The Trump administration has been accused of “purposefully muddying the waters” after releasing a list of hundreds of names mentioned in the Epstein files.

A six-page letter sent to Congress by Attorney General Pam Bondi over the weekend included a list of high-ranking politicians, including the likes of President Donald Trump, Barack Obama and former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Also named was Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, whose royal and military titles were removed in light of his links to the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, and Peter Mandelson, who recently quit the Labour Party and resigned from the House of Lords following more revelations about his relationship with Epstein.

The list also included celebrities including Mick Jagger, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, George Clooney, Beyonce, Cher and Janis Joplin.

Both Andrew and Mr Mandelson have denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.

Being named in the files does not suggest wrongdoing and some of those names featured in the list may not have had any correspondence or interaction with Epstein.

The attorney general claimed the list of names included all those who “are or were a government official or politically exposed person”, as well as people whose name has appeared in the files released under the act at least once.

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‘Recruiters laughed as Epstein sexually assaulted me’

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The letter stated the DoJ has released all “records, documents, communications and investigative materials in the possession of the Department” as required under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

It added: “No records were withheld or redacted ‘on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary’.”

It comes after more than three million more documents related to disgraced financier Epstein, including email exchanges, more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images, were released on 30 January.

Read more:
Survivors’ diaries reveal how Jeffrey Epstein preyed on girls and women
What do the Epstein files say about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor?

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‘All horror’: Epstein survivors’ stories told for first time

Democrat Ro Khanna, who wrote the Epstein Files Transparency Act alongside Republican Thomas Massie, criticised the list, saying: “The DOJ is once again purposefully muddying the waters on who was a predator and who was mentioned in an email.

“To have Janis Joplin, who died when Epstein was 17, in the same list as Larry Nassar, who went to prison for the sexual abuse of hundreds of young women and child pornography, with no clarification of how either was mentioned in the files is absurd.

“Release the full files. Stop protecting predators. Redact only the survivor’s names.”

Mr Massie also criticised the DoJ’s approach to the Epstein files’ release, telling ABC’s This Week On Sunday: “They’re citing deliberative process privilege in order not to release some of the documents.

“The problem with that is the bill that Ro Khanna and I wrote says that they must release internal memos and notes and emails about their decisions on whether to prosecute or not prosecute, whether to investigate or not investigate.”

He added: “I know the DOJ wants to say they’re done with this document production.

“The problem is they’ve taken down documents before we were able to go over to the DOJ and look at the unredacted versions. They took down some of the most significant documents.”

The names of both Mr Khanna and Mr Massie also appeared on the list.

Epstein was found dead in his prison cell in August 2019 shortly after he was arrested on sex trafficking charges.

Sky News has contacted the Department of Justice for comment.

The grade II listed property in Newcastle city centre is now home to Newcastle Building Society’s new 10,000 sq ft UK super bank.

The prime location, next to Grey’s Monument, was refurbished in a multi-million-pound project led by Silverstone Building Consultancy.

The branch offers financial services alongside collaboration and free-to-use community spaces for customers, local charities, civic groups, and businesses.

Josh Brown, associate director at Silverstone Building Consultancy, said: “This was an ambitious project which has breathed new life into an iconic building that had been vacant for many years.

“There were challenges along the way, including restricted access, working within listed-building confines and water ingress, but the whole professional team and the client worked cohesively and effectively together to overcome these.

“We’re incredibly proud of the end result.”

The 200-year-old, six-storey corner unit has been extensively upgraded, including a full-height rear extension housing a new staircase, and significant mechanical and engineering works.

The 11-month programme faced unexpected complications, most notably water ingress on the lower ground floor, which sits beneath Eldon Square shopping centre.

When the existing wall coverings were stripped back, the team found the entire level required waterproofing on both walls and floor to create a fully tanked, impermeable barrier.

Another key part of the refurbishment involved filling large floor cavities left after the removal of a large central stairwell.

The project team included Arcas Building Solutions as lead contractor, Architects Group, interior designer M Worldwide, M&E engineers Clark Degnan, and planning consultants KLR.

Andrew Haigh, chief executive of Newcastle Building Society, said: “Monument is our biggest single branch investment and a huge commitment to our home city.

“It is much more than a branch; it’s a place with the next generation in mind, with free-to-use spaces serving our community and civic partners.

“I’d like to thank Silverstone for steering this redevelopment forward and helping us realise our ambition of creating a hub that will benefit the whole community.”

Silverstone Building Consultancy, which has offices in Leeds and Newcastle, is a national firm of chartered building surveyors and project managers.

The company has previously managed restoration projects for the Inn Collection Group, including the award-winning Harrogate Inn in Harrogate.

Swansea Council has taken further steps in their efforts to stop the WRU’s proposals

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Swansea Council has escalated efforts to prevent the WRU selling Cardiff Rugby to Y11 Sport and Media by formally asking the Competition and Markets Authority to investigate the proposed takeover.

The council, under its combative leader Rob Stewart, has called on the WRU to row back on plans to reduce the number of professional regions in Wales from four to three. The current owners of the Ospreys are close to finalising a deal to acquire Cardiff Rugby, which the union acquired out of administration last year.

Following a meeting with the WRU chief executive Abi Tierney and CEO of the Ospreys Lance Bradley, with Mr Stewart and a number of senior council figures, including its chief executive Martin Nicholls, the local authority maintains it was made clear Y11 signalled that the Ospreys would cease to be a professional region beyond the current 2026-27 season.

Instead the council said it was proposed that the Ospreys effectively merged with Swansea RFC – which Y11 has no control over – to create a new team, the Osprey Whites, that would play at a semi professional level in the Super Cymru Rugby competition

It is also understood that in the meeting the idea of a redeveloped St Helens’s hosting one of two new women’s professional teams in Wales, as well as U-20 men’s international matches, was also floated.

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The union, without giving its version of what was said in the meeting, has described the council’s take on the meeting as inaccurate. Earlier this month Swansea lodged a pre-action legal letter with the WRU, with a response deadline of last Friday, calling for the union to put on hold the deal for Cardiff with Y11, which is close to being finalised.

The local authority had committed £5m to developing St Helen’s on the understanding that the Ospreys became long long-term tenant playing in the United Rugby Championship with the other Welsh regions

Now the council has formally submitted a case to the CMA to halt the proposed takeover. The CMA, which has been contacted for comment, usually has a relatively short window to consider whether a case has merit to proceed to a contestable stage. So, as it stands there is nothing preventing the WRU striking a ownership deal for Cardiff with Y11, who are majority owned at Kuala Lumpur based private firm Navis Capital.

Swansea Council are being advised by barristers Nick D Marco, Mark Vinall and Tom Watret of Blackstone Chambers

The council’s case to the CMA, under the Competition Act, is the union’s proposals risk unfairly restricting competition, reducing choice for supporters, and damaging Swansea’s economy.

The council is urging the CMA to investigate urgently and to consider interim measures to pause the proposed deal.

The submission to the CMA says: “The CMA should strongly consider using its powers under section .35 of the Competition Act 1998 to issue interim measures to prevent the sale of Cardiff Rugby to Y11 pending its investigation. Given the speed with which the situation is developing, that sale is likely to result in serious, irreparable damage, insofar as it will result in the de facto elimination of Ospreys as a professional men’s rugby club, and the CMA’s intervention would clearly be in the public interest. The CMA should act quickly to preserve the status quo.”

It adds: “Thee WRU’s decision about geographical distribution of the licences was an unfair distortion of competition. Despite the WRU’s claim that any club could bid for any licence, that did not reflect the practical reality.

“In practice, it meant that Dragons and Cardiff were protected (despite Dragons being historically the least successful of the four teams and Cardiff having had to be rescued from Administration, and Newport and Cardiff being only 12 miles apart);

“The fact that the WRU owned Cardiff when it made that decision also gave rise to a conflict of interest between the WRU’s immediate commercial interests and the long-term interests of the game.”

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The council’s submission continues: “The fact that this outcome has arisen neither as a result of consensus between the four regions, nor as a result of the fair and transparent bidding process, taking place over a six-month long period, that was promised by the WRU in default of consensus.

Instead, it has emerged as the result of a secretive process apparently driven by the short-term interests of the WRU (which is enabled to both divest itself of Cardiff and avoid having to run the promised tender process for licences) and the commercial interests of Y11 (which is enabled to acquire both Cardiff Rugby and, de facto, the geographic licence for the capital, as well as apparently being given the extraordinary permission to own two teams for a period so that it can do so), at the expense of Ospreys and their stakeholders, including the Council, the club’s players, staff and fans and their affiliated clubs.”

The Council said it has also been financially disadvantaged, having already committed £1.5 million preparing St Helen’s for redevelopment, including the cost of relocating Swansea Cricket Club, that played at St Helen’s , to a new ground.

While not a legal agreement, the council has signed a pre-lease agreement with the Ospreys (Y11) for a 50-year lease at St Helen’s starting at an annual rent of £100,000, subject to inflation linked reviews.

Mr Stewart said: “The WRU’s proposals would mean the end of the Ospreys as a professional men’s rugby region. This would be a huge blow to our city – economically, culturally and emotionally.

“Players, supporters, residents, community clubs and local businesses all deserve a fair and transparent process from the WRU.

“We cannot accept a situation where decisions are made behind closed doors to remove one of Wales’s four professional teams and leave Swansea without top-level rugby.

“We are asking the CMA to step in urgently to protect competition and give our city and region the fair treatment it deserves.”

Haribo fans Neavey and her dad couldn’t resist buying one of the £11.95 mystery bags from the Haribo shop – and they were left floored by the haul they managed to bag

We all have our favourite Haribo sweet – whether its sour Tangfastics or super delicious cherries from Starmix packets.

But if you venture out of your comfort zone, there’s a chance you’ll find something new and exciting. And that’s exactly what Neavey and her dad did recently.

The shoppers ventured from Liverpool to the Trafford Centre in Manchester to pick up a mystery box from Haribo. For £11.95, they got a bag of surprising items they wouldn’t revealed until they opened it up.

Fortune appeared to favour the duo, who hit the jackpot with their bounty. So what exactly did they receive?

Items inside the Haribo mystery bag

• Two MaoMixx bags worth £6.20
• Haribo Tangfastics share bag worth £1.25
• Haribo Alienauts worth £1.25
• Haribo Bella Bites worth £1.25
• Maoam JoyStixx worth £1.07
• Haribo BallaStixx worth £1.25
• Haribo jelly beans worth £1.45
• Supermix mini bags worth 34p
• A Haribo key chain worth around £2

TOTAL VALUE – £16.06, saving the mystery bag shoppers around £4.

Final verdict

The delighted shoppers said they were “made up” by the substantial quantity of treats they received in the Haribo mystery bag.

They were also able to sample some confectionery they might have never picked out for themselves, so it was a win-win all round.

If you’re considering snapping up one of these goodie bags, it’s important to remember that luck plays a significant role.

The essence of blind boxes means you’ve got no say in what you receive, which could prove frustrating if you’re fussy about your sweet selections.

Nevertheless, if you’ve got a penchant for sugary treats and don’t mind taking a chance, it could certainly be worth a punt!

GENEVA (AP) — Delegations from Moscow and Kyiv met in Geneva on Tuesday for another round of U.S.-brokered peace talks, a week before the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor.

However, expectations for any breakthroughs in the scheduled two days of talks in Switzerland were low, with neither side apparently ready to budge from its positions on key territorial issues and future security guarantees, despite the United States setting a June deadline for a settlement.

The head of Ukrainian delegation, Rustem Umerov, posted photos on social media of the three delegations at a horseshoe-shaped table, with the Ukrainian and Russian officials sitting across from each other. U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law Jared Kushner sat at the head of the table in front of U.S., Russian, Ukrainian and Swiss flags.

“The agenda includes security and humanitarian issues,” Umerov said, adding that Ukrainians will work “without excessive expectations.”

Tough talks expected

Discussions on the future of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory are expected to be particularly tough, according to a person familiar with the talks who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to talk to reporters.

During previous talks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, military leaders looked at how a demilitarized zone could be arranged and how everyone’s militaries could talk to one another, the person added.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov cautioned against expecting developments on the first day of talks as they were set to continue on Wednesday. Moscow has provided few details of previous talks.

Trump describes the talks as ‘big’

Ukraine’s short-handed army is locked in a war of attrition with Russia’s bigger forces along the roughly 1,250-kilometer (750-mile) front line. Ukrainian civilians are enduring Russian aerial barrages that repeatedly knock out power and destroy homes.

The future of the almost 20% of Ukrainian land that Russia occupies or still covets is a central question in the talks, as are Kyiv’s demands for postwar security guarantees with a U.S. backstop to deter Moscow from invading again.

Trump described the Geneva meeting as “big talks.”

“Ukraine better come to the table fast,” he told reporters late Monday as he flew back to Washington from his home in Florida.

It wasn’t immediately clear what Trump was referring to in his comment about Ukraine, which has committed to and taken part in negotiations in the hope of ending Russia’s devastating onslaught.

Complex talks as the war presses on

The Russian delegation is headed by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s adviser Vladimir Medinsky, who headed Moscow’s team of negotiators in the first direct peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul in March 2022 and has forcefully pushed Putin’s war goals. Medinsky has written several history books that claim to expose Western plots against Russia and berate Ukraine.

The commander of the U.S. military — and NATO forces — in Europe, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, and Secretary of the U.S. Army Dan Driscoll will attend the meeting in Geneva on behalf of the U.S. military and meet with their Russian and Ukrainian counterparts, Col. Martin O’Donnell, a spokesman for the U.S. commander said.

Overnight, Russia used almost 400 long-range drones and 29 missiles of various types to strike 12 regions of Ukraine, injuring nine people, including children, according to the Ukrainian president.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said tens of thousands of residents were left without heating and running water in the southern port city of Odesa.

He said Moscow should be “held accountable” for the relentless attacks, which he said undermine the U.S. push for peace.

“The more this evil comes from Russia, the harder it will be for everyone to reach any agreements with them. Partners must understand this. First and foremost, this concerns the United States,” the Ukrainian leader said on social media late Monday.

“We agreed to all realistic proposals from the United States, starting with the proposal for an unconditional and long-term ceasefire,” Zelenskyy noted.

The talks in Geneva took place as U.S. officials also held indirect talks with Iran in the Swiss city.

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Burrows reported from London. Associated Press writer Illia Novikov in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report.

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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

The book is described as a wry family story focusing on a sometime actor and panto dame who battles dyslexia to record his mother’s memoirs.

A Bridge of Allan born author has penned his witty debut novel telling the story of a man who appeared as the front half of a camel.

Adrian Ross, who grew in Bridge of Allan and attended Dollar Academy and Stirling University, has written ‘Sons of Great Men’ – described as a wry family story narrated by Victor, a sometime actor and pantomime dame, who battles his dyslexia to record his hospitalised mum’s memoirs.

In his teens, Adrian ushered at the Macrobert Arts Centre and later gained an MLitt by thesis in Film and Media at the university.

He currently co-ordinates the monthly Talks at the Smith programme in Stirling.

As a writer, Adrian has contributed to the New Writing Scotland anthology, The Reviews Hub website and Postbox, Scotland’s international short story magazine.

He studied Drama and Film at the University of East Anglia, where he was a founding member of Minotaur Theatre Company. He worked as a newspaper sub editor in London and South Wales, later becoming a manager in the arts and adult education.

The former actor and journalist said: “I didn’t pursue acting as a career, so this story is partly an exploration of what might have been.

“I’ve tried to give it a funny-and-sad feel.”

Sons of Great Men is published in paperback on 1 March 2026 and is available from all good bookshops and can be pre-ordered online.

These are the words of the heartbroken mother of Mylo Capilla, who sadly drowned in the River Tees after drinking with friends last summer. 

The 13-year-old, who in his short life had overcome stage four cancer, had gone down to the ‘Muddies’ in Ingleby Barwick on June 27 when tragedy struck. 

Mylo decided to enter the River Tees after drinking what would be more than three times the drink drive limit when he got into difficulty and vanished. 

A desperate search was launched but the following day his body was recovered from the river. 

Following an inquest into his death concluding that he drowned after consuming a significant amount of alcohol, Mylo’s mother has issued a heartbreaking statement saying he “was and always will be my precious boy”. 

She also warned others of the dangers of drinking alcohol near water, saying to parents to “hold your babies close no matter how old they are”. 

Mylo Capilla (Image: FAMILY PIC)

She said: “As Mylo’s mum, there are no words that truly capture what we’ve lost. 

“My beautiful boy had a short life and he faced more challenges than many do in a lifetime, but he lived every single day to the fullest. 

“He was funny, full of energy, and had a way of lighting up a room the moment he walked into it. He felt everything deeply, loved fiercely, and touched the heart of everyone he ever met.

“Hearing the conclusion that he drowned, with alcohol playing a part, has broken our hearts beyond words.

“If I could say one thing to other parents, it would be this: hold your babies close, no matter how old they are. Tell them you love them. 

Mylo Capilla (Image: FAMILY PIC)

“And please, please take water safety and the risks of alcohol seriously. We will carry Mylo with us for the rest of our lives. He was, and always will be, my precious boy.”

‘One of a kind’

Mylo’s father Daniel Capilla also described his son as “truly one of a kind” in a statement read out at the inquest at Teesside Coroners’ Court on Tuesday (February 17). 

He said Mylo was “always ready to wrap you in one of his famous hugs” and he “always knew what to give and he gave it freely”.

Daniel said he still remembers their final exchange, where Mylo gave him a hug and said “love you Papa” before he left the house. 

Mylo Capilla (Image: FAMILY PIC)

The inquest heard how Mylo went down to the ‘Muddies’, near Ramsey Gardens in the Round Hill area of the estate, with the intention of building the den. 

Mylo, who had a bottle of vodka and gin in his bag, had texted a pal just after 6pm saying “I may have had too much vodka”. 

After concerns were raised about him and a search was launched, officers arrived and found Mylo’s bike and phone close to the scene. 

Tributes left for Mylo Capilla (Image: The Northern Echo)

Detective Chief Inspector David Snaith said his friend had been found “covered in mud and slightly intoxicated” and confirmed that they had been drinking and gone into the river. 

Toxicology tests revealed that Mylo had a “very high level of alcohol in his blood” which would have caused a “significant degree of intoxication”. 

This may have inhibited his attempts to save himself, the inquest heard. 

He was found to have a blood alcohol reading of 288mg per 100ml, which is more than three times above the drink driving limit. 

There were no drugs found in his system. 

The team have lost county finals in each of the last two seasons but have handed 1992 All-Ireland winner Brolly the reins

Former RTE pundit and Derry All-Ireland winner Joe Brolly is back in GAA management at club level. The Dungiven native has taken the reins of a senior club in Mayo, where he now resides with his wife Laurita Blewitt.

The Irish radio presenter and producer comes from Knockmore in the Connacht county and Brolly has been part of the senior men’s management team there with Ray Dempsey in a coaching capacity.

On Monday night, the club confirmed that Brolly has been appointed as senior ladies manager.

Knockmore, county ladies champions in 2023, stated on a social media post: “Following a meeting this evening, the Knockmore LGFA Chairperson, Patricia Dempsey, is happy to announce that Joe Brolly has been appointed as the Knockmore LGFA Senior Manager.

“Joe brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge and the club is extremely excited at this appointment. Joe is looking forward to the challenge and he outlined his vision earlier with great enthusiasm and all at Knockmore GAA and LGFA wish him and the Senior Ladies team every success.”

The Knockmore ladies have come up just short in the last two years in Mayo, losing to Westport in the final on both occasions.

Brolly’s wife Blewitt is a third cousin of former US president Joe Biden and the couple met with the politician several times.

She was a podcaster on The Tommy and Hector Podcast before the pair became engaged in 2021. They wed back in 2022, and welcomed a baby girl into the world two years later.

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Iran is carrying out military drills in the Strait of Hormuz, in a show of strength ahead of nuclear talks with the US in Geneva.

The naval exercises, which included test missiles, warships and helicopters, are testing the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) “operational readiness” and plans for reciprocal action in case of “potential security and military threats”.

Indirect talks began on Tuesday morning, with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner representing the US, while Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi leads the Iranian delegation. Omani officials are mediating.

After the talks began, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned president Donald Trump that even if the US boasts the world’s leading military, “the strongest army in the world can sometimes be slapped so hard it cannot get up”, according to Iranian media.

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Iranian officials have warned that the success of talks in Geneva relies on whether the US makes unrealistic demands and on its seriousness on lifting economic sanctions on Iran.

Trump meanwhile, has continued to openly voice his support for regime change in Tehran, telling reporters on Monday that it may be “the best thing that could happen”.

He said he would be involved “indirectly” in the talks and voiced his belief that Iran wants to make a deal in Geneva.

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“I don’t think they want the consequences of not making a deal,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday.

“We could have had a deal instead of sending the B-2s in to knock out their nuclear potential. And we had to send the B-2s.”

Last week, US troops pulled out of bases in eastern Syria, suggesting the military could be preparing for an Iranian response to any attack it carries out.

Two officials told Reuters news agency that the US military is preparing for the possibility of weeks of operations against Iran if Trump orders an attack.

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But Iran’s minister of foreign affairs Abbas Araghchi rejected President Trump’s threats in a post on X the day before the talks began.

“I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal,” he wrote. “What is not on the table: submission before threats.”

Tehran had previously threatened that it would close the strait, which is critical for the world’s oil supplies, if the US were to attack, a move which would be hugely damaging for global markets.

Oil prices dropped in the Asian trade on Tuesday, as investors assessed the risk of supply disruption after Iran conducted the naval drills.

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Threats of a US attack began as a response to the Tehran regime’s brutal crackdown of widespread protests in December and January, but developed into attempt to pressure Iran into agreeing a new nuclear deal.

Tehran is looking to ward off of a repeat of last summer, when attempts to revive nuclear talks were interrupted by US-ally Israel launching a bombing campaign against Iran – which was then supported by US B-2 bombers that struck nuclear targets.