Man guilty of murdering couple before dumping remains on bridge
A man has been found guilty of murdering a couple before dumping their remains in suitcases near Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol.
Yostin Andres Mosquera, 35, was found guilty at Woolwich Crown Court of murdering civil partners Albert Alfonso, 62, and Paul Longworth, 71, in July last year in their flat in Scotts Road, Shepherd’s Bush, west London. He then dumped their remains in suitcases near Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol.
Mosquera, who was staying with the couple, “decapitated and dismembered” them, froze parts of their remains and put the rest in luggage, according to the prosecution.
He is alleged to have repeatedly stabbed Alfonso, who suffered injuries to his torso, face and neck. Longworth was attacked with a hammer to the back of his head and his skull was shattered, jurors heard.
Alfonso enjoyed “extreme sex”, and Mosquera, whom he met online years earlier, was part of that world, jurors heard.
The 62-year-old was stabbed to death during a filmed session. The court was shown footage of Mosquera singing and dancing in the aftermath of the attack.
Prosecutor Deanna Heer KC said that Mosquera planned to hurl the suitcases over the bridge to dispose of the remains after the “calculated” and “premeditated” killings.
Mosquera admitted to killing Alfonso but claimed it was manslaughter by reason of loss of control. He pleaded not guilty to murdering the men and instead insisted Alfonso killed Longworth.
He alleged that he feared for his own life and believed he was going to be killed when he stabbed Alfonso. He claimed he thought that Alfonso would do to him what he claims he had already done to Longworth, adding he felt “intimidated” and threats had been made to his family in Colombia.
His defence counsel suggested his actions after stabbing Alfonso, including singing and dancing, could be an outburst as he was overwhelmed by what had happened.
The jury deliberated for five hours and three minutes before they unanimously found Mosquera guilty.
The judge, Mr Justice Bennathan KC, said he would sentence Mosquera on 24 October after ordering a psychiatric report.
“I am not going to pass sentence on you today, although the only one I can pass on you is one of life imprisonment,” he said.
“I am going to order a psychiatric report on you. It is in your interests to cooperate with the psychiatrist so that I can decide the minimum term you are going to serve.”
The judge then acknowledged the difficult nature of this case for jurors, thanking them personally: “We put serious demands on jurors, in this case more than most.
“It went on much longer than the two weeks you were expecting. In this case, you have had to look at a very tough video.
“They were terrible, brutal events, and to read about it is a dreadful thing – but to see it is really shocking. If you do want to seek help, then speak to the court staff – above all, thank you.”
Detective chief inspector Ollie Stride of the Metropolitan Police described it as “one of the most harrowing murder investigations” he had ever dealt with.
The senior investigating officer in the case told PA: “I think certainly this is probably one of the most traumatic, harrowing murder investigations I’ve dealt with by virtue of that video, and the fact that it took place during their sexual activity in their own home.”
The plan to halt billion-dollar small boats and immigration industry
The government have announced new plans to curb people-smuggling and illegal immigration to the UK, including those involved in the buying and selling of small boats for Channel crossings.
The Foreign Secretary announced on Tuesday a raft of sanctions that will be introduced to target anyone involved in assisting illegal immigration to the UK.
This ranges from those involved in supplying and financing small boats, fake passports, and “middlemen” putting cash through the Hawala system, a legal money transfer system, which is also used in payments linked to Channel crossings.
Gang leaders, corrupt police officers and companies selling small boat equipment for Channel crossings could face having their assets frozen and being banned from travel to the UK.
The first wave of sanctions comes into force on Wednesday, and will publicly name anyone sanctioned, so it will be illegal for UK businesses and banks to deal with them.
The measure is expected to include more than 20 designations, and could include corrupt public officials and police officers in steps to tackle the multi-billion-dollar industry.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “For too long, criminal gangs have been lining their corrupt pockets and preying on the hopes of vulnerable people with impunity as they drive irregular migration to the UK. We will not accept this status quo.
“That’s why the UK has created the world’s first sanctions regime targeted at gangs involved in people smuggling and driving irregular migration, as well as their enablers.
“From tomorrow, those involved will face having their assets frozen, being shut off from the UK financial system and banned from travelling to the UK.”
It follows legislation being introduced under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill to ramp up enforcement powers for police forces and partners to investigate and prosecute people smugglers.
Fresh sanctions aim to target organised crime gangs wherever they are in the world and disrupt their flow of cash, including freezing bank accounts, property and other assets, to hinder their activities.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “It will allow us to target the assets and operations of people smugglers wherever they operate, cutting off their funding and dismantling their networks piece by piece.
“Through the Border Security Command and key partners like the National Crime Agency, we are strengthening our ties with other nations to tackle this global problem.
“Together, we are sending a clear message that there is no hiding place for those who exploit vulnerable people and put lives at risk for profit.”
Double decker bus crashes into bridge in Manchester
Emergency services declared a major incident after a double decker bus had its roof ripped off after crashing into a bridge in Manchester.
Greater Manchester Police said they were responding to a collision between a bus and a bridge at the junction of Barton Road and Trafford Road in Eccles around 3pm on Monday.
“Emergency services are currently on scene as part of the ongoing work. Please avoid the area as road closures are currently in place.”
At least 15 people were injured, North West Ambulance Service, who received a call around 3pm, declared a major incident shortly afterwards and treated people at the scene.
Footage circulated on social media appears to show a yellow double decker bus hitting a bridge with a 3.5m height limit signposted on it.
Some 10 emergency ambulances, advanced paramedics, the Hazard Area Response Team (HART) and colleagues from North West Air Ambulance attended the scene.
Patients were taken to Salford Royal and Manchester Royal Infirmary hospitals. The ambulance service stood down the major incident status around 4.22pm, but continue to remain on scene.
Transport for Greater Manchester confirmed the bus was a 100 service and was in operation at the time of the incident.
Vernon Everitt, Transport commissioner for Greater Manchester, said: “First and foremost, our thoughts are with everyone on board the bus. Our absolute focus has been on supporting emergency services in their response, with some people treated at the scene and some taken to hospital.
“An immediate and urgent investigation into the circumstances is underway and we are working closely with the investigation team at Greater Manchester Police and the bus operator, Stagecoach.
“This is clearly a distressing situation for everyone involved and we’d like to thank emergency services for their swift response.”
Road closures have been put in place and the area remains busy. An investigation is underway at the scene and the damaged bus has been removed from the scene.
The transport operator warned some local congestion might take place as diversions were put in place into the evening.
“In order to support people making journeys in the area, bus tickets are being accepted on the Eccles and Trafford Park Metrolink lines while road diversions are in place,” the operator said.
Police responded to a similar incident in which a double decker bus crashed into the bridge on Eccles Lane back in April 2023.
Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Turkey set for Wednesday, Zelensky says
Volodymyr Zelensky has said the next set of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia is planned to be held in Turkey tomorrow after previous round of talks to end the war failed to yield conclusive results.
“Today I discussed with Rustem Umerov the preparation for a prisoner exchange and another meeting with the Russian side in Turkey,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address. “Umerov reported that the meeting is planned for Wednesday. More details will follow tomorrow.”
This comes as Europe has promised more air defence systems and ammunition for Ukraine hours after Kyiv was hit by another barrage of Russian drones and missiles overnight.
Speaking at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) yesterday, UK defence secretary John Healey said Ukraine and its allies stand at a moment of “maximum opportunity” to bolster Kyiv for negotiations to end the war. He called on the UK and other allies to use Donald Trump‘s 50-day ultimatum to Vladimir Putin to start a “50-day drive” to arm Ukraine ahead of any talks.
Politico reported London and Berlin confirmed that Germany will spend €170m in UK-led procurement of air defence ammunition for Kyiv
Next set of Ukraine-Russia peace talks planned for tomorrow in Turkey, says Zelensky
The next set of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia is planned for tomorrow in Turkey, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky quoted the head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council as saying yesterday.
“Today I discussed with Rustem Umerov the preparation for a prisoner exchange and another meeting with the Russian side in Turkey,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address.
“Umerov reported that the meeting is planned for Wednesday. More details will follow tomorrow,” he said.
10-year-old boy killed in Russian strikes overnight, says PM
10-year-old boy killed in Russian strikes overnight, says PM
One child was killed in overnight Russian attacks as swarms of drones continued to strike cities in Ukraine, officials said.
“Another night of terror across Ukraine, as Russians continued to pour missiles and drones onto our civilian population. Among the victims are children. In Kramatorsk, a 10-year-old boy was killed by a Russian air bomb,” Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on X this morning.
She added: “In Odesa and Sumy, residential buildings were targeted. Ukraine is ramping up domestic weapons production and strengthening its air defenses.”
Russia batters Ukraine with more drones in a single night than it did during some entire months in 2024, and analysts say the barrages are likely to escalate.
On 8 July, Russia unleashed more than 700 drones — a record. Some experts say that number could soon top 1,000 a day.
Russia could make drone force its own military branch
Russia has sharply increased its drone output and appears to keep ramping it up.
Initially importing Shahed drones from Iran early in the three and a half year-old war, Russia has boosted its domestic production and upgraded the original design.
The Russian defence ministry says it’s turning its drone force into a separate military branch. It also has established a dedicated centre for improving drone tactics and better training for those flying them.
President Vladimir Putin has endorsed the ministry’s proposal to make drones a separate branch of the armed forces, dubbed the Unmanned Systems Troops.
Along the more than 1,000km(600-mile) frontline, short-range attack drones have become prolific and transformed the fighting, quickly spotting and targeting troops and weapons within a 10-kilometer (6-mile) kill zone.
Russian drone units initially were set on the initiative of midlevel commanders and often relied on equipment purchased with private donations. Once drones became available in big numbers, the military moved last fall to put those units under a single command.
Russia has increasingly focused on battlefield drones that use thin fiber optic cables, making them immune to jamming and have an extended range of 25 kilometres (over 15 miles). It also has set up Rubicon, a centre to train drone operators and develop the best tactics.
Such fibre optic drones used by both sides can venture deeper into rear areas, targeting supply, support and command structures that until recently were deemed safe.
Michael Kofman, a military expert with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said the Russian advancements have raised new defensive challenges for Ukraine.
“The Ukrainian military has to evolve ways of protecting the rear, entrenching at a much greater depth,” Mr Kofman said in a recent podcast.
Putin is living on borrowed time – and this is when the clock stops ticking
Vladimir Putin is living on borrowed time – at least if Donald Trump keeps his word and follows through on the threat he made last week to crash Russia’s economy if there is no ceasefire within 50 days.
Over the last three years, 18 announcements of European Union sanctions have failed to make much of an economic dent in the Kremlin’s war machine. That is because, despite its rhetoric around support for Ukraine, Europe still keeps the money flooding into Moscow. Russia is still its third-largest supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG), and it increased its imports from Russia by 25 per cent in 2024.
If Trump went ahead and imposed his threatened secondary sanctions on countries importing Russian oil, gas and uranium – a customer list headed by China, India, and the EU itself – then Putin would quickly find himself running out of money.
Owen Matthews looks at why he is ignoring the threats and what could really stop him in his tracks:
Putin is living on borrowed time – and this is when the clock stops ticking
Ukraine’s allies stand at ‘moment of maximum opportunity’, Healey says
Ukraine and its allies stand at a moment of “maximum opportunity” to bolster Kyiv for negotiations to end the war, John Healey has said.
The defence secretary said the UK and other allies must use Donald Trump’s 50-day ultimatum to Vladimir Putin to start a “50-day drive” to arm Ukraine ahead of any talks, to strengthen its hand against Russia.
Speaking at the 29th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG), Mr Healey told allies gathered from 52 nations: “This is a moment of maximum opportunity.
“Last week, president Trump announced a new plan for large scale Nato weapons transfers, and committed to getting these, he said, quickly distributed to the battlefield.
“The UK backs this policy. We will play our full part in its success.”
Mr Healey added: “Alongside this new agreement to ensure that Ukraine has what it needs to defend itself, president Trump also started the clock on a 50-day deadline for Putin to agree to peace or to face crippling economic sanctions.
“And as members of this UDCG, we need to step up, in turn, a 50-day drive to arm Ukraine on the battlefield and to help push Putin to the negotiating table.”
Zelensky names new ambassadors during Ukraine political shakeup
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky appointed over a dozen new ambassadors on Monday, during a big shakeup that has seen him replace top cabinet officials and envoys to shore up relations with Washington and isolate Russia internationally.
The new envoys named on Monday include ambassadors to Nato members Belgium, Canada, Estonia and Spain, as well as major donor Japan and regional heavyweights South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
Mr Zelensky launched a major government reshuffle last week, promoting Yulia Svyrydenko, 39, who had served as economy minister and is well known in Washington, to head the cabinet as prime minister.
Deputy prime minister Olha Stefanishyna is set to become Ukraine’s new envoy to the United States, as Ukraine seeks to mend ties with the Trump administration.
In remarks to the diplomatic corps released by his office, Zelensky said envoys needed to support “everything that causes Russia pain for its war”.
“While the content of our relationship with America has transformed following the change in administration, the goal remains unchanged: Ukraine must withstand Russia’s strikes,” Zelensky said.
‘Putin wants us to panic’: How Russia has amped up its aerial strikes on Ukraine
Russia’s aerial strikes on Ukraine have massively increased since June, with intense peaks. Figures show that the six most concentrated attacks have taken place in the past month.
Putin’s forces have launched 5,402 drones and missiles against Ukraine so far this month, with the pace of attacks surging sharply in recent weeks, according to figures from Ukraine’s air force.
The deadliest single day attack came on 9 July, when Moscow fired 741 drones and missiles. This was followed by other intense barrages, including 623 on 12 July and 550 on 4 July.
While the number of strikes dipped mid-month with just 35 reported on 18 July and 64 on 17 July, the pace has picked up again over the past week, with 330 weapons fired on Saturday and a further 450 on Sunday.
Bryony Gooch and Jabed Ahmed report:
‘Putin wants us to panic’: How Russia has amped up its aerial strikes on Ukraine
Ukraine conducts widespread searches and arrests of anti-corruption officials
Ukrainian security services arrested officials from the country’s main anti-corruption agency yesterday and conducted dozens of searches, in a crackdown that the agency said went too far and had effectively shut down its entire mission.
The SBU security body said it had arrested one official at the National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine as a suspected Russian spy and another over suspected business ties to Russia. Other Nabu officials had ties to a fugitive Ukrainian politician’s banned party, the SBU said.
But Nabu, which has embarrassed senior government officials with corruption allegations, said the crackdown went beyond state security issues to cover unrelated allegations such as years-old traffic accidents.
Anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International said the searches showed that the authorities were exerting “massive pressure” on Ukraine’s corruption fighters.
Nabu said at least 70 searches had been conducted by various Ukrainian law enforcement and security agencies in connection with 15 of its employees, and that these had taken place without the approval of a court.
“In the vast majority of cases, the grounds for these actions are the involvement of individuals in road traffic accidents,” the statement said, although it also added that some of the cases were about links to Russia.
Although the risk of Russian infiltration “remained relevant”, this could not be a justification to “halt the work of the entire institution”, it said in a statement.
Ukraine gears for American Patriot missiles as Germany and Switzerland step up
Germany said it had offered to finance two new Patriot systems for Ukraine and raised the possibility of supplying systems it already owned and having them replaced by the US.
But delivery could take time, German chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested, because “they have to be transported, they have to be set up; that is not a question of hours, it is a question of days, perhaps weeks”.
Other Patriot systems could come thanks to Switzerland, whose defence ministry said on Thursday it was informed by the US defence department that it would “reprioritise the delivery” of five previously ordered systems to support Ukraine.
While Ukraine waits for Patriots, a senior Nato official says the alliance is still coordinating the delivery of other military aid — such as ammunition and artillery rounds — which includes briefly paused supplies from the US. The official spoke to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
Farage defends protesters outside Essex asylum hotel as ‘concerned families’
Nigel Farage has defended people protesting outside an asylum hotel in Essex, claiming most were “genuinely concerned families”.
The Reform UK leader insisted violent scenes outside the hotel were caused by “some bad eggs”, alleging clashes were between the “usual far-right thugs” and far-left anti-fascist activists, known as Antifa.
Some of the demonstrators have been seen wearing black face coverings, similar to those often worn by members of Antifa, but it has not been verified whether the group has attended the protests.
Mr Farage also claimed “civil disobedience on a vast scale” will break out unless migrants stop arriving to the UK on small boats.
Six people were arrested on Sunday evening after a string of protests outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, which is believed to house asylum seekers. Eight police officers were injured following clashes at what had started as a peaceful demonstration on Thursday evening, while the latest rally on Sunday saw more than 100 protesters assemble, with some chanting “save our kids”.
The events were organised in response to the arrest of an asylum seeker, who was later charged with sexual offences against a teenager and adult in the town, eight days after arriving to the UK via boat. Hadush Kebatu, 38, from Ethiopia, who denies the allegations and remains in custody, is charged with three counts of sexual assault, alongside inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and harassment without violence.
Mr Farage did not condone violence seen outside the hotel – however, he did say it should “serve as a stark warning to this government that the British people will not put up with this betrayal for the next four years”.
When asked whether the scenes were understandable, he told The Times: “I don’t think anybody in London even understands just how close we are to civil disobedience on a vast scale in this country.
“Of course, there were some bad eggs that turned up at Epping. There were the usual far-right thugs, but equally, what about Antifa? Why? Why are Antifa allowed to go to these demonstrations, to wear balaclavas, to not be identified, to do gestures, last night, of them shooting at members of the public. Why are they there? So it isn’t all far-right thuggery, as you might sometimes hear from our prime minister.
“But do I understand how people in Epping feel? You bet your life I do.”
He continued: “Don’t underestimate the simmering anger and disgust that there is in this country that we are letting in every week, in fact, some days, many hundreds of undocumented young males, many of whom come from cultures in which women and young girls are not even treated as second-class citizens.
“So the answer is, yes, I do understand the genuine upset and anger, and I’ll bet you that most of the people outside that hotel at Epping weren’t far-right or far-left or anything like that. They were just genuinely concerned families.”
Hope Not Hate, an anti-fascism campaign group, said the series of gatherings outside the hotel began with largely peaceful intent, but were co-opted by actors intent on causing violence.
Footage and photography from Thursday and Sunday’s events show people with links to groups such as the British National Party (BNP), Britain First, Patriotic Alternative and neo-nazi group Blood & Honour were all in attendance. The Bell Hotel has regularly attracted anti-migrant protests organised by groups such as these since 2020, according to Hope Not Hate.
Downing Street described the scenes at Epping as “clearly unacceptable”.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “Peaceful protest is a cornerstone of our democracy, but it’s clearly unacceptable to see police coming under attack as they ensure that peaceful protest is able to take place.
“And I think Essex Police put out the statement making very clear: people who protest peacefully, lawfully and responsibly cause us and the wider public no concern. However, we can never and will never tolerate criminal violence, and I think the Prime Minister will obviously echo that.”
When my friends were facing cancer, a community of people stepped up
When I was younger, I used to worry incessantly about my parents getting cancer. I’d lay awake at night, ruminating on what would happen to my brother and I if they did. Who would support us? Thankfully, both are still cancer-free, well into their seventies.
However, now that I’m a parent myself, I worry about my children. Many people believe that cancer only really happens to people in old age, but that’s just not true. One beloved friend’s daughter died of leukaemia in 2020, aged just five; an unthinkable horror that changed the lives of everyone who knew her and her family.
And with Macmillan Cancer Support reporting that almost 3.5 million people in the UK are living with cancer, I also worry about my friends – parents themselves, their lives touched by cancer. One friend sat me down in our favourite local café, our toddlers playing at our feet, to break the news that she was about to undergo a double mastectomy. We cried together.
Another friend, Sarah, a single parent to two teenage girls, was diagnosed with breast cancer the day before we heard that King Charles had cancer, and a month before the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, announced her own diagnosis in March last year. It seemed like cancer was everywhere.
As a result, Sarah put 2024 on hold – she missed her daughter’s last sports day and last concert at primary school and had to find a whole new way of co-ordinating family life.
“I’m lucky in some ways that my children are teenagers, so they are able to look after themselves to some degree – but I’m also a single parent, so there are some things that they can’t do, or struggle with, due to their age,” she tells me.
“I have even set up multiple alarms on our Alexa reminding them to put their packed lunches in their bags or leave for school, just in case I can’t get up.”
Sarah says she thought she knew quite a lot about cancer prior to her diagnosis, but now admits she “really didn’t”. She explains: “There are so many terms and procedures to understand – stages and grades, not to mention over 100 different chemotherapy drugs.”
Sarah tells me about the exhausting cumulative effect of chemotherapy, which she endured every three weeks during her cancer treatment: “After the very first lot, I slept for a few hours and felt much better pretty quickly. For my last rounds, I slept for 48 hours solid and even days later, I needed to have a nap in the middle of the day and was in bed by 8pm.”
Sarah’s now finished chemotherapy and, a year on from her diagnosis, is turning 50. She’s throwing a huge party to celebrate not only the birthday milestone, but getting over this “annus horriblis” – a year she couldn’t have gotten through without the people around her.
“People can do so much for us when we are unwell – and I am forever grateful,” she says. “I’ve been really overwhelmed by the support that my friends have given me; from ferrying around my children to and from after-school events and sleepovers when things get bad, to my 75-year-old neighbour mowing the lawn. One friend popped round with a huge pot of pasta sauce and I even had a gift box from a recruiter at work.”
What talking to my strong, resilient friends about their cancer journeys has made me realise most, is the power of community: for when we receive the worst news imaginable, what we need is people around us to see us through. A community of other women: friends, school mums, neighbours.
They had people willing to make them food, pick up their children, go shopping for them or to just sit with them and listen. They had support when they decided to raise money for cancer support charities, when they did fundraisers such as hosting a Macmillan Coffee Morning.
It takes a village to raise a child – and that village will be with you every step of the way when you need them most.
Find out how you can help raise vital funds by hosting a Macmillan Coffee Morning. Sign up now 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.
Trump team bars WSJ from Scotland trip after Epstein report: Latest
The White House has removed a Wall Street Journal reporter from joining President Donald Trump on his visit to Scotland this week, following the paper’s report on his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein last week.
This follows the president’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the newspaper and the journalists who wrote the story, as well as right-wing media mogul Rupert Murdoch and parent companies News Corp and Dow Jones.
Meanwhile, an Epstein accuser twice told the FBI that Trump had ties to the disgraced financier, according to a new report.
Maria Farmer said she urged the bureau to investigate people in Epstein’s social circle, including Trump, in 1996 and again in 2006 after a “troubling encounter” at Epstein’s office in 1995, she told The New York Times. The White House denied that Trump ever visited Epstein’s office.
The report lands amid MAGA backlash over the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein case.
Amid the fallout, Democrats have accused Trump of trying to “change the subject” by promoting Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’sconspiracy theory involving former President Barack Obama being linked to the origins of the Russia investigation into Trump’s 2016 campaign.
The rise of the QAnon conspiracy and why the Epstein files matter
The Justice Department asked a federal court on July 18, 2025, to unseal grand jury transcripts in Jeffrey Epstein’s case.
The direction from President Donald Trump came after weeks of frustration among some far-right groups over his administration’s refusal to release the complete and unredacted “Epstein files.”
Epstein’s 2019 arrest and death became a central focus for QAnon followers, who saw them as proof of a hidden global elite engaged in child trafficking and protected by powerful institutions.
The release – or withholding – of the Epstein files is often cited within QAnon movement circles as evidence of a broader cover-up by the so-called “deep state.”
Some followers of the MAGA – Make America Great Again – movement and the Republican Party believe in the false claim that the United States is secretly controlled by a cabal of elites who are paedophiles, sex traffickers and satanists.
Over time, what started as a baseless conspiracy on obscure platforms has migrated into the mainstream. It has influenced rhetoric and policy debates, and even reshaped the American political landscape.
Read more from Art Jipson:
The rise of the QAnon conspiracy and why the Epstein files matter
Thomas Massie on Epstein files: ‘I don’t think this is going to go away’
Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, said Monday night, “I don’t think this is going to go away,” referring to the drama surrounding the release of files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Trump administration has faced backlash, including from its own base, after it said earlier this month there was never any so-called Epstein client list, which people suspected had the names of powerful people who may have partaken in the wealthy financier’s crimes.
Massie has been working with Democrats and some other Republicans to push for the release of all of the Epstein files.
He told CNN’s Manu Raju, “I think momentum will build for transparency” over Congress’ August recess.
“I don’t think this is going to go away. And I think when we return in September, we’ll get phase two of the Epstein files,” he said.
President Donald Trump announced last Thursday he had asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to release certain Epstein files, “subject to court approval.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche filed a motion with a federal court to unseal grand jury transcripts in Epstein’s case the next day.
Trump calls Thomas Massie a ‘loser’ and calls for opponent he can ‘vigorously campaign for’ amid Epstein files drama
President Donald Trump has called Representative Thomas Massie a “loser” and called for an opponent he can “vigorously campaign for” as the Kentucky Republican pushes for the release of all files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“Thomas Massie, the worst Republican Congressman, and an almost guaranteed NO VOTE each and every time, is an Embarrassment to Kentucky. He’s lazy, slow moving, and totally disingenuous – A real loser! Never has anything positive to add. Looking for someone good to run against this guy, someone I can Endorse and vigorously campaign for!” Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday night.
The Trump administration has faced backlash, including from its own base, after it said there was never any so-called client list, which people suspected had the names of powerful people who may have partaken in Epstein’s crimes.
Flashback: Fox News asks Trump if he’ll declassify the Epstein Files in 2024
In a 2024 interview with Fox News, President Donald Trump said he would declassify files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
But he said he would declassify them “less so” than other federal documents “because you don’t want to affect people’s lives if it’s phony stuff in there.”
Mike Johnson shuts down congressional action to force the release of the Epstein files
House Speaker Mike Johnson shut down the idea of congressional action to force the release of files related to the investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Johnson portrayed a united front between the Trump administration and House Republicans on Monday, despite some members of the GOP working with Democrats to push for a vote to force the release of all of the Epstein files.
“My belief is we need the administration to have the space to do what it is doing, and if further congressional action is necessary or appropriate, then we will look at that. But I don’t think we are at that point right now because we agree with the president,” Johnson told reporters, including CNN’s Manu Raju.
President Donald Trump announced last Thursday he had asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to release certain Epstein files, “subject to court approval.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche filed a motion with a federal court to unseal grand jury transcripts in Epstein’s case the next day.
Trump at risk of losing MAGA base if Epstein files are not released, says MTG
Marjorie Taylor Greene hinted that if the Department of Justice does not release more information about convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the president’s MAGA base will turn on him.
Without naming Epstein, the Georgia Republican Representative seemed to issue a warning to Trump, who has recently attempted to dismiss the so-called Epstein files as a Democratic “hoax,” drawing criticism from his supporters, many of whom believe the government is hiding information about Epstein’s associates.
Isabel Keane reports.
MTG says Trump will lose MAGA base if Epstein files are not released
Treasury secretary calls for review of the Federal Reserve
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called for an “exhaustive internal review of its non-monetary policy operations” at the Federal Reserve on Monday as President Donald Trump pressures Chair Jerome Powell to lower interest rates.
“Significant mission creep and institutional growth have taken the Fed into areas that potentially jeopardize the independence of its core monetary policy mission,” Bessent said.
Fox News tosses softballs at Karoline Leavitt – right after Press Secretary bans sister outlet Wall Street Journal over Epstein bombshell
Moments after the Wall Street Journal was removed from the White House travel press pool as retribution for the newspaper’s bombshell about Donald Trump’s alleged birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was greeted on the WSJ’s sister network with softball questions about Hunter Biden.
As has largely been the case since the president filed his $10 billion lawsuit against the WSJ , its parent company News Corp and its owner Rupert Murdoch over the story, Fox News – which is also owned by Murdoch – once again ignored the White House’s vendetta against the right-wing network’s 94-year-old founder.
Despite the Trump administration going on the “warpath” against Murdoch, Fox News’ The Story anchor Martha MacCallum instead conducted a friendly and non-adversarial chat with the White House flack over the five-minute segment.
MacCallum took the opportunity to get Leavitt’s “quick reaction” to something that is “getting a lot of attention.” But rather than the continued fallout over the Epstein saga, the president’s lawsuit and the White House’s continued retribution against the WSJ, MacCallum instead wanted Leavitt to respond to Hunter Biden profanely blasting Democrats in a recent podcast appearance.
“Clearly, they’ve learned nothing from President Trump’s overwhelming victory on November 5th,” Leavitt responded, leaning heavily on her tried-and-true talking points. “The American people want deportations. They want secure borders. That’s why we had the most successful six months of any administration!”
Read more from Justin Baragona:
Fox tosses softballs at Leavitt – right after she bans sister outlet WSJ over Epstein
Florida man arrested for threatening to ‘kill everyone’ on so-called Epstein client list
A Florida man has been arrested after being accused of threatening graphic murder against three named government officials and anyone else he believed to be in league with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Federal prosecutors named Terell Deshawn Bailey-Corsey, 31, as the suspect behind a series of lurid and extremely violent threats posted on Elon Musk’s social network X after the Trump administration reneged on its promises to release more documents about Epstein.
The Department of Justice declared last week that it does not possess any Epstein “client list”, and allegations that Epstein trafficked abuse victims for rich and powerful “clients” have never been definitively proven.
But in a long and furious exchange with X’s built-in AI chatbot, Grok, Bailey-Corsey allegedly refused to accept the official story.
“Well @grok you’re wrong. Everyone involved if I see them in real life I will KILL. On sight. With a machete so everyone can see the blood and gore of the moment,” he posted, according to charging documents first reported by Court Watch.
Read more from lo Dodds:
Florida man arrested for threatening to kill everyone on alleged Epstein client list
Epstein accuser Maria Farmer responds to White House denying 1995 Trump interaction
Maria Farmer, who has accused the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, of sexually assaulting her, said the White House was “lying” when they effectively denied a 1995 interaction between her and President Donald Trump.
Farmer has claimed that in 1995, when she was 25 years old, she met Epstein, who was a wealthy financier, at his office in New York City after he had hired her to help him acquire art.
When she arrived there late at night, she said she saw a man in a business suit walk in and claimed it was Trump.
“ He walked up about a few feet from me and just stood over me in a very imposing way and looked at me like he was in on some secret or something,” Farmer said.
When Epstein walked out of his office, he told Trump, “She’s not here for you,” Farmer said.
Trump was escorted into another room, but before he walked in, he said under his breath, in a joking manner, “Oh, I thought she was 16.”
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung denied Trump ever even went to Epstein’s office.
“The president was never in Epstein’s office,” Cheung told CNN. “In fact, the president kicked him out of his club for being a creep.”
Trump had socialized with Epstein decades ago when he was a New York real estate mogul.
In response to Cheung’s statement, Farmer told CNN’s Erin Burnett, Trump was “absolutely in the offices” and that the White House was “lying.”
“ They’re being disrespectful to the fact that I have given up my entire life for this case, just to have it investigated,” she added.
Farmer has urged the FBI to investigate people in Epstein’s social circle, including Trump, in 1996 and again in 2006.
Tony Blair urged to repay £10,000 for discounts on designer clothes
Prime minister Tony Blair was advised to repay thousands of pounds in discounts which he received on designer clothes, according to newly-released official files.
Papers released to the National Archives show that No 10 officials recommended he should pay back more than £7,600 on items bought from designers Nicole Farhi and Paul Smith.
The discounts were negotiated by his wife Cherie’s controversial friend and style adviser, Carole Caplin, who bought clothes for Mrs Blair.
Ms Caplin told officials that because she bought the clothes wholesale she was able to to secure discounts of up to 60 per cent – including on items bought for Mr Blair as well.
However, officials were concerned that such large discounts would not be available to ordinary members of the public.
According to the files, between July 2001 to December 2002 the couple spent £8,021.50 with one designer alone – Nicole Farhi – when the retail price would have been £20,855.
It meant the total discount they received came to £12,8343, more than the total amount they spent.
Initially, officials advised that Mr Blair should repay the discounts he received in full – around £10,000 – and that Mrs Blair should pay back half the benefits she obtained – £28,000.
Clare Sumner, a No 10 official, wrote: “We are not arguing that anything has been done wrong, indeed nothing has. The issue is one of public perception.”
However, after discussions with the cabinet secretary Sir Andrew Turnbull it was agreed that Mrs Blair did not receive any “preferential or beneficial treatment” in her role as prime minister’s wife.
It was agreed, however, that the suppliers would in future have to sign confidentiality agreements to ensure there was no incentive for them to provide goods cheaply in order to exploit the fact they the prime minister’s wife wore their clothes.
But for Mr Blair, however, officials said they believed he still should pay the full amount, advising him to write cheques for to £1,116 to Paul Smith and £6,532 to Nicole Farhi.
Ms Sumner wrote: “For you, we still think the simplest thing is to pay for your clothes in full and that Carole should be made aware of this for the future.”