The 68 photos published on Thursday are among more than 95,000 images that the House Oversight Committee Democrats said they were reviewing.

They said the images were "selected to provide the public with transparency into a representative sample of the photos" and to "provide insights into Epstein's network and his extremely disturbing activities".

But the Democrats added that they are still analysing thousands more images that are "both graphic and mundane".

There is no suggestion of wrongdoing on the part of those pictured in the images - and the context surrounding the photos is not known.

Mystery text quotes price for 'girl'

The latest cache includes a text message appearing to discuss the price for a girl.

It isn't clear who sent the messages and to whom, but the screenshot shows some details on an unidentified girl, described as a teenager here.

"I will send u girls now," one of the texts read.

Writing on body

Several pictures show handwritten messages on a person's body.

One appears to be quoting the opening paragraph of the book Lolita - which can be seen in the background of the picture.

The book was written by Vladimir Nabokov and tells the story of a girl groomed by a middle-aged literature professor.

Another shows writing on a foot, which reads: "She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock."

Other messages can be seen on the neck, hip, back and chest, with the latter reading: "The tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down".

In a different image, Epstein is pictured with three girls in his house in New York. One appears to be touching Epstein's chest, one is holding her wrist up and another is looking at a laptop.

The identity of the women has been hidden.

Epstein with high-profile figures

Some high-profile figures also appear in the newly released images, with one showing Epstein sitting alongside Sheikh Jabor Bin Yousef Bin Jassim Bin Jabor al Thani.

He is the chairman and director of several privately established companies and is a member of the Qatari royal family.

Another image shows Epstein with the former president of the UN General Assembly, Miroslav Lajcak, who held the role between 2017 and 2018. He is also a former Slovakian foreign affairs minister.

Last month, he told TASR news agency: "The reopening of the Epstein case occurred after I left New York, and the full extent of his inexcusable actions, which I strongly condemn, only came to light after his arrest."

Shaher Abdulhak, a deceased Yemeni billionaire businessman whose son is a suspect in the murder of a Norwegian woman in Mayfair, was also pictured with Epstein.

His son, Farouk Abdulhak, fled to Yemen after the rape and death of Martine Vik Magnussen in March 2008 and has been wanted for questioning ever since.

Ms Magnussen was found dead among rubble in a basement in Great Portland Street.

She and her friends had been celebrating finishing their end-of-term exams at the Maddox nightclub before she vanished. Her body was found two days later.

Also featured in the newly released images were former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, magician David Blaine, businessman Tom Pritzker, billionaire Bill Gates, director Woody Allen, talk show host Dick Cavett, Trump ally Steve Bannon, and Kuwait's former information minister Anas al Rasheed.

Photos of identity documents with redacted names were also published, including one with text saying that "the bearer was convicted of a sex offense against a minor", which could belong to convicted sex offender Epstein.

Also among the identification documents is a heavily redacted Russian passport. It belongs to a female, but other information has been blocked out.

The release also includes ID documents from the Czech Republic, South Africa, Ukraine, and Lithuania.

Deadline looming

The picture drop came a day before the deadline set by a bipartisan bill that compels the US Justice Department to release the Epstein files within 30 days, which was signed into law by US President Donald Trump last month.

Mr Trump had promised to release the Epstein files during his ultimately successful presidential campaign, but he later made a U-turn, even going as far as calling the Epstein files a Democratic "hoax", before eventually changing path again to sign the bill.

House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries said ahead of the deadline that he believes the Department of Justice will release the files in time, and warned that there will be "strong bipartisan pushback" if they don't.

"Based on my conversations with some of the top Democrats who've been working on this matter, related to full and complete disclosure of the Epstein files, we do expect compliance," he told reporters on Thursday.

Full release going 'down to the wire'

National security lawyers inside the Department of Justice are "working down to the wire" as Friday's deadline for the full release of the Epstein files edges closer, according to Sky News' US correspondent James Matthews.

He said those lawyers are mulling "how much is actually divulged in these documents".

"There will be redactions... the question is, how far short of everything? How far short of the full story will the release fall?" Matthews said.

"The issue at the heart of it... where does Donald Trump feature? Remember, he emphatically denies all knowledge of Epstein's criminal activities and any involvement in them."

Read more:
Releasing the Epstein files: How we got here
Ghislaine Maxwell attempts to overturn conviction

'Frustration building'

Meanwhile, frustration is building at the justice department ahead of the release, according to CNN.

A source has told the US broadcaster that there could be up to 1,000 redactions needed from each attorney.

Lawyers reportedly believe they aren't getting clear or comprehensive direction on how to make the most information available under the law.

A previous batch of images featured more high-profile figures, including Donald Trump, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Bill Clinton, British entrepreneur Richard Branson, Emirati businessman Ahmed bin Sulayem, and singer Jimmy Buffett.

Several images of a sexual nature have also been released, including a picture of a bowl of novelty condoms with a caricature of Mr Trump's face, and various sex toys.

Two students were killed and at least eight were injured during the shooting inside a classroom building at the Ivy League university in Providence, Rhode Island, on Saturday.

Speaking at a news conference on Thursday night in Providence, police said the suspect had been found dead.

He is a 48-year-old Portuguese man called Claudio Manuel Nueves Valente whose last known address was in Miami, Florida, Providence Police chief Oscar Perez said.

Nueves Valente was found dead in a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire, seemingly from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. "He may have been dead for a bit of time," said one senior official.

Nueves Valente was a former PhD student in physics at Brown from 2000 until the spring of 2001, when he took a leave of absence before formally withdrawing effective July 2003, according to Brown University president Christina Paxson.

She said that as a physics student, Nueves Valente would have spent "a great deal of time" in the building where the shooting took place for classes.

Rhode Island's attorney general Peter Neronha said the suspect was found "with a satchel, with two firearms and evidence in the car that matches exactly what we see at the scene here in Providence".

He revealed that a person approached two police officers with relevant information and played a crucial role in identifying the suspect.

"He blew this case right open. He blew it open," Mr Neronha said.

"That person led us to the car, which led us to the name, which led us to the photographs of that individual renting the car, which matched the clothing of our shooter here in Providence, that matched the satchel."

Police said earlier that they were also investigating a possible link between the suspect and the murder of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor Nuno Loureiro, 47, two days later in Boston.

Federal officials confirmed the link in the news conference, as they announced the death of the "Brown University and MIT professor shooter". They added that there was "no longer a threat to the public".

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The constant stream of vitriol, misinformation, and abuse online has continued every day for the past 18 months.

"I've just been absolutely crucified and ripped to pieces," Debbie Duncan told us, as she read out the online comments that have hurt the most:

• "Debbie deserved to lose her son"
• "How can you possibly respect a mother grifting off her own son's death?"
• "How do you know it's Jay in that coffin - he needs digging up."

"Just scroll, scroll and scroll, and they are still there," Debbie said. "Jay's just been dehumanised."

There are hundreds of millions of pieces of Jay Slater content online, and it's constantly being created - even after a coroner ruled his fall in a remote ravine in Tenerife was a tragic accident.

"I don't think I'd be here if I sat every day and read everything that was being said," Jay's mum told us.

This is why she is campaigning - in her son's name.

She has tried and failed many times to get misinformation and the worst abuse taken down from online platforms.

"We just want to have some legislation around content," she said.

"It's about the [social media] platforms having that responsibility to take down the misinformation, the harassment, bullying."

New levels of tragedy trolling

Jay's case took the febrile world of online sleuthing and tragedy trolling to new levels.

Her campaign to give a degree of control back to families suffering this abuse is backed by the charity Missing People.

They work with a growing number of relatives being attacked online and trying to tackle callous misinformation.

"It feels quite out of control," Josie Allan from the charity told us.

"We know with the development of AI, there's going to be even more complicated issues.

"People creating fake news about missing cases, potentially making fake content using missing people's faces or voices.

"We know that that would just be horrendous for families to have to see and could really misdirect police resources and investigations."

Bogus posts of missing people

Malicious content like this is appearing more regularly.

Anonymous accounts create bogus missing people posts - often it sits in front of a fake advert or has a link to a scam website.

It exploits the natural goodwill people feel towards missing person cases.

In Australia, the search for a missing boy, Gus Lamont, was recently disrupted by a fake AI image of a man carrying what appeared to be the four-year-old.

It wasn't real.

It is an emerging and disturbing problem for people searching for a loved one.

In the UK, the family of Andrew Gosden, who has been missing for the past 18 years, has been through a similar ordeal.

Kevin Gosden's son was 14 years old when he disappeared in 2007.

Andrew caught a train to London from his hometown of Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

His family has never given up hope of him returning.

Father close to breakdown

"Just before the 18th anniversary of Andrew's disappearance… we suddenly became aware that there were articles online circulating and being shared," his father told us.

"Claiming that Andrew's body had been found, that his DNA had been found somewhere… the police have been concealing some CCTV footage with him.

"Utter nonsense. None of that's true.

"If you've got a lot of false information out there, it just doesn't help find the lad we love.

"We need to know that Andrew is still being looked for.

"I have been very close to what I know is going to be a breakdown, again with it a number of times."

Clicks are driving content

The monetisation of clicks online is one of the driving forces behind this constant stream of content.

At the CrimeCon conference in Manchester, we spoke to true crime content creators and fans of this growing genre about where the moral boundaries lie.

Andy Hobbs, who sells murder mystery games, told us: "Unfortunately, views means more money. And until that gets looked at, I don't think any regulation will come in.

"It's in the interest of social media networks to get more views, more hits."

Ruth Berry, a true-crime fan, pointed out that online investigators can, in some instances, turn up new information: "They've helped solve in some cases, haven't they?

"They've helped to unpick things that maybe authorities haven't had the resources to do, and they've had the time and the resources to do.

"But also is it their jurisdiction and is that evidence actually valid and reliable? Because how did they get hold of it, who knows?"

Annie Robinson and Beth Kent host the Grave Secrets true-crime podcast.

"It's not something you can control, is it really?" Annie said.

Beth added: "Everyone obviously deserves to have their say, I think I would just be mindful and cautious that you are having an opinion knowing that nobody has all the facts.

"It's sort of easy to talk about it, as in like, it's not a real person you've got to remember these are still victims and victims' families," Annie added.

Some sleuths 'very dangerous'

"Some amateur sleuths are very dangerous," forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes told Sky News.

"Because people want their 15 minutes of fame on social media we can't do things that knowingly hamper police investigations.

"You know, in any other world that would result in a prosecution.

"So I think that we do need to clamp down on those small number of people who do actually cause a great amount of carnage and damage."

Some content creators have turned up to insert themselves into active police searches but the wider problem of misinformation online is also hindering officers.

Read more from Sky News:
Police failed to tackle social media risks
Conspiracy theories are disrupting police

Fake news 'misdirecting police'

Assistant Chief Constable Damien Miller, the national policing lead for missing persons, told us: "It takes policing away from those inquiries that we need to be following, because it's fake, it's false information.

"It's hurtful, it is harmful to the families, but it's also then misdirecting police investigations.

"People have freedom of speech, but there is a line and what I would say to those members of the public is please do not cross that line.

He, too, would like to see social media companies helping remove misleading content sooner.

'I wouldn't wish it on anyone'

"I think what we need to do is work with those providers to make sure that when mis or disinformation is put on social media, that it's removed at its earliest opportunity because otherwise it gains momentum," he said.

That incessant flow of content is what Jay's mum, Debbie Duncan has been hit by. She is determined to do all she can so that other families don't have to go through the same ordeal.

"I wouldn't wish it on anybody what we have been through," she said while contemplating everything that's happened.

She has kept boxes of cards and gifts in Jay's bedroom at home in Lancashire - reminders of all the compassion and support they have received as well as the online hatred.

"It's torture," she said while looking at the many photos of her son.

"I just look at his picture and if it's the last thing I can do for you Jay - I'll try my blimmin' hardest."

Debbie's petition can be found here.

The deal is expected to close on 22 January 2026, according to an internal memo seen by Sky News' US partner, NBC News.

It will end years of uncertainty over the app's future in the States, after Joe Biden signed a law last year that required TikTok's Chinese owners to sell up - or else it would be blocked.

The law was introduced amid concerns from some US politicians that ByteDance might share user data with the Chinese government, despite repeated assurances from the firm that it would not.

Critics also expressed fears that Chinese authorities may be able to manipulate TikTok's algorithms and shape what content users see and are influenced by. This claim was also denied.

Mr Biden set a January 2025 deadline for the sale and when ByteDance failed to comply, TikTok went dark for several hours.

It returned after Donald Trump signed an executive order to keep it running on his first day in office.

Who's taking over?

The internal memo sent to employees on Thursday said the deal allows "over 170 million Americans to continue discovering a world of endless possibilities as part ‌of a vital global community."

TikTok owner ByteDance will sell just over 80% of the company's US assets to three major investors, Reuters news agency reports.

The investors - Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX - will form a new venture, named TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC.

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The venture will be 50% held by the consortium of US investors, Reuters added, with affiliates of certain existing ByteDance investors holding 30.1% and ByteDance itself retaining 19.9%.

It will have a new, seven-member majority-American board of directors and be subject to terms that "protect Americans' data and US national security", the memo said.

Data from users in the US will be stored locally.

The object, known as 3i/ATLAS, will speed by at 130,000mph, at a distance of 170 million miles, roughly twice as far away as the sun.

While there is near consensus among astronomers that the object is a comet from outside our solar system, a Harvard University astrophysicist has sparked a furious debate by warning he cannot rule out that extraterrestrials are paying us a visit.

Professor Avi Loeb told Sky News that humanity should be on high alert for what may be a "black swan event" - something that's highly unlikely but has high consequences and might have been foreseen.

"Alien technology is a potential threat because when you go on a blind date of interstellar proportions, you never know whether you have a friendly visitor as your dating partner or a serial killer," he said.

"When there are implications to society, we must consider even an unlikely event and collect as much data as possible to convince us otherwise."

Professor Loeb said images of the object show it has an unusual tail that could come from a propulsion system, nickel in its gas cloud could be evidence of metal mining on its surface, and its trajectory, aligned with the orbits of planets in our solar system, was too unlikely to be by chance.

3i/ATLAS was first spotted in July as a distant dot of light against the starry canvas of the cosmos.

But it has moved rapidly through the solar system, passing Mars in early October, disappearing briefly behind the sun, and after coming close to Earth's orbit, will fly by Jupiter before fading from view again.

The US and European space agencies have trained cameras from a dozen spacecraft on the object, and they say there is no doubt its origins are completely natural.

Amit Kshatriya, from NASA, said: "This object is a comet. It looks and behaves like a comet. All evidence points to it being a comet."

Scientists estimate the comet is around eight billion years old, twice the age of our sun and solar system, and is a cosmic fossil left over from the formation of an unknown star in the galaxy.

Professor Chris Lintott, an astronomer from the University of Oxford, told Sky News that there was nothing sinister about the object.

"It is just nonsense," he said. "It's like saying we should consider the possibility that the moon is made of cheese.

"You could consider that possibility if you like, but my first question is why would you think that?"

He said the comet's changing colour and brightness can be explained by the sun heating pockets of ice and different materials that it's picked up on its epic journey through the stars.

"There is nothing this thing has done that we haven't seen elsewhere," he said.

Read more:
Why do the moons two sides look so different?
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But Prof Loeb has accused other scientists of closing their minds to alternative explanations for what they are seeing.

"At the foundation of science is the humility to learn," he said.

"It's not the arrogance of expertise. And what you see very often is experts tell you what something should be and demonstrate by that, the arrogance of their expertise. They're not willing to learn something new."

Prof Loeb made similar claims about a possible alien craft over Oumuamua, another interstellar comet to pass through our solar system, in 2017.

Prof Lintott said wild theories that have no evidence can be dangerous.

"I'm baffled as to why Avi has latched on to this," he said. "We can look for signs of intelligence in the cosmos. I'm very sympathetic to that idea.

"But you start by looking at things that are odd, and this thing is not odd."