Tuesday briefing: The ‘life-shattering’ stories of Epstein survivors

In today’s newsletter: What the newly disclosed Epstein pages really tells us – and why some survivors are frustrated with the way the narrative is being toldGood morning. The mills of God may grind slowly, but the wheels of the US justice department appear to turn even more sluggishly when it comes to those connected with the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.Over the past few days, the release of millions of previously sealed documents relating to Epstein has reignited scrutiny of his relationships with politicians, business leaders and public figures around the world. But amid the frenzy over names and emails, there are growing concerns that the disclosure risks repeating a familiar pattern: centring powerful men, while the experiences of survivors once again slip into the background.Jeffrey Epstein | Peter Mandelson is facing a possible police investigation into his alleged leak of market-sensitive information to Jeffrey Epstein at the height of the financial crisis; and the charity of Sarah Ferguson has announced it is closing after new revelations emerged about the former duchess’s friendship with Epstein.UK news | Dan Norris, a former Labour minister and now an independent MP, has been arrested for a second time on suspicion of rape, sexual assault, voyeurism and upskirting. Norris has denied the allegations.Doctors | Resident doctors in England have voted in favour of continuing industrial action over the next six months, the British Medical Association has announced.Gaza | The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt has been reopened by Israel for people on foot, as fragile diplomatic efforts inch forward. According to an Egyptian official, only 50 Palestinians will be permitted to cross in each direction on the first day of operations.Environment | A damning report has found that the EU’s renewable energy targets for 2030 are “out of reach” because of lack of progress in domestic production, refining and recycling. Continue reading...