The House Oversight Committee has been carrying out a probe into the late financier, with several prominent figures – including Bill and Hillary Clinton – among those to have given evidence so far.

A spokesperson for Mr Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, said he “welcomes the opportunity” to face questions.

“While he never witnessed or participated in any of Epstein’s illegal conduct, he is looking forward to answering all the committee’s questions to support their important work,” they said in a statement.

The hearing is scheduled for 10 June.

There have been growing calls for high-profile individuals named in the Epstein files to testify about their ties to him and any knowledge of his crimes. Being named in the files does not imply wrongdoing.

The millions of documents released by the US justice department in recent months have included email exchanges between Epstein and Mr Gates, photos of whom have also featured.

Mr Gates maintains that his relationship and repeated meetings with Epstein were confined to philanthropy-related discussions and that it was a mistake for him to meet Epstein.

He told Australia’s 9News earlier this year: “Every minute I spent with him, I regret.”

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Also set to appear before the committee in the coming months is Donald Trump’s former attorney general Pam Bondi, who was sacked last week.

The president had reportedly grown frustrated over her handling of the Epstein files. The move to summon her to give evidence was spearheaded by a Republican, Nancy Mace, who said “the American people want answers”.

Epstein, a wealthy and well-connected financier, was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges and was found dead in his prison cell in August that year.

His ties to some of the world’s most high-profile figures have come under heightened scrutiny after Mr Trump signed legislation passed by Congress last November requiring the justice department to release documents relating to its investigations into Epstein.

Crucially, Mr Trump has said the US would hit civilian infrastructure, something that is widely considered a war crime under international law.

The Geneva Convention, which the UK is a signatory to, but the US is not, states, “Civilian objects shall not be the object of attack or of reprisals”.

However, the US president said in a news conference on Monday that “the entire country” could be taken out in “one night, and that night might be tomorrow”.

He added: “We’re giving them till tomorrow, 8pm EST (1am UK time), and after that, they’re going to have no bridges, they’re going to have no power plants. Stone ages.”

When asked, Mr Trump said he was “not at all” concerned that such an act could be classified as a war crime, before adding, “I hope I don’t have to do it”.

In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, the president went further, saying: “A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”

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“Any targeting of civilian infrastructure… is illegal”

The possibility of targeting civilian infrastructure has been condemned by European leaders, including EU Council president Antonio Costa.

On Monday, Mr Costa wrote that “Any targeting of civilian infrastructure, namely energy facilities, is illegal and unacceptable”.

The possibility of concerted US strikes against civilian infrastructure marks a significant departure from Washington’s previous stance on war crimes and what constitutes them.

Four years ago, it was the US that was accusing Russia of war crimes over the targeting of civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, with president Joe Biden calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal”.

Despite Russia not being a signatory to the Geneva Conventions, alleged Russian actions in Ukraine still led to the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing an arrest warrant for Mr Putin.

The Kremlin said at the time that Russia, which does not recognise the ICC, found the questions raised by the court “outrageous and unacceptable”.

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Mr Costa has said that the same principle of not targeting civilian infrastructure “applied everywhere,” in the same way that it “applies to Russia’s war in Ukraine”.

The head of the UN, Antonio Guterres, has openly raised the idea that such an attack, by any party, could be counted as war crimes.

In an interview with Politico in late March, Mr Guterres said: “If there are attacks either on Iran or from Iran on energy infrastructure, I think that there are reasonable grounds to think that they might constitute a war crime.”

Previous power threats

Iran, Israel and the US have all been attacking energy infrastructure since the outbreak of the current conflict.

Responding to those attacks in March, Heba Morayef, Amnesty International’s regional director, said: “There is a substantial risk such attacks would violate international humanitarian law and, in some cases, could amount to war crimes”.

However, a coordinated campaign targeting power plants, as the US has threatened, would be a significant escalation.

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This is not the first time that Mr Trump has threatened to hit Iranian power plants.

On 22 March, the president wrote on Truth Social that the US would “hit and obliterate” Iranian power plants if Tehran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.

Iran responded by saying it would attack crucial infrastructure across the Gulf in response to any US attack, including desalination plants.

On Sunday, Kuwait accused Iran of launching an attack which put a water desalination station out of service – such moves may also pass the threshold of being deemed a war crime.

She went into labour as the Caribbean Airlines flight was on its final approach from Kingston to New York City.

Both the mother and newborn received medical attention when the plane touched down.

One air traffic controller quipped the baby should be called “Kennedy” because the flight had landed at John F Kennedy International Airport.

Caribbean Airlines said in a statement: “The airline comments the professionalism and measured response of its crew, who managed the situation in accordance with established procedures, ensuring the safety and comfort of all onboard.”

A spokesperson went on to confirm that an emergency was not declared.

Such incidents are exceedingly rare, with figures from the National Library of Medicine suggesting just 74 infants were born on flights between 1929 and 2018. Of those, 71 survived the delivery.

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Caribbean Airlines allows pregnant passengers to fly without medical clearance until the end of their 32nd week, and prohibits travel after the 35th week.

Brad Bernstein, an immigration lawyer, says the birth creates some pretty interesting legal questions.

In a video on his YouTube page, he explained: “Now the big question is… is that baby a US citizen?

“Here’s the answer – depends on one thing: where exactly that plane was in the sky at the moment of birth.

“If the baby was born in US airspace, then under the 14th Amendment and State Department regulations, that child is automatically a US citizen.

“But if the baby was born even a few minutes earlier outside of the United States airspace, not a US citizen.”

“Here we go, ready or not,” Ms Guthrie said as the show opened. “Let’s do the news.”

After running through a series of news headlines, Ms Guthrie said, “we are so glad that you started our week with us and it’s good to be home”.

Her co-host, Craig Melvin said, “it’s good to have you back at home”.

She greeted longtime co-worker Al Roker with “Good morning, Sunshine,” when he said it was good to see her on the set.

At the end of the first 25-minute section of the show, she offered Mr Melvin a high-five.

Ms Guthrie became overwhelmed by emotions before the last half hour, when she joined colleagues in front of fans gathered at the show’s Rockefeller Center studio.

She fought back tears when one fan was seen with a “Welcome home Savannah” shirt, and grabbed hold of colleague Jenna Bush Hager’s arm, thanking people for their support.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen at her Arizona home on 31 January and was reported missing the following day.

Officials say her blood was found on the front porch. Purported ransom notes were sent to news outlets, but deadlines for paying have passed.

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Authorities believe she was kidnapped or abducted. During the investigation, the FBI released surveillance videos showing a masked man on the porch that night.

Today co-anchor Ms Guthrie, 54, has acknowledged she’s a changed person since her mother’s disappearance and that it’s difficult to press ahead without knowing what happened to her.

Despite a search that involved thousands of federal and local officers and volunteers, there has been no sign of the mother-of-three since she went missing.

In a video message released by her New York church on Easter Sunday, Ms Guthrie said she felt “moments of deep disappointment with God, the feeling of utter abandonment”.

But she said the resurrection is not fully celebrated “if we do not acknowledge the feelings of loss, pain, and yes, death”.

“Perhaps this is too dark a message to share on Easter morning, but I have long believed that we miss out on fully celebrating resurrection if we do not acknowledge the feelings of loss, pain and, yes, death,” she said.

“It is the darkness that makes this morning’s light so magnificent, so blindingly beautiful.”

In her closing message, she said: “I see a bright vision of the day when heaven and Earth pass away because they are one, on Earth as it is in heaven.

“When we celebrate today, this is what we celebrate, and I celebrate, too. I still believe. And so I say with conviction, ‘Happy Easter.'”

Ms Guthrie, one of US morning television’s most recognisable faces, has been a co-anchor on Today since 2012.

There had been a great deal of speculation about whether she would return to the show.

Nancy Guthrie made occasional appearances on Today over the years, once taking part in a cooking demonstration and surprising her daughter on set.

When Savannah Guthrie returned to her hometown of Tucson last year for a segment recorded for the show, the pair attended one of their favourite restaurants and talked about their love of Arizona.

The Guthrie family has offered a $1m (£754,000) reward for information leading to the return of their mother.

The FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department both said late last week that they had no updates.

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Early on, some media outlets reported receiving ransom messages linked to the case.

Ms Guthrie said she and her siblings responded to two they believed to be real and offered to pay.

Ms Guthrie said her celebrity status might be the reason her mother was taken, but that possibility was “too much to bear”.

Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her Arizona home on 31 January and was reported missing the following day.

Officials say her blood was found on the front porch. Purported ransom notes were sent to news outlets, but deadlines for paying have passed.

Authorities believe she was kidnapped or abducted. During the investigation, the FBI released surveillance videos showing a masked man on the porch that night.

Today co-anchor Ms Guthrie has acknowledged she’s a changed person since her mother’s disappearance and that it’s difficult to press ahead without knowing what happened to her.

Despite a search that involved thousands of federal and local officers and volunteers, there has been no sign of the 84-year-old mother-of-three since she went missing.

In a video message released by her New York church on Easter Sunday, Ms Guthrie said she felt “moments of deep disappointment with God, the feeling of utter abandonment”.

But she said the resurrection is not fully celebrated “if we do not acknowledge the feelings of loss, pain, and yes, death”.

“Perhaps this is too dark a message to share on Easter morning, but I have long believed that we miss out on fully celebrating resurrection if we do not acknowledge the feelings of loss, pain and, yes, death,” she said.

“It is the darkness that makes this morning’s light so magnificent, so blindingly beautiful.”

In her closing message she said: “I see a bright vision of the day when heaven and Earth pass away because they are one, on Earth as it is in heaven.

“When we celebrate today, this is what we celebrate, and I celebrate, too. I still believe. And so I say with conviction, ‘Happy Easter.'”

Announcing her return to NBC’s flagship morning show, Ms Guthrie said she was unsure whether she’ll feel like she still belongs.

“It’s hard to imagine doing it because it’s such a place of joy and lightness,” she said just over a week ago on Today in her first interview since her mother’s disappearance.

“I can’t come back and try to be something that I’m not. But I can’t not come back because it’s my family.”

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Ms Guthrie, one of US morning television’s most recognisable faces, has been a co-anchor on Today since 2012.

There had been a great deal of speculation about whether she would return to the show.

“I want to smile, and when I do it will be real,” she told broadcaster Hoda Kotb, who returned to Today to fill in for Guthrie while she concentrated on the search.

“Being there is joyful, and when it’s not I’ll say so.”

Nancy Guthrie made occasional appearances on Today over the years, once taking part in a cooking demonstration and surprising her daughter on set.

When Savannah Guthrie returned to her hometown of Tucson last year for a segment recorded for the show, the pair attended one of their favourite restaurants and chatted about their love of Arizona.

The Guthrie family has offered a $1m reward for information leading to the return of their mother.

The FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department both said late last week that they had no updates.

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Early on, some media outlets reported receiving ransom messages linked to the case.

Ms Guthrie said she and her siblings responded to two they believed to be real and offered to pay.

Ms Guthrie said her celebrity status might be the reason her mother was taken, but that possibility was “too much to bear”.

He rang emergency services in Phoenix because his injuries meant he couldn’t continue his descent from Lookout Mountain.

Rescue teams dispatched a helicopter and winched him to safety, before transferring him to an ambulance so he could be taken to hospital.

Officials say he is in a critical condition, and local media reports suggest he is fighting for his life.

Phoenix Fire Department has urged hikers to avoid disturbing hives, wear light-coloured clothing, and not to use scented products while outdoors.

Anyone who encounters a swarm is advised to run away quickly while protecting their head and face – taking extra care to cover the mouth.

Dr Frank Lovecchio, a professor at Arizona State University, has said the venom from repeated bee stings effectively “crushes your muscle”.

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He told FOX 10 that bees in Arizona are highly aggressive – and it is not uncommon for someone to be stung hundreds of times in a single incident.

“It’s always about protecting the queen bee, protecting the hive,” he said. “And it sends signals that the other bees come over and kind of attack you.”

An unusually warm winter has caused bee activity to rise in Arizona, and this is the latest in a long line of incidents.

Just last week, five people were stung – with one taken to hospital – after a swarm disrupted a women’s lacrosse game at a university campus in Tempe.

The president’s plea for the money was included in a proposed budget plan released by the ​White House to fund the US federal government ‌for the 2027 financial year.

Such spending requests are normally seen as suggestions by Congress.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons would use the investment to cover the ​first-year costs of rebuilding Alcatraz into “a state-of-the-art ⁠secure prison facility”, the plan said.

The jail, on an island in San Francisco Bay in northern California, closed in 1963, and was opened to the public in 1973 as part of the US National Park Service.

Last May, Mr Trump said in a social media post that he had told the bureau, along with the US Department of ‌Justice and other agencies to “reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt Alcatraz, to house America’s most ruthless and violent offenders”.

It would “serve as a symbol of law, order, and justice”, in a country that had been “plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat criminal offenders, the dregs of society”, he wrote.

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Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, which opened in 1934, had been billed as the most ⁠secure prison in the US, given the island location, frigid ​waters and strong currents.

Authorities said escape was impossible, but in the 29 years it was open, 36 men made 14 separate attempts, according to the FBI.

No successful escapes ​were ever officially recorded, though five prisoners are ​listed as “missing and presumed drowned”.

The story of three of those inmates was turned into the highly successful 1979 film, Escape From Alcatraz, starring Clint Eastwood.

Alcatraz Island was also the setting for the 1996 movie, The Rock, starring Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage.

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It has since become a major tourist site, attracting more than a million visitors a year, according to its website.

Khimberly Zavaleta Chuquipa, also 12, was trying to protect her older sister from bullies at the time of the incident in Los Angeles.

She was taken to a nearby hospital where she was checked over and discharged.

But three days later, Khimberly was rushed to another hospital and placed in an induced coma to undergo emergency brain surgery to try and stop a haemorrhage.

Robert Glassman, a lawyer representing Khimberly’s family said: “This arrest is an important step toward accountability.

“But an arrest alone does not equal justice and does not answer the larger question of how this was allowed to happen in the first place.”

The family are considering whether to take legal action against the hospital that initially treated Khimberly.

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They also want to hold the Los Angeles Unified School District accountable for failing to intervene long before the fatal attack took place in February.

It is claimed that both Khimberly and her sister Sharon had been bullied, harassed and physically attacked for months when at school.

Mr Glassman added: “The focus cannot stop with one student – there must be a hard look at what the adults in charge knew, when they knew it, and why meaningful action wasn’t taken sooner.”

The school district has declined to comment.

Words spoken from the furthest humanity has gone in half a century.

In their first live broadcast, Commander Reid Wiseman and his fellow astronauts on the Artemis II mission described their view of Earth as “spectacular”.

From outer space, they watched the polarising politics of their home planet fade into the distance.

But reflecting on the past week, it could equally be said of the White House under Donald J Trump: there is nothing normal about this.

Monday brought debate about potential war crimes, with the president having threatened to bomb Iran’s power and water desalination plants.

His press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said the US always operated within the law, “but” would continue to pursue its objectives “unabated”.

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By Tuesday, he was threatening to pull the US out of NATO, again, and singling out the UK, in particular.

“Go get your own oil!” he blasted on Truth Social.

An insult juxtaposed with confirmation that the King and Queen’s state visit to the United States will go ahead as scheduled this month.

The insults continued on Wednesday, with Donald Trump mocking Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron during an Easter reception.

He depicted them as weak, while his spiritual adviser, Paula White, depicted Trump as Christ-like.

“You were betrayed and arrested and falsely accused. It’s a familiar pattern that our Lord and Saviour showed us,” she said.

“They call me king now. Can you believe it?” Trump interjected, while reading about Palm Sunday.

A few hours later, he was delivering the vaguest presidential address to the nation in living memory.

Heavily billed as “an important update on the war”, it brought more confusion than clarity.

A quiet Maundy Thursday? Not a chance. That turned out to be Attorney General Pam Bondi’s last supper.

The president fired another high-profile woman from his cabinet, this one over her handling of the Epstein files, and for not pursuing his opponents more aggressively.

On Friday, the US lost an F-15 fighter jet to Iranian fire, one of the two crew quickly plucked to safety.

During efforts to find the second, a second US plane and two US Blackhawk helicopters were also hit.

A daring search and rescue mission in enemy territory, in the shadow of a daring lunar mission that has captivated humanity.

Christina Koch, the first woman in history to travel around the moon as part of the Artemis II mission, described seeing all of Earth through “one single pane”.

An “absolutely phenomenal” view, she said.

From tens of thousands of miles away, the planet is a fragile luminous sphere without borders, where human quarrels seem small.

But in the context of an unconventional White House, the potential for a much larger war in the Middle East looms large.

The one drawback of flying to the moon is that you might not want to come back again.

The plans, which require congressional approval, would see the defence budget rise by $500bn, reaching around $1.5trn.

The White House likened the requested funding boost, which will include a 5-7% pay raise for military personnel, to the “historic increases just prior to World War II”.

Mr Trump’s spending proposals come as the US war against Iran, which has caused soaring gas prices, enters its sixth week.

The Pentagon had already requested $200bn (£151.49 bn) in extra funding to pay for the Iran conflict, but the White House has not officially made that request to Congress.

The request includes funding for the Golden Dome missile defence shield, and 34 new combat and support ships.

Initial funding for the US president’s ‘Trump class’ battleships would also be included in the defence hike.

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Republican US Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Republican US Representative Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, both welcomed the announcement.

In a joint statement, the two men said, “America is facing the most dangerous global environment since World War II,” and that the funding would “ensure our military remains the most advanced in the world”.

However, top congressional Democrats said the president’s defence-heavy proposal was “dead on arrival”.

“It’s just an out-of-touch plea for more money for guns and bombs, and less for the things people need, like housing, healthcare, education, roads,” Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley, the top Democrat on the budget committee, said in a statement.

NATO leaders agreed at a summit last year to spend 5% ⁠of GDP on defence and related investments by 2035.

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The budget also includes proposed cuts to the US agriculture department and health and human services department.

Sky News reported that Mr Trump has also proposed cutting NASA’s budget by $5.6bn, almost a quarter of its entire budget.