Top World News

Feb 23, 2026 - World

Late financier and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein reportedly had six secret lockers that have never been searched, according to reports Monday. A report from The Telegraph found that Epstein apparently paid private investigators to remove computers and photographs from his Florida home, including computers from his private island in the Caribbean, and hide the items in an attempt to obstruct investigators. Credit card payments for the storage units continued through 2019, the year he died while awaiting trial on federal charges related to his exploitation of underage girls. "Search warrants reviewed by The Telegraph suggest US authorities never raided the lockers, raising the possibility that they may contain unseen evidence relating to Epstein and his associates, including Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Lord [Peter] Mandelson," the outlet explained. Mountbatten-Windsor and Mandelson have been arrested and questioned by UK law enforcement. Mountbatten-Windsor, who was arrested last week on his 66th birthday, could have to undergo a judge-led inquiry. Mandelson was arrested Monday by UK authorities amid the ongoing Epstein probe. "However, while Epstein has long been suspected of collecting compromising material on his associates, relatively few such photographs or videos have emerged," The Telegraph reported. "That has fueled claims that the DoJ is seeking to shield powerful figures from scrutiny, although authorities have repeatedly denied this. The emails the DoJ released, along with the financial records The Telegraph has unearthed revealing the secret storage units, raise the possibility that they housed compromising material."The news could increase the pressure on Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has been criticized over her handling of the Department of Justice's public release of the more than 3 million documents, The Daily Beast reported. Bondi's DOJ has been accused of redacting some names in an attempt to protect Epstein's conspirators instead of protecting the survivors of his abuse.

Feb 23, 2026 - World

Donald Trump's long-term plan for Iran may not be as achievable as the president wants it to be, according to a political analyst. Professor Anthony Glees believes the Trump administration is looking to topple the Iranian government and bring about a friendlier relationship between Iran and the US as a result. This would be a tall order for the president's team, though, as Glees notes that finding a suitable replacement for ayatollah Ali Khamenei after the military action would be hard. Speaking to Raw Story, Glees said, "It is not at all clear what would happen if Trump decided to take on the Islamist rulers of Iran. By toppling Maduro but replacing him with someone from his side of the political divide in Venezuela, Trump showed a canniness of some quality."However, he can't do this in Iran. There are no US-friendly ayatollahs. It is, however, perfectly possible that he will run out of road and be forced into military action. "This is because on the one hand the ayatollahs are fanatics but can count on fairly hefty support if they say 'no' to Trump's demands, but on the other no one can assemble the sort of armed might that Trump is now displaying with either proceeding into war, or standing them down and looking as if Iran has won."The US may have the military capacity to take down Khamenei's regime, though a lack of clarity over who would replace the current ayatollah would be a problem for Trump's team, he said.Glees added, "The US military build-up in the area (Trump has called it an 'armada') is now complete with the arrival of a second massive aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, to join the USS Gerald R Ford. "This is a far larger strike force than was used by the US to arrest former president Maduro of Venezuela. It can sustain a prolonged attack on Iran, which could topple the regime of the ayatollahs within a few days."Of course, one always has to add: Trump is unpredictable. He'd love the ayatollahs to wake up and find US Marines in control of Tehran. But he knows that this is going to be impossible to achieve. They were able to put down a revolt and kill some 30,000 of their own people."

Feb 23, 2026 - World

An 'unknown' nuclear industry company with ties to Trump donors — that has never completed a nuclear energy project — has been under consideration for a $25 billion contract in a trade deal orchestrated between President Donald Trump and Japan, Politico reported Monday.It's "a prospect that’s raising red flags among some U.S. investors" as the three-year-old company Entra1 Energy — with apparently less than five employees and a headquarters at a Houston WeWork — could be a finalist to develop new energy infrastructure with some of the $550 billion Japan's government promised to steer clear of Trump's tariffs, Politico reported. "Japan’s pledge has been held up by Trump as an example of how his trade threats are securing foreign investments in strategic sectors, with the U.S. taking a financial stake in the projects — money the White House started rolling out in the past week in other areas," according to Politico. Entra1 was selected in partnership with NuScale, a nuclear energy company that's worth more than $4 billion and publicly traded, to collaborate on the “supply of large-scale baseload power infrastructure,” the White House said in a press release in October 2025. "The Japanese government said those power projects could include 'power generation (gas-thermal, nuclear) for AI.'”The Trump administration could be avoiding using taxpayer funding for Trump's investment in nuclear energy for the large payout, Politico reported. The industry has often struggled to meet deadlines and stay within budget. "It also renews questions about the administration’s oversight of billions of dollars in foreign funds from Japan as well as South Korea, Taiwan and other countries, which Trump’s Commerce Department is looking to funnel to select industries, including those that have struggled to attract private capital," Politico reported.

Feb 23, 2026 - World

During an appearance on MS NOW’s “Morning Joe,” conservative journalist David Drucker suggested that, unless the Donald Trump White House makes a radical U-turn on some of his least popular policies, the Republican caucus can expect an apocalypse in November when voters go to the polls.After co-host Jonathan Lemire reported the GOP lawmakers are likely “slamming their heads on their desks” after the president insisted he will bring back his unpopular tariffs after Friday’s Supreme Court 6-3 smack-down, Drucker agreed and cited a new Washington Post/ABC News/ IPSOS poll that shows the president’s approval numbers are in a death spiral.Speaking with the hosts, Drucker pointed to the meager 32 percent of voters who think Trump is “focused on the right priorities,” Drucker stated, “That's a killer.”“The other problem he has is independents,” he added. “And in midterm elections, especially in all elections, but particularly in midterm elections, we've talked about this at this table, Independents are the whole ballgame. And so unless things change and they probably have a good five, five and a half months before the cake is really baked, they're in for a world of hurt.”“And you go from just monitoring the House of Representatives to see how many seats are going to flip, to watch, and to see if the Senate will follow the House with it,” he warned. - YouTube youtu.be

Feb 23, 2026 - World

Donald Trump continued his war on the Supreme Court early Monday, apparently still smarting from the bruising landmark 6-3 decision limiting his ability to levy tariffs that was handed down on Friday.After lashing out at the six justices who did not bend to his will at an impromptu White House press conference, calling the ruling a “disgrace to our nation,” he opened up a new front and insisted the nation’s highest court had already given him free rein to do as he pleases.On Truth Social, he wrote Monday, “The supreme court (will be using lower case letters for a while based on a complete lack of respect!) of the United States accidentally and unwittingly gave me, as President of the United States, far more powers and strength than I had prior to their ridiculous, dumb, and very internationally divisive ruling.”He added, “For one thing, I can use Licenses to do absolutely 'terrible' things to foreign countries, especially those countries that have been RIPPING US OFF for many decades, but incomprehensibly, according to the ruling, can’t charge them a License fee - BUT ALL LICENSES CHARGE FEES, why can’t the United States do so? You do a license to get a fee! The opinion doesn’t explain that, but I know the answer! The court has also approved all other Tariffs, of which their [sic] are many, and they can all be used in a much more powerful and obnoxious way, with legal certainty, than the Tariffs as initially used.”He then fired off another smear, writing, “Our incompetent supreme court did a great job for the wrong people, and for that they should be ashamed of themselves (but not the Great Three!). The next thing you know they will rule in favor of China and others, who are making an absolute fortune on Birthright Citizenship, by saying the 14th Amendment was NOT written to take care of the ‘babies of slaves,’ which it was as proven by the EXACT TIMING of its construction, filing, and ratification, which perfectly coincided with the END OF THE CIVIL WAR. How much better can you do than that?”“But this supreme court will find a way to come to the wrong conclusion, one that again will make China, and various other Nations, happy and rich. Let our supreme court keep making decisions that are so bad and deleterious to the future of our Nation - I have a job to do. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DONALD J. TRUMP,” he concluded.