The Russian lawyer at the heart of the scandal over a meeting with US president Donald Trump's eldest son claimed on Wednesday she was ready to testify to congress.
Lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya attended a meeting with Donald Trump Jr during the presidential election campaign in June last year at which it appears he expected to get incriminating information from the Russian government on his father's rival, Hillary Clinton.
Mr Trump Jr had been told by e-mail that a "Russian government attorney" would provide damaging details. Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner also attended.
Ms Veselnitskaya has rejected claims that she was working on behalf of the Russian government, while Mr Trump Jr insists that no sensitive information was passed on.
In an interview with the Kremlin-controlled RT television channel, Ms Veselnitskaya said she was "ready" to speak to the US congress about the meeting "if my security can be assured".
The firestorm around the meeting is the latest chapter in the scandal over possible ties between the Trump campaign and Moscow.
US intelligence agencies have accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of approving a hacking and influence campaign to sway last year's presidential election - allegations rejected by the Kremlin.
The Trump administration is currently under investigation by both the US congress and the FBI over any possible collusion.
Ms Veselnitskaya's remarks came a day after the White House acknowledged that Mr Trump and Mr Putin had an additional, previously undisclosed conversation at the G20 summit in Hamburg earlier this month.
After a brief greeting at the start of the two-day summit and a two-hour bilateral meeting with their foreign ministers on July 7, the two leaders also chatted over dinner on the final night of the summit, an official said on Tuesday.
"There was a couples-only social dinner at the G20," the official said. "Toward the end, the president spoke to Putin at the dinner."
White House spokesman Sean Spicer and National Security Council spokesman Michael Anton later confirmed the conversation had taken place.
Mr Anton would not specify the duration of the discussion, but said it was casual and should not be characterised as a "meeting" or even a less formal, but official, "pull-aside".
The disclosure has raised questions about what the pair talked about, who was present and why the meeting was not previously mentioned.
The US president defended the G20 dinner in a pair of angry tweets late on Tuesday, saying it had been on his public schedule.
"Fake News story of secret dinner with Putin is "sick." All G 20 leaders, and spouses, were invited by the Chancellor of Germany. Press knew!," he wrote.
"The Fake News is becoming more and more dishonest! Even a dinner arranged for top 20 leaders in Germany is made to look sinister!"
The White House also rejected concerns that Mr Trump was not with any other US officials and used Mr Putin's translator.
"Each couple was allowed one translator. The American translator accompanying president Trump spoke Japanese," a second White House official said. "When president Trump spoke to president Putin, the two leaders used the Russian translator, since the American translator did not speak Russian."
A senior Russian lawmaker meanwhile dismissed media reports of an undisclosed conversation between Mr Trump and Mr Putin as sensationalist.
Alexei Pushkov, chairman of the information policy at the upper house of Russian parliament, lashed out at US media for seeking details of "a secret conversation that didn't happen".
"They're sick," he added.
* Additional reporting by Associated Press
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21
- Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
- Rock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill
- Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
- Ackee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast
- Jamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain
- Jamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling
- Hellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles
- Out of Many: traditional sweet potato pudding
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
THE BIO:
Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.
Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.
Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.
Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Omania, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m
Winner: Brehaan, Richard Mullen, Ana Mendez
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m
Winner: Craving, Connor Beasley, Simon Crisford
6.30pm: The President’s Cup Prep (PA) Dh100,000 2,200m
Winner: Rmmas, Tadhg O’Shea, Jean de Roualle
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
Winner: Dahess D’Arabie, Connor Beasley, Helal Al Alawi
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Fertile De Croate, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
AIDA%20RETURNS
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