Friday newspaper round-up: Amazon, Barclays, Epstein

6th Feb 2026 07:22

(Sharecast News) - Amazon announced plans to spend $200bn on artificial intelligence and robotics this year, the latest tech giant to vow fresh enormous investments in the artificial intelligence arms race. The news of the investment comes one day after the Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, announced it was cutting approximately a third of employees. - Guardian

Barclays has reportedly cut ties with the lobbying firm co-founded by Peter Mandelson, after intense scrutiny of the founders' dealings with the late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Vodafone has also said it is reviewing its contract for public affairs services with Global Counsel, which Mandelson co-founded in 2010 after Labour lost the general election. - Guardian

A barrister has been suspended from one of London's most prestigious legal chambers over links to Jeffrey Epstein. Matthieu de Boisséson has been suspended by Littleton Chambers pending an investigation after he appeared in documents released by the US department of justice (DoJ) related to the paedophile financier. Mr de Boisséson denies any wrongdoing. - Telegraph

Two businessmen charged by the Serious Fraud Office in its investigation into suspected fraud at Safe Hands Plans have been accused of agreeing a "dishonest plan" to take control of the customer trust via the Cayman Islands to "enrich themselves". In a hearing on Thursday at Westminster magistrates' court, Richard Wells, 39, a former director of the pre-paid funeral business's holding company, and Neil Debenham, 43, were alleged to have used trust money to buy luxury £1 million homes. - The Times

Jeffrey Epstein was introduced to Ghislaine Maxwell by her brother Kevin as part of a plan for the paedophile financier to help the Maxwell family "move money", according to a previously undisclosed account of the origins of the scandal. Kevin Maxwell, once Britain's biggest bankrupt, was "instructed to meet Epstein by his father", Robert Maxwell, according to FBI records of conversations with a former business associate of the Maxwells that have been released by the US Department of Justice. - The Times