ISTANBUL
Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Monday, including the resignation of the chief of staff to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over a scandal related to the Epstein files, the death toll from a building collapse in Lebanon rising to nine, and Mexico sending over 800 tons of humanitarian aid to Cuba.
TOP STORIES
- Chief of staff to British premier resigns amid Mandelson scandal tied to Epstein
Morgan McSweeney resigned as chief of staff to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer amid fallout over the Peter Mandelson scandal linked to new Epstein revelations.
"After careful reflection, I have decided to resign from the government," McSweeney said in his resignation statement, which was published by the BBC.
McSweeney admitted that the decision to appoint Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the US last year "was wrong."
"The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong. He has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself," he said.
On Thursday, Starmer said he was "sorry" for believing Mandelson's "lies" and appointing him as ambassador to the US as pressure continued to mount on him after he admitted to knowing about Mandelson's ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Mandelson was sacked in September, but new Epstein files suggested he shared confidential information with the disgraced financier when he was a business secretary in 2009.
Mandelson has also stepped down from the House of Lords and the Labour Party.
- Death toll from building collapse in northern Lebanon rises to 9
The death toll from the collapse of an old residential building in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli has risen to nine, authorities said.
The five-story building collapsed earlier in the day in Tripoli’s Bab al-Tabbaneh neighborhood. Search and rescue operations are continuing at the site.
Imad Khreich, director general of the Lebanese Civil Defense, told reporters that 15 people have been pulled from the rubble, including six who were rescued alive.
Rescue teams are still attempting to reach around eight people believed to be trapped beneath the debris, according to information obtained by Anadolu.
Tripoli Mayor Abdel Hamid Karimeh earlier said that six people were killed and seven others injured in the collapse.
- Mexico sends over 800 tons of humanitarian aid to Cuba
Mexico has sent more than 800 tons of humanitarian aid to Cuba, reaffirming its longstanding policy of solidarity with Latin American nations, the country's Foreign Ministry said.
Two Mexican Navy logistical support vessels, the Papaloapan and Isla Holbox, departed from the port of Veracruz carrying more than 814 tons of provisions intended for the people of Cuba following instructions from President Claudia Sheinbaum.
The Papaloapan is transporting 536 tons of essential food items as well as hygiene products, while the Isla Holbox is carrying over 277 tons of powdered milk.
The vessels are expected to arrive in Cuba within four days.
More than 1,500 tons of powdered milk and beans remain to be sent, it added.
NEWS IN BRIEF
- Israel’s Security Cabinet approved new measures aimed at fundamentally reshaping the legal and civil framework in the occupied West Bank to bolster Israeli control and expand settlement activity, according to Israeli media.
- A renowned Pakistani mountaineer was killed after falling from a mountain during ice climbing in northern Pakistan, a state mountaineering body said.
- India and Malaysia agreed to bolster cooperation in defense and security, trade and investment, the digital economy and energy and agriculture, in addition to further expanding a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" between the two countries.
- Turkish scientists have reached the Turkish Scientific Research Camp on Horseshoe Island in Antarctica, marking the 10th arrival of the National Antarctic Science Expedition to the White Continent.
- A total of 44 Palestinians left the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, which is operating on a very limited basis amid strict Israeli restrictions, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said.
- The case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has exposed the high level of global corruption among "Western elites," a symbol of the "dominance of evil," said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
- South Africa will withdraw its troops from the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) after 27 years, with the pullout to be completed by the end of 2026, the presidency announced.
- Exit polls in Portugal’s presidential runoff suggested a decisive and possibly historic victory for Socialist candidate Antonio Jose Seguro over his far-right rival Andre Ventura.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
- Egypt’s Suez Canal posts revenue rebound, earning $449 million since start of 2026
Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority said the global shipping lane has returned to growth, generating $449 million in revenue since the start of 2026, up from $368 million over the same period in 2025.
The announcement was made by Suez Canal Authority Chairman Osama Rabie during the opening of the 15th edition of the International Maritime Transport and Logistics Conference (MARLOG), according to an authority statement.
“The Suez Canal has demonstrated in recent years its ability to withstand economic and geopolitical challenges,” Rabie said.
He added that the Red Sea crisis, referring to attacks by Yemen’s Houthi group on vessels it said were heading to Israel, underscored the “canal’s resilience,” noting that 2024 was “a year of severe impact and stress.”
The final quarter of 2025 marked the beginning of a relative recovery following the Sharm el-Sheikh peace summit, which helped secure a ceasefire in Gaza and restore calm and stability to the region, he added.
Rabie noted that navigation statistics for the canal during the first half of fiscal year 2025-2026 showed a relative improvement, with a 5.8% increase in the number of transiting vessels and a 16% rise in net tonnage. The gains translated into an 18.5% increase in revenue compared with the same period of fiscal year 2024-2025, he said.
Since the start of 2026, a total of 1,315 vessels have transited the canal with a net tonnage of 56 million tons, generating revenue of $449 million, Rabie added. That compares with 1,243 vessels and 47 million tons over the same period in 2025, when revenue totaled $368 million.
