'Trump travelled on at least eight Epstein flights’: New Epstein files released by US Justice Dept
Washington: The US Justice Department has released another batch of documents related to deceased financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with President Donald Trump’s name appearing in references to flight records linked to Epstein’s private jet. The disclosure forms part of a larger release mandated under a new law requiring federal agencies to make public records connected to the Epstein investigations, The Indian Express reported.
According to the documents, Trump’s name features in emails and flight logs connected to Epstein’s private aircraft. However, federal authorities have clarified that the Republican president has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. CNN reported that the references relate to travel records and do not amount to allegations of illegal conduct.
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The Justice Department released nearly 29,000 pages of documents on Sunday night, including photographs and video footage reportedly recorded inside a prison. The release follows earlier disclosures made in compliance with the law passed by Congress last month, which compelled the government to unseal the Epstein files. Epstein was found dead in a New York jail in 2019, with authorities ruling his death a suicide.
An email cited in the documents, written by an assistant US attorney from the Southern District of New York on January 8, 2020, states that Trump “traveled on Epstein’s private jet many more times than previously has been reported.” The names of the sender and recipient have been redacted by the department.
Flight records referenced in the files indicate that on one occasion, the only passengers listed were Trump, Epstein and a 20-year-old woman whose name has been withheld. On two other flights, two women identified as possible witnesses in the case against Ghislaine Maxwell were reportedly on board. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for helping Epstein sexually abuse underage girls.
In response to the release, the US Justice Department urged caution in interpreting the documents. In a post on X, the department said some of the materials contained “untrue and sensationalist claims” against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI ahead of the 2020 election, adding that the claims were unfounded and lacked credibility.
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Hormuz Strait disruptions have caused huge economic impact, energy instability in region: Navy chief
Mumbai (PTI): The Strait of Hormuz disruptions have caused severe economic impact and energy instability in the region, Indian Navy chief Admiral D K Tripathi said on Thursday amid the war in West Asia.
Speaking at an event where INS Sunayna, an offshore patrol vessel, set sail from Mumbai as Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar, the admiral said competition at sea has no longer remained confined to oil and energy.
It is now expanding towards resources that will shape future growth - such as rare earth elements, critical minerals, new fishing grounds and even data, he said.
The West Asia crisis began on February 28 after a joint attack by the US and Israel on Iran.
Iran's strikes on its neighbours along with its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted the world's energy supplies with effects far beyond West Asia.
"With the conflict in West Asia well into its fifth week, the disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have caused severe economic impact and energy instability in the region," Tripathi said.
There is significant increase in the marine survey, deep-sea research activity, and Illegal Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU), often encroaching upon the sovereign rights of littoral nations and exploiting gaps in monitoring and enforcement, he said.
Alongside these, threats such as piracy, armed robbery and narco-trafficking backed by unimpeded access of advanced technology to non-state actors, have also become more complex and challenging to counter, the Navy chief pointed out.
Last year alone, the Indian Ocean Region witnessed a staggering 3,700 maritime incidents of varying nature, the admiral said.
Additionally, narcotics seizures in the region exceeded USD 1 billion USD in 2025, highlighting the persistence and spread of such challenges in the region, he said.
