WEF President Borge Brende steps down after Epstein links come to light
Geneva: Borge Brende has resigned as President and Chief Executive Officer of the World Economic Forum (WEF) after details of his past interactions with late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein surfaced in documents released by the United States Department of Justice last month.
Brende, a former Norwegian foreign minister who took charge of the WEF in 2017, announced his decision to step down on Thursday. His exit follows scrutiny over his contacts with Epstein, whose associations with global leaders and business figures have drawn attention in recent disclosures.
In a statement announcing his resignation, Brende said, “After careful consideration, I have decided to step down as President and CEO of the World Economic Forum. My time here, spanning 8-1/2 years, has been profoundly rewarding.” He did not refer to Epstein in the statement but added that he believed it was the right time for the Forum to continue its work “without distractions.”
The WEF, which organises the annual Davos summit, had earlier launched an independent review into Brende’s relationship with Epstein. The move came after the newly released files revealed that Brende had attended three business dinners with Epstein and had exchanged emails and text messages with him.
Epstein was convicted in 2008 for procuring a minor for prostitution and served about a year in prison. He continued to maintain contact with influential figures until 2019, when he was arrested on federal charges of sex trafficking underage girls. Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail that year.
Earlier this month, Brende stated that during a 2018 visit to New York, he had been invited by former Norwegian politician Terje Rod-Larsen to attend a dinner that included “someone who was presented to me as an American investor, Jeffrey Epstein.”
“The following year, I attended two similar dinners with Epstein, alongside other diplomats and business leaders. These dinners, and a few emails and SMS messages, were the extent of my interactions with him,” Brende said.
He maintained that he was unaware of Epstein’s criminal background at the time. “I was completely unaware of Epstein’s past and criminal activities,” he said, adding that he would not have had any contact had he known about the financier’s history. He also expressed regret for not conducting a more thorough background check.
In a separate statement, WEF co-chairs Andre Hoffmann and Larry Fink said the independent review carried out by external counsel had been completed. According to the findings, there were no additional concerns beyond what had already been disclosed.
The WEF announced that Alois Zwinggi will serve as interim President and CEO. The Forum’s board of trustees will oversee the leadership transition and begin the process of identifying a permanent successor.
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India & Israel elevate ties to special strategic partnership, vow to soon conclude free trade deal
Jerusalem (PTI): India and Israel on Thursday elevated their "time-tested" relationship to a special strategic partnership and agreed to soon firm up a "mutually beneficial" free trade deal even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly backed the Gaza peace initiative, asserting that humanity must never become a victim of conflict.
Following talks between Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, the two sides inked a plethora of agreements to expand cooperation in areas of trade, agriculture, energy, cyberspace and digital payment.
India and Israel also vowed to expand their already close defence partnership by working towards joint development and joint production of military hardware under the framework of the transfer of technologies.
In his media statement, Modi said India's security interest is linked to peace and stability in the Middle East, adding that New Delhi fully supports the Gaza Peace Initiative.
"India's stance is clear: humanity must never become a victim of conflict. A path to peace has been created through the Gaza Peace Plan. India has fully supported these efforts," he said.
"In the future as well, we will continue dialogue and cooperation with all countries," he said.
PM Modi landed in Israel on Wednesday on a two-day visit. It is his second visit to Israel in nine years.
In his remarks, the prime minister said India and Israel have a united view that there is no place for terrorism in the world and both sides stand shoulder-to-shoulder in countering terrorism and its supporters.
"Our relationship is founded on the strong bedrock of deep trust, shared democratic values, and human sensitivities. Our bond has stood the test of every trial of time," he said.
"Today, we have taken the historic decision to elevate our time-tested partnership to the status of a 'Special Strategic Partnership'," he said.
The prime minister also announced the establishment of an India-Israel critical and emerging technologies partnership to impart a new momentum for cooperation in areas of artificial intelligence, quantum, and critical minerals. "I am pleased that an agreement has been reached for the use of UPI in Israel," he said.
The prime minister, referring to the threat of terrorism, said India and Israel will continue to confront the menace unitedly.
"India and Israel are completely clear that there is no place for terrorism in the world. In any form, in any expression, terrorism cannot be accepted," he said.
"We have stood shoulder-to-shoulder in opposing terrorism and its supporters, and we will continue to do so," he added.
India and Israel also discussed the implementation of the India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and cooperation under the framework of I2U2 (India-Israel-UAE-USA).
