Donald Trump's son Eric has made a plea for his family's Scottish golf course to host The Open Championship.
As executive vice president of the Trump Organisation, Eric has pledged to "safeguard and treasure" Turnberry, which was ruled out from hosting the tournament in 2021.
Organisers R&A, which runs the British Open – the only golf major played outside the US – had said taking the championship back to Turnberry would distract from events on the course due to issues surrounding former US president Mr Trump.
There are also security concerns over potential protests.
However, merely a few hours after Eric's renewed bid on Thursday to host the competition, it was announced his father faces seven federal charges stemming from his alleged mishandling of classified documents after he left the White House.
The charges relate to the treatment of sensitive government materials he took with him when he left in January 2021.
Despite his father's woes, Eric has urged organisers to reconsider the venue.
"In a family so deeply dedicated to the birthplace of golf, never could we have imagined that politics could potentially jeopardise Turnberry’s ability to host another Open," he wrote in UK newspaper The Telegraph.
"This should not be about politics; it should be about the game of golf and showcasing the most spectacular venue in the United Kingdom and the world.
"I love Scotland. My whole family does. At a time when companies are not exactly flocking to do business in Scotland, we are an American family investing a fortune and working hard to preserve one of the most iconic assets in the country.
"Today, Turnberry is considered by all to be the best golf facility in the world – the players, the writers, the spectators and the entire golfing community. It deserves all of the hype, and it deserves to be cherished. Most importantly, however, it deserves to be in the rota for The Open Championship.
"If we get the call, and I sincerely hope we do, I promise the R&A that we will be the best hosts The Open Championship has ever seen. Turnberry’s best days, and most memorable moments, lie ahead.
"I hope we are given the opportunity. Turnberry deserves to host The Open. Until then, she is in great hands, and we will always safeguard this national treasure."
The Open switches venues every year and Turnberry was one of 10 courses on the rotation.
However, the championship has not been played there since 2009, five years before the Trump Organisation purchased the course and renamed it "Trump Turnberry".
Situated in Ayrshire, south-west Scotland, Turnberry has played hosts to several notable moments in Open history, including the 1977 "Duel in the Sun" when America's Tom Watson overcame compatriot Jack Nicklaus, golf's most successful major champion and a Trump supporter, in a dramatic final round.
Turnberry was also the venue where Stewart Cink thwarted the then 59-year-old Watson's bid to become golf's oldest male major championship winner when he won the 2009 Open in a play-off.
The family bought the five-star, 323-hectare Turnberry resort in 2014.
But with the unpreceded indictment of a former US president on federal charges and with Mr Trump being a front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination next year, it could be a struggle to convince the R&A that his personal life will not detract from the sport.
R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers had said he did not think it would be achievable.
"The R&A had no plans to stage any of our championships at Turnberry and will not do so in the foreseeable future," he previously said.
"We will not return until we are convinced that the focus will be on the championship, the players and the course itself and we do not believe that is achievable in the current circumstances."
Following the latest legal news on Thursday, Mr Trump took to social media to plead his innocence.
"This is indeed a DARK DAY for the United States of America. We are a country in serious and rapid decline, but together we will Make America Great Again!” he wrote.
“We are a failing nation … I am an innocent man."
The new indictment is the second against Mr Trump. He pleaded not guilty to dozens of charges in a New York state case over hush money payments he allegedly made during his 2016 presidential campaign.
The Department of Justice has been investigating Mr Trump's handling of classified documents he still had in his possession after his presidency ended in January 2020.
Investigators seized around 13,000 documents from Mr Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, nearly a year ago.
One hundred were marked as classified, even though one of Mr Trump's lawyers had previously said all records with classified markings had been returned to the government.
Mr Trump has previously said he declassified those documents while president, but his attorneys have declined to make that argument in court filings.
Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet
Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
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Tamkeen's offering
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Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
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The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLE
Price, base / as tested Dh274,000 (estimate)
Engine 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder
Gearbox Nine-speed automatic
Power 245hp @ 4,200rpm
Torque 500Nm @ 1,600rpm
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
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Transmission: 8-speed auto
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Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
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Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
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Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
SPECS
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AUSTRALIA SQUADS
ODI squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
Twenty20 squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
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The specs
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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)
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