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NEW YORK — Jeffrey Epstein’s estate has agreed to pay as much as $35 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging two of the late financier’s closest advisers aided and abetted his sex trafficking of young women and teenage girls, according to a court filing Thursday in Manhattan federal court. The proposed agreement, disclosed by Boies Schiller Flexner, a law firm representing Epstein victims, would resolve a 2024 lawsuit against Epstein’s former personal lawyer, Darren Indyke, and former accountant, Richard Kahn. Both…

U.S. threats against Iran intensified after a second round of indirect nuclear talks ended without a breakthrough, as Tehran and Moscow announced joint naval drills in the Sea of Oman aimed at deterring any “unilateral action” and safeguarding maritime traffic. The twin moves underscored a rapid military buildup around the Strait of Hormuz and raised fears of a wider regional conflict. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that “Iran would be very wise to make a deal” with President Donald Trump,…

Somalia urges U.N. to block any forced changes to Palestinian territories, condemns Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia UNITED NATIONS — Somalia on Thursday called on the international community to prevent any attempt to forcibly alter the geographic status of the Palestinian territories, while condemning Israel’s December move to recognize North Western State of Somalia and denouncing reported plans to relocate Palestinians to Somali soil. Somalia warns the U.N. Security Council against unilateral…

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to act “within months, not years” to curb addictive social media features and protect children online, as the government prepares a three-month consultation in March on proposals that include banning under-16s from social media and restricting infinite scrolling. Framing the plans as a response to mounting parental concern, Starmer said the status quo is failing to safeguard children from online harms and signaled a swift legislative push. “I don’t think there’s a parent in the…

Palestine Action remains a banned organization in the United Kingdom despite its co-founder winning a significant High Court challenge to the government’s decision to proscribe the group under the Terrorism Act 2000. Judge Victoria Sharp said Friday that Huda Ammori’s legal challenge succeeded on two of four grounds. But the court kept the proscription in place to allow further arguments and to give the British government time to consider an appeal. Interior minister Shabana Mahmood said she would appeal. “Home secretaries…

EU leaders pressed for urgent action to cut energy costs and fix the bloc’s border-free single market, warning that European industry risks falling further behind the United States and China if the 27 member states fail to move from rhetoric to results. Gathering at Alden Biesen Castle in Belgium’s Limburg province, heads of government acknowledged a shared “sense of urgency” but arrived with divergent prescriptions. “We share a sense of urgency that our Europe needs to act,” French President Emmanuel Macron said alongside…

CAIRO — The Arab Parliament said it will pursue regional and international political measures to support the security, stability and sovereignty of Somalia and Yemen, and rejected any foreign interference in their internal affairs, in a statement issued Saturday at the opening of its second general assembly session of the second cycle at the Arab League’s headquarters. Framing respect for state sovereignty and territorial integrity as a cornerstone of international relations, the body called for peaceful solutions to ongoing…

Three Palestine Action activists have ended a 73-day hunger strike in a UK prison after campaigners said the government denied a £2 billion (€2.3 billion) contract to Israeli-based defence firm Elbit Systems — a development the activists’ supporters described as a key demand of the protest. Kamran Ahmed, Heba Muraisi and Lewie Chiaramello began re-feeding yesterday, the campaign group Prisoners for Palestine said. The organisation, which has coordinated updates from supporters of the detainees, said Umer Khalid remains on…

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she does not believe the United States will use military force to seize Greenland, warning that any such move would carry grave consequences for NATO and trans-Atlantic security. Speaking at her traditional New Year’s press conference, Meloni said a reinforced NATO presence in the Arctic could help address U.S. concerns about rival powers’ influence in the region and reduce the pressure for unilateral action by Washington. “I continue not to believe in the hypothesis that the United…

Egypt warns Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia threatens regional peace, urges AU condemnation Egypt warned Tuesday that Israel’s decision to recognize the breakaway North Western State of Somalia region poses “a serious threat” to regional and international peace and security, pressing the African Union to take a unified stand against the move. Egypt called Israel’s recognition a “flagrant violation” of Somalia’s sovereignty and a “dangerous precedent.” Cairo rejected any attempt to link the move to…