Rudy Giuliani arrived at an Atlanta courthouse to give evidence in an investigation into possible illegal attempts to influence the 2020 election in Georgia. AP
Rudy Giuliani arrived at an Atlanta courthouse to give evidence in an investigation into possible illegal attempts to influence the 2020 election in Georgia. AP
Rudy Giuliani arrived at an Atlanta courthouse to give evidence in an investigation into possible illegal attempts to influence the 2020 election in Georgia. AP
Rudy Giuliani arrived at an Atlanta courthouse to give evidence in an investigation into possible illegal attempts to influence the 2020 election in Georgia. AP

Rudy Giuliani compelled to appear before Georgia grand jury


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Rudy Giuliani faced a special grand jury on Wednesday under a judge’s order to appear before a panel investigating attempts by former US president Donald Trump and others to overturn his 2020 election defeat in Georgia.

Mr Giuliani arrived at the Fulton County courthouse by limousine on Wednesday morning with his lawyer, Robert Costello, and declined to answer reporters' questions.

“Grand juries, as I recall, are secret,” Mr Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor, told reporters. “They ask the questions and we’ll see.”

Competing against Donald Trump’s lies was like a 'shovel trying to empty the ocean'. Gabriel Sterling, Georgia Secretary of State chief operating officer. AFP
Competing against Donald Trump’s lies was like a 'shovel trying to empty the ocean'. Gabriel Sterling, Georgia Secretary of State chief operating officer. AFP

Questioning will take place behind closed doors because the special grand jury proceedings are secret. People present during grand jury testimony are prohibited from discussing it, but that prohibition does not apply to witnesses.

It is unclear how much the former New York mayor and lawyer for Mr Trump will be willing to say now that his legal team has been informed that he is a target of the investigation.

Yet Mr Giuliani’s appearance is another high-profile step in a rapidly escalating investigation that has ensnared several Trump allies and brought heightened scrutiny to the ultimately failed efforts to overturn Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 election win.

It is one of several investigations into Mr Trump’s actions in office, as he lays the groundwork for another run at the White House in 2024.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis opened her investigation after the disclosure of a January 2, 2021, phone call between Mr Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

During the call, Mr Trump suggested that Mr Raffensperger could “find” the exact number of votes that would be needed to flip the election results in Georgia.

Mr Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has described the call as “perfect”.

Ms Willis last month filed petitions to compel evidence from seven Trump associates and advisers.

She has also said she is considering calling Mr Trump himself to give evidence, and the former president has hired a legal team in Atlanta that includes a prominent criminal defence lawyer.

In seeking Mr Giuliani’s testimony, Ms Willis noted that he was both a personal lawyer for Mr Trump and a lead lawyer for his 2020 campaign.

She recalled in a petition how Mr Giuliani and others had appeared at a state Senate committee meeting in late 2020 and presented a video that Mr Giuliani said showed election workers producing “suitcases” of unlawful ballots from unknown sources, outside the view of election poll watchers.

The claims of fraud were debunked by Georgia election officials within 24 hours, but Mr Giuliani continued to make statements to the public and in subsequent legislative hearings claiming widespread election fraud using the debunked video, Ms Willis noted in her filing.

Two of the election workers seen in the video, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, said they faced relentless harassment online and in person after it was shown at the December 3 Georgia legislative hearing in which Mr Giuliani appeared.

At another hearing a week later, Mr Giuliani said the footage showed the women “surreptitiously passing around USB ports as if they are vials of heroin or cocaine”. They actually were passing a piece of candy.

2020 US Senate race in Georgia — in pictures

Ms Willis wrote in the court filing that Mr Giuliani’s hearing appearance and evidence were “part of a multi-state, co-ordinated plan by the Trump campaign to influence the results of the November 2020 election in Georgia and elsewhere”.

Other Trump allies have also been swept up in the investigation. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican senator, received a subpoena ordering him to appear on August 23.

Mr Graham has challenged that subpoena, citing his protections as a member of Congress. A judge on Monday rejected that argument and said he must give evidence. Mr Graham has said he will appeal.

Ms Willis has indicated she is interested in calls between Mr Graham and Mr Raffensperger about the results in Georgia in the weeks after the election.

Georgia official describes Trump's call to Raffensperger and recalls death threats

The Associated Press contributed to this report

8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21

  1. Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
  2. Rock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill
  3. Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
  4. Ackee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast
  5. Jamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain
  6. Jamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling
  7. Hellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles
  8. Out of Many: traditional sweet potato pudding
MATCH INFO

Norwich City 0 Southampton 3 (Ings 49', Armstrong 54', Redmond 79')

The Word for Woman is Wilderness
Abi Andrews, Serpent’s Tail

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Brief scoreline:

Manchester United 2

Rashford 28', Martial 72'

Watford 1

Doucoure 90'

RESULT

Norway 1 Spain 1
Norway: King (90 4')
Spain: Niguez (47')

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.

BlacKkKlansman

Director: Spike Lee

Starring: John David Washington; Adam Driver 

Five stars

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs

Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder

Power: 220 and 280 horsepower

Torque: 350 and 360Nm

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT 

On sale: now

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULT

Argentina 0 Croatia 3
Croatia: 
Rebic (53'), Modric (80'), Rakitic (90' 1)

RESULTS

6.30pm: Meydan Sprint Group 2 US$175,000 1,000m
Winner: Ertijaal, Jim Crowley (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer)

7.05pm: Handicap $60,000 1,400m
Winner: Secret Ambition, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

7.40pm: Handicap $160,000 1,400m
Winner: Raven’s Corner, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

8.15pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes Group 3 $200,000 2,000m
Winner: Folkswood, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

8.50pm: Zabeel Mile Group 2 $250,000 1,600m
Winner: Janoobi, Jim Crowley, Mike de Kock

9.25pm: Handicap $125,000 1,600m
Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer

A meeting of young minds

The 3,494 entries for the 2019 Sharjah Children Biennial come from:

435 – UAE

2,000 – China

808 – United Kingdom

165 – Argentina

38 – Lebanon

16 – Saudi Arabia

16 – Bangladesh

6 – Ireland

3 – Egypt

3 – France

2 – Sudan

1 – Kuwait

1 – Australia
 

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If you go

The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at. 
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.   

Updated: August 17, 2022, 4:37 PM`