Opinion

Epstein Files Miss Deadline, Arrive Smothered in Redactions

A court-ordered, law-mandated release of Jeffrey Epstein-related records has arrived in public view looking less like transparency and more like a ransom note written in censor bars. The Justice Department says the redactions are necessary to protect victims and to review hundreds of thousands of pages, but lawmakers from both parties have accused the administration of slow-walking and selectively releasing material that spotlights rivals while leaving key investigative documents missing. Reuters noted the release contains only scant references to Trump, while Bill Clinton appears far more frequently in photos and materials, fuelling accusations that the production is as political as it is procedural. Trump has alternated between promising disclosure and dismissing the entire saga as a “SCAM” pushed by Democrats, while Bondi has publicly signalled eagerness to unseal grand jury transcripts — a move experts say may not answer the central question the public keeps asking: who else, if anyone, was involved, and why has so little ever been charged.

The Trump administration has released a heavily redacted tranche of Epstein-related files that critics say answers almost nothing while somehow finding time to make Trump barely visible. Officials insist the black ink is about protecting victims; sceptics say it’s also doing a remarkable job protecting the President.

Tech

AI in 2026: The Year the Future Stops Waiting?

AI enters 2026 no longer as a promising technology but as a structural force reshaping economies, politics and everyday life. The US is pushing ahead with rapid deployment, the EU is tightening regulation to manage risk and the UK is positioning itself as a diplomatic bridge on AI safety. These diverging approaches highlight how global competition, education systems, labour markets and information environments are being transformed by increasingly capable artificial intelligence. With predictions of human-level and even superhuman systems this decade, governments are racing to balance opportunity and stability in a world where the pace of innovation now outstrips traditional policymaking.

As AI accelerates into 2026, the world’s major powers are scrambling to define their strategies. The US, EU and UK have taken sharply different paths, each reflecting contrasting philosophies on innovation, risk and geopolitical influence.

Straight News

Trump’s $1bn BBC Threat Escalates His War on the Media

Donald Trump’s ultimatum to the BBC—retract a Panorama documentary or face a $1bn lawsuit—has become the most consequential flashpoint in a long-running battle that has reshaped press–government relations on both sides of the Atlantic. Drawing on public reporting, court filings, and regulatory decisions from July 2024 to November 2025, this analysis shows how Trump moved from campaign-trail attacks to a multi-front offensive: defamation suits against ABC, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Penguin Random House and others; FCC manoeuvres targeting broadcasters; funding cuts for public media; and unprecedented efforts to bar outlets like AP and Reuters from covering White House events. The BBC dispute is not an anomaly, but the international extension of a strategy built on pressure, intimidation, and legal firepower.

President Trump’s extraordinary $1bn legal threat against the BBC marks the peak of a two-year confrontation with the media that has spanned lawsuits, regulatory pressure, and aggressive public attacks. A detailed timeline shows how his war on the press escalated from rhetoric to legal and political force.

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United States

Epstein Files Miss Deadline, Arrive Smothered in Redactions

AI in 2026: The Year the Future Stops Waiting?

Media Offensive