US Attorney General Merrick Garland condemned Republicans on Tuesday for what he described as attacks on the Justice Department.
“I will not be intimidated,” Mr Garland said during his appearance before the House judiciary committee.
“And the Justice Department will not be intimidated. We will continue to do our jobs free from political influence. And we will not back down from defending our democracy.”
During the hearing, led by allies of Donald Trump, Mr Garland condemned as a “conspiracy theory” the claim that the department was behind the New York state court prosecution that led to the former Republican president's conviction last week on 34 felony charges.
His unusually fiery testimony was a forceful defence of the independence and integrity of the Justice Department at an unprecedented moment in which it is prosecuting Trump and President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden.
Mr Garland described a Republican effort to hold him in contempt as the latest in “a long line of attacks” on the Justice Department that “have not, and they will not” influence the department's decisions.
Republicans used the hearing to push the claim that Mr Biden has used the department to go after Trump.
“Many Americans believe there’s now a double standard in our justice system,” Representative Jim Jordan said during the hearing.
"They believe that because there is."?
Trump – who is charged in two criminal cases brought by the Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith – has cast himself as the victim of a politically motivated legal system as he campaigns for re-election.
Since his conviction in the New York trial last week, he and his supporters have increased their attacks on the criminal justice system, criticising prosecutors, the judge and the jury.
Mr Garland described that unsupported assertion as an “attack on the judicial process itself”.
“I have devoted my entire career to ensuring that the rule of law is the rule that the Justice Department applies and the courts apply – that we follow the precedents, that we treat like cases alike, that we do not have enemies or friends, that we do not pay attention to the political parties or the wealth, or the power, or the influence that we are investigating,” he said.
Donald Trump indicted in classified documents inquiry – in pictures
Boxes of records stored in a bathroom in the Lake Room at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. AP
Boxes of records on December 7, 2021, in a storage room at Mar-a-Lago. AP
Prosecutors outline what the classified documents Mr Trump stored in his boxes include. Department of Justice
Mr Trump is facing 37 felony charges related to the mishandling of classified documents. AP
Investigators seized about 13,000 documents from Mr Trump's Florida home last year. AP
Classified documents seized during the August 8, 2022, FBI search of Mar-a-Lago. AP
Boxes of records that had been stored in the Lake Room at Mar-a-Lago. AP
Records being stored on the stage in the White and Gold Ballroom at Mar-a-Lago. AP
Court documents show several counts against Mr Trump include maximum prison terms of 20 years. Reuters
Mr Trump attends an event with supporters at the Westside Conservative Breakfast, in Des Moines, Iowa. AP
Anti-Trump demonstrator Nadine Seiler across from the White House on June 9. Reuters
The Federal Courthouse in Miami, Florida. Getty / AFP
Shortly after the hearing began, House Speaker Mike Johnson announced a “three-pronged” plan to address what he described as the “weaponisation” of the justice system against Trump.
Mr Johnson said it would look to circumvent the authority of the Justice Department and local prosecutors in the former president's case through legislation, funding and oversight.
If Trump wins a second term in November, his allies have pledged to stack the Justice Department with loyalists who will do his bidding.
He has said he wants to use the department to pursue his own political rivals – the very thing Republicans now accuse the Justice Department of doing.
Democrats, meanwhile, defended the Justice Department, noting that it is prosecuting two Democratic politicians: Senator Bob Menendez and Representative Henry Cuellar, in addition to Hunter Biden.
“You can be the former president of the United States, but if you commit crimes you will be held responsible. That's his problem,” said Democrat Adam Schiff.
“That's the problem of all of my Republican colleagues right now, and that is they're about to nominate a convicted felon, and they don't know how to cope with that.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results
First Test, Brisbane: Australia won by 10 wickets
Second Test, Adelaide: Australia won by 120 runs
Third Test, Perth: Australia won by an innings and 41 runs
Fourth Test: Melbourne: Drawn
Fifth Test: Australia won by an innings and 123 runs
Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
Christopher Celenza,
Reaktion Books
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Although you can buy gold easily on the Dubai markets, the problem with buying physical bars, coins or jewellery is that you then have storage, security and insurance issues.
A far easier option is to invest in a low-cost exchange traded fund (ETF) that invests in the precious metal instead, for example, ETFS Physical Gold (PHAU) and iShares Physical Gold (SGLN) both track physical gold. The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF invests directly in mining companies.
Alternatively, BlackRock Gold & General seeks to achieve long-term capital growth primarily through an actively managed portfolio of gold mining, commodity and precious-metal related shares. Its largest portfolio holdings include gold miners Newcrest Mining, Barrick Gold Corp, Agnico Eagle Mines and the NewMont Goldcorp.
Brave investors could take on the added risk of buying individual gold mining stocks, many of which have performed wonderfully well lately.
London-listed Centamin is up more than 70 per cent in just three months, although in a sign of its volatility, it is down 5 per cent on two years ago. Trans-Siberian Gold, listed on London's alternative investment market (AIM) for small stocks, has seen its share price almost quadruple from 34p to 124p over the same period, but do not assume this kind of runaway growth can continue for long
However, buying individual equities like these is highly risky, as their share prices can crash just as quickly, which isn't what what you want from a supposedly safe haven.
Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un shake hands ahead of one-on-one discussion
US and North Korean teams sit down for bilateral summit
Kim: “I believe this is a good prelude for peace."
Trump: “We will solve it, we will be successful.”
All times UTC 4
All Blacks line-up for third Test
J Barrett; I Dagg, A Lienert-Brown, N Laumape, J Savea; B Barrett, A Smith; J Moody, C Taylor, O Franks, B Retallick, S Whitelock, J Kaino, S Cane, K Read (capt).
Replacements: N Harris, W Crockett, C Faumuina, S Barrett, A Savea, TJ Perenara, A Cruden, M Fekitoa.
NINE WINLESS GAMES
Arsenal 2-2 Crystal Palace (Oct 27, PL)
Liverpool 5-5 Arsenal (Oct 30, EFL)
Arsenal 1-1 Wolves (Nov 02, PL)
Vitoria Guimaraes 1-1 Arsenal (Nov 6, Europa)
Leicester 2-0 Arsenal (Nov 9, PL)
Arsenal 2-2 Southampton (Nov 23, PL)
Arsenal 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt (Nov 28, Europa)
Norwich 2-2 Arsenal (Dec 01, PL)
Arsenal 1-2 Brighton (Dec 05, PL)
RESULT
Brazil 2 Croatia 0
Brazil: Neymar (69'), Firmino (90' 3)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023 More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
Travel distance: Limited
Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
Duration: Can linger for days
Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
Source: Can be carried from distant regions
UAE v Zimbabwe A
Results
Match 1 – UAE won by 4 wickets
Match 2 – UAE won by 5 wickets
Match 3 – UAE won by 25 runs
Match 4 – UAE won by 77 runs
Fixture
Match 5, Saturday, 9.30am start, ICC Academy, Dubai
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
