British Ambassador to US loses his job

Peter Mandelson was fired as Britain's Ambassador to the United States on Thursday after his ties to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein became another unwelcome problem for the embattled British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, reports CNN.

Mandelson had been under mounting pressure over his relationship with Epstein after US lawmakers on Monday released a "birthday book," compiled for Epstein's 50th birthday in 2003, in which the veteran Labour party politician had penned a handwritten note describing Epstein as "my best pal."  Despite the revelation, Starmer forcefully defended his ambassador on Wednesday, telling parliament that Mandelson had his "full confidence."Hours later, the scandal snowballed after Bloomberg published a trove of emails between Mandelson and Epstein, in which Mandelson expressed support for his friend and offered to discuss his infamous 2008 Florida case with his political contacts.

Epstein pleaded guilty to two state prostitution charges and served 13 months in prison after a controversial plea deal. But the emails obtained by Bloomberg showed that Mandelson continued to support Epstein after that conviction.

"I think the world of you and I feel hopeless and furious about what has happened," Mandelson wrote. He gave Epstein advice, suggesting he fight back using techniques from Sun Tzu's "Art of War." Announcing Mandelson's withdrawal, Britain's Foreign Office told CNN in a statement that the emails showed that "the depth and extent" of the now-ex-ambassador's relationship with Epstein is "materially different from that known at the time of his appointment."

The scandal surrounding Mandelson had created another huge political headache for the beleaguered Starmer, who faced questions about his judgment in appointing Mandelson when the ambassador's friendship with Epstein was well known.

Mandelson - who now has been forced out of three senior government roles over separate scandals - for years batted away questions about his links to Epstein. Asked last year about his relationship with the sex offender, Mandelson said he regretted meeting him, but dismissed the question as a journalistic "obsession."