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Transcripts reveal billionaire Ted Waitt’s relationship with Epstein accomplice and $7.2m breakup payoutSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email Ted Waitt, the billionaire cofounder of the Gateway computer company, told lawmakers during a closed-door interview that he was in a romantic relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell from 2004 to 2010, but said that “if I knew then what I know now about Ms Maxwell, I never would’ve befriended her or allowed her to be around my four children”, according to a transcript of his testimony released by the House oversight and reform committee.“I never would’ve spent six years in a romantic relationship with her,” Waitt said in his opening statement before the committee on 30 April, according to the transcript released on Wednesday. His testimony provided new details about his relationship with Maxwell, and he also disputed Maxwell’s previous statements that their relationship ended after a mysterious blackmail attempt related to Epstein’s civil cases. Continue reading...

However, Tate Reeves said he expects to redraw state’s four congressional districts before the 2027 electionsOn Wednesday morning, Mississippi’s governor, Tate Reeves, said that he is canceling a special legislative session that was scheduled to redraw the state’s supreme court districts next week. However, Reeves, a Republican, noted that he does expect the state to redraw its four congressional districts at some point in the near future.Reeves, in an appearance on SuperTalk radio, a conservative talk radio network, also said that it would be difficult for the state to redraw the congressional districts in the Republicans favor in time for the upcoming midterm elections, slated for November. Doing so might also hurt Republicans in congressional races. Continue reading...

• Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is pushing legislation to establish the country's first centralized intelligence agency since World War II, transforming the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office (CIRO) into a hub for analysts, technologists, and operatives amid rising espionage and cyberthreats from China and Russia. • The FBI has endorsed the plan, with officials signaling US support for Tokyo on cybersecurity, counter-intelligence, espionage, and counterterrorism, addressing Japan's fragmented intelligence setup. • The agency could become operational as early as July 2026 pending House of Councillors approval, starting with approximately 700 staff expected to grow rapidly by integrating government and private sector talent.

Tuesday’s question time seemed more suited to prime time; full of sordid allegations, only the cast seems far less likableFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastQuestion time in the Queensland parliament is not a ratings juggernaut.Nielsen doesn’t publish ratings data about the live stream from Brisbane’s George Street, but one imagines the numbers of voters tuning in to watch our state politicians flagellate on a weekday morning are relatively low: a handful of politics nerds and the odd journo who prefers to work from home. Continue reading...

Marat Ganiev will instead be charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice over death of 19-year-old whose body was found in tipFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastProsecutors have withdrawn a manslaughter charge against a man who had been accused of killing a 19-year-old woman and hiding her body in a fridge.Marat Ganiev, 55, was accused of killing Isla Bell in the early hours of 7 October 2024, before hiding her body in a fridge. Continue reading...

• California Governor Gavin Newsom is asking state legislators to pass ambitious climate and energy legislation with a week remaining before they return to Sacramento to begin formal sessions. • The governor's package reportedly includes provisions for accelerating renewable energy adoption, addressing power grid resilience, and meeting state climate commitments. • Newsom faces significant pressure to demonstrate climate leadership as California confronts energy challenges linked to conflict-related oil market disruptions.

• Tensions between House and Senate Republicans are escalating, directly threatening the party's unified legislative agenda. • Divisions center on key bills, with high animosity stalling progress on spending, taxes, and reforms. • The rift matters as it weakens GOP messaging and momentum heading into critical 2026 midterms.

Kawsar Ahmad, 53, also known as Abbas, and her daughter Zeinab Ahmad, 31, did not apply during brief hearingFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTwo Australian women charged with slavery offences that allegedly occurred while they lived under Islamic State rule in Syria have faced a Melbourne court.Kawsar Ahmad, 53, also known as Abbas, and her daughter, Zeinab Ahmad, 31, were arrested by officers from the Victorian joint counter-terrorism team at Melbourne airport on Thursday. Continue reading...

• India's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in power since 2014, has captured independent institutions like the Election Commission, judiciary, and media, leading to democratic backsliding into a hybrid regime. • After winning 240 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections—short of the 272 majority—Prime Minister Narendra Modi rapidly passed a citizenship law targeting Muslims as a key poll promise amid strong partisan support. • Legislative capture has weakened checks and balances, turning parliament into a rubber stamp through censorship, intimidation, and power centralization.

• The United States has closed its consulate in Peshawar, Pakistan, transferring all diplomatic functions and responsibilities to the main embassy in Islamabad. • The consolidation reflects the U.S. government's restructuring of its diplomatic footprint in Pakistan and aims to streamline operations. • The move impacts diplomatic engagement in northwestern Pakistan, a strategically important region bordering Afghanistan.

Jeremiah Manele toppled after months of political upheaval in the nation seen as one of China’s closest partners in the Pacific Solomon Islands prime minister Jeremiah Manele lost power in a no-confidence vote in the South Pacific country’s parliament, ending months of political uncertainty.Parliament was adjourned to allow the governor general to make arrangements for the election of a new prime minister. Continue reading...

Woman arrested at Sydney airport after arriving back from Syria last night; two more women face charges in Melbourne. Follow updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGood morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Nick Visser with the main action.A woman who arrived back in Australia last night after spending more than seven years in Syrian detention camps will appear at Downing Centre local court this morning charged with allegedly entering a declared conflict zone and joining Islamic State. More coming up. Continue reading...

Biologists had guessed coyote paddled a shorter distance to former prison in the San Francisco Bay earlier this yearA lone coyote stunned biologists and others when earlier this year it paddled its way to the remote Alcatraz Island, a former federal prison in the San Francisco Bay surrounded by swift, choppy waters notorious for thwarting prisoners’ escapes.At the time, biologists guessed the coyote swam from San Francisco, which is a little over 1 mile (1.6km) from the fortress. But it turns out the male coyote actually made an even longer swim from nearby Angel Island, 2 miles (3.2km) away. Continue reading...

• Expro Group Holdings announced plans to relocate its corporate domicile to the Cayman Islands, subject to shareholder approval expected in June 2026, in a strategic restructuring move. • The company is also advancing a $215 million acquisition as part of its capital deployment strategy amid expectations for stronger activity in the energy services sector. • The dual initiatives reflect Expro's efforts to optimize its corporate structure and pursue targeted M&A to enhance shareholder value.

• Alabama's state Legislature adjourned a special session on Monday after demonstrators entered the State House in Montgomery to protest Republican plans to adopt a gerrymandered congressional map that dilutes Black voter power. • Following the Supreme Court's recent ruling striking down the last remaining major provision of the Voting Rights Act, Republican Attorney General Steve Marshall filed an emergency motion to lift an existing injunction barring map changes before 2030. • The protest reflects broader national tensions over voting rights and congressional redistricting following the Court's decision to gut key Voting Rights Act protections.

• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a landmark 206 out of 294 seats in West Bengal's legislative assembly, marking its first-ever electoral victory in the opposition-held state of over 100 million people. • The BJP's conquest of West Bengal, long a bastion of its political adversary, represents a significant expansion of Hindu nationalist electoral dominance across India's regional politics. • Results announced Monday were part of elections held across five states and territories in April and May, with the BJP also securing a third consecutive victory in northeastern Assam and participation in the ruling coalition in coastal Puducherry.

House panel divided on whether Trump should pardon Maxwell so she can cooperate with Epstein investigationThe possibility of clemency for Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, however unlikely, has long outraged survivors and their advocates who view the former British socialite’s lengthy jail sentence as giving them some justice in the long-running saga.Recent reporting that a pardon for Maxwell is now being discussed supportively in some circles, however, has highlighted how Epstein and Maxwell remain a political minefield for Republicans and Donald Trump – while presenting yet another blow to survivors’ fight for transparency. Continue reading...

A new Chinese outpost at Antelope Reef won’t create legal rights but will shape control over disputed waters, says a maritime law professor from Western Sydney University.

Liz Conmy’s death ‘is a profound loss’, Democratic party affiliate says following crash shortly after takeoffA small plane crashed just after taking off from Crystal airport north of Minneapolis on Saturday, killing a North Dakota state legislator and the pilot, authorities said.Liz Conmy, a North Dakota state representative from Fargo, was killed in the crash, her colleague, state senator Tim Mathern, told the Star Tribune. Continue reading...

• US-Iran ceasefire talks collapsed in Pakistan, raising doubts over Army Chief Asim Munir's role as mediator despite Trump's prior praise. • Concerns in US national security circles focus on Munir's alleged IRGC ties, questioning his neutrality. • Tehran refuses further Islamabad-hosted talks, pressuring Pakistan's diplomatic standing.

Exclusive: Home secretary understood to have withdrawn authorisation for speaker at Unite the Kingdom rally in MayA US-based anti-Islam influencer who had been authorised to attend a far-right rally in London has been blocked from entering the UK by the home secretary.Valentina Gomez, a self-styled Maga influencer, was given permission last week to enter via a UK electronic travel authorisation (ETA). Continue reading...

Growing numbers in the capital Honiara are playing the street card game Pass for a chance of a big payout, while risking big lossesAs the school day ends in Honiara, *Irene, a 43-year-old teacher in a floral dress with a yellow daisy in her bun, steps on to a minibus.After 10 minutes, Irene gets off the bus, walks down an alley, and enters a damp, smoky shelter. Plastic tables fill the space and playing cards are scattered on the floor. Irene has stopped by a hidden gambling table in a western suburb of Honiara to play Pass, a street card game gaining popularity in the Solomon Islands capital. Continue reading...

More than 1,000 people were in shelters across Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands as Sinlaku moved awaySuper Typhoon Sinlaku hammered the Northern Mariana Islands, flipping over cars, toppling utility poles and ripping away tin roofs.Authorities were just beginning to assess the damage left behind by the typhoon, which first hit the islands on Tuesday night local time and continued with a barrage of fierce winds and relentless rains for hours on Wednesday. So far, there have been no reports of deaths. Continue reading...

Stephen Doughty says US withdrawal of support means bill cannot complete passage through parliamentA treaty over ceding sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius has become “impossible to agree at political level” and the corresponding bill will not complete its passage through parliament, a Foreign Office minister has said.Stephen Doughty told the Commons that the agreement with Mauritius was initially negotiated in close coordination with the US, but Donald Trump’s position “appears to have changed”. Continue reading...

Typhoon expected to make landfall Tuesday in Northern Mariana Islands and bring heavy winds, rain and floodingA dangerous super typhoon in the Pacific Ocean is barreling toward a group of remote US islands.Super Typhoon Sinlaku is expected to make landfall Tuesday in the Northern Mariana Islands and bring destructive winds, widespread heavy rain and flooding, the National Weather Service said Monday. Continue reading...

Rapidly strengthening storm brings destructive winds, flooding risk and dangerous seas to western PacificThe Mariana Islands archipelago in the western Pacific, home to the US territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, is bracing for extreme weather early this week as Super Typhoon Sinlaku approaches.The system originated as a cluster of thunderstorms over the seas of Micronesia before strengthening into a tropical storm and then a typhoon on Friday and Saturday. Continue reading...