Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has apologized for spending time with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The apology came after the U.S. Department of Justice released a new batch of documents related to Epstein, revealing email communications with several influential figures. Among the documents was a draft email in which Epstein claimed Gates had engaged in an extramarital affair.

In an interview with 9News Australia, Gates said he regretted every minute spent with Epstein and apologized, calling the email false and never sent. A spokesperson for Gates also denied the claims, stating that the newly released files only showed Epstein’s frustration over the end of his contact with Gates and his attempts to entrap and defame him.

Melinda French Gates, who divorced Bill Gates in 2021, told National Public Radio that the documents brought back painful memories from their marriage, adding that some questions still remain.

U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that Washington is continuing discussions with Iran to ease tensions in the Persian Gulf, even as American forces shot down Iranian drones over the Arabian Sea. Speaking at the White House, Trump said talks were underway but declined to reveal their location. He referenced a previous U.S. operation called “Midnight Hammer” and noted that Iran might not want to face a similar situation again.

According to Iranian media, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in West Jerusalem to discuss Iran. Reports cited U.S. officials saying Israel is pressing Washington to launch new strikes on Iran, though Trump currently opposes such action. The president has also warned that if nuclear talks fail, “something bad” could happen, and he recently deployed the USS Abraham Lincoln to the Gulf.

The developments follow Israel’s 12-day assault on Iran in June 2025, which targeted military and nuclear sites. Turkish officials said a planned meeting between Iran’s foreign minister and Trump’s envoys will now take place in Oman instead of Istanbul.

U.S. President Donald Trump said it is time for the country to move on from the Jeffrey Epstein case after the Justice Department completed its mandatory review of millions of documents related to Epstein’s sex trafficking investigation. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed that the review, required under a law passed by Congress last November, found no grounds for new prosecutions. Despite this, the House of Representatives continues its own inquiry, summoning former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to testify later in February.

Some lawmakers and Epstein’s victims are demanding the release of additional unreleased files. The documents mention Trump over 6,000 times, reflecting his past friendship with Epstein during the 1990s, which he says ended in the early 2000s. The Justice Department also published unverified FBI source lists containing unsubstantiated allegations against Trump and other influential figures, later temporarily removed from its website. The department stated those claims were false and lacked evidence.

While Trump appears politically unscathed, other high-profile individuals named in the documents, including Prince Andrew, Larry Summers, and Bill Gates, have faced professional and personal fallout.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that his administration will demand $1 billion in compensation from Harvard University. According to a New York Times report cited in the source, the decision followed revelations that Harvard had secured certain concessions during settlement talks. Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social that his administration no longer wishes to maintain any relationship with Harvard.

Officials in the administration have accused Harvard and other universities of promoting so-called “woke” ideology and failing to adequately protect Jewish students during pro-Palestinian protests. Critics argue that these actions are part of a broader strategy to pressure liberal universities. Earlier, Columbia University reportedly agreed to pay $200 million and pledged to avoid considering racial identity in its policies.

Trump stated that after lengthy discussions, the administration abandoned its earlier demand for a $200 million settlement from Harvard, calling the university’s proposed employment training plan inadequate. He further alleged that Harvard avoided paying over $500 million in cash settlements but did not specify which laws were violated.

Former US President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have agreed to testify before the House committee investigating links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Bill Clinton’s spokesperson, Angel Ureña, confirmed the decision in a post on social media platform X, saying the couple is ready to appear and hopes to set an important precedent. The Clintons had previously declined to appear before lawmakers.

The House Rules Committee had requested their personal testimony to clarify any possible connections with Epstein, who died in police custody in 2019. The committee also proposed contempt charges if they failed to appear. The Epstein case has long stirred controversy in Washington, involving several influential political figures and reigniting debates about elite networks and accountability.

Democrats have accused former President Donald Trump of using the investigation as a political weapon against his rivals, noting that Trump himself had past associations with Epstein but has not been called to testify. Trump also faces allegations of attempting to block the release of Epstein-related investigation files.

The United States has reinforced its air and missile defense systems across the Middle East as tensions rise over a possible strike on Iran. According to a Wall Street Journal report citing Pentagon officials, additional Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and Patriot systems have been deployed to American bases in Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. The move aims to protect these installations from potential aerial and missile attacks amid heightened regional uncertainty.

Defense analysts noted that THAAD systems are deployed in only a few locations worldwide and require significant manpower and logistical support to relocate. While President Donald Trump has not yet announced a decision to attack Iran, officials indicated that limited strikes remain possible. In response, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that any US attack would trigger a regional war. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi told CNN that talks are ongoing to avoid conflict, though he expressed distrust toward Washington.

President Trump commented that he hopes for a deal but suggested that if talks fail, Iran’s threats would be tested.

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev has warned that the world faces new risks if the New START nuclear arms control treaty is not renewed. Speaking from his residence outside Moscow, Medvedev told Reuters that for the first time since the early 1970s, the largest nuclear powers may have no limits on their arsenals. The treaty, signed in 2010 by then U.S. President Barack Obama and Medvedev, limited each side to 1,550 strategic nuclear weapons. It is set to expire on February 5, and Russian officials said Washington has not formally responded to President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to extend existing missile and warhead limits for another year.

Medvedev emphasized that arms control agreements have been vital not only for limiting weapons but also for maintaining trust and verification between major nuclear powers. He cautioned that the “doomsday clock is ticking” and urged timely action to prevent escalation. In January, U.S. President Donald Trump indicated he preferred the treaty to lapse, suggesting a better deal could follow.

The treaty’s future remains uncertain after Russia suspended its participation in 2023 due to U.S. support for Ukraine, raising concerns about renewed nuclear competition.

Recently released U.S. documents show that a shipment of cloth associated with the Kaaba’s kiswa, the sacred covering of Islam’s holiest site in Mecca, was sent to the United States in 2017 and later reached convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Emails cited in the documents claim the shipment was coordinated through contacts linked to the United Arab Emirates.

Correspondence from February and March 2017 indicates that Emirati business figures Aziza Al-Ahmadi and Abdullah Al-Marai arranged the dispatch of three pieces related to the kiswa. The kiswa, a black cloth embroidered with gold, is replaced annually, and its used sections are regarded as valuable relics. The emails show that the shipment was sent by air freight from Saudi Arabia to Florida via British Airways, with detailed coordination on invoices, customs, and delivery.

The documents specify that one piece came from the Kaaba’s interior, another from its used outer covering, and a third was unused but made of the same material. The unused piece was classified as an “artwork” for shipping. A separate FBI memo alleged Epstein had ties with U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies.

A devastating snowstorm across the United States has claimed more than 100 lives, with the highest fatalities reported in New York, Kentucky, and Tennessee. North Carolina also experienced multiple deaths and over a thousand vehicle collisions due to icy roads. In Kannapolis, 14 inches of snow were recorded, while Charlotte and Greenville saw more than 11 inches, marking Charlotte’s fourth-highest snowfall on record.

Significant snowfall was also reported in South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia. North Carolina Governor Josh Stein confirmed two deaths from road accidents. In Florida, temperatures dropped to record lows, with Vero Beach and Melbourne reaching 27 and 26 degrees respectively, breaking decades-old February records. Along the East Coast, winds of 20 to 30 miles per hour intensified the cold.

Weather forecasts suggest that temperatures in the northeastern United States may rise slightly in the coming week, with wind speeds expected to decrease.

Newly released documents from the US Department of Justice have revealed that acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair, mother of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, was listed among attendees at a 2009 party hosted at Ghislaine Maxwell’s Manhattan residence. The files include an email sent by publicist Peggy Siegal on October 21, 2009, mentioning that Nair attended the event alongside former US President Bill Clinton and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The gathering reportedly followed the release of Nair’s film 'Amelia' and was part of its promotional activities.

The email, one of hundreds of thousands of documents made public on Friday, also noted that the film received a lukewarm response from audiences and critics. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the latest release comprises over three million pages of documents, more than two thousand videos, and about 180,000 photos, some of which were previously withheld to protect victims.

The newly disclosed materials shed further light on Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal network and his connections with prominent figures across politics and entertainment.

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a reduction in tariffs on Indian goods following a phone conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Under the new agreement, the U.S. will lower tariffs on Indian products from 25 percent to 18 percent, while India has pledged to eliminate tariffs and non-tariff barriers on American goods. Modi expressed gratitude to Trump for the decision, calling it beneficial for both nations.

Trump stated on his social media platform Truth Social that the discussion also covered the Russia–Ukraine war. He claimed Modi agreed to stop purchasing Russian oil and instead buy from the U.S. and Venezuela, leading to the removal of an additional 25 percent penalty previously imposed on India. As part of the deal, India will purchase over $500 billion worth of U.S. goods, including energy, technology, agricultural products, and coal.

The agreement follows months of trade tension after the U.S. imposed tariffs of up to 50 percent on Indian goods last August, sharply reducing Indian exports. The new deal is viewed as a major step toward easing that strain. (Sources: BBC, Reuters)

Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmadullah has commented on the recent release of millions of files by the U.S. Department of Justice related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a verified Facebook post on February 2, 2026, he said the Epstein files are not merely a scandal but a mirror reflecting the true face of Western civilization, exposing its moral and ethical decline.

Ahmadullah argued that the documents reveal how political leaders, industrialists, athletes, media figures, and cultural icons—often seen as role models—were allegedly involved in heinous crimes such as child trafficking, sexual abuse, and even cannibalism. He criticized Western liberalism for promoting extreme materialism and moral decay under the guise of personal freedom, leading to the erosion of family values and social ethics.

He contrasted this with Islamic teachings, which he said emphasize moral restraint, spiritual accountability, and the protection of women, children, and family. Ahmadullah concluded that the incident raises fundamental questions about the definition of civilization and the moral direction humanity should choose.

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced the closure of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, one of the country’s leading cultural institutions, citing renovation and restructuring needs. The plan calls for a complete shutdown of the center for two years starting July 4, coinciding with the United States’ 250th Independence Day. The decision still requires approval from the center’s board of directors, most of whom were appointed by Trump himself.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump stated that halting all entertainment activities would allow faster and higher-quality renovation, calling it the quickest way to elevate the “Trump Kennedy Center” to new levels of success and grandeur. He argued that ongoing performances such as concerts, operas, and ballets would delay construction work.

The announcement comes amid protests from artists and cultural groups who have canceled performances in opposition to Trump’s leadership and the addition of his name to the building. The Kennedy Center has not yet issued an official comment on the matter.

US President Donald Trump has said that Washington is holding talks with Cuba’s top leadership to reach a possible agreement. He made the remarks at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, just days after threatening an effective oil blockade against Cuba’s struggling economy. Trump described Cuba as a failed state and suggested that the absence of Venezuelan support has left Havana vulnerable, though he did not disclose details of the proposed deal.

Since the US-led operation on January 3 that removed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, the Trump administration has intensified pressure on the communist-ruled island. Venezuela had been a key ally and oil supplier to Cuba. Last Thursday, Trump signed an executive order threatening additional tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba, which led to long queues at Havana’s fuel stations the following day.

Meanwhile, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum announced plans to send humanitarian aid, including food and other goods, to Cuba and to pursue diplomatic efforts to maintain oil shipments. The Cuban government accused Trump of trying to economically strangle the island as power outages and fuel shortages worsened.

U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed optimism about reaching an agreement with Iran. Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida on Saturday, Trump said he hoped a deal could be achieved. He also stated that the United States possesses the world’s most powerful warships, according to a report by TASS.

Earlier, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had warned that any U.S. attack on Iran would trigger a regional conflict. Responding to Khamenei’s remarks, Trump said it was understandable for him to speak that way and added that time would tell whether Khamenei was right or wrong if no deal was reached.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that discussions on Iran’s nuclear program with the United States remain possible if mutual trust can be restored. He noted that Iran has lost confidence in the U.S. as a negotiating partner and warned that any military intervention in Iran could spread across the broader region.