In a historic confrontation, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified for nearly seven hours behind closed doors in connection with the Epstein scandal. Clinton argued that her summons was a calculated "diversion" meant to protect Trump.

WASHINGTON, Feb 26 (INS): During her seven-hour closed-door testimony before the House Oversight Committee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton demanded that President Donald Trump be questioned under oath regarding his own extensive history with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who ran the world's largest trafficking network involving the who's who of the global elite, putting to shame even the barbarous oligarchies in the remote regions of the sprawling Russian 'empire'.

Throughout her testimony on Thursday, Clinton remained resolute, repeatedly stating she had "no idea" of the scale of Epstein’s crimes before they became public knowledge. "I don't know how many times I had to say I did not know Jeffrey Epstein," she told reporters after emerging from the deposition in Chappaqua, New York.

(Chappaqua, in Westchester County, New York State, 50 km north of Midtown Manhattan, is an hamlet where Bill and Hillary Clinton have their primary residence. The 19-member Republican-led House Oversight Committee held the deposition at the nearby Chappaqua Performing Arts Center, travelling all the way from Washington DC for the couple's convenience. Clinton deposes on Friday.)

While her husband, former President Bill Clinton—scheduled to testify on Friday—has previously admitted to flying on Epstein’s private jet for charitable work, Hillary Clinton maintained a distinct distance. She clarified that while she knew Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell "casually as an acquaintance," she never visited Epstein’s homes, his private island or traveled on his aircraft.

The former Secretary of State framed her appearance as a "fishing expedition" by Republicans intended to shield the President. She argued that if the committee were genuinely interested in the truth, they would "ask (Trump) directly under oath" about the thousands of references to him found within the unsealed Epstein files.

Clinton’s legal team emphasized that while the Clintons were compelled to testify under threat of contempt, other high-profile figures had only been asked for written statements. This discrepancy, she argued, points to an institutional effort to divert public scrutiny away from the President’s past ties to the financier.

Emerging from the closed-door session, Clinton was resolute. "I never met Jeffrey Epstein. Never had any connection or communication with him," she told reporters. She dismissed allegations of involvement in Epstein’s network as "partisan political theater" and a "fishing expedition."

However, Clinton admitted to knowing Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell "casually as an acquaintance"—noting Maxwell attended her daughter’s wedding as a guest—but maintained she was "horrified" by the crimes later revealed. She stated unequivocally that she had no knowledge of the sex trafficking operations and had never visited Epstein's private island or flown on his aircraft.

Why Hillary Clinton was called

The Republican-led committee, chaired by Rep. James Comer, subpoenaed Hillary primarily due to her husband’s documented travel on Epstein’s jet and her proximity to figures within the financier's social circle. However, Clinton argued that her summons was a calculated "diversion" meant to protect Trump.

She pointed to the millions of pages recently unsealed under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which reportedly contain over 38,000 references to Donald and Melania Trump.

"If this committee is serious about learning the truth... it would ask Trump directly under oath about the tens of thousands of times he shows up in the Epstein files," Clinton challenged.

Since her husband, Bill Clinton, is a confirmed associate who traveled on the "Lolita Express," the committee argued that as his spouse and a high-ranking government official, she may have been privy to information regarding his travels or Epstein’s influence-seeking at the State Department.

Ironically, the committee used Hillary’s own platform against her, arguing that as a global advocate against sex trafficking, she should have been more aware of Epstein's activities occurring within her social and political circles.

She argued that Republicans summoned her to create a media circus that would drown out the 38,000 references to Donald and Melania Trump found in the latest unsealed files.

Global "Who’s Who" of Epstein network

The 2026 release of millions of DOJ documents has effectively mapped out a network that spans politics, royalty, high finance and others.

The investigation has also evolved far beyond a domestic scandal, unveiling a web of influence that reportedly dwarfs the clandestine "dark operations" typically associated with Russian intelligence. The recent release of millions of pages of Justice Department documents has sent shockwaves through the global elite.

The DOJ's 2026 document release—comprising over 3 million pages—has exposed an influence network that critics say rivals the "dark operations" of global intelligence agencies. This web of power includes:

Corporate & academic ties: From Silicon Valley billionaires to Ivy League academics, Epstein leveraged his wealth to infiltrate the world's most prestigious institutions, creating a "protection racket" of mutual interest that allowed his crimes to persist for decades.

Political giants: Former President Bill Clinton (scheduled to testify Feb 27) and current President Donald Trump are the most prominent names. While neither has been charged, their social ties to Epstein in the 90s and 2000s remain central to the inquiry.

The British Monarchy, political & royal fallouts: The network's reach extended to the highest levels of the British establishment, leading to the recent arrests of former Prince Andrew and ex-ambassador Peter Mandelson. Prince Andrew (Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor) remains a focal point, with emails showing Epstein attempting to arrange "Russian dates" for the royal as late as 2010.

International figures: The network reaches into Europe, with former Norwegian PM Thorbjørn Jagland recently charged with aggravated corruption linked to the probe.

Corporate & academic elite: Names like Elon Musk, Bill Gates and former WEF head Børge Brende have surfaced in various capacities, leading to high-profile apologies and resignations as the public scrutinizes the "protection racket" that allowed Epstein to operate for decades.

In entertainment, the lists include Michael Jackson and Steven Tisch.

The Russia connection: Files suggest Epstein may have been more than a socialite; investigators are probing his attempts to broker meetings with Vladimir Putin and his ties to Russian and Belarusian power networks. Some reports even allege he acted as an unofficial "wealth manager" for global leaders.

While Russia is often criticized for its "dark operations" (oligarch influence and clandestine intelligence), the Epstein network is being framed as an even more sophisticated "protection racket." It allowed a criminal to operate in plain sight for decades by compromising the world's most powerful people through a mix of high-level philanthropy and "honey traps."

As Bill Clinton prepares for his own deposition tomorrow, the pressure on the Trump administration to address the "missing FBI files" allegedly containing serious abuse accusations continues to mount, potentially exposing even more members of the world’s most powerful circles.

The incident has triggered a debate on social media whether the officer refused to take orders from a party leader or he was accused of any corruption, some netizens justifying the handling in either case, that Ratnakar was blocking public welfare work! It is true the Govt machinery has been the enemy Number One of the people of this country, existing for itself and for these politicians, for well over seven decades. India will never make an inch of progress - real progress, not make-believe-progress - unless and until this machinery is eliminated.

The irony lies in her illustration of her experiences in the country she has been living in for the last four years. What it really is!

ANALYSIS: There have been cases of Britons going to Switzerland to get rid of a miserable life. Now once the House of Lords also passes the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, terminally ill Britons can call it quits with the help of a medical practitioner here itself. But the measure when comes into practice, will have very serious social consequences, it is feared. There won't be comparisons, even as tropes in Latin American folklores. The worst case scenario is of those who are not terminally ill also trying to misuse the provision to leave this world early when life with dignity is not available. But that is, in fact, a political question and not a moral imbroglio!

The CCTV footage and the video circulating on social media do not indicate any serious abnormalities in takeoff or descent, it has been confirmed. The disaster is becoming curiouser and curiouser. The flight path was not curvy. And the aircraft maintained a steady, gliding descent with its nose straight and the wings perfectly level. The pilot's distress call does not specify what prevented lift and climb-out. Here are some expert opinions. The sole purpose is to raise travellers' awareness about air travel.

Many of the victims were charred beyond recognition, making identification difficult. Three hundred nineteen body parts have been sent for DNA matching with relatives to determine the identities.

• The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla line provides Kashmir with all-weather connectivity and integrates the Valley with the rest of India.
• The saying 'Kashmir to Kanyakumari' is now a dream come true.
• The Chenab bridge on the line, an engineering marvel, is the world's highest railway bridge, taller than the Eiffel Tower. (Video: File)

A comment on social media on Kanimozhi's answer on the question of national language read: "Daughter of Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi. Delivered the Birthday Present to her Father!!" (Karunanidhi was born on June 3, 1924) (Today's headlines )

Trump said, "Elon is not really leaving" and will be "back and forth" to the White House because DOGE is his "baby." "I think he’s going to be doing a lot of things.”

Musk wrote: "My scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end... The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government." Now on it will be on auto-pilot.

PROGNOSIS: DOGE was prematurely born to protect the country by aborting an impending socio-economic disaster which very few people could see coming.

Although its immediate job was to save American taxpayers billions by slashing waste, eliminating fraud, cutting Government bloat and ensuring utmost efficiency in administration for the good of the people. (Today's headlines )

"Coming from a system like in England, empowering," she says she never had an idea of this sort of experience... being asked to “socialise with middle-aged men” who financed the event...humiliating...

Originally from Junagadh, Gujarat, Pataudi was relocated to Etawah Lion Safari in September 2019 before being transferred to Gorakhpur Zoo in 2021. Recently it was receiving treatment for pancreatic and liver infections. After tigress Shakti died in the zoo on May 7 due to bird flu, Pataudi was shifted to Kanpur. Some birds are also reported to have died mysteriously around Gorakhpur. All zoos in UP are closed for fear of a bird flu outbreak.

Three other animals too had died - a tiger, a leopardess and a female wolf. Wolf Bhairavi died last Saturday, leopardess Mona died the Thursday before that and tiger Kesari died on March 30. Some of them had Shakti's symptoms but the cause of death has not been confirmed yet.

As tourist inflow is an indicator of normalcy returning to an erstwhile terrorist infested Valley, the Government has been trying hard to make everything travel-friendly, launching lot many projects and bringing Kashmir on the national rail map that physically completes the process of Kashmir's integration with the rest of India. And that defeats the designs of Pakistan eyeing Kashmir and simply explains a recrudescence of terrorism in J&K.

The committee headed by justice Kurian Joseph will study Centre-State relations and make proposals to ensure foolproof separation of powers.

"It's a big victory not just for Tamil Nadu but for all Indian States. DMK will continue to struggle for and win State autonomy and Federal polity," Chief Minister MK Stalin said.

Of 2.08 km in length, it features 99 spans and a 72.5-metre vertical lift span that rises up to a height of 17 metres, facilitating smooth movement of ships while ensuring seamless train services to the holy town of Rameswaram on Pamban island.

ANALYSIS: There is a lot of hue and cry around the world over Trump's tariffs. But tariff, simply put, is a tax. But unlike tax, it affects the exporting country too. Domestic prices will go up for some time. Nothing more will happen, good or bad!

What motivated Trump's newfound policy, apart from being a stunt to justify his existence in the White House, is a false realisation that increased tariff will make foreign goods prohibitive, thereby boosting local production, and create more jobs, and more prosperity will ring in! If that is true, India would have been shining by now: Producing own Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail and Scotch Whiskies! And what about coconut and palm oil by America! (Today's headlines )

PROGNOSIS: It looks a Real New Trump is emerging - courageous, balanced, powerful and disinterested. Determined to save his country from the cliff, he has done quite a few draconian things that will reduce the burden of debts of the Federal entity, like the golden handshake, stopping senseless funding, pulling out of a worthless WHO. Shutting the Education Department is another. On the other hand, running it is also not the Centre's job either (We will convincingly elaborate it in the next chapter).

In India the scene is just the opposite. Centralisation is the core agenda and identity of the ruling dispensation without which it has no existence, or in other words, it exists for that set of schemes only. A realisation of this never dawned upon any Opposition party in 2014 or any time thereafter, what to talk of being able to see it coming 70 years ago! The consequence of all this violation of basic natural law of the universe we cannot predict.

THE AMERICAN CONUNDRUM: Political venom has migrated to top echelons in the US. It was reported last year NASA has become politicised, vitiated. But NASA refuted the charge. How Boeing developed a glitch but its unmanned return was smooth. When Suni-Wilmore were stranded last June, why the return was set for February? Because that comes only after January 20! SpaceX called the shots, for itself and for Trump. Then the mission was manipulated for March for a better bargain! In between, what made Elon Musk 'predict' during campaign if Kamala Harris wins he would be in jail. In politics, it is said, "the only rule is there are no rules." Difficult times for Americans too.

The terminations are part of a large-scale exercise going on all across Fed departments and organisations to reduce wasteful Government expenditure as decided by a Trump in a mess gone berserk, and improve administrative efficiency following the whims of billionaire and his associate Elon MusK and his DOGE. It has not been shared how terminations are going to raise the efficiency bar! It looks like Trump has stolen some of the prescriptions meant for India. But the American problems are quite different.

Suddenly these colonial clerks feel this effortless, little rule will tremendously enhance security and convenience for the railway passengers manifold. More stations will be covered in the next 77 years! (Also See: New Delhi station stampede... What went wrong?)