In a week where global headlines have been dominated, daily, by the fall out from what the Trump administration calls, “The final release”, of files, compelled to act by US law to make public unclassified records related to Jeffrey Epstein, in order to bring full transparency into Epstein’s dark world of child sex abuse and trafficking.
An unprecedented 3 million pages of files with hundreds of thousands of videos and images were finally disclosed a month AFTER the government deadline - the late publication ostensibly because of redactions needed for victim protection. The survivors groups who have been fighting for transparency and justice for years, say the redactions are in all the wrong places. This is Annie Farmer, who was sexually abused by Epstein and gave key testimony in the conviction of Ghislaine Maxwell.
It’s been a week of remarkably similar statements being issued from a list of the rich, the famous and the powerful, who appear to have been less transparent about the extent of their dealings with the child sex offender. Tech Billionaire Bill Gates, the Crown Princess of Norway Mette Marit, and author and CNN analyst Peter Attia spoke of regret, remorse and naivety in their associations. There are also questions of judgement, though they’re not accused of any illegality, for Richard Branson, Elon Musk, Noam Chomsky, Howard Lutnick and President Trump, who’s attempting to draw the issue to a close.
The unearthing of the files has caused serious ramifications in the UK this week, with headlines speaking of “the Princes of Darkness”, referring to long time Labour peer Peter Mandelson, the ex British ambassador to the US, and Andrew Mountbatten Windsor the ex-prince who is facing his own fresh allegations of sex crimes now being assessed by police. He denies any wrongdoing, but is increasingly isolated, seen moving out of Royal Lodge before midnight on Monday.
Peter Mandelson has been stripped of his knighthood, forced to leave the Labour party, and now faces a criminal investigation into the alleged sending of confidential government information to Epstein, swapping, it is claimed, information for money and influence, which he denies. The fall out is also reaching the man who appointed him ambassador, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, at risk of losing his job over it.
Elsewhere, while the threat of US intervention in Iran appears to have diminished slightly, with direct talks between US and Iranian officials in Omab. While, it’s been another week of peace talks for Ukraine. In ever shifting locations, this week the hosts were the United Arab Emirates, brokered by the US, with Russian and Ukrainian delegations. Little progress reported, Russia’s unrelenting demands for extra territory the sticking point, but another prisoner exchange was agreed and completed. As the fourth anniversary of the war approaches President Zelensky acknowledged the human cost, telling French television that 55 thousand Ukrainian soldiers have died. The French President told reporters that preparations were being made to restore direct communication between Europe and the Kremlin.
Produced by Gavin Lee, Andrew Hilliar, Daniel Whittington, Alessandro Xenos.
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Anne BAGAMERY Independent journalist
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Emma-Kate SYMONS Journalist, The New World & Editor, Conspiracy Watch Global
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Niall STANAGE White House Columnist at The Hill
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Barry LEVINE Investigative reporter
English (US) · 