Plus: Four potential obstacles in vote to end US shutdown ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. Newly released email exchanges involving the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein make references to US President Donald Trump. We bring you the latest. In South Africa, my colleagues report on the challenges of getting Johannesburg ready to host the G20 summit later this month. And finally, an Australian windsurfer survives a shark attack. | |
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TOP OF THE AGENDA | Thousands of Epstein documents released |
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|  | One of the exchanges was between Epstein and writer Michael Wolff, whom the BBC has approached for comment. Credit: Reuters | Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have released three private email exchanges with Epstein that mention President Trump. One of the emails is written by Epstein to his associate Ghislaine Maxwell in 2011. It reads: "I want you to realize that that dog that hasn't barked is trump.. [Victim] spent hours at my house with him." Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein. In response to the documents' release, the White House said that the victim referenced in the email is the late Virginia Giuffre, "who repeatedly said President Trump was not involved in any wrongdoing whatsoever" and that the "selectively leaked emails" create a “fake narrative to smear President Trump”. Later, House Republicans released 20,000 pages of documents from Epstein's estate. The BBC is still reading through the documents and will provide updates as we get them. |
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| Four potential obstacles in vote to end US shutdown | As the House of Representatives prepares to vote on a funding measure, here are four potential holdups. | Find out more > |
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| Italy probes claims of 'sniper safaris' in Sarajevo | Tourists are alleged to have paid large sums to shoot at civilians in the besieged Bosnian capital during the 1990s war. | What to know > |
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| Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian warehouse | Dozens of Israeli settlers have launched arson attacks targeting Palestinian sites in the north of the occupied West Bank. | What happened > |
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| Ancient statues stolen from Syrian museum | Staff at Syria's National Museum in Damascus reportedly found one of the doors had been broken from the inside. | Read more > |
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| | | Johannesburg, South Africa |
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| Cleaning up challenge ahead of G20 |  | The BBC has located and confirmed that there are 102 derelict or abandoned buildings in the inner city. | South Africa's economic centre, Johannesburg, will host the leaders of some of the world's largest economies at the G20 summit, in 10 days' time. Just a few kilometres from the spruced-up, highly secure venue, authorities face major challenges in cleaning up more than 100 derelict buildings, some of which have been taken over by criminal gangs. |
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| | Ayanda Charlie and Hollie Cole, BBC Africa Eye |
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| | A fire at one of these derelict buildings that killed 76 people two years ago was supposed to spur people into action, but it seems not much has changed. The BBC visited Vannin Court, where rooms were covered in dirt and strewn with litter. A strong smell of human faeces permeated the building.
Resident Sinethemba Maqoma told the BBC that council-owned Vannin Court had been hijacked – a phenomenon where spaces or entire residential units are taken over and controlled by criminals to collect rent for themselves and, in some circumstance, provide a base for illegal activities – and that the city council had cut off the water. Johannesburg's city council did not respond to the BBC's request for comment about Vannin Court's water supply. |
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