In a week where global headlines have been dominated daily by the fallout from what the Trump administration calls the "final release" of Epstein files, we bring you a special edition of The World This Week focusing on the consequences for those associated with the late sex offender.

An unprecedented 3 million pages of files, containing hundreds of thousands of videos and images, were finally disclosed a month after the government deadline – the late publication ostensibly due to redactions required for victim protection. Survivors' groups who have been fighting for transparency and justice for years say the redactions are in all the wrong places. One of those survivors is Annie Farmer, who was sexually abused by Epstein and gave key testimony in the conviction of Ghislaine Maxwell.

It has been a week of remarkably similar statements issued by a list of the rich, the famous and the powerful, many of whom appear to have been less than transparent about the extent of their dealings with the child sex offender. Tech billionaire Bill Gates, the Crown Princess of Norway, Mette-Marit, and author and viral anti-ageing influencer Peter Attia spoke of regret, remorse and naivety in their associations. There are also questions of judgement – though no accusations of illegality – surrounding Richard Branson, Elon Musk, Noam Chomsky, Howard Lutnick and Donald Trump, who is attempting to draw the issue to a close.

The unearthing of the files has had serious ramifications in the UK this week, with headlines referring to the "Princes of Darkness". The phrase points to long-time Labour peer Peter Mandelson, the former British ambassador to the US, and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the ex-prince who is facing fresh allegations of sexual offences now being assessed by police. He denies any wrongdoing but is increasingly isolated, having been seen moving out of Royal Lodge shortly before midnight on Monday.

Mandelson has been stripped of his knighthood, forced to leave the Labour Party, and now faces a criminal investigation into the alleged sending of confidential government information to Epstein. It is claimed he exchanged information for money and influence, which he denies. The fallout is also reaching the man who appointed him ambassador, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is now at risk of losing his job over the affair.

Elsewhere, the threat of US intervention in Iran appears to have diminished slightly, with direct talks taking place between US and Iranian officials in Oman. Meanwhile, it has been another week of peace talks on Ukraine. In ever-shifting locations, this week's hosts were the United Arab Emirates, with talks brokered by the US and attended by Russian and Ukrainian delegations. Little progress was reported, with Russia's unrelenting demands for additional territory remaining the main sticking point, though another prisoner exchange was agreed and completed. As the fourth anniversary of the war approaches, President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged the human cost, telling French television that 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died. The French president told reporters that preparations were under way to restore direct communication between Europe and the Kremlin.

Produced by Gavin Lee, Andrew Hilliar, Daniel Whittington, Alessandro Xenos.