BBC News Briefing

3 February, 2026

Sofia has long brown hair and brown eyes and is wearing a green top

Sofia Lotto Persio

Hello. Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state and presidential candidate, have agreed to testify in the congressional investigation into late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. We have the details. Africa analyst Paul Melly explains how the US approach to West African juntas has changed amid growing Russian influence. And finally, watch how Groundhog Day unfolded in Pennsylvania.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Clintons faced criminal contempt vote

Bill Clinton has white hair and blue eyes. He is wearing a blue suit and tie with a white shirt. Hillary Clinton has short blonde hair and blue eues. She is wearing a blue blazer.

Bill Clinton has never been accused of wrongdoing by survivors of Epstein's abuse. Credit: Getty Images

Bill Clinton's deputy chief of staff Angel Ureña has confirmed the couple will appear before the House Oversight Committee as part of the congressional investigation into Epstein. It's unclear when the depositions will take place. The couple was facing a vote to hold them in criminal contempt for refusing to appear before the committee, which is led by Republicans. The Clintons say they previously provided the committee with sworn statements and have already provided the "limited information" they had. They wrote a letter to chairman James Comer last month criticising his handling of the probe as "partisan politics." Bill Clinton was acquainted with Epstein, but has denied knowledge of his sex offending and says he cut off contact two decades ago.

Keep reading

Congressional testimony: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor faces growing pressure to give evidence on what he knows about Jeffrey Epstein.

Sarah's Trust: The charity has announced it will close after emails appear to show Sarah Ferguson contacted Epstein while he was in prison.

Watch: Chief North America correspondent Gary O'Donoghue explains why the Epstein files have not resulted in any arrests or prosecutions.

WORLD HEADLINES

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NEWS FROM THE UK

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