National and international media news & headlines compiled by CLG

Andrew looped Epstein into ‘confidential’ memo on investment opportunities in Afghanistan weeks after he claimed to have ended friendship | 1 Feb 2026 | Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor looped Jeffrey Epstein into a ‘confidential’ memo on investment opportunities in Afghanistan weeks after he claimed to have ended his relationship with the paedophile financier. In the latest tranche of documents released by the US justice department, emails revealed Andrew told the financier he would be “very interested” in his “comments, views or ideas” and asked “as to whom I could also usefully show this to attract some interest.” The former prince sent Epstein the briefing prepared by the UK-led Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team. The email was sent during the height of the war against the Taliban CIA’s opium-smuggling operations and on Christmas Eve in 2010, just weeks after Andrew visited Epstein at his 60million-pound Manhattan house.

Epstein files lead to resignation in Slovakia and calls in Britain for former prince to cooperate | 31 Jan 2026 | Newly disclosed U.S. government files on Jeffrey Epstein have prompted the resignation of a top official in Slovakia and revived calls in Britain for a former prince to share what he knows with authorities about Epstein’s links to powerful individuals around the world. The fallout comes just a day after the Justice Department began releasing a massive trove of files that offers more details about Epstein’s interactions with the rich and famous after he served time for sex crimes in Florida. The prime minister of Slovakia accepted the resignation on Saturday of an official, Miroslav Lajcak, who once had a yearlong term as president of the U.N. General Assembly. Lajcak wasn’t accused of wrongdoing but left his position after photos and emails revealed he had met with Epstein in the years after Epstein was released from jail.

Trump says he is ‘certainly’ going to sue Wolff for ‘conspiring’ with Epstein to harm him | 1 Feb 2026 | President Donald Trump revealed that he is considering legal action against journalist and author Michael Wolff, alleging that Wolff colluded with the late Jeffrey Epstein to damage his political standing. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday night, Trump blasted Wolff, calling him a “third‑rate writer,” and said recent documents linked to Epstein show a purported effort by Wolff and Jeffrey Epstein to “do harm” to him. Trump claimed the materials, part of a new tranche of files released in connection with the Epstein investigation, actually vindicate him… “I hear CNN planning to ask Trump tonight about his relationship with you — either on air or in scrum afterwards,” Wolff wrote in an email to Epstein in December 2015. “I think you should let him hang himself,” he added in a separate message.

DOJ Epstein Files Reveal Michael Wolff’s Political Collaboration With Jeffrey Epstein to Undermine Trump | 31 Jan 2026 | Previously unreleased emails reveal sustained, strategic, and often personal communications between journalist Michael Wolff and Jeffrey Epstein, with exchanges focused on political messaging, media influence, and repeated discussions about Donald Trump, including efforts to shape public narratives about his candidacy and presidency. Among the newly released records from the Department of Justice, part of a 3.5 million-page document production under the Epstein Files Transparency Act signed by President Trump, are emails between author Wolff and Epstein that reveal a striking level of political discussion, media planning, and apparent coordination related to Trump’s rise in 2015 and beyond. The released records include a February 2016 message from Wolff warning Epstein, “NYT called me about you and Trump…Again, you should consider preempting.” Epstein responded simply, “Lots of reporters.” To which Wolff replied, “Yeah, you’re the Trump bullet.” In another exchange from October 2016, Wolff said, “There’s an opportunity to come forward this week and talk about Trump in such a way that could garner you great sympathy and help finish him. Interested?”

Massive trove of Epstein files released by DOJ, including 3 million documents and photos | 31 Jan 2026 | The Justice Department on Friday released additional documents from the Jeffrey Epstein files. The latest batch was uploaded to the DOJ repository, where they can be accessed in “Data Set 9,” “Data Set 10,” “Data Set 11” and “Data Set 12.” CBS News has a team of journalists examining the latest Epstein files release and will highlight notable findings below. The tens of thousands of pages of material released so far have included photos, videos, court records, FBI and DOJ documents, news clippings and emails. Some files include mentions of prominent figures, like President Trump, former President Bill Clinton and billionaire Elon Musk, who have not been tied to wrongdoing. The Epstein Files Transparency Act required the DOJ to produce its files related to the late sex offender and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell by Dec. 19, but the DOJ said the volume of material and the need to redact survivors’ identifying information meant the files would have to be released on a rolling basis.

Top Israeli general secretly visits Pentagon –Israel is reportedly concerned that President Donald Trump could reach a deal with Tehran without ordering military strikes | 1 Feb 2026 | A senior Israeli military delegation led by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir made a secret visit to Washington over the weekend… According to Israeli and U.S. media reports, Zamir met with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine and other senior U.S. defense officials at the Pentagon to present sensitive intelligence, discuss military options against Iran and attempt to shape ongoing diplomatic contacts between the Trump administration and Tehran. The visit, which had not been publicly disclosed at the time, comes as Israel grows increasingly concerned that President Donald Trump could ultimately strike a deal with Iran focused narrowly on freezing uranium enrichment while leaving Tehran’s ballistic missile program largely intact and without authorizing military action.

U.S., Israel deny involvement in mysterious blasts that killed 6, wounded over a dozen across Iran | 31 Jan 2026 | The U.S. and Israel are denying involvement in the mysterious blasts that killed six and wounded more than a dozen others across Iran Saturday. U.S. officials said the explosion in the Iranian port city Bandar Abbas was not related to any military activity in the region, CNN reported — even though a massive U.S. naval armada is set to arrive in the Persian Gulf as tensions with Tehran mount. The Israeli government also refuted claims they had launched a targeted drone strike on an Iranian military target, the outlet reported. Across the Strait of Hormuz, a second blast was heard in the southwestern Khuzestan province where five people were killed in a separate gas explosion, according to The Jerusalem Post. There were also unconfirmed reports of explosions in other parts of the country.

Ukrainian drone strike kills woman and child near Mariupol – authorities –Russia has accused Ukraine of targeting civilians amid failures on the battlefield | 1 Feb 2026 | Two civilians, including a young child, have been killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on a settlement near the city of Mariupol, the head of Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Denis Pushilin, announced on Sunday. He said the attack took place in the village of Sartana, located on the outskirts of Mariupol, which was liberated from Ukrainian troops after a fierce battle in 2022. “A woman born in 1991 and a boy born in 2020 were killed in the attack by Ukrainian strike drones,” Pushilin wrote on Telegram, expressing condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims. He added that another seven-year-old boy was injured and three residential buildings were destroyed in the strike.

Health experts warn of ‘real risk’ incurable virus poses to the U.S. as Covid-era quarantines grow | 29 Jan 2026 | More countries are implementing screening measures, while others are tightening the ones they already have in place after a deadly bat-borne virus was detected in humans. India has so far confirmed two cases of Nipah virus. On Thursday, Pakistan became the latest country to order enhanced screening of people entering the country to look for signs of Nipah virus. Thailand, Singapore, Hong, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam have all also implemented enhanced screening procedures at airports, and the UK has warned travelers about the potential outbreak. In the U.S., CDC officials told the Daily Mail they were in “close contact” with authorities on the ground to assess the situation.

Trump administration on alert as deadly virus with no cure sparks Covid-era quarantines | 28 Jan 2026 | US health officials are “monitoring” the deadly Nipah virus outbreak in India that has put nearly 200 people under surveillance and triggered Covid-era travel restrictions over fears of a fresh pandemic. CDC officials told Daily Mail they were in “close contact” with authorities on the ground to assess the situation and “stand ready” to take further action. India’s health ministry revealed Wednesday that 196 people who came into contact with infected patients are now being monitored for the virus, which can spread from person-to-person and kills 40 to 75 percent of those it infects.

Dr. Oz Exposes $3.5 Billion Hospice Fraud Ring in Los Angeles Tied to Russian-Armenian Mafia | 28 Jan 2026 | Trump Medicare & Medicaid Services Centers administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz traveled to Los Angeles, California, documenting apparent abuse of federal funds dedicated toward the nation’s hospice service system. Finding 42 hospice service centers in the Van Nuys neighborhood within a four-block radius, Dr. Oz explained a 16 million fraud ring was just busted in the area evidently run by a Russian-Armenian mafia, with the main guy only serving two years in jail. “It’s a good trade off for a lot of folks,” Dr. Oz said in a recent report posted to X. “Well, we have learned there’s roughly 3.5 billion of fraud taking place here in Los Angeles in hospice and home care,” the former daytime television host continued.

Democrats and Republicans Team Up to Slip Stealth Amnesty Into DHS Funding Bill as Shutdown Looms | 30 Jan 2026 | Pro-American activists and groups are slamming the establishment’s bipartisan push for a stealth nationwide amnesty that would help progressives and CEOs freely use the huge population of million illegal migrants to sideline American citizens. The stealth amnesty got a big push forward on Tuesday night when Senate Democrats and Republicans agreed to delay passage of the 2026 funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security. The DHS bill is now being held back until Senate Democrats and Republicans can include a series of apparently minor changes that would create a huge bureaucratic barrier to the deportation of non-violent illegal migrants. But pro-American legislators and activists are fighting back. “We should not give Democrats a single INCH when it comes to backing law enforcement,” tweeted Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL).

Woman Charged With Setting Fire to Republican Party Headquarters in Texas | 27 Jan 2026 | A 21-year-old woman faces arson and burglary charges in New Braunfels, Texas, after she allegedly tried to burn down a county Republican Party headquarters. Grace Carol Brown, 21, was arrested Thursday by the New Braunfels Police Department on suspicion of arson and burglary after employees at the Comal County Republican Party headquarters discovered the building had been broken into and a small fire had been set, according to a Friday news release. Employees of the Comal County Republican Party arrived to see a broken window and a small fire in the headquarters, according to the release from the police department. The New Braunfels Fire Marshal and the FBI provided the New Braunfels police with assistance during the investigation.

Woke nurse fired by hospital after posting video urging medics to paralyze any ICE agents who come in for treatment | 28 Jan 2026 | A nurse who sparked outrage by posting TikTok videos giving advice on how to harm ICE agents has been fired. Malinda Rose Cook posted multiple clips encouraging fellow medics and protesters to inject agents with muscle relaxants and spray them with poison ivy water. She was initially suspended by Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health, and the hospital said she has since been fired and reported to local law enforcement. “Following an investigation, the individual involved in the social media videos is no longer employed by VCU Health,” the hospital said in a statement. “In addition, VCU Health has fulfilled its reporting requirements under Virginia state law.” In her videos, Cook urged medical providers to fill syringes with saline or succinylcholine, a powerful anesthetic that paralyzes every muscle in the body, including those needed to breathe, and use them on federal officers.

Federal charges against Don Lemon revealed shortly after Minnesota church-storming arrest | 30 Jan 2026 | Journalist Don Lemon was federally charged Friday with conspiracy to deprive rights and interfering with First Amendment rights, according to Department of Homeland Security officials. Lemon was arrested by federal agents in Los Angeles early Friday morning for his alleged involvement with a group of anti-ICE protesters who stormed a Minnesota church during a Sunday service weeks ago. He is being charged with 18 USC 241, Conspiracy to Deprive Rights, which which makes it illegal for “two or more persons to agree to injure, threaten, or intimidate a person in the United States in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States,” according to the Department of Justice.

ICE Rounds Up Nearly 700 Illegal Aliens in West Virginia | 1 Feb 2026 | Federal immigration authorities busted nearly 700 illegal aliens over a two-week span last month in West Virginia. Between January 5 and 19, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Philadelphia worked alongside local 287 (g) partners to apprehend hundreds of illegals across the Mountain State. ICE teams were surged to Martinsburg, Moorefield, Morgantown, Beckley, Huntington, and Charleston to round up more than 650 illegal aliens, including several national security risks and public safety threats. Authorities arrested an Indian truck driver, a Chinese national with convictions for child endangerment, as well as a convicted child sex abuser and a criminal convicted of drug possession charges.

Trump admin scores victory as court allows agents to defend against agitators | 26 Jan 2026 | A federal appeals court sided with the Trump administration Monday in a ruling that blocks restrictions on tactics being used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents while dealing with anti-ICE agitators in Minnesota. The ruling by the three-judge panel 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals put a stay on a lower court ruling that prevented officers from arresting, detaining, pepper-spraying or retaliating against protesters in Minneapolis without probable cause as anti-ICE agitators continue to confront authorities carrying out enforcement operations. Last week, the court temporarily lifted restrictions on ICE agents’ use of force against protesters in Minnesota. Monday’s ruling grants a “FULL STAY,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said.

Two DHS agents put on leave over deadly Minneapolis shooting of protester Alex Pretti | 28 Jan 2026 | The two Border Patrol agents who shot and killed protester Alex Pretti in Minneapolis have been placed on paid administrative leave. Sources in Homeland Security confirmed to the Daily Mail that the agents, who have not been identified, were suspended amid an investigation into the shooting. The agents were reportedly given mental health support as standard procedure, and were placed on an automatic administrative leave for at least three days. When the agents return, they will not be allowed out on the field and will be given desk roles, sources say.

Anti-ICE protester believed to be Alex Pretti filmed spitting at federal SUV and kicking its tail light out 11 days before he was shot dead | 28 Jan 2026 | A protester believed to be Alex Pretti was filmed spitting at a federal SUV, smashing its tail light and fighting with cops 11 days before the shooting that shocked America. The News Movement said facial analysis of their new video gave a 97 percent probability that the man in their report is Alex Pretti… In the new video, the man believed to be Pretti is seen wearing an identical brown outfit to the one the nurse wore on the day of his death. The clip begins with him angrily spitting at the window of the Ford Expedition SUV filled with federal officers conducting raids to arrest illegal migrants, with the man believed to be Pretti heard screaming “F*****g trash” at officers. As the Ford begins to pull away, the furious agitator angrily kicks its tail light, shattering it. An officer then gets out of the car and fights with the man believed to be Pretti, pinning him to the ground as bystanders jeer and scream.

Alex Pretti broke rib in violent confrontation with ICE just days before he was shot dead in Minneapolis | 27 Jan 2026 | Alex Pretti had been injured in a scuffle with federal agents in Minneapolis just one week before he was shot dead, it has emerged. Pretti, 37, was left with a broken rib after being tackled by a group of officers during a protest against Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, a source told CNN. The alleged assault occurred after Pretti stopped his car after seeing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers chasing a family on foot, the insider said. Pretti allegedly began shouting and blowing a whistle, and was then tackled to the ground by five agents. The source claimed one officer leaned on his back, causing his ribs to break.