Headline

Trump Secures $15m in ABC News Defamation Settlement

Published

1 year ago

December 15, 2024

ABC News has agreed to pay $15 million to United Sates President-elect Donald Trump to settle a defamation lawsuit arising from comments made by its star anchor, George Stephanopoulos.

The anchor falsely claimed during a 10 March, 2024 broadcast that Trump had been found “liable for rape.”

The allegations were made during an interview with South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace on ABC’s ‘This Week’.

Stephanopoulos repeated the statement 10 times, sparking legal action from Trump.

The claims contradicted a 2023 New York civil court ruling that found Trump liable for “sexual abuse” against writer E. Jean Carroll, but not rape, under New York law’s narrower definition.

Under the settlement, ABC News will pay $15 million as a charitable contribution toward a “Presidential foundation and museum to be established by or for Plaintiff, as Presidents of the United States of America have established in the past.” The network will also cover $1 million of Trump’s legal fees.

In addition to the financial terms, ABC News agreed to publish a statement expressing its “regret” for the incorrect claims. An editor’s note will be added to its 10 March 2024 online article about the interview, stating:

“ABC News and George Stephanopoulos regret statements regarding President Donald J. Trump made during an interview by George Stephanopoulos with Rep. Nancy Mace on ABC’s This Week on March 10, 2024.”

An ABC News spokesperson said, “The company is pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to dismiss the lawsuit on the terms in the court filing.”

The civil case that sparked the controversy involved allegations from Ms. Carroll, who claimed Trump sexually abused her in a department store dressing room in 1996.

The jury concluded that Ms. Carroll had failed to prove rape under the strict legal definition of New York law but found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation.

Judge Lewis Kaplan, who presided over the case, emphasised that the legal definition of rape in New York is “far narrower” than its common understanding in modern parlance or other jurisdictions.

The jury’s ruling ordered Trump to pay $83.3 million in damages to Ms. Carroll for additional defamatory statements.

Trump’s defamation case against ABC News was one of several high-profile lawsuits involving the media.

The president-elect filed suits against CBS and the BBC’s US partner, accusing them of “deceptive conduct.”

However, a judge dismissed his 2023 lawsuit against CNN, which alleged the network likened him to Adolf Hitler. Lawsuits against ‘The New York Times’ and ‘The Washington Post’ were also dismissed in recent years.

Headline

Indian Court Denies Bail To Nigerian Man Over Drug Charges

Published

1 hour ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

A court in India has denied bail to a 44-year-old Nigerian national, Cristian Soporuchukwu, who is currently facing drug trafficking charges in the country.

Cristian Soporuchukwu initially entered India on a business visa but was later arrested over allegations of involvement in the sale of hard drugs.

Reports indicated that after arriving in India, Soporuchukwu travelled through Goa, Delhi, and Mumbai, where he allegedly established links with suspected drug traffickers.

He was accused of purchasing MDMA crystals and distributing them to college students and information technology workers.

According to reports, operatives of the Beguru Police arrested Cristian Soporuchukwu in April 2025 for allegedly selling MDMA crystals around Begur Lake and the AECS Layout Road area.

The New Indian Express reported that the High Court of Karnataka subsequently dismissed the Nigerian’s bail application.

“The anti-narcotics wing seized about 1 kg of MDMA crystals, a pocket weighing machine, 10 zip-lock covers, a mobile phone and a scooter from him,” the report stated.

Justice V. Srishananda, while ruling on the bail application, reportedly held that errors relating to the grounds of arrest could not automatically justify bail in serious narcotics-related offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, NDPS, Act.

The court further noted that Cristian Soporuchukwu had allegedly overstayed his visa in India, according to the report.

Headline

Strait Of Hormuz: US Announces Sanctions Against Iran

Published

2 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The United States Treasury has announced sanctions against Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority.

Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, said this in a statement on Wednesday.

The statement extended the threat of sanctions to anyone paying the fees, saying they may be providing support to and receiving services from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, and therefore may be exposed to sanctions risk.

“The Iranian military’s latest attempt to extort global maritime trade is proof that Economic Fury has left the regime desperate for cash.

“Treasury has deprived the Iranian regime of revenue for their weapons programs, terrorist proxies, and nuclear ambitions,” Bessent said.

Bessent added that the US has succeeded in disrupting tens of billions of dollars’ worth of revenue from being accessible to Tehran.

Headline

US Launches New Airstrikes On Iran

Published

2 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The United States has launched new airstrikes in southern Iran.

The strike shot down four one-way attack drones that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz and then a ground control site.

A US official revealed that American forces struck an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone.

The official described the strikes as purely defensive, saying the US intended to maintain the ceasefire.

Report says this is the second time in three days that the US has carried out self-defense strikes against Iranian military targets in southern Iran.

Recall that on Monday the US carried out airstrikes against Iranian missile locations and boats that US Central Command said were preparing to launch mines in the Strait of Hormuz.