Republican who chairs House panel says he based decision on testimony from Epstein’s longtime assistant Lesley Groff
Representative James Comer, the Republican who chairs the House committee on oversight and government reform, announced that he would be asking Alan Dershowitz, Jeffrey Epstein’s former attorney, to appear before the panel as part of its investigation into the late sex offender.
“I am going to ask Alan Dershowitz to come in, we will have questions for him and we will give him an opportunity to come in,” Comer said on Wednesday morning, adding that the decision was based on the testimony of Lesley Groff, Epstein’s longtime assistant, who testified before the committee on Tuesday, as well as “a meeting that I had afterwards with several of the Epstein survivors”.
In the fifth year of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, mil-tech startups still struggle to access bank financing amid strict secrecy and lack of collateral.
The battle for control of the United States Senate begins in Maine. If Democrats want to take the upper house from Republicans in the upcoming November 3 midterm election, they cannot lose in this northeastern state, famous for its lobster industry and for producing the writer Stephen King. Republican Senator Susan Collins, who has sometimes been critical of President Donald Trump, is running for re-election and polls place her in a weak position. Graham Platner, a political newcomer, seemed like the right man for the job—until criticism from at least three women he had relationships with, as well as new details about a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol that he got years ago, began to cast doubt on his suitability. Despite these shadows, Platner won the Democratic primary this Tuesday, making him the official Senate candidate for the midterms.
A gestora estatal de capital de risco de Abu Dhabi está interessada em comprar uma cadeia de hambúrgueres em Portugal.
A Mubadala está a preparar uma oferta pela empresa que detém a cadeia Burger King em Portugal e Espanha, detida pelo fundo britânico Cinven.
O “Expansion” revela que a Mubadala já contratou assessores para apresentar a oferta pela Restaurant Brand Europeu (RBE), que gere também as cadeias Popeyes e Tim Horton na Ibéria.
Outros interessados são os fundos americanos Meritage Group e Apollo Global Management, segundo o jornal espanhol, que preparam as ofertas não-vinculativas para apresentar nas próximas semanas.
A Mubadala chegou a ser acionista da EDP e é atualmente acionista da petrolífera espanhola Moeve.
A Burger King ibérica era detida pela Ibersol, mas foi vendida no final de 2022 por 260 milhões de euros à RBI, num total de 158 restaurantes.
Tech company says it ‘caught and disrupted’ NSO Group’s attempts to access accounts in Jordan and Lebanon
A spyware firm has been targeting WhatsApp users with malicious links in contravention of a US court order forbidding it from doing so, Meta has said.
In a post, Meta said WhatsApp had “caught and disrupted spear phishing attempts” by NSO Group, which a spokesperson said targeted a handful of users in Jordan and Lebanon. It had also caught the group creating “test accounts and groups” on WhatsApp.
The federal government has repeatedly raised concerns about an American company’s bid to frack for gas in Western Australia’s Kimberley region, part of the world’s largest and most intact tropical savanna.
Texas-based Black Mountain Energy, through its subsidiary Bennett Resources, is seeking federal approval to drill 20 gas wells for its Valhalla project west of Fitzroy Crossing.
Groff tells lawmakers ‘I am not a conspirator’ and that she had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes while working for him
Lesley Groff, Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime executive assistant, testified Tuesday before the House oversight and reform committee, telling lawmakers that she had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes while working for him.
“I believe that my testimony will dispel the false notion that because of my employment with Epstein, I must have knowingly enabled or conspired with him to commit his evil acts,” Groff told lawmakers in her prepared opening remarks, obtained by the Guardian. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”
The island of Skiathos in Greece, renowned for its picturesque beaches and vibrant atmosphere, is reviving its ancient wine production as it gains recognition as a gastronomic destination in the Sporades.
Mayor Thodoris Tzoumas has highlighted the island’s unique culinary identity, emphasizing the harmonious blend of fresh seafood and local produce. In speaking to Greek Reporter, he mentioned dishes such as shrimp with wild greens, octopus with zucchini, and distinctive soups featuring foraged greens. The island’s beloved “pita,” both oven-baked and fried, also holds a special place in its culinary heritage.
The return of wine to Skiathos
Skiathos vineyards. Credit: Greek Reporter
A pivotal development in Skiathos’ burgeoning gastronomic scene is the establishment of its first modern winery, Parissi Winery. This enterprise signifies a profound reawakening of the island’s long-dormant winemaking tradition.
Historically, Skiathos boasted a flourishing viticultural landscape, with vineyards thriving until the mid-20th century. However, a combination of prolonged drought and shifting economic priorities led to a decline in wine production, with many locals turning to olive cultivation instead.
According to Maria Koutseri, co-owner of Parissi Winery, a key element defining Skiathos wines is the island’s unique terroir. Many of their vineyards are strategically situated in secluded areas in close proximity to the sea. This coastal influence imparts a subtle yet distinctive salty, savory characteristic to their wines. This intriguing quality echoes historical accounts of “Stratis,” an ancient Skiathian wine rumored to have incorporated seawater during its production, a practice believed to have enhanced its flavor and appeal among the Romans.
Parissi Winery is dedicated to reclaiming this forgotten legacy. Despite the inherent challenges of cultivating vineyards on a highly tourist-driven island, they are demonstrating the immense potential for producing high-quality, distinctive wines.
The winery operates on a small scale, meticulously cultivating 45 strains of exclusively Greek grape varieties. Their focus is unwavering on showcasing the indigenous flavors of Greece, including Roditis, Assyrtiko, Malagouzia, Alexandria Muscat, Xinomavro, and Limniona. From these, they craft a select range of offerings: four dry whites, one rosé, one red, and a sweet wine, all of which are sold exclusively on Skiathos.
An assortment of wines. Credit: Greek Reporter
A wine-making legacy reclaimed
Perched at one of the island’s highest points, Parissi Winery not only offers a taste of its unique wines but also commands breathtaking panoramic views of Skiathos town. Visitors are invited to embark on an immersive experience, beginning with a guided tour of the vineyards, where they learn about the cultivation process and specific grape varieties.
The journey continues into the production area, providing firsthand insight into the meticulous winemaking journey. The experience culminates in a dedicated tasting session, allowing guests to savor the distinctive flavors of Skiathos and take home a piece of its revitalized wine heritage.
Maria Koutseri expresses her heartfelt hope that Parissi Winery will serve as a catalyst, encouraging others to join in this revival. She envisions a future where Skiathos’ rich winemaking tradition is fully restored and celebrated, thereby adding a lasting and sophisticated dimension to the island’s growing reputation as a premier gastronomic destination.
JPMorgan Chase leads 65 banks making decisions incompatible with restraining rising temperatures, researchers say
The world’s largest banks committed $906bn in financing to the fossil fuel industry last year, an “unfathomable” increase in investment locking in years more of coal, oil and gas production as the world continues to overheat, a new report has found.
The surge in new fossil fuel lending, up $64bn or nearly 8% on 2024, shows that the world’s largest 65 banks are making decisions incompatible with international agreements to restrain rising global temperatures, according to the coalition of environmental groups behind the new analysis.
Meta’s former head of global affairs says executives pivoted right in some cases for ‘rather more self-interested’ reasons
Silicon Valley companies including Meta have decided to embrace Maga politics, some for “rather more self-interested” reasons, the former UK deputy prime minister Nick Clegg has said.
Clegg, who spent nearly seven years at Meta as the head of global affairs, told The Rest is Money podcast that it felt like “a very good time for me to move on” when he left the company in March 2025, three months into the second Trump administration.
With rising grocery prices, many Americans are struggling to provide healthy, complete meals for their families. One chef is teaching his TikTok followers how to eat well on a budget, one $5 meal at a time. Deema Zein reports.
Young students going home from school. Credit: GR Archive
Greece recorded one of the lowest rates of young people leaving education and training early in the European Union in 2025, ranking second among all 27 member states for keeping young people in education, according to new data from Eurostat.
The country posted a rate of 3.0%, trailing only Croatia, which reported the lowest share in the EU at 2.1%. Ireland placed third at 3.6%.
Greece’s standing reflects consistent progress over the past decade. In 2015, the country’s rate stood at 7.9%. Over ten years, it fell to 3.0%, a drop of nearly 5 percentage points.
Eurostat defines “early school leavers” as young people between the ages of 18 and 24 who exit education and training before completing upper secondary or higher-level studies. The data measures this group as a share of the total population in that age range.
Greece’s decade-long push keeps young people in education
The EU-wide average stood at 9.1% in 2025, just above the bloc’s own target of bringing that figure below 9.0% by 2030. The rate has declined steadily from 11.0% in 2015. Nineteen of the 27 EU member states reported a lower rate in 2025 compared to 2015, and 17 have already met the 2030 target.
In 2025, the share of early school leavers (young people aged 18-24 leaving early from education and training) in the EU was 9.1%.
Lowest shares in: Croatia (2.1%) Greece (3.0%)
Highest shares in: Romania (15.5%) Germany (13.1%)
Among countries that improved the most since 2015, Malta led with a drop of 7.7 percentage points. Portugal followed with a decrease of 7.4 percentage points, and Spain dropped by 7.2 percentage points.
Not all countries moved in the right direction. Seven EU member states reported higher rates in 2025 than in 2015. Cyprus saw the biggest rise, climbing 4.6 percentage points over the decade.
Germany increased by 3.0 percentage points, and Austria rose by 2.7 percentage points. Romania posted the highest rate in the EU in 2025 at 15.5%, followed by Germany at 13.1% and Spain at 12.8%.
Men across the EU still quit school earlier than women
A gap between men and women remained consistent across the EU. More young men left education early than women, though both groups showed improvement. The rate for men fell from 12.5% in 2015 to 10.6% in 2025. For women, the figure dropped from 9.4% to 7.5% over the same period.
Greece’s rate of retaining young people in education has improved in nearly every year over the past decade, placing it firmly among the EU’s strongest performers on this measure.
A Sherpa guide whose family had already begun funeral rituals after he vanished on Mount Everest was found alive and crawling toward base camp nearly a week later, surviving alone on the world's highest peak without food, water or supplemental oxygen in what rescuers called "nothing short of a miracle."
Dawa Sherpa, 52, disappeared around May 29 while descending Everest after turning back short of the summit with a Polish climber he was guiding. The client made it safely to base camp, but Dawa had not, triggering fears that he had died on the mountain.
A cleanup crew from the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee found him Thursday morning crawling through the treacherous Khumbu Icefall, one of the most dangerous sections of Everest, just above base camp, Pemba Sherpa of 8K Expeditions told The Associated Press.
Rescuers carried him to safety, gave him food and water, and flew him by helicopter to a hospital in Kathmandu, where his wife and daughter were waiting.
His teenage daughter, Mendo Lhamu Sherpa, told the outlet that relatives were in the middle of funeral rites when news of the rescue broke.
"When we first heard about it (the rescue), we could not be sure if that person was indeed our father," she said. "So to be certain we asked for photos to be sent and then only we were sure and very happy."
His wife, Damu Sherpa, added that the family learned he was alive through local news reports and phone calls from friends.
"We first heard that he was still alive on the local news and from a person we know who called with the news that ... he is being brought down," she said.
Dawa was still wearing his climbing jacket when rescuers found him. His family said he is being treated for frostbite and other complications but is conscious and able to speak.
"He recognized me … is good and speaks," his daughter told Reuters. "We are happy."
The Nepal Mount Everest hiking company called his survival extraordinary.
"Dawa survived alone for nearly a week without food, water, or supplemental oxygen navigating the treacherous Khumbu Icefall (even after the fixed ladders were removed for the season)," the company said in a social media post. "This is nothing short of a miracle."
It was unclear how Dawa became separated from his client during the descent or why there was a delay in launching a search team when he went missing last week. Helicopters were eventually dispatched but failed to locate him.
His rescue came at the end of a record-breaking Everest climbing season. More than 1,000 climbers and guides reached the summit this year after Nepal issued a record 494 permits.
The skeleton of an equine at an ancient bread-making complex in Pompeii. Credit: Pompeii Archaeological Park
Archaeologists in Pompeii have uncovered an equine skeleton inside a bread-making workshop at one of the city’s most celebrated ancient complexes, opening a new chapter in the understanding of how humans and animals lived and worked together nearly 2,000 years ago.
The remains were discovered at the Insula of the Chaste Lovers, a large residential and commercial site renowned for its striking “chaste kiss” fresco, painted inside the dining room of the owner’s home.
The complex includes a working bakery, storage rooms, processing spaces, and the owner’s private residence. Researchers had previously found other equids at the site’s stables, where animals were used to power grain mills and transport the grain needed for bread production.
Pompeii’s chaste lovers complex was also a busy bakery
This latest skeleton was not found in the stables. Researchers found it in a separate room, suggesting the animal had fled there during the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
The excavation brought together archaeologists and specialists from the Applied Research Laboratory, including experts in animal remains, plant life, and human bones. This interdisciplinary approach has become one of the most important aspects of modern archaeological research at the site.
Archaeologists are excavating the skeleton of an equine. Credit: Pompeii Archaeological Park
Laboratory analysis is still ongoing. Researchers expect it to reveal more about the animal’s specific role in the production complex and the conditions it faced during the eruption.
The study could also contribute to a wider understanding of how animals responded to the disaster in real time, adding detail to the reconstruction of those final, chaotic hours.
Pompeii equine skeleton suggests a desperate Vesuvius escape
Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, said that Pompeii offers far more than beautiful frescoes and ancient objects.
He said it gives researchers the opportunity to understand lives that were ended by the eruption, and that this extends to animals as well as people. The horse or donkey, he noted, was found inside a house with remarkable frescoes that also served as a working mill and bakery.
Its location in a room away from the stables points to an attempt to escape the eruption. Zuchtriegel called the excavation a strong example of the daily multidisciplinary collaboration at the site and said ongoing lab results will continue to offer significant scientific value.
Pompeii continues to yield new layers of ancient life. The site preserves not just objects and artwork but the full texture of daily existence, including the bonds between people, animals, and the spaces they shared.
The equine skeleton discovered in Pompeii’s ancient bread workshop is the latest reminder that the city still holds stories waiting to be told.
Here is what we know about the sexual predator whose secrets spurred an international reckoning over money, power and complicity. Check back for updates.
O futebol de seleções se consolidou como uma indústria multibilionária, e o valor de mercado dos elencos nacionais passou a refletir não apenas o desempenho esportivo, mas também a força econômica das principais potências do esporte.
O chamado “valor de plantel” representa a soma das avaliações individuais de todos os jogadores convocáveis de uma seleção. Levantamento elaborado com base em dados da Transfermarkt e da Sports Value aponta a Inglaterra como a seleção mais valiosa do mundo em 2026.
De acordo com o ranking, o elenco inglês está avaliado em aproximadamente € 1,62 bilhão, o equivalente a R$ 9,44 bilhões. A França aparece na segunda colocação, com valor estimado em R$ 8,57 bilhões, seguida pela Espanha, com R$ 7,64 bilhões.
A Alemanha ocupa o quarto lugar, com um plantel avaliado em R$ 5,89 bilhões, enquanto Portugal aparece logo atrás, com R$ 5,63 bilhões.
O Brasil surge na sexta posição entre as seleções mais valiosas da Copa do Mundo de 2026, com valor de mercado estimado em R$ 5,28 bilhões. O ranking é influenciado pela presença de atletas que atuam nos principais clubes da Europa e possuem elevado valor de transferência no mercado internacional.
Confira as 10 seleções mais valiosas da Copa do Mundo de 2026:
Inglaterra — R$ 9,44 bilhões
França — R$ 8,57 bilhões
Espanha — R$ 7,64 bilhões
Alemanha — R$ 5,89 bilhões
Portugal — R$ 5,63 bilhões
Brasil — R$ 5,28 bilhões
Holanda — R$ 4,45 bilhões
Argentina — R$ 4,44 bilhões
Bélgica — R$ 3,25 bilhões
Turquia — R$ 3,06 bilhões
O ranking evidencia a concentração de talentos nas principais ligas europeias e mostra como o mercado do futebol influencia diretamente a valorização das seleções nacionais às vésperas da Copa do Mundo de 2026.
Richard Wexler, the Executive Director of the National Coalition for Child Protection Reform has recently reported that Santa Clara County, home to Silicon Valley in California, now leads the nation in ripping children out of their homes and putting them into their foster care system where children are now dying at a rate higher than anywhere else in the U.S.
As I have been reporting for over a decade now, the foster care system in the United States is the #1 pipeline for child sex trafficking. Most of the foster care system in the U.S. is run by Christians who partner together with the government and their churches in this very lucrative system of “legalized” child trafficking. See:
Multiple studies over the years have clearly shown that children who are left in their homes with their parents, even if they are “troubled homes” where drug abuse may be occurring, for example, have far better lives than being put into the evil foster care system.
Santa Clara County in Silicon Valley, home to billionaires and some of the richest people in the world, has an especially notorious reputation for trafficking and sexually abusing children, while protecting the pedophiles.
Here is a video testimony from Debra Grant, who had her children taken away from her and then given to her pedophile husband, where she explains how these people get away with trafficking children that was recorded 13 years ago. (Amazingly, this video is still up on YouTube. But if it disappears, we have a copy here.)
WARNING! GRAPHIC CONTENT!
Calculating the price of foster-care panic – in children’s lives and health
Researchers estimate that the foster-care panic in Santa Clara County will lead to anywhere from four to 12 foreseeable premature deaths, and a whole lot of serious illness, that would not have happened had the children been left in their own homes.
Their methodology can be applied to any foster-care panic anywhere, and to states that regularly tear apart families at rates far above the national average.
KEY POINTS
Researchers have examined scores of studies following millions of foster children around the world, showing the inherent harm of foster care placement. They were able to estimate the percentage of children who will have worse outcomes – including premature death – because they were taken from their families and placed in foster care. They were able to show that the harm to health and the premature deaths are directly attributable to the separation from their families, not anything their families supposedly did to the children beforehand.
Then they applied the findings to what is, proportionately, the nation’s worst foster-care panic, the one in Santa Clara County, Calif. In that county, over the past two years, entries into foster care over the course of a year nearly tripled. Over that time, 399 more children were torn from their families than would have been taken had there been no panic. They applied their findings about harm to health and premature death to those 399 children.
Their conclusion: 42 children will suffer long-term illness and/or disability that they would not have suffered had they remained in their own homes.
Between four and 12 children will suffer premature death that would not have happened had they remained in their own homes. The researchers emphasize that the death estimate is conservative.
Their report, sent to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Saturday, includes seven specific recommendations for making all vulnerable children in the county safer.
Among the most popular pages on NCCPR’s website is one that summarizes some of the mass of evidence comparing what happens to children in foster care when compared to comparably-maltreated children left in their own homes.
Over and over, the studies find that in typical cases, the foster children do worse.
How, then does this apply to Santa Clara County?
In the wake of two high-profile child abuse deaths, the Vice President of the County Board of Supervisors, Sylvia Arenas, and the San Jose Mercury News, in particular, reporter Julia Prodis Sulek, rushed to falsely scapegoat efforts to keep families together.
That set off what is, proportionately, the worst foster-care panic I’ve seen anywhere in America in at least 40 years.
Indeed, the panic may have made the latest tragedy more likely by overloading workers, so they have less time to investigate any case thoroughly. None of that has stopped Arenas or Sulek from continuing to throw gasoline on the fire.
Neither has the massive study of more than 3.4 million case records and more than 24,000 child abuse deaths which found that increasing entries into foster care does nothing to decrease such deaths.
What all this research tells us is that increasing foster care does nothing to save lives, but can, in itself, lead to premature deaths.
Let’s start with the proven facts: Disclosure Day is the most anticipated film of the summer. Its director and screenwriter, Steven Spielberg, revealed details about its plot this week on one of Stephen Colbert’s final shows: he says it tells the story of the theft by officials, “committed to the truth,” of all information held by the government “about UFOs and extraterrestrial visits,” and the system’s desperate attempts to prevent it being revealed.
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