live Ceasefire strains as Israel intensifies attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon killing hundreds - Thursday 9 April
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Speaking during a closed-door deposition in New York on Thursday (February), former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she did not “recall” ever meeting the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and had “no knowledge of his crimes”.
During more than six hours of testimony before the House Oversight Committee, Mrs Clinton repeatedly denied any connection to files relating to Epstein.
Concluding her evidence, she said she wanted “the truth” to emerge and called for President Donald Trump to be questioned under oath about his past association with Epstein.
Proceedings were briefly suspended after a photograph was taken inside the private hearing and later posted on X by a conservative influencer. Mrs Clinton urged Democrats on the Republican-led House Oversight Committee to condemn the leak, describing it as “completely against the rules.”
She also said she was “disappointed” that the testimony had not been made public. “So I wouldn’t have to be out here characterising it for you,” she added
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Mrs Clinton repeated her claim that the inquiry amounted to “partisan political theatre” and described the hearing as “repetitive”. She urged the committee to call Mr Trump to give evidence.
“I don’t know how many times I had to say I did not know Jeffrey Epstein. I never went to his island, I never went to his home, I never went to his offices,” she said.
However, she said she commended the committee’s chairman, James Comer, for raising what she described as significant questions and for allowing her to outline areas she believes warrant further examination.
Comer and fellow Republicans characterised the deposition as productive, saying Mrs Clinton answered most of their questions.
“I think we learned a lot. There were a lot of questions that we asked that we, you know, weren’t satisfied with the answers that we got, but we will continue to move forward,” Mr Comer said.
Her husband, former U.S. president Bill Clinton, is due to testify on Friday. He has previously acknowledged flying on Epstein’s plane but has denied any knowledge of, or involvement in, his crimes.
Mrs Clinton said his association with Epstein had ended long before charges were brought and before Epstein secured what she described as a lenient plea deal in Florida. She added that some of Epstein’s offences might have been prevented had that agreement not been reached.
China and Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Tuesday aimed at coordinating defensive efforts to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving no agreed international framework for securing the vital route.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it had stopped firing on northern Israel and Israeli forces on Wednesday as part of a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East brokered between the United States and Iran. However, a Hezbollah lawmaker warned that the pause could collapse if Tel Aviv does not adhere to it.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Iran and the United States, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate two-week ceasefire covering all areas, but Israel says the deal excludes Lebanon. Tel Aviv says the U.S. is committed to achieving shared goals in upcoming negotiations.
Recent U.S. complaints about NATO allies and threats to quit the alliance are pushing European countries to seek alternative security arrangements, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Tuesday.
Construction has begun on a major new solar power project in Xizang, as China continues to expand its renewable energy capacity and push towards a greener future.
At least four people died after a small dinghy carrying migrants to Britain sank in the English Channel, French authorities announced on Thursday.
A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday declined to block the Pentagon’s national security blacklisting of Anthropic for now, handing a win to the Trump administration after a separate appeals court reached the opposite conclusion.
North Korea has tested a new cluster-bomb warhead mounted on a tactical ballistic missile, alongside advanced electromagnetic and infrastructure-targeting weapons, in a significant escalation of its military capabilities.
A barrage of Russian drones targeted and damaged a critical power substation in Ukraine's southern Odesa region on Wednesday, Ukrainian officials confirmed.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 9 April, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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