Donald Trump faces renewed scrutiny over his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein following the dramatic release of emails suggesting the former US president had knowledge of Epstein's criminal activities.
Epstein Email Revelations
In three extraordinary emails released overnight by US House Democrats, the late financier directly implicated Trump in his crimes. Epstein wrote that Trump "knew about the girls" and claimed the former president had "spent hours" at his residence with one of Epstein's victims.
The White House quickly responded to the allegations, identifying the victim as Virginia Giuffre and dismissing the claims as a "fake narrative." The email release comes as a new Democrat congresswoman could be sworn in, potentially forcing a vote on the complete Epstein files.
Australian Developments
Meanwhile in Australia, Guardian Australia obtained exclusive documents revealing the National Disability Insurance Agency conducted a six-month trial involving 300 staff using machine learning to create draft plans for NDIS participants.
In political news, the Liberal party faces a credibility test after their marathon meeting about ditching net zero targets. Chief political reporter Dan Jervis Bardy provided insights into what occurred during the lengthy discussions and what the outcome means for the Coalition's future.
Celestial Display and Other News
Skywatchers across Australia and New Zealand were treated to a spectacular display of the aurora australis following a severe solar storm. The southern lights lit up night skies from Werribee South Beach to locations across both countries.
Other significant developments include Meta and other tech companies facing millions in new fines for refusing to sign content deals with Australian news outlets under Labor's proposed media bargaining incentive. The penalties would be based on the local revenue of major platforms.
In New South Wales, real estate agents could face fines of $110,000 or more if caught underquoting properties under proposed new laws designed to stamp out misleading price estimates.
Consumer advocacy group Choice released findings from taste-testing 18 brands of chopped and diced tomatoes, revealing that three cheaper cans outperformed many more expensive brands.
