Elon Musk urges release of Epstein files weeks after Trump accusations

Elon Musk has renewed calls to release the unredacted Jeffrey Epstein files, weeks after accusing Donald Trump of being in them.

After the president reignited the pair’s rift earlier this week, the tech billionaire issued a one-word reply to MAGA activist Scott Presler on X on Thursday, who wrote: “Release the unredacted Epstein files.”

“Yes,” Musk responded, without explicitly mentioning Trump.

The demand came just hours before the House was expected to vote on the president’s showpiece tax bill, which Musk claims will push the U.S. into “debt slavery.”

Musk began calling for the release of the remaining investigative documents related to Epstein’s sex-trafficking case after his explosive fallout with Trump last month over the president’s “pork-filled” signature megabill.

After promising to release the “first phase” of declassified Epstein files on February 27, Attorney General Pam Bondi faced MAGA backlash when the documents turned out to contain information already publicly available.

The Tesla CEO claimed, without evidence, that the “real reason” the documents remained sealed was that the president was somehow connected to the disgraced financier’s crimes.

“Time to drop the really big bomb,” Musk tweeted on June 5. “@realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!”

He followed up shortly after: “Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.”

While Trump and Epstein were friends for decades before their fall-out in the early 2000s, the president has denied any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse.

About six days later, Musk said he regretted some of the posts about Trump, claiming they “went too far.”

On Monday, Trump rekindled his feud with Musk, threatening to unleash the Department of Government Efficiency – the government slashing force Musk once ran – against him and warning he may have to “go back to South Africa.”

The veiled threat was in response to Musk escalating his anti-Republican rhetoric and his scathing criticism of the president’s “big, beautiful bill,” which House Republicans are hoping to send to Trump’s desk by their Independence Day deadline.

“Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa,” Trump said.

“No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE. Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!”

The current version of the president’s bill could make electric vehicle ownership more expensive by eliminating consumer tax credits for new EVs.

Trump said earlier this week that the Biden administration’s EV mandate is “ridiculous,” adding: “Electric cars are fine, but not everyone should be forced to own one.”

Deputy head of Russian Navy killed in Ukrainian attack on Kursk

The deputy head of the Russian Navy been killed in Russia’s Kursk region, a Russian official confirmed on Thursday.

Major General Mikhail Gudkov, who also led a brigade fighting against Ukraine, had been killed alongside 10 other servicemen in a Ukrainian attack on a command post, unofficial military Telegram channels reported earlier.

The news of the death comes after Ukraine summoned the acting US envoy to Kyiv to warn the Trump administration that any “delay or procrastination” in supplying the war-hit nation with weapons will only benefit Russia.

The US has blocked a number of planned shipments to Ukraine that included Patriot air defence missiles and precision-guided artillery, warning that its own domestic stockpiles were running low but said that “robust” options for Kyiv were still lined up.

Ukraine has complained that this pause in military aid has allowed Russian forces to advance further inside Ukrainian territory.

Russian forces have penetrated up to 7km (4 miles) into the northern Sumy region from different directions along the border and the war’s largest battle is being waged in Donetsk as Russia inches toward its stated goal of capturing all of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Mystery over ‘unusually large’ Roman shoes unearthed

Archaeologists have been left baffled after unearthing “unusually large” 2,000-year-old Roman shoes in Northumberland.

Eight shoes at least 30cm (11.8in) long – the equivalent of a UK size 13 to 14 – were discovered at Magna Roman Fort earlier this year.

Archaeologist Rachel Frame said the leather shoes had all been found in a defensive ditch, which the Romans also used as rubbish dumps.

“We have to assume it’s something to do with the people living here, having bigger feet, being potentially taller, but we don’t know,” she told the BBC.

“Are the people living there from a specific region? Could that be why their shoes are so much larger? But at the moment, it’s sort of, well – this is unusual.”

Due to low oxygen conditions in the soil at the sites, the leather shoes have been preserved for centuries, according to Dr Frame.

Dr Elizabeth Greene, associate professor at the University of Western Ontario and Vindolanda’s shoe specialist, has seen and measured every shoe found at the site.

She said: “I think there is something very different going on here at Magna. Even from this small sample uncovered, it is clear that these shoes are much larger on average than most.”

Last year, a section of one of Britain’s most important Roman roads was unearthed in south-east London in a “remarkable” archaeological discovery.

The 2,000-year-old road, known as Watling Street, ran from the Roman port at Dover through London to the West Midlands.

The 276-mile route was built shortly after the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43 and was used by visiting emperors, including Hadrian in AD 122 when he ordered the building of his wall separating England and Scotland.

Archaeologist Gillian King said the discovery had redrawn the Roman road map in the capital. She added: “It is a key finding for archaeological research for London.”

The section of road revealed lies to the south of the junction of Old Kent Road and Ilderton Road and was well-preserved, measuring about 19ft (5.8m) wide by almost 5ft (1.4m) high.

Southwark Council said distinct layers can be seen, and that the road shows a solid foundation of compacted gravel that was sealed with two layers of chalk before being topped with another layer of compacted sand and gravel.

It added that the original surface of the road would probably have been made from the same material and would have sat at a similar level to the modern road, but that over time this had been lost.

The London portion of Watling Street was rediscovered during Christopher Wren’s rebuilding of St Mary-le-Bow in 1671 to 1673, following the Great Fire of London in 1666.

Man injures four in axe attack on German train, police say

A man on a long-distance train in southern Germany attacked and slightly injured four people with an axe Thursday before he was detained by police, authorities said.

Police in Straubing said the attack happened on an ICE express train headed to the Austrian capital of Vienna while it was between Straubing and Plattling in the southern state of Bavaria.

About 500 people were on board when the attack happened, police said.

About 150 police officers, firefighters and emergency personnel were deployed to the scene, police added. The railway line was closed down.

Police did not immediately provide further details on the identity of the attacker or his motive, but later said that he was overpowered by fellow passengers and had also been injured.

Police later said that in addition to the axe, the perpetrator may also have used other weapons.

The perpetrator “is probably somewhat more seriously injured,” a police spokesperson told German news agency dpa. He was in police custody and receiving medical treatment.

The injured passengers were taken to nearby hospitals.

According to the Bavarian Red Cross, the emergency services were alerted at around 2 p.m. local time, after passengers pulled the emergency brakes. The train came to a halt near the village of Straßkirchen, dpa reported.

The Red Cross said a special care centre was set up nearby to take care of passengers. In addition to numerous rescue services and two helicopters, psychological caregivers were deployed to help those who were not injured but might have been traumatised.

German rail operator Deutsche Bahn said in a statement that “our thoughts and sympathy are with the injured and all those who now have to come to terms with what they have experienced,” and thanked emergency services for the quick arrest of the suspect.

Germany has seen several violent attacks in public spaces in recent months.In May, a woman stabbed and injured more than a dozen people at Hamburg’s central station.

In February, a driver plowed into a demonstration in Munich, killing two and injuring more than 20.

In December, a man killed six and injured more than 200 when he drove a car through a Christmas market in Magdeburg.

Could Trump pardon Diddy?

Since Sean “Diddy” Combs was found guilty on two federal charges, the question of whether President Donald Trump could pardon him has resurfaced.

Diddy, 55, was acquitted Wednesday of the most serious federal charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, but was convicted on two counts of transporting individuals for prostitution.

Trump is no stranger to pardoning rappers or reality TV stars. In the final days of his first term, Trump granted pardons for rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black: Wayne for federal weapons charges and Kodak for similar firearm-related offenses.

In May 2025, Trump continued this trend by pardoning NBA YoungBoy, who had faced federal weapons violations, and commuting the sentence of Larry Hoover, a former gang leader whose case had long drawn attention from artists like Kanye West and Drake.

Trump also granted full pardons to Todd and Julie Chrisley, stars of the reality TV show Chrisley Knows Best, in May 2025 after their convictions on fraud and tax evasion.

He previously pardoned Angela Stanton-King, a former cast member of BET’s From the Bottom Up, in 2020. Stanton-King had served time for her role in a stolen car ring and later became a political activist.

The short answer is yes: Trump could pardon Diddy.

The president has the authority to pardon anyone he chooses for federal crimes and offenses against the United States.

However, pardoning Diddy would be controversial based on the alleged sexual assaults involved in this case.

Trump didn’t rule out pardoning Diddy during a White House press briefing on May 30, though he did note that no one from Diddy’s camp has formally reached out to explore that process.

“I would certainly look at the facts,” Trump responded to a reporter who asked the question. “If I think somebody was mistreated – whether they like me or don’t like me, it wouldn’t have any impact.”

“I haven’t seen him. I haven’t spoken to him in years,” Trump continued. “He used to really like me a lot, but I think when I ran for politics, that relationship busted up, from what I read.”

“You know, it’s different. You become a much different person when you run for politics, and you do what’s right,” the president said. “I could do other things, and I’m sure he’d like me, and I’m sure other people would like me, but it wouldn’t be as good for our country.”

Suge Knight, Diddy’s longtime music mogul rival, told NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo in a phone call from prison in May that he feels Diddy has some “influence” that could affect the case outcome.

“I think he’s got some favors with the government,” Knight said of Diddy.

“I think they’re gonna show him a little leeway. It might not seem like it when it’s all said and done, but I don’t think he has nothing to worry about, and I don’t think he’s worried because he’s gonna be federal, and if he gets convicted, Trump’s gonna pardon him,” Knight added.

In a since-deleted Instagram post on June 5, captured by Rolling Stone, rapper 50 Cent posted old clips of Diddy condemning Trump.

“[Diddy] said some really bad things about Trump, it’s not ok. I’m gonna reach out so he knows how I feel about this guy,” 50 Cent captioned the post.

“Donald doesn’t take well to disrespect, and doesn’t forget who chooses to go against him. While working tirelessly to make America great again there is no room for distraction. He would consider pardoning anyone who was being mistreated not Puffy Daddy,” the “In Da Club” rapper continued.

In June, Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee, who is representing dozens of people with civil suits against Diddy for alleged sex crimes, said he does not think the president would pardon the “Bad Boyyz For Life” rapper.

“I don’t think there’s any chance in hell that Donald J. Trump pardons P. Diddy,” Buzbee told Vulture. “He may have been sending it up the flagpole to see what the reaction was, and obviously it was a huge reaction and TMZ went nuts and everybody else went nuts, but I don’t ever see that happening.”

How to host a Macmillan Coffee Morning like you’ve never seen before

What comes to mind when you think of a fundraising coffee morning? Soggy digestives, weak tea and sitting in a school hall having forced fun? Think again.

Macmillan Cancer Support are celebrating 35 years of the iconic Coffee Morning fundraiser, and we’re here to help you give your next Coffee Morning a glow-up. Behind the fun, Coffee Mornings help raise vital funds for people facing one of the toughest challenges of their lives.

Almost one in two people in the UK will get cancer in their lifetime, and no two experiences are the same. Where you live, who you are, or whether you have another health condition can all affect the care you receive – and that’s not fair. Macmillan is working to change that, doing whatever it takes to make sure everyone gets the best possible care, whoever and wherever they are.

So while tasty treats and fundraising fun of course get to stay, we’re leveling up the atmosphere with fresh ideas to keep everyone entertained.

Want to be a Coffee Morning Host?

Best of all, these new ways of raising vital funds don’t have to be expensive. In fact, they might even save you a bit of time, wardrobe space and money. Here’s how to host a Macmillan Coffee Morning like you’ve never seen before…

Organise a ‘style swap shop’

Clear out your wardrobe, raise money and bring your community together all at the same time by organising a ‘style swap shop’ – with all your finest, unworn or unwanted clothes and accessories.

Pack up the majestic hats you bought for a wedding but only wore once, the satin gloves that make you feel like Audrey Hepburn but don’t go with anything you own, or maybe that lace vintage dress your aunty wore to Glastonbury in the 70s, which now lives in an unexplored drawer in your bedroom.

Fill up a bag with your best cast-offs and get your friends, family and neighbours to do the same. Everyone pays £5 entry to the ‘style swap shop’ and then you all get to browse through each other’s preloved treasures – grabbing what takes your fancy.

One person’s hand-me-down is another person’s new look – so elbows at the ready! Want to raise extra cash? Add a £1-£2 price tag on each item that’s been donated.

Strut your stuff at a cake walk

We know that staying healthy and being physically active can reduce the risk of cancer, so why not combine the classic Coffee Morning with a walk around the block? Creative costumes, silly hats and streamers at the ready as we leave behind the school hall and instead take our cakes and cookies for a little jaunt to stretch our legs.

Up the fun, and the stakes, by upgrading from a cake walk to a cake race – the bigger and messier the dessert, the better!  And get the kids involved in the baking and racing too.

Or if you want to keep it indoors, turn your catwalk into a cake walk and give your best strut with your favourite pudding in hand. It’s giving egg and spoon race, jelly wobbling on a plate and doubling over with laughter as you sashay along clutching a platter filled with your finest roulade.

Dance away the morning at a sober rave

Why sit or stand when you can dance? Sober raves are all the rage – and ideal for a morning of fun with friends, family and neighbours. There’s no hangover, no late night and the kids can join in too – so, no need for a babysitter.

Grab your glow sticks for a Coffee Morning like no other, and you can still eat cake and have a brew or a cold drink. It’s a club night where nobody has to worry about the morning-after-the-night-before! You can host it in any hall, all you need is music and a disco ball.

You might feel silly at first, but soon you’ll be grinning with joy as dancing is proven to release endorphins (natural painkillers and mood boosters) as well as reducing stress and keeping you fit. Now, who does a good Big fish, little fish, cardboard box?

Run an Is it cake? competition

If you haven’t seen the Netflix hit Is it cake? – an American game show-style cooking competition, you’re missing a treat. Contestants compete to both identify and recreate their best version of everyday items – in cake form.

That could be fire hoses made from vanilla sponge and icing, kitchen utensils that cut open to reveal red velvet cake, replica designer handbags that are actually edible, and even other food items such as burgers, which are of course, cake.

Up the baking ante by running your own cake lookalike competition inspired by the show. The best thing about it is that even if your cake looks like a pair of stinky old sports shoes, it’ll still taste great!

Whether you’re swapping styles, raving sober or sculpting a sponge handbag, every slice of fun helps Macmillan Cancer Support do whatever it takes to help everyone living with cancer.

Signing up to host your own Macmillan Coffee Morning this year couldn’t be easier! Find out more today on the Macmillan website

Macmillan Cancer Support, registered charity in England and Wales (261017), Scotland (SC039907) and the Isle of Man (604). Also operating in Northern Ireland.

Tesla sales slump once again as Musk pays price for Trump ties

Tesla saw its sales fall to a three-year low as the electric car maker continues to suffer from Elon Musk’s political views.

Customer deliveries fell by 14 per cent in the second quarter of the year, marking one of the company’s biggest ever year-over-year declines.

Analysts have attributed the drop in demand for Tesla vehicles to Mr Musk’s allegiance to US President Donald Trump, which has seen the company’s share price drop by more than a quarter since he took office.

There have been dozens of protests at Tesla dealerships in the US over Mr Musk’s association with the Trump administration, while the tech billionaire’s backing of far-right politicians in Europe has also prompted boycotts of the brand.

“Tesla continues to face persistent headwinds in key markets, particularly in China and Europe, where sales have softened due to intensifying competition and growing concerns over brand reputation,” Liz Lee, an associate director at Counterpoint Research, told The Independent.

“In parts of Europe, the political backlash associated with Elon Musk has further dampened demand, prompting localised boycotts.”

Tesla’s CyberTruck, often referred to as the ‘MagaMobile’ due to the type of customers it typically attracts, recorded roughly 5,000 sales between April and June, despite the automaker planning for a production capacity of over 250,000 units per year.

The Tesla boss has seen his relationship with Mr Trump turn sour in recent weeks, having stepped down from his role at the White House and criticised the US president’s “big beautiful bill”.

Mr Musk described the legislation last month as a “disgusting abomination” for adding to the growing US deficit, while also cutting incentives for electric cars.

The feud between the two continued this week, with Mr Trump claiming that Mr Musk has received more government subsidies “than any human being in history”. He also hinted that Tesla and Mr Musk’s other companies should be reviewed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Tesla’s closest rival, the Chinese car manufacturer BYD, saw its sales hit a new high in June.

A regulatory filing posted to the Hong Kong stock exchange on Wednesday revealed that BYD’s electric vehicle sales have already topped 1 million in 2025.

Tesla, which outsold BYD as recently as last year, has only managed 720,803 sales in the first six months of the year.

BBC won’t live stream ‘high risk’ music acts after Bob Vylan Glastonbury row

The BBC has said it will no longer broadcast performances deemed “high risk” live after controversy over punk rap duo Bob Vylan’s appearance at Glastonbury.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the corporation apologised for the group’s “deplorable behaviour” after frontman, Bobby Vylan, whose real name is reportedly Pascal Robinson-Foster, 34, led crowds in chants of “death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)” during their set on Saturday afternoon.

The BBC admitted it had assessed the act as “high risk” before Glastonbury but deemed them suitable for live streaming.

The broadcaster said this was “clearly not the case”, adding it was changing its procedures around live music events meaning any music performances deemed high risk will now not be broadcast live or streamed live.

The statement said: “We deeply regret that such offensive and deplorable behaviour appeared on the BBC and want to apologise to our viewers and listeners and in particular the Jewish community. We are also unequivocal that there can be no place for antisemitism at, or on, the BBC.

“It is clear that errors were made both in the lead-up to and during Bob Vylan’s appearance. We think it’s important to set out some of the detail around the streaming of this performance.

“Bob Vylan were deemed high risk following a risk assessment process applied to all acts appearing at Glastonbury. Seven acts including Bob Vylan were included in this category and they were all deemed suitable for live streaming with appropriate mitigations.

“Prior to Glastonbury, a decision was taken that compliance risks could be mitigated in real time on the live stream – through the use of language or content warnings – without the need for a delay. This was clearly not the case.”

It added: “Given the failings that have been acknowledged we are taking actions to ensure proper accountability for those found to be responsible for those failings in the live broadcast. We will not comment further on those processes at this time.

“Furthermore, as a result we will make immediate changes to live streaming music events. Any music performances deemed high-risk will now not be broadcast live or streamed live.”

The BBC has also promised to take action to “ensure proper accountability” and issued an apology to viewers, especially the Jewish community.

Avon and Somerset police have launched an investigation into the comments made during the group’s West Holts Stage set.

It has since emerged that the group were already under investigation by police for comments made at a concert one month before Glastonbury.

Video footage appears to show Bobby Vylan at Alexandra Palace telling crowds: “Death to every single IDF soldier out there as an agent of terror for Israel. Death to the IDF.”

The rap group issued a statement on Tuesday claiming they were being “targeted for speaking up” after Avon and Somerset police began its investigation.