Demonstrators hold anti-Kavanaugh banner outside City Hall in Los Angeles. AFP
Demonstrators hold anti-Kavanaugh banner outside City Hall in Los Angeles. AFP
Demonstrators hold anti-Kavanaugh banner outside City Hall in Los Angeles. AFP
Demonstrators hold anti-Kavanaugh banner outside City Hall in Los Angeles. AFP

Donald Trump orders FBI to reopen Brett Kavanaugh probe


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President Donald Trump ordered the FBI on Friday to investigate sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh after Republican senators called for a one-week delay on a confirmation vote to review the accusations.

“I’ve ordered the FBI to conduct a supplemental investigation to update Judge Kavanaugh’s file,” Mr Trump said in a statement released by spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Twitter. “As the Senate has requested, this update must be limited in scope and completed in less than one week.”

Mr Trump ordered the investigation after two key Republican senators- Jeff Flake and Lisa Murkowski- said the FBI should investigate Christine Blasey Ford’s claim that Mr Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in high school. Mr Kavanaugh categorically denied it.

The Senate Judiciary Committee’s Republican majority asked Trump to order an investigation “limited to current credible allegations” against Mr Kavanaugh with a one-week deadline. Republican leaders agreed to wait a week for a confirmation vote.

“Throughout this process, I’ve been interviewed by the FBI, I’ve done a number of ‘background’ calls directly with the Senate, and yesterday, I answered questions under oath about every topic the Senators and their counsel asked me,” Mr Kavanaugh said on Friday in a statement released by the White House. “I’ve done everything they have requested and will continue to cooperate.”

Senator Jeff Flake after speaking during the Senate Judiciary Committee. AP
Senator Jeff Flake after speaking during the Senate Judiciary Committee. AP

The drama is unfolding just over a month before the November 6 congressional elections. Republican leaders are concerned their supporters’ enthusiasm could ebb if the party is unable to deliver confirmation of a Supreme Court justice who could tilt the ideological balance of the court.

Mr Flake called for the probe a day after tense and emotional testimony by Ms Ford and Mr Kavanaugh to a committee starkly divided along party lines.

A holdout by two Republicans would leave the party short of the 50 votes needed to confirm Mr Kavanaugh on party lines. Senator Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat who has been viewed as a possible vote in favour of Mr Kavanaugh, said in a statement that Flake’s plan for an FBI investigation was "right and fair."

Democrats have repeatedly demanded an FBI investigation since Ms Ford’s allegation surfaced a few weeks ago, and they hammered at the issue throughout Thursday’s raucous Judiciary panel hearing where Ms Ford and Mr Kavanaugh testified.

Republicans who back Mr Kavanaugh said there was no corroborating evidence for Ms Ford’s allegation. Democrats pointed to the lack of an impartial investigation and the committee’s refusal to call witnesses who might be able to back up her claim, or to seek testimony from two other women who accused Mr Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct.

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Read more:

Rifts widen in US over judge pick for top court

I feared being killed, says Kavanaugh accuser

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FA Cup quarter-final draw

The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March

Sheffield United v Arsenal

Newcastle v Manchester City

Norwich v Derby/Manchester United

Leicester City v Chelsea

Recycle Reuse Repurpose

New central waste facility on site at expo Dubai South area to  handle estimated 173 tonne of waste generated daily by millions of visitors

Recyclables such as plastic, paper, glass will be collected from bins on the expo site and taken to the new expo Central Waste Facility on site

Organic waste will be processed at the new onsite Central Waste Facility, treated and converted into compost to be re-used to green the expo area

Of 173 tonnes of waste daily, an estimated 39 per cent will be recyclables, 48 per cent  organic waste  and 13 per cent  general waste.

About 147 tonnes will be recycled and converted to new products at another existing facility in Ras Al Khor

Recycling at Ras Al Khor unit:

Plastic items to be converted to plastic bags and recycled

Paper pulp moulded products such as cup carriers, egg trays, seed pots, and food packaging trays

Glass waste into bowls, lights, candle holders, serving trays and coasters

Aim is for 85 per cent of waste from the site to be diverted from landfill 

Dhadak

Director: Shashank Khaitan

Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana

Stars: 3

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UAE%20ILT20
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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg

Tottenham v Ajax, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE).

Second leg

Ajax v Tottenham, Wednesday, May 8, 11pm

Games on BeIN Sports

23-man shortlist for next six Hall of Fame inductees

Tony Adams, David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Eric Cantona, Andrew Cole, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Les Ferdinand, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Matt Le Tissier, Michael Owen, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Nemanja Vidic, Patrick Viera, Ian Wright.

BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Friday (UAE kick-off times)

Cologne v Hoffenheim (11.30pm)

Saturday

Hertha Berlin v RB Leipzig (6.30pm)

Schalke v Fortuna Dusseldof (6.30pm)

Mainz v Union Berlin (6.30pm)

Paderborn v Augsburg (6.30pm)

Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund (9.30pm)

Sunday

Borussia Monchengladbach v Werder Bremen (4.30pm)

Wolfsburg v Bayer Leverkusen (6.30pm)

SC Freiburg v Eintracht Frankfurt (9on)

Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

EXPATS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Lulu%20Wang%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nicole%20Kidman%2C%20Sarayu%20Blue%2C%20Ji-young%20Yoo%2C%20Brian%20Tee%2C%20Jack%20Huston%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Farewell

Director: Lulu Wang

Stars: Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen, Diana Lin, Tzi Ma

Four stars

If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).

THE BIO: Mohammed Ashiq Ali

Proudest achievement: “I came to a new country and started this shop”

Favourite TV programme: the news

Favourite place in Dubai: Al Fahidi. “They started the metro in 2009 and I didn’t take it yet.”

Family: six sons in Dubai and a daughter in Faisalabad

 

Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

Arsenal's pre-season fixtures

Thursday Beat Sydney 2-0 in Sydney

Saturday v Western Sydney Wanderers in Sydney

Wednesday v Bayern Munich in Shanghai

July 22 v Chelsea in Beijing

July 29 v Benfica in London

July 30 v Sevilla in London

Company profile

Company name: Dharma

Date started: 2018

Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: TravelTech

Funding stage: Pre-series A 

Investors: Convivialite Ventures, BY Partners, Shorooq Partners, L& Ventures, Flat6Labs

Company%20profile
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5