[0:00]UK's most [music] prolific sex offender attacked young men. A special report from the front line of the people's [music] smuggling crisis on the Libyan route known as the most
[0:11]dangerous path [music] to Europe. And we'll take a first look at tomorrow's front pages. That is [music] coming up in our press preview from
[0:20]10:30 right through to midnight. Hello, good evening. Democrats in the
[0:31]United States have released emails from Jeffrey Epstein, which they say raise serious questions about the nature of President Trump's relationship with the pedophile. In one of the emails, Epstein
[0:42]asserts that Mr. Trump spent hours at his house with one of Epstein's victims, later identified by the White House as Virginia Gafrey. The White House also
[0:52]said the release of the emails was an attempt to create a fake narrative and that President Trump was not involved in any wrongdoing. And tonight, Republicans have released thousands more documents
[1:04]relating to Epstein, promising to reveal the full truth and accusing Democrats of slandering the president. A US correspondent James Matthews has this report.
[1:15]>> It was another November day outside the US capital. Inside there was business unusual. >> This just doesn't make sense.
[1:24]>> A big story just got bigger with fresh revelations on the Epstein affair. Yet more notes on a scandal. Yet again, they
[1:34]cite the president. In Jeffrey Epstein emails released by the House Oversight Committee. One from 2011 to his
[1:42]co-acused Gileain Maxwell reads, "I want you to realize that the dog that hasn't barked is Trump, a victim named Redacted
[1:52]spent hours at my house with him. He has never once been mentioned, police chief, etc. I'm 75% there." Gileian Maxwell replied, "I have been thinking about
[2:03]that." Epstein emailed the writer Michael Wolf about a Trump media appearance. The author replied to him, "If he says he hasn't been on the plane or to the house, then that gives you a
[2:14]valuable PR and political currency. You can hang him in a way that potentially generates a positive benefit for you. Or if it really looks like he could win,
[2:24]you could save him, generating a debt." On the congressional committee investigating the Epstein affair, Trump's political opponents say it's
[2:33]political dynamite. Our leadership here is implicated in the largest sex trafficking scandal in the history not only of the United States but potentially in the planet. [snorts] And
[2:42]so this email, especially the 2011 email from Jeffrey Epstein to Galain Maxwell, directly references Trump. It directly talks about how he spent time with one
[2:53]of the victims of his se sex trafficking crimes at Jeffrey Epstein's house. >> Donald Trump was a friend of Jeffrey Epstein before they fell out. The name
[3:04]redacted from the new emails was unredacted by the Trump administration. They named her as the late Virginia Du Fray, Andrews accuser. This was a White
[3:14]House standing by their man. >> These emails prove absolutely nothing other than the fact that President Trump did nothing wrong. And this email you refer to with the name of a victim that
[3:26]was unredacted now and has since been reported on in this room. So I will go ahead and say it. Virginia Guy. She maintained that there was nothing inappropriate she ever witnessed. That President Trump was always extremely
[3:38]professional and friendly to her. >> Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein have long demanded a full release of relevant files for full public scrutiny. A lawyer
[3:48]fighting their case gave her latest views on the latest developments. The emails are from Jeffrey Epstein himself pointing a finger of accusation at
[3:58]Donald Trump uh really from the grave. Among 20,000 documents newly released. Andrew Mountbatten Windsor appears to get a mention in response to a newspaper
[4:09]planning to run a story on Epstein, his actions and associates. Someone called the Duke emailed Galain Maxwell and wrote, "Hey there, what's all this? I don't know anything about this. You must
[4:21]say so, please. This has nothing to do with me. I can't take any more of this. >> I wish I'd never met him in the first place. >> The documents appear to show Lord Mandolen, former US ambassador, was in
[4:33]touch with Epstein in 2016. In November that year, Epstein emailed him writing, "63 years old. You made it." Mandlesson replied, "Just. I have decided to extend
[4:44]my life by spending more of it in the US." Epstein wrote back in the Donald White House. >> It is the story that stalks Donald
[4:54]Trump. These capital corridors echo to a near constant cycle of Epstein revelations. And yet they are matched by White House denials that for now at
[5:05]least keep a distance between scandal and a sitting president. But in this scandal, there is a distance to run. James Matthews, Sky News in
[5:17]Washington. >> So, what else is contained in the thousands of Epstein files released today? Our US correspondent, Mark Stone,
[5:26]joins us now from Washington. Mark? >> Yeah, I mean, honestly, Anna, it's been kind of overwhelming looking through uh more than 20,000 different documents.
[5:37]They were dropped uh earlier on today uh on the House Oversight Committee's website, a link there which directed us through uh to a Google Drive. And inside that Google Drive, you can see some of
[5:49]the the emails, scans of of articles, newspaper articles, uh stretching back many years. Scans too of books that were written about Jeffrey Epstein. Uh some
[6:00]of it highly relevant, uh some of it less relevant. And so the challenge going through it and and working out which bits are important, which bits are important uh for us to highlight uh and
[6:11]which are are kind of red herrings. And there are some some of those. But the emails are astonishing. And to give you a sense, you know, I'm in file 11 here, which is itself within an images file.
[6:21]If I go back, you can see lots of different files there. Each of those containing thousands of documents. So if I go back one file there, you can see the the the the four different original
[6:32]files in which are uh many many uh thousands of documents. Text uh uh lots of text as well. Uh if I open that one, you can see uh you know get a sense of
[6:43]just how how much is in here. An awful lot. There's a couple of things that that we can pull out which which are interesting. And I I must stress we're still going through all of this, but uh James mentioned Peter Mandlesson,
[6:53]formerly the ambassador here, of course, lost his job as ambassador because of the last trunch of emails which revealed uh his association with Jeffrey Epste. Well, what is interesting is that the
[7:04]email that is contained within this latest trunch shows that Peter Mandel was emailing and exchanging emails with Jeffrey Epste as recently as 2016. Uh now before today it was uh known that
[7:16]they had been exchanging correspondents uh in in 2020 20110 but not after that. So 2016 shows they maintained a relationship much much more recently.
[7:27]And in one of those emails Peter Mandlesson uh on the eve of the 2016 election which we know Donald Trump won uh sort of wonders whether he might have won might win it. Of course Donald in
[7:38]the White House he says will he get there? and then apparently replying to it to a separate thought uh between the emails he says yes uh without Andrew it would not have gone nuclear now there's
[7:49]no sense of of which particular Andrew he is talking about there but that is certainly interesting I I I have been in touch with Peter Mandelson today I've messaged him asked him if he's got any
[7:59]uh response to to this latest revelation he's seen the message he hasn't replied now a separate email as well gives a real sense of the I guess the sense of panic going on behind the scenes between
[8:10]Jeffrey Epstein and Galain Maxwell 2015. This was at a time when the the legal cases against Epstein were were um at a height and of course the media ferrari
[8:22]was as well. An email on the 10th of January 2015 from Gain Maxwell to Jeffrey Epstein says I have to distance myself from you in statement too and
[8:32]they need me to say I was not aware of massage with Andrew in my house. these things they have to stay stay along with meeting and rebutting those allegation
[8:43]allegations. I needs it ASAP. There's lots of typos in there. I guess the suggestion these emails are being written quickly uh between the pair. So absolutely fascinating. I think more
[8:54]will come out over the days ahead as we continue and I'm sure every newsroom in in the world is going through this trunch of documents to see what else is in there. It genuinely feels like days
[9:05]of headlines, doesn't it, Mark? Thank you very much indeed. So, what does the release of the thousands of documents mean then for President Trump? Let's bring in our US correspondent, James Matthews. And how seriously then is this
[9:16]being taken by the White House tonight, James? >> Uh, good evening, Anna. I think it's days of headlines upon days of headlines, isn't it? The story has dripped new detail on a rolling basis
[9:28]for many months and incrementally it does get closer to Donald Trump. His his opponents already see a a guilt by association and of course many of
[9:38]supporters they're not happy either. His defense I don't think it becomes necessarily any easier with these emails. There was no White House denial today that he was in Epstein's house
[9:50]with one of Epstein's victims. that places him in the company of a young girl who was there under sufference raises questions I think of its own
[9:59]beyond Donald Trump being well behaved. She was a victim of sex trafficking. Did he did he have no awareness of that? Did he not ask her what she was doing there?
[10:10]And why haven't we heard about that particular episode? The fact that he they were together in Epstein's house if indeed they were. Why haven't we heard from that? Uh why haven't we heard that
[10:20]from Donald Trump before? Now politically it is the story that continues to move. It's moving in the last few minutes. Actually, Anna, a new
[10:29]Democrat is being sworn into the House of Representatives, and she is signing a petition for full release of the Epstein files. That will take it over the line
[10:40]on the numbers it needs, which of course would increase the pressure on Donald Trump. The more we learn in this story, the closer it gets to him.
[10:51]>> James reporting there for us. Thank you very much indeed. Let's head to domestic politics now. And the prime minister has condemned what he called completely unacceptable attacks on West Streeting,
[11:02]insisting he never authorized briefings against ministers. Sakir Stama was speaking after allies of his told journalists that he would fight any attempt to unseat him with the finger
[11:12]being pointed at the health secretary. Mr. treating has denied he was lining up a leadership bid and hit out of what he called a toxic culture in Downing Street. Here's our political editor,
[11:23]Beth Riby. These are gloomy days. Downing Street in a crisis of its own making after number 10's attempts to see off any post-budget
[11:33]leadership challenge badly backfired. >> Is the health secretary a traitor or a faithful prime minister? Are there any traitors in number 10? Prime Minister, >> good morning. The prime minister under
[11:44]real pressure after his allies warned that Kstarma would fight any attempted coup with some anonymously dropping where streeting in as the plotter in
[11:55]chief triggering a backlash the prime minister's team did not intend. >> I think whoever's been briefing this has been watching too much celebrity traitors and this is just about the
[12:05]worst attack on a faith. It's totally self-defeating uh briefing, not least because it's not true. And I don't understand how anyone thinks it's helpful to the prime
[12:15]minister either to suggest he's fighting for his job. I do think that um you know going out and calling your Labour MPs feral uh is not very helpful. I do think
[12:25]that um trying to kneecap one of your own team when they are out not just making the case for the government but actually delivering the change that we promised. I think that is also self-defeating and self-destructive
[12:36]behavior. >> And the man it really hurt wasn't West Street in but the prime minister. Turning up in the Commons armed with an olive branch. >> Any attack on any member of my cabinet
[12:48]is completely unacceptable. In relation to health secretary, he promised before the election that in the first year of a Labor government, we deliver two million extra appointments. We didn't deliver 2
[12:59]million or three or four. We delivered 5 million extra appointments. >> He's doing a great job as is the whole of my cabinet. >> A clear show of support for streeting.
[13:10]The PM less clear about the man leading his number 10 operation as chemot goed him. >> Mr. [clears throat] Speaker, what we heard the health secretary say this morning was that he wanted to cut
[13:20]waiting lists, but we all know that there's only one waiting list that he really these attacks came from number 10. Nowhere else his toxic number 10, the
[13:31]person responsible for the culture in number 10 is his chief of staff, Morgan Mweeny. >> Does the prime minister have full confidence in him? >> Morgan Mcweeny, my team and I are
[13:42]absolutely focused on delivering for the country. And let me be clear. Of course, Mr. Speaker, I've never authorized attacks on cabinet members. I appointed them to their post because they're the
[13:52]best people to carry out their jobs. This is a united team and we are delivering [cheering] together. Look what we did. The fast
[14:01]the fastest [cheering] group of the G7. Deafening jeers met that claim. This lot look beaten and their opposition know
[14:10]it. Some in the cabinet though trying to push on. >> Has the prime minister lost control? And is there a toxic a toxic environment within number 10? >> No, I don't accept that at all. Across
[14:21]the whole cabinet led by the prime minister were getting on with the job. It's been a messy, almost farcical 24 hours as attempts by the prime minister's allies to shore up his
[14:32]position and see off a potential leadership challenge has backfired in a spectacular fashion and left him looking even weaker ahead of a difficult budget.
[14:43]And look, all of it matters because the chatter is real. A growing number of his MPs are worried about K Starmmer's ability to lead Labor into the next
[14:54]general election. All this saga does is reinforce those doubts and make the November budget and the May local
[15:03]elections doubly dangerous for the PM. The prime minister trying to front this up, but his political capital draining
[15:13]away fast and he's got even harder days ahead. Beth Riby, Sky News, Westminster. >> Well, let's go live to Downey Street and our chief political correspondent, John
[15:24]Craig. And John, another headache then for the PM tonight with him apologizing to the ethics regulator. >> We understand that the prime minister in West Streeting have now spoken and the
[15:34]PM's apologized. That must have been an awkward conversation. Uh but there is another crisis if you like for the uh prime minister because he's been forced
[15:44]to admit uh in a letter to the ministerial standards watchdog Sir Lori Magnus that he did in fact approve the appointment of the Labour donor David
[15:56]Kogan as the football regulator despite previously saying the decision was taken by Lisa Nandi the culture secretary. In this letter, he said he was asked
[16:06]whether he was content. He confirmed I was supportive. He said he said that the decision was taken by uh Kisa Nandi. Uh but he said in retrospect, it'd been
[16:17]better if I hadn't given uh said to confirm that I was content with the appointment. This was an unfortunate error for which I express my sincere
[16:27]regret. Um Sakir says also in the letter that he Mr. Kogan donated to his leadership campaign uh in 2020 when he
[16:36]stood and also to his local party in North London during in the last general election campaign last year. We know from an official document last week the
[16:46]inquiry into Lisa Nandi's involvement that Mr. Kogan donated a total of £33,410 to the Labour Party in recent years.
[16:57]Now, in reply to the PM, uh, Sir Lori has said it's regrettable despite what we agreed previously. You were asked to confirm you were content with the
[17:08]appointment uh, re recommended by the Secretary of State. Regrettable, same word that the PM used talking about Rachel Reeves's license for renting out
[17:18]her home. The Tories of course are accusing the government of cronyism and the shadow minister Alex Berghart claims uh Kia Starmer has himself been caught
[17:30]offside. John Craig in Down the Street. Thank you. A report has found that the state ignored decades of abuse at a detention center in County Durham led by an
[17:42]officer thought to be the most prolific sex offender in British history. The prisons and probation ombbersman says physical and sexual violence against thousands of young men was allowed to
[17:52]continue at the Madamsly detention center from 1961 to 1987. The government has apologized. Our chief north of England correspondent Greg Milum reports.
[18:04]>> For the entire 26 years of Madamsley detention cent's existence, young men suffered horrific violence at the hands of staff. Police investigations have already revealed the extent of that
[18:15]abuse. Some staff have already been jailed. But an inquiry by the prisons and probation ombbudsman has found that the prison service, the police, and the home office knew about the abuse but
[18:26]ignored or dismissed it. No surprise to victims like Eric Samson because even the police who took him there as a 17-year-old seemed to know. >> The two police officers who were taking us there was saying, "You're going to
[18:37]get the hell kicked out of your ear." it. The violence I had done to me was terrible. I was only small see I could have been killed in there. The amount of times I
[18:47]was knocked about every day was hell on earth. Every day and night was hell on earth for the full 9 and a half weeks with all the all the abuse and the obviously the sexual abuse I had done to
[18:57]us. It totally ruined me life. Totally ruined me life. I've never been married and all you know but the thing is what can you do? You know, it shouldn't ever
[19:08]have happened in the first place. Well, that could have been stopped. >> One member of staff, Neville Husband, the ombbudsman found was possibly the most prolific sex offender in British
[19:18]history. He is now dead. The victims failed by those in authority. >> They regularly ask the question, had
[19:25]this been detected uh in 1961, then all of us would not have gone through this. And that's the question that haunts many of them throughout the night. um that
[19:36]this could have been avoided if some people had discharged the duties that they were assigned properly. >> But those representing victims at Medamsley say it wasn't alone. >> I've spoke to men from 20 different
[19:48]detention centers. Um and they complain about the same treatment. I think it was a systematic uh thing that these prison
[19:58]officers were cogs in a big machine which was designed culturally or by training uh to treat boys really badly.
[20:10]>> The government today apologized to the victims at Medsley. The Minister for Youth Justice wrote that the failings set out in the report are truly harrowing and we must ensure nothing like this ever happens again. Durham
[20:21]Constabularary has also apologized for what it called its historic failure. Madams Lee is now long gone. The ombbudsman said further prosecutions are
[20:31]unlikely for many victims. Even this report is far too little and far too late. Greg Milm, Sky News.
[20:41]Sky News has been on the front line of the people smuggling trade in Africa along the route described as the most dangerous path for people trying to reach Europe. Only today, authorities
[20:53]say 42 migrants who are missing off the Libyan coast after their boat capsized at the weekend are now presumed dead. Well, in their effort to reach the
[21:03]shores of Europe, migrants leaving from Libya face a perilous journey. The UN International Organization for Migration estimates that more than 2,200 people died or went missing in the
[21:14]Mediterranean as part of crossing attempts last year. Many of them depart from Libya, which has become a key transit point for those traveling from East African countries like Sudan,
[21:25]Somalia, and Ethiopia. That's as well as parts of West Africa, including Nigeria, Mali, and Ghana. plus places like Syria in the Middle East and as far a field as
[21:36]Bangladesh, too. Well, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency recorded almost 36,700 crossings on the Central Mediterranean route in the first seven months of this
[21:47]year, which is a 9% increase on the same period last year. Eastern Libya is controlled by a powerful leader and a militia keen to show they can crack down
[21:58]on smugglers and their cargo. In return, they seek European funding and recognition. Our special correspondent, Alex Crawford, and her team were given exclusive access to boats fishing
[22:09]migrants out of the Mediterranean and sent this report. We're with the forces fighting people smugglers in East Libya and watch them
[22:18]trying to smash the gangs. We witness the boatloads risking their lives on new sea routes to Europe and see those who fled war taken back to
[22:30]Libya. >> This is the center of Europe's smuggling crisis and we're traveling to the heart of it now.
[22:42]It's meant to be a transit point, a key area from where migrants will
[22:51]smugglers and go over to Europe. This is one of the main smuggler junctions. The streets are crowded with those wanting to go to Europe. They're
[23:02]all waiting to cross the sea, we're told. The officers are overwhelmed, and many are set on going to Britain. Kingdom. Wow, that's good. I hope I will
[23:14]be there soon. Right. >> The unusual access we've got to East Libya is to show us exactly this. The crowds ready to risk their lives on small boats with many telling us they're
[23:25]escaping war in Sudan. >> And when we go back, maybe we're going to die when we go back to Sudan.
[23:35]>> All is hungry. All is hungry. here is not good. Sudan is not good. >> Where is God?
[23:45]>> Everything is in hand of God. If God say that we are going to make it to Europe, I think nothing will stop us. >> They live in miserable, cramped and dirty conditions, waiting all the time
[23:57]for the smuggler's call. It could change their life or end it. Some still very young have the scars of the wars they fled and tell us of their
[24:08]desperation to leave Libya. Big scar here. >> Yeah. Yeah. Sometimes it's paining, you know. So, we just need your help, guys. The situation here in this place that we live is too bad. We just need your your help.
[24:19]>> I was interested in whether you're scared or frightened of the authorities here. >> Yeah, we are very scared. So the assault is uh is treating us very bad because
[24:30]now the assault can come and chase you from this house can beat you and can take you to jail. >> The sea operations in this part of the Mediterranean are all under the command
[24:42]of the youngest son of General Khalifa Hefta, the warlord ruling the whole of East Libya. The general wants to be seen as Europe's answer to the people
[24:52]smuggling business. So, the East Libyans are showing us their efforts intercepting illegal boats and taking them back to North Africa. It's a controversial policy which takes the
[25:01]crew into European search and rescue waters. We are tantalizingly close to Greece. You can see it through the haze,
[25:10]the sort of island about 40 miles off. And the East Libyan Coast Guard is waiting here to see if it can spot boats which will inevitably turn up which are
[25:21]trying to head to those islands. >> It's the middle of the night when the call comes in. >> Yeah, we see you. We see you. That's why I stop the vessel and I point my search
[25:32]light on this port approximate direction of this bottle. >> The crew on a cargo vessel has raised the alarm, but the recovery of the dingy
[25:40]passengers is left to the East Libyans. There's an absolutely packed dingy full
[25:49]of people. Difficult to tell how many, but absolutely jam-packed. Legs hanging off. They're so full. They're saying, "Help me. Help me." As
[26:00]they were coming closer and they're trying to throw them a rope to to pull them in. >> Panic is setting in. Their engine is
[26:11]broken and they've been nearly four days at sea. >> They're exhausted and wet and desperately thirsty. Many appear dehydrated and very weak.
[26:29]The dingy is rapidly taking on water and minutes away from sinking. They don't realize yet, but they've just been pulled aboard a brigade ship run by
[26:41]one of the most powerful armed groups in the region. It's a TBZ ship under the command of General Heftar's son, Saddam. His forces are accused of a range of
[26:51]crimes by human rights groups, including rape, torture, and smuggling. At this point, the ship's passengers think they're still going to Europe.
[27:00]>> This boat is taking you back to Libya. >> Really? >> Yes. It's is I don't know. >> These are the East Libyan Coast Guard. >> And if we say that we're going to go
[27:11]next, for example, in in Greek, we going to go or we cannot go. >> They're taking you away from Greece. They're taking you to Libya. >> We don't like Libyan. Exactly. Because
[27:23]we don't like Libya. >> Other passengers are equally shocked as the crew tries to pate them. >> If we didn't come to you, >> Yeah. >> I think you die.
[27:33]>> Yeah. Exactly. >> As their dreams of Europe fade, fear steps in. >> Throw me in the water. Let me die, this man says. But I'm not going back to
[27:44]Sudan or Libya. They're pretty desperate. They keep on saying, "Don't take us back. Don't take us back. We don't want to go back." A number of them saying that they've tried
[27:54]before, failed, and now trying again. But a lot of desperation and urging us. They think we've got something to do with it. and they're urging us to take
[28:03]them to to Europe. >> The interception of asylum seekers so close to European territory is highly contentious, returning them to war zones
[28:15]and unstable countries. Even more so, >> in cases like this, you don't think too hard about where you are in the sea. The captain tells us you saw water was
[28:26]already inside their boat. He goes on, two or three hours and they'd all be dead. It's a long night back to East Libya where it's difficult to lodge asylum
[28:37]claims because the only UN recognized government is in the rival and separated West. I think a lot of people will wonder about the whole ethics of picking
[28:48]up people who have fled a war zone, who have fled instability, and they say they're terrified for their lives. and
[28:59]who've picked them up off the coast of what they consider safety in Europe. And then they've taken them all the way back
[29:08]again to to Libya, another country which is considered to be very fractured and very unstable
[29:18]and full of a certain number of of dangers. The men tell us they're all from Sudan, too, and legally allowed to stay in Libya, but none want to. And now they're
[29:30]about to be returned to what they were fleeing from, one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters. There's a frantic dash for freedom,
[29:42]a sense they've come too far trying to escape war to give up now. >> But it's a fruitless, desperate gesture.
[29:52]He knows along with the rest of them that they're headed to a detention center. They'll be locked up now for an unknown time and then sent back to a war zone. They are a picture of despair and
[30:04]helplessness. Alex Crawford, Sky News, East Libya. First, bring you some breaking news and indeed an update on one of our top stories. And Sky News understands that
[30:15]the prime minister and Wes Streeting have spoken this evening. It was very very brief we are told but the prime minister apologized to Mr. Streeting
[30:26]about the briefings but did not go into any detail and they agreed to talk more soon. That is the latest on that story. Certainly we heard from uh this morning that West treating had not spoken to the
[30:37]prime minister. That has now been rectified. Well that was Sky News at 10. Coming up, we'll be taking a first look at tomorrow's newspapers in the press preview tonight, joined by the political
[30:47]commentator, Adam Bolton, and the former first minister of Northern Ireland, Baroness Foster. Among the stories we will be discussing this on the front page of the Guardian [music] about tonight's top story here on Sky News,
[30:58]Epstein, they say uh he knew about the girls. Epstein [music] messages pile pressure on Donald Trump, the US president. That and plenty more, of
[31:07]course, when we come back.