Watching Keir Starmer under siege in the House of Commons this week, it’s hard not to see the Mandelson affair as an existential crisis for his prime ministership. Many in his party were already disgruntled by a string of unpopular decisions and forced U-turns over the past 18 months and troubled by their party’s dismal polling ahead of the May council elections. Now they are disgusted by the circumstances in which he appointed Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US last year, ignoring strong advice and, as we know now, with knowledge of Mandelson’s continuing relationship with the paedophile sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

The scandal, which has tied the UK government directly into the sordid Epstein affair, has raised serious questions about the prime minister’s political judgement. In the chamber, he looked in vain for supporters – they all seemed to have run for cover. Political analyst Thomas Caygill believes the fact that none of the most likely challengers are ready to step up right now may buy him some time, but it’s unlikely to save his prime ministership.

In all the finger-pointing and fury about the sleazy behaviour, dubious friendships and questionable business practices revealed in the 3 million Epstein documents released last week, one of the most damning things of all has largely been ignored. Many of Epstein’s victims have been detailing his crimes for years. But what’s worse, while the documents have been heavily redacted before release, many of their names and personal details were released, indicating some seriously skewed priorities in this process.

Further afield, delegates from Ukraine, Russia and the United States gathered in Abu Dhabi for a second round of talks as Vlaidmir Putin continued to bombard Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, denying people light and heating in the coldest winter in a decade. The Russian leader is hoping this will pressure Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, into conceding territory in the Donbas region. But to give up the fortified Donbas line would be fatal for Ukraine, opening the way for Russia’s war machine to sweep through the country.

My dad used to crack his knuckles at the dinner table, much to the annoyance of my mum and the delight of my big brother who subsequently adopted the habit. I say this because this week’s Strange Health podcast is all about why our joints sometimes go snap, crack or pop. As ever, health editor Katie Edwards and GP and physiology scholar Dan Baumgardt are on hand to explain, and there’s a video which, spoiler alert, some people may find hard to watch (I did).

Also this week: the poisonous plants that can be good for your health, how medieval women used falconry to subvert gender norms, and how the replacements for ozone-depleting CFCs are flooding the atmosphere with a potentially harmful “forever chemical”. Plus as Nasa continues to prepare for its soon-to-launch lunar mission, we examine why the programme includes a space station around the moon?

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