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The Guardian
13 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Newsmax and Dominion settle for $67m in defamation suit over US election lies
The conservative outlet Newsmax has agreed to pay $67m to Dominion Voting Systems to settle a defamation lawsuit over lies about voting in the 2020 election. The settlement came as the case was headed to trial. Earlier this year, Delaware superior court judge Eric Davis ruled that Newsmax had defamed the voting technology company by broadcasting false claims about its equipment after the 2020 election. A jury would have considered whether Newsmax was liable for damages. Dominion had sued the outlet for $1.6bn. After the 2020 election, lies about the security of Dominion voting machines, which are widely used in the US, became central to Donald Trump's false claim that the election was stolen from him. Allies and other rightwing personalities made baseless claims that votes had been flipped and that the equipment was not secure. 'We are pleased to have settled this matter,' Dominion said in a statement to CNN. In a lengthy statement of its own, Newsmax was defiant, saying it chose to settle not because it was admitting wrongdoing, but because it believed Davis wouldn't give the company a fair trial. 'Newsmax believed it was critically important for the American people to hear both sides of the election disputes that arose in 2020,' the company said. 'We stand by our coverage as fair, balanced, and conducted within professional standards of journalism.' Newsmax will be paying the settlement in three instalments until January 2027. Dominion obtained a $787.5m defamation settlement from Fox in 2023 on the eve of a defamation trial in Delaware. Ahead of the settlement, Dominion lawyers obtained internal communications from Fox hosts and personalities that showed they knew many of the outlandish claims the outlets hosts and guests were broadcasting about the election were not true. Newsmax agreed to pay $40m to settle a defamation case against Smartmatic, another voting equipment company, last year. One America News, another far-right outlet, also settled a defamation case with Smartmatic last year. Fox is now defending itself in a pending defamation suit against Smartmatic.
The Independent
14 minutes ago
- The Independent
Attack halts Russian oil pipeline hours before Trump-Zelensky ceasefire talks
An attack by Ukraine has been blamed for the suspension of part of a Russian network that exports oil to neighbouring countries. Russian crude oil flows to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline were halted on Monday, officials in Hungary and Slovakia said, with Budapest blaming a Ukrainian attack on a part of the network. Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure, a key conduit for generating money for Kremlin's war efforts, with oil and gas sales accounting for a quarter of Russia's state total budget proceeds. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha neither confirmed nor denied the account of the latest attack, but wrote on X that Hungary "can now send complaints" to Moscow, not Kyiv. The oil supply disruptions have happened as U.S. President Donald Trump is due to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders in Washington later on Monday to press Kyiv into accepting a peace deal with Russia. Unlike most other EU countries, Hungary has kept up its reliance on Russian energy since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. It imports most of its crude via the Druzhba pipeline, which runs through Belarus and Ukraine to Hungary and also Slovakia. Oil flows via the Soviet-built Druzhba pipeline were also briefly suspended in March following a Ukrainian attack on a metering station. Szijjarto wrote on Facebook that he had talked to Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin who told him that experts were working to restore the transformer station he says was hit in the latest attack, but it was unclear when deliveries would resume." This latest strike against our energy security is outrageous and unacceptable," Szijjarto wrote. He did not say when or where the attack took did not respond to a request for comment. Russia's Transneft, which operates Druzhba in Russia, and its energy ministry declined to immediately comment. According to Russian government data, Russia supplied 4.78 million metric tons, or around 95,000 barrels per day, of oil to Hungary via Druzhba last year. Sybiha wrote on X on Monday: "It is Russia, not Ukraine, who began this war and refuses to end it. Hungary has been told for years that Moscow is an unreliable partner. Despite this, Hungary has made every effort to maintain its reliance on Russia." Slovak pipeline operator Transpetrol confirmed that the supply of oil to Slovakia through the Druzhba pipeline had stopped."Our company does not know more information about the reason for the suspension, which is outside the territory of the Slovak Republic. Oil transportation through Slovak territory is ensured and carried out in accordance with the pumping plan," the company said. Ukraine's defence ministry and armed forces did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Hungarian oil company MOL said overall regional supply of oil remains guaranteed after a halt in flows from Russia through the Druzhba pipeline. "Technical restoration is underway, after which crude oil deliveries will resume," the company said in an emailed statement. "Security of supply for the region remains guaranteed." Last year Szijjarto said the Druzhba pipeline would remain Hungary's primary route for crude oil imports. Monday's suspension of oil deliveries comes after a temporary halt last week when Ukraine's military said on August 13 that its drones had hit an oil pumping station in Russia's Bryansk region.
The Independent
14 minutes ago
- The Independent
Orders down: DC area restaurants feeling the squeeze as Trump's police takeover decreases foot traffic
Restaurant reservations in Washington, D.C., were down nearly 25 percent, on average, this past week after President Donald Trump announced the federal government would largely take control of the nation's capital to reduce crime. Seated reservations declined 16 percent on August 11, the day Trump announced he would deploy approximately 800 National Guard members and directed local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration law enforcement officials, according to data collected by OpenTable. The pattern continued in the days after, with reservations down 27 percent on August 12, 31 percent on August 13, 29 percent on August 14, and 25 percent on August 15, compared to the same time last year. D.C. had the most significant decline in reservations compared to any U.S. state, including nearby Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. Over the weekend, seated reservations were down 20 percent on August 16 and 21 percent on August 17 – indicating that the heavy presence of National Guard members, FBI agents, Drug Enforcement Administration agents, ICE agents, and officials from the Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol, and Explosives appears to have reduced foot traffic. The decline in reservations coincides with D.C.'s Restuarant Week in which some restaurants offer a three-course prix fixe menu, allowing people to try expensive or exclusive restaurants at a discounted rate. But with a heavy presence of federal law enforcement conducting immigration raids, dismantling homeless encampments, and arresting individuals, it's unclear if residents will be inclined to step downtown and try new restaurants. That may be heightened if more National Guard troops are deployed to D.C. and carry weapons, displaying an intimidating image of power and control in D.C. Recent reports indicate that troops are anticipating an order from the Defense Department to carry weapons. No formal order has been given yet. But more National Guard troops can be expected with West Virginia, South Carolina, and Ohio delivering anywhere from 150 to 400 troops to the nation's capital. Trump's stated reason for the increased federal law enforcement presence is to curtail crime in D.C., which he has characterized as out of control and violent. However, statistics indicate violent crime has dramatically declined in the city since it hit two-decade-high in 2023. Despite various reports indicating the D.C. crime rate is down, Trump has continued to push his narrative claiming, on Monday, that the city gave 'fake crime numbers in order to create a false illusion of safety.' There is no evidence at this time that the Metropolitan Police Department in D.C. gave 'fake' numbers. But the president continued to assert that his decision to declare a crime emergency in D.C. has made it 'the safest' city. Attorney General Pam Bondi said that there have been more than 400 arrests since last week when federal law enforcement descended upon the city, 'People are flocking to D.C. again, and soon, the beautification will begin!' Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday.
