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As Britain’s former prince Andrew was again caught up in the Epstein scandal, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the disgraced royal should testify in the US about the late American sex offender’s crimes.King Charles III’s brother is under renewed pressure to answer US lawmakers’ questions in Congress about Jeffrey Epstein after the US Justice Department released the latest batch of files on the case Friday.It included embarrassing photographs of Andrew and emails between him and Epstein from 2010, two years after the financier had pleaded guilty in Florida to soliciting a minor for prostitution. The undated photos of the then-prince show him kneeling on all fours over a woman lying on the floor.The emails feature Epstein proposing Andrew have dinner with a “beautiful, trustworthy” 26-year-old Russian woman. Asked Saturday whether Andrew should testify in the US Congress as repeatedly demanded, Starmer said “yes” as he wrapped up an official visit to China and Japan.”I’ve always said anybody that [has] got information should be prepared to share that information in whatever form they are asked to do that,” the British leader told reporters.Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor — as the former Duke of York is now known — has long been dogged by his links to Epstein, who committed suicide in jail in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges.- Windsor exit -The 65-year-old son of the late Queen Elizabeth II, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, stepped back from royal duties that same year over their ties. Then last October, Charles stripped Andrew of his royal titles and honours after the late Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre recounted shocking claims against him in a posthumous memoir.Giuffre, a US and Australian citizen who took her own life last year, has alleged she was trafficked to have sex with Andrew three times, including twice when she was 17.After she launched a lawsuit against him, he paid her a multi-million-pound settlement in 2022 without making any admission of guilt.The latest disclosures in Washington come as Andrew is reportedly set to leave his 30-room mansion on the royal estate at Windsor after Charles ousted him, and are likely to fuel further criticism.He was pictured Saturday driving on the grounds of the estate, west of London, according to UK media.One of the newly released undated pictures of Andrew and the unidentified female, both of them clothed, appears to show him touching her abdomen. In another he stares, crouching over her, directly into the camera.No context is provided for the images and it is unclear where and when they were taken.- ‘Private time’ -Meanwhile, in the August 2010 emails, Epstein told Andrew — addressed as “The Duke” — that he had “a friend who I think you might enjoy having dinner with” in London later that month.In the exchanges, Epstein said the woman was “26, Russian, clevere [clever] beautiful, trustworthy”, noting that he had given her the prince’s email.Andrew eventually replied he “would be delighted to see her”. It is unclear if such a meeting took place.Weeks later, he and Epstein also discussed having dinner at Buckingham Palace after the American contacted Andrew while in London saying they needed to have some “private time”.Andrew replied they could “have dinner at Buckingham Palace and lots of privacy”, later adding “come with whomever”.In a 2019 BBC interview, Andrew claimed he had cut ties with Epstein after December 2010, but court documents revealed later showed he continued to communicate with him.Other documents made public last year and Giuffre’s memoir have reignited UK anger over their ties and the claims against Andrew.US lawmakers and investigators have for years repeatedly requested he face questions about his Epstein association.Last November, 16 Democratic Party members of Congress signed a letter asking Andrew to participate in a “transcribed interview” with the House of Representatives oversight committee investigating Epstein.But Andrew has given no public indication in recent years that he would be willing to do so.

A powerful snow storm bore down Saturday on southern states as icy weather that has left more than 100 dead across a swath of the United States intensified in regions not used to subzero conditions.Heavy snows were falling Saturday morning in North Carolina and neighboring states, as authorities urged residents to stay off the roads and warned oceanfront structures were threatened by the storm.The freezing weather forced NASA to postpone a key fueling test over the weekend of the 322-foot (98-meter) rocket that is on the Cape Canaveral launch pad in Florida. That in turn is likely to push back by at least a couple of days a planned, manned Moon flyby slated for next month.The National Weather Service said Saturday that an explosively deepening coastal cyclone will bring moderate to heavy snow, high winds, and possibly blizzard conditions for the Carolinas.”An intense surge of arctic air behind the coastal storm will send below freezing temperatures down toward South Florida by Sunday morning,” the service said, adding that it could experience the coldest temperatures there since 1989.It issued a winter storm warning for all of North and South Carolina into portions of Georgia, eastern Tennessee and Kentucky, as well as southern Virginia.In South Carolina, the public works department in the state capital Columbia was preparing its eight snow plows for deployment for the first time in five years, local news network WIS10 reported.The mercury was set to dip there to a low of -9C at the weekend. On average it ranges between 2C and 15C during January.The new cold front comes just days after the onset of a major winter storm that has killed more than 100 people, according to tally of official figures and local media reports. The storm blanketed a vast swath from New Mexico in the southwest to Maine in the northeast in snow, sleet and icy rain.In United States, nearly 200,000 customers remained without power Saturday, mostly in the south, according to poweroutage.us, with Mississippi, Tennessee and Louisiana hardest hit. In North Carolina, the National Park Service announced the closure of campgrounds and some beaches at the Outer Banks, a series of barrier islands off the coast of southern state that are vulnerable to storms.It said oceanfront structures were threatened, and a section of highway that threads through its dunes was closed.In another southern state, Mississippi, Governor Tate Reeves said the US Army Corps of Engineers helped to install generators at critical sites, and authorities were opening 79 shelters and warming centers across the state.

Between 8,000 and 10,000 people joined an emotional silent march in Copenhagen on Saturday organised by Denmark’s Veterans’ Association to protest Donald Trump’s comments downplaying the role of non-US NATO troops in Afghanistan.The association had expected well over a thousand people to take part, and Danes braved subzero temperatures en masse to support their veterans and the 44 Danes who died in Afghanistan.Police told AFP they estimated the number of demonstrators were “at least 10,000”, while organisers put the turnout at between 8,000 and 10,000.Trump sparked outrage in Denmark and across Europe on January 22 when he said European NATO troops “stayed a little back, a little off the front lines” during the 20-year conflict in Afghanistan.The Scandinavian country fought alongside US forces during the Gulf War as well as Afghanistan and Iraq.Gathering in Copenhagen’s Kastellet, or citadel, a brief ceremony was held at the monument to fallen soldiers before the procession began.”The demonstration is called #NoWords because that really describes how we feel. We have no words,” the vice president of the association, Soren Knudsen, told AFP.”Obviously, we also want to tell Americans that what Trump said is an insult to us and the values that we defended together.”Some demonstrators waved red-and-white Danish flags and others were dressed in military uniform, as they marched quietly — no slogans or chanting — to the US embassy about two kilometres (1.2 miles) away.Most were sombre, others were visibly emotional with tears streaming down their cheeks.”We’re very happy that so many people turned out,” Knudsen told AFP outside the US embassy, pleased that veterans from the US and across Europe had also joined in.”What Trump said was very insulting,” Henning Andersen, who served as a Danish UN soldier in Cyprus, told AFP.”I have friends who were down there. Some of them were wounded, and they carry the war with them even today,” the 64-year-old said, four military medals pinned to his black veterans’ jacket.”He’s saying things he doesn’t know the full truth about.”One 58-year-old member of Denmark’s home guard, who gave her name only as Orum, also expressed anger over Trump’s remarks.”How can he even say that? It’s insulting,” she said, clad in khaki fatigues and green beret. – 44 flags -Protesters at the front of the march carried a large red banner reading “NoWords”, while others carried hand-drawn signs. One said “Trump is so dumb”, while another held by a child read “Say sorry, Trump”.In response to Trump’s claim, 44 Danish flags, which carried the names of the 44 Danish soldiers killed in Afghanistan, were placed on Tuesday in planters outside the US embassy in Copenhagen.The embassy removed the flags, before apologising and replacing them.”We have nothing but the deepest respect for Danish veterans and the sacrifices Danish soldiers have made for our shared security. There was no ill intent behind the removal of the flags,” the embassy said in a post on its Facebook page.It noted that the planters were embassy property and not in the public domain, and the initial planting of the flags had not been coordinated with the embassy.On Friday, the US ambassador placed 44 Danish flags in the flowerbeds.On Saturday, 52 additional Danish flags were added, with names inscribed on them: 44 for the Danes who died in Afghanistan, and eight others for those killed in Iraq.A minute of silence was also observed outside the embassy. One person laid down a wreath of red and white flowers.Denmark has traditionally been an ardent US ally, and continues to call Washington its “closest ally” despite tensions over Trump’s recent interest in taking over Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory.

Britain’s former prince Andrew was again engulfed Saturday by the Epstein scandal, after newly released files included photographs of him kneeling on all fours over a woman lying on the floor.The images were among millions of new documents disclosed Friday by the US Justice Department from the Jeffrey Epstein files, which also featured the late sex offender proposing in 2010 that the then-prince meet a Russian woman.That was two years after the disgraced US financier had pleaded guilty in Florida to soliciting a minor for prostitution. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, as the ex-prince he is now known, has long been dogged by his links to Epstein, who died in 2019 by suicide in jail as he awaited trial for sex crimes against minors.The 65-year-old Briton has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, but stepped back from royal duties that year over their links. Then last October, King Charles III stripped him of all his royal titles and honours after the late Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre recounted in a posthumous memoir shocking claims against the disgraced royal.Giuffre, a US and Australian citizen who took her own life last year, has alleged she was trafficked to have sex with Andrew three times, including twice when she was 17.After she launched a lawsuit against him, he paid her a multi-million-pound settlement in 2022 without making any admission of guilt.- ‘Beautiful, trustworthy’ -The latest disclosures in Washington come with Andrew reportedly set to leave his 30-room mansion on the royal estate at Windsor imminently after Charles ousted him, and are likely to fuel further criticism.He will also face fresh pressure to testify in the US over what he knew about Epstein’s conduct.One of the undated pictures of Andrew and the unidentified female, both of them clothed, appears to show the former duke touching her abdomen. In another he stares, crouching over her, directly into the camera.No context is provided for the images and it is unclear where and when they were taken.Meanwhile, in the August 2010 email, Epstein told Andrew — addressed as “The Duke” — that he had “a friend who I think you might enjoy having dinner with” in London later that month.In the exchanges, Epstein said the woman was “26, Russian, clevere [clever] beautiful, trustworthy”, noting that he had given her the prince’s email.Andrew eventually replied he “would be delighted to see her”.It is unclear if any meeting subsequently took place.- ‘Private time’ -Weeks later, he and Epstein appeared to discuss having dinner at Buckingham Palace after the American contacted Andrew while in London saying they needed to have some “private time”.Andrew replied they could “have dinner at Buckingham Palace and lots of privacy”.Two days later the ex-duke emailed again that he was “delighted for you to come here to BP (Buckingham Palace)”. “Come with whomever…” he added.It was not clear whether any dinner at the palace — then the official London residence of the late Queen Elizabeth II — ever took place.In a 2019 BBC interview, Andrew claimed he had cut ties with Epstein after December 2010, but court documents revealed later showed he continued to communicate with him.Other documents made public last year and Giuffre’s memoir have reignited UK anger over their ties and the claims against Andrew.The new files also again spotlight the relationship between Epstein and former British ambassador to Washington and UK minister Peter Mandelson.Mandelson resigned from the US post last year after emails emerged showing he had also maintained friendly contact with him after the American’s 2008 conviction. The latest disclosures show Epstein in 2009 wired thousands of pounds to Mandelson’s husband after he had asked the American to pay for the fees for an osteopathy course.

Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein said their alleged abusers “remain hidden and protected” after the US government released millions of new pages from files related to the convicted sex offender on Friday, adding fuel to the case that has dogged President Donald Trump.Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the White House played no role in the Justice Department’s review of the extensive files on Epstein, a former friend of Trump.”They did not tell this department how to do our review, what to look for, what to redact, what to not redact,” Blanche told a news conference.More than three million documents were released on Friday that included mention of numerous powerful figures, including 79-year-old Trump, Elon Musk, Bill Gates and former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.The Justice Department said some of the documents contained “untrue and sensationalist claims” about Trump that were submitted to the FBI before the 2020 presidential election.Blanche, formerly Trump’s personal lawyer, denied suggestions that embarrassing material about the president had been redacted from the newly released files, which included at least 180,000 images and 2,000 videos.”We did not protect President Trump,” he said.Blanche said all images of girls and women had been redacted aside from those of Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of trafficking underage girls for Epstein and is serving a 20-year prison sentence.However, a statement from survivors of Epstein’s alleged abuses claimed identifying information about them still remained in the files, “while the men who abused us remain hidden and protected.”The letter was signed by 19 people, some using aliases or initials, and demanded “the full release of the Epstein files” and that Attorney General Pam Bondi directly address the matter when she testifies before Congress next month.- Executives, politicians, celebrities -A wealthy US financier, Epstein died in a New York prison cell in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking of underage girls. His death was ruled a suicide.Previous document releases have shed light on Epstein’s ties to top business executives such as Microsoft’s Gates, celebrities such as filmmaker Woody Allen, academics and politicians, including Trump and former president Bill Clinton.In a draft email among the latest published documents, Epstein said Gates had engaged in extramarital affairs, a claim the Gates Foundation denied in a statement to The New York Times.Another document showed an email exchange between Musk and Epstein in 2012 in which Musk asked: “What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?”Musk said in a post on his X platform on Saturday he was aware that the email correspondence could be “misinterpreted and used by detractors to smear my name.”He called for the prosecution of “those who committed serious crimes with Epstein.”In other emails, Epstein connected Steve Tisch, 76, producer of the movie “Forrest Gump” and the co-owner of the New York Giants football team, with multiple women.In one exchange with Tisch, Epstein describes a woman as “russian, and rarely tells the full truth, but fun.”Former prince Andrew, who was stripped of his royal titles over his ties to Epstein, is mentioned in one document inviting Epstein to Buckingham Palace in 2010 after Epstein proposed introducing Andrew to a Russian woman.- Conspiracy theories -Trump’s right-wing base has long been obsessed by the Epstein saga and conspiracy theories that the financier oversaw a sex trafficking ring for the world’s elite.Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend, is the only other person charged in connection with his crimes and Blanche appeared to play down expectations that the latest files would lead to further prosecutions.Trump and Clinton both figure prominently in the records published so far but neither has been accused of wrongdoing.A Republican-led House panel voted recently to launch contempt of Congress proceedings against Bill and Hillary Clinton over their refusal to testify before its probe into Epstein.Trump, who moved in the same social circles as Epstein in Florida and New York, fought for months to prevent release of the vast trove of documents about the disgraced financier.However, a rebellion inside his Republican Party forced him to sign off on a law mandating release of all the documents.Trump has given varying accounts of why he eventually fell out with Epstein. He has criticized the file dumps, saying that people who “innocently met” Epstein over the years risked having their reputations smeared.The Epstein Files Transparency Act called for all the documents held by the Justice Department to be published by December 19.Blanche said Friday’s release “marks the end of a very comprehensive document identification and review process”. He blamed the delay on work on redactions to protect the identities of Epstein’s more than 1,000 alleged victims.

Thousands of protesters rallied in Minneapolis on Friday in the latest show of anger over US President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, as a prominent journalist was charged over his coverage of protests in the northern city. Crowds marched with signs blasting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency leading Trump’s mass deportation drive, in response to a call for a “national shutdown” across the United States.Minneapolis has become the epicenter of the immigration policy backlash after two protesters, both US citizens, were shot dead by federal agents this month.”I don’t think our federal government should be terrorizing our people like this,” Sushma Santhana, 24, told AFP as demonstrators chanted “our streets!” around her.The crowd gathered in freezing temperatures after Bruce Springsteen performed at an anti-ICE concert in the city. The US rock legend recently released “Streets of Minneapolis,” a tribute to the pair who were gunned down in separate incidents.Another protester, 24-year-old Max Maffor, said he was demonstrating “to conserve what we would consider our democracy and all the liberties that we get from living in America.”Demonstrators also held rallies in New York and across Los Angeles, where immigration raids last year sparked protests, with thousands carrying signs outside City Hall.In Washington, the federal government entered a partial shutdown at midnight Friday following Democratic anger over the violent immigration crackdown, which derailed talks over new funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).- Journalist charged -Earlier Friday, the Trump administration charged former CNN anchor Don Lemon and eight others with civil rights violations, after Lemon and other reporters covered a protest at a church where an ICE official is a pastor.The journalist’s lawyer said he was taken into custody in Los Angeles overnight, adding that his work covering the protest “was no different to what he has always done.”Lemon faces two charges of conspiracy to deprive rights and interfering with First Amendment rights, a DHS spokesperson told AFP, referencing the constitutional protection for freedom of expression, including religion.Political figures and media advocates condemned Lemon’s arrest, with Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries calling for his immediate release.”This is an egregious attack on the First Amendment and on journalists’ ability to do their work,” the Committee to Protect Journalists’ chief Jodie Ginsberg said.Lemon was released from custody after a short court hearing in Los Angeles, US media reported. His next hearing is in Minneapolis on February 9. “I will not stop now,” he said after his release.”In fact, there is no more important time than right now, this very moment, for a free and independent media that shines a light on the truth and holds those in power accountable.”- Civil rights probe -Trump meanwhile walked back his conciliatory tone to describe Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old nurse killed last week, as an “agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist” after new footage allegedly showed him in a scuffle with federal agents.AFP could not immediately verify the video, in which a man said to be Pretti is seen kicking and breaking the taillight of the agents’ car before they emerge and tackle him to the ground.Some Minneapolis residents were unstirred by the footage.”So the guy kicked a car’s light, does that mean he deserved to die?” Pedro Wolcott, a Latino sandwich shop owner, told AFP. The Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into Pretti’s death, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters Friday. There is no similar probe for Renee Good, who was shot dead by agents on January 7.- Mass deportation to continue -Trump had claimed he wanted to “de-escalate a little bit” in the fallout of the deaths and appointed a new point man in Minneapolis, top immigration adviser Tom Homan.Homan said that “certain improvements could and should be made,” a marked difference in tone from his predecessor on the ground, combative Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino.Homan also said his staff was “working on a drawdown plan” for some of the more than 3,000 federal agents, if there was greater cooperation from the local authorities in the Democratic-run city.He told Fox News on Friday that Trump was still “going to have a mass deportation.” The administration was in Minneapolis “to save lives — to save lives of officers, to save lives of the community and do smart law enforcement operations”, he said.

Late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein proposed introducing a Russian woman to King Charles III’s brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, newly released documents showed Friday.The discussion about the woman appears in some of the millions of new pages released Friday by the US Justice Department, as well as an apparent exchange weeks later about an invitation to Buckingham Palace.In one August 12, 2010 email, Epstein told Andrew — addressed as “The Duke” — that he had “a friend who I think you might enjoy having dinner with” and said she would be in London from August 20 to 24, the documents show. Andrew asked what Epstein had told her about him and whether she would be bringing “a message” from Epstein, the messages indicate.In a subsequent email, Andrew replied that he would be in Geneva on August 22, but “would be delighted to see her”.Epstein said the woman was 26, Russian, clever and beautiful, adding that she had the prince’s email.There is no suggestion in the materials that any meeting took place.Andrew, who has always denied any wrongdoing, was last year stripped by the king of all his royal titles over his association with Epstein.Weeks later, they apparently discussed dinner at Buckingham Palace.According to one message, Epstein contacted Andrew on September 27, 2010 during a stay in London, writing: “What time would you like me… we will also need (to)… have private time.”Andrew replied that he was just leaving Scotland, adding: “We could have dinner at Buckingham Palace and lots of privacy.”Two days later Andrew emailed again.”Delighted for you to come here to BP (Buckingham Palace). Come with whomever and I’ll be here free from 1600ish to 2000,” he wrote.It was not clear whether any dinner at the palace — then the official London residence of the late Queen Elizabeth II — ever took place.Epstein had been released on probation from house arrest in August 2010 following his sentencing for procuring for prostitution a girl below the age of 18.In a 2019 interview with the BBC, Andrew claimed he had cut ties with the sex offender after December 2010, but court documents revealed later showed he continued to communicate with him.Other documents made public last year and a posthumous memoir by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre — who had accused Andrew of sexual assault — reignited UK anger over his ties to Epstein.It culminated in the king deciding to remove all of his brother’s royal titles and honours and announcing that he would be ousted from his 30-room mansion on the royal estate at Windsor, west of London.The former prince, now known by as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has always denied that he sexually abused Giuffre, who alleged that she was trafficked to have sex with him on three occasions, twice when she was just 17.After she launched a lawsuit against him, he paid her a multi-million-pound settlement in 2022 without making any admission of guilt.Giuffre, a US and Australian citizen, died by suicide at her home in Australia in April.Epstein died by suicide in jail in 2019.

The US government entered a partial shutdown Saturday as a midnight funding deadline passed without Congress approving a 2026 budget, though disruption was expected to be limited with the House set to move early next week to ratify a Senate-backed deal.The funding lapse followed a breakdown in negotiations driven by Democratic anger over the killing of two protesters in Minneapolis by federal immigration agents, which derailed talks over new money for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).”Instead of going after drug smugglers, child predators, and human traffickers, the Trump Administration is wasting valuable resources targeting peaceful protestors in Chicago and Minneapolis,” Senate Democratic Minority Whip Dick Durbin posted on social media.”This Administration continues to make Americans less safe.”Roughly three-quarters of federal operations are affected, potentially triggering shutdown procedures across a wide range of agencies and operations, from education and health to housing and defense. Federal departments were expected to begin implementing shutdown plans overnight, but congressional leaders in both parties said the Senate’s action made a short disruption far more likely than a prolonged impasse.If the House approves the package as expected early next week, funding would be restored within days, limiting the practical impact of the shutdown on government services, contractors and federal workers.If the shutdown extended more than a few days, however, tens of thousands of federal workers would risk being put on unpaid leave or working without their money until funding is restored.Late Friday, the Senate passed a package clearing five outstanding funding bills to cover most federal agencies through September, along with a two-week stopgap measure to keep DHS operating while lawmakers continue negotiations over immigration enforcement policy.The House of Representatives was out of session as the deadline expired and is not scheduled to return until Monday. President Donald Trump backed the Senate deal and urged swift House action, signaling he wanted to avoid a prolonged shutdown — the second of his second term — after a record-length stoppage last fall disrupted federal services for more than a month.- Political backlash -The Senate breakthrough came only after Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina lifted a procedural block that had stalled the package late Thursday. Graham had objected to provisions in the DHS stopgap and to House-passed language repealing an earlier measure that allowed senators to sue the Justice Department if their phone records were seized during past investigations.Graham agreed to release his hold after Senate leaders committed to holding future votes on legislation he is sponsoring to crack down on so-called “sanctuary cities” that refuse to cooperate with federal deportation operations.Democrats, meanwhile, have remained united in opposing new DHS funding without changes to immigration enforcement following the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis.Their deaths intensified scrutiny of federal agents’ conduct and hardened opposition to approving money for immigration agencies without new guardrails.Party leaders have accused immigration authorities of operating with insufficient oversight and have demanded reforms including tighter warrant requirements, limits on certain enforcement tactics and greater accountability for agents in the field.Much of the US media interpreted the White House’s willingness to split DHS funding from the broader budget package as a recognition that the administration needed to recalibrate its deportation strategy after the political backlash over the Minneapolis deaths.Republicans are divided over that approach. While some lawmakers have acknowledged the need for changes following the shootings, conservatives have warned against concessions they say could weaken immigration enforcement. Several have signaled they will push their own priorities during the upcoming DHS negotiations, including measures targeting states and cities that limit cooperation with federal authorities.Although Congress has already approved six of the 12 annual funding bills, those measures account for only a minority of discretionary spending. The remaining bills fund large swaths of the federal government, making the lapse significant if it ends up being prolonged.The Office of Management and Budget on Friday night issued a memo ordering agencies to prepare for an “orderly shutdown,” saying: “It is our hope that this lapse will be short.”

Venezuela’s acting president announced on Friday a proposal for mass amnesty in the country, in her latest major reform since the US toppling of Nicolas Maduro just weeks ago.Delcy Rodriguez, in a speech at the Venezuelan Supreme Court attended by top government officials, said she will propose a “general amnesty law covering the entire period of political violence from 1999 to the present.”Leftist revolutionary Hugo Chavez assumed the presidency in 1999, and was succeeded upon his death in 2013 by Maduro, who oversaw an increasingly authoritarian government and whose two re-elections were widely dismissed as fraudulent.”This law will serve to heal the wounds left by political confrontation, fueled by violence and extremism. It will allow us to put justice back on track in our country,” Rodriguez said, also announcing a “major national consultation for a new judicial system.”She also announced plans to close the notorious El Helicoide prison in Caracas, where rights groups say political prisoners were tortured by Maduro’s intelligence services.The massive facility, originally built as a shopping mall, will be turned into a “sports, cultural and commercial center for police families and neighboring communities,” Rodriguez said.A mother interviewed by AFP near El Helicoide was overjoyed that her son, imprisoned inside, may soon be released under the law.”It’s wonderful! I haven’t heard from my son in six months, so, damn it, this is a huge joy, it’s an amnesty, my God, it’s total liberation,” said Betsy Orellana, 63.- Wary opposition -Formerly Maduro’s vice president, Rodriguez, 56, has quickly moved in less than four weeks in power to overhaul Venezuelan society in ways sought by the United States, earning high praise from US President Donald Trump.Along with her brother, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez, she has passed a new law opening up the country’s critical oil sector to private investments — a key demand of Trump.The move on Thursday was almost immediately followed by a rollback on US sanctions targeting Venezuela’s oil industry.The government also agreed on January 8, five days after Maduro was seized in a deadly US military operation, to free inmates considered political prisoners by rights groups.Families — many of whom began camping outside the prisons — and rights groups have criticized the slow pace of the releases, with the Foro Penal NGO counting less than 300 in total released since January 8.Opposition figures in Venezuela have voiced reserved optimism at the changes taking place, wary that Maduro’s closest allies still remain in power.Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado said Friday that Rodriguez’s amnesty proposal came only after she was pushed by Washington.”This is not a voluntary gesture by the regime, but a response to pressure from the United States government. And I hope that the prisoners will soon be able to be with their families,” she posted on social media.Opposition lawmaker Tomas Guanipa, whose two brothers are imprisoned, said he hope the amnesty would end “an era of repression.””May this be the beginning of a path that leads us to freedom and democracy, definitively and forever,” he told AFP in an interview at his home in Caracas.- Americans freed -US authorities on Friday announced that all Americans known to be held prisoner in Venezuela had been released. The announcement came hours after the release of Peruvian-American political prisoner Arturo Gallino Rullier, whom the Foro Penal group said was on his way to the United States.For years, Venezuela has routinely arrested foreigners and domestic opposition actors on a range of charges from spying to plotting attacks — charges critics dismiss as fabricated.In a sign of Trump’s satisfaction with the new Venezuelan authorities, his administration lifted a ban on US flights to the South American country.And after years of the US embassy being shuttered, Washington is also preparing to re-establish its diplomatic presence in Caracas.Seasoned diplomat Laura Dogu was recently named US charge d’affaires for Venezuela — the highest level representative below an ambassador.Dogu is expected to arrive in Caracas on Saturday, diplomatic sources told AFP.

“Melania,” the Amazon MGM-produced documentary following the typically guarded US first lady as she prepares for her husband Donald’s second inauguration, opened in theatres Friday.The wide release came a day after a lavish premiere at the Kennedy Center, recently redubbed the Trump-Kennedy Center, where the 55-year-old former model’s outspoken husband called the film “glamorous, very glamorous.”At a showing in Washington, where a major winter storm has snarled transit, Savannah Harrison told AFP she had purchased her ticket because she “was just very intrigued to see the behind the scenes.”Unlike most reviewers in US media, she was delighted by the film.”In contrast of what we see from President Trump everyday, it’s just another aspect that it humanizes them a little bit more,” she said, admitting that she went into the film with a positive view of the first lady.In Los Angeles, where voters opted against Trump 2-to-1 in 2024, a billboard for the documentary was defaced to make it appear as if the first lady was defecating on an American flag.The 1 hour 44 minute film follows the normally guarded Melania during the 20 days leading up to the January 20, 2025 inauguration. After its theatrical release it will be available for streaming on Prime Video.From the presidential couple’s Florida estate to Trump Tower in New York and the White House, the first lady goes from appointment to appointment, preparing her outfits for Inauguration Day and deciding on decor for their return to Washington.There are no sensational revelations, though she does discuss the deep impact of her mother’s death. She also says her favorite singer is Michael Jackson.Surprise guests also make appearances, including French first lady Brigitte Macron, who holds a video call with her incoming American counterpart.- Critiques -While the film grants rare access into her life, “Melania” has also given an insight into the way US business titans have lined up to pay tribute to the Trump administration in the past year.Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos has grown notably closer to Trump, securing a prime seat at the inauguration and telling the Washington Post newspaper he owns to favor pro-business editorials.US media say that of Amazon’s $40 million licensing deal for the film, Melania, who served as executive producer, will receive 70 percent. The next highest bid, from Disney, was reportedly only $14 million.At a viewing in Florida, Jannet Iglesias was enthusiastic about the film, calling it “incredible.””I think that everyone has to come and see it. I’m going to come for the second time,” she said.US media has been less enthusiastic in its reviews, with The Atlantic calling the documentary a “disgrace” and the Variety trade magazine describing it as a “shameless infomercial.”Expected viewership for the film has also been much discussed online, with many anticipating weak sales.In South Africa, the film was withdrawn from major theaters just before its release, with the distributor citing “the current climate.”South Africa’s government has had very tense relations with Trump, notably over his unfounded allegations of there being a “genocide” against White people in the country.The film has also been roundly critiqued for its director: Brett Ratner.The director behind the “Rush Hour” franchise was in 2017 accused of sexual assault by actresses Natasha Henstridge and Olivia Munn, as well as four other women, in the midst of the #MeToo movement. He has denied any wrongdoing.