Team Trump says NBC News edited Holt's exclusive interview. Here's the truth
by Brian Stelter @brianstelter
September 20, 2018
Trump tells NBC he planned to fire Comey
President Trump's legal team knows that his May 2017 interview with NBC's Lester Holt makes him more vulnerable to claims that he obstructed justice.
So they have come up with a curious explanation: The interview was "edited" and that's why people are confused about what Trump meant.
Trump attorney Jay Sekulow advanced this argument on "Cuomo Prime Time" on Wednesday night. Trump himself brought it up on Twitter a few weeks ago.
"When Lester Holt got caught fudging my tape on Russia, they were hurt badly!" Trump said in an anti-NBC tweet in late August.
This might be an appealing explanation to Trump's base, since it casts the media -- NBC in this case -- as the villain. But there is no sign that NBC "fudged" the tape of the interview or did anything else untoward.
This seems to be part of a pattern of Trump trying to deny what everyone heard for themselves on tape.
But Sekulow is making a more nuanced point: That one part of the Trump-Holt interview drowned out another part of the interview. Sekulow is trying to point people to a quote that he believes is exculpatory.
Notably, Sekulow revealed to Cuomo that Trump's legal team has repeatedly addressed this matter with Robert Mueller's special counsel office. This is another sign that the Mueller is looking seriously at obstruction of justice issues.
"In our professional discussions with the office of special counsel, we have addressed that on multiple occasions appropriately," Sekulow said.
So here's what this is all about
Holt lucked into one of the most important presidential interviews in years. NBC announced in May that Holt will sit down for an exclusive interview with Trump. The next day, Trump fired FBI director James Comey. There was immediate speculation that Trump was trying to stop the investigations into the Russian effort to support his campaign. Trump's critics accused him of engaging in a cover-up.
The Holt interview took place as scheduled on that Thursday.
Holt, the anchor of the "NBC Nightly News," repeatedly tried to get to the bottom of why Trump fired Comey. Trump blew up the White House's stated reason, which was that deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein had officially recommended Comey's firing, and Trump had just accepted the recommendation.
Trump said to Holt, "He made a recommendation, but regardless of recommendation, I was going to fire Comey, knowing there was no good time to do it. And in fact when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said, you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story. It's an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should have won."
Trump made this statement without any interruptions by Holt or editing by NBC. The camera stayed on Trump the entire time.
Holt later followed up with questions about Trump's mindset, like "Are you angry with Mr. Comey because of his Russia investigation?"
Trump responded, "I just want somebody that's competent."
Trump kept talking and talking. But most news reports from other outlets that covered the interview focused on the first statement -- where Trump confirmed that the FBI's Russia probe was on his mind when he fired Comey.
This clip with this quote has aired thousands of times since: "And in fact when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said, you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story."
But Sekulow is trying to draw attention to something Trump said a little while later.
"When you review the entire transcript, it is very clear as to what happened," Sekulow said on "Cuomo Prime Time."
Sekulow was apparently pointing to this part of the interview, one minute after Trump's "made-up story" comment, when Trump says he knew that firing Comey could prolong the Russia probe.
"As far as I'm concerned, I want that thing to be absolutely done properly," Trump said to Holt. "When I did this now, I said I probably maybe will confuse people. Maybe I'll expand that -- you know, I'll lengthen the time because it should be over with. It should -- in my opinion, should've been over with a long time ago because it -- all it is an excuse. But I said to myself, I might even lengthen out the investigation. But I have to do the right thing for the American people. He's the wrong man for that position."
After that sentence, there is clearly an edit in the NBC interview. Holt moves on to ask another question. But such edits are not uncommon in television news, especially when an interview subject is rambling.
NBC News published a 13-minute version of the interview on its website. To date, NBC News has not released the entire interview. (Some news organizations opt to publish complete transcripts of presidential interviews, while others do not.)
NBC News declined to comment on the Trump team's assertions. Sekulow did not respond to a followup request for comment from CNN on Thursday.
On "Cuomo Prime Time," Sekulow was making the case that Trump's later comment -- "I might even lengthen out the investigation" -- is important context.
Trump's legal team made a similar argument in a confidential January 2018 memo to Mueller. The New York Times obtained copies of the memo over the summer.
"By the way, I'm not faulting anybody to run a clip," Sekulow said on CNN Wednesday night. "But to turn that into literally a federal case, we don't think it's right, we don't think it's constitutional, and we think the entire transcript without question supports the president realized that when he fired James Comey, it might actually extend this investigation, and he said that on the tape."
That still doesn't explain why Trump accused NBC of "fudging" the tape.
Saturday, September 22, 2018
Portrait of Kavanaugh Accuser Christine Blasey Ford: Thorough, Guarded, Accomplished Academic Dr. Ford - Wall Street Journal
Portrait of Kavanaugh Accuser Christine Blasey Ford: Thorough, Guarded, Accomplished Academic
Dr. Ford, a married mom of two sons, built a quiet life in California as a research psychologist
By Alexandra Berzon, Sadie Gurman and Zusha Elinson
Updated Sept. 19, 2018
Christine Blasey Ford sent an unusual Facebook message to her best college friend this summer with a question: Had she ever mentioned a sexual assault that occurred when she was in high school?
Her friend, Catherine Piwowarski, her onetime roommate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said she had no memory of that. She didn’t know at the time that Dr. Ford was considering coming forward with her allegation that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her in the 1980s, when both were teenagers in suburban Maryland.
Christine Blasey Ford has alleged that Judge Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a party when they were teenagers in the early 1980s. He denies the allegations.
Christine Blasey Ford has alleged that Judge Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a party when they were teenagers in the early 1980s. He denies the allegations.
Interviews with friends and acquaintances of Dr. Ford paint a picture of a guarded person, one more interested in discussions of sports and science than politics and personal trauma. Her decision to go public this week with the explosive accusation has thrust her into an uncomfortable spotlight and put her three-decade-old memories at the center of a fight over the fate of President Trump’s second Supreme Court nominee.
Democrats have pointed to her allegation as a reason to disqualify Judge Kavanaugh. Republicans, without dismissing her claim, have questioned why her allegation wasn’t aired sooner, before hearings were held earlier this month. They also say that her recollections are spotty and imprecise but potentially tarnishing to a nominee they see as extremely qualified for the court.
In recent days, Dr. Ford has faced online intimidation and death threats, and her family relocated from their northern California home, her lawyers said. This harassment, her lawyers said late Tuesday, has made her reluctant to testify Monday about details of a night she has rarely discussed and has said she struggles to remember. While she had initially agreed to testify, her lawyers said she would only do so after an FBI investigation into her allegation, which Republicans have rebuffed, saying nothing new would be learned.
CHRISTINE BLASEY FORD
Born: November 1966
Education: Graduated from Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, Md., in 1984. She has received degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Pepperdine University; the University of Southern California and Stanford.
Career and details: Dr. Ford is a professor of psychology and statistics at Palo Alto University, who teaches in consortium with Stanford University. She has co-written more than 50 scientific books and publications on topics such as the relationship between childhood abuse and neglect and adult depression; post-traumatic growth after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001; and whether acupuncture is a useful treatment for depression during pregnancy.
Family: Husband, Russell Ford; two sons
Political affiliation: Democrat
Dr. Ford didn’t return calls for comment or answer the door this week at her home in Palo Alto, Calif., where she lives with her husband and two sons. Her lawyer Debra Katz also didn’t respond to requests for more information.
Dr. Ford, a 51-year-old research psychologist, said in a Washington Post article that she and Judge Kavanaugh were teenagers at a party in the early 1980s when he and a friend, whom she identified as Mark Judge, pulled her into a bedroom. Judge Kavanaugh pinned her down on the bed, groped her and tried to take off her clothes before she escaped, she said. Dr. Ford told the Post she didn’t tell anyone about the alleged incident in detail until a couples therapy session with her husband in 2012.
Judge Kavanaugh, 53, unequivocally denied the allegation, saying he didn’t know who had made the claim until Dr. Ford identified herself in the story on Sunday.
“I have never done anything like what the accuser describes—to her or to anyone,” he said.
Mr. Judge has told lawmakers he has no memory of the alleged incident.
Dr. Ford’s friends describe her as credible and trustworthy; Judge Kavanaugh’s have defended him as respectful and honorable.
Dr. Ford, a professor at Palo Alto University in California, graduated from the all-girls Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, Md., not far from the Georgetown Preparatory School Judge Kavanaugh attended. High-school classmates recalled her as a kind and popular cheerleader who played soccer and was on the diving team.
“She was one of the nicest ones,” said Eliza Knable, who was in the same high-school class but not part of the same friend group as Dr. Ford.
Many Holton-Arms students socialized with or dated boys from nearby prep schools, including Judge Kavanaugh’s, said Samantha Semerad Guerry. She was among a group of Holton alumnae from the class of 1984 who signed a letter to lawmakers in support of Dr. Ford.
“One friend said, ‘If she can’t prove it, she doesn’t put pen to paper,’” Ms. Guerry said of Dr. Ford’s allegation. “She’s not an overly sentimental person. She brought logistical reasoning.”
Judge Kavanaugh’s friends are similarly convinced he is an honorable man incapable of the offenses Dr. Ford described.
“In every situation where we were together he was always respectful, kind and thoughtful,” Maura Kane, who dated him in high school, said in a statement. “The accusations leveled against him in no way represent the decent young man I knew.”
None of Dr. Ford’s high school or college friends interviewed for this story remembered her talking about the alleged incident at the party. Betsy Kingsley, a high-school friend, said she recalled a different gathering that both Dr. Ford and Mr. Judge attended during her sophomore year of high school.
Friends said it was clear Dr. Ford remained traumatized decades later. Jim Gensheimer, a friend in Palo Alto, said she confided in him that she needed more than one exit door in her bedroom to prevent her from feeling trapped.
She told some classmates she was concerned that coming forward would diminish her privacy, Ms. Guerry said.
In July, Dr. Ford sent a tip to the Post and wrote a letter to her congresswoman, Rep. Anna Eshoo (D., Calif.), who encouraged her to reach out to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. She wanted to tell her story in confidence “so that lawmakers would have a full understanding of Brett Kavanaugh’s character and history,” Ms. Katz, her attorney, said in a letter to the committee. After reporters caught wind of the letter, Dr. Ford came forward to tell her story on her own terms, wrote Ms. Katz, who is well-known in Washington for her work representing women in the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment.
Three Senators Key to the Kavanaugh Confirmation
Three Senators Key to the Kavanaugh Confirmation
Prof. Christine Blasey Ford recently accused Judge Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were in high school. The WSJ's Gerald F. Seib looks at the three senators who could delay the vote on the nominee. Photo: Getty
Friends say Dr. Ford isn’t intensely political. Federal records show that Dr. Ford, a registered Democrat, has made three donations since January 2017 totaling $42 to Act Blue, an online service that provides a one-stop donation platform used by Democrats seeking office.
The recent publicity Dr. Ford has received is in contrast to the quiet professional life she built for herself.
After high school, Dr. Ford threw herself into her studies, spending much of her time working in research labs, Ms. Piwowarski said.
At Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., where she pursued a master’s degree, she learned to surf and met Brian Merrick, an avid surfer, through mutual friends. They started dating around the end of 1991, which blossomed into an eight-year relationship, said Mr. Merrick, adding that she was “sweet, cute and with a good attitude.” He met and grew fond of her family in the Washington, D.C. area, describing her father as a self-made man whose conservative views sometimes clashed with her liberal outlook. But Mr. Merrick never saw her become involved in or working for a political cause.
At no point in their relationship did she mention an incident involving Judge Kavanaugh—whose name he had never heard before—or any case of sexual assault.
“It strikes me as odd it never came up in our relationship,” Mr. Merrick said. “But I would never try to discredit what she says or what she believes.”
Dr. Ford’s studies led to a distinguished career in psychology. She has co-written more than 50 scientific books and publications on topics such as the relationship between childhood abuse and neglect and adult depression; post-traumatic growth after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001; and whether acupuncture is a useful treatment for depression during pregnancy.
After receiving her doctorate from the University of Southern California, Dr. Ford worked as a research associate in psychology and biostatistics for Allan Reiss, a psychiatry professor at Stanford Medical School.
Dr. Ford focused on the quantitative analysis in studies involving children with “genetic and medical risk factors for suboptimal behavioral outcomes,” Dr. Reiss said, including such rare conditions as fragile X syndrome and 22q deletion syndrome.
“She was thoughtful, thorough, collaborative, good-natured. And it’s hard to be good-natured, sometimes, in that role, because a lot of people may want the results to be in a certain direction or of a certain nature, and sometimes they’re not that way,” said Dr. Reiss, director of Stanford’s Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research. She served as a co-author on several of his papers.
Dr. Ford later moved her primary office to Palo Alto University, which operates programs in partnership with Stanford.
Samantha Buchman, who graduated from Dr. Ford’s clinical psychology doctoral program in 2017, said Dr. Ford talked sports, not politics, in class. “She likes to use a lot of surfing metaphors when she teaches because she is a surfer,” she said.
Ms. Piwowarski, the college roommate, said Dr. Ford visited her a few years ago in North Carolina ahead of the divisive 2016 presidential election, but they didn’t talk politics. Instead they chatted about their experience raising teenagers as their children played in a river.
—Jim Oberman, Paul Beckett, Jess Bravin and Lisa Schwartz contributed to this article.
Dr. Ford, a married mom of two sons, built a quiet life in California as a research psychologist
By Alexandra Berzon, Sadie Gurman and Zusha Elinson
Updated Sept. 19, 2018
Christine Blasey Ford sent an unusual Facebook message to her best college friend this summer with a question: Had she ever mentioned a sexual assault that occurred when she was in high school?
Her friend, Catherine Piwowarski, her onetime roommate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said she had no memory of that. She didn’t know at the time that Dr. Ford was considering coming forward with her allegation that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her in the 1980s, when both were teenagers in suburban Maryland.
Christine Blasey Ford has alleged that Judge Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a party when they were teenagers in the early 1980s. He denies the allegations.
Christine Blasey Ford has alleged that Judge Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a party when they were teenagers in the early 1980s. He denies the allegations.
Interviews with friends and acquaintances of Dr. Ford paint a picture of a guarded person, one more interested in discussions of sports and science than politics and personal trauma. Her decision to go public this week with the explosive accusation has thrust her into an uncomfortable spotlight and put her three-decade-old memories at the center of a fight over the fate of President Trump’s second Supreme Court nominee.
Democrats have pointed to her allegation as a reason to disqualify Judge Kavanaugh. Republicans, without dismissing her claim, have questioned why her allegation wasn’t aired sooner, before hearings were held earlier this month. They also say that her recollections are spotty and imprecise but potentially tarnishing to a nominee they see as extremely qualified for the court.
In recent days, Dr. Ford has faced online intimidation and death threats, and her family relocated from their northern California home, her lawyers said. This harassment, her lawyers said late Tuesday, has made her reluctant to testify Monday about details of a night she has rarely discussed and has said she struggles to remember. While she had initially agreed to testify, her lawyers said she would only do so after an FBI investigation into her allegation, which Republicans have rebuffed, saying nothing new would be learned.
CHRISTINE BLASEY FORD
Born: November 1966
Education: Graduated from Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, Md., in 1984. She has received degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Pepperdine University; the University of Southern California and Stanford.
Career and details: Dr. Ford is a professor of psychology and statistics at Palo Alto University, who teaches in consortium with Stanford University. She has co-written more than 50 scientific books and publications on topics such as the relationship between childhood abuse and neglect and adult depression; post-traumatic growth after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001; and whether acupuncture is a useful treatment for depression during pregnancy.
Family: Husband, Russell Ford; two sons
Political affiliation: Democrat
Dr. Ford didn’t return calls for comment or answer the door this week at her home in Palo Alto, Calif., where she lives with her husband and two sons. Her lawyer Debra Katz also didn’t respond to requests for more information.
Dr. Ford, a 51-year-old research psychologist, said in a Washington Post article that she and Judge Kavanaugh were teenagers at a party in the early 1980s when he and a friend, whom she identified as Mark Judge, pulled her into a bedroom. Judge Kavanaugh pinned her down on the bed, groped her and tried to take off her clothes before she escaped, she said. Dr. Ford told the Post she didn’t tell anyone about the alleged incident in detail until a couples therapy session with her husband in 2012.
Judge Kavanaugh, 53, unequivocally denied the allegation, saying he didn’t know who had made the claim until Dr. Ford identified herself in the story on Sunday.
“I have never done anything like what the accuser describes—to her or to anyone,” he said.
Mr. Judge has told lawmakers he has no memory of the alleged incident.
Dr. Ford’s friends describe her as credible and trustworthy; Judge Kavanaugh’s have defended him as respectful and honorable.
Dr. Ford, a professor at Palo Alto University in California, graduated from the all-girls Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, Md., not far from the Georgetown Preparatory School Judge Kavanaugh attended. High-school classmates recalled her as a kind and popular cheerleader who played soccer and was on the diving team.
“She was one of the nicest ones,” said Eliza Knable, who was in the same high-school class but not part of the same friend group as Dr. Ford.
Many Holton-Arms students socialized with or dated boys from nearby prep schools, including Judge Kavanaugh’s, said Samantha Semerad Guerry. She was among a group of Holton alumnae from the class of 1984 who signed a letter to lawmakers in support of Dr. Ford.
“One friend said, ‘If she can’t prove it, she doesn’t put pen to paper,’” Ms. Guerry said of Dr. Ford’s allegation. “She’s not an overly sentimental person. She brought logistical reasoning.”
Judge Kavanaugh’s friends are similarly convinced he is an honorable man incapable of the offenses Dr. Ford described.
“In every situation where we were together he was always respectful, kind and thoughtful,” Maura Kane, who dated him in high school, said in a statement. “The accusations leveled against him in no way represent the decent young man I knew.”
None of Dr. Ford’s high school or college friends interviewed for this story remembered her talking about the alleged incident at the party. Betsy Kingsley, a high-school friend, said she recalled a different gathering that both Dr. Ford and Mr. Judge attended during her sophomore year of high school.
Friends said it was clear Dr. Ford remained traumatized decades later. Jim Gensheimer, a friend in Palo Alto, said she confided in him that she needed more than one exit door in her bedroom to prevent her from feeling trapped.
She told some classmates she was concerned that coming forward would diminish her privacy, Ms. Guerry said.
In July, Dr. Ford sent a tip to the Post and wrote a letter to her congresswoman, Rep. Anna Eshoo (D., Calif.), who encouraged her to reach out to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. She wanted to tell her story in confidence “so that lawmakers would have a full understanding of Brett Kavanaugh’s character and history,” Ms. Katz, her attorney, said in a letter to the committee. After reporters caught wind of the letter, Dr. Ford came forward to tell her story on her own terms, wrote Ms. Katz, who is well-known in Washington for her work representing women in the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment.
Three Senators Key to the Kavanaugh Confirmation
Three Senators Key to the Kavanaugh Confirmation
Prof. Christine Blasey Ford recently accused Judge Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were in high school. The WSJ's Gerald F. Seib looks at the three senators who could delay the vote on the nominee. Photo: Getty
Friends say Dr. Ford isn’t intensely political. Federal records show that Dr. Ford, a registered Democrat, has made three donations since January 2017 totaling $42 to Act Blue, an online service that provides a one-stop donation platform used by Democrats seeking office.
The recent publicity Dr. Ford has received is in contrast to the quiet professional life she built for herself.
After high school, Dr. Ford threw herself into her studies, spending much of her time working in research labs, Ms. Piwowarski said.
At Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., where she pursued a master’s degree, she learned to surf and met Brian Merrick, an avid surfer, through mutual friends. They started dating around the end of 1991, which blossomed into an eight-year relationship, said Mr. Merrick, adding that she was “sweet, cute and with a good attitude.” He met and grew fond of her family in the Washington, D.C. area, describing her father as a self-made man whose conservative views sometimes clashed with her liberal outlook. But Mr. Merrick never saw her become involved in or working for a political cause.
At no point in their relationship did she mention an incident involving Judge Kavanaugh—whose name he had never heard before—or any case of sexual assault.
“It strikes me as odd it never came up in our relationship,” Mr. Merrick said. “But I would never try to discredit what she says or what she believes.”
Dr. Ford’s studies led to a distinguished career in psychology. She has co-written more than 50 scientific books and publications on topics such as the relationship between childhood abuse and neglect and adult depression; post-traumatic growth after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001; and whether acupuncture is a useful treatment for depression during pregnancy.
After receiving her doctorate from the University of Southern California, Dr. Ford worked as a research associate in psychology and biostatistics for Allan Reiss, a psychiatry professor at Stanford Medical School.
Dr. Ford focused on the quantitative analysis in studies involving children with “genetic and medical risk factors for suboptimal behavioral outcomes,” Dr. Reiss said, including such rare conditions as fragile X syndrome and 22q deletion syndrome.
“She was thoughtful, thorough, collaborative, good-natured. And it’s hard to be good-natured, sometimes, in that role, because a lot of people may want the results to be in a certain direction or of a certain nature, and sometimes they’re not that way,” said Dr. Reiss, director of Stanford’s Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research. She served as a co-author on several of his papers.
Dr. Ford later moved her primary office to Palo Alto University, which operates programs in partnership with Stanford.
Samantha Buchman, who graduated from Dr. Ford’s clinical psychology doctoral program in 2017, said Dr. Ford talked sports, not politics, in class. “She likes to use a lot of surfing metaphors when she teaches because she is a surfer,” she said.
Ms. Piwowarski, the college roommate, said Dr. Ford visited her a few years ago in North Carolina ahead of the divisive 2016 presidential election, but they didn’t talk politics. Instead they chatted about their experience raising teenagers as their children played in a river.
—Jim Oberman, Paul Beckett, Jess Bravin and Lisa Schwartz contributed to this article.
Brett Kavanaugh: Judge accuser given more time for hearing - BBC News
Sept, 22, 2018.
Brett Kavanaugh: Judge accuser given more time for hearing
Brett Kavanaugh denies the allegations by Christine Blasey Ford
The woman who accuses US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault has been given extra time to decide whether she will testify against him at a confirmation hearing.
Allegations from a university professor, Christine Blasey Ford, emerged in the US media last week.
She gave details of an incident which she says happened at a party in 1982.
Her lawyer has accused Republicans of trying to "bully" her with "arbitrary" and "aggressive" deadlines.
The Friday deadline given by the Senate judiciary committee is now reported to have been switched to later on Saturday.
The truth about false assault accusations
Kavanaugh accuser 'faces death threats'
Could Kavanaugh confirmation be derailed?
President Donald Trump attacked Prof Ford's credibility on Friday, saying if the attack had been "as bad as she says", she would have reported it to the authorities sooner.
Judge Kavanaugh has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Why the change in deadline?
Prof Ford insists she is ready to testify at the hearing, but negotiations over certain conditions she has set out, including it not taking place until next Thursday, have delayed proceedings.
The committee originally granted her a deadline of 22:00 on Friday (02:00 GMT Saturday) to agree to revised terms - though it is not yet known what these are.
But the professor's lawyer, Debra Katz, demanded another day to decide, saying: "Its sole purpose is to bully Dr Ford and deprive her of the ability to make a considered decision that has life-altering implications for her and her family."
In response, Senator Chuck Grassley - the lead Republican on the committee - said he had granted Prof Ford "another extension" - which, according to the New York Times, runs until 14:30 on Saturday (18:30 GMT).
Skip Twitter post by @ChuckGrassley
ChuckGrassley
✔
@ChuckGrassley
Judge Kavanaugh I just granted another extension to Dr Ford to decide if she wants to proceed w the statement she made last week to testify to the senate She shld decide so we can move on I want to hear her. I hope u understand. It’s not my normal approach to b indecisive
1:42 PM - Sep 22, 2018
How did the allegations come to light?
The allegation against Judge Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's pick for the US top court, became public last week.
It emerged Prof Ford had detailed the alleged assault in a confidential letter to the top Democratic senator on the judiciary committee, Dianne Feinstein, in July.
As the judge neared confirmation, news about the letter leaked to US media. Ms Feinstein then confirmed she had passed it onto the FBI.
After days of continued media speculation, Prof Ford went on record in a Washington Post article as the mystery accuser, detailing the alleged assault.
Media captionWhy it can take sexual assault allegations years to come out
She said Mr Kavanaugh tried to drunkenly remove her clothing at a party, pinned her to a bed and covered her mouth when she was 15 and he was 17.
Since then, her lawyers have been in a back-and-forth with the judicial committee, trying to agree on terms for her to testify.
She had asked for a number of preconditions, including not testifying with Mr Kavanaugh in the room and the subpoenaing of his friend, Mark Judge, who she said witnessed the alleged attempted rape.
Some Republicans, including President Trump, have accused her and Democratic politicians of deliberately trying to delay and obstruct the judge's confirmation, and urged them to push forward.
The feelings are strong on both sides - with both Prof Ford and Brett Kavanaugh and his wife both receiving threats and rallies of support over the matter.
Media captionAlumni of Ford's school: 'We believe her'
Why is it the hearing important?
The choice of a new justice for the Supreme Court is pivotal, as it often gives the final word on highly contentious laws and its nine judges have an immense impact on US public life.
As Mr Trump's pick, Brett Kavanaugh has to first approved in the Senate before he can take his seat - but before that vote can happen, he has to be approved by the judiciary committee, where Prof Ford may testify.
Why is the US top court so important?
Meet the Supremes - who are the justices?
The Senate is made up of 51 Republicans and 49 Democrats - so any testimony she gives on the allegations could prove pivotal.
Some have said there should not be a vote on his confirmation until Prof Ford has been heard.
What has Mr Trump said?
President Trump weighed in heavily on the allegations on social media on Friday.
In a series of tweets, he questioned why law enforcement was not called at the time of the alleged assault, in 1982.
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents. I ask that she bring those filings forward so that we can learn date, time, and place!
11:14 PM - Sep 21, 2018
He also reiterated his full support for Judge Kavanaugh who he described as a "fine man, with an impeccable reputation".
Mr Trump's controversial comments were criticised by Democratic politicians and some Republicans.
Republican Senator Susan Collins said she was "appalled" by Mr Trump's tweet.
"We know that allegations of sexual assault - I'm not saying that's what happened in this case - but we know that allegations of sexual assault are one of the most unreported crimes that exist," she told reporters.
Only 23% of rapes and sexual assaults are reported to the police, according to the Department of Justice's 2016 report.
On Friday, the hashtag #WhyIDidntReport trended on Twitter, with thousands sharing personal stories of sexual harassment and assault.
Patti Davis, the daughter of President Ronald Reagan, wrote in the Washington Post that she was raped 40 years ago.
"It doesn't surprise me that for more than 30 years, Christine Blasey Ford didn't talk about the assault she remembers," she wrote, adding: "It's important to understand how memory works in a traumatic event."
Brett Kavanaugh: Judge accuser given more time for hearing
Brett Kavanaugh denies the allegations by Christine Blasey Ford
The woman who accuses US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault has been given extra time to decide whether she will testify against him at a confirmation hearing.
Allegations from a university professor, Christine Blasey Ford, emerged in the US media last week.
She gave details of an incident which she says happened at a party in 1982.
Her lawyer has accused Republicans of trying to "bully" her with "arbitrary" and "aggressive" deadlines.
The Friday deadline given by the Senate judiciary committee is now reported to have been switched to later on Saturday.
The truth about false assault accusations
Kavanaugh accuser 'faces death threats'
Could Kavanaugh confirmation be derailed?
President Donald Trump attacked Prof Ford's credibility on Friday, saying if the attack had been "as bad as she says", she would have reported it to the authorities sooner.
Judge Kavanaugh has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Why the change in deadline?
Prof Ford insists she is ready to testify at the hearing, but negotiations over certain conditions she has set out, including it not taking place until next Thursday, have delayed proceedings.
The committee originally granted her a deadline of 22:00 on Friday (02:00 GMT Saturday) to agree to revised terms - though it is not yet known what these are.
But the professor's lawyer, Debra Katz, demanded another day to decide, saying: "Its sole purpose is to bully Dr Ford and deprive her of the ability to make a considered decision that has life-altering implications for her and her family."
In response, Senator Chuck Grassley - the lead Republican on the committee - said he had granted Prof Ford "another extension" - which, according to the New York Times, runs until 14:30 on Saturday (18:30 GMT).
Skip Twitter post by @ChuckGrassley
ChuckGrassley
✔
@ChuckGrassley
Judge Kavanaugh I just granted another extension to Dr Ford to decide if she wants to proceed w the statement she made last week to testify to the senate She shld decide so we can move on I want to hear her. I hope u understand. It’s not my normal approach to b indecisive
1:42 PM - Sep 22, 2018
How did the allegations come to light?
The allegation against Judge Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's pick for the US top court, became public last week.
It emerged Prof Ford had detailed the alleged assault in a confidential letter to the top Democratic senator on the judiciary committee, Dianne Feinstein, in July.
As the judge neared confirmation, news about the letter leaked to US media. Ms Feinstein then confirmed she had passed it onto the FBI.
After days of continued media speculation, Prof Ford went on record in a Washington Post article as the mystery accuser, detailing the alleged assault.
Media captionWhy it can take sexual assault allegations years to come out
She said Mr Kavanaugh tried to drunkenly remove her clothing at a party, pinned her to a bed and covered her mouth when she was 15 and he was 17.
Since then, her lawyers have been in a back-and-forth with the judicial committee, trying to agree on terms for her to testify.
She had asked for a number of preconditions, including not testifying with Mr Kavanaugh in the room and the subpoenaing of his friend, Mark Judge, who she said witnessed the alleged attempted rape.
Some Republicans, including President Trump, have accused her and Democratic politicians of deliberately trying to delay and obstruct the judge's confirmation, and urged them to push forward.
The feelings are strong on both sides - with both Prof Ford and Brett Kavanaugh and his wife both receiving threats and rallies of support over the matter.
Media captionAlumni of Ford's school: 'We believe her'
Why is it the hearing important?
The choice of a new justice for the Supreme Court is pivotal, as it often gives the final word on highly contentious laws and its nine judges have an immense impact on US public life.
As Mr Trump's pick, Brett Kavanaugh has to first approved in the Senate before he can take his seat - but before that vote can happen, he has to be approved by the judiciary committee, where Prof Ford may testify.
Why is the US top court so important?
Meet the Supremes - who are the justices?
The Senate is made up of 51 Republicans and 49 Democrats - so any testimony she gives on the allegations could prove pivotal.
Some have said there should not be a vote on his confirmation until Prof Ford has been heard.
What has Mr Trump said?
President Trump weighed in heavily on the allegations on social media on Friday.
In a series of tweets, he questioned why law enforcement was not called at the time of the alleged assault, in 1982.
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents. I ask that she bring those filings forward so that we can learn date, time, and place!
11:14 PM - Sep 21, 2018
He also reiterated his full support for Judge Kavanaugh who he described as a "fine man, with an impeccable reputation".
Mr Trump's controversial comments were criticised by Democratic politicians and some Republicans.
Republican Senator Susan Collins said she was "appalled" by Mr Trump's tweet.
"We know that allegations of sexual assault - I'm not saying that's what happened in this case - but we know that allegations of sexual assault are one of the most unreported crimes that exist," she told reporters.
Only 23% of rapes and sexual assaults are reported to the police, according to the Department of Justice's 2016 report.
On Friday, the hashtag #WhyIDidntReport trended on Twitter, with thousands sharing personal stories of sexual harassment and assault.
Patti Davis, the daughter of President Ronald Reagan, wrote in the Washington Post that she was raped 40 years ago.
"It doesn't surprise me that for more than 30 years, Christine Blasey Ford didn't talk about the assault she remembers," she wrote, adding: "It's important to understand how memory works in a traumatic event."
Brexit: What happens next? - BBC News
Brexit: What happens next?
21 September 2018
Theresa May: "I will not overturn result of the referendum"
Theresa May has warned that the Brexit negotiations are at an impasse and there will be no progress until the EU treats her proposals seriously.
She has accused EU leaders of showing the UK a lack of respect after they rebuffed her Chequers plan without, she said, any alternative or explanation.
With the clock counting down to the UK's scheduled exit on 29 March 2019, where does this latest row leave the chances of a deal and what could happen next in the Brexit process?
Beyond Salzburg
Thursday's gathering of European leaders in Salzburg was supposed to help bridge outstanding differences and pave the way for a potential deal by the middle of November at the latest.
May: EU must respect UK in Brexit talks
Kuenssberg: Will defiant words be enough
But instead, it has driven a wedge between the UK and the EU, with accusations of bad faith and "un-statesmanlike" behaviour.
Mrs May has said the two sides remain "a long way" apart on the crucial issues of how the UK will trade with the EU after Brexit and the future of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
She reiterated again her belief that her Chequers blueprint was the only way of properly implementing Brexit and also ensuring a "deep and special partnership" with the EU in the future.
The PM, visibly angered by the reception she got from her fellow leaders in Austria, also rejected the two options put on the table by the EU - a Norway-style association agreement and a much looser relationship based on Canada's trade deal with the EU.
For its part, the EU has said the Chequers plan is unworkable as it fragments the single market.
The next few weeks will be crucial if these differences are to be resolved and the two sides are to fulfil their shared aim of an orderly Brexit and an outline agreement on trade, security and other issues.
Boris Johnson quit over the Chequers plan and has since criticised it relentlessly
Mrs May has suffered plenty of Brexit setbacks in the past and soldiered on and it looks like she is determined to do so again.
The only problem is that many of her own MPs don't think she is going about the process of leaving the EU the right way.
The number of Tories who say they won't vote for the Chequers plan seems to be growing by the day and, remember, any deal she negotiates with the EU has to get through Parliament.
There is enormous pressure from the Brexiteer-wing of the party for her to rip up Chequers and throw her weight behind a turbo-charged version of Canada's deal with the EU.
The so-called Canada Plus Plus option, which removes most customs duties on goods but without paying for access to the single market, is backed by Boris Johnson, David Davis and Jacob Rees-Mogg, among others, who believe the UK Parliament will vote for it.
Many Conservative Remainers, like former minister Justine Greening, have also lost faith in Chequers and think there should be a referendum (more of that later) while some Tories think the UK may well end up in a temporary European Economic Area-style arrangement, sometimes called the Norway option.
This would mean accepting the free movement of people and the indirect recognition of European Court of Justice rulings - but would allow businesses access to the EU single market, with some strings attached.
Amid speculation about further cabinet resignations if she persists with Chequers, calls for the PM to think again are likely to reach a crescendo at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.
If the PM does not shift on the substance of her Chequers plan, expect much frenzied talk of leadership challenges.
Decision time in Europe (November)
Will the French president give Brexit the thumbs-up?
Salzburg may have caused a dust-up but it hasn't changed the underlying reality that both sides want as amicable a divorce as possible.
Some Tory MPs favour a clean break with the EU, which would see the UK fall back on its membership of the World Trade Organization, the global body governing international trade, but they are in a minority.
Both sides are ramping up talk of no-deal contingency planning.
But they also know that such an outcome would be seen as a political failure and a disaster for business - particularly as the 21-month transition period planned after Brexit day would be scrapped.
A summit on 18-19 October of EU leaders was, for a long time, pencilled in as the moment that the two sides would have to look each other in the eye and reach a deal.
However, this is not now seen as feasible and the focus is on a special one-off summit that has been arranged for mid-November.
An agreement then, the thinking goes, would still allow enough time for the UK and European Parliaments and a supermajority of European states - that's 20 out of 27 - to ratify any deal before the 29 March deadline.
So, the clock is ticking but the EU is renowned for finalising deals at the 11th hour and it wouldn't be the first time the talks have seemed on the brink of collapse only for a deal to be pulled out of the fire.
The Parliamentary showdown (December-February)
If she brings a deal back from Brussels, Theresa May has another big hurdle to negotiate. She must persuade Parliament to back it, in a vote likely before the end of the year or in early 2019.
Tory Brexiteers opposed to Chequers have suggested up to 80 MPs would be prepared to vote against it.
Although we don't know what the final deal will look like and the size of any rebellion would, in all likelihood, be much smaller, even a dozen Conservatives defying the leadership would risk defeat for the PM, with her non-existent Commons majority.
The opposition parties are unlikely to come to the PM's aid, with Labour saying any deal is unlikely to pass its six tests guaranteeing workers' rights and all the "benefits" of the single market and customs union.
The Labour leadership is hoping to inflict a defeat as a way of triggering a general election.
Brexit Day, another referendum or general election? (2019)
Some Leave campaigners are bracing themselves for another referendum
Reality Check: How would the UK hold a second EU referendum?
Reality Check: Can the UK change its mind on Article 50?
Court to rule on whether UK can halt Brexit
It is written into law that the UK will be leaving at 23:00 GMT on 29 March 2019, two years to the day after the government notified the EU of its intention to quit, by triggering Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty.
But if there is no deal or Parliament rejects the deal, we are in uncharted territory and it is impossible to say with any certainty what will happen next.
Mrs May has insisted the 2016 referendum result will not be overturned but if Parliament cannot agree on what kind of Brexit it wants, a fresh public vote might yet end up being the only way to break the deadlock.
There are a growing number of people who believe this is the case, although they are largely confined to people who voted Remain in 2016 and they can't all agree on what question should be asked on the ballot paper.
The Liberal Democrats and the cross-party People's Vote campaign, backed by about 30 Labour MPs, five Conservatives, the four Plaid Cymru MPs and Green MP Caroline Lucas, wants the option to stay in the EU to be put before voters.
Critics say there won't be enough time for another referendum - and Mrs May has explicitly ruled out extending the two-year Article 50 process, amid reports EU leaders might be open to that.
However, and it is a big however, should Mrs May resign in the event of her deal being rejected, her successor would have a new mandate.
Some European leaders believe Brexit can be halted but, in the absence of a referendum, the only other way this could conceivably happen is if there were a general election before 29 March next year.
A new government with a majority would have the power to delay or reverse the process but whether it would have the desire - given Labour's policy so far has been to respect the Brexit vote - is another matter entirely.
If the UK does leave as planned, it is far from the end of the story.
It is only then that discussions about future co-operation - including a trade deal - will really begin in earnest.
21 September 2018
Theresa May: "I will not overturn result of the referendum"
Theresa May has warned that the Brexit negotiations are at an impasse and there will be no progress until the EU treats her proposals seriously.
She has accused EU leaders of showing the UK a lack of respect after they rebuffed her Chequers plan without, she said, any alternative or explanation.
With the clock counting down to the UK's scheduled exit on 29 March 2019, where does this latest row leave the chances of a deal and what could happen next in the Brexit process?
Beyond Salzburg
Thursday's gathering of European leaders in Salzburg was supposed to help bridge outstanding differences and pave the way for a potential deal by the middle of November at the latest.
May: EU must respect UK in Brexit talks
Kuenssberg: Will defiant words be enough
But instead, it has driven a wedge between the UK and the EU, with accusations of bad faith and "un-statesmanlike" behaviour.
Mrs May has said the two sides remain "a long way" apart on the crucial issues of how the UK will trade with the EU after Brexit and the future of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
She reiterated again her belief that her Chequers blueprint was the only way of properly implementing Brexit and also ensuring a "deep and special partnership" with the EU in the future.
The PM, visibly angered by the reception she got from her fellow leaders in Austria, also rejected the two options put on the table by the EU - a Norway-style association agreement and a much looser relationship based on Canada's trade deal with the EU.
For its part, the EU has said the Chequers plan is unworkable as it fragments the single market.
The next few weeks will be crucial if these differences are to be resolved and the two sides are to fulfil their shared aim of an orderly Brexit and an outline agreement on trade, security and other issues.
Boris Johnson quit over the Chequers plan and has since criticised it relentlessly
Mrs May has suffered plenty of Brexit setbacks in the past and soldiered on and it looks like she is determined to do so again.
The only problem is that many of her own MPs don't think she is going about the process of leaving the EU the right way.
The number of Tories who say they won't vote for the Chequers plan seems to be growing by the day and, remember, any deal she negotiates with the EU has to get through Parliament.
There is enormous pressure from the Brexiteer-wing of the party for her to rip up Chequers and throw her weight behind a turbo-charged version of Canada's deal with the EU.
The so-called Canada Plus Plus option, which removes most customs duties on goods but without paying for access to the single market, is backed by Boris Johnson, David Davis and Jacob Rees-Mogg, among others, who believe the UK Parliament will vote for it.
Many Conservative Remainers, like former minister Justine Greening, have also lost faith in Chequers and think there should be a referendum (more of that later) while some Tories think the UK may well end up in a temporary European Economic Area-style arrangement, sometimes called the Norway option.
This would mean accepting the free movement of people and the indirect recognition of European Court of Justice rulings - but would allow businesses access to the EU single market, with some strings attached.
Amid speculation about further cabinet resignations if she persists with Chequers, calls for the PM to think again are likely to reach a crescendo at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.
If the PM does not shift on the substance of her Chequers plan, expect much frenzied talk of leadership challenges.
Decision time in Europe (November)
Will the French president give Brexit the thumbs-up?
Salzburg may have caused a dust-up but it hasn't changed the underlying reality that both sides want as amicable a divorce as possible.
Some Tory MPs favour a clean break with the EU, which would see the UK fall back on its membership of the World Trade Organization, the global body governing international trade, but they are in a minority.
Both sides are ramping up talk of no-deal contingency planning.
But they also know that such an outcome would be seen as a political failure and a disaster for business - particularly as the 21-month transition period planned after Brexit day would be scrapped.
A summit on 18-19 October of EU leaders was, for a long time, pencilled in as the moment that the two sides would have to look each other in the eye and reach a deal.
However, this is not now seen as feasible and the focus is on a special one-off summit that has been arranged for mid-November.
An agreement then, the thinking goes, would still allow enough time for the UK and European Parliaments and a supermajority of European states - that's 20 out of 27 - to ratify any deal before the 29 March deadline.
So, the clock is ticking but the EU is renowned for finalising deals at the 11th hour and it wouldn't be the first time the talks have seemed on the brink of collapse only for a deal to be pulled out of the fire.
The Parliamentary showdown (December-February)
If she brings a deal back from Brussels, Theresa May has another big hurdle to negotiate. She must persuade Parliament to back it, in a vote likely before the end of the year or in early 2019.
Tory Brexiteers opposed to Chequers have suggested up to 80 MPs would be prepared to vote against it.
Although we don't know what the final deal will look like and the size of any rebellion would, in all likelihood, be much smaller, even a dozen Conservatives defying the leadership would risk defeat for the PM, with her non-existent Commons majority.
The opposition parties are unlikely to come to the PM's aid, with Labour saying any deal is unlikely to pass its six tests guaranteeing workers' rights and all the "benefits" of the single market and customs union.
The Labour leadership is hoping to inflict a defeat as a way of triggering a general election.
Brexit Day, another referendum or general election? (2019)
Some Leave campaigners are bracing themselves for another referendum
Reality Check: How would the UK hold a second EU referendum?
Reality Check: Can the UK change its mind on Article 50?
Court to rule on whether UK can halt Brexit
It is written into law that the UK will be leaving at 23:00 GMT on 29 March 2019, two years to the day after the government notified the EU of its intention to quit, by triggering Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty.
But if there is no deal or Parliament rejects the deal, we are in uncharted territory and it is impossible to say with any certainty what will happen next.
Mrs May has insisted the 2016 referendum result will not be overturned but if Parliament cannot agree on what kind of Brexit it wants, a fresh public vote might yet end up being the only way to break the deadlock.
There are a growing number of people who believe this is the case, although they are largely confined to people who voted Remain in 2016 and they can't all agree on what question should be asked on the ballot paper.
The Liberal Democrats and the cross-party People's Vote campaign, backed by about 30 Labour MPs, five Conservatives, the four Plaid Cymru MPs and Green MP Caroline Lucas, wants the option to stay in the EU to be put before voters.
Critics say there won't be enough time for another referendum - and Mrs May has explicitly ruled out extending the two-year Article 50 process, amid reports EU leaders might be open to that.
However, and it is a big however, should Mrs May resign in the event of her deal being rejected, her successor would have a new mandate.
Some European leaders believe Brexit can be halted but, in the absence of a referendum, the only other way this could conceivably happen is if there were a general election before 29 March next year.
A new government with a majority would have the power to delay or reverse the process but whether it would have the desire - given Labour's policy so far has been to respect the Brexit vote - is another matter entirely.
If the UK does leave as planned, it is far from the end of the story.
It is only then that discussions about future co-operation - including a trade deal - will really begin in earnest.
The size of investment to become a Turkish citizen was sharply reduced as the country copes with currency crisis. - Al Jazeera
Turkey lowers requirements for citizenship by investment
The size of investment to become a Turkish citizen was sharply reduced as the country copes with currency crisis.
19 Sept 2018
The lira crisis began days after the US doubled steel and aluminium tariffs on Turkey [Khalil Ashawi/Reuters]
Turkey has eased the financial and investment criteria for foreigners who want to become Turkish citizens as the country copes with its currency crisis caused by US tariffs.
The amount of dollars or other foreign currency needed as one of the criteria to become a Turkish citizen were sharply reduced, according to revised regulations published in the Official Gazette on Wednesday.
The size of bank deposits was cut from $3m to $500,000 and the amount of required fixed capital investment was reduced to $500,000 from $2m, the decision said.
Two other options for receiving a passport by investment were also eased. The applicant could qualify by employing 50 Turkish citizens, down from 100, or by investing $250,000 in the real estate market, half the previously required amount.
The new measures come weeks after Turkey's currency, the lira, lost more than 40 percent of its value against the US dollar last month, prompting a 20 percent inflation.
US tariffs
The crisis began days after US President Donald Trump announced via Twitter a doubling of steel and aluminium tariffs on Turkey as Washington pushed Ankara to release Evangelical Christian pastor Andrew Brunson, who is being held on terrorism charges.
The lira stood at 6.39 against the dollar on Wednesday.
According to Turkey's Hurriyet Daily News, French actor Gerard Depardieu, who received Russian citizenship in 2013, was among those considering Turkish citizenship by investment.
The report published on Tuesday quoted Depardieu as saying that he would visit Turkey in October and discuss his interest in obtaining a Turkish passport with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES
The size of investment to become a Turkish citizen was sharply reduced as the country copes with currency crisis.
19 Sept 2018
The lira crisis began days after the US doubled steel and aluminium tariffs on Turkey [Khalil Ashawi/Reuters]
Turkey has eased the financial and investment criteria for foreigners who want to become Turkish citizens as the country copes with its currency crisis caused by US tariffs.
The amount of dollars or other foreign currency needed as one of the criteria to become a Turkish citizen were sharply reduced, according to revised regulations published in the Official Gazette on Wednesday.
The size of bank deposits was cut from $3m to $500,000 and the amount of required fixed capital investment was reduced to $500,000 from $2m, the decision said.
Two other options for receiving a passport by investment were also eased. The applicant could qualify by employing 50 Turkish citizens, down from 100, or by investing $250,000 in the real estate market, half the previously required amount.
The new measures come weeks after Turkey's currency, the lira, lost more than 40 percent of its value against the US dollar last month, prompting a 20 percent inflation.
US tariffs
The crisis began days after US President Donald Trump announced via Twitter a doubling of steel and aluminium tariffs on Turkey as Washington pushed Ankara to release Evangelical Christian pastor Andrew Brunson, who is being held on terrorism charges.
The lira stood at 6.39 against the dollar on Wednesday.
According to Turkey's Hurriyet Daily News, French actor Gerard Depardieu, who received Russian citizenship in 2013, was among those considering Turkish citizenship by investment.
The report published on Tuesday quoted Depardieu as saying that he would visit Turkey in October and discuss his interest in obtaining a Turkish passport with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES
US criticises treatment of Uighur Muslims in latest China row - Hong Kong Free Press
US criticises treatment of Uighur Muslims in latest China row
22 September 2018
by Francesco Fontemaggi
The United States on Friday denounced China’s treatment of its Uighur Muslims in unusually strong terms, adding to a growing list of disputes in increasingly turbulent relations between the two powers.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo voiced alarm after a United Nations report described the mass internment of Uighurs under the pretext of preventing extremism in the western Xinjiang region where the minority group is concentrated.
“Hundreds of thousands and possibly millions of Uighurs are held against their will in so-called re-education camps where they’re forced to endure severe political indoctrination and other awful abuses,” Pompeo said in a speech on the state of religious freedom around the world.
“Their religious beliefs are decimated,” Pompeo said.
In a letter to Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, both Republican and Democratic members of Congress late last month called for sanctions on Chinese officials implicated in the internment of Uighurs.
Pompeo did not say whether the United States would take punitive measures.
Even so, the remarks were striking for their tone, with President Donald Trump’s administration putting human rights on the back seat in relations with allies such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
The Trump administration itself has faced criticism at home and abroad for its stance on Muslims, with the president as a candidate calling for a complete ban on Muslims entering the United States and, soon after taking office, barring entry to citizens of several Muslim-majority countries.
Embed from Getty Images
Pompeo also expressed concern about the fate of Christians in China, who he said had been targeted in a government crackdown.
The government, he said, has been “closing churches, burning Bibles and ordering followers to sign papers renouncing their faith.”
China defends treatment
In an interview earlier in the week, Pompeo had described China as a greater threat to the United States than Russia, saying that Beijing was a “non-transparent government.”
“It treats our intellectual property horribly, it treats its religious minorities horribly,” he told Fox News.
China has rejected the findings of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Hua Chunying
Hua Chunying. File Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said last month that the report was “based on so-called information that is yet to be verified and has no factual basis.”
Hua added that China was doing what was needed to combat extremism and terrorism on its western frontier.
Uighurs have long complained of systematic discrimination in the region, which activists call East Turkestan, with tensions especially rife in areas that have seen large-scale migration from China’s dominant Han ethnicity.
The Uyghur Human Rights Project, an advocacy group that uses an alternative spelling for the minority group’s name, has estimated that an entire 10 percent of the population has been detained as part of an indoctrination campaign.
Rising disputes
The fresh focus on human rights comes as trade disputes mount between the world’s two largest economies.
The two countries will launch new tariffs on Monday, with Washington targeting $200 billion in Chinese exports and Beijing hitting $60 billion worth of American products.
The two sides have already imposed tariffs on $50 billion in goods from each country.
Trump in his first year appeared to relish a chummy rapport with Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom he invited to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. But relations have wobbled as Trump takes an increasingly hard line to protect domestic industry.
Moving a step further, the United States said Thursday it was placing financial sanctions on the Equipment Development Department of China’s defense ministry as well as its top administrator for violating sanctions on Russia by buying Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets and S-400 surface-to-air missiles.
Russia and China both lashed out at the move, with Beijing urging the United States to withdraw the sanctions or “bear the consequences.”
22 September 2018
by Francesco Fontemaggi
The United States on Friday denounced China’s treatment of its Uighur Muslims in unusually strong terms, adding to a growing list of disputes in increasingly turbulent relations between the two powers.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo voiced alarm after a United Nations report described the mass internment of Uighurs under the pretext of preventing extremism in the western Xinjiang region where the minority group is concentrated.
“Hundreds of thousands and possibly millions of Uighurs are held against their will in so-called re-education camps where they’re forced to endure severe political indoctrination and other awful abuses,” Pompeo said in a speech on the state of religious freedom around the world.
“Their religious beliefs are decimated,” Pompeo said.
In a letter to Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, both Republican and Democratic members of Congress late last month called for sanctions on Chinese officials implicated in the internment of Uighurs.
Pompeo did not say whether the United States would take punitive measures.
Even so, the remarks were striking for their tone, with President Donald Trump’s administration putting human rights on the back seat in relations with allies such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
The Trump administration itself has faced criticism at home and abroad for its stance on Muslims, with the president as a candidate calling for a complete ban on Muslims entering the United States and, soon after taking office, barring entry to citizens of several Muslim-majority countries.
Embed from Getty Images
Pompeo also expressed concern about the fate of Christians in China, who he said had been targeted in a government crackdown.
The government, he said, has been “closing churches, burning Bibles and ordering followers to sign papers renouncing their faith.”
China defends treatment
In an interview earlier in the week, Pompeo had described China as a greater threat to the United States than Russia, saying that Beijing was a “non-transparent government.”
“It treats our intellectual property horribly, it treats its religious minorities horribly,” he told Fox News.
China has rejected the findings of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Hua Chunying
Hua Chunying. File Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said last month that the report was “based on so-called information that is yet to be verified and has no factual basis.”
Hua added that China was doing what was needed to combat extremism and terrorism on its western frontier.
Uighurs have long complained of systematic discrimination in the region, which activists call East Turkestan, with tensions especially rife in areas that have seen large-scale migration from China’s dominant Han ethnicity.
The Uyghur Human Rights Project, an advocacy group that uses an alternative spelling for the minority group’s name, has estimated that an entire 10 percent of the population has been detained as part of an indoctrination campaign.
Rising disputes
The fresh focus on human rights comes as trade disputes mount between the world’s two largest economies.
The two countries will launch new tariffs on Monday, with Washington targeting $200 billion in Chinese exports and Beijing hitting $60 billion worth of American products.
The two sides have already imposed tariffs on $50 billion in goods from each country.
Trump in his first year appeared to relish a chummy rapport with Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom he invited to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. But relations have wobbled as Trump takes an increasingly hard line to protect domestic industry.
Moving a step further, the United States said Thursday it was placing financial sanctions on the Equipment Development Department of China’s defense ministry as well as its top administrator for violating sanctions on Russia by buying Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets and S-400 surface-to-air missiles.
Russia and China both lashed out at the move, with Beijing urging the United States to withdraw the sanctions or “bear the consequences.”
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