WORLD NEWS
Tories and Reform accuse Labour of ‘running scared’ of voters after Keir Starmer’s ministers open door for 63 councils to scrap next May’s elections
Keir Starmer was tonight accused of ‘running scared of the voters’ as he paved the way to cancel elections across the country.
In an extraordinary move, Labour invited 63 councils to postpone next year’s local elections, which are widely seen as a litmus test for Sir Keir’s faltering leadership.
The move would rob more than 10million people of a vote in May. And with half the councils involved run by Labour, it could limit the party’s losses and boost Sir Keir’s chances of survival.
In some areas, the elections are being postponed for a second consecutive year, meaning councillors could go seven years before finally facing the voters. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage likened the move to the actions of a ‘dictator’, adding: ‘Only a banana republic bans elections, that’s what we have under Starmer.’ Fellow Reform MP Lee Anderson said the Prime Minister was ‘frit’.
Tory elections spokesman Sir James Cleverly said Labour was ‘running scared of the voters’, adding: ‘They thought they could completely overhaul local government and stack the deck in their favour. They were wrong.
‘Earlier this month, Labour cancelled mayoral elections and now they are at it again with council elections, fiddling the democratic process to serve their own political interests.’
Conservative justice spokesman Robert Jenrick said: ‘Even during the pandemic elections were not cancelled for a second year running. Slashing jury trials. Cancelling elections. These are the hallmarks of a Government that doesn’t trust the people.’
Richard Wright, chairman of the District Councils Network, said the normal four-year election cycle ‘should be broken only in the most exceptional circumstances’. He added: ‘This has the potential to undermine faith in our cherished local democracy.’
Keir Starmer was tonight accused of ‘running scared of the voters’ as he paved the way to cancel elections across the country
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage likened the move to the actions of a ‘dictator’, adding: ‘Only a banana republic bans elections
Analysis of the 63 councils involved reveals that half are run by Labour, either directly or in coalition. Eleven of the councils are run by the Conservatives, and 13 by the Lib Dems.
Reform does not hold any of the affected councils but was looking to make deep inroads against Labour and the Tories in May.
Allies of Sir Keir fear he could face a leadership coup within days of the elections if the results are as bad as polls suggest. It also emerged he was planning to schedule the King’s Speech for the week after the poll in the hope that potential rivals will not risk embarrassing the monarch by moving against him.
It follows a series of other proposals branded authoritarian by critics, such as scrapping jury trials for many offences and introducing digital ID cards.
The PM’s spokesman defended the move, saying councils were struggling to cope with elections at the same time as a massive reorganisation of local government started by Labour last year.
Dozens of councils are set to be abolished or merged as part of a push towards more unitary authorities. Local government minister Alison McGovern told MPs: ‘Many councils across the country, and of all stripes, have expressed… concerns about the time and energy spent managing elections to bodies that won’t shortly exist, only to run an election a year later.’
Ms McGovern said ministers were ‘minded’ to cancel elections wherever local authorities said they might put pressure on time and resources. She added: ‘To be clear, should a council say that they have no reason to delay their elections, there will be no delay.’
The decision to cancel elections for a second year in places such as Essex comes despite a warning from the Electoral Commission that they should not be postponed for more than 12 months.
Conservative justice spokesman Robert Jenrick said: ‘Even during the pandemic elections were not cancelled for a second year running. Slashing jury trials. Cancelling elections. These are the hallmarks of a Government that doesn’t trust the people’
Local government minister Alison McGovern defended the delay she told MPs: ‘Many councils across the country, and of all stripes, have expressed… concerns about the time and energy spent managing elections to bodies that won’t shortly exist, only to run an election a year later.’
In the Commons, Tory local government spokesman Paul Holmes said the Government had taken the decision because it was afraid of fighting elections.
He asked what the Government ‘has against democracy’, adding: ‘While many people gather around their screens to watch movies like How The Grinch Stole Christmas, we’re sitting here discussing how Labour is trying to steal the elections.
‘Earlier this month Labour cancelled mayoral elections because they were worried they wouldn’t win them. Now they are doing the same with local elections, pausing the democratic process to serve their own political interests, creating for themselves a true nightmare before Christmas.
‘This process has been a mess from start to finish. It’s time it was scrapped today.’
Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, said: ‘This is looking like yet another Labour and Conservative stitch-up to deny people their votes in May.’
Paul Dobson says most Venezuelans are more focused on their basic needs rather than US President Donald Trump’s next move.
Paul Dobson, an independent journalist and political analyst says most people in Venezuela are more focused on basic needs rather than US President Donald Trump’s next move.
Published On 19 Dec 2025
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South Africa defiant after US threatens ‘consequences’ over raid on Afrikaner refugee centre
The South African government has dismissed accusations by the US that it harassed and intimidated American officials during a raid on a centre processing applications by white South Africans for refugee status in the US.
Tuesday’s raid saw seven Kenyans expelled from South Africa for working in the country illegally.
The US accused South Africa of publishing the passport details of its officials, saying this was “unacceptable” and warning of “severe consequences”.
But South Africa has denied this, saying it treats “matters of data security with the utmost seriousness”.
The US is offering asylum status to members of South Africa’s Afrikaner community as it says the community is facing persecution. South Africa’s government has rejected the claims.
President Donald Trump’s administration has reduced its yearly intake of refugees from around the world from 125,000 to 7,500, but says it will prioritise Afrikaners, who are mostly descendants of Dutch and French settlers.
Tensions between the two countries has risen since Trump took office.
After the raid on the processing centre, South Africa expressed concern that foreign officials appeared to have coordinated with undocumented workers and said it had reached out to the US and Kenya to resolve the matter.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the US State Department said it condemned “in the strongest terms the South African government’s recent detention of US officials performing their duties to provide humanitarian support to Afrikaners”.
It did not providence any evidence to back up its accusation that South Africa had released the passport information of its officials.
South Africa’s home affairs department described these accusations as “unsubstantiated”.
“South Africa treats all matters of data security with the utmost seriousness and operates under stringent legal and diplomatic protocols,” it said in a statement.
It had previously said that no US officials were arrested and the operation was not at a diplomatic site.
It said the Kenyans had applied for work permits, which had been denied.
The US has not addressed this directly but said it had “worked to operate the refugee program within the confines of the law”.
Trump has claimed that Afrikaners are being subjected to a “genocide” in South Africa, even though there is no evidence that white farmers are more likely to be killed than their black counterparts.
He offered Afrikaners refugee status earlier this year after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a law allowing the government to seize land without compensation in rare instances.
A first group of about 50 people flew to the US on a chartered plane – it is not clear how many others have moved, or are in the process of applying.
Because of the legacy of the racist apartheid system, the majority of privately owned farmland in South Africa is owned by the white community and South Africa’s government is under pressure to provide more land to black farmers. However, it stresses that no land has yet been seized under the new law.
South Africa has repeatedly tried to mend fences with the Trump administration, most famously when Ramaphosa led a high-level delegation to the White House earlier this year.
However, this backfired when Trump ambushed him with images, videos and news reports allegedly showing that the government was persecuting white people.
Last month, the US boycotted the G20 summit in South Africa and has said it would not invite South African officials to its meetings since it took over the leadership of the grouping of the world’s biggest economies.
Additional reporting by Khanyisile Ngcobo in Johannesburg
The United States has announced an $11.1 billion (€9.45 billion) weapons package that, if completed, would be Washington’s largest-ever arms sale to Taiwan.
The defense package is a welcome boost for Taipei, which is facing increasing military pressure from China.
The announcement has irked Beijing, which opposes any arms sales to Taiwan and claims the democratically self-governed island as its own territory.
“We demand that the US immediately cease ‘arming Taiwan’ [and] stop condoning and supporting ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces,” the spokesperson of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said Thursday.
The deal comes amid growing questions in Taiwan about US security commitments, fueled in part by President Donald Trump’s trade policies and negotiating tactics.
In response to the latest arms sale, which still needs congressional approval, Taipei has said it is “sincerely grateful” to Washington, adding that the deal underscores “the close Taiwan-US partnership.”
The US, despite having no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, remains the island’s most important international backer and is required by law to provide it with self-defense weapons.
US riles China with $11 billion arms deal for Taiwan
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What is included in the package?
The deal, the second arms sale to Taiwan of Donald Trump’s second term, includes eight separate purchases, ranging from HIMARS rocket systems and anti-tank missiles to loitering suicide drones.
“This is an important package from an operational perspective,” David Sacks, a fellow for Asia studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), told DW.
Sacks said the arms sale is “squarely focused on giving Taiwan the ability to repel a Chinese invasion,” rather than countering gray-zone coercion or responding to a blockade.
In recent years, China has increased military pressure on Taiwan through frequent aircraft incursions, naval patrols and coast guard activity.
Facing a much larger Chinese military, Taiwan has been under growing pressure from Washington to boost its self-defense, with an emphasis on developing asymmetric capabilities through mobile and lower-cost weapons systems.
Given the weapons included in the package, Sacks told DW that “it shows Taiwan has bought into the idea that it needs to prioritize a [Chinese invasion] scenario and the asymmetric capabilities that are necessary for it.”
High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), seen here being tested in Taiwan, are part of the sale [FILE: May 12, 2025]Image: picture alliance / ASSOCIATED PRESS
What signals have been sent to Taipei and Beijing?
Over the past year, concerns have grown in Taiwan about whether the Trump administration might treat the island as a bargaining chip in dealings with Beijing over trade issues.
“This package of arms sales, the largest in [US] history, should help allay some of those concerns,” Sacks told DW.
The US has long approached cross-strait relations with “strategic ambiguity” as to whether it would intervene militarily and come to Taipei’s aid if China were to launch an invasion.
Washington’s policy is intended to deter Beijing, while also dissuading Taiwan from declaring formal independence.
In a new national security strategy that was released before the massive arms deal with Taiwan was announced, the Trump administration was deemed to have downplayed ideological differences with Beijing.
The document focused more on trade competition, arguing that economic stability, with the US in the lead, is the best basis for countering China in the Indo-Pacific.
Sacks told DW that Trump’s policy over the past year has shown that the US “will continue to support hard deterrence in the Indo-Pacific and the Taiwan Strait” but will “do less to show symbolic political support of Taiwan.”
Taiwan’s small firms pivot to defense production
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Taiwan’s recent efforts to strengthen its self-defense
In response to the latest US arms sale, Taiwan’s Presidential Office reiterated the island’s commitment to raising defense spending to over 3% of GDP next year and to 5% by 2030.
Last month, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te outlined a plan to invest an additional $40 billion in a special defense budget for the next eight years, which still requires approval by the opposition in parliament.
Recently, a report by Taiwan’s Defense Ministry also showed that the military is adopting a “decentralized” command structure in the face of a potential sudden attack by China.
Under the new structure, if the military comes under a sudden attack, units will carry out operations or executive missions without waiting for orders.
While the concept has been implemented in annual military drills, Su Tzu-yun, a research fellow at the military-backed Institute for National Defense and Security Research in Taipei, said it is the first time the military is putting it into practice in real operations.
“If China were to take military action against Taiwan, it would almost certainly carry out what is known as a decapitation strike, aimed at severing command and control and leaving the leadership paralyzed,” Su said.
A decentralized command structure could help improve “Taiwan’s survivability and its ability to respond to a surprise attack,” he added
Arthur Ding, a professor emeritus at National Chengchi University in Taipei, told DW that it is worth watching whether any US training for Taiwanese troops will include this decentralized approach.
He also pointed out that, regardless of the areas of military preparation Taiwan is pursuing, Beijing would be closely monitoring.
Taiwan walks a tightrope in ties with US under Trump
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DW correspondent Yu-Chun Chou contributed to this report.
Edited by: Karl Sexton
WORLD NEWS
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Rename Archewell Foundation as They Expand Their Mission with Archie and Lilibet
NEED TO KNOW
- Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are renaming the Archewell Foundation as Archewell Philanthropies as the organization marks its fifth anniversary
- The couple is adopting a fiscal sponsorship model that keeps Archewell within a nonprofit framework while giving them greater flexibility to expand their global philanthropic work
- Harry and Meghan say the evolution reflects a family effort, with the new structure creating space for their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, to be part of the long-term philanthropic identity they’re building
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are ushering in a new chapter for their charitable work — one that includes their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
On Friday, Dec. 19, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced that their Archewell Foundation is being renamed Archewell Philanthropies as the organization marks its fifth anniversary — a moment the couple views as both a reflection on what they’ve built and a launchpad for what comes next.
“This next chapter allows Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, to broaden their global philanthropic efforts as a family, with meaningful reach and maximum impact, grounded in the same values, partnerships, and their commitment to show up and do good,” the organization said in an announcement.
The couple also describes the evolution as a family effort, with the new structure creating space for their children — Archie, 6, and Lilibet, 4 — to be part of the long-term philanthropic identity they’re building together.
“After five beautiful years, the Archewell Foundation is becoming Archewell Philanthropies. This charitable entity allows the couple and their children to expand upon their global philanthropic endeavors as a family,” the announcement continued
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with children, Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie.
Netflix/YouTube
Earlier this fall, the couple also gave a rare glimpse into how they’re introducing philanthropy to their children. In November, Archie and Lilibet joined their parents as the Archewell Foundation partnered with Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles (OBKLA) to prepare meals for the local community. Photos from the event showed the siblings on the packaging line rolling balls of dough alongside their parents.
(L to R): Meghan Markle, Princess Lilibet, Prince Archie, Prince Harry.
Eric Charbonneau for The Archewell Foundation
PEOPLE understands that Archewell Philanthropies will still operate within a nonprofit structure, but now through a fiscal sponsorship model — a common setup that lets charitable projects grow more easily around the world.
Under the new approach, an established 501(c)(3) will oversee the administrative side, including compliance, finances and global grantmaking. Harry and Meghan will continue to guide the mission itself, setting priorities and choosing the initiatives and partnerships they support.
This week, the Sussexes also released their 2025 Impact Report and an accompanying video highlighting the programs, communities and partners they’ve worked with over the past half-decade.
The renaming comes five years after Harry and Meghan announced their decision to step back from their senior royal roles in early 2020. As the couple charted an independent path in the U.S., they revealed plans for a new charitable vehicle named Archewell — inspired by the Greek word “arche,” meaning “source of action,” and also a nod to their then-infant son Archie.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at Project Healthy Minds’ World Mental Health Day Gala on Oct. 9, 2025.
John Angelillo/UPI/Shutterstock
The Archewell Foundation formally launched in late 2020, establishing the philanthropic pillar of their new life outside the royal fold. It arrived at a moment of transition: Harry and Meghan were settling into life in Montecito with their young son Archie (daughter Princess Lilibet was born in June 2021) and building the framework for their post-royal work, which included Archewell Productions and Archewell Audio alongside their charitable foundation.
From the beginning, Harry and Meghan positioned the organization as a platform centered on compassion in action — or, as they often describe it, a commitment to “show up, do good.”
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Their work has focused on community support, mental health, gender equity, digital well-being and disaster relief, partnering over the past five years with groups including World Central Kitchen, The Mission Continues, Women for Afghan Women and the Center for Humane Technology.
The announcement caps off year that also saw Meghan launch her lifestyle brand, As ever, and debut her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, while Harry continued his advocacy work — including his Invictus Games — and international engagements.
Ukraine has struck a Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker with drones in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time, Kyiv revealed today.
The cargo ship was sailing in an undisclosed location around 1,243 miles from Ukraine’s borders when it was hit in a ‘new, unprecedented special operation’, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine said.
The attack on the empty vessel was the first of its kind in the Mediterranean.
The aerial drones caused critical damage to the vessel, called the Qendil.
Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker, the Qendil, was attacked by aerial drones
The cargo ship was sailing in an undisclosed location around 1,243 miles from Ukraine’s borders
It was hit in a ‘new, unprecedented special operation’
This is a breaking news story with more to come.
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Russia-Ukraine war spreads to the MED as Kyiv strikes ‘shadow fleet’ tanker with drones
A man was spotted hanging from a hotel sign four storeys in the air wearing just his boxers after he climbed out a window to avoid his wife from catching his alleged affair
Heart-stopping footage has captured the moment an alleged secret lover hangs from a sign on the side of a hotel in just his boxers to avoid being caught.
The man was spotted by neighbours as he desperately clung to the lit up sign, around four storeys up from the ground. While many may think that a man carrying out such a daring stunt would be dressed like a spy, the alleged cheater was seen wearing nothing but a pair of bright coloured underwear.
He was seen in video the clinging to the large hotel sign with both hands, while standing on its lower part after his wife found him allegedly chearting in a hotel room. People are seen moving about inside the nearby rooms, with some appearing to look out of the windows near where the man is hanging in China.
READ MORE: Coldplay kisscam woman blasts ‘hypocrite’ Gwyneth Paltrow for weighing into rowREAD MORE: ‘I hired someone to spy on my boyfriend after weird changes, then my world crumbled’The man was seen hanging from the sign around four storeys up(Image: NX)
According to reports, the man scaled along the exterior wall until he reached the sign, where he remained stuck outside. The strange scene in China left people stunned as they watched his daredevil escape in Hangzhou, in Zhejiang Province. It is believed the incident took place at a Boyu Hotel, which is not a chain but a collection of independently operated hotels and guesthouses across China.
Social media users were quick to react to the dramatic escape after the man was allegedly caught cheating. Some joked about the risks of having an affair, or carrying out the affair in a city hotel, while others focused on the bizarre escape attempt made by the man. One said: “The cost of having an affair is getting higher and higher, I suggest you learn rock climbing first.”
The man was stuck out there wearing nothing but his boxers(Image: NX)
“Good thing he at least managed to slip on his shorts,” noted one person. Others were far harsher in their comments, with one saying: “Got the guts to cheat, got the guts to climb so high riskin’ his life but don’t dare face his wife. tsk…”
Another online comment read: “This isn’t catching someone cheating, it’s high-altitude extreme sports.” Others saw the similarity between the man’s actions and Banksy’s Well Hung Lover, which was painted on the side of a sexual health clinic in Bristol. The painting depicts a naked man hanging from a window ledge while an angry man, presumably the partner of the woman in her underwear, looks out the window.
Many have seen the similarities with Banksy’s Well Hung Lover(Image: Getty Images)
The artwork first appeared in 2006, and was the first legal piece of street art in the UK after Bristol City Council aquired retrospective permission and protection, despite the mural featuring nudity. In 2009 it was shot at using a blue paintball gun – though the culprit behind the vandalism remains unknown to this day. In 2018 it was defaced again, this time with black spray paint.
It comes after a woman took her ex-husband’s new wife to court, suing her over her affair with the woman’s ex. Akira Montague from North Carolina took content creator Brenay Montague to court under an alienation of affection lawsuit. The alienation of affection law allows a spouse to sue the individual they believe is responsible for an affair that destroyed their marriage.
The law originates in England, but was abolished in 1970. However, there are still six American states that uphold the legislation. Akira filed her claim in May 2024, and in November of this year, the jury ruled in her favour.
She had been after $3.5 million (£2.75m) in damages for Brenay’s affair with Akira’s then-husband, Timothy Montague. Akira accused Brenay of intentionally causing the breakdown of her marriage and criminal conversation – which means having sexual relations with someone else’s spouse.
In her claim, Akira claimed Brenay created social media content with Timothy while he was still married to Akira. She also accused her of publicly posting photographs of her children who she shares with Timothy. Brenay was ordered by a Superior Court judge to pay $1.5 million (£1.18m) for ‘alienation of afffection’ and $250,000 (£196k) for ‘criminal conversation’.
Australia is set to launch a national gun buyback scheme in response to the Bondi Beach terrorist shootings.
Fifteen people were killed and dozens wounded on Sunday at the Sydney beach after two gunmen opened fire at people celebrating Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights.
In the aftermath of the shooting, which authorities say appears to have been inspired by the Islamic State, patrols and policing across the country have been ramped up in an effort to prevent further violence.
Both the federal government and the state government of New South Wales, where Sydney is located, have pledged reforms, including tightening gun control laws, to prevent the threat of further violence in a nation with an estimated four million firearms.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said the government would also strengthen hate laws. Announcing the gun buyback scheme, he cited the response to a previous Australian mass shooting – when a lone gunman killed 35 people in Tasmania’s Port Arthur in 1996.
“Australia’s gun laws were last substantially reformed in the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy,” Mr Albanese said on Friday. “The terrible events at Bondi show we need to get more guns off our streets.”
Surfers and swimmers hold a tribute at Bondi Beach on 19 December. Pic: AP
On Friday, Australia’s Jewish community gathered at Bondi Beach for prayers, while hundreds of swimmers and surfers made a huge circle in the sea to honour the victims.
“Over the past two years, there’s been a lot of people who have been questioning whether we’re still welcome here in Australia because we saw people calling for our death on the streets on a weekly basis,” Rabbi Yosef Eichenblatt from Sydney’s Central Synagogue told ABC News, after attending the paddle-out tribute.
Funerals for the victims also continued today, with Boris and Sofia Gurman, a couple killed after attempting to stop one of the gunmen, being laid to rest.
‘All Jewish hearts are broken’
Meanwhile, Ahmed al Ahmed, the hero who wrestled a gun from one of the alleged gunmen, was handed a cheque for more than A$2.5m (£1.23m) from an online fundraiser.
Read more from Sky News:
Democrats release more Epstein photos
‘All Jewish hearts are broken’ says UK Chief Rabbi on Bondi visit
Floral tribute at Bondi Beach on 19 December. Pic: AP
One of the Bondi terrorists – Sajid Akram, 50, who was killed at the scene – held a firearm licence and had six guns registered.
If a man in Sydney’s suburbs needs “six high-powered rifles and is able to get them under existing licensing schemes, then there’s something wrong,” Mr Albanese said.
He said the government would work with states to target surplus, newly banned and illegal firearms, adding that the costs would be shared between the federal and state governments.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns announced on Friday the state government would be recalled next week to enact the “toughest gun law reforms in the country”.
Gunmen ‘must never have had love’
Changes would include limiting firearms to four per person, tightening licensing requirements and restricting access to high-risk weapons and components.
Following the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, Australia secured the surrender of about 640,000 prohibited firearms nationwide. The total cost of compensation to owners was about A$304m (£150m).
Mr Albanese has faced pressure from critics who say his centre-left government has not done enough to deal with a surge in antisemitism since the start of the war in Gaza.
The government said it had consistently called out antisemitism over the last two years and passed legislation to criminalise hate speech.
After three girls die of cancer in a town in Mexico, a group of mothers and a scientist investigate the water supply.
When three young girls die from leukaemia within a year in a Mexican town, the authorities insist that the water is not contaminated. A teacher and local mothers demand answers and form an action group to investigate the cause. When they team up with a scientist, they find out their water is highly radioactive.
Corporate agriculture for export has depleted the aquifers, leaving behind an ancient layer of groundwater that is poisoning their town. This revelation prompts national outrage and leads the government to cut off the town’s water supply, while some officials still claim that the water is safe.
As the community turns against the women, they face a difficult choice. They must either give up their activism or keep fighting for clean water and environmental justice.
The Age of Water is a documentary film by Isabel Alcantara Atalaya and Alfredo Alcantara.
Published On 19 Dec 2025
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The Chinese owner of TikTok, ByteDance, has struck a deal with US and global investors to operate its business in America, TikTok’s boss told employees on Thursday.
ByteDance has been under pressure from Washington to sell its US operations over national security concerns.
As BBC Asia business correspondent Suranjana Tewari explains, it is still unclear what sort of experience TikTok users in the US will get.
Read more on this story here.
WORLD NEWS
Epstein files latest: Deadline today for release of bombshell documents that have shaken Trump administration
Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and Woody Allen appear in Epstein estate photo drop
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The Department of Justice is facing an end-of-day deadline to release thousands of documents related to the government’s investigations into Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted sex offender.
For months, members of the public, lawmakers and survivors of Epstein’s abuse have been urging the government to release all applicable material to promote greater transparency and hold any other individuals accountable who participated in Epstein’s crimes.
But President Donald Trump, who was once friends with Epstein, pushed back on the release. Finally, in November, he gave Republicans the go-ahead to vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, requiring the DOJ to release its documents within 30 days.
Epstein, who died in federal jail in 2019 before a trial could commence, was accused of using his wealth and connections to high-profile individuals to run a decades-long sex trafficking scheme that involved young women and girls.
The government initially investigated him in 2006 but ultimately handed him a sweetheart deal. A second investigation in 2019 landed him with a sex trafficking indictment. Epstein’s associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was convicted of child sex trafficking in 2021.
On Thursday, House Democrats released more photos retrieved from Epstein’s estate.
What will be redacted?
Under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, Attorney General Pam Bondi is permitted to redact information that could identify victims, their medical files, or be considered an invasion of personal privacy.
Bondi can also redact anything that depicts or contains sexual abuse materials, death or physical abuse or injury of another person, as well as any information that could jeopardize an ongoing federal investigation.
The Department of Justice is also permitted to redact information in the interest of national security or foreign policy.
(Getty)
Joe Sommerlad19 December 2025 10:05
What could be released today?
It’s currently unclear what precisely we will see today, given that the government has vast discretion to redact certain information.
But it’s possible that the new information will provide more details about how investigators went after Epstein, and whether they considered other charges.
Epstein was under federal investigation twice, the first in Florida in 2006. But despite being indicted, the U.S. Attorney at the time, Alex Acosta, arranged a controversial agreement for the multimillionaire to plead guilty to two state charges, as well as a prison sentence and a requirement that he register as a sex offender, in exchange for the federal case to be dropped.
The second investigation led to a 2019 sex trafficking indictment in New York and Epstein’s arrest. However, he died in prison before he could face trial.
Judges in Florida and New York have approved the release of grand jury materials that were used to bring the two separate indictments against Epstein, as well as the one against Maxwell.
While the grand jury materials may contain some information, they represent only a fraction of the documents in the Justice Department’s possession.
However, the judge who approved the release of grand jury materials in Maxwell’s case warned that they would “learn next to nothing new” from the documents.
The judge said the materials do not identify perpetrators other than Epstein and Maxwell; do not discuss Epstein’s alleged clients; and don’t reveal any unknown methods of Epstein or Maxwell’s crimes. Nor do they reveal any other location where crimes occurred, the judge added.
(AFP/Getty)
Joe Sommerlad19 December 2025 09:45
Stephen Colbert predicts Epstein files will be ‘end of the road’ for Trump
“It’s Epstein Files Eve,” The Late Show host declared in his opening monologue last night. “Don’t forget to leave Santa some cookies. And a barf bag.”
“The DOJ specifically has to release ‘searchable and downloadable’ copies. And here’s the kicker: The law says records can’t be withheld, delayed, or redacted due to concerns about embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.”
Launching into a raspy Trump impression, Colbert joked, “OK, but what if – and hear me out here – what if this is the end of the road for you and you’ve wriggled out of everything else, but for some reason this is the one they won’t let go of, no matter how many East Wings you tear down?
“You can see the end is in sight, which is crazy because you’ve always believed that nothing bad could ever happen to you because the world’s an illusion and you’re the only one that’s real.
“How about that? Do I still have to release them? Yes? OK then, how about this one: Joe Biden was Epstein the whole time. How about that? Anything?”
You can watch it for yourself below.
Joe Sommerlad19 December 2025 09:25
Why are the files being released now?
Last month, nearly every member of Congress voted for the Epstein Files Transparency Act which gave the DOJ 30 days to gather, redact and release the trove of documents related to the government’s investigations into Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
While nearly unanimous, it took weeks for lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to force a vote on the House floor, due to the government shutdown and initial pushback from President Donald Trump.
Despite Trump asserting on the campaign trail that he would release the Epstein files when in the White House, he and key administration officials reversed their position earlier this year and claimed there was no new or necessary information to be released.
But facing immense public pressure, including from members of his own MAGA base and survivors of Epstein’s abuse, the president gave Republicans the go-ahead to vote in favor of the bill.
Rhian Lubin and Rachel Dobkin have this explainer on how we arrived at this point.
Ariana Baio19 December 2025 09:10
Joe Sommerlad19 December 2025 08:55
House Democrats released more photos from Epstein estate
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released more photos from Epstein’s estate Thursday, ahead of the release deadline for the Department of Justice’s files today.
Among the photos are pictures of a woman’s body with quotes from Vladimir Nabokov’s notorious novel Lolita, about a professor who pursues a relationship with an underage girl, written on her body.
Alex Woodward has this report.
Ariana Baio19 December 2025 08:45
Department of Justice ordered to release Jeffrey Epstein files by end of Friday
The DOJ is hours away from a deadline, imposed by Congress, to release hundreds of documents related to the government’s investigation into the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
By Friday, December 19, the department must release all unclassified documents, investigation material and internal communications from probes into Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. That includes flight logs and references to named individuals, including potentially government officials.
The highly anticipated release is part of some lawmakers’ efforts for greater transparency about the Epstein investigation. The multimillionaire financier was accused of sexually abusing young women and girls before he died by suicide in jail while awaiting trial on trafficking charges in 2019. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence for crimes associated with Epstein’s abuse.
Thousands of documents about Epstein’s crimes have already been released through criminal and civil litigation. House Democrats have also released photos and paperwork with the latest tranche issued Thursday.
Here’s Ariana Baio on what else the public can expect ahead of the release.
Joe Sommerlad19 December 2025 08:40
Good morning
Welcome to The Independent’s live blog coverage of the Epstein files release.
The Department of Justice has until the end of the day Friday to release the thousands of documents in its possession related to the government’s investigations into Jeffrey Epstein.
One month ago, Congress imposed a 30-day deadline for the DoJ to release the materials, which include communications, unclassified documents and other investigation material.
Ariana Baio19 December 2025 08:20