NEW YORK >> A Justice Department request to unseal grand jury transcripts in the prosecution of chronic sexual abuser Jeffrey Epstein and his former girlfriend is unlikely to produce much, if anything, to satisfy the public’s appetite for new revelations about the financier’s crimes, former federal prosecutors say.

Attorney Sarah Krissoff, an assistant U.S. attorney in Manhattan from from 2008 to 2021, called the request in the prosecutions of Epstein and imprisoned British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell “a distraction.”

“ The president is trying to present himself as if he’s doing something here and it really is nothing,” Krissoff told The Associated Press in a weekend interview.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche made the request Friday, asking judges to unseal transcripts from grand jury proceedings that resulted in indictments against Epstein and Maxwell, saying “transparency to the American public is of the utmost importance to this Administration.”

The request came as the administration sought to contain the firestorm that followed its announcement that it would not be releasing additional files from the Epstein probe despite previously promising that it would. .

In Japan, Ishiba’s coalition loses majority

TOKYO >> Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba ‘s ruling coalition failed Monday to secure a majority in the 248-seat upper house in a crucial parliamentary election, NHK public television said.

Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner Komeito needed to win 50 seats on top of the 75 seats they already have to reach the goal. With two more seats to be decided, the coalition had only 46 seats.

The loss is another blow to Ishiba’s coalition, making it a minority in both houses following its October defeat in the lower house election, and worsening Japan’s political instability. It was the first time the LDP has lost a majority in both houses of parliament since the party’s foundation in 1955.

Despite the loss, Ishiba expressed determination to stay on to tackle challenges such as U.S. tariff threats, but he could face calls from within his party to step down or find another coalition partner.

“I will fulfill my responsibility as head of the No. 1 party and work for the country,” he said..

Several earthquakes hit off Russian coast

MOSCOW >> The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says there is no longer a danger of tsunami waves on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula after five powerful quakes — the largest with a magnitude of 7.4 — struck in the sea nearby on Sunday.

The largest quake was at a depth of 12 miles and was 89 miles east of the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which has a population of 180,000, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Smaller — but still substantial — quakes were recorded before and after. Russian state media said, citing local geologists, that over two dozen aftershocks had hit Kamchatka. It added their strength was gradually receding.

The PTWC initially said there was a danger of major tsunami waves but later downgraded its warning before finally saying the danger had passed.

Tillman brother charged in post office crash

A driver was arrested Sunday for crashing a vehicle into a post office in San Jose, California, and setting the building ablaze, authorities said.

Officials said the man, Richard Tillman, 44, is believed to be the youngest brother of Pat Tillman, a former professional football player turned Army Ranger who was killed in Afghanistan. Richard Tillman was arrested on suspicion of arson, officials said. He was being held at the Santa Clara County jail.

Firefighters were called about 3 a.m. Pacific time Sunday to a post office in the Almaden Valley area of San Jose, where they found that a vehicle had plowed through the front of the building, authorities said. It took them more than 90 minutes to extinguish the fire. No one was injured.

The crash is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and local law enforcement agencies. In a statement Sunday, the Postal Inspection Service said the crash was potentially intentional and that investigators were trying to determine a motive. The agency also said that Tillman was “reported to be the brother of” Pat Tillman, a star defensive back for the Arizona Cardinals who enlisted in the U.S. Army after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Suspect in L.A. crash had criminal record

LOS ANGELES >> A man suspected of driving his car into a crowd on a sidewalk in Los Angeles, injuring 36 people, has a criminal history that includes a conviction for felony battery, officials said Sunday.

The driver, identified by police as 29-year-old Fernando Ramirez, was attacked by bystanders after the crash early Saturday in east Hollywood and paramedics later found that he had been shot. Police were still searching for the suspected shooter, described as a man with a goatee in a blue Dodgers jacket.

Ramirez, of San Clemente, California, was recovering and was expected to face a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon.

Ramirez has had at least 11 criminal cases ranging from misdemeanors to felonies, KNBC reported. In 2022, he was charged with felony domestic battery and entered a not guilty plea.

Five die in Indonesia when ferry catches fire

MANADO, Indonesia >> A passenger ferry carrying hundreds of people caught fire at sea on Sunday off Sulawesi island in Indonesia, killing at least five people, officials said. More than 280 people were rescued and evacuation efforts were ongoing.

The KM Barcelona 5 was headed to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province, from Talaud, an island district in the province when it caught fire in waters near Talise, said Vice Adm. Denih Hendrata, commander of the Indonesian Fleet Command.

He said that three navy ships had been deployed, and 284 passengers and crew members had been evacuated so far. The rescue operation included assistance from local fishermen, who saved some survivors wearing life jackets as they were drifting to nearby islands in the choppy waters.

S. Korean storms leave 17 dead, 11 missing

SEOUL, South Korea >> Torrential rains that slammed South Korea for five days have left 17 people dead and 11 others missing, the government said Sunday.

One person was killed on Sunday after their house collapsed during heavy rain and another person was found dead after being swept away by a swollen stream in Gapyeong, a town northeast of Seoul, the Interior and Safety Ministry said.

The ministry said 10 people were discovered dead and four others were reported missing in the southern town of Sancheong over the weekend after heavy downpours caused landslides and flash floods there.

Missing girl’s body found in upstate N.Y.

The death of a 9-year-old girl whose father initially reported she was missing and possibly abducted is being investigated amid “inconsistencies” in his account, police said Sunday after the girl’s body was found in New York state.

Melina Frattolin was reported missing from near Lake George in northeast New York late Saturday evening by her father, Luciano Frattolin, according to New York State Police. Both father and daughter were identified by authorities as residents of Canada.

No charges have been announced in the case.

— From news services