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WASHINGTON — The Justice Department on Friday released a new cache of documents from its investigations into the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a partial disclosure that rekindled political scrutiny and drew immediate complaints over heavy redactions and missing materials. The long-awaited “Epstein files” have been a persistent political flashpoint for President Donald Trump, whose supporters and Republican allies pressed for full transparency. Yet the initial tranche — hundreds of thousands of…

The U.S. Justice Department has released more than 300,000 pages of records from investigations into Jeffrey Epstein, responding to mounting political pressure and a new law compelling disclosure. The trove, posted online with redactions, immediately intensified a yearslong fight over transparency around the late financier and convicted sex offender’s connections to powerful figures. It was not immediately clear how much of the material is new, given extensive disclosures since Epstein’s 2019 death in a New York jail, ruled…

Trial of Capitol Fire Accused Questions U.S. Experts' Findings A team of U.S. fire experts may return to the stand as the trial intensifies over the blaze that severely damaged parts of the Capitol Building, the heart of the Liberian Legislature, on December 18, 2024. During Tuesday's hearing, sharp divisions emerged between the prosecution and defense regarding the interpretation of the investigation findings. This discord prompted the judge to approve the request for the three retired U.S. fire chiefs to testify. The…

Utah — The man accused of killing right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk made his first in-person appearance in a Utah courtroom, a case that has riveted national attention for its political overtones and possible death-penalty stakes. Tyler Robinson, 22, appeared calm as attorneys for both sides conferred over procedural matters expected to shape what observers say could become one of the most closely watched trials in recent years. Robinson wore a light shirt and tie. A judge had previously ruled he did not have to…

Mogadishu — A rare cesarean section complication has been confirmed in Somalia after a 30-year-old woman developed scar endometriosis, a painful condition in which endometrial tissue grows in a surgical incision, according to a new case report by Dr. Abdirahman Omar Moallim of Kaafi Hospital and Dr. Mohamed Ali Kahiye of Sahan Diagnostic Center. The case underscores an emerging risk in Somalia’s maternal health system as cesarean deliveries rise, especially in urban centers. Scar endometriosis is often mistaken for a hernia…

South Korean‑born New Zealander sentenced to life after children’s bodies found in suitcases A South Korean‑born New Zealand woman, Hakyung Lee, was sentenced to life in prison on Friday for the 2018 murders of her two young children, whose bodies were discovered packed in suitcases in an abandoned storage locker more than three years later, New Zealand media reported. Lee, who is in her 40s, was convicted in September after admitting she killed the children, then aged 8 and 6. During the trial she entered a plea of not…

Somalia’s space ambitions meet environmental realities Somalia’s coastline and equatorial latitude have thrust Bashaqle, in Middle Shabelle, into conversations about an African launch site. The prospect promises strategic access to orbit and a pathway into the global space economy. It also brings complex environmental, health, and governance questions that must be addressed before ignition. Equatorial launches reduce fuel needs and enable heavier payloads to orbit, making Bashaqle geographically attractive. Turkey’s…

New York Attorney General Letitia James Indicted on Bank Fraud Charges WASHINGTON — New York Attorney General Letitia James, one of former President Donald Trump's most visible legal foes, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, on criminal charges of bank fraud and making a false statement to a lending institution, the U.S. Justice Department said on Monday. Summary of the charges The indictment, returned by a grand jury and announced by Lindsey Halligan, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District…

Somalia moves to prosecute alleged child abuse filmed for social media; court orders detention Somalia’s top prosecutor has referred a high-profile child abuse case to a Mogadishu court after a video circulated online allegedly showing a man burying a young child alive. The Attorney General’s Office said Tuesday the Banadir Regional Court has reviewed preliminary evidence and ordered the defendant, identified as Ali Abdi Sheikh Khadar — known locally by the nickname “Dhegadiish” — into temporary detention while…

Echoes from Biafra: A Finnish Court's Sentencing Highlights Ongoing Struggles In a courtroom in Lahti, Finland, a decision was handed down that resonates far beyond its walls, eliciting reflections on colonial legacies, regional identity, and the scars of a war long past. Simon Ekpa, a Nigerian-born Finnish citizen and self-declared leader of a Biafra secessionist group, was sentenced to six years in prison for terrorism-related offenses. The ruling, delivered by the Päijät-Häme District Court, encapsulates a complex…