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Trump sued for defamation by former Apprentice Summer Zervos
A former Apprentice contestant who accuses US President-elect Donald Trump of sexual assault has filed a defamation lawsuit against him.
Summer Zervos, who alleges Mr Trump forced himself on her in 2007, said he lied to the nation about his behaviour.
The lawsuit, which Ms Zervos announced at a news conference, alleges Mr Trump is a "liar and misogynist" who "debased and denigrated" her.
The news came just three days before Mr Trump is sworn in as president.
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Mr Trump faced a spate of sexual misconduct allegations in the run up to the election, all of which he has denied.
At the time, he dismissed them as "false and ridiculous" and said they were "sick" and driven by fame, money or politics.
"Since Mr Trump has not issued a retraction, as I requested, he has therefore left me with no alternative but to sue him in order to vindicate my reputation," Ms Zervos told journalists in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
She was joined by her lawyer, Gloria Allred, a Democratic party activist, who said the plaintiff's allegations had passed a lie detector test.
'Thrown under the bus'
Ms Zervos is one of several women who came forward to accuse the incoming 45th president of sexual assault after the October release of a 2005 videotape in which he is heard making lewd comments about groping women.
The 41-year-old former reality show contestant said Mr Trump had sexually assaulted her during a meeting to discuss job opportunities at a Beverly Hills hotel.
She said he "began thrusting his genitals" as she fended off his advances.
EPA
Mr Trump, a Republican, has not filed a lawsuit against any of the women, despite an earlier threat to sue the accusers.
Ms Zervos' lawsuit alleges that the president-elect defamed her by denying her account and accusing her and other women of fabricating sexual assault claims.
She asked Mr Trump to retract his words late last year, but he declined to do so.
Ms Allred said Mr Trump "knowingly, intentionally and maliciously threw each of these women under the bus" and that repeatedly calling them "liars" in public caused distress.
Ms Zervos added that she would be willing to rescind the lawsuit if the president-elect retracts the statements he made and acknowledges his behaviour towards her.
Following her allegations, the Trump campaign released a statement from someone it identified as Ms Zervos' first cousin.
John Barry wrote that he was "shocked and bewildered" by her allegations, insisting Ms Zervos had only previously said "glowing" things about Mr Trump.
Chelsea Manning: Obama reduces sentence of Wikileaks source
US President Barack Obama has commuted Chelsea Manning's sentence for leaking documents to Wikileaks in 2010.
The 29-year-old transgender US Army private, born Bradley Manning, will be freed on 17 May instead of her scheduled 2045 release.
She was sentenced to 35 years in 2013 for her role in leaking diplomatic cables to the anti-secrecy group.
The leak was one of the largest breaches of classified material in US history.
The commutation reduces Manning's sentence but is not a pardon, which some campaigners had called for.
Manning's uncle, Kevin Fox, referring to Chelsea as a man, told the BBC the family was "over the moon".
"It's sooner than we expected - we didn't expect his case even to be looked at for another three or four years," Mr Fox said.
Manning lived for four years as a teenager in Wales. Her Welsh family said in a statement that they were "overjoyed", adding that there would "always be a welcome for her here in Wales".
Manning twice attempted suicide last year at the male military prison where she is being held at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
She also went on a hunger strike last year, which she ended after the military agreed to provide her with gender transition treatment.
REUTERS
Mr Obama granted commutation of sentences to 209 individuals and pardons to 64 others, in one of his final acts as president.
Edward Snowden, a former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor who leaked information on mass surveillance programmes before fleeing the US, was not granted a pardon.
Russian authorities said on Wednesday that Mr Snowden had been granted a two-year extension to his temporary asylum in the country.
What's the reaction?
Manning's lawyer, David Coombs, told the BBC the decision would be a great relief to his client.
"It really is a great act of mercy by President Obama," said Mr Coombs.
Journalist Glenn Greenwald, who broke the story of Edward Snowden's leaks, told the BBC: "I don't think she (Manning) should have spent a single day in prison."
He said she was "heroic and has inspired millions of people around the world".
Writing on Twitter, Mr Snowden said: "Let it be said here in earnest, with good heart: Thanks, Obama."
But Republican Senator John McCain said the decision was "a grave mistake that I fear will encourage further acts of espionage".
And House Speaker Paul Ryan, also a Republican, called it "outrageous".
What was in the leaked cables?
The US Army charged Manning with 22 counts relating to the unauthorised possession and distribution of more than 700,000 secret diplomatic and military documents and video.
Included in those files was video footage of an Apache helicopter killing 12 civilians in Baghdad in 2007.
Manning also passed on sensitive messages between US diplomats, intelligence assessments of Guantanamo detainees being held without trial and military records from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The disclosures were considered an embarrassment to the US, prompting the Obama administration to crack down on government leaks.
At a sentencing hearing, Manning apologised for "hurting the US" and said she had thought she could "change the world for the better".
More on commuted sentences
What next for Julian Assange?
Wikileaks, which published the diplomatic cables, previously said its founder Julian Assange would agree to be extradited to the US if Mr Obama granted clemency to Manning.
The White House said Manning's commutation had not been influenced in any way by Mr Assange's offer, and the US justice department has not indicted Mr Assange nor publicly sought his extradition.
He is wanted for questioning by Swedish authorities in relation to an alleged sex offence.
Mr Assange, who has taken refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since 2012, did not immediately comment on whether he plans to surrender.
But he did tweet: "Thank you to everyone who campaigned for Chelsea Manning's clemency. Your courage and determination made the impossible possible."
Why no pardon for Edward Snowden?
More than a million supporters of Mr Snowden have petitioned Mr Obama to pardon Mr Snowden, who also leaked classified US documents.
But according to the White House, the National Security Agency (NSA) leaker has not himself submitted the necessary documents.
EPA
The White House last week pointed out that Manning had passed through the US military justice system and acknowledged her crimes.
Mr Snowden, however, fled the US in 2013, evading charges in America which could put him in prison for up to 30 years. He now lives in Russia.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said "the disclosures by Edward Snowden were far more serious and far more dangerous" and accused him of fleeing "into the arms of an adversary".
How do pardons and commutations work?
Mr Obama has commuted 1,385 sentences and issued 212 pardons, more than the total granted by the past 12 presidents combined.
In America, a pardon not only lifts the sentence but removes other penalties such as the bar on convicted felons sitting on federal juries, and state-level prohibitions on such things as voting or possession of firearms.
A commutation means the sentence is lifted but the civil handicaps outlined above remain.
Neither a pardon nor a commutation is an acknowledgment of innocence.
Salman Khan acquitted of Arms Act violations in 1998 case
JODHPUR: Bollywood actor Salman Khan was today acquitted of all charges in the Arms Act case against him in the alleged poaching of two black bucks.
"Salman Khan (has been) acquitted in the Arms Act case after the prosecution failed to provide conclusive evidence," the film star's lawyer said, ANI reported.
A case against the film star was registered in October 1998 under the Arms Act for his alleged use and possession of arms with an expired license during the alleged poaching of two black bucks in Kankani village.
Salman's 0.22 rifle and 0.32 revolver had expired licenses and cases were filed under Sections 3/25 and 3/27. The maximum sentence in Section 3/25 is usually three years while Section 3/27 has seven years as the maximum sentence.
The film star was present in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (Jodhpur district), where the verdict was pronounced. He arrived in Jodhpur yesterday with his sister Alveera and his advocates.
Hailing the decision defense counsel H M Saraswat said "the court admitted our arguments that Khan was framed in this case as he had no concrete evidence against him."
On the other hand, the prosecution counsel BS Bhati said they would appeal against the acquittal in the sessions court.
According to the prosecution counsel Bhawani Singh Bhati, the arguments in the case were completed on January 9 in the trial court and the order had been reserved by the magistrate to be pronounced today.
During the arguments, while the defence had argued that there was no evidence against Salman in the case and he was framed by the forest department, the prosecution argued that there were adequate evidence against the film star for the use and possession of the arms with an expired license.
Salman Khan acquitted in Arms Act case
The court gave Khan the ‘benefit of doubt’ while exonerating him.
Hindi actor Salman Khan was on Wednesday acquitted in a case registered against him under the Arms Act in Jodhpur in 1998 along with the cases of poaching of chinkaras and black bucks, when he was shooting for Hindi film Hum Saath Saath Hain.
Jodhpur Chief Judicial Magistrate Dalpat Singh Rajpurohit exonerated Mr. Khan in the matter, while holding that the prosecution had failed to produce evidence and witnesses to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The police and the Forest Department had claimed that Mr. Khan was in possession of illegal arms, with expired licences, which he had used to hunt two black bucks on October 1 and 2, 1998, in Kankani village on the outskirts of Jodhpur.
The Magistrate pronounced his order holding Mr. Khan not guilty in the court where the actor along with his sister Alveera was present. A huge crowd of fans, who had gathered outside the court building, cheered the verdict which gave benefit of doubt to Mr. Khan.
The defence lawyers, who had pleaded that Mr. Khan was innocent and had been framed in the case, said justice had been rendered by the court. Mr. Khan was acquitted in two cases of poaching of chinkaras in July last year, but he still faces trial in the Kankani village issue, which is yet to be concluded.
The case under the Arms Act is one of the four cases against the actor. While the Rajasthan High Court has acquitted him in two cases of poaching of chinkara, trial in the third case of alleged poaching of two blackbucks is on.
Elaborate security arrangements were made in the court premises in view of Salman’s appearance with nearly 150 policemen deployed.
A large number of the actor’s fans were also present near the court premises.
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