The US president has said he backs US lawmakers efforts to release the files, ahead of an expected House vote this week
US President Donald Trump has said he backs lawmakers’ efforts to release more files related to notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, despite being previously opposed to the measure.
“House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, calling the controversy over his former friend’s criminality a “Democrat hoax.”
China warned its citizens not to travel to Japan amid an escalating row over comments made by prime minister Sanae Takaichi about Taiwan
Shares in Japanese tourism and retail firms fell sharply on Monday after China warned its citizens not to travel to Japan amid an escalating row over comments made by prime minister Sanae Takaichi about Taiwan.
In morning trade shares in cosmetics form Shiseido fell 9%, department store group Takashimaya by more than 5% and Fast Retailing – the owner of Uniqlo – by more than 4%.
Cyclist passes away in Adelaide home after ‘sudden medical episode’
Paralympian won women’s C1-3 3,000m individual pursuit in Tokyo
Australian Paralympic gold medallist, Paige Greco, has been remembered for her humility, generosity, and the joy she brought to her teammates after her shock death on Sunday at the age of 28.
Paige passed away in her Adelaide home after experiencing a sudden medical episode, according to South Australian authorities, and her family has asked for privacy.
Greece has signed a deal with Ukraine to supply US-origin liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the country amid the crippling of its energy infrastructure from Russian strikes. Sunday’s agreement came as Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Athens at the start of a European tour aimed at shoring up Ukraine’s defences and energy supply ahead of winter. The deal – to run from December until March 2026 – “marks an essential step in strengthening regional energy cooperation and European energy security”, said a joint statement from the Ukrainian president and the Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, after they met. The deal would make it possible to “support Ukraine in the midst of a difficult winter”, they said. The deal came as Ukrainian energy infrastructure was damaged by Russian drone strikes overnight into Sunday in the Odesa region, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said. A solar power plant was among the damaged sites.
Russia said on Sunday its forces had moved forward sharply in south-eastern Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, taking two settlements as part of a major push aimed at seizing the whole region. The Russian defence ministry said its forces had taken Rivnopillya, which puts the southern town of Huliaipole in danger of being the target of Russian pincer movements, and that Russian forces had also taken Mala Tokmachka, just 9km (6 miles) from Orikhiv. “It is difficult to overestimate the importance of this village for the defence of Orikhiv,” said Yuri Podolyaka, one of Russia’s top war bloggers, adding that Mala Tokmachka was essentially “the gateway to Orikhiv”. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.
Ukrainian forces struck a major oil refinery in Russia’s Samara region, along with a warehouse storing drones for the elite Rubicon drone unit in the partially Russian-occupied Donetsk region, Ukraine’s general staff said on Sunday. It said it had recorded explosions and a fire at the site of the strike on the Novokuibyshevsk refinery, but was still assessing the extent of damage. Russian officials did not immediately confirm the attacks.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced a plan to clean up Ukraine’s energy sector after a $100m kickback scheme was alleged by anti-corruption investigators, in the worst scandal of his presidency. Jennifer Rankin and Luke Harding report that over the weekend the Ukrainian president announced an overhaul of key state energy companies including a complete change of management at Energoatom, the nuclear power operator at the centre of the alleged criminal scheme. Government officials, Zelenskyy said, were instructed “to maintain constant and meaningful communication with law enforcement and anti-corruption bodies. Any scheme uncovered in these companies must receive a swift and just response.”
A ceasefire in Ukraine isunlikely before the spring, Finland’s president has said, and European allies need to keep up support despite the Ukrainian corruption scandal. Europe would require “sisu’’ – a Finnish term for resilience – to get through the winter as Russia continued its hybrid attacks in Europe, Alexander Stubb told the Associated Press.
Greenpeace has said France is sending reprocessed uranium to Russia for treatment so it can be reused, despite Moscow’s war in Ukraine. The environment group said on Sunday that while it was legal, the trade was “immoral” as many nations seek to step up sanctions on Russia over its invasion. Greenpeace members on Saturday filmed the loading of about 10 containers with radioactive labels on to a cargo ship in the Channel port of Dunkirk, the NGO said. The consignment was the first of reprocessed uranium to be observed for three years, it said. France’s energy ministry and the French state-controlled energy company Electricite de France did not respond to questions from Agence France-Presse on the consignment or trade.
Ukraine is working to resume prisoner exchanges with Russia that could bring home 1,200 Ukrainian prisoners, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday, a day after his national security chief announced progress in negotiations. “We are … counting on the resumption of PoW exchanges,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. “Many meetings, negotiations and calls are currently taking place to ensure this.”
Decision seen by some as ‘blatant whitewashing’ but many Gen Z have responded with indifference and even nostalgia
To some Indonesians he is the antithesis of a hero – a former dictator accused of human rights abuses who once held the disreputable title of one of the world’s most corrupt leaders.
So when the world’s third-largest democracy announced this month that its late strongman leader Suharto would be named a national hero, activists and survivors were outraged.
Six coloured sand products recalled in New Zealand after testing in Australia found asbestos in similar items
Multiple schools have temporarily closed in New Zealand and hundreds of education facilities are seeking advice from officials after asbestos was detected in several brands of widely used coloured play sand.
Last week, the ministry for business, innovation and employment confirmed a voluntary recall was under way for two brands of coloured sand sold in New Zealand, after testing in Australia found asbestos in similar products.
The ultraconservative lawyer is in pole position going into the second round election, after running a campaign with a distinctly Trumpian feel
The ultraconservative lawyer, José Antonio Kast, is in pole position to become Chile’s next leader after advancing to the second round of the South American country’s presidential election where he will face the Communist party candidate Jeannette Jara.
With more than 70% of votes counted, Kast had secured about 24% of the vote in Sunday’s first round vote, having campaigned on hard-line promises to crack down on crime and immigration, while making a Donald Trump-style pledge to “put Chileans first”.
Josh Allen has become the first NFL player to have two games with three touchdowns passing and three rushing. He achieved the feat as he led the Buffalo Bills (7-3) to victory over Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4). Allen’s last TD was a rugged nine-yard run with 2:35 left that put the game away. The Bills benched struggling receiver Keon Coleman in a bid to spark their passing game, and each of Allen’s three touchdown passes went for 25 yards or more. He finished 19 of 30 for 317 yards, and the Bills overcame his two first-half interceptions. The game featured nine lead changes.
The idea of a full year of travel might be amazing for social media likes but a gap year doesn’t have to be a hole in young people’s bank balance
Let’s play a quick word association game, where I say a word and you reply with the first word that comes into your mind. My word is “gap year” (OK, that’s two words). Was your response word “travel”?
As my son prepares to take a gap year (and my daughter finishes first-year university after taking a year’s break), I’m realising just how strongly gap years are associated with travel. Yet, for many school leavers contemplating a year away from study, travel is either well down the list of options, only a small part of their next 12 to 15 months, or not on the agenda at all.
Strike comes as navy’s most advanced aircraft carrier arrives in Caribbean Sea and president says US may open talks with Venezuelan leader
The United States conducted anotherattackon an alleged drug trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific on Saturday, killing three people aboard, the Pentagon said on Sunday.
“Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics,” the US Southern Command announced in a post on social media.
Thomas Massie says move could be Trump’s ‘last-ditch effort’ to keep Epstein files from becoming public
Republican congressman Thomas Massie challenged Donald Trump on Sunday over whether the US president is making a “last-ditch effort” to keep the full files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein from becoming public by ordering a fresh investigation.
Massie and Democratic congressman Ro Khanna, the two US representatives leading the bipartisan push to make all the files held by the government public both raised fresh concerns about the latest actions by the White House.
On his favourite surface and before a rowdy home crowd, Jannik Sinner closed out his immense season with a statement victory against his great rival Carlos Alcaraz, putting together a supreme performance to defeat the Spaniard 7-6 (4), 7-5 and successfully defend his title at the ATP Finals in Turin.
Despite his season being slightly abbreviated because of his three‑month doping ban, and Alcaraz seizing the year-end No 1 ranking with a legendary year of his own, Sinner finishes 2025 with six titles, a 58-6 win-loss record and three of the five biggest titles in the year.
Marissa Bode is the first disabled actor to play Nessarose, a key character in the stage turned film franchise – but has had to respond to online abuse
Disabled actor Marissa Bode, who plays the prominent role of Nessarose Thropp in the hit film musical Wicked and its forthcoming sequel Wicked: For Good, has called for improved representation for disabled performers in the entertainment industry – and specifically an end to what activists call “cripping up” – casting non-disabled actors in disabled character roles.
“I really hope my casting sets precedent,” says Bode, adding: “It’s just navigating a world and a system that we have just not been acknowledged in as we should be.” A recent study by the Rudderman Family Foundation found that only 21% of disabled characters on US TV between 2016 and 2023 were played by disabled actors.
Move threatens to throw open parts of secretive legal battle on Channel island about ex-Chelsea owner’s wealth
The former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is making a claim of “conspiracy” against the government of Jersey after the crown dependency launched a criminal investigation into allegations of corruption and money laundering in connection with the original source of the oligarch’s wealth.
The latest move threatens to throw open parts of a secretive legal battle on the Channel island about the tycoon’s rise to become one of the world’s richest people, which emerged in September after a Switzerland federal criminal court ordered the release of a cache of Swiss banking records requested by the Jersey attorney general.
For Thomas Tuchel, there was an unmistakable circularity, a pleasingness to the narrative arc. The England head coach began his tenure with a World Cup qualifying victory against Albania at Wembley last March. And he finished the first phase of the mission to add a second star to the shirt with another one – by the same scoreline in Tirana.
It is surely worth taking a moment to digest the headline numbers. This was England’s eighth qualifying win out of eight games and an eighth clean sheet. Never before has a European team gone through World Cup qualification – playing at least six matches – without letting in a goal. It is a record to fire hope, which has sent out a message.
Marina Silva says contentious plan would be ‘ethical answer’ to climate crisis but does not commit Brazil to it
Brazil’s environment minister, Marina Silva, has urged all countries to have the courage to address the need for a fossil fuel phaseout, calling the drawing up of a roadmap for it an “ethical” response to the climate crisis.
She emphasised, however, that the process would be voluntary for those governments that wished to participate, and “self-determined”.
Hertfordshire police agree to pay £20,000 to Rosalind Levine and Maxie Allen, who were held for 11 hours after complaining about daughter’s school
Two parents who were arrested after they complained about their daughter’s primary school on WhatsApp have said they felt “vindicated” by the police admitting the arrest was unlawful.
Rosalind Levine and her partner, Maxie Allen, said they were held at a police station for 11 hours over their complaints about the school.
Joe Flacco hits his favourite receiver Tee Higgins with a deep strike for the 28-yard touchdown. Another shootout brewing? Cinci took the one earlier in the season 33-31 in Flacco’s debut as a Bengal.
Survivors group had called on firm Felzmann to ‘show some basic decency’ and halt ‘cynical and shameless’ event
Poland’s foreign minister said on Sunday that an “offensive” auction of Holocaust artefacts in Germany has been cancelled, relaying information from his German counterpart, after complaints from Holocaust survivors.
Radosław Sikorski made the comments on X, saying he and German foreign minister Johann Wadephul “agreed that such a scandal must be prevented”.
Not ‘appropriate’ to use licence fee payer’s money to pay US president after threat to sue for up to $5bn, says peer
The BBC should not pay any money to Donald Trump, the former BBC director general Tony Hall has said.
The US president has said he plans to sue the BBC for up to $5bn (£3.8bn) despite receiving the apology he demanded over a misleading Panorama edit of his 6 January speech.
Luke Littler celebrated becoming the world No 1 by winning the Grand Slam of Darts. The 18-year-old’s ascent to the top of the rankings was confirmed with his semi-final win against Danny Noppert earlier on Sunday.
That victory set up another titanic battle in the final with his great rival Luke Humphries, who he replaced at the summit. Littler flexed his muscles with a 16-11 triumph to become just the fourth man to defend the title in Wolverhampton.
Gregor Townsend’s side defeated after being 21-0 up
Nothing short of a disaster for Scotland, but a magnificent comeback by Argentina. The hosts were 21-0 up and cruising in the second half when a loose Finn Russell pass was seized on by opponents who had been poor until that point.
Blair Kinghorn was soon in the sin‑bin and a sensational flurry of five Argentina tries in the final 24 minutes sealed Scotland’s fate. It was all orchestrated in stunning fashion by Santi Carreras of Bath, one of six replacements who appeared together after half-time.
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