WASHINGTON 22 Sep (ANA) - The woman who accuses US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault has been given an extra day to decide whether she will testify against him at a confirmation hearing.

 

Allegations from a university professor, Christine Blasey Ford, emerged in the US media last week.

 

She gave details of an incident which she says happened at a party in 1982.

 

Her lawyer has accused Republicans of trying to "bully" her with "arbitrary" and "aggressive" deadlines.

 

President Donald Trump attacked Prof Ford's credibility on Friday, saying if the attack had been "as bad as she says", she would have reported it to the authorities sooner.

 

Judge Kavanaugh has repeatedly denied the allegations.

 

Prof Ford had agreed to testify at the Senate judiciary hearing, but set out certain conditions, including it not taking place until Thursday.

 

On Friday evening, Republicans on the committee set a 22:00 (02:00 GMT Saturday) deadline for the professor and her lawyers to agree to revised terms.

 

"Its sole purpose is to bully Dr Ford and deprive her of the ability to make a considered decision that has life-altering implications for her and her family," the professor's lawyer Debra Katz said on Friday evening, asking for another day to decide.

 

"She has already been forced out of her home and continues to be subjected to harassment, hate mail, and death threats."

 

After the deadline passed, Senator Chuck Grassley - the lead Republican on the judiciary committee - said he had granted Prof Ford "another extension" to allow her to decide if she wanted to proceed.(ANA)

FA/ANA/22 September 2018----