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Researchers recently unveiled proof that Romans used a surprising ingredient in their medical treatments — and it’s far from sanitary.
The research focuses on a vessel that was unearthed in Pergamon, originally a Greek city that was conquered by the Romans in 133 B.C. The site is now located in İzmir Province, in western Turkey.
While the vessel appeared ordinary, it was later found to have served a medical purpose. Researchers identified “dark brownish flakes” in the residue — which were determined to be fecal matter.
HAUNTING ANCIENT BATTLE TRUMPET UNEARTHED IN LANDSCAPE TIED TO LEGENDARY QUEEN
In a study published in the April 2026 edition of the Journal of Archaeological Sciences, researchers argued that the residue is the first “direct chemical evidence for the medicinal use of fecal matter in Greco-Roman antiquity.”
It’s not exactly a surprise that fecal matter was used in ancient Roman medicine, said Cenker Atila, an archaeology professor at Sivas Cumhuriyet University in Turkey and co-author of the study.
Researchers say residue found in an ancient Roman-era vessel, seen left, provides the first chemical proof of medicinal fecal use. Ruined columns in Pergamon are shown on the right. (Cenker Atila; LTL/Heritage Images via Getty Images)
The practice was “already known from ancient sources,” the expert told Fox News Digital.
Yet “despite these references, there had long been debate about whether such treatments were actually used in practice. By discovering this substance in [famous physician] Galen’s own city — and identifying the very remedy he described — we were able to put an end to those doubts.”
‘HUGELY EXCITING’ PREHISTORIC ARTIFACTS UNCOVERED DURING HUNT FOR LONG-LOST IRISH CASTLE
Atila found the vessels in the storage of the Bergama Museum in Bergama, Turkey, while doing research on a separate project.
After noticing that some of the glasses contained residues, he went back with his colleagues to collect the material.
“This find represents the first archaeological evidence of a medicine that we know was used during the Roman period.”
“While working on the Pergamon Museum glassware project, we expected we might uncover an ancient cosmetic or medicinal substance,” said Atila.
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“However, finding the very remedy described by Galen himself was both a great surprise and a source of immense excitement.”
Physician Galen is shown at left. “Finding the very remedy described by Galen himself was both a great surprise and a source of immense excitement for us,” said the researchers. (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images; Cenker Atila)
The residue was found in a vessel called a unguentarium, typically used to contain perfumes — but Atila said that it appears to have been repurposed as a medicine bottle.
He worked with his colleagues — chemist İlker Demirbolat and medical historian Rana Babaç Çelebi — to analyze the contents further.
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The residue contained human feces mixed with thyme and olive oil.
“Because we are well acquainted with ancient textual sources, we immediately recognized this as a medicinal preparation used by the famous physician Galen,” the archaeologist said.
The residue was found in a Roman-era glass vessel known as an unguentarium, typically used for perfumes but repurposed for medicine. (Cenker Atila)
“We therefore proceeded to publish our findings without delay.”
The thyme was used to mask the smell of human waste, as well as for its antibacterial properties, Atila said.
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And for those wondering whether it still smells today — Atila said it doesn’t.
“When we opened the bottle, we did not encounter any noticeable smell,” he said.
The vessel was found in Pergamon, a city historically associated with Galen’s medical work. (Leemage/Corbis via Getty Images)
“This find represents the first archaeological evidence of a medicine that we know was used during the Roman period.”
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He also said that the research proves that all archaeological finds — even seemingly ordinary ones — “should be examined with great care, as any object may contain material of substantial scientific importance.”
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American Airlines is marking its upcoming 100th anniversary with a nostalgic nod to its past.
Capitalizing on today’s popular retro food trend, the airline is introducing luxury menu offerings inspired by the Roaring Twenties. Beginning Feb. 9, travelers are able to preorder special dishes, with menus appearing on select flights starting in March, the airline said in a news release.
Adding decadent dishes like beef Wellington and prawn cocktail isn’t just a step back in time. The move also apparently addresses a growing frustration among travelers that in-flight dining has been less than satisfactory in recent years.
FROM RETRO TO REFINED: JELL-O SALAD AND SAVORY GELATIN DISHES MAKE UNEXPECTED RETURN
“Pan Am and similar airlines offered spacious seating arrangements, proper cutlery and fine dining,” a Reddit user posted on the “r/aviation” forum not long ago. “Not to mention [that] being an airline crew [member] was prestigious.”
“These amenities and circumstances are extremely cost-intensive … Today it is so far from the luxury it once was, [given that] cost-cutting and corporate culture reign supreme,” the Reddit user added.
American Airlines is now offering a limited-time in-flight menu inspired by the 1920s. (iStock)
American Airlines travelers may soon feel differently.
Appetizers will include a prawn cocktail and a Waldorf salad, with caviar, blinis and a deviled egg topped with crème fraîche added in April.
In domestic First Class, a Boursin cream cheese dip will also be offered on select long-haul routes, the airline said.
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The entrée selections continue the throwback theme, led by beef Wellington served with roasted vegetables and asparagus topped with béarnaise sauce.
A pecan tart will be among the dessert offerings.
Chicken Florentine roulade paired with mashed potatoes and mushroom sauce will be another entrée option. A pecan tart will be included in the dessert offerings, the airline said in its release.
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The menus will debut on select international and transcontinental flights in American’s Flagship First and Flagship Business cabins, with domestic First Class service added in April.
The offerings are for a limited time only, the airline noted.
The limited-time menus will roll out on select international and transcontinental flights in the company’s flagship first and business classes, expanding to domestic first class in April, the airline said. (iStock)
“Our centennial year is a chance to reflect on how far we’ve come,” said Rhonda Crawford, American’s SVP of Customer Experience Design and Strategy, in the release.
“These menus celebrate the flavors that defined the early days of American Airlines in a way that feels special and memorable for today’s travelers.”
Said one social media user on Reddit, “Different days indeed.”
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“Old guy here,” the person continued a few years ago in a post.
“Went on my first flight at 6 years old in 1970 from Chicago to Florida. Each ticket cost $500 (equivalent of maybe $2,500 now). We went out and bought special ‘airplane clothes,’ the equivalent of church attire. I remember eating steak on the plane.”
Appetizers in the new menu include a prawn cocktail and Waldorf salad (not pictured), with caviar to be added in April. (iStock)
Commenters reacting to American Airlines’ news took a variety of stances.
Writing on Instagram, one person said, “Caviar? I’ll believe it when I see it.”
Someone else wrote, “How about they bring back good service?”
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Fox News Digital reached out to American Airlines for further comment about the new menu offerings.
During 2026, “customers will continue to see additional centennial touches — from limited‑edition amenity kits and pajamas to other celebratory moments — with more initiatives to be announced throughout the year,” the airline said in its release.
Ashley J. DiMella of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.
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Nearly three decades after a 23-year-old woman was found stabbed to death in a drainage ditch in Azusa, California, prosecutors announced charges Monday against a 63-year-old man in a long-cold homicide case that investigators said was solved through DNA evidence.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said Brian Walton was charged with one count of murder, with special circumstance allegations that the killing of Claudia Guevara occurred during the commission of rape and sodomy.
“The victim’s family has waited for an agonizing 30 years to get that call to let them know their loved one’s killer had been found and charged,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement.
“While this was classified as a cold case, investigators and prosecutors never stopped in their relentless pursuit of justice, reaffirming our commitment to holding people accountable for the crimes they are accused of committing,” he added.
L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna, right, listens as Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman speaks during a news conference in Los Angeles, California, on Feb. 3, 2026. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Guevara, who was reported missing by her brother on Feb. 20, 1996, was last seen at a bus stop in El Monte. She had been dropped off by two co-workers and was never seen again.
Her nude body was found the following day in a drainage ditch near Encanto Parkway, where investigators determined she had been sexually assaulted and stabbed in the neck.
Sunshine lights up Bunker Hill and Los Angeles’ financial district after morning showers, seen from a rooftop along Spring Street on Sept. 10, 1996. (Ken Lubas/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Hochman’s office said DNA evidence linked Walton, who did not know the victim, to the crime.
FLORIDA COLD CASE BREAKTHROUGHS: SHERIFF’S UNIT CRACKS TWO LONG-UNSOLVED KILLINGS
Jail records from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reviewed by Fox News Digital show that Walton was arrested on Feb. 5 and is being held without bail.
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His next court appearance is scheduled for March 18 at 8:30 a.m.
If convicted, Walton faces life in prison without the possibility of parole, or the death penalty, though prosecutors said a decision on whether to seek capital punishment will be made later.
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A United Airlines passenger ended up in a different country after accidently boarding the wrong flight.
The passenger was headed from Los Angeles to Managua, Nicaragua, with a layover in Houston — but ended up in Tokyo, according to multiple reports.
A United Airlines spokesperson confirmed the incident to Fox News Digital.
AIRLINE PASSENGER ATTEMPTED TO OPEN PLANE DOOR IN MID-AIR, AUTHORITIES SAY
“We followed up with the airport to understand how this happened, reached out directly to the customer to apologize for his experience and offered travel credits and reimbursement,” the spokesperson said.
“We always advise customers to monitor the signs at the gate and boarding announcements to make sure the aircraft they board is going to their intended destination,” they added.
A Los Angeles traveler headed to Nicaragua accidentally flew to Tokyo on a United Airlines flight. The airline reached out to the customer directly “to understand how this happened,” the airline said. (United Airlines)
The passenger reportedly realized mid-flight that he or she was on the wrong flight — and asked the flight attendant why the trip to Houston was taking six hours, rather than just over three hours.
The person landed at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan — and stayed at a hotel for two nights while United sorted out a travel itinerary to the original destination.
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The airline allegedly first offered a $300 travel credit as an apology — but later offered $1,000 in travel credits, the blog “View from the Wing” reported.
A Reddit user posted the mishap in the “r/unitedairlines” forum, sparking a debate about users.
“I’d love to go to Japan by mistake,” wrote one person on social media about the incident. (Robert Alexander/Getty Images)
“Yeah… [if] by 6 hours you haven’t arrived in Houston, something is wrong,” wrote one person. “I’d love to go to Japan by mistake, though.”
Another person wrote, “Not saying it happened here, but several airports have two or even three gates connected to the same area. Once you scan your ticket, you can get onto any of the planes.”
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“They typically announce the flight’s destination at least one time before they close the door. Perhaps a lack of technology or a language barrier was involved here,” said a different user.
A user wrote, “My childhood fear … I used to travel at that age and always checked the flight map on screen [to see if I was] going to the correct destination.”
!["Yeah… [if] by 6 hours you haven’t arrived in Houston, something is wrong," said one person about the inadvertent trip to Tokyo.](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2018/09/1200/675/tokyoistock.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 "A United passenger boarded the wrong flight, wound up in Tokyo instead of Nicaragua 22")
“Yeah… [if] by 6 hours you haven’t arrived in Houston, something is wrong,” said one person about the inadvertent trip to Tokyo. (iStock)
“How do you accidentally board the wrong flight? There are so many things this guy should’ve noticed,” said one individual.
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Another user commented, “You would be surprised how clueless people are.”
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A metal detectorist exploring an Australian Gold Rush-era campsite made a remarkable discovery in recent weeks — even without striking gold.
Angus James, a treasure hunter in the Australian state of Victoria, was sweeping an abandoned sports field — known locally as a sports oval — on Jan. 24 when he uncovered an unusual coin.
The field, north of the mining town of Ballarat, had been used as a campsite during the Australian Gold Rush, which began in 1851 and continued for decades.
HAUNTING ANCIENT BATTLE TRUMPET UNEARTHED IN LANDSCAPE TIED TO LEGENDARY QUEEN
Digging in the dirt, James realized the coin was Japanese in origin — and made of bronze.
The find was no ordinary piece of currency.
A rare Japanese bronze coin was discovered at a former Gold Rush-era campsite. Finding the coin was “such a buzz,” said treasure hunter Angus James, at right. (Angus James, @GOLDCOINRELICS via Facebook)
It was a 100 Mon Tempo Tsuho, a coin that held modest purchasing power and was commonly used for small, everyday transactions in 19th-century Japan.
Interestingly, the characters on the coin are Chinese, even though it was produced in Japan during the mid-19th century — a common practice at the time.
MASSIVE INDUSTRIAL SITE UNCOVERED IN UNLIKELY LOCATION AS ARCHAEOLOGISTS CITE ‘ENORMOUS’ POTENTIAL
Unearthing the artifact was “such a buzz,” James told Fox News Digital. “Finding a Japanese coin this old in Australia is extremely rare.”
“I have found Chinese coins from the Gold Rush era… To find a Japanese coin this old is a great discovery.“
“I can’t wait to see what else I can detect from this location.”
James shared his finds on Facebook. When he first uncovered the coin, he said he felt immediate excitement — and intrigue.
“At first I had no idea what it was because I have never found anything like it,” he said.
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He was “not expecting to find something so unique in the area,” he added, as his eyes were originally set on Australian coins and jewelry. He’s even found gold nuggets in recent weeks.
The Japanese coin features Chinese characters, a common practice during the mid-19th century, when it was produced. (Angus James, @GOLDCOINRELICS via Facebook)
He described the site as “extremely old,” adding that it was originally a campsite. He said it hadn’t been used as a sports field since the 1950s.
“I have started to uncover other relics, including a belt buckle dated around the 1840s, and a trade token coin with the date 1855,” said James.
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“I can’t wait to see what else I can detect from this location.”
And for those interested in metal detecting, James raved about the hobby, encouraging people to “go for it.”
The Australian Gold Rush, which began in 1851, drew miners and migrants from around the world to Victoria. (The Print Collector/Getty Images)
“Metal detecting is such a great hobby,” he said.
“You get great exercise [and] fresh air, and you can also find some pretty amazing things,” he said.
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“I take my young boys with me all the time. They absolutely love it also.”
The artifact is among several coin-related discoveries that were recently uncovered, thanks to metal detecting.
“Metal detecting is such a great hobby,” said James. (Angus James, @GOLDCOINRELICS via Facebook)
This winter, the children of Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders found ancient coins in a previously-unknown cave in the West Bank.
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In Scotland, a metal detectorist recently handed over the oldest Scotland-made coin ever found to the country’s national museum.
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Many travelers and cruise lovers may consider scuba diving during a vacation trip a cherished bucket-list item — but a pair of recent deaths have driven home concerns about diving risks for older Americans, even as experts say the activity remains relatively safe.
A 64-year-old woman in West Hills, California, passed away on Jan. 26 after going scuba diving off the coast of Catalina Island in the Golden State, authorities said.
She exhibited signs of distress while diving, the Los Angeles Times reported — and died later at a hospital.
NEARLY 70 SKIERS STRANDED IN MIDAIR FOR HOURS AFTER GONDOLA MALFUNCTIONS AT POPULAR RESORT
On that same day, a 66-year-old man from Waukee, Iowa, died in a diving accident off the coast of Manasota Key Beach, Florida.
He and a diving partner had gone hunting for shark teeth, according to reports — but he never resurfaced. His body was found several hours later.
A pair of recent deaths have driven home concerns about diving risks for older Americans, even as experts say the activity remains relatively safe. (iStock)
Both deaths are still being investigated.
There are some 2.5 million scuba divers in the U.S. each year, according to the Diving Equipment & Marketing Association, a trade group headquartered in San Diego — and serious incidents are rare.
Experts say deaths are uncommon, particularly when divers are properly screened, trained and prepared.
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Still, physicians point out that age-related changes can make diving adventures riskier.
The body doesn’t always respond the same way while underwater, and pre-existing medical conditions can become exacerbated during a dive. Aging affects multiple systems needed during scuba diving, say experts — and cardiovascular health is one of the most significant.
Doctors say the body doesn’t always respond the same way underwater. (AP Photo/Chris Gillette)
Cardiac events account for roughly 20% to 30% of diving-related deaths. The likelihood increases in older adults, according to the Divers Alert Network, an international nonprofit headquartered in Durham, North Carolina. It’s focused on diver safety and emergency assistance.
“The key medical considerations are — in my opinion, first and foremost — cardiovascular health. Pre-dive cardiac screening is essential,” Dr. Lara Lambiase, a dive medicine specialist, told InDEPTH magazine in Sept. 2025.
SHOVELING SNOW COULD POSE DANGEROUS HEALTH RISK FOR ONE GROUP, EXPERTS WARN
“Aging can also reduce lung elasticity, which may become a critical factor.”
Older travelers are encouraged to schedule a medical evaluation before they go diving. The evaluation should include a cardiovascular assessment and a discussion about pre-existing medical conditions.
“Aging can reduce lung elasticity, which may become a critical factor.”
Many older adults are managing chronic conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure or pulmonary issues, or take medications that can affect exertion, hydration or breathing.
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“Remember that you should get in shape to scuba dive,” Dr. Douglas Ebersole, a cardiology consultant for the Divers Alert Network, told the same publication last year. “You should not scuba dive to get in shape.”
Preparation is key — and choosing reputable dive operators is essential, experts say.
Underwater landscapes can be enjoyed as long as precautions are taken. (AP Photo/Catlin Seaview Survey)
Refresher training can be helpful, even for experienced divers. Reviewing skills such as air management, buoyancy control and emergency procedures can reduce stress and fatigue during dives.
“A major problem is the seasonal diver who returns after six months away and is not ready at all,” Neal W. Pollock, dive physiology researcher, said last year, according to the same source.
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“We do not always admit we are slipping — but, over time, we all do.”
Experts recommend staying within conservative depth and time limits, avoiding overexertion and adding rest days.
Turks and Caicos, a popular destination for scuba diving, is shown above. “A major problem is the seasonal diver who returns after six months away and is not ready at all,” said one expert. (iStock)
Staying hydrated and avoiding alcohol before dives can help reduce fatigue and stress, particularly in hot, tropical environments, they also note.
Travelers should ensure dive operators carry oxygen and have emergency protocols.
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Lastly, experts encourage buddy practices.
They recommend that people stay close to a dive partner and avoid solo dives.
Rich Zeoli, host of “The Rich Zeoli Podcast,” tells Jimmy he doesn’t think anybody will face any real charges following the release of the Epstein files. But the Clintons testifying could set a trap precedent for President Trump down the road.
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The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee piled onto calls from Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., on Monday for Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to step down in light of alleged business ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Files released by the DOJ suggest that Lutnick and Epstein bought stakes together in a technology company called Adfin in 2012.
Lutnick, who is listed among nine other investors, appears as a “signatory” alongside Epstein, who is named as a “preferred holder.”
Notably, the purchase is dated four years after Epstein was convicted in 2008 for sexual abuse involving a 14-year-old girl.
DOJ PUBLISHES TROVE OF EPSTEIN FILES, SAYS MORE TO COME AFTER FRIDAY DEADLINE
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., Robert Garcia, D-Calif., and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are pictured from left to right. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images; Tasha Poullard/Lexington Herald-Leader/Tribune News Service via Getty Images; Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)
Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., said the documents clearly contradicted previous statements from Lutnick about his relationship with Epstein.
“It’s now clear that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has been lying about his relationship with Epstein. He said he had no interactions with Epstein after 2005, and we now know they were in business together,” Garcia said in a post to X.
“Lutnick must resign or be fired. And he must answer our questions,” Garcia added.
Garcia’s calls follow similar comments made by Massie on Sunday. When asked about Lutnick’s appearance in the files on CNN, Massie also said that Lutnick should step down.
MASSIE, KHANNA TO VISIT DOJ TO REVIEW UNREDACTED EPSTEIN FILES
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., arrives for a House vote on Feb. 3, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“He should just resign. Prince [Andrew] lost his title for less than what we’ve seen Howard Lutnick lie about,” Massie said, referring to the member of the royal family who was stripped of his titles last year for his association with Epstein.
“He was in business with Jeffrey Epstein — and this was many years after Epstein was convicted for sexual crimes. So, he’s got a lot to answer for.”
LAWMAKERS ESCALATE EPSTEIN PROBE WITH POSSIBLE BILL GATES SUBPOENA
Other documents in the Epstein files reveal communications between Lutnick and Epstein’s staff that suggest Lutnick may have met with Epstein in the Virgin Islands.
“Jeffrey Epstein understands you will be down in St. Thomas some over the holidays. Jeffrey requested I please pass along some phone numbers to you so the two of you can possibly get together,” an assistant to Epstein wrote in an email dated November 2012.
In response to an inquiry from Fox News Digital on the criticism from Garcia and Massie, a spokesperson for the Department of Commerce framed their demands as a distraction.
Howard Lutnick, Commerce secretary, participates in a roundtable in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 10, 2025. (Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“Mr. Lutnick met Jeffrey Epstein in 2005 and had very limited interactions with him over the next 14 years,” the spokesperson said.
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“This is nothing more than a failing attempt by the legacy media to distract from the administration’s accomplishments, including securing trillions of dollars in investment, delivering historic trade deals and fighting for the American worker.”
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., did not respond to a request for comment on whether the committee would consider questioning Lutnick as a part of the committee’s ongoing probe of Epstein and his crimes.
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing one of the most serious crises of his premiership after a cascade of resignations, renewed scrutiny over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to Washington and mounting unrest inside the ruling Labor Party ahead of a critical meeting of members of Parliament Monday evening.
On Monday, Scottish Labor leader Anas Sarwar became the most senior party figure to call for Starmer’s resignation, saying “the distraction needs to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change,” according to the Associated Press. His intervention piles fresh pressure on the prime minister.
At the center of the crisis are newly publicized materials detailing Mandelson’s links to Jeffrey Epstein, revelations that have reshaped the political stakes and triggered questions about vetting at the highest levels of government. Documents cited by Fox News Digital report Mandelson maintained contact with Epstein after his 2008 conviction, and that Epstein transferred about $75,000 in 2003 and 2004 to accounts connected to Mandelson or his husband.
KEIR STARMER’S CHIEF OF STAFF RESIGNS AFTER RECOMMENDING EPSTEIN-CONNECTED AMBASSADOR
Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s chief of staff and one of the most influential figures inside Downing Street, stepped down on Sunday after acknowledging his role in recommending Mandelson for the diplomatic post. In a resignation statement obtained by The Guardian, McSweeney said the decision was “wrong” and he accepted responsibility, calling his departure the “only honorable course.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, talks with Britain’s ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, during a welcome reception at the ambassador’s residence in Washington, on Feb. 26, 2025. (Carl Court/Pool Photo via AP)
The pressure intensified hours later when Tim Allan, the prime minister’s director of communications, also resigned, according to GB News. Allan, a veteran New Labor strategist, became the second senior aide to exit as the political fallout deepened.
Dr. John Hemmings, director of the National Security Center at the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital the prime minister is now under escalating political pressure and that “it’s unclear as to whether he’ll survive.”
“Prime Minister Starmer is coming under ever-increasing political pressure to resign here in London in the wake of the scandal around Lord Mandelson — his appointed ambassador to the United States — and his connection to Jeffrey Epstein. He has lost two close aides and is under attack for his China foreign policy. The Chagos Deal is under scrutiny and his trip to Beijing was largely viewed as devoid of real results,” Hemmings said.
Alan Mendoza, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, added: “It is extraordinary to be in a situation where a prime minister who won a landslide general election victory only 20 months ago is now on the verge of being forced to resign. We are here as a result of a series of policy U-turns and bad judgment calls culminating in the Lord Mandelson debacle. His fate is now ultimately in the hands of the Parliamentary Labor Party tonight. If he feels he no longer has their confidence, then there is every chance that this will be the end of Keir Starmer.”
STARMER CALLS ON EX-PRINCE ANDREW TO TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS AFTER LATEST EPSTEIN RELEASE
Peter Mandelson speaks during a welcome reception for British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, at the ambassador’s residence on Feb. 26, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Carl Court/Pool via Reuters)
Starmer has sought to contain the damage, saying he regrets the appointment. In remarks reported by GB News on Monday, the prime minister said: “I have been absolutely clear that I regret the decision that I made to appoint Peter Mandelson. And I’ve apologized to the victims, which is the right thing to do.” He added that scandals of this kind risk undermining public faith in politics.
The prime minister now faces a showdown with Labor lawmakers, with backbench MPs expected to challenge his leadership at a party meeting Monday evening U.K. time. A senior Labor MP told GB News the “clock is ticking” and called for decisive action to “cleanse politics.”
Downing Street has insisted Starmer will not resign despite the double departure. A spokesperson told journalists that the prime minister is “getting on with the job in hand and delivering change across the country,” and he remains “upbeat and confident,” and retains Cabinet support.
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Peter Mandelson sits with Jeffrey Epstein as he blows out the candles on a cake, in an undated photograph released by the U.S. Justice Department on Dec. 19, 2025, as part of a trove of documents from its investigations into Epstein. (U.S. Justice Department/Handout via Reuters)
The political damage, however, extends beyond staffing turmoil. Mandelson was withdrawn from the ambassador role after additional details about his relationship with Epstein emerged, and he resigned from the Labor Party earlier this month, leaving Starmer confronting what experts describe as the most acute test of his leadership since taking office.
Fox News Digital’s Ashley Carnahan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Archaeologists in Germany recently revealed a secret tunnel from the Middle Ages — a tunnel hidden within a much older burial site.
The findings were revealed in a Jan. 29 press release by the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology of Saxony-Anhalt (LDA Saxony-Anhalt).
The tunnel was found in the Middle Neolithic burial complex near Reinstedt, Germany. Officials estimate the burial complex was used by members of the Baalberge culture in the 4th millennium B.C.
MAJOR ROMAN TREASURE HOARD RECOVERED AFTER DETECTORIST KEPT IT SECRET FOR YEARS
Excavators found it late last year ahead of wind turbine construction, officials said.
Some 5,000 years later, an erdstall — or underground tunnel system — was built into the loess, or compact wind-deposited silt, at the site.
Archaeologists in Germany uncovered a medieval underground tunnel, seen at left, built into a much older Neolithic burial complex near Reinstedt. (Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt, Ulf Petzschmann; iStock)
The erdstall dates back to the late Middle Ages — and officials said that its purpose is unclear.
“Interpretations of erdstalls range from hiding places to spaces used for cultic activities,” the statement said.
Archaeologists initially believed the feature was a grave.
The ditch, described as “trapezoidal,” was part of a site that contained several “poorly preserved” burials that date to the Late Neolithic period of the 3rd millennium B.C.
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Seeing a stone slab at the northern end of the pit, archaeologists initially believed the feature was a grave — before realizing it was actually an underground tunnel.
Officials said the feature continued downward into the loess beneath the prehistoric site.
A stone slab at the entrance of the erdstall was initially believed to mark a grave before archaeologists identified an underground tunnel. (Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt, Ulf Petzschmann)
Excavators found late medieval pottery, numerous stones and small cavities in the loess fill — which made clear that the structure was an erdstall.
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The underground passage contained a horseshoe and some traces of charcoal from a fire that “burned briefly,” officials said — as well as animal remains.
The Neolithic ditch enclosure may have remained visible above ground during medieval times, officials speculated. (Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt, Simon Meier)
It appeared to be intentionally sealed, adding to the mystery of the site.
Officials said, “At the narrowest point of the entrance, an accumulation of larger stones stacked on top of one another was observed, which could indicate an intentional sealing of the entrance.”
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Officials speculated the Neolithic ditch enclosure was likely still recognizable above ground during the late Middle Ages. It’s possible that the tunnel was built there because medieval Christians would have purposely avoided a pagan burial site.
Late medieval pottery, stones and small cavities helped confirm the structure as an erdstall, officials said. (Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt, Ulf Petzschmann)
The find is part of a series of recent archaeological discoveries reported across Germany.
Last summer, excavators found a mysterious Roman-era settlement site in North Rhine-Westphalia, with building remains and artifacts surviving nearly 2,000 years.
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During another summer excavation, archaeologists unearthed a hoard of early medieval treasures — and a rare cross — on the banks of an inlet in northern Germany.