Six O'Clock News

Gordon Brown says Sir Keir Starmer is in a "serious" situation as he battles to keep his job - but insisted the Prime Minister was the right man to "clean up the system". Sir Keir is facing scrutiny about his appointment of Lord Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to the US - after files released by the US Department of Justice suggested the peer had close links with the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Also: President Zelensky says Russia has used more than 400 drones and around 40 missiles in its latest attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. And: At the Winter Olympics in Italy, the first gold medal has been won by the Swiss skier, Franjo von Allmen, who was crowned champion of the men's downhill in Bormio.

Police say they are searching two properties linked to Lord Mandelson, as they investigate allegations of misconduct in a public office, related to his communication with Jeffrey Epstein. The BBC understands Lord Mandelson doesn't believe he's acted in any way criminally. Also: The serial killer, Steve Wright, has been sentenced to a minimum of 40 years for murdering 17-year-old Victoria Hall in 1999, seven years before he killed five more women. And rugby fans have criticised ITV for showing adverts while last night's Six Nations match between Ireland and France was in play.

The Prime Minister apologises to victims of Jeffrey Epstein for appointing Lord Mandelson as ambassador to Washington, but some Labour MPs say he must go. Also: The governor of the Bank of England says interest rates should continue to fall, but not to the levels seen at the start of the pandemic. And passengers complain of long queues at passport control in some European airports as a new biometric system is rolled out further.

The Prime Minister has told the Commons that Lord Mandelson lied repeatedly about the depth of his relationship with the sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein while being vetted for the role of US ambassador. Also: Six Palestine Action protesters are cleared of aggravated burglary at a UK subsidiary of an Israeli defence firm. And a long-term plan for cancer care in England has been published by the government.

The BBC understands that the Metropolitan Police is to launch a criminal investigation into claims that Lord Mandelson passed market-sensitive information to the paedophile financier, Jeffrey Epstein. Also: President Zelensky says Russia has used a record number of ballistic missiles to target Ukraine's energy sector. And rescue teams in Australia have described a teenager who saved his family after they were swept out to sea as "superhuman".