First Thing: Jeffrey Epstein advised Steve Bannon during 2018 pro-Trump media campaign

Text messages released by US House show convicted sex offender coaching Maga influencer on political messaging. Plus, readers’ favourite photo booth moments 100 years after its invention Good morning. The convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein apparently served as a behind-the-scenes adviser to the former Trump official and Maga influencer Steve Bannon during an August 2018 media campaign to defend Trump and his agenda, and to promote Bannon’s media ventures. What else has been released in the flood of recent Epstein emails? Among many, many other things, one email shows an…

King Charles ‘considering stripping Prince Andrew of Duke of York title’

King Charles is considering stripping Prince Andrew of his title of Duke of York after a string of allegations, the Guardian understands. Buckingham Palace has reportedly reached “a tipping point” over headlines about Andrew’s connections to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and to a senior Chinese Communist party official suspected to be at the heart of the recent collapsed China spy case. The Guardian understands that the Prince of Wales is keen for his uncle to be stripped of his titles before he inherits the throne, and that the…

Top Starmer aide resigns over explicit Diane Abbott messages in further blow to PM – UK politics live

From 20h ago No 10 director of strategy resigns over revelation about sexually explicit comments about Diane Abbott in private email in 2017 Keir Starmer has been hit by a fresh Downing Street resignation. Paul Ovenden has resigned as director of strategy at No 10 over revelations, first published by the Mail, that in 2017 he made sexually explicit comments about Diane Abbott in a private email. Ovenden was a Labour party press officer at the time. In his story for the Mail, Dan Hodges reports: The Mail understands that…