United News of Bangladesh

Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, refused to answer questions during a US congressional deposition on Monday, repeatedly invoking her constitutional right against self-incrimination. Maxwell appeared virtually in a closed-door session before the House Oversight Committee from a Texas prison, where she is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking offences linked to Epstein. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said Maxwell, as anticipated, pleaded the Fifth Amendment throughout the hearing. He described the outcome as disappointing, saying lawmakers had intended to question her about crimes committed by Epstein and herself, as well as the possible involvement of other individuals. Comer said the committee’s objective was to uncover the truth for the American public and secure justice for survivors of abuse. The Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution allows individuals to refuse to answer questions under oath if the responses could incriminate them. Democratic Representative Melanie Stansbury told reporters after the hearing that Maxwell appeared to use the deposition as an opportunity to seek clemency. Comer said conversations with Epstein survivors had made it clear to him that Maxwell did not deserve immunity of any kind. Earlier, Maxwell’s lawyer David Oscar Markus said in a social media post that his client was prepared to speak fully if she were granted clemency by President Donald Trump. He claimed Maxwell could provide a complete account of events, even if some found the truth uncomfortable. Ahead of the deposition, a group of Epstein survivors urged lawmakers to treat any information from Maxwell with caution. In a letter to the committee, they criticised her for failing to name influential figures allegedly involved in Epstein’s trafficking network and for what they described as a lack of meaningful cooperation with investigators. They warned that offering her special treatment or credibility would be deeply harmful to survivors. The White House has previously said that no leniency for Maxwell is being considered. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for recruiting underage girls for Epstein, her former partner, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial. She is seeking a presidential pardon and has faced allegations of lying to federal officials. In a separate letter to Chairman Comer, Democratic Representative Ro Khanna said he had planned to question Maxwell about a court filing in which she claimed there were four named co-conspirators and at least 25 others who were not charged in the Epstein investigation. He also intended to ask about Epstein and Maxwell’s social ties with President Trump and whether any discussion of a potential pardon had taken place. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein and has said he cut ties with him years ago. He has not been accused of crimes by Epstein’s victims. Khanna later said Maxwell’s refusal to testify appeared inconsistent with her earlier conduct, noting that she did not invoke the Fifth Amendment during a previous meeting with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. According to a justice department transcript, Maxwell told officials she had not witnessed inappropriate conduct by Trump or former president Bill Clinton and said there was no Epstein “client list”. The deposition had originally been scheduled for August last year but was delayed at the request of Maxwell’s lawyers pending a Supreme Court ruling. The hearing comes as the US Department of Justice has begun releasing millions of pages of documents related to the Epstein investigation under a law passed by Congress. Lawmakers are set to review unredacted versions of nearly three million pages at the justice department. Epstein survivors have continued to call for full transparency, while justice department officials have denied claims of a cover-up, rejecting suggestions that evidence has been deliberately withheld.   With inputs from BBC

The number of people killed in a building collapse in the city of Tripoli in northern Lebanon has risen to 15, state media reported Monday. A further eight people were injured, the state-run National News Agency reported. Lebanon’s civil defense said at least one person suffered a gunshot wound. Residents of the area gathered around the crater where the building had fallen and fired in the air following the collapse. The six-story apartment building in the impoverished Bab Tabbaneh neighborhood collapsed Sunday afternoon. Resident of Tripoli, Lebanon’s second largest city, have long complained of government neglect and shoddy infrastructure. Building collapses are not uncommon in Tripoli due to poor building standards, but the incident on Sunday sparked particular outrage due to the high death toll. Surrounding buildings in the area were evacuated out of fear that they, too, might be structurally compromised. Officials have pledged to investigate the cause of the collapse and take legal measures against those found to be responsible for it.

Two babies are among at least 53 people reported dead or missing after an inflatable migrant boat sank off the coast of Libya, the U.N. migration agency said Monday, highlighting the ongoing dangers faced by those seeking to reach Europe. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the boat carrying 55 African migrants departed from the western Libyan town of Zawiya shortly before midnight on Thursday. Around six hours later, the vessel began taking on water and capsized on Friday morning north of Zuwara. Two Nigerian women survived the disaster and were rescued by Libyan authorities. One woman lost her husband, while the other lost her two children, IOM said. “Trafficking and smuggling networks continue to exploit migrants along the central Mediterranean route,” the U.N. agency stated, noting that these groups profit by sending people on unsafe and overcrowded boats from Libya to Europe. Libya has become a key transit point for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty across Africa and the Middle East, despite the country’s ongoing instability following the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. The IOM’s missing migrants project reports that 484 migrants have died or gone missing along the central Mediterranean route so far in 2026. In 2025, the figure exceeded 1,300. “These repeated incidents underscore the persistent and deadly risks faced by migrants and refugees attempting the dangerous crossing,” the agency said. Human traffickers exploit Libya’s chaos, smuggling migrants across its borders and forcing them onto poorly equipped, overcrowded vessels. Those intercepted and returned to Libya are often held in government-run detention centers, where they face abuses including forced labor, beatings, sexual violence, and torture — acts deemed crimes against humanity by U.N.-commissioned investigators. Migrants are frequently extorted by traffickers or authorities before being allowed to attempt the dangerous journey to Europe, the IOM added.  

Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday laid a wreath and placed two stones brought from Jerusalem at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, marking the start of a tightly secured and controversial four-day visit to Australia. Bondi Beach was the site of a deadly shooting in December during a Jewish Hanukkah festival, in which 15 people, including a 10-year-old girl, were killed. Paying tribute to the victims, Herzog said he had come to “embrace and console the bereaved families,” adding that pain felt by one Jew resonates across the global Jewish community. Herzog’s visit, which includes stops in Canberra and Melbourne and meetings with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, has drawn mixed reactions. Senior Jewish leaders welcomed the trip, saying it would bring comfort to a traumatised community. However, several civil society groups and activists have criticised the invitation, citing allegations that the Israeli president has incited violence in Gaza. Albanese said the visit was intended to promote social cohesion and unity following the Bondi attack. Despite this, nationwide protests were planned, including a large demonstration in central Sydney, where organisers estimated around 5,000 participants. Security measures were heightened across Sydney, particularly at Bondi Beach. The New South Wales government invoked rarely used “major event” powers, granting police expanded authority to restrict movement, conduct searches and impose fines for non-compliance. Shortly before the protest was due to begin, the Palestine Action Group lost a legal challenge against the use of these powers. Police said they dealt with several individuals during the operation. One man who shouted at Herzog was issued a move-on direction, while another was arrested and charged with intimidation and offensive behaviour after allegedly abusing passengers on a bus. Leaders of Australia’s Jewish community said Herzog’s presence carried deep symbolic meaning. Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said the visit would help lift the spirits of victims’ families and survivors and could help reset strained bilateral ties between Australia and Israel. However, opposition to the visit has been vocal. The Jewish Council of Australia and the Australian National Imams Council said Herzog should not have been invited, arguing that his presence risks conflating Jewish identity with the actions of the Israeli state. A letter signed by around 600 Australian Jews was published in local media stating that Herzog did not represent them and was not welcome. Human rights groups also pointed to a UN commission report that accused Herzog and other Israeli leaders of inciting genocide through public statements related to the Gaza war. Herzog has rejected the findings, saying his remarks were taken out of context, while Israel has denied committing genocide. Responding to the protests, Herzog said he had come in goodwill, stressing the long-standing alliance between Australia and Israel. He also warned that rising antisemitism worldwide posed a serious global threat, saying hatred directed at Jews rarely stops with them.   With inputs from BBC

France’s former Culture Minister Jack Lang has stepped down as head of a Paris cultural center following allegations of past financial ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that led to a tax investigation. He is the most prominent figure in France to be affected by the release of the Epstein files on Jan. 30 by the U.S. Department of Justice. He is widely known for serving as culture minister under Socialist President François Mitterrand during the 1980s and 1990s. Lang, 86, was summoned to the French Foreign Ministry, which oversees the Arab World Institute, on Sunday, but he instead submitted his resignation. “He is very sad and deeply hurt to be leaving a position he loves,” his lawyer Laurent Merlet told RTL radio on Sunday. “He placed the interests of the Arab World Institute above all else,” Merlet said, adding that his client denied the allegations and described them as inaccurate. The Foreign Ministry confirmed his resignation on Saturday evening. Read More: Starmer faces mounting pressure over Mandelson-Epstein saga The financial prosecutors’ office said it has opened an investigation into Lang and his daughter, Caroline, over alleged “aggravated tax fraud laundering.” French investigative news website Mediapart reported last week on alleged financial and business links between the Lang family and Jeffrey Epstein through an offshore company based in the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Caribbean Sea. Jack Lang’s name appeared more than 600 times in the Epstein files, indicating intermittent correspondence between 2012 and 2019. His daughter was also named in the released documents. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has “taken note” of Lang’s resignation and has begun the process of seeking his successor, the foreign ministry said. Lang has led the Arab World Institute since 2013.

The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 72,027, with 171,651 others wounded since Oct. 7, 2023, Gaza-based health authorities said on Saturday. In a press statement, the authorities said that 174 deaths from Jan. 30 to Feb. 6 were added to the official count, following approval by the relevant government committee. 576 Palestinians have been killed and 1,543 others wounded since a ceasefire in Gaza came into effect on Oct. 10, it added. In a separate statement, the health authorities said that the remaining functioning hospitals in the Gaza Strip, struggling to continue providing services, have become mere waiting rooms for thousands of patients, adding that many of the wounded face an uncertain fate. The war has made sustaining healthcare a daily struggle, severely hindering recovery and the revival of specialized medical services, the authorities said. The statement warned that basic painkillers have become a rare luxury due to shortages. It also said that 46 percent of essential medicines, 66 percent of medical supplies and 84 percent of laboratory and blood bank materials are completely out of stock. It added that cancer treatment, hematology, surgery, intensive care and primary healthcare are among the hardest hit, with the limited supplies available falling far short of demand.

Revelations from newly released Jeffrey Epstein documents have triggered political turmoil across Europe, toppling senior figures and prompting investigations, while the fallout in the United States has remained comparatively restrained. The large cache of files released by the US Department of Justice has dominated headlines in Europe, ending careers of princes, diplomats and politicians who maintained ties with Epstein after his conviction as a sex offender. In contrast, few American figures have faced serious consequences so far. In Britain, former US ambassador Peter Mandelson was dismissed and is now under police investigation over whether he passed sensitive information to Epstein. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing mounting political pressure for appointing Mandelson despite earlier warnings about his links to the disgraced financier. The documents also deepened scrutiny of Prince Andrew, brother of King Charles III, who had already lost his royal titles and public funding after settling a lawsuit with one of Epstein’s victims. His former wife Sarah Ferguson saw her charity shut down this week. Although none of the European figures now under fire, apart from Andrew, are accused of sexual abuse, many have been forced out for continuing social or professional contact with Epstein long after his criminal conviction. Legal experts say European media and political systems have reacted more forcefully. “If your name appears in these files, it becomes a major issue immediately,” said Rob Ford, a political scientist at the University of Manchester, pointing to stronger accountability pressures in parliamentary democracies. Across Europe, resignations and suspensions have followed. Swedish UN official Joanna Rubinstein stepped down after disclosure of a visit to Epstein’s private island. Slovakia’s national security adviser Miroslav Lajcak quit over communications with Epstein. Latvia, Lithuania and Poland have launched official probes into the documents, with Poland also examining possible links to Russian intelligence. Norway has been particularly shaken. Authorities opened a corruption investigation into former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland, while ambassador Mona Juul was suspended after it emerged Epstein had left $10 million to her children in his will. Crown Princess Mette-Marit publicly apologized after emails showed her friendly exchanges with Epstein. In the United States, the release of the files followed bipartisan pressure on President Donald Trump’s administration, but repercussions have been limited. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers took leave from academic posts, and a top US law firm chair resigned. Other high-profile figures, including political advisers, business leaders and former presidents, have faced questions but no major sanctions. Analysts say the contrast highlights differences in political culture and accountability, with Europe showing lower tolerance for associations seen as unethical, even without criminal allegations. The documents reveal Epstein’s extensive global network of royals, politicians, billionaires and academics, raising fresh questions about his influence and access. European investigators say further disclosures could yet widen the impact of the scandal.

The United States has given Ukraine and Russia a deadline until June to reach an agreement to end the nearly four-year war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as fresh Russian attacks severely damaged the country’s energy infrastructure. Speaking to reporters, Zelenskyy said the Trump administration wants the war to end by early summer and is likely to pressure both sides if no deal is reached by then. “The Americans want to do everything by June. They want a clear schedule and will push both sides according to this timeline,” Zelenskyy said. His comments were made on Friday but released on Saturday. He said the US has proposed holding the next round of trilateral talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States next week, possibly in Miami. Ukraine has confirmed its participation, he added. Zelenskyy also said Russia has submitted a massive $12 trillion economic proposal to the US, referred to as the “Dmitriev package,” named after Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev. Economic cooperation with the US is part of the broader negotiation process, he noted. Meanwhile, Russian forces launched more than 400 drones and around 40 missiles overnight, targeting Ukraine’s energy grid, power generation facilities and distribution networks, Zelenskyy said in a post on X. Ukraine’s state energy operator Ukrenergo said the strikes forced nuclear power plants to reduce output after key high-voltage substations were hit. Eight energy facilities in eight regions were damaged in what it called the second major attack on energy infrastructure this year. As a result, Ukraine’s power shortage has worsened significantly, leading to extended scheduled power outages across the country, the operator said. The June deadline follows US-brokered trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi that failed to produce progress, as both sides maintained firm and opposing positions. Russia continues to demand Ukraine’s withdrawal from the Donbas region, a condition Kyiv has repeatedly rejected. “Ukraine has once again confirmed its position on Donbas. We stand where we stand,” Zelenskyy said, adding that the most difficult issues should be discussed directly at the leaders’ level. He said no agreement was reached on the management of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and voiced doubts about a US proposal to turn the Donbas into a free economic zone as a compromise. Zelenskyy said the talks also covered how a potential ceasefire would be monitored, with the US reaffirming its role in that process. He added that Washington again proposed a ceasefire banning attacks on energy infrastructure. Ukraine is ready to accept such a deal if Russia complies. However, he noted that a previous US-backed pause was broken by Russia after just four days.

Former US president Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Clinton, have called for their testimony before Congress over their past links to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein to be held in public. The Clintons were asked to give closed-door depositions to the House Oversight Committee, which is investigating Epstein’s ties with powerful people and how authorities handled information about his crimes. Epstein died in jail in 2019 in what was ruled a suicide. The couple said private hearings could allow Republicans to use the issue for political attacks. Democrats have also accused Republicans of turning the probe into a political tool against critics of President Donald Trump. Trump was known to have associated with Epstein in the past but has not been asked to testify. House Republicans earlier warned they could vote to hold the Clintons in contempt if they refused to appear. The couple has since agreed to testify but insists it should be done openly. Bill Clinton said on Friday that a closed-door deposition would be unfair. He compared it to a “kangaroo court” and urged Congress to hold a public hearing instead. Writing on X, he said the process should be transparent and free of political games. Hillary Clinton, a former US secretary of state, said the couple has already shared what they know with the Republican-led committee. She said if there is to be a political fight, it should take place in public view. The committee is reviewing more than three million documents, photos and videos linked to the Epstein investigation. Bill Clinton’s name appears in the files, but there has been no evidence showing that either Bill or Hillary Clinton was involved in any criminal activity. Millions of new Epstein files name global figures Bill Clinton has previously admitted that he flew on Epstein’s private plane in the early 2000s for humanitarian work linked to the Clinton Foundation. However, he has said he never visited Epstein’s private island. Hillary Clinton, who ran against Trump in the 2016 presidential election, said she had no meaningful contact with Epstein. She said she never flew on his plane and never went to his island.   Source: NDTV

Anke Gowda, a retired sugar factory worker from southern India, has spent five decades assembling what may be one of the country’s most remarkable private libraries, a collection of around two million books that anyone can freely read or borrow. The 79-year-old from Karnataka’s Mandya district was honoured last month with the Padma Shri, one of India’s top civilian awards, recognising his lifelong commitment to literacy and learning, reports BBC. Gowda grew up in a farming family where books were rare, but his curiosity pushed him to seek them out from an early age. As a child, he balanced school with farm work and saved whatever money he could to buy books, often choosing them over food. Stories about Indian freedom fighters and spiritual leaders sparked a passion that never faded. After briefly working as a bus conductor, Gowda returned to education at the urging of a former teacher, eventually earning a postgraduate degree in Kannada. He later joined the Pandavapura sugar factory as a timekeeper, a job he held for 33 years. During that time, he spent most of his modest salary on books, supplementing his income by raising cows, selling milk and working as an insurance agent. Ekushey Book Fair to begin on Feb 20, reaffirms Bangla Academy His collection grew rapidly through purchases and donations, including discounted books from conferences of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat. Finding space soon became a challenge. What began with trunks and home bookshelves eventually overwhelmed his house. A turning point came when businessman Hari Khoday agreed to fund the construction of a dedicated library building after seeing the scale of Gowda’s collection. The library now spans about 15,800 square feet, with additional structures later funded by the state government. Located in Pandavapura town, the library has no formal cataloguing system and no hired librarian. Books are stacked on shelves and floors, while hundreds of thousands more remain packed in sacks outside. Yet regular visitors say Gowda knows exactly where everything is. The library is open every day and draws students, teachers and book lovers from across Karnataka. Gowda, his wife and son live in a corner of the building, making it both a home and a public space for learning. Now, Gowda says his energy is fading and hopes others will carry his work forward. He believes he has done his part, leaving the future of the vast collection in the hands of the public and the authorities.