A legal battle between Fox News and Dominion, a voting machine company that accuses the network of knowingly spreading misinformation about the 2020 presidential election results began on Tuesday, only to be settled a few hours later, averting a trial.
In a news conference, Dominion lawyer Justin Nelson said Fox agreed to pay $787.5 million in damages.
“The truth matters, lies have consequences,” Mr Nelson said. "Money is accountability and we got that today from Fox."
The development settles a $1.6bn defamation case filed by Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News, America's most popular cable news network, sought to hold it to account after presenters repeatedly said voting machines were rigged in favour of Democrat Joe Biden over then-president Donald Trump.
After the announcement, Fox issued a statement saying it was "pleased to have reached a settlement".
"We acknowledge the court’s rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false. This settlement reflects Fox’s continued commitment to the highest journalistic standards," the statement said.
"We are hopeful that our decision to resolve this dispute with Dominion amicably, instead of the acrimony of a divisive trial, allows the country to move forward from these issues.”
The civil trial comes more than two years after Dominion first accused Fox of “intentionally and falsely” airing misinformation about the company to appeal to its conservative viewers.
Mr Trump continues to insist that the 2020 election was stolen from him, and that he was the winner.
Without evidence, he and his supporters continue to spout fraud conspiracy theories about how the votes were tallied. Such claims have been debunked.
Fox had argued that its statements about Dominion are protected by the First Amendment under the US Constitution, which protects freedom of speech.
Fox said its claims on air, many of which were made by well-known newscasters and commentators, were not intentional and had no “actual malice” — a crucial requirement to meet the legal definition for defamation.
ICC Intercontinental Cup
UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (captain), Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Saqlain Haider, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Naveed, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Boota, Amir Hayat, Ashfaq Ahmed
Fixtures Nov 29-Dec 2
UAE v Afghanistan, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Hong Kong v Papua New Guinea, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Ireland v Scotland, Dubai International Stadium
Namibia v Netherlands, ICC Academy, Dubai
THE DETAILS
Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: 2/5
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
