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Paramount agrees to pay $16m to settle Trump lawsuit over CBS interview
United States media giant Paramount has agreed to pay $16m to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over the editing of a 2024 interview aired by CBS, its subsidiary.
The payout announced on Wednesday will go towards Trump’s planned presidential library, with Paramount stating the funds would not be given to him “directly or indirectly”.
The case stems from a broadcast of 60 Minutes featuring then-Vice President Kamala Harris, which Trump alleged had been deceptively edited to benefit the Democratic Party before the 2024 election. Trump initially sought $10bn in damages, later raising the claim to $20bn.
While CBS had described the lawsuit as “completely without merit” and sought its dismissal, the case proceeded to mediation in April. “The settlement does not include a statement of apology or regret,” the company statement added.
As part of the settlement, 60 Minutes will begin releasing interview transcripts with future presidential candidates following their broadcast, except where legal or national security concerns apply.
Trump had alleged that the edited Harris interview – in which her comments on Israel’s war on Gaza appeared inconsistent – violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act, which makes it illegal to use false, misleading or deceptive acts in commerce.
Legal analysts and press freedom groups have raised concerns over Trump’s use of consumer protection laws against media outlets, warning it may be a tactic to sidestep constitutional protections afforded to journalists, who can only be held liable for defamation against public figures if they say something they knew or should have known was false.
Neither the White House nor Trump’s legal team has commented on the settlement.
The settlement follows a decision by Disney-owned ABC News in December to settle a defamation suit with a $15m donation to Trump’s library and issue a public apology over inaccurate on-air comments.
In January, Meta – parent company of Facebook and Instagram – agreed to pay $25m to resolve a lawsuit over the suspension of Trump’s accounts following the January 6 Capitol riot.
[Aljazeera]
February is usually a wonderful time in Delhi, when winter starts giving way to spring, but people are already complaining of a missed spring with temperatures hitting the late 20s as early as the second week of February. Even amid the climate change of the last decade or so, there has been one pattern: a late hailstorm typically brings back another week of chilly weather. An Indian Winter, if you will, Delhi’s response to Indian Summer, which is the term the English give to a late spell of hot weather when it should be autumn.
The fans, who will sell out the Feroz Shah Kotla even with schools turning down offers for free tickets for students to non-India matches because of looming board exams, will hope for a similar storm of sixes after a dry run in India’s tournament-opener. The anticipation for 300 in the Indian media has come in for some mockery, with the pitches not turning out as flat as they are in bilaterals, but at a venue with small boundaries that has turned high-scoring in recent IPL seasons, India will hope to get back to big-scoring ways after navigating a banana peel against USA on a gripping Wankhede surface.
Against them are Namibia who managed just 156 in Delhi against Netherlands and lost quite comfortably. They might still sense a chance as India struggle with fitness and health issues around Jasprit Bumrah, Abhishek Sharama and Washington Sundar, and will themselves be gunning to go big with the bat in a World Cup. What an opportunity for Namibia to make a name for themselves by stretching the strongest-ever contenders for a T20 World Cup.
When India were struggling against USA in the unfamiliar conditions laid out by Mumbai, it was Suryakumar Yadav’s blinder that gave them a match-winning score. That wretched year of 2025, during which he didn’t score a single fifty, seems well and truly behind him now. Suryakumar now has more match awards for India than anyone, having gone past Virat Kohli’s 16.
Namibia, another Associate side that like to open the bowling with a spinner, will hope Bernard Scholtz can repeat what he did against Netherlands. In defence of a paltry 156, the left-arm spinner took out opener Max O’Dowd and conceded just 27 in his four overs.
Washington has joined the Indian squad, but they have other health troubles in the side. Bumrah missed their first match with illness, and while he seems to have recovered and bowled full-tilt at the nets on Tueday, Abhishek has been struggling with a stomach issue. He reportedly played in Mumbai with fever, and it turned worse by the time the team reached Delhi, where he was hospitalised. Tilak Varma said on Wednesday that he has been discharged, but India will take a call on his availability on the day of the match. India might want to take their time with the big names, and in the process give some game time to the reserves.
India (probable): Abhishek Sharma/Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah/ Mohammed Siraj, Varun Chakravarthy.
Seventeen-year-old fast bowler Max Heingo bowled only two overs and went for 22 against Netherlands. Namibia could replace him with the more experienced Ben Shikongo.
Namibia (possible): Louren Steenkamp, Jan Frylinck, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (capt), JJ Smit, Zane Green (wk), Dylan Leicher, Willem Myburgh, Ruben Trumpelmann, Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo.
[Cricinfo]
The US House of Representatives has voted to rescind US President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods.
In a 219 to 211 vote, six Republican lawmakers joined Democrats to back a resolution that seeks to end the tariffs Trump imposed on Canada last year.
The vote is largely symbolic as it will still need to be approved by the US Senate and then approved by Trump, who is very unlikely to sign it into law.
Since his re-election, Donald Trump has imposed a series of tariffs on Canada, recently threatening a 100% import tax in response to Canada’s proposed trade deal with China.
As the vote was taking place on the House floor, Trump posted on Truth Social: “Any Republican, in the House or the Senate, that votes against TARIFFS will seriously suffer the consequences come Election time.”
“TARIFFS have given us Economic and National Security, and no Republican should be responsible for destroying this privilege,” he added.
The vote came after US House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Trump ally in Congress, unsuccessfully tried to block discussion on the chamber’s floor by lawmakers on Trump’s tariffs.
With Republicans holding a thin majority in the US House, the six Republican defections along with a near-united front from Democrats was enough to secure the votes.
The measure had been introduced by Democrat Gregory Meeks who said that Trump had “weaponized tariffs” against allies and destabilized the global economy.
“Not only have these tariffs done immense harm to our relationship with Canada, pushing them closer to China, they have driven up prices here at home,” he said before the vote.
Representative Don Bacon from Nebraska was one of the six Republicans who crossed the aisle to join Democrats in approving the measure. Before the vote, he said “tariffs have been a ‘net negative’ for the economy and are a significant tax that American consumers, manufacturers, and farmers are paying.”
The bill now heads to the US Senate where Republicans also hold the majority. Even if it cleared that hurdle, it is unlikely to be signed into law.
Separately, Trump’s tariffs are also facing legal scrutiny as the US Supreme Court is set to rule soon on a case questioning the president’s legal authority to impose the levies.
Meeks, the top Democrat on the US House Foreign Affairs committee, said the measure on Canada is the first of several bills he plans to introduce that aim to roll back Trump’s signature trade action.
“Our fight doesn’t stop here,” he said in a video posted online before the vote. “I have resolutions also to end trump’s tariffs on Mexico, on Brazil, and on his Liberation Day global tariffs.”
[BBC]
Nepal enter the contest against Italy, a team they have never faced before, on the back of falling short by just one big blow against England on Sunday. Nepal will look to bring that same brand of cricket in Mumbai again and will believe they hold the edge and momentum against their fellow Associates, who are playing their first big tournament.
Emerging from the shadows of the globetrotting legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane are batters Dipendra Singh Airee and Lokesh Bam, who all but took their side over the line in front of loud and energetic fans. But with the ball, Nepal conceded 33 runs in the last two overs of the first innings in that game, and that turned out to be the difference.
However, two points – and a possible big margin of victory – against Italy will open Nepal’s group up before they face West Indies; Nepal had betaen West Indies 2-1 last September.
Italy, meanwhile, had a tough initiation at the T20 World Cup with a 73-run defeat against Scotland. They also lost their captain Wayne Madsen to injury inside four overs of their T20 World Cup debut. He will not feature against Nepal either.
Italy coach John Davison said after the loss that the “occasion may have got big on us”. With nothing to lose and experience to gain, Italy have another chance to have fun and potentially upset some calculations, before facing stronger oppositions England and West Indies.
Batting at No. 5, Ben Maneti was one of the positives for Italy in their loss to Scotland. He started with only seven runs off seven balls, but went on to smash 52 in 31. The majority of his runs came against spinners (45 runs in 25 balls) with shots all around: behind square, through cover, and over the bowler’s head. Italy will hope Ben Manenti carries that confidence against Lamichhane and co.
Lokesh Bam threw everything he had at England when they needed 54 in 21 balls, but fell agonisingly short. Facing quality and experienced bowlers, he smacked back-to-back fours off Sam Curran and successive sixes off Jofra Archer as England searched for answers. Bam’s 39 not out was not enough on the day, but he gave solid proof of his big-hitting ability, something the format demands.
Madsen has been ruled out against Nepal, and in his absence, Harry Manenti, the younger of the two brothers, will be leading Italy. Middle-order batter Marcus Campopiano could replace Madsen in the side.
Italy (probable): Anthony Mosca, Justin Mosca, JJ Smuts, Marcus Campopiano, Harry Manenti (capt), Ben Manenti, Grant Stewart, Gian-Piero Meade (wk), Thomas Draca, Crishan Kalugamage, Ali Hasan
Nepal might look to play the same team that ran England close at the same ground on Sunday.
Nepal (probable): Aasif Sheikh (wk), Kushal Bhurtel, Rohit Paudel (capt), Dipendra Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Lokesh Bam, Gulsan Jha, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Nandan Yadav, Sher Malla
[Cricinfo]
Namibia look to make a splash with India battling injury and illness
Powerful cyclone kills at least 31 as it tears through Madagascar port
US House votes to overturn Trump’s tariffs on Canada
Buoyed by strong support, Paudel’s Nepal search for two points against Italy
Bangladesh election 2026: Polls to open amid heavy security
Sri Lanka, minus Hasaranga, take on Oman at bogey venue
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