Morning news
Image of Trump absent from released Epstein documents
An image featuring Donald Trump has been removed from the newly released Epstein documents on the US Department of Justice website. In all, sixteen files have disappeared from the site shortly after publication, with no explanation to the public, prompting Democrats on the Congressional Oversight Committee to demand answers about what else may have been blacked out. The picture with Trump, where he is seen together with Melania and Jeffrey Epstein, among others, was the only one in which he appeared, while his political enemy Bill Clinton was in many more pictures. The leader of the Democrats in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, believes that this could be one of the biggest cover-ups in American history.
Read more: Image of Trump gone
The US has boarded yet another oil tanker in Venezuela
The US Coast Guard boarded another oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela on Saturday night, with military support, according to US data. Venezuela accuses the US of piracy and is threatening to take the matter to the UN Security Council, after Vice President Delcy Rodríguez condemned the boarding and abduction of the crew. According to the New York Times, the ship was not sanctioned and belonged to a China-based oil trader with ties to Venezuelan crude. Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security in the United States, says that the country will continue to crack down on illegal oil transport that finances drug terrorism in the region.
Read more: Venezuela’s threat after the US boarding
Putin ready to talk to Macron
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he is ready to talk to French President Emmanuel Macron about the war in Ukraine, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Peskov believes that if there is a common political will, this is something positive. Macron said earlier this week that Europe should resume contact with Putin to try to end the war in Ukraine. He stressed that either a robust and lasting peace with security guarantees is needed, or that Europe must soon find ways to resume dialogue with Russia, in consultation with Ukraine.
Read more: Putin ready to talk to Macron
