Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Steve Bannon among names in new Epstein documents
One calendar entry, dated December 6, 2014, reads: “Reminder: Elon Musk to island Dec. 6 (is this still happening?)”. Democrats on the oversight committee of the United States House of Representatives have released the daily schedules of deceased high-society sex offender Jeffrey Epstein from 2010 to 2019, showing that he planned to meet with prominent Republican Party donors Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, as well as conservative media commentator Steve Bannon. Democrats on the key investigative House Oversight Committee said on Friday that 8,544 documents – including phone message logs, flight logs, transaction records and daily schedules – were retrieved through a congressional subpoena filed in August. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list A statement accompanying the release said the daily schedules “include mentions of possible contact between Jeffrey Epstein and prominent figures like Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Steve Bannon, and Prince Andrew”. “It should be clear to every American that Jeffrey Epstein was friends with some of the most powerful and wealthiest men in the world,” Oversight Committee spokesperson Sara Guerrero said in the statement. “Every new document produced provides new information as we work to bring justice for the survivors and victims,” Guerrero said. “Oversight Democrats will not stop until we identify everyone complicit in Epstein’s heinous crimes. It’s past time for Attorney General [Pam] Bondi to release all the files now,” she said. According to the statement, the documents show that Thiel, a billionaire venture capitalist, and Bannon had “scheduled meetings with Epstein”. There was also mention of a “pending trip” by tech billionaire Musk to Epstein’s infamous island, Little St James, where many women said they were abused. Advertisement One calendar entry – dated December 6, 2014 – reads: “Reminder: Elon Musk to island Dec. 6 (is this still happening?)”. Also mentioned in the documents is disgraced British royal, Prince Andrew, who was listed as a passenger on Epstein’s private jet in 2000 in a flight from New York to Palm Beach, Florida, along with Epstein’s longtime partner and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. The daily schedules released on Friday do not indicate whether Epstein’s meetings with Musk, Thiel and Bannon took place, and no accusations of any wrongdoing were levelled against the three men or Prince Andrew. Referencing a news story about the documents on X, Musk said: “This is false.” Thiel, Bannon and Prince Andrew have yet to comment. In 2022, the British royal settled a US lawsuit brought against him by the late Virginia Giuffre – a prominent Epstein accuser who took her own life in April – accusing him of sexual abuse when she was a teen. Financial disclosures in the newly released files also showed “possible evidence” that Epstein made payments to masseuses on behalf of someone named “Andrew”. The Oversight Committee said further review of the documents, which were partially redacted to protect the identity of victims and the ongoing investigation, is “ongoing”. Epstein died by suicide in his cell at New York’s Metropolitan Correctional Center in 2019. His death has become the source of conspiracy theories due to his connections to America’s rich and powerful, including, allegedly, US President Donald Trump. The Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein case has only fuelled anger and concern over a cover-up, with the Department of Justice announcing in July it would not publish files from its investigation, reneging on earlier promises from Trump and his allies to do so. In now-deleted posts from June, part of a very public rupture between Musk and Trump, which appears now to have been resolved, the billionaire X owner claimed the US president was blocking the Epstein files’ release as he featured in them. The calendar entries released on Friday for Epstein’s purported planned meetings with Musk, Thiel and Bannon referenced periods that came before he was indicted on federal sex trafficking charges in 2019, but after he pleaded guilty to state-level prostitution charges and soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008. Adblock test (Why?)
Palestinian Authority’s Abbas forced to deliver UNGA address via video
NewsFeed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told the UN General Assembly that Palestinians are ready for peace if only Israel would allow it. His address, delivered via video, accused the “extremist Israeli government” of crimes against humanity and made the case for his government’s control of Gaza. Published On 25 Sep 202525 Sep 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Sudan PM urges end to ‘political’ chemical weapons sanctions
NewsFeed Sudan’s transitional Prime Minister Kamil Idris told the 80th United Nations General Assembly Sudan’s civil war has killed 150,000 and displaced 12 million. He urged lifting chemical weapons sanctions he called “political,” condemned foreign mercenaries, and demanded an end to the siege of el-Fasher. Published On 25 Sep 202525 Sep 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
US defence secretary summons military leaders to Virginia mystery meeting
The reason for the meeting, set for next Tuesday, remains unclear, with Trump dismissing concerns as not ‘a big deal’. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has summoned senior United States military officers from their posts around the world to a meeting next week in Virginia, for what is expected to be a rare gathering. The summons was reported in US media on Thursday and confirmed later in the day by Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list It was not immediately clear why Hegseth ordered the generals and admirals to meet in Virginia on such short notice or what the meeting’s agenda will look like. There are approximately 800 generals and admirals in the US military, and such senior officials can, in some cases, command thousands of troops, including in sensitive locations overseas. Most have detailed schedules that are set weeks in advance. One military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the news agency Reuters that those schedules have now been upended. “People are scrambling to change their plans and see if they have to attend,” the official said. For his part, Parnell declined to offer specifics about the meeting, telling reporters, “The Secretary of War will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week.” At an Oval Office signing ceremony on Thursday, Trump expressed optimism about Hegseth’s meeting, describing it as a good idea. “I love it. I think it’s great,” Trump said. “Let him be friendly with the generals and admirals from all over the world.” He also appeared to downplay concerns that the event could take military leaders away from posts critical for national security. He expressed surprise that the meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, had gained national attention. Advertisement “Why is that such a big deal?” Trump asked a reporter. “The fact that we’re getting along with the generals and admirals? Remember, I’m the president of peace. It’s good to get along. It’s good. You act like this is a bad thing.” Vice President JD Vance, who was at the Oval Office meeting, also sought to brush aside the anticipated criticism. “It’s not particularly unusual that generals who report to the secretary of war and then to the president of the United States are coming to speak with the secretary of war,” Vance said, adding it was “odd” that reporters were asking about it. Since Trump took office for a second term in January, he and Hegseth have taken on a campaign of reimagining the Department of Defense. They have, for instance, fired top military leaders, including CQ Brown, a former Air Force general who was serving as the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In May, he ordered a 20-percent reduction in the number of four-star officers, adding that there would be an additional 10-percent reduction among general and flag officers across the military. Hegseth has also called for the military to end its diversity initiatives, and several officials have been terminated for their alleged roles in such programmes. Instead, Hegseth has called on the military to increase its “lethality” and “restore” its “warrior ethos”. Earlier this month, Trump signed an order making it his policy to refer to the Defense Department as the Department of War, as it had been until 1949. But the name change will remain largely confined to the executive branch. A permanent change would require Congress to pass legislation adopting the new name. Adblock test (Why?)
UN General Assembly 2025 live: Palestine’s Abbas to speak by video
blinking-dotLive updatesLive updates, The president of the Palestinian Authority is among the chief speakers on the third day of the UN’s General Assembly. Published On 25 Sep 202525 Sep 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Trump puts photo of Biden autopen in White House ‘Walk of Fame’
NewsFeed President Donald Trump has installed a ‘Walk of Fame’ wall in the White House, where Joe Biden’s portrait is replaced by a photo of an ‘autopen’. This follows Trump’s assertions that Biden had used the device to sign key policy documents due to a declining cognitive state. Published On 25 Sep 202525 Sep 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Moldovan oligarch extradited to face charges over $1bn fraud
Trial of former political kingmaker Vladimir Plahotniuc comes at a sensitive time, as elections approach and authorities warn of Russian meddling. By News Agencies Published On 25 Sep 202525 Sep 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Moldova’s most notorious fugitive businessman, Vladimir Plahotniuc, has been extradited from Greece to face trial over the country’s biggest financial scandal, AFP and local media reported. The 59-year-old oligarch, accused of orchestrating the disappearance of $1bn from Moldovan banks in 2014, arrived in Chisinau on Thursday under tight security. The fraud, known locally as the “theft of the century,” amounted to about 12 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) at the time. Plahotniuc was detained in July at Athens airport on an Interpol red notice while attempting to travel to Dubai, Greek authorities said. He had been held in Greece for two months before being handed over to Moldovan officials. Once considered the most powerful figure in the Democratic Party of Moldova, Plahotniuc has long denied wrongdoing and resisted extradition. He is expected to appear in court in Chisinau on September 26. Given previous accusations that he has acted in the interests of Russia, the timing of the oligarch’s return is politically charged. Moldovans head to the polls on September 28 in parliamentary elections seen as a choice between closer ties with the European Union or a pivot towards Moscow. Sanctions and Russian interference Plahotniuc fled Moldova in 2019 while facing multiple investigations, including the bank fraud case. He later lived in the United States for several months, where he applied for asylum. That request was rejected, and in January 2020, his US visa was revoked when then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused him of corruption that “severely compromised the independence of democratic institutions in Moldova”. Advertisement The EU, US and United Kingdom have all imposed sanctions on Plahotniuc, citing efforts to destabilise Moldovan politics and weaken the rule of law. Moldovan authorities say the former tycoon must now answer charges of fraud, money laundering and organised crime. His legal battle is set to dominate headlines in a country already bracing for a deeply divisive election. President of Moldova Maia Sandu has warned of Russian interference in the country’s upcoming elections (File: Getty) Earlier this week, at least 74 people were arrested in Moldova over an alleged plot to organise “mass riots”. President Maia Sandu has accused Russia of attempting to sway the upcoming election. The police said the suspects were detained on Monday as more than 250 raids were carried out across the country. “The searches are related to a criminal case into the preparation of mass riots and destabilisation, which were coordinated from the Russian Federation through criminal elements,” police said in a statement. Pro-Western Sandu, who has described Sunday’s vote as the “most consequential” in the nation’s history, accused the Kremlin of pouring “hundreds of millions of euros” into the country in an attempt to sway the elections. Adblock test (Why?)
China, world’s largest carbon polluting nation, announces new climate goal
China will cut emissions by 7-10 percent by 2035, President Xi Jinping told a high-level climate summit on Wednesday, as the world’s largest carbon-polluting nation announced an ambitious target. Alongside the economy-wide emission-reduction goal, Xi stated that within the next 10 years, China plans to increase its installed capacity of wind and solar power to more than six times its 2020 levels. It also plans to boost its share of non-fossil fuels in domestic energy consumption to more than 30 percent. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list In a video address, Xi pledged to make pollution-free vehicles mainstream and “basically establish a climate-adaptive society.” China spews more than 31 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. At the same time, Xi called on the world’s developed countries to take the lead in stronger climate actions. He referred, though not by name, to the United States for moving away from the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate. “Green and low-carbon transformation is the trend of our times. Despite some countries going against the trend, the international community should stay on the right track, maintain unwavering confidence, unwavering action, and undiminished efforts,” Xi said, calling for increased global climate cooperation. On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump used his United Nations General Assembly speech to blast climate change as a “con job” and criticise European Union member states and China for embracing renewable energy technologies. Trump ordered a second withdrawal by Washington from the 10-year-old Paris Agreement on climate, which aimed to prevent global temperatures from rising beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) through national climate plans. The US is the world’s biggest historical greenhouse gas emitter and second-biggest current emitter, behind China. Advertisement Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said their infrastructure and investment in renewable energy and the price of carbon had all increased, and their emissions are down nearly 40 percent since 1940. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is hosting the upcoming climate conference, said, “No one is safe from the effect of climate change. Walls at borders will not stop droughts or storms,” Lula said. “Nature does not bow down to bombs or warships. No country stands above another.” Guterres said, “The science demands action. The law commands it. The economics compel it. And people are calling for it.” Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said his country knows this all too well, with recent floods that have affected five million people across more than 4,000 villages, killing more than 1,000. “As I speak to you, my country is reeling from intense monsoon rains, flash floods, mudslides and devastating urban flooding,” he said. “We are facing this calamity at a time when the scars of the 2022 floods that inflicted losses exceeding $30bn and displaced millions are still visible across our land.” Under the 2015 Paris climate accord, 195 nations are supposed to submit new, more stringent five-year plans on how to curb carbon emissions. UN officials said countries really need to get their plans in by the end of the month so the UN can calculate how much more warming Earth is on track for if nations do what they promise. Former US President Joe Biden submitted America’s plan late last year before leaving office. Before 2015, the world was on a path for 4 degrees Celsius (7.2 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming since pre-industrial times, but now has trimmed that to 2.6 degrees Celsius (4.7 degrees Fahrenheit), Guterres, the UN chief, said. However, the Paris accord set the goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius since the mid-19th century, and the world has already warmed about 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.3 degrees Fahrenheit) since. Adblock test (Why?)
Israel kills 85 people in Gaza despite calls for truce from world leaders
At least 85 Palestinians killed across the territory, including 12 at a makeshift shelter, as global leaders demand end to the war at UNGA. At least 12 Palestinians, among them seven women and two children, have been killed in a strike on a stadium sheltering displaced families in the Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza, as Israel pressed ahead with its relentless attacks despite calls for a ceasefire from world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly. The al-Ahli Stadium, which has been converted into a makeshift refuge for Palestinians fleeing the Israeli onslaught, became the site of another massacre on Wednesday. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “I only had what I had in my hand. I left with nothing,” Najwa, a displaced woman from Gaza City, told Al Jazeera. “We are frightened. Transportation is expensive. We can’t pay to bring our things.” ‘Inflicting terror’ Israel’s assault on Gaza intensified overnight, with at least 85 Palestinians killed across the territory on Wednesday – more than double the number of those killed yesterday. As the UN warned that Israel’s military is “inflicting terror on the Palestinian population of Gaza City and forcing tens of thousands to flee”, Israeli military chief of staff Eyal Zamir claimed Palestinians were being pushed southward “for their safety”. But UN investigators have rejected those claims. A commission of inquiry this week concluded that Israel’s actions are aimed at establishing permanent control over Gaza while ensuring a Jewish majority in the occupied West Bank and inside Israel. Zamir added that “most of Gaza’s population has already left Gaza City” and that the army “will continue a systematic and thorough advance” into the enclave’s largest urban centre. Advertisement Since the war began on October 7, 2023, at least 65,419 Palestinians have been killed and 167,160 wounded, with thousands more believed to be buried beneath the rubble. Israel launched what campaigners say is a war of vengeance after 1,139 people were killed in Israel in a Hamas-led attack in October 2023. About 200 were taken captive by the Palestinian fighters, out of which more than 40 still remain in Gaza. Condemnation at the United Nations At the UN General Assembly in New York, Israel’s war on Gaza has dominated proceedings, drawing condemnation from leaders across the world. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian told world leaders: “If you have no sympathy for human pain, the name of human you cannot pertain. Those criminals who bully by murdering children are not worthy of the name ‘human being’, and they shall never prove to be trustworthy partners.” Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa also demanded an immediate ceasefire: “We stand firmly with the people of Gaza, its children and women and all peoples facing violations and aggression. We call for an immediate end to the war.” Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide told Al Jazeera that quiet talks are taking place on ending the conflict, building on the “New York Declaration” roadmap endorsed by 142 states in July. “Those of us who are closest to the Israeli position are beginning to understand that we cannot just continue with this endless, senseless war, and that includes the United States,” he said. Smoke billows over Gaza City following an Israeli airstrike, as displaced Palestinians flee northern Gaza through Wadi Gaza on Wednesday, September 24, 2025 [Abdel Kareem Hana/AP Photo] Meanwhile, US special envoy Steve Witkoff said Washington was “hopeful … even confident that in the coming days we’ll be able to announce some sort of breakthrough” and confirmed that President Donald Trump’s 21-point peace plan had been circulated among world leaders. But previous peace proposals have been derailed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Earlier this month, Netanyahu ordered the assassination of Hamas leaders gathering in Doha to discuss a peace proposal by Trump. The Israeli leader unilaterally pulled out of the last ceasefire agreement on March 18 and launched fierce air strikes and imposed a total aid blockade, resulting in famine and starvation deaths. He faces an arrest warrant for war crimes issued by the International Criminal Court. As Israel becomes increasingly isolated, protests have erupted in Tel Aviv. Hundreds gathered at Ben Gurion airport to denounce Netanyahu as he departed for the UN meeting. Advertisement Before leaving, the Israeli prime minister once again rejected international calls for a Palestinian state. “The shameful surrender of some leaders to Palestinian terrorism will not bind Israel in any way,” his office said. Adblock test (Why?)
Senegal: Gaza has ‘become hell for thousands of souls’
NewsFeed At the 80th UNGA, Senegal President Bassirou Diomaye Faye condemned the war in Gaza, calling it a “humanitarian catastrophe” and urging immediate global action. He demanded justice for Palestinians and fairer governance that respects sovereignty worldwide. Published On 24 Sep 202524 Sep 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)