoint for energy shipments. Four vessels crossed the strait on Sunday (August 23, 2026)
Keir Starmer Under Pressure: Who Could Succeed Him As Mandelson Scandal Threatens UK PM's Future?
Keir Starmer Under Pressure: Who Could Succeed Him As Mandelson Scandal Threatens UK PM's Future?
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing the gravest political crisis of his premiership after a scandal involving the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the United Kingdom's ambassador to the United States triggered anger within his own Labour Party and fresh public backlash.
Starmer on Thursday apologised to victims of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein for appointing Mandelson, a longtime associate of Epstein, to the prestigious diplomatic post. The apology came as opposition parties called for his resignation and some Labour lawmakers questioned his judgement.
“I am sorry," Starmer said in London, addressing Epstein's victims. “Sorry for what was done to you, sorry that so many people with power failed you, sorry for having believed Mandelson's lies and appointed him."
Despite the apology, Starmer insisted he would not step down, saying: “I intend to go on doing that vital work."
Starmer's leadership is under intense pressure both from the opposition and from within his own party.
Labour MPs forced the government to submit all documents related to Mandelson's appointment to Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee, rejecting Starmer's initial plan to release only selected material.
“The mood yesterday was the angriest I think I've ever seen Labour MPs in the 16 years that I've been in Parliament," Labour lawmaker Karl Turner told Times Radio. “We can't pretend that this is not a crisis situation."
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called Starmer's position “clearly untenable" and urged Labour MPs to support a no-confidence vote, saying it was “a question of when, not if, he goes."
The crisis comes ahead of a crucial by-election this month and local elections in May, where Labour is widely expected to perform poorly.
Political analysts say repeated policy U-turns and internal disputes have already dented Starmer's authority. The Mandelson affair has deepened doubts about his leadership and judgement.
The immediate cause is his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington last year despite Mandelson's long-documented ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Newly released files last week revealed intimate email exchanges between Mandelson and Epstein, as well as evidence of financial dealings and the sharing of potentially sensitive information.
Starmer admitted he knew Mandelson had maintained contact with Epstein even after the financier's 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor, but said he was unaware of the “depth and darkness" of the relationship.
He fired Mandelson in September after only seven months in the post, but the damage to his own credibility has been severe.
Labour MPs have also blamed Starmer's chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, a close Mandelson ally, for pushing the appointment. Opposition parties are demanding McSweeney's removal, though Starmer has so far defended him.
Despite the anger within Labour ranks, there is no obvious successor to Keir Starmer, according to a report by The Guardian.
The paper said new MPs were openly discussing leadership challenges in the Commons tea room, but admitted no contender appeared “brave enough to trigger Starmer's downfall."
Angela Rayner is seen as a potential frontrunner after her intervention helped avert a parliamentary defeat, but MPs noted she is awaiting an HMRC ruling over unpaid stamp duty, which weakens her position.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting is said to have support among some MPs, but his past closeness to Peter Mandelson is now viewed as a liability.
Several MPs have also mentioned Defence Minister Al Carns as a possible alternative, though he has not indicated any interest.
One senior Labour MP told The Guardian: “The biggest thing Keir has going for him right now is that there's not an obvious successor."
Peter Mandelson, a former EU trade commissioner and a key architect of Tony Blair's “New Labour" project, was appointed Britain's ambassador to the United States in February last year.
The decision quickly drew criticism because of Mandelson's friendship with Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Last Friday, new documents were released showing warm and extensive correspondence between Mandelson and Epstein, including private photographs and discussions that suggested a close personal bond.
The revelations led to Mandelson resigning from the House of Lords earlier this week. He is also now facing a police investigation into alleged misconduct in public office.
For Starmer, the core issue is that he appointed Mandelson despite knowing about at least some of these connections.
Source: News18
Related Posts: Keir Starmer scandal, Keir Starmer crisis, Peter Mandelson ambassador controversy, Labour Party backlash, Jeffrey Epstein UK politics, Starmer leadership challenge
India had asked the United States not to allow reporters to ask questions during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France in June, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said on Saturday
8 hours ago
Former Australian captain Greg Chappell with the support of 20 other former international skippers appealed to the Pakistan Government led by Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, to provide ‘humane treatment and proper medical care’ for Imran Khan
11 hours ago
The shock resignation of Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran earlier this month has left corporate India's top job vacant. But finding his successor will be no easy task for the country's most revered conglomerate, whose sprawling $300bn empire spans Jaguar Land Rover and Air India as well as
11 hours ago
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian defended a memorandum of understanding with the United States as the best way out of a stalled war. Meanwhile, the new head of the Islamic Republic's top security body warned, in a more forceful tone, of retaliation if neighbouring countries support U.S
11 hours ago
Authorities in China have launched an investigation into reports of formaldehyde being used to preserve the freshness of cabbages for human consumption. Officials in the northeastern Hebei province confirmed that they had verified footage showing individuals dipping cabbages in a solution before
11 hours ago
Three newborns died after a fire that broke out in the neonatal intensive care unit of a government hospital in Maharashtra’s Amravati district in the early hours of Monday, PTI reported. The fire broke out at the Amravati District Women’s Hospital around 3
11 hours ago
Imran's party demands immediate cardiac care for him at Shifa International Hospital Imran's party demands immediate cardiac care for him at Shifa International Hospital Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 11:10:49 IST PTI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Islamabad
11 hours ago
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s three-day visit to New Delhi in July 2026 for the India-Japan summit appears to have elevated relations between the two Asian countries into a fresh phase of strategic expansion. Ties had already undergone a remarkable transformation over the past decade
11 hours ago
How well do COVID antivirals actually work? Not as well as we thought How well do COVID antivirals actually work? Not as well as we thought Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 11:11:50 IST PTI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Sydeny, If you're aged over 70
11 hours ago
On Sunday, in a post on X, Wali said the audio contained "explosive evidence" and claimed that Brar admitted his gang had ordered Nijjar's killing, alleging that the assassination was driven by an inter-gang feud. Ottawa: Three years after NIA designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed in
14 hours ago
Until recently, there would have been little to distinguish Vietnam's so-called Justice Tree from the hundreds of others lining the streets of Hanoi. Then the bouquets started piling up. It was here that former politician Nguyen Sy Cuong was driving his BMW in May last year when he veered into the
14 hours ago
Fast-fashion giant Shein says it plans to raise up to HK13.86bn (£1.3bn; $1.77bn) when its shares start trading on the Hong Kong stock market on 1 September. In a filing on Monday, Shein said it will offer nearly 280 million shares for between HK$47.60 and HK$49.50
14 hours ago
A fast-moving, wind-driven wildfire near Reno, Nevada, has forced about 42,000 people to evacuate, while another 45,000 have been urged to prepare to leave. The Hawk Fire has burned 15,040 acres, destroyed some homes and injured six people. Officials declared a state of emergency as the blaze
14 hours ago
Former Indian diplomat Navdeep Suri has raised concerns about the verification process under the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Suri, a retired Indian Foreign Services officer, went through the process in Punjab. It is among the 16 states where the voter roll revision is being
14 hours ago
A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 rattled eastern Japan, including the Tokyo area, early Sunday (August 23, 2026), injuring more than 20 people, most of them slightly, officials said. There was no danger of a tsunami. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency
1 days ago
Chinese humanoid robots broke records set by humans, including beating Usain Bolt’s 100-meter sprint world record, on the opening day of the Olympics-like World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on Saturday (August 22, 2026). More than 2,000 humanoid robots were participating in the event
1 days ago
One afternoon in 1907, a young accountant named Chandrasekhar Venkata Raman walked into the laboratory of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science at 210 Bowbazar Street in Calcutta. Though he had a passion for the sciences, colonial India offered no stable careers in the field
1 days ago
Three first information reports were filed against 14 identified and more than 200 unidentified persons on Saturday in connection with clashes between the police and student protesters a day earlier, PTI quoted Ranchi Superintendent of Police Paras Rana as saying
1 days ago
Did an Amazon delivery guy assault a 71-year-old man in California? What we know about the attack and lawsuit A California lawsuit alleged that an Amazon delivery driver assaulted a 71-year-old man at an Elk Grove gas station. Updated on: Aug 23, 2026
1 days ago
‘Pure evil’: Videos of mothers splashing water at their kids spark outrage amid Lindsay Clancy trial Social media videos of mothers throwing water at their children have sparked concerns amid Lindsay Clancy's trial. Published on: Aug 23, 2026
1 days ago
The sister of jailed former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday (August 22, 2026) filed a petition in the Supreme Court, accusing the government and senior officials of violating the top court’s order to shift him to a private hospital for medical examination and treatment
1 days ago
The United States and Canada have entered into uncharted territory. The longtime allies and economic partners, who have enjoyed free trade for decades, are now in an escalating trade war with no clear off ramp. And for Prime Minister Mark Carney
1 days ago
Harrisburg weather update: Special Weather Statement issued for central Pennsylvania as thunderstorms bring 40mph wind NWS has issued a Special Weather Statement for Harrisburg and surrounding parts of central Pennsylvania. Published on: Aug 23, 2026
1 days ago
The police in Maharashtra’s Latur have registered a first information report against Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party political campaign, for allegedly entering a government school without permission, threatening teachers and defaming the institution
1 days ago
The United States and Iran exchanged defiant messages ahead of Monday’s (August 24, 2026) scheduled announcement of new U.S. economic sanctions that could impact the Islamic Republic and Tehran’s most important trading partners including China
1 days ago
Fourteen people were killed in military air strikes at a monastery in Myanmar early on Friday, opposition fighters and a local rescue worker have said. All of those killed were elderly and a number of monks were also injured, the rescue worker told BBC Burmese, adding that the site was struck twice
1 days ago
The Armed Forces Tribunal on Thursday upheld an administrative censure for a brigadier who was commanding a sector of the Rashtriya Rifles in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district in December 2023 when three civilians died during an interrogation following a militant attack
1 days ago
