Gates also testified that he never witnessed any criminal conduct from Epstein

International News via Reuters:

Bill Gates told members of Congress on Wednesday that he “did not fully understand the extent” of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes when he associated with the late convicted sex offender to raise money for his philanthropic foundation.

Gates also testified that he never witnessed any criminal conduct from Epstein. He accused Epstein of blackmailing him over his extramarital affairs.

“These affairs had nothing to do with my interactions with Epstein, but they were painful for my family,” Gates said, according to a copy of his opening statement. “Epstein was working to use information about my infidelities — in addition to many lies that he layered on top — to pressure me to re-engage with him.”

Congress has been investigating the U.S. Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein case. The billionaire’s testimony concerned his contacts with the convicted sex offender who ensnared women and girls from poor or unstable backgrounds.

   The Microsoft Corp co-founder testified privately to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which is investigating possible federal mismanagement in the cases against Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell and related issues.

U.S. Representative James Comer, the Republican committee chairman, asked Gates in a March letter to appear for an in-person transcribed interview. 

Gates hired Jake Greenberg, who was the oversight panel’s chief investigative official until December, to help him prepare for the appearance, the New York Times reported on Tuesday. A committee spokesperson told Reuters the panel has not worked with Greenberg since his departure.

Epstein pleaded guilty to a Florida state felony prostitution charge in 2008 and served 13 months in jail. 

Federal prosecutors charged him with sex trafficking of minors in 2019. Epstein pleaded not guilty to those charges and died in what was ruled a suicide later that year before his trial.

Documents released by the Justice Department this year indicated that Gates and Epstein met repeatedly after Epstein’s 2008 prison term to discuss expanding the tech billionaire’s philanthropic efforts.

They also included pictures of Gates posing with females whose faces are redacted. Gates has previously said the relationship with Epstein was confined to philanthropy-related discussions and has said it was a mistake to meet with him.

Gates “took responsibility for his actions” in a February town hall meeting with employees of the Gates Foundation, a spokesperson for the philanthropic group told Reuters.

Gates’ relationship with Epstein has drawn in the Gates Foundation, which said in April it had begun an external review into its engagement with the late financier. Emails released in January by the Justice Department also showed communication between Epstein and the Gates Foundation’s staff. 

The House committee’s probe includes authorities’ handling of investigations and prosecutions, plea deals, Epstein’s death, failures to combat sex trafficking, ethics concerns and delays in the release of government files.

The Justice Department’s release of millions of internal documents related to Epstein revealed his ties to many prominent people in politics, finance, academia and business, including President Donald Trump, who socialized extensively with Epstein in the 1990s and 2000s. 

Former Attorney General Pam Bondi, fired by Trump in April, faced sharp criticism for her handling of the case. Some critics accused her of trying to shield Trump from scrutiny. 

Trump opposed releasing the files until shortly before Congress overwhelmingly passed a law ordering their release.

Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Nolan D. McCaskill; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and David Gregorio

The money will support preparedness efforts in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and South Sudan, including for national emergency operations centers

International News via Reuters:

The U.S. State Department said on Wednesday it would provide an additional $20 million to help fight the Ebola outbreak in Africa, bringing its total direct support to more than $220 million.

The money will support preparedness efforts in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and South Sudan, including for national emergency operations centers, as well as surveillance, testing, border screening and infection prevention and control, the department said in a statement.

It will also help countries distribute critical commodities and manage Ebola patients, it said.

Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Costas Pitas; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani

The digital agreement, supplementing a free-trade accord that entered force in 2011, is designed to ease cross-border data flows, recognise electronic contracts and electronic signatures and sets rules on consumer protection

International News via Reuters:

The European Union and South Korea signed a digital trade agreement on Wednesday designed to make digital transactions easier and further cement economic ties between the partners at their first summit in three years.

The digital trade deal and other cooperation agreed at the summit, such as on exchanging classified security information and passenger name records, are part of both sides’ push to forge new alliances and deepen existing ones at a time of heightened geopolitical uncertainty, including U.S. tariffs, Chinese export curbs and conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. 

The digital agreement, supplementing a free-trade accord that entered force in 2011, is designed to ease cross-border data flows, recognise electronic contracts and electronic signatures and sets rules on consumer protection.

It should also reduce costs for businesses, boosting services trade. The EU is South Korea’s third-largest partner in goods trade, while Korea is the eighth-largest partner for the EU.

The agreement reflects the EU’s aspiration to be a global standard-setter for digital trade, with a particular focus on the Asia-Pacific region. It already has a digital agreement with Singapore, digital parts of trade accords with Britain, Chile and New Zealand and a deal on cross-border data flows with Japan.

Digitally delivered services trade globally in 2025 was some five times higher than in 2005, with 10% increases in the past three years, far outpacing growth in trade of goods and other services, according to the World Trade Organization.

The EU is the world’s largest exporter of services, nearly half of which are digital. The agreement still needs to be approved by the European Parliament.

Reporting by Philip BlenkinsopEditing by Bill Berkrot

Visa issues have already arisen at the World Cup, which begins on Thursday in the U.S., Canada and Mexico

International News via Reuters:

Los Angeles Olympics organisers are working closely with the authorities to avoid a repeat of the visa complications and denials of entry faced by several stakeholders at the soccer World Cup co-hosted by the U.S., International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry said on Wednesday.

“I am confident that in two years we will be able to overcome a number of the challenges that the World Cup is facing right now. But I think that also takes collaboration and learning,” Coventry told a press conference in Lausanne after a meeting of the IOC’s executive board.

IOC sports director Pierre Ducrey said there were dedicated people in the organising committee working on the matter.

“They have an office in Washington, there is a strong relationship they are building with the authorities, with the right agencies that will have to be involved in this process,” Ducrey said.

“I think it’s also a lot about explaining who is going to be coming, the profile of the people, the role they have to play so that we can also spend a lot of time educating the agencies and make sure we are all on the same page regarding what is going to happen in 2028.”

Visa issues have already arisen at the World Cup, which begins on Thursday in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

The Iranian team had to move their training base from Arizona to Mexico and will be allowed to enter the U.S. only a day before each of their three matches, and a Somali referee was denied entry into the U.S. days before the event kicks off.

IOC BOARD BACKS SKI MOUNTAINEERING AT 2030 WINTER GAMES

At the Lausanne meeting, the IOC’s executive board approved a proposal to add ski mountaineering, which made its debut at the Milano Cortina Olympics in February, to the 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps.

“The French Alps organising committee proposed… to add ski mountaineering to the 2030 Winter Olympic programme edition. The (executive board) has decided to approve this and will put that forward to our session in two weeks,” Coventry said.

The board also decided not to include “crossover sports” such as cyclocross at the 2030 Games, but left open the door for the future.

“We decided, very clear, for the upcoming Winter Olympics that we would like to keep the identity of winter sports of snow and ice… no crossover at the moment. It could be in the future,” said Karl Stoss, chair of the Olympic programme working group.

The IOC’s 146th session is set to be held on June 24 and 25 in Lausanne.

Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; editing by Clare Fallon

Forty-six signatories call on EU leaders to support a “robust and predictable” ETS during the July review, calling it “a critical moment for Europe’s competitiveness, energy security and clean industrial future”

International News via Reuters:

A group of investors managing around €12 trillion ($14 trillion) in assets have backed a public statement calling on European Union leaders not to dilute the bloc’s Emissions Trading System during a planned review.

• Forty-six signatories call on EU leaders to support a “robust and predictable” ETS during the July review, calling it “a critical moment for Europe’s competitiveness, energy security and clean industrial future”.

• Signatories include Allianz SE, L&G Asset Management, Church of England Pension Board, Erste Asset Management, Sampension and Nordea Asset Management.

• Investors flag points to maintain in the ETS including: ensuring the ETS cap aligns with the EU’s climate goals; and that there are transparent rules to maintain supply and scarcity, limit price volatility and help ensure market liquidity.

• The investors also call for a “functioning carbon border adjustment mechanism” to mitigate carbon leakage risks and drive carbon pricing elsewhere.

• ETS revenues, meanwhile, should be used to support investment in industrial decarbonisation and energy system transformation, with support offered to companies making “meaningful” decarbonisation investments and targeted sectoral policies to address investment barriers.

• An internal European Commission document seen by Reuters on Wednesday suggests it will extend industries’ free emissions allowances, in exchange for them investing in the bloc.

• Walter Hatak, head of responsible investments at Erste Asset Management, said: “Institutional investors depend on predictable long-term policy frameworks to allocate capital with confidence. Weakening the EU ETS would increase regulatory uncertainty, dilute the carbon-price signal, and risk penalising companies already investing in electrification, clean industrial processes and low-carbon technologies.”

($1 = 0.8658 euros)

Reporting by Simon Jessop; Editing by David Holmes