Trump sues CNN claiming defamation, seeks $475 million in punitive damages

Former U.S. president, Donald Trump has sued CNN for defamation, seeking $475 million in punitive damages and claiming that the network had carried out a “campaign of libel and slander” against him.

Trump claims in his lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Monday, October 3 that CNN had used its considerable influence as a top news organization to defeat him politically.

Trump, a Republican, claims in the 29-page lawsuit that CNN had a long track record of criticizing him but had ramped up its attacks in recent months because the network feared that he would run again for president in 2024.

“As a part of its concerted effort to tilt the political balance to the left, CNN has tried to taint the Plaintiff with a series of ever-more scandalous, false, and defamatory labels of ‘racist,’ ‘Russian lackey,’ ‘insurrectionist,’ and ultimately ‘Hitler,'” the lawsuit claims.

The lawsuit lists several instances in which CNN appeared to compare Trump to Hitler, including a January 2022 special report by host Fareed Zakaria that included footage of the German dictator.

Trump, who in 2020 lost a re-election bid to Democrat Joe Biden, has not said whether he would seek re-election.

The lawsuit comes as Trump faces considerable legal woes, including a criminal investigation by the U.S. Justice Department for retaining government records at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida after leaving office in January 2021.

CNN’s Amanpour demands King Charles III move away from his mum’s shadow of ‘colonial legacy’ and address reparations and justice for countries colonized by UK

Days after Queen Elizabeth II’s death, CNN TV host, Christiane Amanpour has asked the new monarch, King Charles III, to step away from Britain’s ‘colonial legacy’ and possibly offer reparations to countries colonized by the UK.

Amanpour was in London over the weekend analyzing Charles III’s first public address as king and the conversation came around to how “different demographics” were listening to it for different reasons.

During his first televised address as king after he inherited the crown from the late Queen Elizabeth II, Charles III addressed the increasingly diverse state of the U.K.

“In the course of the last seventy years we have seen our society become one of many cultures and many faiths.

The institutions of the State have changed in turn,” he noted. “But, through all changes and challenges, our nation and the wider family of Realms – of whose talents, traditions and achievements I am so inexpressibly proud – have prospered and flourished.

Our values have remained, and must remain, constant.” Reacting to the king’s remarks, Amanpour spoke of British colonialism;

“I really do believe that we have to have this conversation right now, even at this moment,” “And look, what he said, ‘In the 70 years of her being on the throne, many cultures and faiths have flourished in these past seven decades,’” she paraphrased.

Amanpour appeared to suggest that this flourishing was overblown, “particularly in the wake of Black Lives Matter and particularly in the protests that erupted all over the world after what happened in Minnesota, in London, in France and other parts of these nations that had colonial servants, let’s face it.”

She recounted further that Britain, specifically, has a controversial imperial history, saying, “People were in service to this empire. The wealth of this empire was derived on the back of the people of their empire.”

“What we’re saying is that there is the generation of multicultural and diverse Britons who want this answered, who want to see their monarch finally talk about what it means and, you know, potentially the idea of reparations, definitely justice, right? Justice,” she said, warning that the citizenry of Britain has diversified and is looking to the King to address modern cultural issues with new policies.

She added that “Prince William who’s the heir and the next king, has talked about it, having been criticized for a trip he made in the Caribbean – again, colonial legacy – that we must have this discussion, and it must be up to those countries. But it also has to be had in this country [England] as well.”

CNN sacks news anchor Chris Cuomo for helping brother fight sexual charges

America media outfit, Cable News Network (CNN) has fired its primetime anchorman, Chris Cuomo, after he was found guilty of helping his older brother, Andrew Cuomo, the former governor of New York, in his fight against sexual misconduct charges.

The presenter had earlier been placed on suspension last Tuesday but the network said ‘additional information’ has since come forward, leading to his sack on Saturday.

The 51-year-old Cuomo, according to a statement by the CNN, had allegedly covered up evidence concerning his disgraced brother during investigation into sexual assault charges after some female staff came out to accuse him of sexually harassing them.

Andrew Cuomo had resigned from his post in August after an investigatory report alleged that he had sexually harassed 11 women during his time in office, though he had denied the allegations.

Shortly after he was fired, Chris Cuomo said in a statement:

“This is not how I want my time at CNN to end but I have already told you why and how I helped my brother.

“So let me now say as disappointing as this is, I could not be more proud of the team at Cuomo Prime Time and the work we did … I owe them all and will miss that group of special people who did really important work.”

#EndSARS: Lekki massacre fake, CNN lied – Lai Mohammed

Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has described the Lekki toll gate massacre of October last year as false.

He stated this in a statement on Wednesday tagged: “Phantom Massacre at Lekki tollgate” to mark the one-year anniversary of the protest.

Mohammed said the narrative by CNN that Nigerian soldiers massacred protesters at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos State on October 20, 2020 was ‘fake news’.

The minister also accused Amnesty International of speculating fake news regarding the EndSARS massacre at Lekki Tollgate.

He: “Today marks the first anniversary of the phantom massacre at Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, which was the culmination of an otherwise peaceful protest that was later hijacked by hoodlums. At earlier press conferences, I had called the reported massacre at the toll gate the first massacre in the world without blood or bodies.

“One year later, and despite ample opportunities for the families of those allegedly killed and those alleging a massacre to present evidence, there has been none: No bodies, no families, no convincing evidence, nothing. Where are the families of those who were reportedly killed at the toll gate? Did they show up at the Judicial Panel of Inquiry? If not, why?

Sadly, the champions of a massacre at the Lekki Toll Gate, including Amnesty International and CNN, have continued to shamelessly hold on to their unproven stand. Recall, gentlemen, that after bandying different figures, Amnesty International finally settled at about 12 people killed.

“On its part, CNN went from 38 people killed to two to just one, after a supposed global exclusive even when the network had no reporter on ground at the Lekki Toll Gate on Oct. 20th, 2020.

On Monday, the Judicial Panel of Inquiry that was set up by the Lagos State Government after the EndSARS protest wrapped up its sitting. During the sitting, CNN was summoned but it never showed up, thus missing a great opportunity to prove its allegation of massacre at the toll gate.”

Also, Amnesty International had a golden opportunity to convince the world, but it rather opted for issuing meaningless press releases.

“In its latest attempt to grasp at straws and redeem whatever is left of its battered credibility on this issue, CNN has continued with its baseless report that soldiers shot at protesters.”

CNN sacks three workers for failure to receive COVID-19 vaccination

The Cable Network News (CNN) has announced the dismissal of three employees for entering its New York headquarters without being vaccinated for protection against the COVID-19 virus.

This was contained in a memo issued on Thursday by the CNN President, Jeff Zucker.

“In the past week, we have been made aware of three employees who were coming to the office unvaccinated,” the memo revealed as reported by LA Times.

“All three have been terminated. Let me be clear — we have a zero-tolerance policy on this. You need to be vaccinated to come to the office. And you need to be vaccinated to work in the field, with other employees, regardless of whether you enter an office or not. Period.”

The names of the dismissed employees were not revealed, according to two staffers at the WarnerMedia unit.

Vaccinated employees have been allowed to return to CNN offices on a voluntary basis. They have used the honor system to confirm their vaccination status through the company’s passcard system and have not been asked to show proof. Zucker said that may change in the weeks ahead.

Zucker also said CNN is delaying a formal return date to the office, located at Hudson Yards on the west side of Manhattan.

Employees were expected to return Sept. 7, but due to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, largely caused by unvaccinated individuals, the date has been pushed to mid-October.

About a third of CNN’s news personnel are working on-site after more than a year of working remotely because of the pandemic. Employees are allowed to return to the office two weeks after completing the vaccination process.

CBN orders closure of money transfer operators’ naira accounts.

The Central Bank of Nigeria has directed the Deposit Money Banks to close all naira accounts of International Money Transfer Operators.

It disclosed this on Friday in a circular tilted ‘Receipt of diaspora remittances: Additional operational guidelines 2 addressed to all Deposit Money Banks, Payment Service Providers and International Money Transfer Operators.

The circular was signed by the director, banking supervision department; and director, payments system management department.

The circular read, “DMBs are to close all naira accounts for IMTOs. This is to ensure that diaspora remittances are received by beneficiaries in foreign currency only (cash and/or transfers to domiciliary accounts of recipients).

“DMBs are permitted to open new opex accounts for the purpose of the IMTO operations, such as salary payments and other operating expenses excluding diaspora remittance receipts.

“DMBs must ensure that proper audit of IMTO accounts is done to forestall further use of naira accounts for diaspora remittances purposes.”

The Central Bank of Nigeria had warned operators against paying recipients of diaspora remittances in local currency in a earlier circular.

It warned that violators could lose their operational licences if they failed to comply with its guidelines on remittances.

The CBN had stated, “Following the recent policy pronouncement on amendment to procedures for receipt of diaspora remittances, the CBN notes material compliance by majority of market participants as beneficiaries of remittances through IMTOs now receive foreign currency through their designated banks.

“However and regrettably, a few operators continue to pay remittances in local currency contrary to regulatory directive. The CBN frowns on this practice.”