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First Lady Melania Trump has denied connections to Jeffrey Epstein, telling reporters at the White House that any claims linking the two "need to end today". In a surprise announcement on Thursday, the first lady called for congressional hearings for survivors of Epstein's sex trafficking. She also denied online rumours that Epstein introduced her to Donald Trump, calling them "mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation". It is unclear what prompted the announcement. There was no prior indication from her office that she would make a statement on Epstein, and the White House did not share the topic earlier when her remarks were put on its daily schedule. She said she had not been a victim of Epstein, with whom she only briefly "crossed paths" in 2000. "I have never had any knowledge of Epstein abuse of his victims," she said. "I was never involved in any capacity. I was not a participant." She also denied knowing Ghi...

In the hours before the two-week ceasefire between Iran and the US was announced, there were some small signs of hope from Pakistan. Speaking anonymously, a Pakistan source told the BBC that the talks continued "at pace", with Pakistan operating as an intermediary between Iran and the US. Those conducting the negotiations from Pakistan's side consisted of "a very small circle" and that the mood was "sombre and serious but still hopeful that a cessation of hostilities will be the outcome. There are a few hours left." The source said they were not part of that small circle. Pakistan has acted as an intermediary between Iran and the US over the last few weeks, passing messages between the two. It has a historic relationship with Iran, a shared border and regularly refers to its "brotherly" relationship with the country. As for the US relationship, President Trump has referred to the head of Pakistan's armed forces, Field Marshall...

The Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif has called on US President Donald Trump to extend his deadline for two weeks "to allow diplomacy to run its course". He also asks for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on X, he writes: "Diplomatic efforts for peaceful settlement of the ongoing war in the Middle East are progressing steadily, strongly and powerfully with the potential to lead to substantive results in near future. "To allow diplomacy to run its course, I earnestly request President Trump to extend the deadline for two weeks. "Pakistan, in all sincerity, requests the Iranian brothers to open Strait of Hormuz for a corresponding period of two weeks as a goodwill gesture. "We also urge all warring parties to observe a ceasefire everywhere for two weeks to allow diplomacy to achieve conclusive termination of war, in the interest of long-term peace and stability in the region." ~ BBC

WASHINGTON, April 6 (Reuters) - The war in the Middle East  will lead to higher inflation and slower global ​growth, the head of the International Monetary Fund told Reuters on Monday, ahead of a forecast for the world economy planned by the global lender for ‌next week. The war has triggered the worst-ever disruption  in global energy supply, with millions of barrels of oil production shuttered due to Iran's effective blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, crucial for shipping one-fifth of the world's oil and gas. Even if the conflict is swiftly resolved, the IMF is set to reduce its forecast for economic growth and bump up its outlook for inflation, Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the IMF, said. The war is expected ​to dominate discussions among finance officials from around the world at next week's spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank in Washington. The Fund is expected to release ​a range of scenarios in its upcoming World Economic Outlook due o...

ABUJA, April 7 (Reuters) - Nigeria's economy ​is resilient and set to grow in the first half of 2026 despite the Iran war , the World ‌Bank said on Tuesday, adding that rising fuel costs and persistently high inflation risk squeezing incomes and slowing poverty reduction. Business activity remains in expansion territory with the U.S./Israel-Iran conflict so far lifting prices but leaving output largely intact, World Bank Nigeria lead economist Fiseha ​Haile said during a presentation in the capital Abuja. "Overall business activity has been expanding over the past few ​months, suggesting the impact on growth has been relatively contained. But the shock is still ⁠being felt through higher inflation," Haile said. President Bola Tinubu, now in his third year in office, has rolled out ​Nigeria's most ambitious economic overhaul in decades by ending costly fuel and energy subsidies, devaluing the currency and changing the ​tax system to stabilise an economy bat...

Former Migos rapper Offset has been shot outside a casino in Florida. The 34-year-old, whose real name is Kiari Kendrell Cephus, is in a "stable" condition and being "closely monitored" in hospital, his spokesperson has told BBC Newsbeat. The Seminole Police Department have said two people have been detained in connection with the incident outside of Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood. One of those is US rapper Lil TJay, real name Tione Jayden Merritt, who has been charged with disorderly conduct. Police told Newsbeat that an incident took place "at a valet area" after 19:00 local time (20:00 GMT) on Monday, outside of Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood" and "resulted in non-life threatening injuries to an individual". A spokesperson has said the investigation "is ongoing", with efforts to identify "one or more additional persons" involved in the incident. Offset is best known for being part of the hip-hop trio Migos alon...

Universal Music Group, the entertainment giant behind acts such as Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter and Kendrick Lamar, has received a takeover offer estimated to be worth $64.3bn (£48bn). US investment company Pershing Square is offering to buy Universal in a merger that would see the new company listed in America, its billionaire chief executive Bill Ackman said. As well as representing a huge list of artists, the world's largest music company also runs Abbey Road studios and owns labels such as EMI and Island Records. Pershing Square, which already owns a stake in Universal, also has holdings in Google, Meta and Amazon, as well as Restaurant Brands International, which includes Burger King. Universal is yet to respond to the offer. Ackman said its management had "done an excellent job nurturing and continuing to build a world-class artist roster and generating strong business performance". He said Universal had reshaped the industry to put artists at its cen...

The US Secret Service is investigating gunfire heard near the White House early on Sunday morning. Officers responded to reports of gunfire in the area around Washington DC's Lafayette Park just after midnight local time (04:00 GMT) and conducted a search of the park, just north of the president's residence, and the surrounding area, the agency said. No suspect was located and no injuries were reported, the Secret Service said. The agency and its partners are looking for a possible vehicle and person of interest. President Donald Trump was in Washington DC this weekend. The Secret Service said operations at the White House remain normal but "a heightened security posture is in place". The investigation closed some roads in the area, but they have since reopened, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a post on X. A representative for the Secret Service confirmed to the BBC on Sunday evening that "the investigation continues". The pres...

“When we are finished, take over your government,” Donald Trump  told the Iranian people late February, announcing the war. “It will be yours to take.” Weeks on, the US president is delivering a similar message to Europe, which is battling a fresh energy shock after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil ordinarily flows. “Go to the Strait and just take it, protect it, use it for yourselves,” Trump said in a Wednesday night address . “They must grab it and cherish it. They could do it so easily. We will be helpful, but they should take the lead in protecting the oil that they so depend on.” As ever, Trump’s address was laced with inconsistencies: He both called on Europe to “build up some delayed courage” and use force to secure the Strait of Hormuz, before claiming that the waterway will “open up naturally” once the war is over. But the thrust of Trump’s message was clear: keeping the Strait open is not America’s bus...

The United States has lifted sanctions on Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodríguez. The move comes less than three months after US forces seized the country's previous leader, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife in a military raid in Caracas and took them to New York to face drug trafficking charges .  Rodríguez, a close ally of Maduro who served as his vice-president, had been placed on the sanctions list in 2018, with the US accusing her of undermining democracy. She was sworn in as interim president by Venezuela's National Assembly, which is dominated by Maduro loyalists, days after the US raid and has been described by US President Donald Trump as "a terrific person". Rodríguez welcomed her removal from the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List. Those named on the list have their assets in the US blocked and US nationals are barred from doing business with them. Rodríguez called it "a significant step in the right direction to normalise and ...

A US judge has temporarily halted President Donald Trump's White House ballroom construction project, ruling that proper procedures were not followed before the project began. The decision comes after the White House was sued by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "(U)nless and until Congress blesses this project through statutory authorization, construction has to stop!" said Judge Richard Leon in a ruling with a number of exclamation points. Trump vowed to appeal, and disputed the judge's finding that Congress must approve the ballroom. He added that the current setup is inadequate to host world dignitaries such as King Charles III, who will visit Washington next month. The Trump administration previously said its plan was more economical than renovating the East Wing. It also noted that many presidents made changes to the White House. Published on Tuesday, Leon's 35-page ruling said: "I have concluded that the National Trust is likely...