Hong Kong Summons British, Australian Envoys Over Asylum for Activists
In a statement Hong Kong authorities on Monday accused the UK and Australia of 'shielding criminals' with their decisions to grant asylum to Tony Chung and Ted Hui, respectively.
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Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Chicago Tribune
Judge denies Justice Department request to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts
NEW YORK — A federal judge who presided over the sex trafficking case against financier Jeffrey Epstein has joined two other judges in rejecting the government's request to unseal grand jury transcripts related to the decades-long sexual abuse suffered by girls and young women who fell into his orbit. The ruling Wednesday by Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan came after the judge presiding over the case against British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend, also turned down the government's request. Barring reversal on appeal, Berman's decision forecloses the possibility of grand jury testimony being released now that three judges have reached the same conclusion. A federal judge in Florida declined to release grand jury documents from an investigation there in 2005 and 2007. The rulings are a collective repudiation of the Justice Department's effort to divert attention away from its stated refusal to release a massive trove of records in its possession and make clear that the still-sealed court documents contain none of the answers likely to satisfy the immense public interest in the case. President Donald Trump had called for the release of transcripts amid rumors and criticism about his long-ago involvement with Epstein. During last year's presidential campaign, Trump promised to release files related to Epstein, but he was met with criticism — including from many of his own supporters — when the small number of records released by his Justice Department lacked new revelations. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment on Wednesday. Berman said a 'significant and compelling reason' to reject the government's request was that the information contained in the Epstein grand jury transcripts 'pales in comparison to the Epstein investigative information and materials in the hands of the Department of Justice.' He wrote that the government's 100,000 pages of Epstein files and materials 'dwarf the 70 odd pages of Epstein grand jury materials.' 'The Government is the logical party to make comprehensive disclosure to the public of the Epstein Files,' Berman wrote in an apparent reference to the Justice Department's refusal to release additional records on its own while simultaneously moving to unseal grand jury transcripts. 'By comparison,' Berman added, 'the instant grand jury motion appears to be a 'diversion' from the breadth and scope of the Epstein files in the Government's possession. The grand jury testimony is merely a hearsay snippet of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged conduct.' The Justice Department had informed Berman that the only witness to testify before the Epstein grand jury was an FBI agent who, the judge noted, 'had no direct knowledge of the facts of the case and whose testimony was mostly hearsay.' The agent testified over two days, on June 18, 2019, and July 2, 2019. The rest of the grand jury presentation consisted of a PowerPoint slideshow shown during the June 18 session and a call log shown during the July 2 session, which ended with grand jurors voting to indict Epstein. Both of those will also remain sealed, Berman ruled. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after her conviction on sex trafficking charges for helping Epstein sexually abuse girls and young women. She was recently transferred from a prison in Florida to a prison camp in Texas. Epstein died in jail awaiting trial. Maxwell's case has been the subject of heightened public focus since an outcry over the Justice Department's statement last month saying that it would not be releasing any additional documents from the Epstein sex trafficking investigation. The decision infuriated online sleuths, conspiracy theorists and elements of Trump's base who had hoped to see proof of a government cover-up. Since then, officials in Trump's Republican administration have tried to cast themselves as promoting transparency in the case, including by requesting from courts the unsealing of grand jury transcripts. Meanwhile, Maxwell was interviewed at a Florida courthouse weeks ago by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, and the House Oversight Committee had also said that it wanted to speak with Maxwell. Her lawyers said they would be open to an interview but only if the panel were to ensure immunity from prosecution. In a letter to Maxwell's lawyers, Rep. James Comer, the committee chair, wrote that the committee was willing to delay the deposition until after the resolution of Maxwell's appeal to the Supreme Court. That appeal is expected to be resolved in late September. Comer wrote that while Maxwell's testimony was 'vital' to the Republican-led investigation into Epstein, the committee would not provide immunity or any questions in advance of her testimony, as was requested by her team.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Trump Snubs Greatest Allies With Greeting From Fox News Star
After rolling out the red carpet for Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, President Donald Trump did not directly greet European leaders arriving at the White House on Monday. Seven European leaders including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte, have all flown to Washington to show a united front as Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. A gathering of so many European leaders at the White House at one time with such little notice is unprecedented in recent times. European leaders were greeted by the Chief of Protocol and former Fox News personality Monica Crowley rather than the president as they started arriving at the White House. While Trump did not step out to meet European leaders who hastily flew to town in a showing of support, he did acknowledge that their visit for the summit is a big deal. 'We have never had so many European Leaders here at one time. A great honor for America,' he wrote on Truth Social. The European leaders' last-minute travel to D.C. came as the president met with Zelensky following his summit with Putin last week. Trump did greet Zelensky outside the White House with a warm handshake and smiles when he arrived on the north side of the White House soon after the European leaders. Since meeting with the Russian leader on Friday, Trump has largely shifted his stance to side with Putin. He has said Ukraine could end the war by giving up territory to Russia and ending aspirations to join NATO. The president has also backed off demands for Russia to agree to a ceasefire and his threat of severe consequences if Putin did not agree to a deal after their meeting in Anchorage. Before European leaders joined the high-stakes gathering at the White House, essentially by entering through the back door, they met directly with Zelensky at the Ukrainian Embassy not too far from the White House. The Ukrainian president posted a video on X of him warmly greeting and sitting down with the seven European leaders in Washington ahead of his visit to the White House. 'We must stop the killings, and I thank our partners who are working toward this and ultimately toward a reliable and dignified peace,' he wrote. 'Ukraine is ready for a real truce and for establishing a new security architecture. We need peace,' he added. It is not the first time the president has not greeted the leader of a European ally arriving at the White House. Trump also left Macron to make his way inside alone during the French president's visit in February. However, Trump has also previously met individually with most of the European leaders who flew to Washington for Monday's meeting and greeted them personally outside the White House when they've arrived in the past.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
JD Vance raises $4M for Republican National Committee during UK trip
WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance raked in $4 million for the Republican National Committee during his jaunt to the United Kingdom last week, adding more cash to the GOP pot ahead of next year's midterms, The Post has learned. The VP met with several RNC donors living overseas as he traveled across Britain, including stops in the Cotswolds and Scotland, according to a source familiar with the discussions. Federal rules allow Americans living or travelling abroad to contribute to political organizations and campaigns. The UK trip was the latest fundraising sojourn Vance has made since being tapped as RNC finance chair in March. Vice President JD Vance speaks during a meeting with Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy at Chevening House in Kent, England, Friday, Aug. 8, 2025. AP The veep previously raised money in Houston, Dallas, Manhattan, Atlanta, Nashville, San Diego, Nantucket, Jackson Hole, and Big Sky, Montana. Vance's first big donor dinner was held in New York City where tickets ran as high as $250,000 per head, The Post previously reported. He then raked in $3 million at his fundraiser in Nantucket last month. Those close to the White House believe Vance's RNC post, an unprecedented position for a vice president to hold, will boost him in his near-certain bid for the GOP presidential nomination in 2028. Trump told reporters Aug. 5 that Vance was the 'most likely' heir to the 45th and 47th president's Make America Great Again movement. U.S. Vice President JD Vance plays golf at Trump Turnberry golf course, during his holiday, in Turnberry, Scotland, Britain, August 14, 2025. REUTERS 'Last year, President Trump won an historic election victory, taking back the White House and helping Republicans regain control of the Senate and retain control of the House,' Vance said in a statement at the time of his appointment. 'But to fully enact the MAGA mandate and President Trump's vision that voters demanded, we must keep and grow our Republican majorities in 2026.' During his visit, Vance also spoke to British officials and successfully convinced the UK to drop its demand to access personal cloud data storage, which could have impacted the privacy of American citizens. On Aug. 8, the 41-year-old went trout fishing with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy in England ahead of a discussion of US-UK relations, Gaza and Ukraine.
