Epstein affair Investigation

Israel's former leader lived in Epstein's apartment

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak regularly stayed in sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's New York apartment, reports Haaretz.

The newly released Epstein documents show that Barak and his wife used the apartment between 2015 and 2019 – long after Epstein was convicted of buying sex from a 14-year-old girl in 2008.

The correspondence read by Haaretz shows that Epstein's staff referred to the apartment as "Ehud's apartment". The Baraks had email contact with Epstein until a few weeks before he was arrested on suspicion of sex trafficking in 2019.

Ehud Barak confirms to the newspaper that he lived in the apartment "from time to time".

French ex-minister resigns – linked to Epstein

France's former culture and education minister Jack Lang is resigning from his position as chairman of the prestigious Arab World Institute (IMA), reports the Guardian.

Lang is one of the top European politicians who have been drawn into the Epstein affair, as according to the documents he repeatedly asked Epstein for favors and money. French prosecutors have opened an investigation into money laundering and tax crimes.

During the day, Lang is to appear at a meeting with the French Foreign Ministry to discuss his connection to Epstein. Lang resigned as chairman of the IMA late on Saturday evening.

Epstein keen to contact Putin – name yields over 1,000 hits

Sex offender Jeffrey Epstein frantically tried to arrange a meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin. The Washington Post reports.

According to the newspaper's review of the Epstein documents, the attempts went on for several years. Putin's name is said to appear in over 1,000 places in the published material.

Epstein is said to have corresponded extensively with a number of people in top positions in the Russian establishment, including Sergei Belyakov of the Russian intelligence service FSB academy. For example, Epstein is said to have arranged meetings between Belyakov and tech investor Peter Thiel.

The documents also show a connection between Epstein and oligarch Oleg Deripaska.

The information has prompted Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to launch an investigation into possible links between Epstein and Russian intelligence. The Kremlin dismisses the information.