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LONDON — He won’t call himself a duke anymore, but that is not enough for many of Prince Andrew’s critics.

Buckingham Palace and the British government were under pressure Monday to formally strip Prince Andrew of his princely title and sumptuous home after new revelations about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

After discussions with his elder brother King Charles III, Andrew agreed on Friday to stop using titles including Duke of York. It was the latest effort to insulate the monarchy from years of tawdry headlines about Andrew’s suspicious business deals, inappropriate behavior and controversial friendships.

But he still technically holds the title of duke, bestowed by his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II. And as the son of a monarch, he remains a prince.

Andrew’s statement relinquishing some of his royal titles came after emails emerged showing he had remained in contact with Epstein longer than he previously admitted, and days before publication of a posthumous memoir by Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who alleged she had sex with Andrew when she was 17.

Giuffre’s brother, Sky Roberts, urged the king to go further and “remove the title of prince, too.

“He shouldn’t be able to call himself one,” Roberts told The Times of London newspaper.

Civil suit

Andrew, 65, has long denied Giuffre’s claims, but stepped down from royal duties after a disastrous November 2019 BBC interview in which he attempted to rebut her allegations.

Many viewers saw an entitled prince who failed to show empathy for Epstein’s victims and offered unbelievable explanations for his friendship with the late sex offender.

Andrew paid millions in an out-of-court settlement in 2022 after Giuffre filed a civil suit against him in New York.

While he didn’t admit wrongdoing, he acknowledged Giuffre’s suffering as a victim of sex trafficking.

‘Angry and aghast’

Some opposition politicians said Andrew should formally be stripped of his dukedom through an act of Parliament.

Scottish National Party lawmaker Stephen Flynn said the government should use legislation to remove titles from both Andrew and Peter Mandelson, a member of the House of Lords who was fired as British ambassador to Washington in September over his past friendship with Epstein.

“The family of Virginia Giuffre, whose life was destroyed, are angry and aghast,” Flynn said. “The public across these isles are angry and aghast and they both deserve to know that some (members of Parliament) share their outrage.”

The government said it supported the palace’s decision over Andrew’s titles but should not act unilaterally. Under the U.K.’s constitutional monarchy, the crown does not interfere in politics and politicians stay clear of issues related to the royal family.

“Our thoughts have to be with the victims of Jeffrey Epstein, those who suffered and continue to suffer because of the abuse that they experienced at his hands, but these are matters for the royal family,” Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told the BBC.

Some also want Andrew evicted from Royal Lodge, the 30-room mansion near Windsor Castle where he lives alongside his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who will no longer be known as the Duchess of York.

Questions have been raised about how Andrew pays for the house, which he rents on a long lease from the Crown Estate, a portfolio of properties that is nominally owned, but not controlled, by the monarch.

Royals brace for more revelations

The palace is bracing for more embarrassing revelations, just as the king prepares for a state visit to the Vatican this week where he is due to pray beside Pope Leo XIV.

Giuffre’s book, “Nobody’s Girl,” is published on Tuesday and details three alleged sexual encounters with Andrew. She died by suicide in April at the age of 41.

In an extract published in advance, Giuffre says the prince acted as if he believed “having sex with me was his birthright.”

Giuffre also claims in the book that Andrew’s team tried “to hire internet trolls to hassle me.” She said that Andrew insisted the lawsuit settlement include a one-year gag order to prevent allegations from tarnishing the late queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

Meanwhile, London’s Metropolitan Police force says it is “actively looking into” media reports that Andrew in 2011 sought information to smear Giuffre by asking one of his police bodyguards to find out whether she had a criminal record.

Lawless writes for the Associated Press.

1 of 4 | French President Emmanuel Macron attends a meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., on August 18. On Monday, Macron formally recognized a Palestinian state during an international peace summit speech in New York City, stating, “We can no longer wait.” The announcement was made one day before the start of the 80th U.N. General Assembly. File Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo

Sept. 22 (UPI) — France and Saudi Arabia held an international peace summit Monday in New York City, one day before the start of the 80th U.N. General Assembly, where French President Emmanuel Macron and other world leaders formally recognized a Palestinian state.

Macron made the announcement about a two-state solution during his speech Monday evening, saying, “We can no longer wait” to stop the violence and secure peace. Macron called for an end to the war in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages still being held by Hamas nearly two years after the Oct. 7, attacks that killed 1,200.

“The time has come to free the 48 hostages detained by Hamas. The time has come to stop the war, the bombing of Gaza, the massacres and the fleeing people. The time has come because there’s a pressing urgency everywhere,” Macron said, as he vowed that recognizing Palestine would not take away Israel’s rights.

“The time has come for Israel to live in peace and security,” Macron said. “The time has come to give justice to the Palestinian people and to recognize the state of Palestine.”

France joins the UK, Canada and Australia in recognizing a Palestinian state, along with Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta and San Marino.

Australia, Britain, Canada and Portugal made their own declarations Sunday.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot called Monday’s peace summit with Saudi Arabia “a milestone for peace and a major diplomatic victory” nearly two years after a Hamas attack on Israel sent the region spiraling into war.

“France’s plan … aims for a two-state solution and includes concrete steps to prepare for the immediate post-war period … so that an international stabilization mission can come to Gaza to ensure the protection of both Palestinians and Israelis,” Barrot told French broadcaster TF1, according to a translation by CNN.

With Sunday’s announcements, more than 150 nations now recognize Palestine as a sovereign state. This doesn’t include G7 members Germany, Italy or the United States. Israel and the United States are expected to boycott Sunday’s summit.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hit out at the nations expressing their preference for a two-state solution Sunday, saying, “there will be no Palestinian state.” Netanyahu argued recognition of a Palestinian state would give “a huge reward to terrorism.”

Two unnamed sources told The Telegraph that the Israeli government is considering options for retaliating against France for recognizing Palestine, including possibly closing France’s consulate in Jerusalem.

The U.N. General Assembly on Friday voted 145-5 in favor of a motion to allow Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to address the international body this week in New York. Israel and the United States voted against the motion.

President Donald Trump will be in New York tomorrow, to mark the 80th anniversary of the UN’s General Assembly founding.

On 9 July the team announced Horner had been “released from his operational duties”.

He was dismissed after a controversial 18 months that started when a female employee accused him of sexual harassment, an allegation that was made public in February 2024.

Horner was twice cleared of the claims, firstly after an internal investigation conducted by a lawyer, then by another lawyer who dismissed the complainant’s appeal.

In a statement on Monday Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull’s chief executive officer corporate projects and investments, thanked Horner for his “exceptional work”.

He added: “With his tireless commitment, experience, expertise and innovative thinking, he has been instrumental in establishing Red Bull Racing as one of the most successful and attractive teams in Formula 1.”

Horner said in the same statement that leading Red Bull had been “an honour and a privilege”.

More to follow.

Sept. 21 (UPI) — Three of Israel’s oldest allies — Australia, Britain and Canada — formally recognized the state of Palestine on Sunday, and more countries are expected to follow suit in the coming week.

The three countries join 147 other nations that recognize Palestine as a sovereign state. Also expected to make announcements — some Monday at a U.N. conference to discuss a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict — are Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Portugal, Malta, and possibly Lichtenstein and New Zealand — according to The Guardian.

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said London’s decision to recognize Palestine was in an effort to support the possibility of a two-state solution, which it views as being under threat amid the war with Israel.

She also said Hamas “can have no role” in the future of an independent Palestine and called for the release of the remaining hostages from the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

“Recognition is only one part of what must be a stronger and wider push for peace,” she said. “We need to end the conflict in Gaza, secure the release of all hostages and get humanitarian aid to all those who desperately need it.

“That requires not just an immediate cease-fire, but a plan for a durable peace, which will be a key to my diplomatic drive at the U.N. this week.”

Basem Naim, a senior Hamas official, welcomed Sunday’s announcement.

“Any step to strengthen the legitimate Palestinian rights, foremost among them the full sovereign Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem and the right to self-determination, is a welcomed step,” he told CNN.

In response to the announcements by Australia, Britain and Canada, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused members of the international community of attempting to “force a terror state upon us in the heart of our land.”

“I have a clear message to those leaders recognizing a Palestinian state after the horrific massacre of October 7th: You are giving a massive prize to terror,” he said in a statement.

“There will be no Palestinian state.”

Aug. 10 (UPI) — President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he would hold a press conference at the White House on Monday to present his plan to “stop violent crime” in the nation’s capital after the attempted carjacking on former DOGE staffer Edward Coristine, known by the pseudonym Big Balls.

Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social platform after threatening a federal takeover of Washington, D.C., last week. The capital city is in the federal District of Columbia, which lies outside any state boundaries, and its authority rests with Congress.

“It has become one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the world. It will soon be one of the safest!” Trump said in his post. “Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

Under federal law, Washington, D.C., has an elected mayor and a 13-member council that manages municipal functions, like policing. But Congress has the power to override any local laws passed, control its budget and abolish home rule if deemed necessary.

While large swaths of the city, like federal buildings and the National Mall, are already within federal jurisdiction under the executive branch, only Congress has the ultimate authority over the district.

The primary mechanism that might allow Trump to take federal control of the city through the executive branch would be by federalizing the Metro Police under the oversight of Attorney General Pam Bondi or another federal official, which is allowed under the city’s municipal code.

Trump could also use various federal statutes regarding how federal agencies govern their specific properties to expand their operational zones and security perimeters, or he may try to use the Insurrection Act to allow him to deploy federal troops or the National Guard.

“It is true that we had a terrible spike in crime in 2023, but this is not 2023,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said in an interview with MSNBC on Sunday. “This is 2025, and we’ve done that by working with the community, working with the police, working with our prosecutors, and in fact, working with the federal government.”

In fact, in January, the U.S. Justice Department released a report that showed that violent crime reached a 30-year low in 2024. Data collected by the Metropolitan Police Department showed crime was down 35% from 2023.

Specifically, homicides were down 32% and robberies were down 39%. The data showed that armed carjackings were down 53% and assaults with a dangerous weapon were down 27% when compared with 2023 levels.

Data released this month by Metro Police shows that violent crime rates have continued to fall in 2025, with violent crime down 26% year-over-year. Homicide rates have dropped 12%, sex abuse by 49%, assault with a dangerous weapon by 20% and robbery by 28%.

On top of his concerns for alleged high crime rates in the city, he said that the press conference would focus on new efforts to address the “cleanliness” and “general physical renovation” of the capital.

Trump also hinted at a possible budgetary takeover, lambasting high-cost renovation projects causing “never-ending construction,” but it was not clear what mechanisms might allow him to do so.

“The mayor of D.C., Muriel Bowser, is a good person who has tried, but she has been given many chances, and the crime numbers get worse, and the city only gets dirtier and less attractive,” Trump said. “The American public is not going to put up with it any longer.”

US Treasury says it removed 518 Syrian individuals and entities from its list of sanctions after president’s decree.

Washington, DC – United States President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to dismantle a web of sanctions against Syria, a move that will likely unlock investments in the country more than six months after the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad.

Trump’s decree on Monday offers sanction relief to “entities critical to Syria’s development, the operation of its government, and the rebuilding of the country’s social fabric”, the US Treasury said in a statement.

The Syrian government has been under heavy US financial penalties that predate the outbreak of the civil war in the country in 2011.

The sprawling sanction programme, which included provisions related to the former government’s human rights abuses, has derailed reconstruction efforts in the country. It has also contributed to driving the Syrian economy under al-Assad to the verge of collapse.

Trump promised sanctions relief for Syria during his visit to the Middle East in May.

“The United States is committed to supporting a Syria that is stable, unified, and at peace with itself and its neighbours,” the US president said in a statement on Monday.

“A united Syria that does not offer a safe haven for terrorist organisations and ensures the security of its religious and ethnic minorities will support regional security and prosperity.”

The US administration said Syria-related sanctions against al-Assad and his associates, ISIL (ISIS) and Iran and its allies will remain in place.

While the US Treasury said it already removed 518 Syrian individuals and entities from its list of sanctions, some Syria penalties may not be revoked immediately.

For example, Trump directs US agencies to determine whether the conditions are met to remove sanctions imposed under the Caesar Act, which enabled heavy penalties against the Syrian economy for alleged war crimes against civilians.

Democratic US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar had partnered with Republican lawmaker Anna Paulina Luna to introduce earlier this week a bill that would legislatively lift sanctions on Syria to offer long-term relief.

Real relief for the Syrian people requires repealing certain laws.

My bill with @RepLuna permanently repeals the sanctions and gives the post-Assad Syria a fighting chance. https://t.co/gExbLiKS7z

— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) June 30, 2025

As part of Trump’s order, the US president ordered Secretary of State Marco Rubio to review the designation of interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist”.

Moreover, the US president ordered a review of the status of al-Sharaa’s group, al-Nusra Front – now Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – as a designated “foreign terrorist” organisation. Al-Nusra was al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria, but al-Sharaa severed ties with the group in 2016.

Al-Nusra later became known as Jabhat Fath al-Sham before merging with other rebel groups as HTS.

Al-Sharaa was the de facto leader of a rebel enclave in Idlib in northwest Syria for years before leading the offensive that overthrew al-Assad in December 2024.

Trump met with al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia in May and praised the Syrian president as “attractive” and “tough”.

The interim Syrian president – who was previously known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Julani – has promised inclusive governance to allay concerns about his past ties to al-Qaeda.

But violence and kidnappings against members of al-Assad’s Alawite sect by former rebel fighters over the past months have raised concerns among some rights advocates.

Al-Sharaa has also pledged that Syria would not pose a threat to its neighbours, including Israel, which has been advancing in Syrian territory beyond the occupied Golan Heights and regularly bombing the country.

WASHINGTON — The White House on Tuesday officially asked Congress to claw back $9.4 billion in already approved spending, taking funding away from programs targeted by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.

It’s a process known as “rescission,” which requires President Donald Trump to get approval from Congress to return money that had previously been appropriated. Trump’s aides say the funding cuts target programs that promote liberal ideologies.

The request, if it passes the House and Senate, would formally enshrine many of the spending cuts and freezes sought by DOGE. It comes at a time when Musk is extremely unhappy with the tax cut and spending plan making its way through Congress, calling it on Tuesday a “disgusting abomination” for increasing the federal deficit.

White House budget director Russ Vought said more rescission packages and other efforts to cut spending could follow if the current effort succeeds.

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Here’s what to know about the rescissions request:

Will the rescissions make a dent in the national debt?

The request to Congress is unlikely to meaningfully change the troublesome increase in the U.S. national debt. Tax revenues have been insufficient to cover the growing costs of Social Security, Medicare and other programs. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the government is on track to spend roughly $7 trillion this year, with the rescission request equaling just 0.1% of that total.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at Tuesday’s briefing that Vought would continue to cut spending, hinting that there could be additional efforts to return funds.

“He has tools at his disposal to produce even more savings,” Leavitt said.

Vought said he can send up additional rescissions at the end of the fiscal year in September “and if Congress does not act on it, that funding expires.”

“It’s one of the reasons why we are not putting all of our expectations in a typical rescissions process,” he added.

What programs are targeted by the rescissions?

A spokesperson for the White House Office of Management and Budget, speaking on condition of anonymity to preview some of the items that would lose funding, said that $8.3 billion was being cut from the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development. NPR and PBS would also lose federal funding, as would the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, also known as PEPFAR.

The spokesperson listed specific programs that the Trump administration considered wasteful, including $750,000 to reduce xenophobia in Venezuela, $67,000 for feeding insect powder to children in Madagascar and $3 million for circumcision, vasectomies and condoms in Zambia.

Is the rescissions package likely to get passed?

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., complimented the planned cuts and pledged to pass them.

“This rescissions package reflects many of DOGE’s findings and is one of the many legislative tools Republicans are using to restore fiscal sanity,” Johnson said. “Congress will continue working closely with the White House to codify these recommendations, and the House will bring the package to the floor as quickly as possible.”

Members of the House Freedom Caucus, among the chamber’s most conservative lawmakers, said they would like to see additional rescission packages from the administration.

“We will support as many more rescissions packages the White House can send us in the coming weeks and months,” the group said in a press release.

Sen. Susan Collins, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, gave the package a less optimistic greeting.

“Despite this fast track, the Senate Appropriations Committee will carefully review the rescissions package and examine the potential consequences of these rescissions on global health, national security, emergency communications in rural communities, and public radio and television stations,” the Maine lawmaker said in a statement.

Boak writes for the Associated Press.

NewsFeed

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, has announced that it plans to disband and disarm in a move promising an end to decades of conflict with Turkiye.
The move was announced on Monday by the Firat News Agency, a media outlet close to the group.