During a surprise testimony in a courtroom hearing connected to a sprawling criminal conspiracy case in Georgia, Mark Meadows did not recall how a highly scrutinized and recorded phone call at the center of the case against Donald Trump and 18 allies came to be. The phone call – during which then-President Trump urged Georgia’s chief elections official to “find” votes to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the state – is among central pieces of evidence in a sprawling racketeering indictment targeting Mr Trump’s efforts to subvert the outcome of 2020 presidential election results in the state. Mark Meadows, a former White House chief of staff, testified in US District Court in Atlanta on 28 August as part of his effort to move the state case out of Fulton County and into federal court, marking one of the first courtroom battles between the 19 defendants and prosecutors under Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in the largest case against the former president and his allies yet. He faces two counts in the sprawling 41-count indictment outlining dozens of acts that encompass the conspiracy: one count of violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO statute, and one count of solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer. Mr Meadows said on the stand that he was not sure whether attorneys on the call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger were working for Mr Trump or his campaign. US District Court Judge Steve Jones, shaking his head, asked why Mr Meadows would even allow them on the call without knowing their roles, ABC News reported. He said that the purpose of the call was to find a “less litigious way” to resolve a dispute over ballot signatures. He testified that he reached out to both Mr Raffensperger himself and a member of his staff, but neither had responded. Mr Trump himself eventually reached out to Mr Raffensperger, according to Mr Meadows. Ms Willis has subpoenaed Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to testify. Mr Meadows repeatedly testified that he did not recall setting up the call or how aides connected to the campaign – not the federal government – joined in. “I dealt with the president’s personal position on a number of things. It’s still a part of my job to make sure the president is safe and secure and able to perform his job,” Mr Meadows said, according to CBB. “Serving the president of the United States is what I do, to be clear.” His surprise testimony comes two weeks after a grand jury indictment presented the largest and most significant case yet facing Mr Trump and others connected to an alleged racketeering scheme in which they “knowingly and willfully joined a conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election” to ensure he remained in power. Mr Trump, Mr Meadows and their 17 other co-defendants were booked in Fulton County jail and released on bond last week. They are scheduled to appear in court for their arraignment hearings on 5 September. Attorneys for Mr Meadows have asked for the “prompt removal” of the case from Fulton County, citing federal law that allows US officials to remove civil or criminal trials from state court over alleged actions performed “under color” of their offices, with Mr Meadows performing such acts during his “tenure” as White House chief of staff, they wrote in court filings. His lawyers said they then intend to file a motion to dismiss the indictment “as soon as feasible,” according to attorneys. “Nothing Mr Meadows is alleged in the indictment to have done is criminal per se,” his attorneys wrote. “One would expect a Chief of Staff to the President of the United States to do these sorts of things.” Prosecutors, however, have argued that Mr Meadows was acting on behalf of the Trump campaign, performing acts that were “all ‘unquestionably political’ in nature and therefore, by definition, outside the lawful scope of his authority” as chief of staff. “Even if the defendant somehow had been acting as authorized under federal law (rather than directly contrary to it), that authority would be negated by the evidence of his ‘personal interest, malice, actual criminal intent,’” they wrote. During the hearing on Monday, which was not broadcast, Mr Meadows himself argued in his sworn testimony that he was both a principal figure and an observer in meetings with and about Mr Trump, and was “invited to almost every meeting that the president had,” CNN reported. “Those were challenging times, bluntly,” he said during his sworn testimony, according to CNN. “I don’t know if anyone was fully prepared for that type of job.” He also was grilled over false election claims amplified by the former president despite statements from members of his own administration rejecting them, including then-Attorney General Bill Batt telling then-President Trump that allegations of voter fraud are “bull****.” Mr Meadows said he believed the claims warranted “further investigation” at the time but had “no reason” to doubt Mr Barr, according to CNN. Mr Meadows is one of five defendants in the Georgia case who want to transfer the case out of Fulton County. Former assistant US Attorney General Jeffrey Clark and three people wrapped up in the so-called “alternate” elector scheme – David Shafer, Cathy Latham and state Senator Shawn Still – are also asking a judge to move the case to federal court. Mr Trump also is expected to do the same. Ms Willis also has subpoenaed his former lead investigator Frances Watson. Mr Meadows met with Ms Watson in December 2020 during a state-run audit of absentee ballot signatures that Ms Watson was overseeing. Mr Trump called her the next day. On 27 December 2020, Mr Meadows asked if “there was a way to speed up Fulton County signature verification in order to have results before Jan 6” if the Trump campaign can “assist financially”, which Ms Willis is likely to use to bolster prosecutors’ argument that Mr Meadows acted on behalf of the campaign, thus not immune from federal protections allowing his removal. Mr Meadows testified on Monday that he did not “recall reaching out” to Ms Watson. He also denied that he directed White House aide John McEntee to draft a memo outlining how to delay the certification of electoral college results on 6 January, 2021 during a joint session of Congress that would be targeted by a mob of the former president’s supporters in a violent attempt to upend the election’s outcome. Mr Meadows “did not ask” Mr McEntee to that, he said, according to CNN. Those allegations outlined in the indictment from Georgia prosecutors “did not happen” and were the “biggest surprise” to him as he read the charging document, Mr Meadows said. The Georgia case is separate from the US Department of Justice investigation and federal charges against Mr Trump for his efforts to subvert the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. At a separate hearing on Monday, US District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington DC set a tentative trial date in that case for 4 March, 2024 – one day before Super Tuesday primary election contests. Read More Trump handed two key court dates as bid to delay trials until after election falls apart - latest Who is Fani Willis, the Georgia prosecutor who could take down Trump Trump and all 18 others charged in Georgia election case meet the deadline to surrender at jail

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A Dallas teenager was charged with murder just hours after an AMBER Alert was issued for the girl when she briefly went missing under “suspicious circumstances.” The Friday morning alert for 17-year-old Natalie Navarro was cancelled when she was found safe, but in a bizarre twist, she now faces a murder charge. Ms Navarro and the suspect in her reported disappearance, 21-year-old Yordy “Jordy” Martinez, are both wanted in the 29 August shooting death of Arturo Pena, also 21. Pena’s body was found in a vehicle along West Oates Road in Audubon Park in Garland, Texas last week. He had been reported missing to the Dallas Police Department on 27 August. Both Ms Navarro and Mr Martinez had warrants out for their arrest in connection to Pena’s death when the AMBER Alert was issued. Further details about Ms Navarro’s arrest were not released and Garland police say they are still “trying to figure out exactly” how the three individuals knew each other. Mr Martinez is feared to have fled across the US-Mexico border and remains at large. He has a criminal history that includes a felony indictment for allegedly shooting a gun into a house in Garland last November. “There’s a lot of stuff going out, we’ve collected a lot of evidence, so we’re trying to process everything right now,’ Lt Richard Maldonado of the Garland Police Department said. “The reason why this happened, we’ve yet to totally determine that,” he added about a potential motive. “We hope to get more when we talk to Natalie to see exactly what was going on if these persons knew each other, if they had a relationship, if there was a falling out.” Anyone with information on Mr Martinez’s location or Pena’s murder is asked to call the Garland Police at 972-485-4840 Read More Manhunt for dangerous fugitive hones in on heavily wooded area after four sightings BTK serial killer’s chilling drawings released amid search for new victims Moment alleged teen killer smiles at camera after double murder arrest

Barcelona president Joan Laporta expects a deal to be struck to sell a defender to Tottenham.

Donald Trump kept classified documents from seven agencies after leaving the White House, the 49-page and 37-count unsealed indictment against the former president has revealed. The agencies include the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense, the National Security Agency, the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, the National Reconnaissance Office, the Department of Energy, and the Department of State and its Bureau of Intelligence and Research. The indictment outlined the responsibilities of each agency with the CIA being in charge of “providing intelligence on foreign countries and global issues to the president”, the DoD being responsible for “providing the military forces needed to deter war and ensure national security”, the NSA working on “foreign signals intelligence and cybersecurity”, the Geospatial Intelligence Agency leading “the exploitation and analysis of imagery, imagery intelligence, and geospatial information in support of the national security objectives”. A number of the agencies are under the umbrella of the Defense Department, including the Reconnaissance Office which is “responsible for developing, acquiring, launching, and operating space-based surveillance”, while the Department of Energy is in charge of “maintaining a safe, secure, and effective nuclear deterrent to protect national security”. “The Department of State was responsible for protecting and promoting United States security, prosperity, and democratic values. Within the Department of State, the Bureau of Intelligence and Research was a member of the USIC and responsible for providing intelligence to inform diplomacy and support United States diplomats,” the indictment states. The indictment, unsealed on Friday afternoon, stems from Mr Trump’s allegedly unlawful retention of hundreds of documents at his Florida residence Mar-a-Lago. Trump aide Walt Nauta has also been charged after he was apparently spotted on surveillance footage moving boxes at the property. The ex-president stands accused of having moved classified documents from the White House at the end of his presidency despite not having the right to do so. In a short statement on Friday, the man in charge of DoJ’s investigations into Mr Trump, Special Counsel Jack Smith, said: “Today, an indictment was unsealed, charging Donald J. Trump of felony violations of our national security laws, as well participating in a conspiracy to obstruct justice. This indictment was voted by a grand jury of citizens in the southern district of Florida.” “It is very important for me to note that the defendant in this case must be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. To that end, my office will seek a speedy trial in this matter,” he added. Fox News commentator Jonathan Turley said: “It is an extremely damning indictment ...This is not an indictment you can dismiss.” Mr Trump took to Truth Social to slam the Special Counsel, calling him a “Trump Hater” and a “deranged ‘psycho’”. The ex-president said Mr Smith “shouldn’t be involved in any case having to do with ‘Justice,’ other than to look at Biden as a criminal, which he is!” “Under the Presidential Records Act, I’m allowed to do all this,” Mr Trump claimed in a subsequent statement. “There was no crime, except for what the DOJ and FBI have been doing against me for years,” he added. “Nobody said I wasn’t allowed to look at the personal records that I brought with me from the White House,” Mr Trump said. Read More Read Donald Trump’s 37-count federal indictment in full Trump indictment: Ex-president kept nuclear and military papers and showed some to unauthorised people Trump indictment — latest: Trump ‘plotted to hide documents from FBI after showing military docs to visitors’

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Chelsea got their goal and then had some fortune. If both were overdue, it came as a great relief for Mauricio Pochettino, who got just his second win since returning to the Premier League with this comfortable 2-0 victory over neighbours Fulham in the west London derby. It may just be one night in Chelsea’s long road back to where they want to be under the former Tottenham manager, but there was enough here to suggest that something is finally starting to come together in this young side – not least because of the identity and resilience of their goalscorers at Craven Cottage. Mykhailo Mudryk got his first for Chelsea at long last, amid much criticism of his performances since an £88m transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk, while Armando Broja marked his return from injury and first start in 11 months by doubling Chelsea’s lead in the space of two first-half minutes. Mudryk was rewarded for his perseverance and it was somewhat fitting that the winger ended Chelsea’s goal drought in the Premier League while also breaking his own personal duck. If Pochettino will hope it is the moment that gives the 22-year-old the platform and confidence to show his true potential, he too was rewarded for continuing to give Mudryk the opportunity on what was his fourth consecutive start. Chelsea hardly turned a corner against Fulham, but Pochettino’s display of faith and patience is what the club will need to get there. After all, it had not been easy for Mudryk. “It’s about maturity, adaptation,” Pochettino said. “We need to understand that young people need time, need to settle.” It was a reminder that Mudryk’s difficult start at Cheslea can also be put down to wider issues at the club. Mudryk joined a bloated squad last season and a dressing room that could not even fit all of their first-team players. It was hardly an environment where he could arrive and be the “cherry on the cake”, as Pochettino explained. “It’s about time and to have patience, to trust these guys and these young, talented players, and to build their confidence,” Pochettino continued. His proven record of developing young players suggests the Argentine arrived at just the right time for Mudryk. Because there is a player there, even as the Ukrainian’s flashes come in raw, untamed bursts of speed, his legs and boots often whirring ahead of the brain. But against Fulham there was also, finally, the touch of class at the end, in the moment that unlocked the match and released the pressure on the visitors. Mudryk was typically electric yet erratic in the opening 10 minutes, running the ball out of play on the left before lashing a wild shot wide after cutting in from the wing; he was taunted by the Fulham fans in the Hammersmith End with chants of “what a waste of money”, and could have allowed his head to drop. But if the forward’s decision-making around the box looked to be in question again, Mudryk then provided the sharp touch from Levi Colwill’s clever ball into his path before finishing under Bernd Leno. With it, Mudryk had his first goal since his last appearance in the Ukrainian top flight almost 11 months ago, and after a goalless September, Chelsea had their first in the Premier League since a 3-0 win against Luton in August, as well as a rare away win. After a spell of almost 300 minutes without a goal, the second then came in a matter of seconds, and in this final fixture of the weekend there was room for one more “significant human error”. This time, though, it was Fulham captain Tim Ream who passed straight out to the impressive Cole Palmer, and whose efforts to clear instead saw the ball cannon off Broja’s foot and past Leno. Chelsea will argue that their slice of good fortune had been coming; Pochettino’s side had arrived at Craven Cottage as the Premier League’s great xG underperformers, with more big chances missed than anyone this season, but this was the night where their luck perhaps started to turn. Pochettino’s team were the brightest before the goal and for once they had quickly built a lead to settle on. It allowed for a night of positivity – Chelsea needed a win after making their worst start to a top-flight season in 45 years, but Pochettino will be more encouraged by some of the displays in his young, although expensively assembled, side. Palmer, in particular, stood out on his first Premier League start for Chelsea, his left foot all deft touches and clever, slipped passes through the lines. In for Raheem Sterling, who was on the bench due to illness, the £40m signing from Manchester City has laid a claim to be the brightest of Chelsea’s many summer recruits and produced the pass that led to Broja’s goal. In midfield, Enzo Fernandez and Conor Gallagher, the player of the match, functioned well ahead of the record signing Moises Caicedo, who shielded and screened to allow the other two to burst and drive. As a collective, they outworked and dominated Fulham’s midfield trio of Joao Palhinha, Harrison Reed and Andreas Pereira, which does not happen often. Fulham, though, were well below what was required on their big night. After finishing above Chelsea last season, they came into this west London derby feeling as confident as they had done before this fixture in a generation. But Marco Silva’s side were blunt in attack and far too open at the back – it took until the hour for substitute Carlos Vinicius to threaten Chelsea’s patched-up defence for the first time when he headed over the bar from close range. Moments later, Chelsea could have been out of sight. Ian Maatsen, who replaced Mudryk - off due to a minor know - at the break, struck the inside of the post with a first-time effort from Gallagher’s cut-back before Fernandez’s shot was blocked by Leno. Robert Sanchez made his first saves when the Chelsea goalkeeper kept out another Vinicius header and then raised his foot to deny Fulham substitute Saka Lukic, who should have scored from six yards late on. It would have made for a tense finish, but after a difficult start to the season, Chelsea had earned themselves a break. Read More The Premier League now faces a credibility ‘crisis’ – and latest VAR farce is just the tip Jamie Carragher believes VAR at ‘crisis point’ in Premier League Frank Lampard explains why he is ‘not surprised’ by Chelsea’s struggles Mauricio Pochettino’s faith in Mykhailo Mudryk is exactly what Chelsea need Mauricio Pochettino vows to continue to show belief in Chelsea’s young stars Frank Lampard explains why he is ‘not surprised’ by Chelsea’s struggles

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A driver and his girlfriend were surprised when a bus carrying Lionel Messi and his Argentina teammates drove alongside them in Beijing. Mr He said that while they were travelling down the road his girlfriend remarked that it would be nice to see the World Cup winner, who is in the country for a promotional football match. Amazingly, the bus carrying Messi pulled alongside them. The motorist claimed that when he rolled down the car window and called out to the 35-year-old, the former Barcelona and PSG man waved at him. Argentina take on Australia in a friendly in Beijing on 15 June. Read More Grealish says he hasn’t slept for 24 hours as he revels in Man City victory parade Manchester City players take top off during Champions League victory parade Golfer Adam Hadwin rugby tackled by security while celebrating at Canadian Open

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