NEWS

BILL GATES BREAKS SILENCE ON PAST AFFAIRS AND EPSTEIN CONNECTION IN STAFF MEETING

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Bill Gates has acknowledged past personal mistakes while addressing renewed scrutiny over his previous association with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Speaking during a scheduled town hall with employees of the Gates Foundation on February 24, the Microsoft co founder said he had taken responsibility for his actions and answered staff questions on several issues, including the recently released Epstein files. According to reports based on a recording of the meeting, Gates admitted to having two affairs with Russian women during his marriage to Melinda French Gates.

“I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit,” Gates told staff, while maintaining that he was never involved in wrongdoing connected to Epstein. He said one of the women was a Russian bridge player he met at bridge events and the other a nuclear physicist he encountered through business activities.

The billionaire philanthropist also issued an apology to colleagues at the foundation, acknowledging the reputational impact of his past decisions. “I apologize to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made,” he said, referring to his relationship with Epstein.

Gates described his interactions with Epstein, which began in 2011, years after Epstein had pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor, as a serious error in judgment. He told employees it was a “huge mistake to spend time with Epstein,” adding that, to his knowledge, he never spent time with Epstein’s victims and never stayed overnight at any of Epstein’s properties.

A spokesperson for the Gates Foundation confirmed the town hall took place as part of Gates’ regular twice-yearly meetings with staff, noting that he “spoke candidly” and addressed questions in detail. The renewed attention follows the release of Justice Department materials that included draft emails written by Epstein. In those documents, Epstein made claims about Gates that his representatives have previously dismissed as “absolutely absurd and completely false.”

Gates also acknowledged that his ex-wife had been wary of Epstein during the period when the two men were in contact, crediting her skepticism in hindsight.

The Microsoft founder and Melinda French Gates divorced in 2021 after 27 years of marriage. Despite the controversy, Gates emphasized to staff that the situation runs counter to the values of the Gates Foundation and noted that the organization’s work is highly sensitive to public trust.

The Gates Foundation remains one of the world’s largest philanthropic organizations focused on global health and development initiatives.

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EX- PRINCE ANDREW ARRESTED IN BRITAIN

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He is being held on suspicion of misconduct in public office Thames Valley Police confirmed searches at properties in Berkshire and Norfolk.

Police officers arrived at the residence where he has been staying on the Sandringham Estate estate in Norfolk on the morning of Thursday, Feb. 19, his 66th birthday. Images showed vehicles entering the grounds earlier in the day.

In a statement, Thames Valley Police said they had arrested “a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office” and were conducting searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk. The individual remains in custody. Authorities did not formally name him.

The development follows confirmation earlier this month that police were assessing a complaint concerning allegations that Andrew shared
confidential material while serving as the U.K.’s special representative for international trade and investment. The claims relate to contact with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew has previously denied wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. He has not publicly responded to the latest allegations tied to the release of newly unsealed files in January.

Shortly after news of the arrest broke, King Charles III issued a statement expressing “the deepest concern” and emphasizing that “the law must take its course.” Buckingham Palace was not informed in advance of the arrest, according to the BBC. The King added that the appropriate authorities would have the family’s “full and wholehearted support and co-operation.”

Search activity was also reported at Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, where Andrew had lived until recently.

The investigation centers on whether confidential documents connected to his former trade envoy role were improperly shared. Trade envoys are bound by strict duties of discretion, even after leaving office.

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said the matter is now a police investigation and stressed that “nobody in this country is above the law.”

As proceedings unfold, officials say the case will follow the standard legal process.

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RAPPPER NICKI MINAJ ACCUSES GOVENOR NEWSOM OF TREATING BLACK PEOPLE LIKE CHILDREN

Photo Credit:AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

Nicki Minaj has launched a fresh attack on California Governor Gavin Newsom following a recent speaking engagement in Georgia, accusing him of being condescending toward Black voters.

In a series of posts on X, the rapper criticised Newsom’s remarks during an event where he was promoting his memoir, Young Man in a Hurry. Reacting to a clip from the appearance, Minaj wrote, “His way of bonding with black ppl is to tell them how stupid he is & that he can't read.”

She continued her criticism, adding, “He's not just TELLING them that they're probably stupid & probably can't read, he's LITERALLY SLOW-ING-DOWN-HIS-SPEECH to make them understand the words that are coming out of his mouth!!!!”

During the event, Newsom discussed his experience living with dyslexia and referenced his low SAT score while speaking about overcoming learning challenges. “I'm like you. I'm no better than you,” he said when asked how he dealt with the disability.

Some social media posts had suggested that the audience at the event was entirely or predominantly Black. However, a video showing people lining up to attend appeared to indicate a racially diverse crowd. The clip shared by Minaj featured Newsom and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, who is Black, but did not show the audience.

Minaj’s comments come amid what some observers have described as a shift in her political tone online. She has previously criticised Newsom over his support for transgender children.

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ANDERSON COOPERTEPS AWAY FROM 60 MINUTES AFTER NEARLY TWO DECADES

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Anderson Cooper is closing a major chapter of his career.

MICHELLE OBAMA SAYS SHE GOT 10 PIERCINGS IN ONE SITTING

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Michelle Obama has unveiled a striking new look, sharing that she recently got 10 ear piercings in a single sitting. The former First Lady revealed the decision during a February episode of her _IMO_ podcast, which she co-hosts with her brother, Craig Robinson.

The conversation began with Robinson teasing his sister about her new jewellery. “What I’ve learned is that you tried to get your ears pierced and thought I didn’t notice. And I see you got all these new piercings in your ear,” he said. Obama laughed, admitting she had long considered adding more piercings but never followed through. “I have always thought about getting some extra piercings in my ear and just never got around to it,” she explained.

Initially, Obama intended to get only a few piercings. However, once in the chair, she found herself asking the piercer to add more. “I was going in for a few,” she recalled, before saying, “‘Oh, put one there and put one [there]. Oh yeah, let’s try one there.’” By the end of the session, she had 10 new piercings. Robinson responded with a joking “Ouch,” but Obama reassured him, “It wasn’t bad at all.”

Her husband, former President Barack Obama, took longer to notice the change. Michelle joked that it took him several days, saying, “Barack, it took him a couple of days. He was like, ‘You haven’t had your hair up, you’ve had your hair down.’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know. I sleep with you every night, dude.’”

Beyond the playful family banter, Obama connected her new piercings to a broader sense of personal freedom. She noted that younger people around her inspired the decision, describing the trend as a “cluster, a constellation, with twinkles.” The adornments reflect her evolving approach to self-expression since leaving the White House.

In recent months, Obama has spoken openly about embracing styles she once avoided during her time as First Lady. In her coffee-table book The Look_, released in November, she wrote about reclaiming her story through fashion and beauty. “During our years in the White House, people were constantly commenting on my looks and dissecting my clothing choices. That’s part of why I decided to write this book now: it’s time for me to reclaim my story, what fashion and beauty mean to me, in my own words.”

She has also spoken about her decision to wear braids, a hairstyle she chose not to adopt during her husband’s presidency. At the time, she felt the country might not have been ready for it and worried it could become a distraction. Since leaving the White House, however, she has embraced braids as a practical and liberating style that fits her active lifestyle, allowing her to focus less on hair maintenance while enjoying activities like swimming and tennis. For her, the hairstyle represents a sense of freedom and self-expression that she now

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REV. JESSE JACKSON, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST, DIES AT 84

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The Rev. Jesse Jackson was a towering civil rights activist, Baptist minister and two-time Democratic presidential contender.

SUPREME COURT STRIKES MAJOR BLOW TO TRUMP'S GLOBAL TARIFF AGENDA

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The US Supreme Court has struck down a significant portion of President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff program, ruling that the law he relied on did not give him the authority to impose the import taxes.

OBAMA SHUTS DOWN ALIEN BUZZ AND SAYS THERE’S NO EVIDENCE THEY’VE MADE CONTACT

Photo Credit:Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times

Former U.S. President Barack Obama said he did not see evidence that aliens “have made contact with us,” after sending social media abuzz by saying aliens were real on a podcast over the weekend.

During a lightning round of questions with podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama was asked, “Are aliens real?”

“They’re real,” he answered, continuing: “But I haven’t seen them. And, they’re not being kept in Area 51.”

On Sunday, the former president released a statement on Instagram, appearing to clarify what he meant by his comments that have since gone viral.

“I was trying to stick with the spirit of the speed round, but since it’s gotten attention let me clarify. Statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there’s life out there. But the distances between solar systems are so great that the chances we’ve been visited by aliens is low, and I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!”

Secrecy around Area 51, a top-secret Cold War test site in the Nevada desert, has long fueled conspiracy theories among UFO enthusiasts.

In 2013, the CIA acknowledged the existence of the site, but not UFO crashes, black-eyed extraterrestrials or staged moon landings.

Declassified documents referred to the 8,000-square-mile (20,700-square-kilometer) installation by name after decades of U.S. government officials refusing to acknowledge it.

The base has been a testing ground for a host of top-secret aircraft, including the U-2 in the 1950s and later the B-2 stealth bomber.

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